The Queen of Hearts: Kimmery Martin

"A debut novel set against a background of hospital rounds and life-or-death decisions that pulses with humor and empathy as it explores THE HEART'S CAPACITY FOR FORGIVENESS...


"Zadie Anson and Emma Colley have been best friends since their early twenties, when they first began navigating serious romantic relationships amid the intensity of medical school.  Now they're happily married wives and mothers with successful careers -- Zadie as a pediatric cardiologist and Emma as a trauma surgeon.  Their lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, are chaotic but fulfilling, until the return of a former colleague unearths a secret one of them has been harboring for years.


"As chief resident, Nick Xenokostas was the center of Zadie's life -- both professionally and personally -- throughout the tragic chain of events during her third year of medical school that she has long since put behind her.  Nick's unexpected reappearance at a time of new professional crisis shocks both women into a deeper look at the difficult choices they made at the beginning of their careers.  As it becomes evident that Emma must have known more than she revealed about the circumstances that nearly derailed both their lives, Zadie starts to question everything she thought she knew about her closest friend."


This book took me nearly a month to finish (as evidenced by my relatively long hiatus posting reviews on here), and this does not really bode well for a stellar review.  I will cushion this statement with the truth that I’ve been dealing with health issues and some personal/familial tragedy, so I’ve simply been unable to force myself to read all that much.  Granted, a brilliant book can be an escape from the rigors and draining nature of the real world, but the medical nature of this sotry had some rather poor timing in my personal life – this is, of course, not really the book’s fault.  I was initially drawn to it via yet another Pinterest search.  This was also a new release at my local library and all the pieces just seemed to fall into place.

I began reading The Queen of Hearts very shortly after I finished the book I reviewed just prior to this one.  I was immediately sucked into the fast-paced worlds of Zadie and Emma.  One of the biggest draws for me was the happy realization that it was set in Charlotte, North Carolina – where I happened to live for a year while attending college.  It’s always very entertaining to run across places with which you’re familiar; it breathes a special kind of life into a book.  An added bonus is that my uncle was a doctor in Charlotte as well, so I was familiar with the hospital and lives of these surgeons (I’ve yet to ask him if he’d ever worked with Dr. Kimmery Martin, the author).

The first part of the book had excellent pacing.  I was introduced to Zadie and Emma, the interesting nature of their friendship, and the very different lives they lead.  The pacing does change and I think that was part of my problem.  It began to feel a bit choppy.  Eventually, the story bounces back and forth from intense present events to the pivotal time in 1999 when Zadie and Emma were still medical students and tragedy struck.  They learned what it is like to be a doctor, and they also learned how to cope with their own mistakes and suffer through unexpected loss.  This use of perspective  – bouncing not only in time and space, but also between Zadie and Emma – sometimes got a bit more confusing than was pleasant.  There was a concerted effort to create a stark differentiation between the bubbly, scattered Zadie and ice queen Emma, but it fell short.  I lost their unique voices a few times in their different sections and had to go back to remind myself whose perspective I was reading.

The dark secret was, I thought, handled fairly  well.  Snippet after snippet was revealed, making me think, “There it is…  No, this has to be it!” several times.  When the real secret does finally come to light (in its entirety), it truly was deep and dark…and I can understand why she (I won’t tell you which “she”) did her best to cover it up all this time.  I must also admit that everything following the admission of the complete truth felt a bit rushed – literally the entire book led up to this moment and it wound up finishing before I got any real satisfaction from experiencing the aftermath.  The friendship between Zadie and Emma was so time-tested and the secret so powerful that I was left feeling a bit hollow at the end – the “resolution” felt a bit unrealistic to me.  This might come off as not making much sense, but I cannot give too much away without revealing huge plot twists (and I certainly don’t want to ruin those for you).  All said, I think I would have liked the “big reveal” to happen sooner, or to have more time to watch the characters absorb the truth.  The ending was tied up a little too quickly and neatly for my personal taste.

The medical aspects of this book – their lives as medical students and careers following some twenty years later – read a lot like “Grey’s Anatomy”.  If you’re a fan of medical dramas (complete will on-call room booty-calls), then you’ll enjoy this book.  I am a fan of “Grey’s” (especially the older seasons), so this was no trial for me.  In fact, it was part of the draw of this book.  So many people not directly in the medical field don’t realize what doctors – especially surgeons – go through on their path to their ultimate career.  It’s a life filled with exhaustion, stress, loss, triumphs, pain, and mental strain.  Reading about this from an author who is also a doctor was refreshing and very realistic.  I would be very interested to know just how many of the patients Zadie and Emma encounter in this book were borrowed from real-life experiences of Dr. Martin and her colleagues.

While I liked parts of this book, the rapid shifts in time and perspective sometimes left me a little bit lost.  Even with the impending revelation of the deep, dark secret, the latter half of the book dragged much more than the beginning did.  As I mentioned before, this was partly due to my own inability to focus, but I won’t take all of the blame here.  I think part of it was the writing style and then some of it was the addition of unnecessary details – especially in some of Zadie’s medical school flashbacks as they pertained to her group of friends.  I can see what Martin was attempting to achieve (again, sort of like the close-knit misfit group in “Grey’s Anatomy”), but I didn’t feel that it always necessarily added something.  Some passages could have been used for an entirely different book.  The ending of the story wasn’t as satisfying as I was hoping.  I liked the characters’ personalities and some of my favorite scenes were those between Zadie and Emma with their respective husbands; however, the voices sometimes blended together with all of the bouncing around.  Is this book worth trying out?  I would say so.  Do I give it a glowing recommendation?  Not necessarily.  There’s nothing terribly wrong with it, I just wasn’t as sucked in as I would have liked to have been.  I'm not totally sold by the forgiveness at the story's conclusion, but perhaps there's something to be said for the power of Zadie and Emma's relationship.

Happy reading!

The Vatican Princess: A Novel of Lucrezia Borgia: C. W. Gortner

"INFAMY IS NO ACCIDENT.  IT IS A POISON IN OUR BLOOD.  IT IS THE PRICE OF BEING A BORGIA.

