Book Review: A Spy's Devotion by Melanie Dickerson

Purchase HERE

Title: A Spy's Devotion

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Series: The Regency Spies of London #1

Genre: Historical

Audience: Adult

~ MY REVIEW ~

**4 stars**

I am accustomed to Melanie Dickerson's beautiful, intriguing medieval fairytale retellings, but I was nonetheless delighted to see she was coming out with a regency romance! And though A Spy's Devotion was different than Melanie's other books, being a simple historical, without the fairytale-ish thread, it was such a sweet story! ^_^

Julia Grey is an orphan without a substantial dowry, living as the ward of her aunt and uncle, the Wilherns. There's not much chance of a love match for her ... she'll hope some gentleman sees fit to ask for her hand, or resign to a lonely life of a governess.

     Things are stirred up as Julia's cousin, Phoebe, declares she is irrevocably in love with Nicholas Langdon, and Mr. Wilhern wants Julia to marry a man she does not trust. To make matters worse, something important goes missing ... and whispers of treason are heard.

     Will Julia have the courage to do what's right and just, or will she live a life she can hardly bear?

Despite a more slow beginning, A Spy's Devotion soon enough captured my interest and pulled me on a lovely journey! It was different than expected, but I ended up very much enjoying it! The sweet love story. The intrigue. The dear characters. And just the regency era feel! Melanie Dickerson did well with that, I felt; and I was immersed into the early 1800s where treachery is afoot and a true love is forbidden.

I found Nicholas to be quite an interesting and likable character. That he never danced with the same lady twice during balls certainly caught my attention, I was waiting for the day when he would single out a special young woman! *smiles* I loved his sense of humor. His very gentlemanly attitude, yet the kind and gentle heart underneath. I like him very much, and it was lovely getting to know him more through the course of the story.

Julia was a lovely character as well. Sometimes I wanted to yell and storm about a little for her ... as it appeared she had angry thoughts time and again, but was so calm and pleasant again and again. I could hardly bear how badly some people treated her! Julia did have her moments though. And eventually, she learned some important lessons and such. I enjoyed watching her courage and strength come out. And I liked that she kept her forgiving, kind nature even while learning to stand up for herself. She had some words of wisdom even as she wondered and questioned society's rules, and maybe made some mistakes. Overall, Julia was a sweet and lovely character to journey along with.

The whole spying business that was expected from the title was very fun! Once it came to that part. As I mentioned, the beginning a bit slow. But once we get the action, was it ever intriguing and fun! And nerve-wracking!! I'm happy to say it wasn't too complicated and terrifying; because sometimes I just want a more light story, that still has a generous dash of intrigue and suspense! At one point, things get more deep, and you see indeed it is a dangerous, frightening situation.

Oh, and did I mention that I quite enjoyed the secondary characters of Sarah Peck and Leorah Langdon? Felicity too! Phoebe rather annoyed (and sometimes infuriated) me. But she did perhaps have a pleasant, kind side as well. Anyway, they were grand. Perhaps we'll see some more of them ... ? *smiles*

The romance was very sweet. (I always say that, don't I? Well ... I can't help being a hopeless romantic! Most love stories in books I read just make my heart sigh! Haha. *smiles*) But yes. It was endearing. Gentle, though forbidden. There weren't hardly any "romance-y" scenes during the novel; no kissing. However, at the end, there are two scenes with many kisses exchanged. So that's why I recommend for about sixteen and up. This book is classified as adult though, mind you.

So yes. I really liked A Spy's Devotion! A beautiful regency tale! Lovely historical. Some action, danger, and suspense. Drama, and a darling love story. Fans of historical romance, particularly regency, you will not want to miss this new book by Melanie Dickerson!

Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for providing me with a e-copy of A Spy's Devotion in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Matched by Ally Condie

Purchase HERE

Title: Matched

Author: Ally Condie

Series: Matched #1

Genre: Dystopian

Audience: Young Adult

~ MY REVIEW ~

**3.5 stars**

While I still plan on finishing this series, Matched by Ally Condie just didn't rise up to my expectations ... didn't quite do the cover and story description justice.

I picked it up because, DYSTOPIAN! I'm loving intriguing, futuristic novels these days. And that cover. It said to me: "You must read me. At least give me a chance.". Anyway, the main character, Cassia, lives in a society where everything is decided for her. Who she marries. What she eats. When she dies. Etc. She's living in a bubble of sorts, where free will is all but gone, because the leaders of the world she lives in were determined to get rid of pain, tragedy, evil, and the like. Now everything is carefully and perfectly planned out ... safe. The problem is, Cassia happens to fall for a boy who isn't her match. And then she starts rethinking everything.

