Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART. DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER. Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim. Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive. If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers

My thoughts: I struggled to get in to this book at first. I'm not sure why, I think it was quite hard for me to get my head around the post-apocalyptic setting of the story. Once I sort of understood that aspect I really started to enjoy the story. I finished the book in two days because I simply couldn't put it down. Aria started of as a bit naive and slightly annoying to be honest, but she seemed to grow up a bit throughout the book and I enjoyed seeing her gradually learning about the outside world and coming to terms with what was happening in her own world. I liked the developing relationship between Aria and Perry although it didn't really make sense to me at first. I am looking forward to finding out what happens to them in the next book. Unfortunately I did feel that the ending of the book was a bit disappointing, it didn't really do the story justice, but hopefully things will be resolved in the next book.

Never Mind The Botox Rachel by Penny Avis and Joanna Berry

Never Mind the Botox is a series about four professional women all working on the sale of high profile cosmetics surgery business the Beau Street Group. Each book reveals how the women cope with one of the most glamorous but challenging deals of their careers, and the dramatic impact it has on their personal lives. With a briefcase in one hand and a glass of wine in the other, can they navigate their way through a surreal world of boob jobs by day and intrigue by night - and still keep their own love lives on track?

Rachel Altmanis a corporate financier with a prestigious accounting firm who's desperately trying to keep on the straight and narrow. Hopelessly led astray by her bar diving boyfriend, she gets the chance to turn things round when her boss gives her the break she's been waiting for. But when the deal doesn't go as planned Rachel panics, sparking off a chain of betrayal and lies that threaten to ruin bith her love life and her career.

My thoughts: The setting for this story was interesting, I don't know a lot about corporate finance and how businesses are sold, so it was a bit hard to understand some of that side of things, but it was all kind of explained throughout the story as Rachel talked about her job to friends throughout the book.

The main character, Rachel, seemed quite realistic in that she has quite a few flaws, for example staying out late when she has work the next day, I can totally relate to that!  But I didn't feel like I got to know her very well and when she makes decisions there was no explanation about why she made those decisions.

I also had trouble believing some of the unrealistic relationships in the story. For example, there's a nurse who is having an affair with at least three men at once, which I guess could happen, but it seemed a bit hard to believe for me.

Overall it's a fun read and I'd recommend it if you're looking for something a bit more intelligent than your average chick-lit.

Book received in exchange for an honest review. 

The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

My name - my True Name - is Ashallayn'darkmyr Tallyn. I am the last remaining Winter Prince, son of the Queen of the Unseelie Court. And I am dead to her. My fall began, as many stories do, with a girl...

Loveis a weakness for mortals and fools. And Ash, heir to the winter court is no mere mortal. But when he swore to be Meghan Chase's knight, his oath bound him to her irrevocably. Now the girl Ash loves is ruler of a realm where no Winter Prince can ever survive. To be with her he must have a soul and a mortal body, yet the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible.

There is one stronger than his will to live: his vow to Meghan. As Ash battles he learns truths that challenge his darkest beliefs and show him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

My thoughts: Having only read the first book in this series "The Iron King", I was a bit worried that this, the fourth book, wouldn't make a lot of sense to me. Fortunately that wasn't the case at all. Everything is explained really well and I think I could have quite easily enjoyed this book as a standalone.

Ash wants to be with Meghan, but unfortunately for him, the realm where she lives is deadly to him. The only way he can go to her is if he completes a quest to get a soul and become mortal. Ash is joined on his quest by a group of companions, includng Robyn Goodfellow, the Big Bad Wolf, Ariella and Grimalkin the talking cat. I thought that this made the story more interesting and the banter between the characters was amusing.

The story is packed full of action and adventure with some romance and sadness thrown in. I was hooked from start to finish and strongly reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good fairy tale.

Received from MiraInk in exchange for an honest review.

Touch of Power by Maria V Snyder

Synopsis from Goodreads: Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...

My thoughts: Touch of Power has a strong female lead character, Avry, who is captured for her healing powers by a group of men trying to save their Prince from the plague. Along the journey to save Prince Ryne, Avry must decide if the Prince is worth giving up her own life for or if there is another even worse fate awaiting her. She also begins to wonder how the plague really started and what the Healers' Guild were really doing.