"Bestselling author C. W. Gortner effortlessly weaves history and drama in this captivating novel about one of the world's most notorious families.  Glamorous and predatory, the Borgia fascinated and terrorized fifteenth-century Renaissance Italy, and Lucrezia Borgia, beloved daughter of the pope, was at the center of the dynasty's ambitions.  Slandered as a heartless seductress who lured men to their doom, was she in fact the villainess of legend, or was she trapped in a familial web, forced to choose between loyalty and survival?

"With the ascension of the Spaniard Rodrigo Borgia as Pope Alexander VI, a new era has dawned in Rome.  Benefitting from their father's elevation are the new pope's illegitimate children--his rival sons, Cesare and Juan, and beautiful young daughter Lucrezia--each of whom assumes an exalted position in the papal court.  Privileged and adored, Lucrezia yearns to escape her childhood and play a part in her family's fortunes.  But Rome is seductive and dangerous:  Alliances shift at a moment's notice as Italy's ruling dynasties strive to keep rivals at bay.  As Lucrezia's father faces challenges from all sides, the threat of a French invasion forces him to marry her off to a powerful adversary.  But when she discovers the brutal truth behind her alliance, Lucrezia is plunged into a perilous gambit that will require all her wits, cunning, and guile.  Escaping her marriage offers the chance of happiness with a passionate prince of Naples, yet as scandalous accusations of murder and incest build against her, menacing those she loves, Lucrezia must risk everything to overcome the lethal fate imposed upon her by her Borgia blood.


"Beautifully wrought, rich with fascinating historical detail, The Vatican Princess is the first novel to describe Lucrezia's coming-of-age in her own voice.  What results is a dramatic, vivid tale set in an era of savagery and unparalleled splendor, where enemies and allies can be one and the same, and where loyalty to family can ultimately be a curse."


At the risk of stating the obvious, it took me a very long time to read this book (as evidenced by the gap in dates between my last review and this one).  I flew through the latter half of it, so I'd have to say the cause of this delay was the fact that the beginning -- the part leading up to Lucrezia's marriage to Giovanni -- dragged on a bit.  It was interesting and filled with rich details; I can see parts were integral to setting up the characters and backstory, but I just wanted the book to get going.  There was nothing "wrong" with the first part of this book, per se, but I guess I just expected a book on the Borgias to be filled with subterfuge and intrigue right off the bat.  It took a bit to get going, but I will say that there was more than enough of this to keep me satisfied as the story progressed.


I enjoy European history, but I must admit that I knew surprisingly little about the Borgias before I picked up this book:  1) They were scandalous, murderous, cunning, ruthless, and powerful.  2) They resided in Italy.  3) They would stop at nothing to see their family succeed.  See?  That doesn't amount to much when you do even a little bit of digging and find out the rumored and true depths the Borgias went to in order to help see their family into the heights of power.  I knew even less about Lucrezia Borgia as an individual.  I recall reading some rumors about incest and murder, but this book's aim appears to have been to dispel some of these stories.


Written from the first-person perspective, I found the voice in this book to be interesting.  It covers Lucrezia's life across approximately a decade, seeing her from a naïve girl -- the apple of her powerful Papa's eye -- to a woman no longer disillusioned that her family will protect her if it goes against their own interests even in the slightest.  Shortly after her father ascends (bribes and threatens his way) to the height of religious power as Pope, Lucrezia engaged at thirteen to a man in his twenties.  The alliance is created to suit the Vatican's political aims and hopes to quell any issues with the powerful Sforzas (another recognizable name in Italian history).  She and her three brothers are the children of Rodrigo Borgia, the new pope, and a married woman, Vanozza.  Cesare is the eldest and Lucrezia's beloved elder brother.  He's handsome, talented, intelligent.  Though the Spanish title of the Borgia's is his birthright, his father forces him into the Church instead, with the aim of making him a Cardinal.  Juan is the adored favorite by both parents.  He's brash, ill-tempered, poorly-behaved, and the rivalry between Juan and Cesare which began into the cradle extends throughout their lives, encompassing even their younger sister.  After Lucrezia comes Gioffre.  She adores her younger sibling, though it becomes clear that Rodrigo is uncertain whether or not the child is actually his.  He is hesitant to issue word that he's the boy's father, but he allows him to use the Borgia name and makes sure that he's well married to suit the Borgia aims.


As the story progresses, so do the voice and narration style.  Lucrezia very slowly comes to terms with the evils of her family and learns (imperfectly) to play their games.  She realizes that, as a woman, she is a pawn; however, she is not without weapons of her own.  She falters and feels helpless at times, leaning, when she can, on Cesare.  As time passes, Lucrezia learns that her desires account for very little on the chessboard of Renaissance Italy.  She is bartered for alliances and even used as a spy against her own husband -- a matter made more complicated when she learns one of her brothers may be involved with him.  One of the more complex subplots is the relationship between Lucrezia, Juan, and Cesare.  The brothers have always been pitted against one another; their sister's favor is just another area in which they compete, though Cesare is the clear favorite over the cruel, bloodthirsty Juan.  The complex relationship creates an undertone of attraction between Lucrezia and Cesare, both confusing and terrifying for the girl.  Juan takes note of this and discovers the perfect way to have his revenge upon them both.  This sets into motion a turn of events which will forever change the Borgias.  Murder and secrets, revenge and covetousness are the plagues of the Borgia -- and it seems even Lucrezia is not immune.


After the dissolution of her first marriage to Giovanni, Lucrezia returns to society harboring a dark secret.  She is given little reprieve before she is informed of her father and eldest brother's newest machinations to see her married off in yet another alliance.  This time, they seem to have taken her interests into account.  They've allowed her to have the final say...and this time, she won't settle for anything less than love.  Finally, it seems like Lucrezia is allowed to have some happiness in her life.  She learns of what it truly means to be a wife after the farce of her first marriage and she finds protection in the arms of her second husband.  Unfortunately for Lucrezia, the Borgia reach is far and intimate.  Her happiness cannot last forever -- not as long as Borgia interests take precedence.


