First Date by Krista McGee

Warning, some pretty strong opinions shared.  Enter with caution.  ; )

First Date by Krista McGee

Summary from Goodreads:
The last thing Addy Davidson wants is to be on a reality TV show where the prize is a prom date with the President's son.

She's focused on her schoolwork so she can get a scholarship to an Ivy League college, uncomfortable in the spotlight, never been on a date, and didn't even audition for it.

But she got selected anyway.

So she does her best to get eliminated on the very first show. Right before she realizes that the President's son is possibly the most attractive guy she has ever seen in person, surprisingly nice, and seemingly unimpressed by the 99 other girls who are throwing themselves at him.

Addy's totally out of her comfort zone but that may be right where God can show her all that she was meant to be.

Read Septemer 2012

3 Stars

My Review:
I am a Christian.  It is part of who I am and part of how I choose my books.  I am careful about what I read in an effort to have my mind filled with positive things.  Do I sometimes  choose books to read that probably aren't that uplifting?  Sure.  I'm a work in progress.  : )

Lately I have been reading a lot of clean reads by Christian authors.  I find that in general I don't have to worry about there being swear words or explicit sex scenes.  Not all of the books are considered Christian Fiction, in fact, I think most aren't in that genre (whatever that genre is and who decided to categorize books there, I'm not sure).

Last week I read a book that was categorized as Christian Fiction.  I enjoyed the book and found that the references to God and Jesus Christ were refreshing.  When I read the summary for this book, I knew it would be a fun story.  I love Esther in the Bible and this is a modern retelling of that story.  With my previous experience, I thought that there would be reference to God.  I was expecting this.  However, I felt that this was way over the top.  Again, I haven't read a lot of books in this genre, so perhaps this was totally normal.  

I believe that God, my Eternal Father, loves me and has a plan for me.  I believe that His Son, Jesus Christ, is my Savior and that I need him to return to Heaven one day.  I could identify with the main character's concerns about sharing her faith with others and I could identify with her dependence on God and wanting to do what is right.  What I couldn't figure out was why the author wrote about it SOOOO much.  I almost felt like the main character was judging others for not being the same type of Christian as she was.  If a person believes that Jesus Christ is their Savior, then they are a Christian.  If they practice their faith through their actions, then they are a Christian.  It does not matter if they are the same religion, they are still a Christian.  At one point, the main character expresses her concerns that the First Son goes to church, but that he may not be a Christian.  I do not understand this.  

As far as the story of this girl being plucked from obscurity to be a reality TV star, this was adorable.  I loved the interactions with friends and with other contestants.  I loved the interactions the main character had with the First Son.  In fact, I think he was my favorite character, a really genuine guy.  This was a feel good story.

Warnings: None (other than the ones expressed above).

I would let my 14 year old daughter read this book.

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

Summary on Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Annika Truman knows about the power of positive thinking. With a little brother who has cancer, it's all she ever hears about. And in order to help Jeremy, she will go to the ends of the earth (or at least as far as Hollywood) to help him believe he can survive his upcoming surgery.

But Annika's plan to convince Jeremy that a magic genie will grant him any wish throws her a curveball when he unexpectedly wishes that his television idol would visit him. Annika suddenly finds herself in the desperate predicament of getting access to a hunky star actor and convincing him to come home with her. Piece of cake, right?

Janette Rallison's proven talent for laugh-out-loud humor, teen romance, and deep-hearted storytelling shines in a novel that will have readers laughing and crying at the same time.

Read September 2012

3.5 Stars

My Review:
This is a far fetched, fun story.  Totally unbelievable, but worth suspending logical thought.  It is a bit of a study in relationships.  Strong friendship, familial relationships (both working and dysfunctional), and a romantic relationship as well.  
I liked that everything wasn't perfect for the main character.  She is worried about her brother and controls as much of her life as she can to deal with it.  This shows that one can't control everything as much as one would like to.  

Warnings: None

I would let my 14 year old read this book.

Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra Bricker

Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra Bricker

Summary from Goodreads:
Thirty-six-year-old Emma Rae Travis has been baking specialty cakes and melt-in-your-mouth pastries at The Backstreet Bakery in historic Roswell, just outside of Atlanta, for the last six years. But here's the rub about her job as a baker, Emma is diabetic. When she tastes her creations, it can only be in the most minute portions. Emma is considered an artisan for the stunning creme brulee wedding cake that won her the Passionate Palette Award last year, but she's never even had one full slice of it. When Jackson Drake hears about this local baker who has won a prestigious award for her wedding cake artistry, he tells his assistant to be sure and include her in the pastry tastings scheduled at his new wedding destination hotel the following week. And for Jackson, that particular day has started out badly with two workmen trapped in a broken elevator and a delivery of several dozen 300-thread-count bed linens in the wrong size abandoned in the lobby. But when the arrogant baker he met a week prior in Roswell stumbles into the dining room with a platter of pastries and a bucketful of orders, he knows for certain: It's going to be a really rotten day. Can these two ill-suited players master the high-wire act and make a go of their new business venture? Or will they take each other crashing downward, without a net? And will the surprise wedding at The Tanglewood be theirs?

Read September 2012

4 Stars

My Review:
This is a feel good book.  There is yummy food, funny characters, and great situations that make you laugh out loud.  My one complaint would be that the last line is stupid.  

