Innocent in Death

Book Description

The phenomenal series set in a future New York City returns as NYPSD Lt. Eve Dallas hunts for the killer of a seemingly ordinary history teacher-and uncovers some extraordinary surprises. Craig Foster's death devastated his young wife, who'd sent him to work that day with a lovingly packed lunch. It shocked his colleagues at the private school, too, and as for the ten-year-old girls who found him in his classroom in a pool of bodily fluids-they may have been traumatized for life.

Eve soon determines that Foster's homemade lunch was tainted with deadly ricin, and that Mr. Foster's colleagues have some startling secrets of their own. It's Eve's job to sort it out- and discover why someone would have done this to a man who seemed so inoffensive, so pleasant . . . so innocent.

Now Magdalena Percell . . . there's someone Eve can picture as a murder victim. Possibly at Eve's own hands. The slinky blonde-an old flame of her billionaire husband, Roarke-has arrived in New York, and she's anything but innocent. Roarke seems blind to Magdalena's manipulation, and he insists that the occasional lunch or business meeting with her is nothing to worry about . . . and none of Eve's business. Eve's so unnerved by the situation that she finds it hard to focus on her case. Still, she'll have to put aside her feelings, for a while at least-because another man has just turned up dead.

Eve knows all too well that innocence can be a faade. Keeping that in mind may help her solve this case at last. But it may also tear apart her marriage.

Customer Reviews:

Innocent In Death is worth the wait!.......2007-10-21

I love Nora Roberts work and as always i was not disappointed the only thing about it that brought me down was knowing that i was going to come to the end of the book. It had everything i look for in a book romance characters you fall in love with and lots and lots of mystery. the world she created in these books is one i wish existed. I fully and completely recommend this book for anyone who wants to be swept away by a good story.

A teacher's dead..........2007-10-19

and it's hard to imagine anyone having enough of a beef with him to murder him. From all accounts he was simply an ordinary guy, going about with his ordinary, happy life. Eve Dallas is left to discover who's keeping secrets...and her discovery shocks even this street-hardened cop. A fantastic new chapter in the Eve Dallas mythology.

Spoiler, Bad Seed with a Happy Ending.......2007-10-15

This was my first Eve Dallas mystery and I was slightly disappointed. While reading the book, I kept getting back to the similarities between the crimes in the book and the movie the "Bad Seed", right down to trying to incinerate the evidence, shoes vs. diary. The story was good but I would borrow the book from my local library and not buy it. The only interesting part is you got inside the killer's head when she committed the crime, since in the movie your hearing about the crimes days or weeks after the fact. The ending of the book was different from the movie since the killer was caught in her crimes, whereas the movie has nature dispensing out justice to the killer.

Innocent in Death.......2007-10-07

Lt. Eve Dallas and her partner Detective Delia Peabody are called on-scene to investigate the death of a teacher at one of NYC's top private schools. Craig Foster was a popular history teacher who died from drinking poisoned cocoa. Since Foster brought the cocoa from home, Dallas and Peabody initially suspect his wife or a family member. But there are no red flags there, so they move on to the parents of Foster's students or one of his colleagues. They hone in on another teacher, one known for his sexual promiscuousness and who Foster had had words with over his harassment of a school employee. Before they can investigate this man further, his body is discovered in the school's pool. Dallas and Peabody are baffled but convinced more than ever that someone connected with the school is behind the murders.

For the first time, Eve is having a hard time concentrating on an investigation. A woman from Roarke's past has entered the picture, and it isn't long before there's tension between Eve and Roarke and harsh words spoken. Stoic Eve is startled to find herself so emotionally overwrought by this woman and her efforts to create conflict between Eve and Roarke. But she forces her mind on the investigation and what she discovers shocks even the jaded Lt. Dallas.

Robb's popular series remains a constant bestseller and it isn't hard to figure out why, with likeable characters and suspenseful plots. The relationship between Dallas and Roarke is a bonus and is explored in-depth in this book. Robb displays talent for drawing the reader into her characters' angst and despair at the disruption in their marriage. Eve's and Roarke's mutual fright over babies is humorous and adds a light note to an otherwise dark mystery.

short but sweet.......2007-09-28

As always, J.D. Robb has created a fast paced mystery featuring our favorite murder cop, Eve Dallas and her deliciously sexy, wealthy husband, the inimitable Roark. Although Robb's focus on the single storyline omits the antics of some of this series's more colorful characters whom we have come to love, she retains the flavor of the "In Death" novels through the personalities of her main characters. "Interlude" is a must have to complete your "In Death" collection.

Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution

Average customer rating:

Interesting overview of the not-so-intentional leader of California Cuisine
Saint Alice - hagiography of a restaurateur
Life altering
Fine history of fascinating people and a wonderful place to eat
Alice Waters and the food revolution

Alice Waters and Chez Panisse: The Romantic, Impractical, Often Eccentric, Ultimately Brilliant Making of a Food Revolution
Thomas McNamee
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1594201153
Release Date: 2007-03-22

Amazon.com

You can't tell the story of Chez Panisse, Berkeley's famed restaurant, without relating that of its diminutive founder, proprietor, and sometime chef, Alice Waters. This is what Thomas McNamee does most handily in his Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, a chronicle that begins with the seat-of-the-pants opening night of the "counterculture" venture in 1971, and ends 35 years later with Waters's restaurant an American institution--one credited with birthing California Cuisine, a style devoted to simplicity, freshness and seasonality. The book also limns, with tasty gossip, the ever-evolving Chez Panisse family, including the cook-artisans uniquely responsible for dish creation; follows the attempts, mostly failed, to put the restaurant on sound financial footing; shows how dishes and menus get made; and of course pursues Waters as she broadens her commitment to "virtuous agriculture" by establishing ventures like The Edible Schoolyard and The Yale Sustainable Food Project.