While the love between Lucrezia and her second husband blossoms, her relationship with Cesare becomes more strained and dangerous.  Cesare, having shed his role of Cardinal, becomes a powerful tour de force in Italy's complicated and often violent military history.  He throws himself into his tactical ventures, determined to see the name Borgia carved forever upon Italy -- he will see them live on infamy with the other great Italian empires.  Lucrezia, who knows her brother best, notices there is something terribly wrong with him.  Gone is his cool cunning, replaced with an almost irrational and violent nature.  He is ill.  And it seems that he'll stop at nothing to achieve what he most covets, even if that means destroying what little peace Lucrezia has been able to obtain.


There's a delicate, successful balance of history and fiction contained within this book.  Ripe with names, dates, and actual historical events, you feel as if you're learning something while you enjoy a work of fiction.  Granted, there is a great deal of literary license to be taken with a family as secretive and complicated as the Borgias were (the author even notes that little is known about what actually took place behind closed doors with the Borgias), but it does seem as if a great deal of research and thought was put into this book.  I would recommend a basic knowledge of the Catholic Church, the historical role of the Pope, the power the Vatican held, and the history of Italy prior to picking up this book or you may be a bit lost.  You don't have to be an expert, just have some basic knowledge or there's a chance you might not appreciate the strength, power, and influence of the Borgia family.  Lucrezia, I felt, was a great narrator and main character.  She changed and grew over time, learning that she may be a beloved Borgia daughter, but that amounted to little in the grand schemes of her family.  Cesare was another dynamic character.  He went from hero to villain, from beloved brother to selfish rival.  I wanted to believe his love for Lucrezia would win out over his own ambitions, but we learn over time that this was not to be.  The first half of Lucrezia's life was rather tragic, marked with only a few brief periods of joy before her family, once again, intervenes with their own designs.


The book took a bit to get going, but I did eventually get sucked in.  I'm glad that I stuck it out.  If you're a fan of historical fiction based upon real people and events, then this is right up your alley.  If you have an interest in infamous Italian/Spanish families, then all the better.

What Angels Fear (Sebastian St. Cyr Mysery, Book One): C. S. Harris

"The year is 1811.  As old King George III sinks deeper into madness, and the threat of social unrest and revolution haunts the privileged classes, a beautiful young woman is found raped and savagely murdered on the altar steps of an ancient parish church not far from Westminster Abbey.  An ornate dueling pistol discovered tangled in the blood-soaked folds of Rachel York's cloak and the damning testimony of a witness both point to one man, Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, a brilliant young nobleman shattered by his experiences in the Napoleonic Wars.  When a vicious attack during his arrest leaves a constable near death, Sebastian must run for his life.

"Now a fugitive, Sebastian calls upon his experience as an agent during the war to embark on a desperate quest to catch a brutal killer and prove his own innocence.  Ranging from the glittering ballrooms and sedate salons of Mayfair to the squalid back alleys and fetid churchyards of St. Giles, Sebastian accumulates a band of unlikely allies, including a street urchin named Tom, an opium-eating Irish doctor, and a lovely but mysterious actress who calls herself Kat Boleyn.  Years ago, Kat broke Sebastian's heart.  Now she may hold the key to his salvation -- or doom him to destruction.

"For as he plunges into a world of intrigue and espionage, Sebastian discovers that Rachel York was more than what she seemed.  When the twisted path leads from a French spymaster to a Machiavellian power broker, and from there to the future Prince Regent, Sebastian begins to realize that Rachel's death holds ominous implications not only for Sebastian's own family, but also for the future of the British monarchy.

"Seamlessly weaving historical fact and an intimate knowledge of the period with a multilayered and compelling story, What Angels Fear is a stunning fiction debut by a powerful new master of mystery and suspense."

I stumbled across a later installation of this series on the New Release shelf at my local library.  Anyone who reads this blog knows I've been on a bit of a mystery/suspense kick as of late, and I particularly favor period mysteries.  This one fit in perfectly.  To my surprise, my local library actually had the first book in the St. Cyr series and I very much looked forward to cracking it open.  I was hoping that it would be a captivating blend of murder-mystery and period drama; I was not left disappointed.

Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, is implicated in the gruesome murder of a young actress in a church.  He's known to have some strange characteristics and abilities, making people suspicious of the young lord newly returned from the violence of the Napoleonic battlefields.  Perhaps the horrors of war have scarred him too deeply to allow him to walk freely amongst the people of London.  With the impending announcement of the Regency, England is uneasy and wary of any nobleman who might get away with such a violent, twisted crime.  There are calls for Devlin's blood and he does the only thing he can do:  He runs.  Though he knows the timeline for the murder is impossible -- he's entirely innocent of any such crime on English soil -- no one believes him.  And matters are only made worse when the unfortunate injury of a constable during Devlin's arrest appears to mark him as the violent animal everyone believes him to be.  Calling upon his skills attained on the Continent from his time spent as a spy for the British cause, as well as his unnatural physical abilities, Devlin manages to evade capture as he doggedly sets out to prove his innocence and seek justice for the slain young woman.

What Devlin does not expect to uncover is the complex web of lies and alliances, the network of political subterfuge, and the multitude of pawns in play on the intricate board that is Europe during the early nineteenth century.  Each fact he discovers seems only to reveal more questions, leading him down yet another wending path with blind turns and danger as his only companion.  Along the way, Devlin realizes that his family is more involved in the scandal than he originally believed.  Still, he remains determined to uncover the truth, even if it means the ruin of the St. Cyr name.

