Título em Português:-- Série: Rogues to Riches #2 Autor(a): Erica Ridley Editora: Webmotion Páginas: 350 Data de Publicação: 2 de Maio de 2017
Sinopse:
In the Rogues to Riches historical romance series, Cinderella stories aren’t just for princesses… Sigh-worthy Regency rogues sweep strong-willed young ladies into whirlwind romance with rollicking adventure.
Nondescript “good girl” Miss Camellia Grenville only ever opens her mouth when forced to sing at her family’s musicales. That is, until the night she infiltrates the ton’s most scandalous masquerade ball on behalf of her sister, and finds herself in the arms—and the bed—of the one man she’d sworn to hate.
Irresistibly arrogant and unapologetically sensuous, infamous rake Lord Wainwright always gets his way. When he accepts a wager to turn his rakish image respectable in just forty days, he never anticipates falling for an anonymous masked lover...or that discovering her identity would destroy them both.
~ Recebemos este livro directamente da autora Erica Ridley, em troca desta opinião honesta. Obrigada! ~
Opinião:
Lord of Pleasure foi muito melhor que Lord of Chance.
Desde logo senti uma empatia muito maior com as personagens, tanto com Camellia como com Michael.
Camellia é uma irmã protectora e amiga que sente que tem de compensar o comportamento das irmãs, sendo por isso “ a boazinha”. Já Michael é visto como um playboy que basta entrar numa sala para as senhoras desmaiarem – o que ele não gosta particularmente. A maneira como as pessoas o vêem faz com que as suas palavras sejam distorcidas e isso é o que ele mais odeia.
Cada um deles sentia-se preso a um papel e é interessante ver como máscaras físicas permitem que as máscaras emocionais que usam no dia-a-dia possam cair. Gostei da evolução da relação deles, apesar de achar que, se calhar, não iria durar pois eles conhecem-se só como aquelas pessoas que estão atrás das máscaras, praticamente e, na realidade, eles são como que uma união do que mostram ao mundo e do que mostram um ao outro.
Apesar disso, foi uma leitura super rápida e de que gostei bastante, sempre curiosa para saber mais sobre as personagens. Achei que o “entrave/problema” não existia na realidade e poderia ter sido usado algo melhor, mas para o enredo que se desenrolou, algo simples chegou.
Foi um livro que foi difícil de pousar e que me deu bastante prazer a ler mas que, ao escrever esta opinião, percebi que tinha pequenos problemas, daí a pontuação não ser tão alto como as 4 bolachas inicialmente pensadas.
Title: Lord of Pleasure Serie: Rogues to Riches #2 Author: Erica Ridley Publisher: WebMotion Pages: 350 Publication date: May 2nd 2017
Synopsis:
In the Rogues to Riches historical romance series, Cinderella stories aren’t just for princesses… Sigh-worthy Regency rogues sweep strong-willed young ladies into whirlwind romance with rollicking adventure.
Nondescript “good girl” Miss Camellia Grenville only ever opens her mouth when forced to sing at her family’s musicales. That is, until the night she infiltrates the ton’s most scandalous masquerade ball on behalf of her sister, and finds herself in the arms—and the bed—of the one man she’d sworn to hate.
Irresistibly arrogant and unapologetically sensuous, infamous rake Lord Wainwright always gets his way. When he accepts a wager to turn his rakish image respectable in just forty days, he never anticipates falling for an anonymous masked lover...or that discovering her identity would destroy them both.
~ We’ve received this eARC in exchange for an honest review directly from the author, Erica Ridley. Thank you! ~
Review:
Lord of Pleasure was much better than Lord of Chance.
From the start, I felt a much bigger empathy with the characters, both Camellia and Michael.
Camellia is a friendly and protective sister and she feels like she has to compensate her family for her sisters’ behaviour – making her the “good girl”. Michael on the other hand, is seen as a rake/rogue/playboy, someone that walks into a room and makes all the ladies swoon – which he doesn’t particularly appreciates. Why? Because how people see him makes them change and twist his words, and he hates that.
Each of them felt stuck to a roll and it’s interesting to see how real masks allow for emotional and fake personality masks to fall and disappear. I liked the evolution of their relationship but, to be honest, I don’t know if it would last long, because they only know each other like the person behind the masks and, in truth, they are a bit of both – the ones behind the mask and that they show each other, and the ones they show the world.
Still, it was a fun and fast paced read that I quite enjoyed. I was always eager to know more about the characters. In truth, I think the “problem” didn’t really exist and something better could have been used to twist the story a bit but, for the kind of plot, this simple ruse and scheme worked fine.
It was a book that was hard to put down and gave me quite a lot pleasure to read, but, as I started to write this review, I concentrated a bit more on the problems that I was seeing, and that’s why the rating isn’t as high as I thought it would be (4*).
Título em Português: -- Série: Disney Beauty and the Beast #2 Autor(a): Mallory Reaves Editora: TokyoPop Páginas: 160 Data de Publicação: 28 de Março de 2017
Sinopse:
A tale as old as time ... told in timeless manga style
Disney's much-anticipated live-action adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" hits theaters in March 2017, and it stars Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. This original two-part manga series is based upon the upcoming movie... but you've never seen this classic love story told quite this way before.
