Down the Rabbit Hole

friends and then some -debbie macomber Lily Morrissey knows exactly what she wants in a husband: a big bank account. Not that she’s greedy or shallow; she just needs the security for herself and her beloved grandmother. But husband-hunting is harder than she expected, especially with her best friend Jake in the way. In fact, Jake—who would be perfect for her if he weren’t so committed to everything money can’t buy—is becoming downright distracting, with those jade eyes and that disarming grin.

All Jake wants is the freedom to sail his boat, write his stories, and live life on his own terms. Then his best friend tells him she’s going groom shopping. But Jake can’t imagine life without Lily or bear the thought of her in another man’s arms. How can a rootless guy living a no-strings existence and a woman looking for someone she can count on both get what they need? By letting their hearts choose love.

2 Drink Me Potions

Honestly? The antics of both protagonists Jake and Lily got really tiresome by halfway through this rather short novel.

Lily was hard to like at first. From the very first pages, it was evident that she was a shallow gold digger. Even she had to dissuade herself from thinking that that was indeed what she was. She was working as a pianist in some fancy hotel in order to hook her claws into some rich man staying there who may appreciate her music. And she wasn’t one ounce bit ashamed of finding a husband solely for his money so that she and her grandmother could have all the luxuries in the world that she ever wanted.

Meanwhile, Jake is really a no-strings kind of guy. He drives a cab and lives off on his boat. He could literally up and move whenever he wanted. He was a nice enough guy, but he was adamant about not ever letting some woman change him into what she imagined him to be.

So when Lily and Jake “accidentally” kiss one day, it changes everything. Jake gets all the more grumpy due to his denial of any attraction that he may feel for Lily. And she finds a few men interested in her who may fit her exact criteria: rich.

It started off a little amusing, like a romantic comedy where the two main characters have obvious feelings for each other but their denial of such notions is a little funny for those watching objectively from the outside.

Oh boy, does it get tiring when practically the whole novel is centred on almost-happens and kisses-that-shouldn’t-have-happened-yet-did but-they-(I mean Jake)-ignore-them-anyway.

I sped through Friends and Then Some ’cause I like Debbie Macomber but enough’s enough. I was ecstatic when it finally ended with the conclusion that we all knew was gonna happen from the start. They admit their feelings for each other. Of course. No duh. But the process was rather painful to get through.

Overall Recommendation:
Friends and Then Some really shows the novice in Macomber’s writing. The storyline wasn’t meant to be unpredictable as the synopsis definitely shows these two best friends were bound for each other. However, what started off amusing with their denials and underlying attractions just became downright annoying when Jake continues to refuse the notion of being with Lily and Lily just acts like a selfish brat who wants a rich husband to feed her desires for worldly things. The ending just didn’t come fast enough, and I wished more of the story focused on the last few scenes ’cause that’s the only place I found pleasure in.

Review: Endure by Sara B. Larson

January 5, 2016January 6, 2016 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Defy #3

endure -sara B larson The remarkable third novel in Sara B. Larson’s bestselling Defy series!

At last, Alexa and King Damian are engaged to be married. But their lives are far from safe. The kingdom of Antion is under siege, and Rylan is a prisoner of the enemy. Even worse, Alexa remains at the mercy of the evil Dansiian Rafe, who controls her mind and can force Alexa to kill or harm Damian at any moment. Despite this, Alexa is determined to rescue Rylan, which soon leads her far from Damian and deep into enemy territory.

When she arrives, what awaits her is deadlier than anything she could have ever imagined: an army of black sorcerers, and a horrifying plot to destroy the world as Alexa knows it. Will she be able to gather the strength to free herself, protect the love of her life, and save the land? Will there ever be true peace?

Acclaimed author Sara B. Larson has woven a stunning, romantic, and evocative finale to the Defy trilogy, that is sure to leave readers breathless until the very last page.

3.5 Drink Me Potions

I have literally endured months for this novel to come out, and it doesn’t totally disappoint.

Endure picks up right from the top where we left off in Ignite with Rylan gone with the evil sorcerer Rafe and Alexa’s other friends a bit unnerved from the climactic events that had taken place at the palace. The action was on a furious high in this last installment, which I guess shouldn’t surprise me as it is supposed to be the ultimate conclusion. But for all you romance lovers out there, the cute, but albeit few and far between, romantic scenes between Alexa and her handsome king were definitely a highlight. The raw emotions between them really showed how strong their love was, to the point they were willing to let each other go into danger for the sake of the other.