Along the way, we meet a band of lively characters.  The undercurrent of romantic tension with Kat Boleyn was a pleasant and tense layer to this multifaceted story.  The history between them is complicated, to say the least -- each of them extremely stubborn.  Devlin knows Kat has connections and skills which could very well save his life; however, he doesn't know the dark secrets Kat must withhold even from the man she secretly loves.  Though Devlin suspects she's somehow embroiled in the complex web, he has no idea just how deep the connection runs.  And Kat will do everything she can to keep it that way.  Tom is a street urchin Devlin meets when the boy tries to pick his pocket at an inn shortly after Devlin's initial escape from custody.  The boy has remarkable skill and drive, lending an air of complexity to his character.  He has a deep sense of loyalty and a seemingly endless supply in the belief that the truth triumphs, despite the hints that his past has proven anything but.  His sense of humor and quick wit lend levity to an otherwise dark and heavy plot.  Though Devlin resists at first, he quickly learns that Tom can come in handy.  Even with Devlin's skills and abilities, Tom has a way with people and a knowledge of the streets which Devlin puts to very good use.  Tom even manages to help Devlin out of a few close calls along the way.  In addition to these very prominent secondary characters (though Kat is a bit more complex than a simple "secondary character" because several chapters are, indeed, from her point of view), Devlin encounters several others whom liven up the plot and aid him in his search for the true killer.  His old friend, an opium-addicted doctor from the war, uses his medical knowledge to clarify the facts of Rachel's death, revealing truths which reveal hidden motives and startlingly grim truths about the murderer.  Devlin even forms a connection with a well-dressed grave robber, an expert at procuring bodies for medical and...personal...purposes.  Along with these men come a bevy of possible suspects ranging from Devlin's own family to those in the higher echelons of the monarchy; a Frenchman in exile who is more than he appears; an Italian artist with remarkable talent and a fascination with the beautiful dead woman.  Readers are left guessing almost until the very last chapter who is responsible for Rachel's death.

Harris weaves together an intricate fictional storyline with historical and political fact.  The settings are remarkably detailed and vivid, revealing the truly ugly sides of nineteenth century London.  Even with the filth and grime, there's a morbid beauty in these descriptions of London which call to mind the glorious poems of William Blake (see his works "London" and "The Chimney-Sweeper" for excellent examples, if you're interested -- I can absolutely see echoes of Blake's work here).  The marked differences between the suffering of the people and the privilege of the aristocracy are made painfully blatant in this book, adding notes of reality to the plot.  This is, perhaps, one of the things which pulled me in the most.  There were no romanticized depictions here, only harsh, bleak realism.  This was a very different approach than what I am used to when reading period fiction and I, for one, appreciated it, especially because it was handled so artfully.  I felt transported; sometimes in a way which made me uncomfortable.  It was a new sensation which, to be honest, made me start and stop a few times within the first half of the book.  The delay in my reading had nothing to do with the quality of the writing or the interesting nature of the story, and everything to do with the fact that it made me think and it made me experience emotions I'm not necessarily accustomed to when reading.  These ended up being what make this story so special.  The story is violent and dark, twisted and mysterious.  It's not going to be a book for everyone, but, man, does it end up being an exciting, thought-provoking read.

Devlin was a fantastic lead.  A lot of the mystery/suspense books I've read lately are told from the first-person; I ended up enjoying the fact that this book was not.  It's a format I'm more used to and I find that I'm more drawn to a narrator who is more removed from the story -- I don't always want to feel like "I" am the main character because it can sometimes read a little bit like a Fanfiction.  It was very interesting to see the way in which his mind worked and to experience his abilities as we do.  At first, I thought his yellow eyes, heightened senses and reflexes were a bit over-the-top (more like the author was attempting to create a cool, superhero-like main character than one who was realistic, which felt slightly out of place in the hyper-realistic setting), but I was very pleasantly surprised to discover in the Author's Note that Devlin's abilities and physical attributes are part of a very real genetic mutation (I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff).  This made me appreciate him all the more and it turned a once-unbelievable main character (though cool, nonetheless) into one who was perfectly suited for the life of a spy and to get himself out of what appears to be a hopeless and impossible situation.

As this book is the first in a series, the conclusion sets up the possibility for more adventures.  It also leaves a great deal of unanswered questions about the heavily-guarded secrets of Devlin's family history -- things for which some would be willing to pay dearly and others would do anything to protect.  With his drive and talents, I think Devlin makes a captivating main character and I really am looking forward to seeing where the series takes him.

While the story took me a few days to really get into (which I've already explained above), the plot moved at an excellent clip and contained so many twists and turns that I was often left spinning, just like Devlin.  I was invested in his search for the murderer, and I desperately wanted to see him clear his name.  The subplot of his complicated romance with Kat was an excellent touch and really fleshed him out.  It gave him a rich backstory even more intricate than his just having an uneasy relationship with his surviving family members, and the fascinating time he spent at war.  The hints of PTSD were a realistic touch to his character.  Devlin is strong and unique, but not infallible.

I will reiterate that this book will not be for everyone.  Like most murder-mysteries, it has some very intense violence and grim themes.  The vivid writing style, however, can make this even more disturbing to some readers, so I will caution you if you're weak of stomach or have an averse reaction to such things.  This is not a happy book on any level, but it is a fascinating one.  It keeps you guessing, it makes you think, and you don't see the end coming until it practically slaps you across the face.  Kudos to an author who managed to hide the truth from me for about 300 pages -- this is no easy feat.  I hope the same can be said of the other books in this series.  Another part of what makes this book so masterful is the fact interwoven with the fiction.  Harris is an accomplished scholar and it is certainly apparent in her knowledge of the time period in which this book is set.  I recommend this book to those with a strong continence, a love of intrigue, an admiration for strong male leads who have a soft spot for a strong woman, and who enjoy more than a little suspenseful mystery.  I'm sure you'll be seeing more of Devlin in reviews to come.

Sometimes I Lie: Alice Feeney

"My name is Amber Reynolds.  There are three things you should know about me:  1. I'm in a coma.  2. My husband doesn't love me anymore.  3. Sometimes I lie.




"Amber Reynolds wakes up in a hospital.  She can't move.  She can't speak.  She can't open her eyes.  She can hear everyone around her, but they have no idea.


"Amber doesn't remember what happened to her, but she has a sneaking suspicion her husband had something to do with it.  Or her sister.  Or maybe both.




"Terrified and trapped inside her own body, she slowly begins to remember a night that changed her life.  Is she in a coma due to an accident?  Is her sister having an affair with her husband?  What happened at work with her horrible boss?  And who is the person who is silently visiting her bedside each night?