The success of Chez Panisse--Gourmet magazine named it the best American restaurant in 2002--has everything to do with Waters, yet she remains an elusive protagonist. Sophisticated yet naive, professional and amateur, hard-driving but emotionally blurry, she invites reader interest but doesn't always satisfy it, as least as presented here. If McNamee cannot quite bring her to life, and if his tale lacks an insider's full conversance with his subject, he still engages readers in the considerable drama of people finding their way--blunderingly, with talented intent--to something new. With menus, narrated recipes, and photographs throughout, the book is vital reading for anyone interested in food, period. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

In an authorized biography-the story of Alice Waters, Chez Panisse, and the San Francisco 1970s counterculture food revolution that invented "American cuisine"

Not so long ago it was nearly impossible to find a cappuccino or a croissant in this country, and goat cheese and mesclun lettuce were virtually unheard of. Most people had no idea what "organic" food was, and even fewer thought about "sustainable farming." But in 1971, in a corner of Berkeley, California, a young Francophile named Alice Waters opened a small counterculture restaurant for her friends called Chez Panisse and launched an entirely new way of thinking about and serving food in America. Without an ounce of business sense or financial discipline, Alice relied on the coterie of devoted friends and followers who developed around her and on her strong principles of, among other things, using only locally grown and organic ingredients at the peak of their seasons, to keep her restaurant afloat. It was a reckless, extravagant, inexperienced venture that would have failed at any other time and place, but that instead-somehow-turned into a food revolution.

Today, Alice Waters may be the most important figure in the culinary history of North America. Chez Panisse revolutionized what it means to eat out and gave birth to a new nationwide cuisine-the first in this country not associated with a single region or ethnic group, the first "American" cuisine. Gourmet's 2002 appraisal ranked Chez Panisse as the best restaurant in America, and The New York Times has called Alice "the mother of American cooking." Alice has become a public figure, revered and idolized by many. The first "foodie," she has become a famous chef, activist, advocate, and spokeswoman whose personal beliefs have become the values of an entire food movement. But her complex personal character is hardly known at all.

Thomas McNamee was selected by Alice to document her story and was given exclusive access to her and her closest friends, to the Chez Panisse archives, and to private collections and memorabilia. As the story unfolds over the decades, we learn of her many passionate loves, her marriage, her divorce, the birth of her daughter Fanny, her failures, her critics. We come to know the extraordinary cast of characters who have formed the ever-shifting Chez Panisse community-a make-shift family with complex relationships, competing interests, and a strange, almost cultish, devotion to each other and to their work.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting overview of the not-so-intentional leader of California Cuisine.......2007-10-08

Any foodie worth her sun-dried sea salt knows the name Alice Waters. Waters was the person who spearheaded the move to fresh, local produce that's grown sustainability and locally, and Chez Panisse is probably the most famous restaurant that most of us have never visited.

So I was particularly interested in Waters' story. I'm glad I read it, as I feel like I now know things that I ought to know... but I can't say that this is a Wow book. If you have the opportunity to read the book, do; but I don't think you have to drop everything to put it on the top of your Must Read pile.

Yes, Alice Waters created a revolution in the way that Americans, or at least food-conscious Americans, think about food. But she didn't set out to do so as though she was on a lifelong mission... she just wanted to open the sort of one-star Michelin restaurant that she had encountered across France. Through a set of remarkable happenstance (which makes me think simultaneously -- if oddly -- of both Forrest Gump and Connie Willis' Bellwether), Waters was always in the right place at the right time. The right person always showed up in her life, at the time needed. And -- here's a lesson far beyond foodiehood -- she repeatedly took disaster and turned it into opportunity.

For example, after she brought Italian wood fired pizza to the States (oh geez, she started *that* trend, too?), an oven started a huge fire. The restaurant had to be renovated in a hurry, so instead of recreating the small door between kitchen and dining room, she made a big open area... and began a trend towards the "open kitchen." Waters was just solving a problem, but her innovation started a trend.

This is all interesting stuff, and it's interwoven with the events of Waters' own life (such as a procession of lovers, her marriage, motherhood), as well as the strong personalities who have been associated with the restaurant (many of whom have become celebrity chefs or written cookbooks, too). Much of this is from quoted interviews. It's interesting, and the author does a good job (though not dispassionately, as it's clear that the author *likes* Waters). The result, though, is that I felt informed and educated, rather than blown away or inspired or fascinated. That is: I liked this book. I didn't adore it.

Saint Alice - hagiography of a restaurateur.......2007-09-25

McNamee's book is an excellent read, no doubt. The story flows, the characters build, the plot thickens. I've been fortunate enough to often eat at Chez Panisse, particularly in its first 5 years, and had seen more than a few of the scenes the author, or one of his correspondents, describes. Alice's determination and pursuit of the best possible ingredient have always been remarkable. She's a Taurus, isn't she!

My only quibble is the rather overly respectful view McNamee takes of her. She's more a flesh and blood person than a saint, and the author might take that into account if he continues to plumb this vein of research.

All in all a fairly well researched and well written tome. Perhaps not as evocative as the chapter on Chez Panisse in David Kamp's, United States of Arugula, but a good book to open to any page & foster a laugh, a sigh or an hurrah!

Life altering.......2007-09-06

Adored this book. It will change the whole way you look at food, from farming it to eating it. It also helped hone my palate and I am still running about buying ingrediants mentioned in it. Have bought three additional copies for friends.

Fine history of fascinating people and a wonderful place to eat.......2007-07-05

The background and history of Chez Panisse is a grand addition to the good meals I've eaten there over many years. Thanks to the author for capturing the early years with such vitality.

Alice Waters and the food revolution.......2007-06-08

This is an inspiring and clear-eyed view of the woman who is indisputably linked to the revolution in American cuisine. Before Alice Waters, thinking about organic food, local food, support for small farms, eating seasonal foods, food as essential to a return to civility, did not pervade the collective consciousness of our society. The book paints her, warts and all, breathtakingly well and Alice gets into your mind leaping off the pages to look over your shoulder as you buy and prepare dinner. Her revolution is not about food. It is about life and how to live it. It's a great read.

Average customer rating:

Not one of her best
Vampire ???
4 stars
nice quick read
I was disappointed

The Last of the Red-Hot Vampires
Katie MacAlister
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0451220854

Book Description

On a trip to England, physicist Portia Harding is stalked by a heart-stoppingly handsome maniac.Theondre North is a nephilim-the son of a fallen angel-who needs Portia's help to change his fate. Problem is, Portia's down-to-earth attitude frustrates beings from both heavenly and hellish realms-and gets Theo turned into a vampire. But at least he has Portia to satisfy his newfound hungers-and possibly save his soul.