The "Beauty" manga delves into Belle's deepest thoughts as she's taken prisoner by the Beast in his majestic castle. Where the "Beast" manga explores Beast's deepest thoughts as he captures Belle in his castle and finds himself falling in love with her feisty attitude and adventurous spirit.
~ Recebemos este eARC através do NetGalley. Obrigada! ~
Opinião: Beast's Tale é o volume que se segue a Belle's Tale, que já escrevi uma review e podem ler aqui. Neste segundo volume temos a estória d'A Bela e do Monstro contacta pela perspectiva do Monstro e, sem qualquer sombra de dúvida, foi muito mais interessante de ler. Como já referi na minha crítica ao Belle's Tale, a estória d'A Bela e o Monstro não é a minha favorita, mas está no TOP de favoritas, daí a minha curiosidade por estes mangas (e também pelo filme que ainda não tive oportunidade de ver).
Tal como disse anteriormente, neste volume temos a perspectiva do Monstro, não só vemos os mesmos acontecimentos pelos olhos desta personagem, como temos o seu background e o que aconteceu para que a maldição fosse lançada. Achei este volume mais interessante, pois consegui, muito mais facilmente, criar ligação com o Monstro, coisa que não aconteceu no primeiro volume com a Belle com muita pena minha.
Foi uma excelente leitura, e que veio complementar da melhor forma (sendo que até supera) o volume anterior. Não falei da arte até este momento, pois está mantém-se fiel ao estilo manga e ao mesmo nível que o volume anterior. Beast's Tale foi uma boa leitura, melhor que o volume anterior, e eu recomendo para quem gosta do género e d'A Bela e o Monstro.
Title: Beast's Tale Serie: Disney Beauty and the Beast #2 Author: Mallory Reaves Publisher: TokyoPop Pages: 160 Publication Date: March 28th, 2017
Synopsis:
A tale as old as time ... told in timeless manga style
Disney's much-anticipated live-action adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" hits theaters in March 2017, and it stars Emma Watson and Dan Stevens. This original two-part manga series is based upon the upcoming movie... but you've never seen this classic love story told quite this way before.
The "Beauty" manga delves into Belle's deepest thoughts as she's taken prisoner by the Beast in his majestic castle. Where the "Beast" manga explores Beast's deepest thoughts as he captures Belle in his castle and finds himself falling in love with her feisty attitude and adventurous spirit.
~ TThis digital arc was sent by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ~
Review: Beast’s Tale comes after Belle’s Tale, which I already reviewed here. In this second volume we have the Beast’s point of view of Beauty and the Beast, which was, without a doubt, way more interesting than the first volume. As I already wrote in my Belle’s Tale’s review, Beauty and the Beast is not my favourite Disney fairy tale, but I really like it and it’s in my TOP favourites, hence my curiosity for these mangas (and also the movie,which I haven't had the opportunity to watch yet).
As I already said, in this volume we have the Beast’s point of view; we see the same events from the first volume through this character’s eyes, but also what happened before. I think this volume is way more interesting than the first volume, since I connected more easily with the Beast than I ever felt wit Belle – which is a shame for me.
It was an excellent reading, and it complemented in a really good way (and it’s actually better) the first volume. I didn’t write about the art, because it’s faithful to its style from the previous volume. Beast’s Tale was a good reading, way better than the first volume, and I really recommend it for those who like Beauty and the Beast.
Aqui estamos nós no inicio de mais um mês! Que tal foi o vosso mês de Abril? Boas leituras e bons filmes? Partilhem connosco! Inicia-se hoje mais um mês e por esse motivo deixamos aqui o resumo de Abril e as nossas propostas para Maio!
♥ Para o mês de Maio foi escolhido o tema Clássicos, e ainda estão a decorrer as votações, até dia 5. Podem votar aqui. Quando o livro tiver sido escolhido, iremos actualizar este post.
♥ Não se esqueçam que também já está online o Desafio Mensal de Maio.
E aqui fica o que fizemos em Abril e o que planeamos fazer em Maio :)
[Livro] Alice Takes Back Wonderland, de David D. Hammons
[Livro] A Court of Mist and Fury, de Sarah J. Maas
[Filme] Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, de James Gunn
[Etsy] Nerdy Grl Designs
Joana V.
[Livro] Lord of Pleasure, de Erica Ridley
[Livro] The most dangerous duke in London, de Madeline Hunter
[Livro] Dragon Redeemer, de Amy Bearce
[Livro] Fractured Beauty: The Fairy Tale Five, de Adrienne Monson, Lehua Parker, Angela Corbett, Angela Brimhall, Angela Hartley
[Livro] Dark Witch, de Nora Roberts
Here we are at the beginning of a new month! How was your April? Great readings and awesome movies? Share with us! T the beginning of a new month we summarize our month of April and our plans for May.
♥ For May, the theme chosen was Classics, and the poll for the chosen book is still going on and you can vote here. When the book is chosen, we’l update this post.
♥ Don’t forget about our monthly challenge, it’s already online!
