Book Review and Blog Tour: Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

 

Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca

Publish Date:February 1, 2010

Paperback,  480 pages

My Review:

What a fun book.  I loved it from the start.  It is my first book by Laura Kinsale and I will definitely be checking out her backlist now.  

From the start of the book I fell in love with Callie and Trev.  Callie has been engaged three times yet never married  and she feels she will spend life in spinsterhood and she is comfortable with that.  Trev is one of those wounded men, he's been a bad boy and doesn't know if he can change his ways.  He's in love with Callie but doesn't think he's good enough for her so every time he gets close, he pulls away.  Callie has always been in love with him too, but doesn't think he returns her love.  It's a wonderful romance in that they keep getting close in the beginning of the book for Trev to pull away.  But you know they love each other so you keep reading.

I loved the dialogue.  Especially between Callie and Trev and Trev and his maman.  The dialogue is very witty and had me laughing out loud several times when reading.  I would have to say that Ms. Kinsale is a master of dialogue based on this book.

The plot got a little slow to me at times, but never too slow, I wanted to keep reading.  I wanted to learn more about Trev and Callie and what crazy situation they would get into next.

If you love historical romance this is a book for you. 

Rating: 9.0/10.0

Rating Breakdown

Characterization:      2.0/2.0
Plot:                        1.5/2.0
Writing:                 1.75/2.0
Attention-holding:  0.75/1.0
Ending:                    1.0/1.0
Believable:               1.0/1.0
Genre:                     1.0/1.0    
Rating:                 9.0/10.0

About the Book:

"It was quite settled by now. She was born to be a spinster. The gentlemen would have to declare their undying devotion to other ladies. Callie would be too much occupied with developing a delicate constitution and a dependable recipe for tapioca-jelly."

She is, after all, Lady Callista Taillefaire, jilted three times in spite of her fortune and her father's best efforts to find her a husband. Now her greatest desire is to win the silver cup at the agricultural fair with her gigantic prize bull, Hubert. But when Callie's only old flame returns from his long and mysterious absence in France, her quiet spinster life turns upside down.

Dark-eyed, elegant and a magnet for trouble, Trevelyan d'Augustin has given Callie lessons in more than his language in the past. Her father put a harsh and humiliating end to any dreams of romance with a French émigré scoundrel, however, and Callie never thought to see him again. Swallowing his pride, Trev has finally come home to care for his failing mother, but his secrets and misdeeds follow him.

Callie soon remembers that nothing is ever peaceful with Trev around. The enormous Hubert vanishes into thin air, one of her former jilts comes back to woo her in a most determined manner--and her bull takes the town by storm! In the midst of these misadventures, Callie finds herself falling in love again with the worst possible man for her...

*** I received this book from the publisher, Sourcebooks for review. ***

Look for this ARC as a giveaway in my weekend wondering post this weekend - which will feature romance of course - it's Valentine's Day, or as I joking say to my family and husband - who cares about Valentine's Day - it's Daytona! (I'm really joking and not joking - I love racing but I adore and love my husband even more - everybody say awwwww)

Winners - A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine

 

The Winners of A Black Tie Affair by Sherrill Bodine are:

debbiejackson

Abi

Julie J.

The winners have been notified by email.  As soon as I get their addresses I will enter them in at Hachette books and their books will be on the way.

Thank you to Forever Romance (Hachette Books) for offering this giveaway and for my review copy.

Check out this book, read my review and visit Sherrill's website.

Thank you to all who entered.  Check out my sidebar for other giveaways going on right now.

Book Review and Blog Tour: Dreams That Won't Let Go by Stacy Hawkins Adams

 

ESSENCE BESTSELLING AUTHOR RELEASES NEW BOOK:
Sometimes you have to come home to discover who you are…

Essence bestselling author Stacy Hawkins Adams
releases the final book in her popular Jubilant Soul series: Dreams That Won’t Let Go.

Readers have followed along with the Burns family of Jubilant, Texas as they’ve experienced heartaches, celebrated new faced life-changing choices and learned how far faith can carry them through it all.

Now in Dreams That Won’t Let Go, everything seems to be going along perfectly for Indigo Burns: Her wedding preparations to the man of her dreams are under way and her career as a photographer is a success. Even her family seems to be doing better than ever—all except her brother Reuben who no one has seen in years. But that's about to change, because Reuben has decided to move back home to Jubilant, bringing with him all his unspoken secrets and upsetting all of Indigo’s best-laid plans.

As the family struggles to deal with the pain of the past and find healing, Dreams That Won’t Let Go illustrates that despite what has happened in our lives, there is always a second chance where love conquers all.