Customer Reviews:

Not one of her best.......2007-09-09

Sorry Katie - this wasn't one of your stronger efforts. I'm a big fan of the Ashling books. They're lots of fun, quick reads and the characters are pretty well developed and likable. It's not that the characters in this book weren't likable, just not that interesting. The story was weak compared to the others by this author. I'm afraid I wouldn't recommend it. There are better options out there for the time invested.

Vampire ???.......2007-08-16

"Physicist Portia Harding's life is grounded in facts. There is nothing that can't be explained by logic and science ... until she travels with her best friend to England and accidentally summons an ethereal virtue who bequeaths her gift of weather control to Portia.

New Portia is walking around with a literal cloud over her head and a heart-stoppingly handsome maniac trying to kidnap her. But Theondre North is no run-of-the-mill lunatic. He's a nephilim - the son of an angel - whoneeds Portia's help to change his fate. Problem is, Portia's down-to-earth attitude frustrates being from both heavenly and hellish realms, and gets Theo turned into a vampire. But at least he has Portia to satisfy his newfound hunger ... and possibly save his soul. "

Even though I found this book very entertaining and amusing, I was very close to giving it 4 stars. And the reason is ....
The first 4 books in Katie MacAlister's Paranormals (A Girl's Guide To Vampires", "Sex and the Single Vampire", "Sex, Lies, And Vampires", "Even Vampires Get The Blues") are absolutely fantastic and actually about vampires. But this one, nothing of the sort....
But again .... the story is very interesting, amusing and engaging. Most of the characters are supernatural beings, there is quite a lot of "traveling" between worlds and of course there is romance.
If you are a type of a reader that pays immense attention to every detail concerning, for example, the historical parts of the story or any other descriptive flaws of the surroundings/characters etc., than I would definitely advise you to stay away. This books is just pure fun and light entertainment. So fans of paranormal mysteries/romance, and of course fans of Katie, go ahead and buy this book and enjoy it :)

4 stars.......2007-06-25

Portia Harding was an uber-skeptic, but while on a trip to England, did agree to try to be more open to the idea that there was more to the world than what can be proven. Barely was the promise made than she had to make good on it. While relaxing in a fairy ring, she reads a summoning spell and in response, a woman calling herself the virtue, Hope, shows up, giving her the "Gift" before fleeing from pursuers unknown. Portia thinks she's just having a delusion, even after handsome Theo North shows up demanding that she grant him forgiveness and forcibly removing both her and her friend, Sarah from the fairy ring. The two women escape, but he continues to come after them, stating that he's a nephilim and needs her to forgive him. That's only the beginning of the weirdness. Odd people begin popping up to put Portia through "trials" so that she can join the Court of Divine Blood and take on her role as a virtue. Finally, Portia is forced to believe what is going on is real. Of course, by that point, the situation has turned dire. Theo has lost his soul and been turned into a Dark One, with her as his Beloved; and she has been accused of murdering Hope. Portia has scant days in which to complete her trials successfully, restore Theo's soul, and prove her innocence. She might also get to save the Court of Divine Blood in the process, but that's almost a side benefit. One thing's certain, when Portia is wrong, she's wrong in a big way.

**** Another certainty, in the real world, is that if readers are looking for clever, witty, paranormal romances, then they need look no further than Katie MacAlister to begin their list. Portia's conversion from skeptic to believer is filled with laughs and highlighted by moments of profoundness. This is the Best Dark One novel yet, and the ones that came before it were wonderful. ****

Amanda Killgore

nice quick read.......2007-06-24

nice quick read, plot moves well, nice character development, easy reading for a summer afternoon, can finish in a few hours

I was disappointed.......2007-06-13

I love Katie Macalister's Aisling Grey Series so I was eager to start reading this book. After 135 pages I simply gave up, luckily I had a Keri Arthur for back up! The Portia character over analyzes everything to the point of boredom and then does it all over again a few chapters later. I got it the first time, you do not believe in the paranormal. Didn't some one write that a reader reads once and retains so you do not need to belabor a point over and over again? Portia is a pain pain and in my opinion the romance never really took off. Plus both character and author seem to have reglious hang ups and religion, like politics, is always a touchy subject.

Average customer rating:

Hot Stuff
Quick read
Easy and fun read
Never disapoints!
Three stars PLUS

Hot Stuff
Janet Evanovich , and Leanne Banks
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312941463
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

Dear Reader,

If you like hot men, hot action and hot attraction you’re going to love this HOT new series! HOT STUFF introduces Cate Madigan, a Boston native from a large and crazy Irish family. Cate has far too much going on to get involved in extracurricular activities, like men and marriage. She spends all day in school, earning her teaching degree, and all night working as a bartender in Boston’s South End. Ex-cop Kellen McBride has decided to make Cate’s bar his nightly haunt. He likes Cate’s sassy Irish spirit and wild red hair. He also has an ulterior motive for getting close to her. Cate has sworn off all things romantic, but when she comes home to a ransacked apartment, a roommate who has flown the coop, and a sleeping bullmastiff named Beast, Cate has no choice but to ask Kellen for help. Can Kate resist the charming Kellen McBride while keeping herself out of danger? Or will Kellen turn up the heat on Cate and everything in her life?

We know you’ll have a blast with HOT STUFF!

Janet & Leanne

Customer Reviews:

Hot Stuff .......2007-09-02

Cate Madigan is going to school to be a teacher. She works nights in a
bar and keeps her distance from the male customers until Kellen
McBride walks in one night. Kellen is persistent though. His
persistence pays off when Cate actually needs him. Cate is trying to
deter a guy named Pugg who desperately wants to be her boyfriend.
She's also trying to get her family to stop setting her up with the
wrong guys. When her roommate Marty appears to be involved in
something shady and bad guys start knocking on their condo door, Cate
decides that having Kellen around is not a bad thing, especially since
he's an ex cop. The fact that he's really hot isn't a bad thing either!