And here it is what we did in April and what we have planned for May :)
Título em Português:-- Série:-- Autor(a): Mariah Stewart, Terri Brisbin, Cara Marsi, Kate Welsh, Martha Schroeder, Gwendolyn Schuler, Georgia Dickson Editora: Luckenbooth Press Páginas: 426 Data de Publicação: 25 de Abril de 2017
Sinopse:
BRANDYWINE Brides ~ A Blackwood Legacy Anthology. One Family – Seven Generations – A Legacy of Love
Almost three centuries ago, a Scottish convict was sold into indentured servitude in Philadelphia and given a second chance at a life far from the country of his birth. In the years since, the farm secured by Finlan Blackwood’s efforts would grow and thrive in the Brandywine River valley just as his family and descendants did. Today, Blackwood Farm is one of the largest and most successful farms in Chester County. But it took the sacrifices and best efforts of each generation to make it so.
1721 – In A Traitor’s Heart by Terri Brisbin, a convicted traitor from the Jacobite Rising must find a way to rescue a widow from an unscrupulous man’s plans for her. . . and for the lands she holds.
1779 – In A Patriots’ Heart by Gwendolyn Schuler, a wounded British officer hiding a secret puts the daughter of Blackwood Farm’s owner in danger by his presence in their home.
1865 – In Wounded Heart by Martha Schroeder, a damaged Union soldier arrives home to find his childhood sweetheart is the one trying to save his family’s farm.
1919 – In Heart’s Song by Georgia Dickson, when the current owner of Blackwood Farm returns from the Great War, everything looks different to him, even the possibility of love.
1943 – In Painted Promises by Kate Welsh, the Blackwood heir, working for the war effort at home, is the only one who can help a woman who fought with the resistance in Europe before she escaped the horrors of war.
1971 – In We’ve Only Just Begun by Cara Marsi, the Blackwood son, suffering from the effects of Vietnam, meets exactly the kind of woman he needs, even if she doesn’t want to be the one.
2017 – In Finn’s Legacy by Mariah Stewart, when a writer comes to Blackwood Farm to interview the family matriarch, the last thing she expects is a reunion with the man who broke her heart before he left for Iraq four years ago.
Seven Blackwood generations. Seven loves worth fighting for!
~ Recebemos este livro através da autora Terri Brisbin, obrigada! ~
Opinião:
É um pouco difícil falar de uma antologia sem falar das histórias individuais. Para não me alongar muito, vou dizer algumas palavras sobre cada uma e depois fazer uma opinião mais geral.
A única autora que conheço das que escreveram esta antologia é a Terri Brisbin, e com ela estou habituada a romances históricos na época da Regência em Inglaterra, romances medievais ou com guerreiros escoceses na Escócia, por isso esta primeira história foi um pouco diferente. Em A Traitor’s Heart, Finlan Blackwood é enviado para os EUA depois da revolta jacobita, como castigo pela sua traição ao rei. Aqui, conhece um quaker, um Americano que faz parte da Sociedade dos Amigos. Como tal, ele compra Finlan mas acima de tudo é um amigo e um patrão, não um dono. A sentença de Finlan é de 5 anos. Depois desse tempo, é um homem livre para começar uma nova vida na América. E é quase no fim dos 5 anos que Finlan, é forçado a tomar uma decisão. Elizabeth, uma viúva que ele conhece e para quem fazia pequenos trabalhos, tem uma dívida enorme e vai perder a sua casa e o seu terreno. Finlan oferece-se para a levar para outra zona dos EUA e deixá-la com familiares escoceses enquanto acaba o seu tempo. Desesperada e sem outra opção, Elizabeth aceita e é visível a luta interna tanto de Finlan como de Elizabeth sobre o quanto gostam um do outro mas cada um acredita não ser bom o suficiente um para o outro. Richard Montgomery, o quaker, tem um papel importante, que não vou contar mais, mas tudo acaba por se desenrolar da melhor maneira possível, e Finlan e Elizaebeth têm o seu final feliz. O meu único ponto negativo neste enredo foi conhecer tão pouco da história do casal, como se conheceram, como começaram a gostar um do outro... Achei um pouco repentino, mas tirando isso, é um conto com um romance muito, muito leve.
Em A Patriots’ Heart, de Gwendolyn Schuler, temos uma história que tem por base o efeito Florence Nightingale, ou seja, uma médica/enfermeira que se apaixona pelo seu paciente (e vice-versa). Apesar disso, esta foi a minha história favorita. Tudo porque mostrou um crescer de emoções, de conhecimento mútuo. Conseguiu prender muito mais a minha atenção e fui interessante ver como alguém que tinha aprendido de Finlan Blackwood os ideais da Sociedade de Amigos, ainda que não fizesse parte dela, lida com uma guerra à porta de casa, tentando manter-se neutro sem deixar de lado as suas convicções – Elias Blackwood é um homem complicado mas honrado e generoso. Gostei de Margi e de como esta mulher forte ajuda mesmo achando que a pessoa que está a ajudar poderá estar “do lado errado” da guerra. O Capitão Hamilton é charmoso e acaba por conquistar toda a família com bastante facilidade, o que, por sua vez, conquista o leitor. Foi sem dúvida a minha história favorita.