I really enjoyed this book. It was very reminiscent of Poison Study, Maria's first book which I absolutely adored.Once again I enjoyed reading an adventure story set in a fantasy world. The characters were really interesting and I love the way that the background characters made the story even more interesting.

I feel like I would like to know more about Avry and her powers, I'm really looking forward to more from this series! 

Reviewed as part of the Touch of Power blog tour.

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver

Synopsis: Out of nowhere, for no reason, I was afraid. My skin prickled. My heart thudded in my throat. My body knew before I did that I was not alone...

London, 1937. Jack is poor, lonely and desperate to change his life, so when he's offered the chance to join an Arctic expedition, he jumps at it. Spirits are high as the ship leaves Norway and at last they reach the remote, uninhabited bay where they will camp for the next year.

But the Arctic summer is brief. As night returns to claim the land, Jack feels a creeping unease. One by one, his companions are forced to leave. Soon Jack will see the last of the sun, the sea will freeze and escape will be impossible.

And Jack is not alone. Something walks there in the dark...

My thoughts: Dark Matter is written in the form of main character, Jack's journal and follows his journey from the first moment he meets his expedition companions for a drink in London right through until just before he is rescued from the Arctic. After that point, Jack refuses to write in his journal but we get a narrative from inside his head instead, which brings more urgency in one of the more action filled parts of the story.

Over the course of his Arctic expedition Jack changes as a character. At the start of the novel, in London, he is a solitary person who is quite looking forward to the peace and stillness of the Arctic. But by the time he is truly alone in the Arctic wilderness he realises what it's like to have friends and he realises that he does need people after all.

I wasn't really sure about the 'ghost' that Jack was seeing. I couldn't work out if it was real or if it was his imagination playing tricks on him because he was alone in an endless night. But whatever it was, the author built up the tension really well and as I was reading I had a strong feeling that something bad was about to happen. It was the sort of feeling where I didn't want to turn the page because I was scared, but had to carry on because I was desperate to know what was coming next.

This is one of those books where although it seems like a straight-forward ghost story, there's definitely a psychological element too as Jack seems to slide into madness. A great book for anyone who enjoys a good scare now and then!

Received for review on behalf of WHSmith's

Midwife On Call by Agnes Light

From the back cover:Agnes Light trained as a nurse in the 1960s and went on to become a midwife - helping to bring new lives into the world for over thirty years.

After fainting from shock at the first birth she attended as a student, Agnes eventually grew to adore her job and the lifelong friends that worked with her on the maternity ward. In her enchanting memoir, she recalls how she struggled at first with the strict rules of hospital etiquette, and the expectation that she would always know the right thing to do - from dealing with hysterical fathers to miracle multiple births - Agnes quickly learnt she had to keep a cool head whatever the circumstances.

This is a heartwarming portrait of a thoughtful and compassionate midwife. Funny poignant and rich with period detail Midwife on Call traces Agnes's touching journey from squemish pupil to assured professional.

My thoughts: This is a really interesting memoir about the author's time as a midwife, from the start of her training and through her career as a nurse and as a community midwife. Before reading this book I didn't know much about what midwives did, or even very much about childbirth in general. This book certainly taught me a few things that I didn't know. I was even quite shocked by some of the attitudes of medical professionals mentioned in this book.

The book is written in quite a laid back style and reading it feels like having a chat with an old friend as the author shares interesting and funny anecdotes about births she has attended.

I'd definitely recommend this book for anyone interested in a career in nursing or midwifery. But even if you're not interested in those careers you'll still enjoy this book.

Johnny Swanson by Eleanor Updale

 This is the answer to smelly feet - wear a clothes peg on your nose. 11-year-old Johnny Swanson is in business. He's raking in the money with his advertising scams and his agony aunt persona, Ada Ardour, who offers advice on absolutely anything in return for a shilling. But his money-making schemes are getting him in too deep. Everything is spiralling out of control, and now his own mother is in mortal danger. There's only one thing for it: Johnny must assume another role - as undercover detective.