Hot Stuff is funny, suspenseful and romantic. I loved it! Kellen is
sexy and charming and Cate is a sweetheart. Cate's family and friends
are a blast as well. I read Hot Stuff while relaxing on the beach and
it made a great day that much better!

Nannette
Reviewed for Joyfully Reviewed

Quick read.......2007-08-31

I love reading the books by Janet Evanovich and listening to her books on tape while traveling. Her books are fun and an easy read.....good for the beach.

Easy and fun read.......2007-08-06

To be honest I do not like any of the pre-Plum books (being re-released) or her co-authored books with Charlotte Hughes so I was prepared not to like Hot Stuff. I'm glad I read it. It was a bit cheesy, which is to be expected, and the main theft plot was farfetched...however... I still enjoyed it. It's an easy and fun read. The characters were well rounded and easy to like and they seemed to have great chemistry right off the bat.

Never disapoints!.......2007-08-01

If you enjoy reading one of Janet's books, then you will enjoy them all because they are very similar and very amusing and well written. The characters become your friends.

Three stars PLUS.......2007-07-12

The syle is definitly Evanovice. The charators new and fun. As with most of her books I never put this book down for to long.
Still not one of her best, but a must read if you love Evanovich.

Lean Mean Thirteen (Stephanie Plum Novels)
This is a must read.

Average customer rating:

I was sorry to have it end
Misleading Reviews
unreadable
Another magical story from Mary Balogh
Regency Mystery

Simply Magic
Mary Balogh
Manufacturer: Delacorte Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385338236
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

On a splendid August afternoon Susanna Osbourne is introduced to the most handsome man she has ever seen . . . and instantly feels the icy chill of recognition. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, is utterly charming—and seemingly unaware that they have met before. With his knowing smile and seductive gaze, Peter acts the rake; but he stirs something in Susanna she has never felt before, a yearning that both frightens and dazzles her. Instantly she knows: this brash nobleman poses a threat to her heart . . . and to the secrets she guards so desperately.

From the moment they meet, Peter is drawn to Susanna’s independence, dazzled by her sharp wit—he simply must have her. But the more he pursues, the more Susanna withdraws . . . until a sensual game of thrust-and-parry culminates in a glorious afternoon of passion. Now more determined than ever to keep her by his side, Peter begins to suspect that a tragic history still haunts Susanna. And as he moves closer to the truth, Peter is certain of one thing: he will defy the mysteries of her past for a future with this exquisite creature—all Susanna must do is trust him with the most precious secret of all. . . .

Customer Reviews:

I was sorry to have it end.......2007-09-19

which is ironic when you consider that, first, I hesitated in buying it and, then had it for two months before getting around to starting it!

I was turned off by some of the lukewarm reviews which sort of echoed annoyances I felt with previous books (the never-ending presence of the Bedwins, the ever-recurring use of the the ducal quizzing glass, etc.) Yes, they were there but they didn't detract from the book at all. An imperfect Mary Balogh is still so much better than a perfect any-other-regency-novelist that it doesn't matter at all.

As is usual in her novels, the characters are completely believable: in character development, in their actions and reactions, in their time and place, in the balance between their imperfections, virtues and motivations, and in their passage through the plot from beginning to end.

Nothing wildly dramatic happens in the plot. This isn't an adventure, a mystery, a conflict, a comedy or a drama, at least not any more or any less than a slice of real life is any (or all) of the above. The plot is character driven and well-paced. It is not psycho-babble, but insights into the thoughts and feelings of intelligent and imperfect human beings who make and admit mistakes and try, as all of us do, to grow from our experiences and to try to do what is right when confronted with the temptations, challenges, and opportunities that this particular moment of their lives present.

It is sometimes hard to believe that these are not real people which explains why, after reaching into yourself and relating--with genuine interest, empathy, and warmth--to some part of each of them, it is so hard to let them go.

Misleading Reviews.......2007-08-31

As a long-time Balogh fan, I was hesitant to buy this book after some of the extremely negative reviews. I'm glad I did. A self-effacing, kind, charming, cheerful hero and a buoyant, energetic, loving heroine, both intelligent and striving towards maturity, are lovingly portrayed in all their insights and lack thereof. Granted, the book is more a study of individual emotional evolution than action, but the couple is charming, their development believeable, and, as always, Ms Balogh brings it all together with the most complete of happy endings--something THIS reader of romances truly appreciates. Unless you just have to have serious threats, conflicts, crimes and mayhem in your romances, you'll enjoy it!

unreadable.......2007-07-18

I am a long-time fan of Mary Balogh--but about three or four books back something went terribly wrong. So--got this from the library instead--and stopped about 30 pages in. Back it goes.

Read her old Signet paperbacks if you want to know why people love(d) her, not this wince-inspiring mishmash of recycled themes she did better 10 or 15 years ago.

Another magical story from Mary Balogh.......2007-07-13

Mary Balogh's consistently high standard of writing is once again shown in "Simply Magic", the third of her 'Simply' Quartet ("Simply Unforgettable," and "Simply Love" precede this book). The events in this book take place largely at the same time as those in "Simply Love" and in fact some scenes are the same as we see the story from Susanna Osborne's view.

Susanna Osborne is a teacher at Miss Martin's School For Girls in Bath, having first attended the school as a pupil from age 12 when her father died unexpectedly and she ran away from being a burden to the family for whom he worked. Susanna's whole life has revolved around the school but when Frances, the Countess of Edgecombe and a former teacher (whose story is told in "Simply Unforgettable") invites Susanna to stay with her for two weeks Susanna agrees. On her first day at the Countess's estate she meets up with a group from the neighbouring house which includes a visitor, Viscount Whitleaf. The name Whitleaf is anathema to Susanna because of events in her past (which aren't initially explained) and so she treats him rather rudely. Besides, Peter Whitleaf is clearly a rather shallow young man, always flirting with young ladies and paying them lavish compliments but without too much between his ears.

However Whitleaf finds Susanna interesting, partly because she isn't flirting with him, and he strikes up a friendship with her. However at the end of the two weeks she returns to the school having turned down his offer to become his mistress and she and Anne Jewell, another teacher, tell each other about their love lives (this scene is also in "Simply Love"). Anne Jewell has to have a shotgun wedding and when the delayed wedding breakfast takes place Susanna is shocked to discover that Viscount Whitleaf is attending it. He stretches out his time in Bath, meeting Susanna on a number of occasions, and eventually persuading her to visit her original home.