"Alternating between her paralyzed present, the week before her accident, and a series of childhood diaries from twenty years ago, Sometimes I Lie builds into an ending that will leave readers speechless as this brilliant psychological thriller asks, Is something really a lie if you believe it's the truth?"


This was another of my Pinterest finds and it was, once again, a very different choice from my normal reading material.  It's definitely been interesting to branch out and experience new authors and types of stories.


This book definitely plays with your mind and it suits the term "psychological thriller" to a tee.  You are just as lost as Amber as she tries to sort through her damaged mind to figure out how she got into that hospital bed; you experience her last week of normalcy and get a taste for her life before the accident; and you witness the development of a child's mind via the diary entries from twenty years prior.  I won't sugarcoat it:  There are more than a few disturbing moments in this book (then again, would it really be a psychological thriller if there weren't?).  You don't know who or what to believe -- especially because the narrator has come right out and said she can sometimes be a liar.  Whose truth do we believe?  What is reality and what is fiction?  In literature, there can be "unreliable narrators," but what do we do when the narrator outright admits that she's unreliable?  There are so many twists and turns throughout that I had no clue what was coming until it hit me right in the face.


The chapters were short and routinely cycled from Amber's paralytic coma, before her accident, and the diary entries.  Each section had a very unique perspective.  This form of writing kept me captivated because I wasn't bogged down by long chapters (not that I mind them, I just think the format used by Feeney here was particularly well-suited to this type of book).  It kept me on my toes and whetted my appetite for more.  I couldn't wait for what little tidbit or clue would be revealed in the next section.  Being kept in the dark with Amber as the narrator meant we felt her pain and lost what little consciousness she had just as she did; we experienced her deeply troubled mind and past in broken pieces; as well as we learned right along with her slowly-healing memory what had happened to her.  The dark secrets she carefully covered up, the lies which slowly come to light, all serve to craft a very deep, dark, and infinitely complex narrator.  So much lies beneath the surface that the differences between fact and fiction become blurred in such a way that even reality sometimes feels like one of her troubling coma-induced dreams.  Rather than more answers, we're often left with more questions as we get deeper into the story; which is, of course, the perfect thing to get a reader to devour a book in a short span of time.  This happens quite a bit in the old diary entries and some of those happened to be my favorite sections.


Characters who seemed normal and/or reliable were rarely so.  Whether it was Amber's paranoia or her hyper-perceptive nature, we're never quite certain.  Her husband, Paul, is a great source of anxiety for Amber.  A great deal of the sections taking place before the accident revolve around her belief that he is having an affair; it's hinted quite strongly that his affair is with Amber's sister, Claire, which could be a reason why Amber seems to have a great deal of anxiety when it comes to her.  However, it's not until much, much later in the story that we realize the true source of this anxiety and mistrust...and the revelation is frightening on so many levels.  What we believe to be jealousy of Claire -- her perfect appearance, how she always seems to be one step ahead of Amber on life's journey even though she's younger, and how Claire was able to give her husband children (even if she had to go through IVF) -- turns out to be something much darker.


The writing, itself, is masterful in the sense that Feeney never reveals too much.  She waits for the exact moment to reveal a hint and then promptly never mentions it again until all of the pieces finally come together at the very end.  I kept finding myself wondering how all of those pieces could possibly fit in a satisfying way, but it ended up working in such a way that I had to sit back and think to myself, "Wow...that was one hell of a ride."  I was kept captivated by the style and careful glimpses of clues, which is perfect for this genre.


I will once again caution you that this book is dark and parts are very disturbing -- it's certainly not for everyone.  There are some very intense scenes, twisted themes, and very troubled characters.  This isn't a traditional mystery:  Of course, we don't know "who done it," but there is so, so much more to this book than that -- especially because the "victim" is alive...and she's also the unreliable narrator.  ***SPOILER:  There are scenes of rape, stalking, and violent murder.  I suggest staying away from this book if you're squeamish about any of those things.***  I recommend this book if you're not afraid to try something new and experience an author who will have you on the edge of your seat.  Feeney hasn't had many books published as of yet, but I expect that we'll be seeing a great deal more of her in the future.  Happy reading!


SIDE NOTE:  I'm excited because I just realized that this book technically fulfills my "book set at Christmas" requirement for my 2018 reading list!  You can find the reading challenge HERE.

Mortal Arts (Lady Darby Mystery, Book Two): Anna Lee Huber

"Scotland, 1830.  Lady Kiera Darby is no stranger to intrigue--in fact, it seems to follow her wherever she goes.  After her foray into murder investigation, Kiera must journey to Edinburgh with her family so that her pregnant sister can be close to proper medical care.  But the city is full of many things Kiera isn't quite ready to face:  the society ladies keen on judging her, her fellow investigator--and romantic entanglement--Sebastian Gage, and ultimately, another deadly mystery.




"Kiera's old friend Michael Dalmay is about to be married, but the arrival of his older brother--and Kiera's childhood art tutor--William, has thrown everything into chaos.  For ten years Will has been missing, committed to an insane asylum by his own father.  Kiera is sympathetic to her mentor's plight, especially when rumors swirl about a local girl gone missing.  Now Kiera must once again employ her knowledge of the macabre and join forces with Gage in order to prove the innocence of a beloved family friend--and save the marriage of another..."




I was thrilled to find that my local library carried the second book in this series.  I'd initially begun to read another, but it's on loan from another location and the due date is fast approaching.  Rather than get too entrenched in a book I knew I'd have to return well before I was finished with it, I made the decision to, instead, pick up this book.  The first in this series was so wonderful and exciting that I came into this reading with very high hopes and expectations.  Though I'm only a few chapters in thus far, I have to admit that I am not disappointed in the least.  The vivid descriptions and very realistic characters remain.  We're introduced to the Dalmay family and the dark secret they've been hiding -- which also happens to be particularly poignant and relevant even though the plot takes place almost 200 years ago.  I'm looking forward to seeing what this book has in store and experiencing all of the twists and turns along with Kiera.