My thoughts: The title character, Johnny, hates being short so when he sees an advert in the newspaper that promises the secret to tallness he steals some money off his mum to send away for the secret. Unfortunately this is a con, but it gives Johnny an idea for his own money-making scheme to help pay back the money he stole and to help his mum pay the rent. He places his own adverts in the paper to trick people into sending him money. Some of his adverts were really clever and funny, and even though he was technically breaking the law I really wanted his plans to work.
Later on the focus of the book shifts as a murder is committed and Johnny's mum is the prime suspect. Johnny knows he must clear his mum's name, even if it means risking getting into trouble himself.

The book is set in 1929 and a lot of the story is centred around Tuberculosis and the treatment of the disease. This historical aspect made for interesting reading and I certainly learned some facts about TB that I didn't know before. But the book is so much more than just a historical story, it's a fun mystery story with a fantastic character who I couldn't help but love.

ISBN: 9780385616423
Publish date: April 2010
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Author website: http://www.eleanorupdale.co.uk/
Book source: Personal collection

The Tapestry of Love by Rosy Thornton

A rural idyll: that's what Catherine is seeking when she sells her house in England and moves to a tiny hamlet in the Cévennes mountains. With her divorce in the past and her children grown, she is free to make a new start, and her dream is to set up in business as a seamstress. But this is a harsh and lonely place when you're no longer just here on holiday. There is French bureaucracy to contend with, not to mention the mountain weather, and the reserve of her neighbors, including the intriguing Patrick Castagnol. And that's before the arrival of Catherine's sister, Bryony.

My thoughts: Set in rural France, the pace of the story is relaxed just like the setting. Because of the slow pace of the story I didn't notice just how much had happened in the book until I finished it.
It was obvious from the moment Patrick appeared that he was going to be Catherine's love interest, but I liked the way that she didn't notice how her feelings for him crept up on her.
I liked some of the characters, my favourite was Catherine's daughter, Lexie, with her jobs at niche magazines. To be honest I think I'd have preferred to read a book about her.

I did like this book, I just think it moved a bit slowly and although I enjoyed reading about the French countryside it did get a bit boring after a while.

I received this book from the author in exchange for a review. 

Summer, Sun & Stuff According to Alex by Kathryn Lamb

"Long, long, loooooooong and BORING weekend... Mark should be back from Spain by now, but he hasn't contacted me. I am NOT going to contact him - he didn't even send me a postcard! I try not to worry. I trust Mark! Don't I?" 

Alex and Mark are back together, but now Mark is suddenly being elusive, and Alex is beginning to worry. Then she finds out he is going to Italy with Fabulosa's family! Alex's friends come up with a plan to win Mark back. But as usual, things don't quite work out as expected. Her new goth look scares everyone, her sunburn peels, her sister, Daisy, has a row with her new husband and moves into Alex's room...

My thoughts:  Written in diary format, this is the story of Alex's summer. She thinks her boyfriend is losing interest in her and that he's more interested in her friend. She tries everything to get him back, apart from actually talking to him! Because of this the summer is full of misunderstandings and there were some quite funny consequences.
This is a cute story and there are some fun illustrations throughout the book. Although Alex is supposed to be 15/16 she seems quite immature, so I think the book is more suitable for younger readers than for readers of Alex's age.

A Step Too Far by Meg Hutchinson

"You be a cheat and a liar Katy Hawley, no wonder your folks d'aint want you! Well we don't want you neither, do we girls?" 

It was only a playground spat but the cruel words burned like acid into Katrin Hawley's brain. For they hinted at a truth her parents had long tried to bury.  

Revenge is a dish best eaten cold, and Katrin waited until she could hit her persecutors where it hurt. One by one, those three girls suffered the consequences of her hate, but in ways so cunning that they didn't even suspect Katrin was the architect of their woes.  

But there was another object of her vengeance, one whose sin could never be forgiven. And in her pursuit of vengeance against him, Katrin takes a fatal step too far.