Once again this story delves deeply into the emotions and histories of our characters. Whitleaf and Susanna are both attractive people who are much loved and yet their lives aren't as carefree as they might seem. Whitleaf has never been able to take mastery of his own house since his majority, being under his mother's thumb; Susanna has not been able to deal with the grief following the suicide of her father and her feeling of rejection. The two of them find that their stories entwine and their histories are significantly linked and work together to bring about some kind of resolution.

This is an excellent read, as usual with Mary Balogh. Perhaps the subject matter isn't quite as in depth as she sometimes offers (for example in "Simply Love") and the characters seem in some ways less complex but it is still a beautiful story with a genuinely kind hero.

Originally published for Curled Up With A Good Book, www.curledup.com. © Helen Hancox 2007

Regency Mystery.......2007-06-23

If you like a well-told tale, open your mind and enjoy the mystery rather than just the romance here. If all heroes must be dark and disturbing, try another author.

Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4)

Average customer rating:

Glad it's out of the way...
My favorite JR book yet!!!!
I liked it
NOT AS GOOD AS THE OTHERS
Book 4 of The Black Dagger Brotherhood Depicts a Soulful Bond Between Brothers & Intense Romance Between the Leading Couple.

Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 4)
J.R. Ward
Manufacturer: Onyx
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0451412354

Book Description

Butch O'Neal is a fighter by nature. A hard-living ex-homicide cop, he's the only human ever to be allowed in the inner circle of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And he wants to go even deeper into the vampire world-to engage in the turf war with the lessers. His heart belongs to a female vampire, Marissa, an aristocratic beauty who's way out of his league. And if he can't have her, then at least he can fight side by side with the Brothers.

But fate curses him with the very thing he wants. When Butch sacrifices himself to save a civilian vampire from the slayers, he falls prey to the darkest force in the war. Left for dead, he's found by a miracle, and the Brotherhood calls on Marissa to bring him back, though even her love may not be enough to save him.

Customer Reviews:

Glad it's out of the way..........2007-10-09

I have loved all of the other BDB books (Zadist being my favorite). But I have to say, I'm really glad this one is out of the way. I've never really cared about Butch and Marissa, she seems whinny and vapid and he goes from being all macho around the brothers to slobbering all over himself cause a pretty girl is near by. But there are some interesting things learned in this book and it held my attention through the end.
At least it's done and hopefully from here the rest of the books will be as good and engrossing as the first three were.

My favorite JR book yet!!!!.......2007-10-02

I loved this book!!!! Butch is my all time favorite character (so far), I knew he would end up with Marissa. But the dynamics and intimacy between Butch and V was awesome, great, fantastic. I loved the way JR wrote the story and created that intimacy between the two guys without it being overtly sexual. I am so glad Marissa finally grew a back bone and stood up to her brother. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

I liked it.......2007-09-30

I liked this book. Actually I have enjoyed all of the BDB books by JR Ward (1-4).

NOT AS GOOD AS THE OTHERS.......2007-09-25

THIS BOOK SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABOUT V AND BUTCH. THEY HAD THE BEST RELATIONSHIP. I WAS READING HOPING TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THEM. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN BUTCH AND MARISSA DID NOT DO MUCH FOR ME. HAVING SAID THAT, I LIKED THE BOOK, CAN'T WAIT TO READ ABOUT V LOVE HIM

Book 4 of The Black Dagger Brotherhood Depicts a Soulful Bond Between Brothers & Intense Romance Between the Leading Couple........2007-09-21

Black Dagger Brotherhood Series (Definitely Read Them In Order!):

Dark Lover

Lover Eternal

Lover Awakened

Lover Revealed

Lover Unbound

If you have not been reading this series, be sure to start with the first book and follow the series from there. By the time you reach book 4, you've come to know all of the characters well. Each character has a distinct personality that stays the same from book to book. J.R. Ward keeps them consistent, so you are always glad to be reunited with "the guys". The continuing story is terrific. The bonds between the characters get deeper with each book.

In Book 4, "Lover Revealed", our hero is Butch. He's a man with a big heart, who will do anything to help out a friend. Because he is human, the brothers are very protective of his life. Butch loves his buddies, but he feels he is useless in their world. As an ex- cop, Butch needs to be in the battle. He has been in love with a vampire female, Marissa, for months. With his heart broken over her, Butch feels he has nothing to lose if he is killed.

While attempting to save civilians from enemy slayers, Butch is captured, taken prisoner, tortured, and left for dead. His roommate and best friend, "Vishous", is the only one with the means to find him. The evil enemies have put a poison in Butch's body. Vishous will use his gifts to heal Butch, and he will do all he can to reunite Butch with Marissa. Fierce loyalty and trust between Butch and Vishous make it possible for Butch's dreams to come true. However, the means for making those dreams happen could also cause Butch's death.

Marissa has been cast out by her family. With no place to go, The Brotherhood offers her shelter. When the love between Marissa and Butch intensifies, she begs him not to take part in the war with the brothers' enemies. Butch is devastated. He has to choose between the woman he loves, and the only true family he has ever had. His bond with Marissa is soul- deep, but his love for his brothers and his chance to make a real future for himself are worth any price.

Keeping with the trend of this series, "Lover Revealed" is exquisitely romantic. The love scenes are intense, and the ties between the leading couple are binding. The brothers are loyal to each other, and to Butch, without fail.
Ward writes her characters with personalities that are funny, direct, realistic, and moving. They seem like the kind of men you could meet in everyday life. They pick on each other in good natured teasing, as real brothers tend to, and they back one another as real brothers would. I genuinely like these guys. That makes the books addicting.

Also in this edition:
John's story is continued. Vishous's character plays a major role, preparing readers for his story in the next edition. Mr X is back, but he has a new and surprising scheme.