My Review:

Rating: 10.0/10.0 

Dreams that Won't Let Go is a riveting and beautiful book.  I have not read the earlier books in the Jubilant Souls series, but I will make it a point to go back and read the first two.  However, the third installment stands on it's own very well, I never felt lost.  I just want to rad the first two to learn more about some of the characters and to enjoy more of Ms. Adams' writing.

So what about this book stood out to me?  First the characters.  I enjoyed getting to know Indigo and Reuben and their loved ones, Max and Peyton along with their family members.  The characters are well done and you feel things for all of them.  The story plays out through the characters and keeps you wanting to read more and learn more.  The characters also grow through the book, both Indigo and Reuben are searching for something and though they seemed stumped to begin with on how to make things better, by the end they are making progress on working things out.

The plot is also amazing.  Every time I thought I had something figured out, Ms. Adams took it in another direction.  Yet nothing felt like it was out of the blue or not fitted in with the story.  It is well plotted out and very interesting to read.

Conversation in this book also flowed well.  Nothing felt stilted or strained.  The message was one of love and forgiveness and I loved how it was written out in the book.  The pastor that helps them out feels real and loving and very typical of what I am use to in the church.  Not judgmental but understanding and loving.  That comes out fully in the book without seeming preachy, and I think it is a beautifully written message.



Characterization:   2.0/2.0
Plot:                     2.0/2.0
Writing:                2.0/2.0
Attention-holding:  1.0/1.0
Ending:                 1.0/1.0
Believable:            1.0/1.0
Genre:                  1.0/1.0    
Rating:                10.0/10.0

Stacy Hawkins Adams is a writer for the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the author of several novels, including the Essence bestseller The Someday List and Worth a Thousand Words. All of Stacy's novels have been bestsellers in Black Expressions Book Club.

Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books that bring the Christian faith to everyday life.  They publish resources from a variety of well-known brands and authors, including their partnership with MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) and Hungry Planet.

For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.

Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Watch for this title to be available to win for commenting on my weekend wondering post this coming Saturday.

Teaser Tuesday - February 9

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Reuben was surprised at how quickly he and Peyton had grown to enjoy the laidback, slower pace of life in Jubilant, but church remained his least favorite place.

From Dreams that Won't Let Go by Stacy Hawkins Adams

Blog Tour and Review: The Marriage Project by Kathi Lipp (FIRST Wild Card Tours)

It is time for a FIRST Wild Card Tour book review! If you wish to join the FIRST blog alliance, just click the button. We are a group of reviewers who tour Christian books. A Wild Card post includes a brief bio of the author and a full chapter from each book toured. The reason it is called a FIRST Wild Card Tour is that you never know if the book will be fiction, non~fiction, for young, or for old...or for somewhere in between! Enjoy your free peek into the book!

You never know when I might play a wild card on you!

Today's Wild Card author is:

Kathi Lipp

and the book:

The Marriage Project

Harvest House Publishers (December 1, 2009)

***Special thanks to Kathi Lipp for sending me a review copy.***


My Review:

What a wonderful book.  It is full of great ideas to help your marriage and plenty of humor to keep you reading.  Ms. Lipp has done her research and has great ideas to help you get more involved in your marriage even in our already hectic lives.  I loved the ideas and plan on implementing some of them soon and going through the 21 days.  I also found myself reading passages aloud to my husband when something struck a chord or made me laugh out loud.  He appreciated what I read also.

Practical and good advice fill this book.  I think it makes a great book for all married couples whether married for a month or two or many years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kathi is married to Roger, the Worship Arts Director at Church on the Hill in San Jose. They have four kids and live in San Jose, CA. When she’s not doing laundry, Kathi is a full-time speaker and writer whose articles have appeared in Focus on the Family, Today’s Christian Woman and Christian Parenting Today. Her first books, The Husband Project and The Marriage Project were both released by Harvest House.

Visit the author's website.

Product Details:

List Price: $12.99
Paperback: 232 pages
Publisher: Harvest House Publishers (December 1, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0736925287
ISBN-13: 978-0736925280

AND NOW...THE FIRST CHAPTER:

Why The Marriage Project?


With every deed you are sowing a seed, though the harvest you may not see.

-- Ella Wheeler Wilcox


I have a shelf full of marriage books and I bet if you‘ve been married for any amount of time, you do too.


Most of the books that we own are great books. They talk about God’s desire for a healthy marriage, the theories behind a healthy marriage, and what a healthy marriage should look like if you apply these principles.


Some of those marriage books have had a great impact on my relationship with my husband.