My main issue with this book: not much happened. It was pretty slow paced. Very little, if any, action. I was waiting and waiting for something to happen ... but nothing really happened. To be fair, there was forbidden love, even-more-forbidden poems, and some arrests of sorts, and also an incident with a red pill. Matched does have a very interesting world; a story with so much potential! That's why I want to continue this series. But this first book, while it captured my attention, didn't exactly keep me captivated. I really hope the next book will pick up the pace and get some exciting things happening!

Another thing to mention ... the leaders' whole plan of bringing people "back". Whenever someone dies, they swab a patch of their skin so they might be able to bring them back to life at some point. Okay. Weird. Not only could I not even begin to wrap my mind around this concept, it just really rubbed me wrong. No matter how advanced your technology and science, I don't believe you have the ability to resurrect a soul. Thank you.

Oh, and also, was I the only one to picture Cassia, Ky, and Xander (perhaps all the people in their group!) as younger than they were? For some reason, I was seeing Cassia as more 13 or 14 rather than 17/18. I had a hard time getting into the romance at times, because I kept picturing them as younger people who weren't really deeply in love.

*Sigh* So yes. Didn't really delight me all that much. But the dystopian aspect still has me fascinated, so I shall seek out the next book, and hope for the best! *smiles*

Book Review: Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason

Purchase HERE

Title: Irish Meadows

Author: Susan Anne Mason

Series: Courage to Dream #1

Genre: Historical

Audience: Adult

~ MY REVIEW ~

**2 stars**

Hmm. For some reason or another, Irish Meadows by Susan Anne Mason just wasn't so much my style. At first, I was enjoying it; however, the story failed to engage me, and by the end, I was skimming a little. The writing style/story arc strongly reminded me of Julie Lessman's books (though with much less sexual content). Both books have characters with a Catholic faith (but there was not as much depth to the faith as Julie Lessman's novels), and both families are Irish I believe; and both stories include lots of drama, tension, and petty misunderstandings in the romantic relationships. (Not to bash Julie Lessman ... her stories have historical depth and some amazing faith themes. But I stopped reading her books because some of the content was just a little too much; and to be honest, I'm just not a fan of so much drama in the romantic relationships.)

Irish Meadows tells the tale of two, Irish sisters, Brianna and Colleen, and their love interests. Unknown to them, their father is on the verge of loosing the family horses and plantation, and is willing to manipulate a lot of people, including his family, in order to save what's his. This may cause problems for Brianna, who's in love with a man her father is determined to keep away from her. Meanwhile, Colleen has her own troubles with a priest-to-be.

First off, you can hardly tell this family is Irish, besides their names and a few mentions of their heritage. Not much for Irish history or culture that I could see. That was a little disappointing.

Second, the faith. I believe they were Catholics, and there were a few things that rubbed me wrong - such as the need for a priest at a deathbed, to attend to spiritual needs. And they couldn't have someone who was training to be a priest ... he must be an actual priest. It just seems to much like they're putting emphasis on the wrong things. Also, while praying was done and God spoken of a lot, they never mentioned Jesus. Not even when a young woman was asking for forgiveness for sins. They said something like: You haven't done anything that God can't forgive. But they didn't mention why it is that nothing is beyond forgiveness ... because Jesus paid the price for our sin. So yes. Things like that. I just wasn't sure what to think. Some of it felt a little off, to me personally.

The romance. I wasn't so much a fan of that aspect either. As I mentioned above, too much drama! And she's sooo beautiful, and they catch each other's gaze, and they want to kiss. I'm like, Umm ... They hardly know each other well at all yet. Maybe too much emphasis on the physical aspect for my taste. Also, there's a passionate kiss exchanged and lots of thoughts about it ... like it's the turning point of the relationship. Besides that, there's the getting together, breaking up, getting together, breaking up again kind of feel because of petty issues. Brianna can be a bit selfish and immature and a tad bit "feminist" when it comes to marriage and all that. She gets angry at a guy for thinking she'll give up college to marry him ... but acts in a way that suggests she'd expect him to give up things in order to marry her and allow her to go to college.