Kitty Takes a Holiday (Kitty Norville Series, Book 3)

Average customer rating:

Fun continuation of series
Everything it should be
Favorite in the series so far
Love the Kitty universe!
Student becomes teacher

Kitty Takes a Holiday (Kitty Norville Series, Book 3)
Carrie Vaughn
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0446618748

Book Description

After getting caught turning wolf on national television, Kitty retreats to a mountain cabin to recover and write her memoirs.But this is Kitty, so trouble is never far behind, and instead of Walden Pond, she gets Evil Dead.When werewolf hunter Cormac shows up with an injured Ben O'Farrell, Kitty's lawyer, slung over his shoulder, and a wolf-like creature with glowing red eyes starts sniffing around the cabin, Kitty wonders if any of them will get out of these woods alive...

Customer Reviews:

Fun continuation of series.......2007-10-15

Fun continuation of series, this is turning out out be a very fun series. It is good escapism fiction.

Everything it should be.......2007-09-27

I was so happy to discover Carrie V and her Kitty - thanks to an Amazon recommendation, whoever wrote that program is a genius ... so I can fill my paranormal mystery shelf with something a little more inventive than Anita Blake has turned out to be. (If anyone wants a full set of AB in hardcover, I dropped them off at the West L.A. Goodwill a couple of weeks ago.) Kitty has everything I want: suspense, humor, realistic human drama, adventure and action, a little romance, and interesting, evolving characters. Can't wait for the next one.

Favorite in the series so far.......2007-09-08

This is definitley my favorite book in the series so far...they just keep getting better! Can't wait for the next one Kitty and the Silver Bullet

Love the Kitty universe!.......2007-08-16

This was a fast, fun read that made me stay up well past my bedtime to finish. All the Kitty books are good-I just finished th series and really recommend it. All my favorite writers of the moment (Patricia Briggs, Karen Chance, Ilona Andrews and now Carrie Vaughn) are shaking up the fantasy genre with some really new, fun ideas. If you love fantasy but want something a little different, this is a good place to start.

Student becomes teacher.......2007-07-18

During the 1990s there was a slew of books and movies with vampires as central characters being put out, then there was a suttle switch and werewolves started becoming the focus of the lead characters. Now we're getting more and more books put out that are dealing with lycanthropes. It's interesting to see these changes, switching the wolf from villian to hero.

Life isn't easy being a werewolf, let alone one named Kitty. Kitty Norville returns after being outed on camera and testifying at the senate hearings regarding the existance of the paranormal. In this thrid novel, she retreats to a cabin in a small town in Colorado to regroup and begin writing her memoirs. Someone doesn't like having an in-residence werewolf and begins leaving gutted rabbits on her doorstep. To make matters more complicate, werewolf hunter Cormac shows up, toting Kitty's lawyer/friend Ben O'Farrell who has himself been attacked by a werewolf. Kitty must try to convince Ben life is still worth living, inadvertently teaching herself the same lesson. To top things off, a skinwalker shows up and Cormac is arrested. Kitty and Ben must investigate to free Cormac but all roads lead to nowhere.

This third novel is entrancing and I found myself reading it much faster than the last book. I've always had the feeling that Carrie Vaughn is seemingly projecting herself into the Kitty character, even the cover photos look a lot like Vaughn. What makes matters more confusing is I'm also reading Patricia Briggs' Mercedes books. Briggs and Vaughn are putting the books out at the same time and it's interesting seeing the similarities and differences between the two authors. Overall, enjoyable book and very quick to read, just lacks a bit in the action but the Kitty books aren't necessarily about the action.

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1)

Average customer rating:

Finally!
A fun, stimulating read.
Its better on the dark side
Definately a Keeper!!!! One of my Absolute Favorites!
AMAZING!!!

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1)
J.R. Ward
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0451216954

Book Description

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

Customer Reviews:

Finally!.......2007-10-16

Finally, after a couple years reading new authors that were good but not great-I think I have a new favorite author, really. This was an amazing read. At first I was a bit put off by the term definintions in the first few page, but found I appreciated this later. I loved Wrath. I know he was a bit overwhelming, bossy all that, but it worked for me. Geez he was sexy as heck. All of the secondary characters are strong, sexy and show promise for many excellent future books. I was sorry we did not get to know more about Darius before......never mind don't want to spoil anything. The lessers are freaky and a new twist to the vampire slayers. Just read it. YOu'll be ordering the rest of the series. I know I did--and I admit I am picky, I don't give everything 5 stars. This one deserves it!

A fun, stimulating read. .......2007-10-14

Vampires have long been symbols of power and sexuality, and the author of this series definitely takes this theme seriously! This is an interesting take on vampires and those who hunt them. The characters are interesting, compelling, and surprisingly believable. Themes of family, brotherly love, romantic love, honor, and loyalty really suck you in. The pop culture references (slang and music references) date the book, but it's still plenty entertaining. The sex scenes are really great! A lot of women (including myself) love a seriously physical, sexually aggressive guy.... and these male vampire characters are just that. Very hot. Love the whole series! I ordered and read them all within a two week period.

Its better on the dark side.......2007-10-09

This book is the first in an excellent series. It is technically in the romance aisle (and let me tell you it is VERY explicit) but it leads with the vampire fantasy world and doesn't deviate an inch the whole way through. You will get sucked into the world of the brotherhood and wont be able to turn it down. I read the book straight through in a day and a half and then immediately went out and bought the rest. There is a solid story line and graphic-no-holds-barred sex that could be a cameo in basic instinct. I loved this book and I know you will too. J. R . Ward has the skills to draw you in with well defined characters that make you care about them, then blows your mind and makes you tingly with what goes on behind closed doors!

Definately a Keeper!!!! One of my Absolute Favorites!.......2007-09-20

I have three words for you.....OH. MY. GOD!!!!!!I could not turn the pages fast enough. What an amazing series...amazing story....amazing book! I highly recommend this for anyone who likes Kenyon or Knight the writing and character development in this is a step above. If your thinking twice about buying this series, just buy it, you won't be disappointed.

