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Wednesday, April 20, 2016

The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back


The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson

How many times can one dad remarry?  How about when he takes in your stepsister to live with you, even though he isn’t her dad?  Why is it that the stepsister is always the pretty, full of energy, donates her time to charities, has the football captain boyfriend, everyone loves her type.  What about you, the one no one notices, except to laugh at, the average teen.

Ella is the pretty stepsister, Mattie is the average teenage girl in high school, who has always had a crush on Jake.  Who is Jake?  That would be Ella’s football captain boyfriend!  But a turn of events has Ella and Mattie becoming closer and discovering things about each other and themselves, and those around them.

Comical, witty, typical teenage high school days make this a quick, fun light read.  If Cinderella can transform from the ugly stepsister to the princess, can Mattie?

The Wolf of Harrow Hall


The Wolf of Harrow Hall by Christine Pope

Tax time was coming near.  Bettany knew their grandmother did not have enough money.  What could they do, their income was meager.  What if they could borrow money from Lord Greymount with a promise to repay in the summer.  That that being the only option, Bettany set out to visit Lord Greymount at his castle.

Barely  making it through the snowstorm, Bettany awakes to find herself in a bed in someplace unfamiliar.  Somehow she was brought from the entrance to the inside of the castle.  Determined to please her case, Bettany is finally granted a visit to Lord Greymount.  Unable to leave the castle due to a great snowstorm, Bettany finds herself more intrigued with the Lord and wants to know more about him, and finds she has feelings for him.  But why does he live in a great castle with so few servants, and no women?  The more time she spends at the castle, the more the feelings grow and the more she wishes to learn more.  What mysteries does this great castle and this Lord hold?

Another wonderful fairy tale by Christine Pope.  With minimal characters, it is very easy to follow and become attached to Bettany, a simple girl with a goal.  The reading is light and easy.  This series is one that does not need to be read in any specific order.  Sit back, pick up a fairy tale and enjoy!

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Codename: Makarov


Codename: Makarov by Ethan Jones

Carrie O’Connor is back again, this time in Pakistan.  As her luck would have it, the secret meeting is ambushed.  The more they look into the ambush, it seems there is a traitor among them.  In addition, rumor has it Justin, who has gone rogue, is in the area.

Continuing on with the mission and trying to determine who is the traitor, Carrie learns a bit more about Justin’s whereabouts, as well as some possible information about her father, who disappeared when she was young.

What can continue with the Taliban leaders when the meeting went wrong?  Can Carrier find Justin and bring him home?  What does she learn, if anything, about her father?  If you have read any of the Justin Hall series, you will see the relationship between Carrie and Justin. If not, he just seems a character from her past.

Loaded with action and espionage, another great spy thriller from Ethan Jones.  A mix of old characters and new ones.  Another suspense thriller that will keep you turning pages.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Threads of Gold (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms Book 6)


Threads of Gold (Tales of the Latter Kingdoms Book 6) by Christine Pope

What is to become of a girl who’s father gambles too much and lies that she can spin straw into gold to pay his debt?

A romantic twist to the Rumpelstiltskin tale.

Annora agrees to go to the king’s castle in order not to show her father a lier.  But once she is sent to her room to spin the straw, how many excuses can she come up with to hide the truth?  Why does this stranger come to her in the night to help her spin the straw to please the king?

Annora believes once she has paid the debt of her father, the king will let her go back home.  The stranger is smarter than that and knows the king will never have enough gold, no matter how much she spins.

If you like the re-telling of fairy tales with a twist, you will like this.  Try to determine who “Rumple” is and what becomes of Annora and her secret of spinning straw into gold.  Another great fairy tale twist from Christine Pope.