Most of them? They ended up on our bookshelf as things I feel guilty for 1) not implementing on a daily basis and 2) not dusting.


When Roger and I got married we both brought two teenagers, two full-time jobs, and a host of volunteer activities into the relationship. There just wasn’t much time to be sitting up in bed after a long day, taking turns reading pages out of marriage enhancement books and staring longingly, with great resolve, into each other’s eyes.


On the other hand, Roger and I both determined to make this marriage work. We each had been in marriages that ended in divorce, and we were committed to being absolutely intentional to do everything we could, in God’s power, to see that we had a marriage that not only lasted, but also was honoring to Him and filled with joy.


That’s when the crazy ideas started to flow.


First, there was The Husband Project, where I challenged my friends (and myself) to bless our men for 21 days without expecting anything in return. While most women kept it a secret from their husbands, I had to tell Roger eventually (he had a right to know what book I was working on seven hours a day).


After that, Roger and I wanted a project to complete as a couple. The results of that are what you hold in your hand.


I wanted a way to bless my marriage that was very practical, fun, following God’s plan and purpose for marriage (and perhaps just a little bit flirty). I needed something that wasn’t just a theory about what to do about my marriage – I wanted some checkboxes. I wanted something that would instruct me, “This is what you do, now go and do it.”


That is what I needed, and that is what I ended up writing.


Becoming an Expert on Your Own Marriage


I’m definitely not a marriage expert. After one failed marriage and just four years into my second one, I’m probably not the first person you’d approach for marital advice. (Although the fact that Roger and I got married with four teenagers between us, and we’re still together, should earn us some kind of presidential Medal of Honor. Or at least a nifty certificate in a leatherette case.)


So I gleaned and condensed the very best advice from every marriage book on our shelves and adapted it into short, doable steps – or projects, that we could work on together.


This is how I have to manage almost every area of my life – whether it’s healthy eating, child rearing, Bible study, and most recently, marriage. It’s not enough that I know what I’m supposed to do; I need to have a plan to get up and do it.


Through these crazy little projects (most taking less than five or ten minutes) my husband and I learned new things about each other. We rediscovered what makes each other tick, confirmed some basics we already knew, and found new and exciting ways to encourage one another. While I may not be a marriage expert, I became an expert on my marriage.


I love how The Message Bible illustrates the words of James when it comes to putting feet to our thoughts:


Dear friends, do you think you'll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, "Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!" and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn't it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? (James 2:14-17)


We can talk about marriage all day long. We can buy books and listen to podcasts about how we should have great marriages. We can listen to sermons and do Bible studies. But, unless we put some God-acts to our God-talk, no one benefits.


Hundreds of couples have done the Projects before you. These simple acts have been proven to change not only people’s behavior, but also their attitudes. I pray that God pours out His blessings on you and your marriage as you put feet to His plan for your marriage.

Mailbox Monday - February 8

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia at The Printed Page. To see this weeks list of participants go here.  I had another good week, check out what I received and feel free to leave your links so I can see what you received also and add to my wishlist.  I received a bunch of books this week and most came on Monday.  Sorry for the Amazon links - the image alone wasn't working and this was the one quick and easy way to see the book covers.

ARC/Review Copies of:

The Naughty List by Suzanne Young

From - 1-ARC-Tours

As if being a purrfect cheerleader isn’t enough responsibility! Tessa Crimson’s the sweet and spunky leader of the SOS (Society of Smitten Kittens), a cheer squad–turned–spy society dedicated to bringing dastardly boyfriends to justice, one cheater at a time. Boyfriend-busting wouldn’t be so bad . . . except that so far, every suspect on the Naughty List has been proven 100% guilty!
When Tessa’s own boyfriend shows up on the List, she turns her sleuthing skills on him. Is Aiden just as naughty as all the rest, or will Tessa’s sneaky ways end in catastrophe?
The Naughty List. Is your boyfriend on it?

 

Dear Big V by Ellen W. Leroe

From: Around the World Tours

Courtney Condon, a funny, off-beat junior, is caught smack in the middle of the war between the Lewds and the Prudes at Delaware-Valley High School. Court's the founder of an abstinence club at Dull-Val. But when she's assigned an Op Ed piece for the school paper that forces her to work with Lance, the major player and hottest guy at school, this up-close and personal contact with Lance throws her into a Whirlwind of Confusion over her chaste ideals. Meanwhile, Courtney's staunchly devout, strict-Catholic mom is pushing her own form of prudishness to the point of alienating the entire family, especially when Mom catches Court in a lip-lock with Lance in his car, right in her very own driveway! Laugh-out-loud funny, Dear Big V illuminates the conflict between hormones and values that teens face every day.  