AMAZING!!!.......2007-09-16

This is one of my all time favorite romance novels. Before meeting the Black Dagger Brotherhood, I had absolutely no interest in paranormal romance. I'd always seen the characters in other books of this genre as being creepy, to say the least. My sister forced me to read this book while on vacation.
WoW!! J D Ward's protagonists are so well-written, so engaging and have such gut-wrenching appeal, I was hooked after chapter 2. She has created a completely unique vampire culture - complete with language (each book has a "glossary of terms"), social traditions and even anatomical/biochemical details unique to her brand of vampire.
If you have never been a fan of this genre...please give this book and the others in the series a try. You will NOT regret it!!

Average customer rating:

deeped upsetting
SIX FOR SIX
Disturbing
Great
Couldn't put it down!

Fear No Evil: A Novel
Allison Brennan
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0345495047
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

In cyberspace, no one can hear you scream.

Instead of preparing for her high school graduation, Lucy Kincaid is facing a vicious execution. Lured by an online predator, she’s destined to die horribly–live on the Internet–while hundreds of heartless viewers watch and vote on the method of her slaughter. Her family’s only hope rests with Kate Donovan, an FBI agent who took on the same sadistic killer once before . . . and lost. Blamed for another girl’s gruesome murder, Kate’s been fighting to clear her name. But she agrees to join the hunt for Lucy–and reluctantly steps back into her worst nightmare.

With time running out before the bloody webcast airs, Kate teams up with forensic psychiatrist Dillon Kincaid to get inside the head of her twisted quarry, zero in on his chamber of horrors, and reach Lucy before grim history repeats itself and another innocent’s brutal death goes hideously live.

Face the fear. Speak its name. See its face.

Customer Reviews:

deeped upsetting.......2007-10-07

Although this author writes a good story, I find the context of this novel too deeply unsettling to ever read another novel by this author. I found what happened to Lucy absolutely horrifying and was unable to put the story completely out of my mind and even had nightmares. I do read other novels about serial killers, but this was just too awful. I do not read books to have nightmares about them, so I just will not read anymore of her novels.

SIX FOR SIX.......2007-08-22

I HAVE READ 6 OF ALLISON BRENNAN'S BOOKS. THE PREY, THE HUNT (MY FAVORITE OF THE THREE) AND THE KILL. WHAT MADE ME DECIDE TO GET INTO THE EVIL SERIES, WAS THE FACT NICK THOMAS (THE HUNT) WAS THE LEAD MALE IN THE FIRST BOOK, SPEAK NO EVIL. THOUGH I REALLY ENJOYED ALL THREE BOOKS OF THE EVIL SERIES, I WANTED MORE IN THE END ABOUT PATRICK. IS HE GOING TO WAKE UP FROM THE COMA AND HAVE HIS OWN STORY? AND WHAT ABOUT JACK'S STORY.WILL WE EVER LEARN THE WHATS AND WHYS OF HIS LIFE DURING THE ELEVEN YEARS HE HAS BEEN GONE FROM THE KINCAID FAMILY. DOES CARINA AND NICK TIE THE KNOT? DOES CONNOR AND JUILA'S STORY END WITH OUT AN ENDING? HOPEFULLY THE NEW BOOK DUE OUT IN EARLY 2008, WILL PICK UP ON THESE LOOSE ENDS, LIKE SPEAK NO EVIL DID FOR THE PREY , THE HUNT AND THE KILL. IT WAS, ALSO, GOOD TO SEE QUINN PETERSON WAS STILL KEEPING THINGS AT THE FBI RUNNING AND HAVING MARINDA TO HELP LUCY. I LIKE BOOK SERIES THAT LET YOU REVISIT OTHER CHARACTERS I HAVE READ ABOUT, SO I HOPE MS BRENNAN CONTINUES TO CONNECT HER'S IN FUTURE BOOKS. IF YOU ENJOY BOOKS THAT LET YOU REVISIT AND CONNECT, PLEASE CHECK OUT MARIAH STEWERT. SHE IS ONE OF THE VERY BEST,IF NOT THE BEST, AT WRITING NEW BOOKS THAT INCORPORATE CHARACTERS FROM HER OTHER BOOKS.

Disturbing.......2007-08-13

I don't know why this book disturbed me so much, but it did. Maybe it's because we'd gotten to know the Kincaid family over the past two books, and I was a bit surprised to see the brutality leveled at so many of them. Regardless though, it made me very disturbed.

This series was my first try with Allison Brennan. However, while the books were well-written, they were way too graphic and violent for my tastes. A good story can still be told without that level of violence, or such graphic storytelling.

I don't think I'll be checking out anything more of hers.

Great.......2007-08-13

I couldn't put this one down. I only wish i had read the other books before. I can't wait to go back and read more about the characters.

Couldn't put it down!.......2007-08-09

The clock is ticking and you can't wait to know the outcome! I definitely lost myself in this novel. It was difficult to put this one down...

Average customer rating:

Let me try to say something nice about this book...
Continuation lacks the luster of book one in the series
enjoyable, but does not compare to TAGD
Hijackers
I never wanted it to end!

Now Face to Face
Karleen Koen
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0394569296
Release Date: 1996-01-13

Book Description

The beloved heroine from Koen's bestselling Through a Glass Darkly returns in a passionate, unforgettable, romantic tapestry. A widow at age 20, emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her husband in scandalous circumstances, Barbara Devane leaves colonial Virginia for London to confront her enemies and to pursue a deeply satisfying yet dangerous clandestine love.

Customer Reviews:

Let me try to say something nice about this book..........2007-05-28

Karleen Koen's brief biography says that she was led to write Now, Face To Face and its prequel, Through a Glass Darkly through her interest in the period. I knew little about the Jacobite intrigues of the early 18th century. Ultimately, this is what drove me to finish the book, since even though these were historical events, I was ignorant of them, and I wanted to know how it all worked out. I am also drawn to big, meaty books, and at nearly 700 pages, this volume looked great for my week-long trip.

Koen's Protagonist, Barbara Montgeoffry, Countess Devane, is someone who I'm sure I couldn't stand if I met her. In the story, this would be written off as my jealousy of her physical perfection, mental superiority, high rank, excellent connections, and ability to charm any any man living. True enough, in real life such people are hard to take too. Barbara has suffered losses both personal and financial as the story opens, but luckily everything works out by the end of this lengthy story.