Em Wounded Heart,de Martha Schroeder temos uma história também interessante, que nos traz uma família separada pela guerra e uma jovem que é enganada pelo próprio irmão. A história revolve à volta de um drama familiar, intrigas e coscuvilhices que ajudam o leitor a simpatizar com as personagens principais, Charles Blackwood e Tessa. Lê-se bem, mas gostava de ter sabido mais sobre a irmã de Charles, Louisa Blackwood e de como esta casou e manteve com um homem tão horrível como o irmão de Tessa. Gostava de ter visto alguns pontos mais desenvolvidos e, apesar de repentino, gostei do romance de Tessa e Charles.
Em Heart’s Song de Georgia Dickson, Ethan Blackwood volta de guerra com uma amputação e apesar, de ter uma prótese e conseguir fazer praticamente tudo, tem medo de ser um homem incompleto para a mulher por quem se apaixona, Serena Jordan, uma professora de música e também música ela própria. Ethan e Serena apaixonam-se à primeira vista e, para mim, isso não é das coisas mais atraentes numa história... Luxúria, atracção, sim, agora amor? Hum... não. Se pusermos isso de parte, eles vão-se conhecendo e criando oportunidade para o romance florescer, com a ajuda da amiga de infância de Ethan e amiga de Serena, Lillie. É um romance rápido e sem muitas complicações, que levam algumas escolhas pessoais mas nada de muito extraordinário.
Já em Painted Promises de Kate Welsh, temos um herói que queria ter ido para a guerra mas serve o seu país criando mantimentos para as tropas, e uma heroína que foge da guerra e viu horrores. Meri é uma pintora incrível que se expressa através da sua arte e Callum é um jovem que já viu outras pessoas lidarem com o stress pós-traumático (SPT) que a guerra causa à maioria destas, e acha que não consegue ajudar Meri mas, na verdade, acaba por ser o único com quem ela se abre. A história deles é interessante e acaba por se continuar a desenvolver durante as próximas duas histórias.
Continuando em We’ve Only Just Begun de Cara Marsi, Stephen Blackwood, filho de Meri e Callum, volta de guerra do Vietname não a mesma pessoa que foi. Aqui é ainda mais visível os efeitos de STP e a maneira como a guerra pode mudar a visão de alguém do mundo. Stephen quer, acima de tudo, salvar vidas e isso implica deixar a quinta e o terreno de Blackwood com o pai e afastar-se da sua história familiar. Mas ele quer fazer o seu próprio caminho e, após alguma resistência inicial, os pais apoiamno incondicionalmente. Durante esta jornada, Stephen conhece Elena, uma jovem designer de jóias que está afastada da família. Com muitas referências à época em que este conto se passa, a história acaba por se tornar um pouco repetitiva, com muitas descrições das roupas usadas como que para nos orientar nos 70. Gostaria de ter sabido mais de como Elena resolveu as coisas com a família e, sinceramente, não gostei muito que ela e o pai conseguissem com tanta facilidade, voltar a darem-se bem, tendo em conta as razões pelas quais se afastaram. Mais não digo, excepto que esta história soube a pouco, muita paixão e pouco romance, sinceramente.
Por fim, In Finn’s Legacy de Mariah Stewart. Finn (Finlan, pessoal?) lutou no Médio Oriente e agora que voltou a casa tem de lidar com as decisões que tomou antes de partir. Antes de mais, de referir que Finn e Sophie são netos super atenciosos que adoram os avós, Meri e Callum. E Finn, para manter o legado da família vai-se tornar “agricultor” e gestor da propriedade. Mas tudo isto é descoberto à medida que vamos conhecendo Finn e a sua relação com Abby, a jovem escritora que Meri pede para ir escrever sobre os seus quadros. Finn e Abby conheciam-se e estavam apaixonados desde o sétimo ano. Já tinhama até planos de casamento combinados quando ele decide, do nada, dizer que vai para a guerra no Médio Oriente e que é melhor separarem-se. Abby, obviamente fica muito magoada e quando o volta a ver, é difícil para os dois. Depois de algum esforço das duas partes, lá conseguem falar e explicar o porquê das suas decisões e reacções e Abby e Finn voltam-se a juntar-se e, provavelmente a vão viver felizes para sempre.
Uma das peças-chave que une todas estas histórias é o luckenbooth, um objecto tipo pregadeira que foi passado de geração em geração e dado às mulheres dos homens Blackwood e usado pelos bebés no seu baptizado. O luckenbooth da história é dado por Finlan a Elizabeth e tem ametistas, sendo semelhante ao que a mãe dele teria originalmente na Escócia. É um belo elemento de ligação, além de toda a genealogia das histórias.
Em geral, foi um livro bom, que teve para mim alguns pontos que podiam ter sido melhorados e, por azar, teve uma leitora que não é muito fã de coisas de guerra - mesmo não se passando DURANTE alguma guerra, todos os contos revolvem à volta de guerras. Gostaria de ter visto menos espaçamento de datas nas épocas mais antigas e saltos temporais mais pequenos mas percebo que nem todas as autoras se sentissem confortáveis a escrever nas diferentes épocas. É um livro para os amantes de romances curtos e rápidos, com ligações entre eles. Fãs de histórias familiares ficarão agradavelmente agrados.
