The Husband List

The Husband List by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Caroline Maxwell's mother has a list not your average ordinary list its a list of potential husbands for Caroline and Caroline is not happy about it. She would rather be on a grand adventure or a lecture at the museum. Or at least have a say on who is on the list instead of the stuffy Lord Bremerton she wants her brother's friend Jack on the list but he according to her mother is not acceptable his money is to new.

Despite her mothers objections Caroline and Jack are determined to be together and the only way that will be possible is if they can prove that the great Lord Bremerton is hiding something big and is not th e man he claims.

Caroline was a fun character to read and was surprisingly appealing. In fact I liked her so much that I finished the book in one night. Did I mention it was a fast read. Jack like all heroes was conflicted about loving Caroline, witty and very yummy to read about. What could be a better way to spend an evening?


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Hemingway's Girl

Hemingway's Girl by Erika Robuck
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Its 1935 in Key West Florida and Mariella Bennet is struggling to hold her family together after the tragic death of her father. Doing odd jobs and when necessary gambling to pay the rent and her sisters hospital bills. On one fateful day her path crosses that of Ernest Hemingway the famous millionaire writer and she ends up as the Hemingway's housekeeper.

Her life is not instantly better her mother doesn't want her to work for The Hemingways because of Ernest's bad reputation, Paulette Hemingway is suspicious of Mariella's relationship with her husband, Ernest is constantly flirting with Mariella and then there is Gavin, the WWI veteran working on the Overseas Highway.

Mariella is torn between the two men and in one summer her life will be forever changed.

I loved loved loved this book. I really can not express how much I enjoyed reading this book. Very quickly I was swept away to the Florida Keys (I have an urge to sing a Beach Boys song). Instantly I was connected to Mariella who just wanted adventure but was stuck with responsibilities of caring for her family. As she struggles to cope with her moms depression and falling in love with not one but two different men.

In one book I laughed, cried and craved Key Lime Pie. If you are a fan of Hemingway's book you will love this story.


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Prisoners in the Palace

Prisoners in the Palace by Michaela MacColl
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

16 year old Liza's dreams are dashed when her parents die in a carriage accident and leave her penniless. Desperate she accepts a position as young Princess Victoria's maid and discovers Kennisgton Palace is full of intrigue and plots. Liza is determined to help the young princess knowing that her future is now tied to the the princess who will be Queen.

This book was intriguing from the start. Focusing less on the future queen and more on the life of her maid Liza you discover a London were the help have few rights and even fewer options especially if the help are females.

While reading the book I discovered the story is based on a new information about Queen Victoria's life before she became Queen of England.

A fast and easy read that will suck you in quickly.


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Shadow of Night

Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

After the events in A Discovery of Witches Mathew and Diana make a dangerous decision to travel back in time to 1590 England. They hope to stay hidden, find the missing Ashmole 782 book, and a witch to teach Diana about her powers. But things do not go as planned.

Finding am obscure manuscript is harder than they thought and with the country side embarking on a witch hunt its not so easy to find anyone to help. And now there lives are in danger once again as Mathews past comes knocking on the door, literally.

From the English countryside to France to London to Prague and back to London, Matthew and Diana will test the boundaries of history and their love. Surrounded by secrets and plots they strive to save their future together.

This book started out a little slow for me. Immediately the reader is introduced to a host of new characters, many of them famous like Christopher Marlowe and Sir Walter Raleigh, I felt a bit overwhelmed and longed for a return to modern times and characters I knew. But soon I was wrapped up in the all the secrets that were coming unraveled.

This book almost straddles to genres: paranormal and historical fiction. Full of historical events and figures not only in England but also in Prague this book keep me hooked long past my bed time. With one plot twist that I left me gasping and happy at the same time.

The only bad thing about this book is in the end it may have answered a few questions but created more that were left unanswered...like what has been happening in the present while Mathew and Diana were gone and when the hell is the next book coming out?


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The Red Queen

The Red Queen by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Margaret Beaufort is a the last hope of the Lancaster family. If she marries and has a son the Lancaster family has a hope of holding on to the throne of England if not then the Yorks are sure to take over.

Margaret is forced to marry Edmund Tudor when she is little more than a child. Soon widowed and pregnant Margaret determines that her son will one day be king of England. But her child is taken from her and she is married off to another man during the famed Cousins War. She bides her time and conspires with her former Brother-in-law to raise Henry to be King.