My thoughts: This book originally caught my attention because it's set in wartime Britain, which is one of my favourite periods to read about. The author has done a good job of describing the atmosphere and the way people were feeling during the war. I enjoyed that aspect of the book.
Unfortunately the main character Katy is very unlikeable. She has some major issues! She is seeking revenge on her 'friends' for something they once said to her years ago at school. I found it very unlikely that someone would take such drastic actions over something that seemed so petty.
Luckily the book redeemed itself by not focusing solely on Katy. There is a glimpse into the lives of the other characters, which made some interesting side-stories.

Overall the book was quite good, and I think if you don't take it too seriously it's actually pretty funny.

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

Keep your head down. Don't get noticed. Or else.

I'm Trella. I'm a scrub. A nobody. One of the thousands who work the lower levels, keeping Inside clean for the Uppers. I just do my job and try to avoid the Population Control Police, who dream of recycling scrubs into fertiliser. So what if I occasionally use the pipes to sneak around the Upper levels? It's not like it's dangerous...

Well, turns out it is. Because I know every corridor, pipe and shortcut I've become the go-to girl to lead a revolution. I know if we find a gateway to Outside it'll be suicide plain and simple. But guess who likes a challenge?

I should have just said no...

My thoughts: I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. I'm a big fan of Maria's Study and Glass series but because this is a dystopian novel I worried that I might not like it. That was totally not the case however, I absolutely loved this book!
The novel is set Inside, which is like a big metal box with all sorts of corridors, rooms and pipework. Trella is a scrub and she works cleaning the pipework. As rumours grow that there is more than just Inside, Trella is roped in to helping discover the truth.
I really liked Trella and her friends and I was rooting for them all the way through the book.

The setting of this book is obviously a major part of the story. I found that the setting was described really well and you can quite easily picture in your mind what it's like.

Although the setting is very different to Maria's other books, the writing is still just as great, and there's another awesome female MC. So if you loved Maria's other books, I highly recommend this!

Be sure to stop by my blog again tomorrow when I'll have an interview with Maria!

Thanks to Mira Ink for sending me this book for review.

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Something is wrong with Kaylee Cavanaugh...

She can sense when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest boy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about the dark forces behind Kaylee's power than she does.
And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason and only Kaylee knows who'll be next, she realises that finding a boyfriend is the least of her worries!

My thoughts: Kaylee is a bean sidhe but doesn't know it. All she knows is that she sees when someone is about to die and uncontrollably screams until they do die.
This was a really great story and I really liked the characters, especially Kaylee and Nash.
I hadn't heard of bean sidhes before so I was pleased to see that the mythology behind them was explained in the story.
This was a fantastic start to the series and I can't wait to read the next book!

Thanks to Mira Ink for sending me this book for review.

Anne of Green Gables/Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery

Synopsis: When Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert apply to an orphanage for a boy to help on their farm, Green Gables, they are astonished when a loquacious little girl steps off the train instead. Anne, red-headed, pugnacious and incurably romantic, causes chaos at Green Gables and in the village, but her wit and good nature delight the fictional community of Prince Edward Island, Canada, and ensure that Anne of Green Gables continues to be a firm favourite with readers worldwide.

Anne of Avonlea continues Anne's story. Now half-past sixteen but as strong-headed and romantic as ever, Anne becomes a teacher at her old school and dreams of its improvement. But her responsible position and mature ambitions do not prevent her entanglement in the scrapes that still seem to beset her in spite of her best intentions.

My thoughts: I read these two stories one after the other in an omnibus book. I wish I'd have read this book sooner because I really enjoyed both stories. Anne was such a great character, and I wish I lived in Avonlea because it's sounds delightful. 

The writing was beautiful and so descriptive that I felt like I was actually there. 

Each character is very well-written and even the background characters are very fleshed out, which I really liked because there are so many authors who don't tell you much about the background characters. 

I'm really looking forward to discovering the rest of L.M. Montgomery's books, she's an amazing author!

Driftwood by Cathy Cassidy

 Hannah and Joey have been best friends forever - just the two of them. But when Joey's new foster brother, Paul, turns up, everything changes. First Joey falls for Hannah's brother, Kit. Then Paul complicates things - with some kittens, a chocolate bar and a stripy pink bicycle.

Hannah's world is turning upside down. Can you rescue a friendship when it's drowning? Can you save a friend in trouble - if they don't want to be saved?