***


I'm nearly halfway through this book and I can safely say it's just as enthralling as the first book in this series.  I'm so happy I stumbled upon Huber in my endless Pinterest search for unique reading material.  I am still very much enjoying the complicated, simmering dynamic between Gage and Kiera.  The plot, itself, is filled with tension, mystery, secrets, and intrigue.  As with the first book, the setting really breathes life into this story.  Huber has made Scotland into a stunningly beautiful backdrop as wild and fascinating as her characters.  By contrast, the scenes which take place indoors are artfully crafted and really draw me in.  I love a rich setting and Huber has not disappointed.


There are already a great many layers to the conflict and I'm looking forward to seeing how this all plays out.  There are a number of characters involved -- similar to the first -- and I have a huge amount of anticipation for what lies around the next corner.  I can't wait to see what shocks Huber has in store.




***


I finished this book over the past weekend and I ended up flying through the remaining chapters.  There were indeed the twist and turns I suspected from another Lady Darby Mystery.  The simmering romance between Gage and Kiera -- while not the main plot (this is not technically a romance novel) -- is a delicious bit of underlying tension further complicating an already very serious situation.  Their banter is quick, displaying the depth of both of their intelligence, and their companionship is extremely enjoyable.  I'm impressed with how Huber has managed to create such a subtle thread of romance and so successfully continued it from one book to the next; continuing it in such a way that it's not in the forefront, and yet, readers devour it with anticipation.  It adds another note of tension to an already tense book.


The progression of this mystery is quite artful.  We are drawn into the story by our history with Kiera, her family, and Gage; however, we remain captivated by the depth and uniqueness of the plot.  I will admit that I was hoping this wouldn't turn into an episode of "Scooby Doo" where the plot is extremely similar, only the face of the villain has changed (e.g. there was another gathering of guests at a house and Kiera and Gage had to sort through a bunch of possible perpetrators in order to find the true villain).  As soon as we become more aware of the plot and prominent characters, we learn just how unique the plot really is.  Huber deals with some VERY heavy topics and, I feel, writes with a blunt eloquence which accurately displays the tragedy of Will's situation.  I couldn't help but feel a great deal of empathy for him, even when some of the evidence began to point in his direction.  To me, he was the very definition of a tortured soul.


I suspected the villain and "nefarious plot" about halfway through the book; the fact that Huber kept me enthralled and wanting to confirm my supposition is wonderful.  There were still some twists and turns to keep me on my toes.  I'm a particularly careful reader, so I don't think everyone will come to the same early conclusions that I read.  Huber writes as I believe a mystery writer should (though I don't profess to be a very seasoned writer of this genre):  She reveals just enough that a reader is engaged in discovering the clues right alongside the characters, but a very observant reader just might be able to make some educated guesses a bit earlier on.  This makes for a very engaging, rewarding read.


I won't give away the ending, but I will say that we're left with just enough of a tantalizing hanger that I'm extremely excited to pick up the next in this series.  The setting is going to change and I look forward to seeing how Gage comes back into Kiera's life...and what dangers lie ahead.  I am absolutely in love with this series.  It's a brilliant "bridge" for any reader curious about making the transition from romance to mystery, or even the other way around.  The period setting is fantastic for anyone drawn to this era of romance novels.  The characters are passionate, intelligent, fiery, unique, and lively.  The plots are captivating.  The undercurrent of romance between Kiera and Gage is fantastic and, while important, doesn't overtake the main plot of the story.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

I Was Anastasia: Ariel Lawhon

"In an enthralling new feat of historical suspense, Ariel Lawhon unravels the extraordinary twists and turns in Anna Anderson's 50-year battle to be recognized as Anastasia Romanov.  Is she the Russian Grand Duchess or the thief of another woman's legacy?

"Countless others have rendered their verdict.  Now it is your turn.

"Russia, July 17, 1918:  Under direct orders from Vladimir Lenin, Bolshevik secret police force Anastasia Romanov, along with the entire imperial family, into a damp basement in Siberia where they face a merciless firing squad.  None survive.  At least that is what the executioners have always claimed.

"Germany, February 17, 1920:  A young woman bearing an uncanny resemblance to Anastasia Romanov is pulled shivering and senseless from a canal in Berlin.  Refusing to explain her presence in the freezing water, she is taken to the hospital where an examination reveals that her body is riddled with countless, horrific scars.  When she finally does speak, this frightened, mysterious woman claims to be the Russian Grand Duchess Anastasia.

"Her detractors, convinced that the young woman is only after the immense Romanov fortune, insist on calling her by a different name:  Anna Anderson.  As rumors begin to circulate through European society that the youngest Romanov daughter has survived the massacre, old enemies and new threats are awakened.  With a brilliantly crafted dual narrative structure, Lawhon wades into the most psychologically complex and emotionally compelling territory yet:  the nature of identity itself."

This is the book I started reading at the tail end of my vacation (it was also the last one I'd brought with me, so I am sort of grateful that I didn't fly right through it or I would have been lost).  Once again, I have Pinterest to thank for my reading material.  The algorithm it uses to come up with recommendations really is very impressive; more often than not, it seems to be able to really pick up on what my tastes gear toward and come up with books I may not have chosen for myself, but would more than likely enjoy.  This book popped up a number of times (even after I pinned it) and I came across it at my local library, so it felt a bit like fate.

I've always been fascinated with European history (more so British history than anything else) and there's just something captivating and tragic about the Romanovs.  I even enrolled in a Russian history course during my undergraduate studies (which was amazing, by the way -- in part because I was also able to learn quite a bit about the country from which most of my family originates:  Lithuania) and I found it absolutely fascinating, especially when it came to the revolution.  I grew up watching the animated film Anastasia (one of my cousins is even named "Anastasia"), so I have always been around the story of the Grand Duchess and her ill-fated family -- even in my British history studies because her mother was a granddaughter of Queen Victoria.  It was not until somewhat more recently that I was exposed to the story of Anna Anderson, the real-life woman who claimed to be THE Anastasia.  Every so often (thank you, internet, for tracking my history...), an article will pop up in my Facebook feed about Anna and her grand claims and mysterious background.  I won't give away what I have learned from these articles, but, rather, will stick to the context of this book.