I don't know. There are certain Christian Historical Romance books that go something like: Women fighting for their "rights" (maybe women aspire for something other than marriage!!), romance with lots of tension and tempers and physical attraction and going back and forth; though the woman clearly has faults, the man seems to think she's perfect and flawless, for the most part; characters "forced" into doing absurd things because of rather unbelievable reasons; not a lot of faith. Not a lot of real-life feeling scenarios and issues and themes. To me anyway.

So yes. There are my thoughts. I'm still going to give the second book in this series a try, as I'm receiving it as a review book. If you prefer what I described above, perhaps you'll really like this book! If you're a fan of Julie Lessman's, you may like this book too.

Book Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Purchase HERE

Title: Cress

Author: Marissa Meyer

Series: The Lunar Chronicles #3

Genre: Science Fiction/Dystopian

Audience: Young Adult

~ MY REVIEW ~

**4 stars**

Cress, the third book in THE LUNAR CHRONICLES, was a wild ride. Perhaps the most exciting book yet! I keep rating the novels of this series four stars because of the level of violence/gruesomeness ... but I kind of want to rate them more for the other parts! Overall, I've been loving this epic science-fiction/dystopian tale!

In Book Three, we officially meet Cress, whose been living in a satellite for about seven years. Trapped in this peculiar prison, and forced to do high-tech work for Mistress Sybil, loyal to Her Majesty, Queen Levana, Cress dreams of freedom, and heroism, and a certain handsome young captain she’s kept track of through the years.

    But there doesn’t seem to be any chance of escape as she orbits the earth endlessly. As the years tick by, Cress’s blonde hair grows ever longer, and her yearning for life and companionship deeper.

    However, with Cinder, Thorne, Wolf, and Scarlet planning and plotting within Iko’s temporary walls, everything is about to change.

Yay for fairytale retellings! (Even if they’re set in a strange science-fiction, futuristic world! *grins*) This book is a subtle retelling of Rapunzel, which is fun! I liked to see the little similarities to the original. Cress’s long, long hair. Her being trapped in a tower satellite. Thorne being an outlaw and rather full of himself charming. *wink* (This is actually more like the movie Tangled {2010} than the original Rapunzel story!) But anyway, I love fairytale retellings, regardless of what additional genre they’re set in; and I love that THE LUNAR CHRONICLES is a collections of retellings! ^_^

Alright, Cress. I really liked her character; much more than Scarlet and Cinder, I think. There was something entirely loveable about her sweet naivety and vulnerability – her vast knowledge but lack of actual experience on earth … she made me smile and laugh! And when it came down to it, that determination and bravery! What a girl! She had sort of this quiet strength that was really quite admirable. Love her. Loved her story! This was such fun!

Thorne. I went back and forth between wanting to burst out laughing and smacking him. At first, he could be rather insensitive and yes, conceited and selfish. However, he has this charming self, full of mischievous grins, winks, and teasing. And watching his journey to something deeper … it was great! ^_^ I love how Cress affected him. I loved his protectiveness of her. I loved his not wanting to hurt her emotionally (in spite of his past flirtations). I just loved it! <3 So sweet! Charming though he still is, Thorne is taking a turn for the better! So excited to see more of this couple!

Wolf and Scarlet. We didn’t see too much of them together in Cress. I can’t say I liked Wolf so much in this book … he’s having a hard time keeping down the wolf in him. I did see his quiet, nice side a few times, which was pleasant. As for Scarlet … eek! I don’t even know what to say! Can hardly wait for the next book to see how everything works out for these two! O_O

Cinder. I enjoyed seeing more of her, and liked that she was one of the POV characters once again! (There are a lot of POV characters in Cress. Sometimes, it could be slightly annoying/tiring … but mostly, great! *smiles*) PRINCE KAI!!! I love the ending and just - *huggles book*

And WINTER!!!! Oh my, I am so, so very excited to read Winter and see more of this fascinating girl! I believe she’s “Snow ”, and she has me oh so intrigued! Can’t wait for her story! ^_^

Okay. What else to say? This is a huge book … that I flew through in like two days. Um. (Sick days, you know). Anyway, it’s brilliant, for the most part! ^_^ Action and adventure, danger and drama, secrets, rebellion, and young love! Though a whole 550 pages, it’s thrilling from nearly beginning to end. I loved all our heroes and heroines interacting and plotting against the evil Queen Levana. I loved Thorne and Cress’s little journey together! I loved watching Thorne reevaluate his actions … learn to deeply care for someone other than himself … become a better man. The heart-pounding fighting scenes. That Cinder actually had a heart and conscience and was worried about becoming like Levana. The intrigue and mystery in the land of Luna (the moon). Just, everything. This is such an intense, fascinating, deep, and twisting tale! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I really enjoyed all the weird, complex, futuristic science-fiction stuff (and I’m even coming to understand sci-fi more! Haha). So enjoyed all the secrets being unearthed and mysteries at last revealed! And going to the ball … ^_^ And Iko’s surprise from Thorne; so sweet, by the way! Maybe he didn’t mean it the way I perceived, but my heart kind of melted in that moment. And just Cress-and-Thorne-interactions. Love them! *grins and hugs them*