My thoughts: Joey and Hannah are best friends at the start of the book, but when Joey starts going out with Hannah's brother, the two girls start to drift apart. In the meantime, Joey's foster brother Paul is struggling to fit in at school. He gets bullied because he's different and because he won't join in with football or swimming or anything like that.
The bullying part of this book really broke my heart. It was horrible reading about how Paul was treated when all he'd done was be himself. I'm glad that there was a friendship between him and Hannah.

This book tackles the difficult subject of bullying, and although it is quite light-hearted in places it was very sad in others, I was almost in tears at one stage.
I also think it was interesting that it was a boy who was being bullied because you sometimes forget that boys get bullied too.

Johnny Be Good by Paige Toon

If your boss was the hottest rock star on the planet, would you mix business with pleasure?

I'm Meg Stiles. This is my leaving party. And that song we're making a mockery of? That'swritten by one of the biggest rock stars in the world. And I'm moving in with him tomorrow.

Seriously! I am not even joking. Well, maybe I'm misleading you a little bit. You see, I haven't actually met him yet...

No, I'm not a stalker. I'm his new PA. His Personal Assistant. And I am off to La-La Land. Los Angeles. The City of Angels - whatever you want to call it - and I can't bloody believe it!

Celebrity PA to wild boy of rock Johnny Jefferson, Meg's glam new life in sun-drenched LA is a whirlwind of showbiz parties and backstage passes. Cool, calm Christian, in town to write his famous friend's biography, helps keep Meg's feet firmly on the ground. But with Johnny's piercing green eyes and a body Brad Pitt would kill for, how long will it be before she's swept right off them again?

My thoughts: This started off as a really fun read. It reminds of band fanfics that I used to read, because it's got a wish-fulfillment "Oh my god this is awesome and would never happen in real life" thing going on. I was really enjoying it and I loved the characters who were all fun and interesting. There were some nice friendships and relationships happening throughout the story which I really loved.

The book did get a bit repetitive and boring in the middle, a lot of it seemed like unecessary filler.

The ending was quite ambiguous and I'm not sure I liked it. The book was quite long and I felt really involved in the story so for the ending to happen the way it did was so frustrating. It was the sort of cliffhanger that you'd expect at the end of a book in a series, but I have no idea if there's another book after this one.

So yeah, basically I adored this book except for the ending which was a real let down.

My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent

It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it's the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she's fine--despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities....

My thoughts: This is the prequel to the Soul Screamers series and is available for free at Rachel Vincent's website.
The story begins with Kaylee and her friend shopping at the mall. Kaylee soon begins to have what appears to be some kind of panic attack in the middle of a shop. The next thing she knows, she's waking up in a psychiatric unit where the rest of the story takes place.

To be honest not much really happens in this story, and anything important will be covered in the main books of the series anyway. But this was a good introduction to the series and has made me more excited about reading My Soul to Take, the first full book in the series.

Kaylee seems like an interesting character and I'm looking forward to reading about how she copes with her affliction.

Beaver Towers by Nigel Hinton

"Curse you. Curse you!" screamed the witch.

Only Philip can rescue the animals of Beaver Towers, but the forces of evil are strong. He must break into the castle and face terrible danger. Can an ordinary boy fight magic powers?

My thoughts: At around 100 pages this is only a short story. It is aimed at ages 7 and up.
It's the story of a boy, Philip, who gets carried off by his kite and ends up on a magical island inhabited by woodland animals.
The island has been taken over by an evil witch and her magical army of Growlers. In order to banish the witch and save the island Philip must sneak into the castle and find the magic spell book.

Because it's aimed at younger readers the story moved very fast and it seemed like everything was over before it had even began!

It was a cute little story that I'm sure young kids would enjoy, but I think older children might find the story too childish for their liking.

Alpha by Rachel Vincent

Everything is about to change for werecat Faythe when her father is ousted from the council that controls their secret world. And a shocking tragedy jeopardises her future as Alpha of the pride.

Now a rebel on the run, Faythe's biggest fight lies ahead. Old allies from the supernatural world are ready to stand by her side. And weretoms Marc and Jace would give their very souls in the duel for Faythe's heart...