I'm currently about a third of the way through this book.  It has a very unique narrative style, bouncing back and forth from Anna to Anastasia.  It transcends the decades in less than chronological order (at least for Anna) and it can be difficult to follow at times, but it is so very much worth it.  The intricacies and nuances I've been able to catch thus far are captivating.  We begin with an unnamed narrator cautioning us that conveying her story will only pass along its burden, though we continue onwards regardless.  This is followed by Anna making a last-ditch effort to remain in America before her visa expires and it is after this that the meandering hallways of Anna's memories are revealed.  We are given the distinct impression that she's a credible narrator because of the details she provides and the lengths to which she's been willing to go -- the sacrifices she's been willing to make -- in order to prove her identity.  We see how other people have tried to use her, either for monetary or notoriety gain; how she has been touted as a lost princess or sneered at as an imposter.




However, I think my favorite parts thus far have been Anastasia's point of view.  The Romanovs are often portrayed as spoiled and aloof -- totally out of touch with reality and the things they should have handled as the Russian royal family -- and I'm not disputing that they were not; however, it has been very interesting to read a different perspective.  Told from Anastasia's point of view, these sections offer a very intimate look into the Romanov family and behind closed doors.  Their confusion and fear were palpable entities during their downfall and subsequent transportation to Siberia.  You feel sympathy for a family which is, more often than not, shown to be completely detached from reality.  The details Anastasia is able to capture, her determination and will are astounding for someone so young and in such a dire situation.  It's all written beautifully and it really immerses you in this world of turmoil and upheaval experienced by Anastasia and her family.


I'm looking forward to seeing how all of this progresses.




***


I'm now 2/3 of the way through this book and the tension is definitely heating up.  The narrative style is so successful and captivating, with Anna and Anastasia's perspectives playing out with different narrators and their timelines creeping ever closer.  I find myself speeding through because I want to get to the point where their stories/timelines collide.  What will we discover?  What is the truth?  In a backwards fashion, we learn how Anna came to be in America, all of the times she'd been exploited or vilified, how she'd come to survive off of her infamy.  How the surviving Romanov family members had attempted to buy her off and why they did so.  With Anastasia, we witness the treatment of the imperial family under the revolutionaries and then the Bolsheviks.  We see how they were taken down more than a few notches (perhaps several hundred notches, to be honest) in an effort to rub their noses in reality.  The subtle ways in which they'd been sheltered, even in captivity.  There's even a little bit of sweet romance between some of the captors and captives.  Anastasia's first-person perspective portions remain my favorite parts of this book.  Her personality is spunky and her will to survive is admirable.  History tells us that the story does not end well for the Romanovs, but I'm still looking forward to seeing what the last part of the book has to offer, and I consider this a great feat of writing.


***


I finished this book a few days ago and I'm happy to finally get around to finish my review.  Completing a book in a matter of a few days is no great feat for me (in fact, this one actually took me a bit longer than normal because of my hectic schedule and trying to get back into the swing of things after vacation), but I do consider it notable when there are specific reasons that I simply cannot put a book down.  While the book, as a whole, is extremely interesting and captivating, the latter half is so brimming with suspense that you're practically salivating for more.  You HAVE to know if Anna is Anastasia.  So many times over I thought I'd had the plot figured out; I believed I'd discovered Lawhon's aim.  I was wrong so many times over.  The beauty of this style of writing (with two perspectives beginning decades apart and then creeping inexorably closer, gradually building the tension while it reveals tidbits of information and carefully omitting others) is that you know where the story ends up, you're just not sure how it got there.  And, in this particular story, that makes all the difference in the world.  This style is what makes this book unique and such a fascinating read.  It could have just been yet another historical fiction providing hope for those who believe that, surely, someone must have survived what history can only categorize as a massacre of the royal family.  The writing is so poignant and it resonated so deeply with me that I was completely absorbed in the story (woe to my husband who kept trying to interrupt the last few chapters despite the fact that I told him I just wanted to finish my book...).


Anastasia's portions of the story remained my favorite, though I do think that Anna's became even more interesting as the story progressed.  The impact of the surviving Romanov family members upon her life was of particular interest to me -- their desperation to quell Anna's claims and collect the Romanov inheritance.  I thought the way in which Lawhon managed to get the readers to sympathize with Anna while retaining the sense of mystery and uncertainty about her was artful.  There were a couple of Anna's portions which dragged on just a bit; however, having finished the book, I can say that pretty much every single detail was required to further the reader's belief/disbelief.  One must take this book as a whole rather than two separate stories which happen to be contained in the same book.  There are nuances and details woven with such care throughout, creating an epic interconnected story.


Anastasia's perspective was dramatic and vivid.  Having completed that aforementioned Russian history course, I'm familiar with the ways in which the Romanovs were treated after their fall from grace.  Yes, they were a royal family vastly out of touch with reality, but does any human being really deserve to be punished thusly?  Anastasia's companionship with Tomas provided much-needed tenderness in her dark, disparaging world and I found the details to be very sweet.  The book had the potential to become far too heavy without this.


Overall, this was a fascinating read with a unique structure to it, which, I felt, makes it so successful.  It definitely helps if you know and understand a little bit of Russian history to truly appreciate why the revolt took place, but it's not necessary to know everything since Lawhon does such a good job of explaining it as the story goes along.  I definitely recommend this to anyone who is a fan of historical fiction or is looking for a book with a different setup than your run-of-the-mill chronological timeframe.  As the information above indicates, this book really is a psychological journey.


***Side Note:  I discovered that Lawhon is another Nashville author -- another happy coincidence.  I ended up (unintentionally) taking books by two different Nashville authors on my trip to that city.

Lady of Conquest (Brides of Legend, Book Two): Teresa Medeiros UPDATED

 “He is called Conn of the Hundred Battles, the warrior-king who forged a nation from a land of isolated clans.  As High King of Ireland, he rides with the legendary Fianna, his elite band of warriors.  But a threat to the throne looms from a mysterious scourge who has vanquished several of Conn’s bravest warriors.  Conn rides out alone to face a seemingly invincible foe, never expecting that he will confront a grief-maddened hellcat with emerald eyes and hair like liquid flame….

