I read this book about a year after it was published, and I loved it. Recently, I decided to purchase it and read it again, and now I love it even more. Karleen Koen does a phenomenal job of taking the reader past sympathy for the characters, and actually making you feel empathetic as you read the book.
Barbara is a timeless heroine, going from naive first love to the disillusioned acceptance of her married life, she starts the book as a child and emerges a young, strong, woman.
This book possesses all of the things that make historical romance great: diverse characters, rich descriptions of opulent settings, politics, corruption, fashion and manners. But the underlying themes of unconditional love, and undying faith are the things that really make this a novel worth reading.
Although this book appears voluminous and long, the story is so well written and plot driven that the 700+ pages seem not to be enough.
Barbara and Roger made me cry, Diana made me laugh. Much like life, this book offers the bitter and the sweet. Excellent writing and enriching reading.

I love Elizabeth Peters' Amelia Peabody mysteries! While I enjoyed this book, I believe it would have been a difficult choice had I not read the preceding books in the series. Amelia and Emerson return to the archeological site where they met, however things are more dangerous than ever and the Emersons are constantly in peril.
One of the stranger plot twists is Emerson's amnesia and sudden recovery. During his amnesia Amelia's character exhibits emotional depths that are touching but very removed from her general pragmatism.
This book was okay, but not my favorite in the series.

I was eager to read the second book in the Wideacre trilogy, and I found it just as well written and excellent as the first book. The heroine, Julia, is a tragic figure and any reader would easily feel sympathy for her and her life. In the wake of Beatrice's destructive path, Julia and her cousin/brother Richard grow up in the ruins of Wideacre. Both are determined that the estate should be restored to its former glory, but Julia is the 'favored child', the one with Beatrice's gift for healing the land. Being the favored child is a blessing and a curse. The people of the village love her, but Richard, her cousin/brother is consumed with jealousy and ruins their lives by destroying everything Julia loves. The ending is riddled with mystery as Julia gives her only daughter to the gypsy's so that she may grow up to escape the Wideacre curse. I cannot wait to read the third book!!

I am reluctant to admit it, but I loved the heroine of this book. Beatrice is greedy, selfish, manipulative, undoubtedly mentally ill, and all-around horrible. In spite of all her faults she comes across as a strong likeable character determined to live life on her own terms. Philippa Gregory does an outstanding job of creating a realistic historical setting full of vivid description and colorful characters. Beatrice, for all of her horrible and evil deeds, made me laugh out loud many times as I read this book.

I purchased this book almost a year ago, and after reading 'Lord of Fire' I decided to take a break from Ms. Foley's 'Knight Miscellany' because I found 'Lord of Fire' to be a bit tedious. Well, I shouldn't have waited because 'Lord of Ice' was very good.
Damien is a great hero, complex, tortured and reluctant to fall in love. Suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome from his military exploits, he's withdrawn from society to live a quiet life. Until his friend dies, making Damien legal guarding of Miranda Fitshubert. While Damien isn't overjoyed at the prospect of taking on a young girl, he's totally unprepared when he finds Miranda to be an attractive, and very lovely young woman. Miranda turns out to be just what Damien needs, in addition to being independent, smart, and resourceful. To say more about the plot would give away some of the best parts of the book. These characters have great chemistry, and I am not eager to read Ms. Foley's next book.

I didn't particularly enjoy this book. The writing was great, and the plot was interesting, but the character of 'Krissy' was not to my liking.
The Patterson family goes on vacation in rural, swampy, Florida to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city. When their daughter, Krissy, disappears the action of the book picks up.
It seems Krissy is the naive participant in the resurrection of an ancient voodoo priest who died in the swamp 200 years ago. The evil spirit of the voodoo priest, known only to Krissy and a Seminole Indian by the name of Jimmy Cypress, has been waiting patiently for his bones to be discovered, so that he can become flesh and continue his reign of terror.
I would have really liked this book, except for Krissy. I found her character to be tedious and exhausting. At times I was actually hoping that the voodoo priest would win the battle.
I will however read another of Mr.Goingback's books.

I read this book in one sitting because it was so interesting. I have to admit I was drawn more to the character of the 'Bell Witch' than any of the members of the Bell family. This book is full of interesting historical details and enough fictional plot twists and dialogue to keep most readers involved in the action. Although not particularly frightening, I found it different enough to be slightly unsettling. The Bell Family is a typical rural Tennessee family that gains notoriety in their community when their house becomes haunted.
'The Spirit' attaches itself to the family's daughter, Betsy, and proceeds to destroy the physical structure of the home and the infrastructure of the family. The Spirit is particularly fond of Betsy and her mother, and not all that kind to the male members of the family or community.
My only complaint about this book is the ending. The book just ends without any real resolution or explanation of the haunting, nor any historical documentation about what really occurred. I found myself wanting more story to satisfy my curiosity.

The best thing about this book, and the previous book 'Dead Until Dark' is the interesting twist about vampires living in a small town. The writing is refreshingly new and not at all tedious. Sookie Stackhouse and her vampire lover, Bill, go to Dallas to find a missing vampire. Harris does a great job of explaining Sookie's first plane flight, and first trip to the big city. Sookie also has a mystery/murder to solve in her small hometown. It's great to see a mystery in a small town where everyone knows each other, but none of the residents have a clue about what's really going on. I hope Ms. Harris has a new Sookie Stackhouse novel ready very soon.

This book reminded me of an old song from the 80s with the lyrics 'dont pay the ferryman until he gets you to the other side'. One of the best things about this book is the villian, Charon the Ferryman. Mr. Golden has taken a figure from Greek mythology and made him amazingly frightening.
Particularly interesting is the theory behind Charon's appearance as explained by priests Father Charles and Father Jessup. Because Charon was once worshiped or revered as a supernatural figure his presence still exists, even if the modern world no longer considers him important. Another great thing is that Mr. Golden allows Charon to have human emotions, longing and concern and affection for the protagonist Janine.
Without giving away all of the plot details and the scary ending, I found this book interesting and unsettling, and very good. I'm looking forward to the next Christopher Golden novel.

Initially, I avoided this book because of all the newsworthy controversy surrounding its publication. Having read it, I must agree it is controversial, sometimes funny, and very often sad. What makes this a worthwhile read is the thought provoking premise that Ms.Randall delicately shoves down the reader's throat.
Margaret Mitchell's GWTW is a stand-alone classic and its impact on literary and film history can hardly be demolished or demoralized by any subsequent work of fiction. However, The Wind Done Gone takes the reader beyond the facade of the ante-bellum and reconstructed South and poses the question 'what about the slaves?'
Randall's main character Cynara narrates this book through journal entries, giving the reader the opportunity to examine the grittier aspects of slave society (mulatto babies, slave markets, jealousy and manipulation) and the similarities of all people, irrespective of race (love, loss, and longing).
While Cynara's story is significantly shorter than her half-sister Scarlett O'Hara's it is no less real or touching.
This novel serves to remind readers and history that stories previously untold, are still worth telling.