Yet as their enemies draw near Faythe knows that she - and she alone - can lead the pride into what may be their final battle.

My thoughts: This is the final book in the Shifters series and, having not read the previous books, I was a bit worried that I'd be missing information that was important for this book, but it didn't feel like that at all.

Obviously I might have enjoyed the book more if I had followed the series, but it seemed to work just as well on its own as there were enough explanations given for me to get the general gist of what had happened before.

The book did seem to start quite slowly for me as most of the time the characters were planning and thinking about what they should be doing rather than actually doing anything. However, as the book goes on there is a lot more action and it gets quite exciting.

A big part of the story is the love triangle between Faythe and the two toms, Marc and Jace. Having not followed the series I was a bit confused about why and how she could treat them the way she did.

Overall it was an exciting book that was full of action. For someone who usually steers clear of 'urban fantasy' I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it.

If, like me, you haven't read the series I'd suggest starting with book one, Stray. The good thing with Alpha being the last book in the series is that you won't have to wait impatiently for the next book!

Check out my Q&A with Rachel Vincent.

I received this book from MIRA in exchange for an honest review.

Whisper of a Witch by Suza Kates

A Choice

Biologist Shauni Miller, as beautiful as she is compassionate, harbours a secret that could alter her life forever. If she chooses to share it.

A Deception
Dr. Michael Black helps Shauni in her time of need but sees more in the raven-haired temptress than she ever meant to reveal. He knows she's hiding something, but then, so is he.
A Prediction
Both Shauni and Michael have a role to play, and decisions to make as a centuries-old prophecy has yet to be fulfilled. Only the fates know if they are meant to be together. Or if one of them has to die.

My thoughts: I won this book in a goodreads giveaway, and I'm really glad that I did otherwise I wouldn't have known about how fantastic it was!
The book begins with a prologue that introduces a whole bunch of women all seemingly heading to the same place. It was a bit confusing to be bombarded with all this information first thing, but it's only a quick introduction, so it's not that bad really. Anyway, after that the story begins properly. We meet Shauni, who has the ability of communicating with animals. This made for some great scenes with her pet cat, Cuileann, who I thought was great! He had such a no-nonsense attitude, just like you'd imagine a cat to be really.
Shauni's ability to communicate with animals means that she inevitably ends up meeting the town vet, Michael Black. A man who's sweet, sexy and loves animals (he might be my ideal man lol). I liked the relationship between Shauni and Michael, although it did seem to happen a bit quickly.

As for the action part of the story, well there's the coven of witches, including Shauni, who are the good guys, and they're up against some demons. There are, of course, some obligatory fight scenes, and it's all very exciting, if a little predictable. The author builds up this thing about Shauni having to face a test of her powers at the end, but when it came it was a bit of an anti-climax.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and I loved the characters. I'm looking forward to reading more books in the series. My only real complaint is that the author seems to have a habit of describing everyone's hair, which got on my nerves after a while.

Check out the author's website at: http://www.suzakates.com/

A Catch of Consequence by Diana Norman

Makepeace Burke serves Patriots at her late father's tavern on the Boston waterfront in 1765 and hates the redcoats with a vengeance. But even she can't watch an angry mob drown an Englishman. She rescues him and nurses him back to health-and falls in love.

In Patriot Boston, hers is an unforgivable sin-made worse by the fact that her Englishman turns out be the aristocratic Sir Philip Dapifer. Philip must smuggle Makepeace aboard a ship bound for London and save her life at the expense of the world she knows.

Rich in period detail, bringing the years of colonial rebellion to vivid life, A Catch of Consequence is a stylish novel of Boston and England, and of a woman who defies convention in both worlds.

My thoughts: The story starts off in 1700's Boston, USA but soon moves to England. I thought the main character, Makepeace was excellent. She came across as a strong and independent woman. When she first arrives in England she has to try and fit into the upper class society of London and also has to deal with Sir Philip's ex-wife. But then tragedy strikes and she must move to Northumberland to start another new life. For me this was the most enjoyable part of the story, with a little bit of drama and some romance thrown in too.

This was a fantastic historical fiction that really made me feel like I was right there. I loved this book and will be looking out for more books from this author.