I do believe my expectations were a little high due to the seemingly endless wait for this book. It was a fast and pleasant read. The evilness brewing in Dansii was every bit as creative as I had hoped, with plenty of grossly intriguing villains to hate. Alexa was her same strong self, the guard we’ve grown to love who could take down any man twice her size.

So….why can’t I give this a higher rating?

I guess Endure was missing something for me. It had action, and it had a little bit of romance thrown in there, but I guess I was hoping for some kind of fantastical twist that I would have never even dreamt of putting into the plot. Basically, this book reminded me of a story plot that even I had conjured up back in the good old days. It lacked a sort of pizazz if you will that would have greatly spiced it up to a 5 star rating. However, this could just be a me thing and should not be taken as a “I didn’t like it” sign.

Overall, Endure made for a lovely conclusion to a trilogy. The ending was sweet, but the whole story wasn’t all mushy-gushy. Sacrifices were made and not everyone survived. So it was a little bittersweet at the characters we had to say goodbye.

Overall Recommendation:
Endure was a cute little story filled to the brim with action against the unknown evils that were hiding in the kingdom of Dansii. Alexa Hollen, brilliant female guard, continues to shine in this concluding installment with her ability to stay alive no matter the crazy situations she’s thrown into. With bittersweet sacrifices and little intense romantic scenes with our favourite king, this novel mostly holds true to everything it promises, although may be lacking in the surprising twists department.

adult

Review: Safe in His Arms by Colleen Coble

December 30, 2015January 7, 2016 Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Under Texas Stars #2

safe in his arms -colleen coble Sometimes it takes a stranger to see you as you really are.

Born and raised on sprawling Texas land, Margaret O’Brien prides herself on her competence as a rancher. But her father believes she’s made for more than just dawn-to-dusk work. He wants her to have the love of a good man, to raise children, to build a life. But Margaret gave up such dreams years ago. She’s convinced no man would have her, that the ranch is her life now.

So when Margaret’s father hires Daniel Cutler as a new foreman, she’s frustrated and suspicious. Then an overheard conversation links him with a gang of bank robbers, and she’s downright worried. Daniel swears he’s not involved, but Margaret’s not convinced. She knows the man still has secrets. But would a criminal be so kind and talk so convincingly of his faith? As a series of tragic “accidents” threatens all she holds dear, Margaret must decide what to trust: her own ears, her best judgment . . . or what her heart keeps telling her.

4 Drink Me Potions

Stuck on a bus for 12+ hours, Safe in His Arms quickly turned from a wondrous distraction to a novel that I just couldn’t put down even when I should have used the time to sleep a little.

Following Margaret as our protagonist was initially hard to swallow as she wasn’t portrayed as the nicest gals in the previous novel, Blue Moon Promise. However, under that tall and strong skin was a woman who thought she was unloveable, even to God, and only wished to gain others’ approval, in particular her father’s.

As a teenage girl once myself, I understood and immediately bonded with her over her insecurities, especially with her feminine attractiveness. She just couldn’t believe that any man would ever want her, and the only guy she thought would even consider marriage to her had fallen in love with a beautiful, dainty girl whom Margaret now called a best friend.

In came Daniel. It was hard to determine what he was up to in the beginning. The way Coble described his secretive plans for being in the town of Larson made him seem very sketchy indeed. I wasn’t certain if he was fully a good guy or not, or if his past was truly catching up to him.

Their attraction to each other felt natural. It may have started off as admiring the others’ outlook, but it became over time a product of mutual respect and reliance on one another. I loved the way Daniel got under Margaret’s defenses and tried to show her that she was a beautiful woman, inside and out. At the same time, the string of robberies around Larson and the secretive nature of Daniel’s ties to them were brewing and had me on the edge of my bus seat to determine how it could possibly end well for all of them.

The mystery wasn’t a huge highlight in the novel, and it did take a drastic turn that became predictable right before the end. However, I have to say that Colleen Coble’s done it again with amazing me with her amazing storytelling skills. I don’t really enjoy historical novels all that much, but with her? I absolutely adore them. That in itself already says a lot about this book.

Overall Recommendation:
Margaret was immediately a well-rounded character that I could easily connect with on her insecurities and wish to be loved and respected by the predominantly male characters in her life. Daniel was the perfect mix of a gentleman and mystery, with a dangerous past linked to his reasons for being at Margaret’s ranch. I loved the setting of Safe in His Arms and the overall lessons that Margaret had to learn about herself. The romance was absolutely a delight, and well-loved characters from the previous novel definitely make an appearance here too. I would most definitely recommend this cute duo series.