On a down note, there still is quite a bit of violence/gruesomeness. Not as much as Scarlet, I don’t think, but quite enough! Most of those Lunar people are quite mad, I must say! O_O I would stay far away from them for the most part! Or until Princess Selene/Cinder takes her rightful place as queen!

    Also, Cress’s romantic imaginings made me uncomfortable. I would say that’s not the most healthy or pure thought life. It didn’t focus a lot of that, but there were a few mentions here and there that bothered me.

My overall thought? A grand, mysterious, thrilling story! This series makes me fangirl now and again, and I can hardly wait to dive into Winter!

Infinity Dreams Award!

I was tagged by Grace @ True and Pure for the Infinity Dreams Award! Thank you, Grace! ^_^ So let us get started!

Tell us 11 facts about yourself:

1. I've been writing since about eight-years-old; and last year, I published my first book (novella)!
2. I like a variety of different movies/tv shows: from When Calls the Heart {2014-}, to Call the Midwife {2012-}, to Cinderella {2015}, to Catching Fire {2013}.
3. I have an intolerance to wheat.
4. I was homeschooled, and graduated in 2014.
5. I love all things chocolate. *grins*
6. I've been known to read 500+ page books in about two days.
7. Fantasy, Historical, Dystopian, and Fairytale Retellings are my favorite-est genres.
8. I've lived in four different states.
9. I'm a collector of my favorite books. ^_^
10. I'm writing (rewriting) a story right now about a woman named Karalee and a man named Wolfe.
11. I'm introverted, think a lot, and am socially awkward. XD

Answer the questions.

What is your least favorite saying?

Um ... I don't really have one. I suppose I don't really appreciate "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps". Because it feels like it demands us to be hard and self-sufficient - take care of yourself. When really, we need to surrender and rely on God (when we are weak, He is strong)! 

And also, we should accept help from other people when we need it. We are made for companionship, and to love and be there for each other!

What’s your least favorite holiday and why?

Halloween. It seems to celebrate darkness and evil. I don't like when all kinds of people dress up like witches, vampires, ghosts, skeletons ... Yuck. I prefer to celebrate light and joy.

Where do you gain inspiration the most?

For writing stories? I don't know. I'm definitely motivated to write after watching an emotional, well-done movie. Fantastic books give me inspiration and make me want to write a fantastic book too! *grins*

How long have you been blogging, and what got you to blog in the first place? (shh, double question, I know)

Goodness. I wrote my very first blog post May 23rd, 2014. It was a book review for Jaye L. Knight's Resistance. Incredible, by the way!

Why did I get a blog? Because I'm a writer and I love to write! I wanted to get my name out, and thought a blog would be a good way to do it! It's worked pretty well, I must say! I've gotten to know a lot of amazing fellow writers, readers, and bloggers! ^_^

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?

Ooh. Hard question. I'm going to have to go with Ireland. Because I've seen beautiful pictures ... And castles ... And history ... and Irish jigs! I think it would be delightful! *smiles*

Nominate 11 bloggers and set questions for them.

Amber Stokes @ Seasons of Humility

Schuyler @ My Lady Bibliophile

Serena @ Poetree

Amanda @ Scattered Journal Pages

Skye @ Ink Castles

Christine @ Musings of an Elf

Deborah O'Carroll @ The Road of a Writer

Raechel @ God's Peculiar Treasure Rae

Katie Grace @ A Writer's Faith

Jesseca @ Whimsical Writings

Gabriela @ A Heart Redeemed

If you have the desire, than feel free to do this post, ladies! ^_^ 

• Use the Infinity Dreams Award picture
• Thank the blogger who tagged you
• Tell us 11 facts about yourself
• Answer the 11 questions
• Tag 11 bloggers

Here are your 11 questions:

How many books do you hope to read this year?

What's your favorite song?

What's your least favorite holiday?

Why do you blog?

Favorite dessert?

One movie coming out in 2016 you want to watch?

Some books set for 2016 releases you want to read?