Title: Brandywine Brides: A Blackwood Legacy Anthology Serie: -- Author: Mariah Stewart, Terri Brisbin, Cara Marsi, Kate Welsh, Martha Schroeder, Gwendolyn Schuler, Georgia Dickson Publisher: Luckenbooth Press Pages: 426 Publication date: April 25th 2017
Synopsis:
BRANDYWINE Brides ~ A Blackwood Legacy Anthology. One Family – Seven Generations – A Legacy of Love
Almost three centuries ago, a Scottish convict was sold into indentured servitude in Philadelphia and given a second chance at a life far from the country of his birth. In the years since, the farm secured by Finlan Blackwood’s efforts would grow and thrive in the Brandywine River valley just as his family and descendants did. Today, Blackwood Farm is one of the largest and most successful farms in Chester County. But it took the sacrifices and best efforts of each generation to make it so.
1721 – In A Traitor’s Heart by Terri Brisbin, a convicted traitor from the Jacobite Rising must find a way to rescue a widow from an unscrupulous man’s plans for her. . . and for the lands she holds.
1779 – In A Patriots’ Heart by Gwendolyn Schuler, a wounded British officer hiding a secret puts the daughter of Blackwood Farm’s owner in danger by his presence in their home.
1865 – In Wounded Heart by Martha Schroeder, a damaged Union soldier arrives home to find his childhood sweetheart is the one trying to save his family’s farm.
1919 – In Heart’s Song by Georgia Dickson, when the current owner of Blackwood Farm returns from the Great War, everything looks different to him, even the possibility of love.
1943 – In Painted Promises by Kate Welsh, the Blackwood heir, working for the war effort at home, is the only one who can help a woman who fought with the resistance in Europe before she escaped the horrors of war.
1971 – In We’ve Only Just Begun by Cara Marsi, the Blackwood son, suffering from the effects of Vietnam, meets exactly the kind of woman he needs, even if she doesn’t want to be the one.
2017 – In Finn’s Legacy by Mariah Stewart, when a writer comes to Blackwood Farm to interview the family matriarch, the last thing she expects is a reunion with the man who broke her heart before he left for Iraq four years ago.
Seven Blackwood generations. Seven loves worth fighting for!
~ We've received this eARC from the author Terri Brisbin, thank you! ~
Review:
It’s a bit hard to talk about an anthology without addressing the individual stories. I’m going to try not to elongate too much, just say a few words about each of them and then a general appreciation.
The only author I had read before is Terri Brisbin, and with her books, I’m used to reading Regency romances, medieval romances or romances with Highlanders, in Scotland, so this first story was a bit different. In A Traitor’s Heart, Finlan Blackwood is sent to the USA after the Jacobite rising, as a traitor to the king. Here, he meets a Quaker, an American part of the Society of Friends. He buys Finlan but above all else, he’s a friend and an employer, not an owner. Finlan’s sentence is for 5 years. After that time, he’s a free man, available to start a new life in America. And it’s near the end of his 5 years sentence that he’s forced to make a decision. Elizabeth, a widow he knows and for whom he did small jobs, has an immense debt and is going to lose her farm. Finlan volunteer to take her to his Scottish relatives far away, where no one knows her, until he finishes his time and meets her. Desperate and without any other options, Elizabeth says yes and the internal struggle they both fight to accept how much they like each other, but both think they don’t deserve one another is very visible. Richard Montgomery, the Quaker, has an important role, which I’m not going to talk about, but everything works the best possible way and Finlan and Elizabeth have their happy ending. The only negative point in this plot was the fact that we didn’t get to see them falling in love, we don’t know a lot about their story, how they met… I thought it was a bit sudden, but apart from that, is a very soft and sweet romance.
In A Patriot’s Heart, by Gwendolyn Schuler, we have a story that has a base in the Florence Nightingale effect, meaning the nurse/doctor falls in love with the patient (and vice-versa in this case). It was, despite it, my favourite story. All because it showed a crescendo of emotions, of mutual knowledge. It hooked my attention much more than the previous story (and the next ones); it was also quite interesting to see how someone who had learned from Finlan Blackwood the ideals of the Society of Friends (even though he was not part of it) deals with a war at his door, trying to stay neutral and yet stay true to his convictions – Elias Blackwood is a complicated yet honourable and generous man. I really liked Margi and how this strong woman helps even though she thinks the person she’s helping might be on the “wrong side” of the war. Captain Hamilton is very charming and ends up winning over the entire family, which by consequence wins over the reader fairly easily. It was without question my favourite story.
In Wounded Heart, by Martha Schroeder, we also have an interesting story, a plot that involves a family torn apart by war and a young lady who is tricked by her brother. It’s all about family drama, intrigue and gossip that helps the reader to sympathize with the main characters, Charles Blackwood and Tessa. It’s an easy and likeable read, but I wish I could have learned more about Charles’ sister, Louisa Blackwood and how she ended up marrying Tessa’s brother, a horrible man. I wish I could have seen a few more plot points developed, still, even though it was a bit sounded, I liked Charles and Tessa’s romance.