 

Hear No Evil: My Story of Innocence, Music and the Holy Ghost by Matthew Paul Turner

From the Publisher and I will have a giveaway copy also when I post the review

Every Life Has a Soundtrack. 

If you’ve ever had the opening bars of a song transport you back in time or remind you of a pivotal spiritual moment, Matthew Paul Turner’s honest—and frequently hilarious—musings will strike a chord. Straightforward and amusing, Hear No Evil is Turner’s “life soundtrack,” a compilation of engaging personal stories about how music—and music’s ability to transform—has played a key role in his spiritual life.

Groove along on his journey as young evangelical Turner attends forbidden contemporary Christian concerts, moves to “Music City” Nashville, and dreams of becoming the Michael Jackson of Christian music.

Cosmic and compelling, keen and funny, every page is a new encounter with the people, places, and experiences that have taught the music-editor-turned-author some new things about God, forced him out of his comfort zone, and introduced him to a fresh view of grace along the way.

 

 Alphatudes: The Alphabet of Gratitude by Michele Wahlder

From The Cadence Group

Alphatudes reveals that gratitude is the unexpected, simple secret of living a joyful life. In a world obsessed with negativity, we must deliberately choose to focus on the positive. Alphatudes uses your earliest grade school victory the ABCs to help you achieve a sustainable shift in thinking that leads to contentment, optimism and peace of mind. An alphatude is defined as: a person, place or thing for which one alphabetically expresses gratitude. Filled with vibrant illustrations, Alphatudes takes you on an inspiring 26-step journey where you ll discover how to: heighten your awareness of life s daily gifts; attract opportunities with a positive mind-set; find blessings in difficult situations; and become free from worry, negativity and resentment.

  

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens

From Around the World Tours

I met someone who changed everything. Matthias. My autistic sister's guardian angel. Honest. Inspiring. Funny. Hot. And immortal. That was the problem. What could I do? I did what any other girl would do-I fell in love with him. Zoe's sister darts in front of cars. Her brother's a pothead. Her parents are so overwhelmed; they don't see Zoe lost in her broken life. Zoe escapes the only way she knows how: partying. Matthias, a guardian sent from Heaven, watches over Zoe's autistic sister. After Zoe is convinced he's legit, angel and lost girl come together in a love that changes destiny. But Heaven on Earth can't last forever.

 

The Confident Woman by Joyce Meyer

From Faithwords

Bestselling author Meyer encourages women to boldly embrace all that God created them to be by finding their true confidence. She explains that confidence stems from being positive in one's actions, living honestly, and having faith.

 So what did you get in your mailbox this week?

What are you Reading Monday - February 8

Come post weekly and see what others are reading too just so you can add to your tbr - I always do! For more information see Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books and join in!

Books Completed Last Week:

 

• Spring Breakdown by Melody Carlson 
• Katy's New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer
• Dear Big V by Ellen Leroe 
• Princess for Hire by Lindsey Leavitt

Reading Now:

• The Naughty List by Suzanne Young
• The Marriage Project by Kathi Lipp

 

Next:

    

• One Amazing Thing by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
• Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale
• Dreams That Won't Let Go by Stacy Hawkins Adams 
• Sleep No More by Susan Crandall
• The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
• Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
• 
  

Reviews Completed this week:

• Freaksville by Kitty Keswick 
• Island Sting by Bonnie J. Doerr  
• Spring Breakdown by Melody Carlson 
•  Searching for Tina Turner by Jacqueline E. Luckett
• Katy's New World by Kim Vogel Sawyer
• Songs of Deliverance by Marilynn Griffith
•  Dear Big V by Eleen W. Leroe

Reviews to do:

• Don't You Forget About Me by Cecily von Ziegesar
• Let Them Eat Fruitcake by Melody Carlson
• Smash Cut by Sandra Brown
• Invitation Only by Kate Brian
• Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris (audiobook) 

Summary -


Great week for reviews - I did all the reviews for books I read this week, so none added to my to do list.  Bad news, I didn't do any from my to do list either.  A little bit of a book blah this week - just feeling a little out of it and still getting use to being back at work, so not as much completed this week.  But I think that will be different this coming week.  I'm on a roll again.  I also added several new giveaways this week so check out the sidebar and also added my weekend wonderings post which is just me musing about something that I have thought about during the week or something mentioned in the comments (I do read them and proof will be my weekend wondering this coming weekend).  So please comment when my post brings us something on your mind - it helps me think about things and also come up with posts.