Karleen Koen is an author is more likely to tell rather than show, and this diminishes the effect of the events she portrays. For example, when Barbara finally gets together with Mr. Right, they have a little flirtation, he leaves her a flower, and then there's a fade until "three weeks later", when they are an established couple. What's the point of waiting 544 pages for this woman to find love after she's been wondering if it would ever come to her again and then not showing us the delightful early stages of love?

Readers who are knowledgeable about the 18th century and care about details might be frustrated by some of the anachronisms that creep in. I'm sure the historical facts are accurate, but the devil is in the details in a good historical novel (see Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series). Some of the daily details just don't ring true.

If you are a huge Barbara fan, you will probably love this book because it features the Georgian Barbie you loved in Through A Glass Darkly. Plot and character-wise, I didn't regret reading the first book, so don't let that put you off.

Continuation lacks the luster of book one in the series.......2007-05-23

In 'Through The Glass Darkly', Roger dies, leaving Barbara a widow and responsible for his enormous debt from the South Sea Bubble scandal. 'Now Face To Face' picks up where Barbara flees London and heads to her grandmother's plantation in Virginia. In the isolated wilds of the new world, Barbara learns to carve out a space for herself in spite of her nasty neighbor Bolling. She makes friends, winds out freeing her slaves, looses her personal slave Hyacinthe, and almost finds romance.

While Barbara is away, London bustles with activity. The Jacobites are the talk of the town, supporting the return of King James and the overthrowing of King George. Jane's husband Gussy finds himself knee deep in intrigues with newcomer and actor Laurence Slane, who's not who he really says he is. He's a gosling, one of James' most trusted informers. Barbara's grandmother, the Duchess of Tamworth, comes from the country to attend cousin Tony's wedding. Her mother Diana continues her liaison with Robert Walpole, the man responsible for Barbara's debt being unforgiven and a major force for King George.

The intrigue becomes, if this is possible, a little too thick, swarming over the storyline and drowning the characters in its overwhelming description. There's a lot of repetitiveness in the intrigues of James vs George and the who's who of the Jacobites. Tony went from simple to cunning, and it wasn't a good transition. No reason for it, nor any rhyme to it until later in the book when he'd already shown his feathers. It was as if a shade had drawn over his innocence in our absence and left a character that little resembled the Tony from the first book.

Also, if your expecting a little 'Gone With The Wind' action from Barbara in Virginia, you won't find it. Barbara went from a spirited, saucy personality to a rather droll and reflective one. Between books one and two, she lost much of the spunk that made her so charming. After the tightly woven 'Through A Glass Darkly', 'Now Face To Face' comes off as a thick (733 pages) "middle" book that basically goes nowhere. We're left hanging at the end waiting for the third book in the series.

Still, 'Now Face To Face' earns a solid 3.5 stars from me in spite of its obvious faults, because the characters are fleshed out, the times are interesting, and the prose is smoothly woven into a rich, though somewhat slow paced, tale. Faults and all, I still read it through in just a few sittings, finding myself absorbed in the tale. If you're a fan, purchase it, otherwise check it out from the library first. Enjoy!

enjoyable, but does not compare to TAGD.......2007-04-24

I read Now Face to Face after reading Through A Glass Darkly and Dark Angels. Of the three books, Now Face to Face is by far the weakest and least satisfying. The ending leaves room for another sequel, but as another reviewer noted, the material left by Koen may be too weak to continue. I was dissappointed at the author's portrayal of the "mature" Barbara. I loved her character in TAGD, but felt there was something missing here. Maybe it was the lack of Roger's spirit and passion, maybe it was the not entirely believable deep love for Slane that appeared out of nowhere, maybe it was the lack of spunk that Barbara showed in the other novel (and that the Duchess shows in Dark Angels) I was also deeply dissappointed in Tony's development. Why did he need to become an angry young man who, like the rest of Barbara's amours, ignored his wife and sense of self? The author should have chosen a different direction for his life to follow.
Hyacinth's story should have been fleshed out more, and I felt that many of the episodes and sub-stories could have had more drama in order to fill in some of the holes in the Jacobite/Hanoverian plot. And what happened with the smuggling issue, Diana, and Beth/Colonel Perry?
That being said, I did enjoy the book, and was overall pleased with the work Koen produced. However, I would recommend Dark Angels to a reader before Now Face to Face, and of course, I would recommend Through a Glass Darkly to ANYONE. So fantastic it should be in everyone's personal collection. (and for those who can't find a reasonably priced copy, I obtained mine right here through Amazon and it was under 20 bucks)

Hijackers .......2007-02-02

I liike Through the Glass Darkly and was looking forward to reading Now Face to Face, but obviously it is out of print. I am not so interested in reading it that I would pay the exhorbinant prices that are being charged for a used book. I understand the concept of supply and demand from my college economics class, but really, I would be ashamed and fear for my soul if I sold a used book at such prices and certainly can live without giving my hard earrned money to hijackers for a novel. Koen's Through the Glass Darkly was good, but irritating at some points, so I cannot fathom why people would actually purchase books at hijacked prices, which results in even more higher prices for everyone else. Retarded!

I never wanted it to end!.......2007-01-16

This was a wonderful follow up to Through a Glass Darkly. While it is not quite up the the perfection of TAGD, which I would have given 8 or 9 stars if I could, it's still pretty darn good. Although most of the story was wrapped up in the end, albeit too briefly there is more story to tell and I wish there was another sequel or two (PLEASE).

Most of the original characters return, Barbara, Hyacinthe, Theresa, Grandmama, Tony, Phillippe (ugh) and Diana -- plus some new ones. The first part takes Barbara to Virginia giving her time to work through her grief over Roger's death and the South Sea Bubble scandle.

The second part of the book brings a stronger Barbara back to London and to take it by storm once again, and she's caught up in the Jacobite rebellion. And throughout, we see Barbara mature and change, as we all do in real life. It was heartbreaking to see how Tony changed over his unrequited love for Barbara -- which can also happen in real life.

As in TAGD, you will laugh and cry, just as in real life, and gather a history lesson at the same time. Some reviewers complained because there was not a whole lot of romance, but this book should be classified as historical fiction, not historical romance.

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