What historical era intrigues you most?

Where would you love to visit?

Some of your favorite blogs?

What things inspire you to write/blog?

Book Review: The Golden Braid by Melanie Dickerson

Purchase HERE

Title: The Golden Braid

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Series: Hagenheim #6

Genre: Historical/Fairy Tale

Audience: Young Adult

~ MY REVIEW ~

**5 stars**

So I loved this book! Read it in one day! I adore Melanie Dickerson's medieval fairytale retellings, and should seriously think about collecting them all! ^_^ Anyway, The Golden Braid did not disappoint in any way. Another five-star rating for Melanie's sweet romances!

This one is a retelling of Rapunzel, one of my favorite fairytales. Rapunzel is a nineteen-year-old young woman living with her rather reclusive stepmother. Though innocent and a bit naive, she's skilled at knife-throwing and other odd hobbies; but nevertheless, her mother warns her again and again not to trust people; especially not men. And she must not show anyone her long, golden-blonde hair. It's simply indecent.

    Devoted to the woman she calls 'mother' - who found her, abandoned, when she was just a baby - Rapunzel strives to please her, and turns away many a suitor.

     But then, on yet another journey to a new home, they meet a brave young knight, Sir Gerek. He, along with many secrets, are about to change Rapunzel's life forever.

*Squeal* I just loved it! Fairytale retelling, adorable romance, wonderful heroine, heartfelt faith themes, exciting action ... eep! <3 I love it when I find a fairytale retelling like The Golden Braid. It keeps you smiling with lots of nods to the original tale, yet thrills you with spectacular additions and amazing characters, and pleases you with refreshing depth. Set in the medieval era (which is a favorite for me), Melanie Dickerson's stories need no magic. They are fairytale retellings at some of their best!

Let me take a moment to talk about Rapunzel. She is such a likable heroine ... and sometimes that's hard to find in books these days. At first, she's a little nervous, and attached to her mother. But over the course of the story, she learns new strength and independence. (And she's epic at knife-throwing. *grins*) But she's also very sweet, compassionate, and sensitive. She's courageous and has an admirable inner strength; but the thought to be "as good as the men" or belittle men doesn't cross her mind. She's just ... wonderful. I think she kind of exudes that gentle and quiet spirit that the Bible talks about, while still being strong in the Lord! I hope I can be more like Rapunzel! ^_^ Also, I found it rather funny how she wished a certain young man would stay grumpy, because she didn't know how to deal with her feelings for him when he was being extra gallant and sweet. Hehe. Rapunzel's innocence is refreshing. Seeing her "young love" story is so gently sweet.

Of course, this being part of the HAGENHEIM series (the 6th book), we see Rose and Lord Hamlin (from The Healer's Apprentice), and some of their children, including Margaretha (from The Princess Spy). Sir Gerek is one of Lord Hamlin's knights. I love the mysteries and everything, and how The Golden Braid is cleverly and closely tied in with the rest of the series. I guessed some things fairly early on, but that didn't lessen the thrill any! Also, The Golden Braid's story in intertwined with the story of The Princess Spy. Having recently read the latter, I was able to remember certain parts, and it was exciting to see it all from Rapunzel and Sir Gerek's perspective! What fun! This a lovely tale to be sure!

The romance, as I mentioned above, is adorable. I recommend for about sixteen and up. It was just, so sweet and beautiful! *huggles book* I love Rapunzel. And I love Sir Gerek. And I love them together. *grins* They're perfect. <3 And their story is just so ... ahhh. You must read it for yourselves! Probably my favorite romance from Melanie Dickerson yet! And the faith of each of these characters ... the lessons they learn. The trust they show. The putting aside of their own feelings to serve the other. It really had depth! Beautiful! There were so many good lines in The Golden Braid. I should write some down and start quoting this book! *grins* But truly, there were some profound moments.

That being said, I loved the faith aspect of The Golden Braid too!! I feel like these main characters really strived to know and love God, and His people! And to do what He would want them to do. They talked to Him, and trusted Him. There was uncommon respect and restraint in their love story that must come from a more godly outlook on romance. There was also a scene of miraculous spiritual intervention. All in all, the Christian part of The Golden Braid wasn't just a few preachy scenes added in ... it was a theme that enveloped the story. I really, really appreciate that.

Ah. What else? I simply loved this tale. It combines my favorite story elements: Faith, Romance, Action and Adventure in two of my favorite genres: Fairytale Retelling and Medieval Historical. A lovely novel! I'm so very excited to read more!