I will read others in this series.

Warnings: None

I would let my 14 year old read this book.

Princess Academy: Place of Stone

Princess Academy: Palace of Stone

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Coming down from the mountain to a new life in the city seems a thrill beyond imagining. When Miri and her friends from Mount Eskel set off to help the future princess Britta prepare for her royal wedding, she is happy about her chance to attend school in the capital city. There, Miri befriends students who seem so sophisticated and exciting... until she learns that they have some frightening plans. They think that Miri will help them, that she "should "help them. Soon Miri finds herself torn between loyalty to the princess and her new friends' ideas, between an old love and a new crush, and between her small mountain home and the bustling city. Picking up where "Princess Academy" left off, this incredible stand-alone story celebrates the joys of friendship, the delight of romance, and the fate of a beloved fairy tale kingdom.

Read September 2012
5 Stars

My Review:
I love this book.  

It has action, political intrigue, romance.  The politics in this book pick right up from the politics in the first Princess Academy.  Then the political battles become more intense.  If you liked the action of the first book, then you will like this one as well.  Miri and her friends don't sit around while things are happening around them.

My favorite part of this book is the relationship development between Miri and Peder and her new interest, Timon.  She is a young girl who is growing up and experiencing new things and gaining new opinions.  It is fascinating to see how these changes in her affect her relationships.  

One of my favorite quotes from the book: "Kisses were like words, she thought.  They meant many things, their meanings fickle, dangerous even.  Kisses could be lies, or they could be promises."

This is a must read in my opinion.  Of course, if you haven't read Princess Academy, then read it first, then this one.  

Warnings: None

I would let my 14 year old read this.  She can't wait and is glad that I am now done with it!

ps: Do you ever have a little emotional let down when you finish a book? 
When I started this book, I knew I was going to devour it.  I tried to take it slow, I really did. I put it down several times the first night I started reading it.  But then on I spent the entire next day reading it until it was done.  I had to read it, I had to know what was going to happen.  Of course, then when I was done, I was done.  The fictional world ended.  My "friends" were gone.  I hope that Shannon Hale writes another Princess Academy so I can see my "friends" again. 

THANK YOU Bookshop Talk!  I won this lovely book from their blog.

My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite

My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite

Synopsis from Goodreads:
Sarah Howard's first year at the university is everything and nothing she expected especially when a very cute boy named Ben in her Art History class starts to show interest in her.

Sarah feels like she's an average, normal, everyday girl. So, when Ben (to whom she secretly refers as Adonis because she thinks he could be a Greek god) begins to take interest in her, Sarah is in denial. For one thing, last year she was deeply crushed and humiliated by Jesse James a guy who she thought liked her.

She's determined not to get burned again. But in her heart of hearts, what she really wants is a Jane Austen kind of romance. Ridiculous, right? That kind of romance doesn t exist anymore . . . or does it? Sarah is smart and fun to be around and even pretty, despite her Medusa-like red curls. She even plays the guitar. (So does Ben!) Yes, Sarah is everything Ben has wanted. He's crazy for her, but Sarah is just not getting it. She's playing hard to get, and if she s not careful, she s going to lose a real hot gentleman -- her 21st-century Mr. Darcy. 

Read September 2012

4 Stars

My Review:
I enjoyed being in this main character's head.  She was laugh out loud funny.  So many of her thoughts were things that I would have thought as well.
This book at times was a little too sweet.  And sometimes I got tired of hearing how wonderful the love interest was.  And the main character was a little too self-deprecating, although, like I said, I have had many of those same thoughts about myself.
Overall, this was an enjoyable, quick read.  I read it in a day.

Warnings: None

I would let my 14 year old daughter read this book.

Re-read of Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George

Fairy tale, retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses

Read September 2012

5 Stars

My Review:
About 2 years ago I read the book, Princess of the Midnight Ball, and then its sequel, Princess of Glass.  Recently I discovered that Jessica Day George is releasing a third book, Princess of the Silver Woods.  I decided to re-read the first two books in anticipation of the release of this next book which comes out in December.

If you like The Twelve Dancing Princesses, then I think you will like this book as well.  It has adventure, romance, intrigue, sisterly love, and more.

Warnings: None

I would let my 14 year old read this, in fact, she has!

Friends & Foes by Sarah M. Eden

Friends & Foes by Sarah M. Eden

Regency Romance, clean

Read September 2012

4 Stars

My Review:
In my quest to read everything by Sarah M. Eden, I have now read all the books that she has published.

This was another enjoyable one.  One of the things I liked about this book was the unusual pairing of the hero and heroine.  The heroine is not typical in this kind of story at all.  I appreciated that Sarah M. Eden wrote about someone who might often get overlooked in this time period.

This was another one of her books that I finished in a day.  I get a little carried away in her stories.

Apparently Sarah M. Eden has also written more stories in this series, but they have not been published broadly and are out of print.  I sincerely hope that Covenant Communications publishes these books.

Her next book (not in the Jonquil Brothers series) is coming out in October.  It is called An Unlikely Match.  I am sure it will be another one that I enjoy.  I'm looking forward to it.

Warnings: None

I would let my 14 year old daughter read this book.