I totally paused!

Synopsis: Seven summers ago, Marcella Atkinson fell in love with Cecil McClatchey, a married father of two.  But on the same night their romance abruptly ended, Cecil’s wife was found murdered.  The case was never solved, and Cecil died soon after, an uncharged suspect.

Now divorced and estranged from her only daughter, Marcella lives alone, mired in grief and guilt.  Meanwhile, Cecil’s grown son, Jed, returns to the Cape with his sister for the first time in years.  When he finds a woman’s bathing suit buried in a closet – a relic, unbeknownst to him, of his father’s affair – he decides to confront Marcella on a hunch.

When, to their deep surprise, they fall into an affair of their own, passion temporarily masks their shared pain.  But as we are left to believe on the last stunning page, the betrayals of the past cannot be ignored and will have a ripple effect on these two families for years to come.

In this scintillating and intensely powerful debut, Holly LeCraw delivers a sensuous narrative of such force and depth that you won’t be able to put it down.

My Review: I really liked this book, and with that in mind, I’m not entirely sure what to say about it.  I’m always surprised when people make a point to mention a novel is a debut, because it doesn’t necessarily take multiple novels to finally create a great one.  Some authors just have talent, it’s likely why they started writing to begin with, and this author definitely has talent.

The story is told both from the present perspective of many characters, and segments of the past as well, often covering the point of view of several characters in the same scenario.  We get to see the entirety of this story unfold just as the characters themselves are learning the truth about what really happened.  It was so interesting to watch how each set of actions spirals out and can affect so many other people, no one intending on the consequences that ultimately come from those actions.

I found myself wondering throughout much of the story “Would (insert character) have been doing this if (incident) hadn’t happened?”  We all come into this world with a personality, and that is irrevocably altered depending on our interactions with each other.  And to see a story filled with so much tragedy, you can’t help but wonder how different these lives could have been if things had gone differently.  To me, it’s a parallel for our own lives – recognizing potential that may have been lost because of things completely out of our control.  Wondering what to do with ourselves once we experience these changes.

This was a quick book to read, the writing is so engaging that you can’t help but continue to turn the page.  It’s not only a great summer read, it also makes you think about your life and actions, how nothing is really kept to yourself and you never know what will happen when you make one tiny decision.

Read this book if: You want a great read that contains romance, thrills, and a lot of things to ponder.  I would also love to see a sequel to this book, it left me wondering what is next for all these characters.

Full disclosure: I received this book as an advanced reading copy from the publisher, DoubleDay.  This has in no way affected my review, and I was not compensated for this review in any way.

Synopsis: In the summer of 1855, Walt Whitman’s controversial Leaves of Grass has just been released, and the notion of making a living as a writer is still a far-off dream for Louisa.  She is twenty-two years old, vivacious, and bursting with a desire to be free of her family and societal constraints so she can do what she loves the most – write.

The Alcott family, destitute as usual, moves to a generous uncle’s empty house in Walpole, New Hampshire, for the summer.  Here, a striking but pensive Louisa meets the fictional Joseph Singer.  Louisa is initially unimpressed by Joseph’s charms.  But just as she begins to open her heart, she discovers that Joseph may not be free to give his away.  Their newfound love carries a steep price, and Louisa fears she may pay with the independence she has fought so hard to protect.

Because Little Women borrows stories from Louisa’s own childhood, the real-life Alcott sisters depicted in The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott will feel like familiar old friends.  But readers will learn how the Alcott’s real life differed from the fictional March family.  While Transcendentalist friends like Thoreau and Emerson were fixtures of Louisa’s youth, Bronson Alcott’s philosophical pursuits left the family finances in shambles.  Unlike the wise and placid “Marmee”, Louisa’s mother, Abba, was often depressed and overwhelmed by poverty and disappointment.

The historical facts throughout this debut will be a delicacy to Alcott fans, but first and foremost, this is a universal story of love and how it changes us in ways we could never imagine.

My Review: Like almost all girls, I first read Little Women in my early teens, and I have read it numerous times in the years since.  It is nearly impossible to avoid falling in love with the March sisters, and you will find yourself doing the same with the characters in The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott.  Kelly O’Connor McNees manages to make the real life Alcotts as relatable and charismatic as the characters Louisa created herself.

It’s long been known that Louisa based Little Women on her own life and childhood, which has left readers wondering for decades – if the March sisters are based on the Alcott sisters, who is Laurie based on?  This book weaves a wonderful story of the passionate love of a summer long ago, where Louisa meets Joseph Singer, the fictional inspiration for Laurie.

The truth is that we may never really know who the real Laurie was, as the author details how much trouble Louisa went to at the end of her life to keep her private life private.  But just as Louisa herself created a lovely fantasy family based on her own, Kelly O’Connor McNees gives us a wonderful fantasy Laurie…although Laurie will always be Christian Bale in my mind.

While knowing that the relationship between the actual Laurie and Louisa did not work out, the true heartbreak in this book for me is seeing the real life the Alcott family lead.  The March family of Little Women went through many struggles, and you feel the truth, the realness, in reading their tale.  To know the family they are based on had a much more sad and difficult life brings home the truth of what it was to be a part of this period in our history.  The romanticized version in Little Women is sad enough – the true story behind it makes you feel very much for these people, and I for one yearn to be able to help them.

