2013

✬✬ Bower writes well, however her characters are unsympathetic and her storytelling meandering. I expected this to be about the house of Borgia, but instead it was a wannabe love story based on a rather unlikeable main character. As it is, I feel disappointed.

✬✬✬✬ A complex story that draws you in with vivid and poetic description. Haunting imagery and emotional recollections stay with you long after you’ve finished the last page. Even though it is fiction, it is fully researched.

✬✬✬✬✬ Not only is this a great story filled with mystery and romance, but it is also very descriptive of places, times and events -real and unreal. Barbara's descriptions are so vivid you can almost see what she is describing.

✬✬✬✬✬ Speed’s profound knowledge illuminates the novel, taking you into a world rich with Indian culture, religion, and tradition, it made me feel like I was there experiencing it. The characters were real and balanced, totally believable.

✬✬✬✬ This was a well written and mesmerizing book. I could hardly put it down most of the time.

✬✬✬✬ This was an epic read. I was drawn into the story from the first page. The characters were developed and interesting. There were constant moral dilemmas that were handled in several ways. It surprised me at every chapter, especially the ending. The setting was vivid and authentic.

✬✬✬✬ It is an intriguing historical work of fiction that highlights four decades in the inner court of Suleyman the Great during the first half of the sixteenth century. The tale crafts a sweeping, vivid look at the mores of the harem and to an extent the royal court the intrigue, treachery, and strange bedfellow politics, but places none of this on the bigger stage of significant events.

✬✬✬ Some interesting bits, and it was an easy read, it was just very predictable. I read it because there was so much hype over this book, I guess I just thought it was OK.

✬✬✬✬✬ Well written, well researched, readable and detailed. The author does her best to show Georgiana, and all her facets not just those that shine. By the end of the book, you felt like you had become acquainted with The Duchess. Besides the wonderful insight Foreman provides on Georgian’s life, the book is also an excellent source of 18th century British political and social observation. A wonderful, informative read!

✬✬✬✬ This is a  story, full of magic and heartbreak, joy and sadness, and the trial and error of growing up. There's something for everyone here, with mystery, romance, and action-adventure. If you love historical stories or those based on myths, you won't go wrong with ITHAKA.

✬✬✬ This is a story, I didn’t like the ending; the characterization leaves something to be desired, and the writing didn’t make me think. It left me with a vague sense of indigestion

✬✬✬✬ A different take on the Romanov princess, but interesting. We see her in a different landscape. A beautiful love story. A fast moving but not enough to get lost. Enjoyed this book.

✬✬✬ In addition to telling the story of Mary Anning, this book also offers insight into the study of paleontology and geology. It also has quite a bit to say about English society in the early 1800s. Very enjoyable and readable.

✬✬✬ I thought the overall story was interesting but it got a little boring at times. Too little action and fairly predictable.

✬✬✬✬ This is a highly readable novel, proving mountains of information and excellent insights into three cultures: French, Indian and Turkish. A lesson in history and a beautiful story of personal challenges, despair and hardships.

✬✬✬✬✬ A wonderful read. It is full of details and personal diaries mostly about the four Romanov girls. There is plenty of other information and stories about the tsar, his wife, and little Alexy, but this one focuses on the much-forgotten girls. They were dynamic, young, beautiful girls each with very different personalities and talent.

✬✬ I can't believe the same Nora Roberts that I've been reading for years even wrote this book. Seriously did not enjoy it at all.

✬✬✬ Lighthearted, but the characters are well developed so that it keeps you engaged. An easy read.

✬✬✬✬ Wonderful and fantastical book. Takes a while to get into it, and the same name for all the male in the household for generations can be confusing, but otherwise, an excellent read.

✬✬✬✬✬   An amazing story woven into the fabric of the time period. Historical facts and characters are so real you feel as though they’ve actually stepped out of the pages of history. I love Monica McCarty’s books. Her love and appreciation of Scottish history are clear throughout her novels.

✬✬✬ This was a love story! Even though the ending was predictable, it was still an entertaining read.

✬✬ The beginning felt disorganized, as there are many perspective swaps through this book, but once I had it figured out, I didn’t struggle so much. There were slow parts, and parts that made my blood boil. The villains are numerous but one-facet, and the ending offers a tidy wrap to the happily ever-after but leaves other gaps.