In Heart’s Song, by Georgia Dickson, Ethan Blackwood comes back from war with an amputation and, even though he had a prosthetic and could pretty much do everything, he’s afraid of being an incomplete man for the woman he loves, Serena Jordan, a musician and music teacher. Ethan and Serena fell in love at first sight and, for me, that’s not the most interesting thing in a story. Lust, attraction, yes, but love at first sight? No… If you put that aside, Ethan and Serena get to know each other and the romance blooms, with the help of Ethan’s childhood friend and Serena’s friend Lillie. It’s a quick romance without a lot of complications, that has some personal choices being made but nothing very extraordinary.
In Painted Promises, by Kate Welsh, we have a main male character that wanted to go to war but stayed home and helped with supplies for the army, and a female main character that witnessed the war and saw horrors. Meri is an amazing painter who expresses herself through her art. Callum is a young man who’s seen other people deal with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and doesn’t think he can help Meri but, in the end, he’s the only one with whom she opens up. Their story is quite interesting and continues to develop through the next two stories.
Carrying on to We’ve Only Just Begun by Cara Marsi, we have Stephen Blackwood, Meri and Callum’s son, back from the Vietnam War – and he’s not the same person as he was before. Here it’s quite visible the effects of PTSD and the way the war can change someone’s view of the world. Stephen wants, more than anything, to save lives, and that implies leaving the Blackwood farm, and stepping away from his family’s story. He wants to trail his own path and, after some initial resistance, his parents stand behind him unconditionally. During this journey, Stephen meets Elena, a young jewellery designer that is estranged from her family. With several references to the 70’s, the story ended up being a bit repetitive, with several descriptions of the clothes worn at that time, almost as a guide to the 70’s. I would have liked to know more about how Elena sorted things out with her family and, honestly, I didn’t like that her reconciliation with her father was so easy, after the way he had treated her. This story felt a bit short, with a lot of passion but not enough romance.
Lastly, In Finn’s Legacy by Mariah Stewart, we have Finn (Finlan homage, right?), who went to fight in the Middle East and is now back home and has to deal with the decisions he made before leaving. First of all, I would like to mention that Finn and Sophie are extremely thoughtful and caring grandchildren to Meri and Callum. And Finn, to keep the family’s legacy, is becoming a “farmer” and running the estate. But all of this is discovered at the same time that we learn about his relationship with Abby, the young writer Meri asks to write about her paintings. Finn and Abby new each other and were in love with each other since the seventh grade. They even had wedding plans made when he, out of the bloom, decides to go the Middle East and that they should break up. Abby, with reason, is very hurt and when they meet again it’s very hard for both of them. After some effort on both parts, they talk it out and they each explain their actions and reactions. Abby and Finn get back together and, probably, will live happily ever after.
One of the key pieces of these stories is the luckenbooth, a jewellery piece that was handed down from generation to generation starting with Finlan. He bought one with amethysts similar to the one his mother originally had in Scotland and gave it to Elizabeth. It is given to women the Blackwood man love, as well as their children on their christening. It’s a fine element of connection between the stories, besides the obvious genealogy.
In general, it was a good book, that for me had a few plot points that could have been improved and, bad luck, this was read by someone who doesn’t really like war stories - and even though it isn’t DURING a war, all stories revolve around wars. I would have liked to see stories without so many years apart in the beginning but I can understand that not all authors would feel comfortable with it. This is a book for readers that like short and sweet romances, with connections between the stories. Fans of family sagas will be pleasantly pleased.
Título em Português: -- Série: Disney Beauty and the Beast #1 Autor(a): Mallory Reaves Editora: TokyoPop Páginas: 160 Data de Publicação: 18 de Abril de 2017
Sinopse:
In Disney's live-action film Beauty and the Beast, Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince inside. This manga explores Belle's innermost thoughts as she learns that true beauty comes from within.
~ Recebemos este eARC através do NetGalley. Obrigada! ~
Opinião:
Vou começar por referir duas coisas. Primeiro, quero agradecer ao NetGalley por me ter dado a oportunidade ler este livro. Segundo, eu sou uma grande fã deste tipo de livro; quer seja graphic novel, comics ou manga.
A estória d'A Bela e o Monstro é uma das estórias que mais gosto da Disney; não é favorita, mas gosto bastante. Quem não se consegue rever na Belle? Uma jovem rapariga que adora ler e que tem uma paixão pelo conhecimento... Este manga em particular tem por base no recente filme da Disney (pode-se ver claramente pelo estilo de desenho das personagens; o Lumiere, por exemplo, é obviamente do live action e não da animação). Tenho que confessar que ainda não tive a oportunidade de ver o filme por isso abstenho-me de qualquer comentário comparativo nesse aspecto.
Neste primeiro volume, Belle's Tale, temos a estória centrada na Belle. Nós partilhamos o olhar com a Belle. Há também um segundo volume dedicado ao Monstro, mas centremo-nos neste volume, por enquanto. E tenho pena de dizer que não fiquei muito fascinada com ele. A arte é bonita, isso não posso negar, mas senti que faltava algo, porque apesar de gostar da estória, e em particular da Belle, não consegui criar qualquer tipo de ligação a ela neste manga. Ainda assim foi uma leitura prazerosa, e irei obviamente ler também o segundo volume.