 

“Wielding a sword called Vengeance, Gelina O Monaghan has sworn to defeat the man she holds responsible for her family’s ruin.  She never dreamed she’d be bested by him in combat…and lose her heart in the bargain.  Their forbidden passion will become a private war fought with swords and kisses, promises and betrayal—and surrender will be only the beginning….”

 

In addition to this being yet another book I finished on my vacation (believe it or not, it was only a week long), this is another re-read of a book I read quite some time ago; the original review can be found HERE.  Everyone here knows I’m a fan of Teresa Medeiros, but reading this book again only solidified my belief that I absolutely lean toward her newer works than her older ones.  Much like the first book in this duo, Shadows and Lace (the original review for which can be found HERE and the updated review can be found HERE), I didn’t end up a huge fan.  In hindsight, I think this was due in large part to the era in which these books were penned (thank you 1990s).  These books both had volatile, controlling relationships between the male and female leads.  There is a great deal of violence in this book -- yes, that includes violence Conn directs toward Gelina; yes, that includes physical violence.  I don't condone this in anyway, but I can see why it was a part of this story.  It, essentially, stayed true to the role Conn would have played during this time period, as well as the social mores of this era.  He was expected to be physically powerful and probably wouldn't have thought too much about demonstrating that power in a physical way.  That being said, here's a bit of a SPOILER:  There is a rape scene.  As a matter of fact, nearly all of the physical encounters between Conn and Gelina are rape-ish.  It feels so much less romantic.  There's a fine line between a male lead being powerful and breathtakingly masculine and being a brute to caves to his baser, more violent desires.  He ends up using sex as a weapon, and I found this a bit off-putting.  I noted it in my original review ten years ago (wow...I can't believe it's been that long), but this time around it made the story a bit of a struggle at times.  I chose not to re-read my original review prior to picking up this book again and I'm glad I didn't because it probably would have made me hesitant to read it.  END SPOILER

I liked Conn in the beginning; he seemed to be a good man and a good king.  He was powerful when he needed to be and merciful when necessary.  I would, however, have liked to see his perspective a bit more -- especially near the beginning of the story after we meet Gelina.  As soon as we start seeing Gelina's perspective, she seems to sort of overtake the narrative.  (This happened in Shadows and Lace, as well.)  I think it would have helped me to understand his motivations and appreciate his mercy a little bit better.  We discover that Gelina knew Conn when she was a child and how she admired him, but we don't really get to see those memories from Conn.  As the story progresses, I liked Conn less and less.  His desire for Gelina (a young woman who was supposed to be his ward) was powerful and consuming, but it takes him a painfully long time to accept his feelings.  When I say painful, I mean it.  I think this was because I didn't quite understand his hesitation.  She wasn't related to him in anyway and she was certainly putting out vibes that she was attracted to him and loved him.  He mentions the difference in age between them, but I don't think that should have been as big a deal as it was made out to be.  Then again, we're not given any good clues as to Conn's age (we find out pretty early on that Gelina is about sixteen) until nearly the end of the book.  By this time, a few years have passed and she's somewhere around eighteen or nineteen and I guess that he's about thirty-six.  There's such a big fuss over their ages, but in Ninth Century Ireland, I don't think it would have been as big a deterrent as Conn made it out to be.  Perhaps he was just making excuses and being stubborn?  (Again, a similar thing happened in Shadows and Lace.  Are we seeing some trends here?)

Gelina is as feisty as I remember.  She's brave -- if a bit rash -- and strong-willed enough to survive the had she's been dealt and to live in Conn's court beneath his oft-wavering moods and loyalties.  This was probably one of the most frustrating things because (since we see so much of her perspective, we know just how much she cares for Conn.  To see his lack of faith and trust in her is difficult to witness.  There was a cyclical pattern to her relationship with Conn (again, see Shadows and Lace).  Because the story is dragged out across several years instead of a snippet in the characters' lives, there is ample opportunity for them to fight/have a falling out/Gelina runs away or is sent away/Conn goes and retrieves her.  This happens more than a couple of times.  This certainly ups the dramatic tension, but it left me wanting more development of Conn and Gelina’s relationship.  All that time apart (for various reasons) can create bittersweet longing, but you also lose all of the closeness the characters could have been developing in the meantime.  Not to mention it hurt my opinion of Conn that he would have such little faith in Gelina.  I totally get that the circumstances of their meeting were less than ideal and he would have been well within his rights to kill her, but years have passed without her betraying him.  Cut the girl some slack!

As usual, there were some colorful secondary characters who really served to develop the plot and show us a side of Conn and Gelina that would have otherwise remained hidden.  The best example of this is Nimbus.  He was funny, witty, and irreverent.  While he got s little bit goofy at times, I enjoyed him nonetheless.  He provided a good outlet for Gelina’s childlike wonder and allowed Conn to have a sense of humor.  He also happens to become the source of one of the greatest conflicts between Gelina and Conn, though I won’t give this plot twist away.

Having a tangible villain in Eagon was a wise choice because it gave the story an outside source of conflict other than just what existed between Conn and Gelina.  It helped to place their story within a much larger framework of history, which is something I really appreciate.  Medeiros does this in some of her other books and, being the British history nerd that I am, I appreciate this touch.

In all, this was a well-written book (I always appreciate her writing style) and her descriptions of the scenery and characters are vivid and really help me escape into her books.  There were, of course, aspects of this particular story that I didn’t care for and this book will not be for everyone.  It’s a long read (though it only took me a few days) due to the timespan over which it takes place, though it’s interesting to see Gelina grow and change over the years.  Parts of it are frustrating (why can’t Conn just give into his feelings already?!) but other parts are tender.  There are moments of violence which literally made me cringe, but I persevered.  As part of a body of work, I recommend reading this book – even if you’re only curious to see how Medeiros has changed and developed her style over the years.  The comparison is a very interesting one.  This book was not really my favorite, but I am glad that I re-read it.