Windowed a second time Margaret conspires to marry a man that will help her get in good with the York court and further her agenda to put Henry on the throne. She befriends Queen Elizabeth Woodruff and conspires to marry her son to the Queens eldest daughter to further her scheme of putting her son Henry on the throne

Another great book by Philippa Gregory that brings to life the woman history seems to forget. Margaret Beaufort is not a woman I liked...she was a full of jealous, deceit and bitterness. But despite that (and knowing what happens) you find yourself cheering for the underdog Margaret. She never once wavers from what she sees as her destiny of being the mother to the future King.

These books remind us of the adage behind every great man is a great woman.


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The White Queen

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Windowed during the War of the Roses and her family on the losing side Elizabeth Woodville's appeals to the new king Edward IV to help her gain her inheritance back for her sons. In the processes she captures the young kings heart and marries him in secret.

But the new court is just as dangerous as the old court. Rumored to be a descended of the River Gods Elizabeth is not popular among her new family. Fighting for power to survive she keeps the kings heart and provides him with several heirs including two sons. Soon the kingdom is in peril again when the king dies from a mysterious illness Elizabeth's future is again uncertain.

Despite court plots all around her including the betrayal of her closest lady in waiting Elizabeth fights to save her family from doom.

Philippa Gregory creates another impressive account of historical fiction. Whither you like her interpretations of history or not you will captivated by her characters and despite knowing what will happen you are hoping that history some how rewrites itself


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The Help

The Help by Kathryn Stockett


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


So I resisted reading this book for a long time because I knew it was going to make me cry. And I was right I am such a sap I cried like a baby. What an amazing powerful book. But what do I say about this book. It has been widely read and reviewed that I feel I cannot add anything new except to say I really really realy liked.

I also loved the movie.
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The Betrayal of the Blood Lily

The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Eloise is planning on enjoying her first Valentines Day with Colin and the only thing to make it better would be to get his little sister happily hooked up so they can have more time together and she can spend more time research the Pink Carination but during her research she discovers Colin's family has a secret no one will tell. Torn between wanting to know and wanting to respect Colin’s privacy, Eloise decides to dedicate herself to researching Penelope Deveraux.

In a moment of pure rebellion and stupid Penelope Deveraux was forced to marry Frederick Staines and the happy couple was sent off to India until the scandal they caused dies down. Only married life is not as mice as it seems and Penelope true to form gets involved in a mystery and the dashing Capt' Alex Reid seems to be in the middle of it. And Penelope can’t decide if she wants to flirt with the Caption or spy on him.

I love these books and this has been one of my favorites full of intrigue and exotic locations this book has everything you could want. Great fun to read, I have already started on the next book in the series.

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The Temptation of the Night Jasmine

The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Charlotte Lansdown is a bookworm memebr of the Ton. Shy and overly romantic she is delighted when a very distant relative Robert Duke of Dovedale returns home to claim his birthright. Or did he? Robert has really come home to pursue the man who killed his mentor not to persue Charlotte. Soon they both realize that more is at stake than their budding romance. French spies are every where and they must undertake a dangerous mission to save King and Country.

I do enjoy this series and Charolette is one of my favorite characters in Pink Cranations growing list of heriones. And I do love to wrap myself up in the mystery and romance but the true reason I keep reading the series is so that I can follow the romance of Collin and Eloise. I want to skip ahead to those parts of the books just so I can find out what happens next time them. Its a story within a story.

If you are a fan of historical romances I highly reccomend this series.
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Fall of Giants

Fall of Giants by Ken Follett


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This is Follett's first book in his The Century Trilogy. It follows the lives of families in Wales, Russia and America as they struggle through the 1st part of the 1900s. There are more characters than I can possilbe list some fictional some historical. Unlike Follet's other all emcompassing books Pillars of the Earth and World with out End, Fall of Giants only takes place over 20 years instead of 100s. And unlile his spy/suspense novels this book moves slow. There is a lot of information to take in and story lines to keep straight. IF you are a fan of historical fiction this is a must read just dont expect it to be like anything Ken Follett has written in the past.

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The Other Queen

The Other Queen by Philippa Gregory


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Bess of Hardwick and her husband George Talbot are among the elite on Queen Elizabeth’s court. Bit their lives take a dramatic turn when they are asked to house Mary Queen of Scots as a "guest". Little do they know what a dangerous undertaking that will be, risking not only their standing at the royal court, but their fortune and lives will be threatened. Soon the short visit turns into years and Georges loyalties start to shift in favor of the imprisoned Queen.

Philippa Gregory brings us another thrilling fictional historical story about intrigue in Elizabethan Court. Gregory's ability to bring to life characters long dead is amazing. You get pulled into the story and wanting desperately to find out what happens.

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