Title: Belle's Tale Serie: Disney Beauty and the Beast #1 Author: Mallory Reaves Publisher: TokyoPop Pages: 160 Publication Date: April 18th, 2017
Synopsis:
In Disney's live-action film Beauty and the Beast, Belle, a bright, beautiful and independent young woman, is taken prisoner by a beast in his castle. Despite her fears, she befriends the castle's enchanted staff and learns to look beyond the Beast's hideous exterior and realize the kind heart and soul of the true Prince inside. This manga explores Belle's innermost thoughts as she learns that true beauty comes from within.
~ This digital arc was sent by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ~
Review:
I’ll start this review by stating two things. First, I have to thank NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book. Second, I’m a super fan of this kind of books – graphic novels, comics or manga.
Beauty and the Beast is one of the Disney’s stories that I like the most; it’s not my favourite, but I really like it. How can you not relate to Belle? A young woman who loves to read and has a huge passion for knowledge… The recent Disney’s movie is the base of this particular manga (we can see it clearly by the style used in the characters; for example, Lumiere is obviously the Live-Action version and not the Animation version). I must confess that I haven’t seen the movie yet, and for that reason I’ll not be comparing both things.
In this first volume, Belle’s Tale, we have Belle’s point of view. We share her story. There is a second volume where we get to see the story from the Beast’s point of view; but let’s focus on this volume, for now. I’m deeply sad to say that I was not impressed by this book. The art is beautiful, I can’t deny that, but I felt there was something missing. Even though I liked the story, I couldn’t connect with Belle. Still, this is a nice reading, and I’ll definitely read the second volume.
Título em Português:-- Série: Highland Grooms #3 Autor(a): Julia London Editora: Harlequin Books Páginas: 384 Data de Publicação: 25 de Abril de 2017
Sinopse:
An indomitable governess...a brooding Highlander...a forbidden affair...
An ill-fated elopement cost English-born governess Bernadette Kent her reputation, her fickle lover and any chance of a future match. She has nothing left to fear—not even the bitter, dangerously handsome Scot due to marry her young charge. Naive wallflower Avaline is terrified to wed Rabbie Mackenzie, but if he sends her home, she will be ruined. Bernadette's solution: convince Rabbie to get Avaline to cry off while ignoring her own traitorous attraction to him. A forced engagement to an Englishwoman is a hard pill for any Scot to swallow. It's even worse when the fiancee in question is a delicate, foolish young miss unlike her spirited, quick-witted governess. Sparring with Bernadette brings passion and light back to Rabbie's life after the failed Jacobite uprising. His clan's future depends upon his match to another, but how can any Highlander forsake a love that stirs his heart and soul?
~ Recebemos este livro directamente da autora Julia London, em troca desta opinião honesta. Obrigada! ~
Opinião: Hard-Hearted Highlander traz-nos a história de outro dos filhos de Arran e Margot McKenzie, Rabbie McKenzie.
Para proteger a família e recuperar terra perdidas, Rabbie concorda casar com uma jovem inglesa, mesmo que não gostando de ingleses (*cof* ainda que a mãe seja inglesa *cof*).
Rabbie é uma personagem bastante sofrida. Com um passado de perdas, passa grande parte do livro pesaroso e triste, algo que os próprios sobrinhos (pequeninos, diga-se) notam. Rabbie perdeu a noiva durante a guerra entre os ingleses e os escoceses (e este ponto poderia ter sido mais bem explorado ao descobrir-se mais sobre o que teria acontecido) e tem estado...quebrado, digamos, desde então. E os pais pensam que talvez com este casamento, além de economicamente útil, Rabbie possa voltar a apreciar a vida.
Mas Rabbie não quer uma jovem inglesa de 17 anos que tem quase medo da própria sombra. Já Bernadette, a dama de companhia/criada da jovem, apela muito mais ao seu interesse. Como Rabbie, Bernadette tem uma história dramática que faz com que ela tenha medo do que pudesse acontecer com Rabbie.
Gostei da maneira como Rabbie e Bernadette acabam por se ajudar e “curar” um ao outro, criando novos laços. Algumas coisas podiam ter sido melhoradas, como as crianças órfãs que Rabbie praticamente atira aos braços de Bernadette, mas tirando pequenos pormenores, foi um livro que me agradou e, ainda que tenha sido um pouco mais soturno que os anteriores, manteve a mesma qualidade.
Title: Hard-hearted Highlander Serie: Highland Grooms #3 Author: Julia London Publisher: Harlequin Books Pages: 384 Publication date: April 25th 2017
Synopsis:
An indomitable governess...a brooding Highlander...a forbidden affair...
An ill-fated elopement cost English-born governess Bernadette Kent her reputation, her fickle lover and any chance of a future match. She has nothing left to fear—not even the bitter, dangerously handsome Scot due to marry her young charge. Naive wallflower Avaline is terrified to wed Rabbie Mackenzie, but if he sends her home, she will be ruined. Bernadette's solution: convince Rabbie to get Avaline to cry off while ignoring her own traitorous attraction to him. A forced engagement to an Englishwoman is a hard pill for any Scot to swallow. It's even worse when the fiancee in question is a delicate, foolish young miss unlike her spirited, quick-witted governess. Sparring with Bernadette brings passion and light back to Rabbie's life after the failed Jacobite uprising. His clan's future depends upon his match to another, but how can any Highlander forsake a love that stirs his heart and soul?
~ We’ve received this eARC in exchange for an honest review directly from the author, Julia London. Thank you! ~
Review: Hard-Hearted Highlander brings us the story of another one of Arran and Margot McKenzie’s sons, Rabbie McKenzie.
To protect his family and re-gain lost lands, Rabbie agrees to marry an English girl, even though he doesn’t like English people (*cof* but loves his mother, who IS English *cof*).
Rabbie is a character that has suffered a lot. With a past filled with loss, he spends a great part of the book sad and sorrowful, something his own nephews (children) notice. Rabbie lost his bride during the war between the Scots and the English (and this could have been a more explored, explaining a bit more what really happened to her), and he’s been… broken, let’s say, since then. And his parents think that this marriage might be, besides economically favourable, a way to help him heal and appreciate life again.
But Rabbie doesn’t want the 17 year old English girl who is practically afraid of her own shadow. Now, Bernadette, her companion and lady’s maid, is much more interesting. Like Rabbie, Bernadette has also a painful background story that makes become afraid of what might happen when she and Rabbie start falling in love.
I liked the way Rabbie and Bernadette heel each other, creating new happy bonds. Some things could have been improved, like the orphans being practically thrown at Bernadette by Rabbie, but besides some small details, it was a pleasant book, although a bit gloomier than the previous ones, but it kept the same quality.
Aqui estou eu novamente para vos mostrar mais uma caixa Fairyloot. No mês de Março a Fairyloot celebrou o seu primeiro aniversário e, por essa razão, esta caixa foi especial. Primeiro que tudo, a típica caixa preta foi substituída por uma roxa – AMEI (já vos disse que é a minha cor favorita?!?!?!). Depois, alguns itens desta caixa foram uma estreia.
O tema para o mês de Março foi Myths & Monsters, e para quem me conhece sabe que este tema era ideal para mim. Mais uma vez, Fairyloot não desapontou e fiquei extremamente satisfeita com tudo que veio nesta caixa e o livro foi precisamente o que eu estava à espera!
Vamos então ver o que vinha nesta caixa:
🦋 Lenço de escamas de dragão prateadas pela GivArt: Este foi uma das novidades desta caixa e deixem-me que vos diga é tão giro e suave. Adorei-o, mas verdade seja dita, eu não sou muito de usar lenços, mas a minha mãe é… Conclusão, ela adorou-o!
🦋 Fairylights com formato de Unicórnios e Arco-íris da Mustard: Outra novidade nesta caixa e é tão adorável! Já as experimentei e são tão giras, ainda estou para decidir se vou colocar na minha cama ou usar em fotos para o instagram.
🦋 Vela “Nephilim” da Geeky Clean: Eu já conhecia este negócio e ando super curiosa relativamente a alguns produtos e agora já sei o que esperar. A vela cheira a bagas e lima – forte, mas muito bom. Uma pena que a minha vela tivesse chegado partida, mas nada que a inutilize.
🦋 Espelho de Sereia desenhado por Book Otter: O design é tao lindinho e adorável.
🦋 Dois marcadores magnéticos com o formato de um dragão e uma fénix por Bonitismo: São lindos! Estou com alguns designs debaixo de olhos!
🦋 O livro deste mês é STRANGE THE DREAMER de Laini Taylor: Nunca li nada desta autora, mas achei que este livro fosse mesmo o meu estilo. E convenhamos que a capa é extraordinariamente bonita e ainda tem as páginas pintadas de azul!
O que acharam desta caixa? Já conhecem o livro?
I’m here once again to show you another Fairyloot box. In March, Fairyloot celebrated their first anniversary, and for that reason, it was a special box. First of all, the typical black box was purple – which I LOVED IT (have I ever mentioned that it’s my favourite colour?!?!?). And, there was items never featured in this box before.
March’s theme was Myth & Monsters, and for those who know me know this is perfect for me. Once again, Fairyloot did not disappoint, and I was extremely amazed by everything that came in this box. The book was precisely the one I was hoping for.
Let’s see what came in this box:
🦋 Silver Dragon Scale Scarf by GivArt: This was one of the new items in this box, and let me tell you, it’s so pretty and soft. I loved it, but let’s face it, I don’t usually wear scarfs, but my Mum does… She loved it!
🦋 Unicorn&Rainbow Fairy lights from Mustard: Another novelty of this special box, and it’s so adorable! I already tried them out and they are so pretty. I still don’t know if I’m going to put them on my bed or used them on my Instagram pictures.
🦋 Nephilim Candle by Geeky Clean: I already knew this business and I’m curious about some products of this company. The candle smells like black berries and lime – a bit strong, but really good. It was a shame my candle came broken, but it’s nothing it can’t be fixed.
🦋 Mermaid Pocket Mirror designed by Book Otter: It’s so beautiful!
🦋 Dragon and Phoenix Magnetic Bookmarks by Bonitismo: They are beautiful! I have some other designs under my eye.
🦋 This month's book is STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor: I’ve never read anything by this author, but this book sounded exactly my cup of tea. And let’s be honest, this cover is extremely beautiful, and it has sprayed blue pages!
What's your thoughts on this box? Have you heard of this book before?