This is a lovely story and truthfully, the only thing which prevented me from reading it in one sitting was that pesky thing called work.  It was exactly the kind of book I was looking for – a beautiful and charming story, with the truth of a life one doesn’t tend to make up.  I was lost in the book, immersing myself with the characters, finding that just like I identified very much with Jo in Little Women, I felt even more of a kindred spirit with Louisa herself in this book.  Her rebellion against societal norms, the wish for independence and need to get away from a family who loved, but needed her too much, all rings very true to me.

If there is one book I could recommend thoroughly this summer, it is this one!

Read this book if: You’ve ever wondered more about the life of Louisa May Alcott.  Though this book is mere speculation of one summer of her life, it is a heartwarming story and one I think I’ll be reading for years to come.

Full disclosure: I received this book as an advanced reading copy from LibraryThing, which received the book from the publisher, Putnam Adult.  This has in no way affected my review.

*Image courtesy of Good Reads

Synopsis: On the brink of revolution, with a tide of hate turned against the decadent royal court, France is in turmoil – as is the life of one young woman forced to leave her beloved Paris.  After a fire destroys her home and family, Claudette Laurent is struggling to survive in London.  But one precious gift remains: her talent for creating exquisite dolls that Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France herself, cherishes.  When the Queen requests a meeting, Claudette seizes the opportunity to promote her business, and to return home…

Infused with the passion and excitement of a country – and an unforgettable heroine – on the threshold of radical change, this captivating novel propels readers into a beguiling world of opulence, adventure, and danger, from the rough streets of eighteenth-century London to France’s lavish Palace of Versailles.

My Review:

Sometimes you read a book and it was exactly what you expected it to be.  And then sometimes you read something that goes way beyond your expectations, leaving you pleasantly surprised and thrilled with the story.  This is absolutely one of those books.

Claudette Laurent is a native Parisian, forced to move to London due to a tragic fire that takes her family and future away from her.  Rather than accepting her new place in society, Claudette fights against her new oppressive employer and embraces her inherited talent of dollmaking.  This courageous step brings her into contact with the high society of London, and eventually even the royal families of England and France.

Along with her dear friend Beatrice, Claudette soon has a booming business – which comes with a price of its own.  While the thrill of making dolls for Marie Antoinette brings C. Laurent Fashion Dolls a new kind of customer, it also draws the attention of the revolutionaries of France.  In a time when most people are fleeing the country, Claudette is faced with having to choose between the loyalty to her friend the Queen, or her own safety.

While Claudette and her story are entirely fictional, the reader wonders how many people lived through similar events during this tumultuous time in French history.  Countless lives were destroyed due to false charges, fixed trials, and mere association with the royal family.  The author could have glossed over the unpleasant events of this period, but instead brings a story that keeps you on the edge of your seat.  You will find yourself filled with anxiety about the circumstances Claudette finds herself in, and hope that things will turn out alright in the end.  All the while, the reader knows the true results of this revolution, and is constantly reminded of the price a country can pay when the mob takes over.

The historical detail is what really pulls you into this story, especially the inclusion of many characters who were living, breathing people that had their lives turned upside down because of their friendships with the King and Queen.  Claudette is a lovely heroine, but the real beauty of this story is the way the author infuses this fictional dollmaker into the royal court, showing how even a normal trades person can be caught up in the frenzy of overhauling a country.

Read this book if: You enjoy historical fiction, especially that with details you may always see.  This is an interesting look at the royal court of France during the reign of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, and I think a great introduction to this period in history.

Full disclosure: I received this book as an advanced reading copy from Curled up with a Good Book, which received the book from the publisher, Kensington Fiction.  This has in no way affected my review.

Originally published at CurledUp.com Copyright 2010 by dorolerium for Curled Up With a Good Book

*Image and synopsis courtesy of GoodReads

Synopsis: Iceland, AD 1000
Freya knows that her people are doomed. Warned by the Fates of an impending disaster, she must embark on a journey to find a magnificent gold necklace, one said to possess the power to alter the course of history. But even as Freya travels deep into the mountains of Iceland, the country is on the brink of war. The new world order of Christianity is threatening the old ways of Iceland’s people, and tangled amidst it all are two star-crossed lovers who destiny draws them together-even as their families are determined to tear them apart

Infused with the rich history and mythology of Iceland, Betsy Tobin’s sweeping novel is an epic adventure of forbidden love, lust, jealousy, faith and magical wonder set under the shadow of a smoldering volcano.

My Review: Prior to reading this book, I knew virtually nothing of the mythology of Iceland.  I briefly thought about doing some research about Norse mythology, but then decided against it…mostly because I feel a book like this should act as a standalone and not require you to have prior knowledge of the topic.

I will admit it took a little bit for me to get into this book, as the introduction to the characters is somewhat slowly paced.  I longed for the book to pull me in, to be one of those I couldn’t put down, and it happily became that kind of book after the introduction chapters were finished.  That being said, many of the characters were very engaging, and you could feel their beauty spilling off the pages.

The story is a basic telling of the journey of Freya, the Norse goddess of love, to find a legendary necklace that is rumored to be the savior of her race, the Aesir.  Thrown in are the tales of others affected by her journey, and it all takes place during the tumultuous period when Christianity is being introduced to the people of Iceland.

Along the way, Freya meets dwarves, giants, a daughter of Odin, and develops relationships with all of them.  I loved watching these relationships unfold, seeing how the presence of a real life goddess affected the lives of mortals, and how without even trying, she could affect such drastic change in their lives.  In the background lies the ever present volcano, Hekla, unpredictable and always threatening to destroy everything around her.

I could really gush about all the major characters in this book, but I will instead let you read the book for yourself.  Their individual, and collected stories, are beautiful, and will make you yearn for the chance to visit this lovely country.  But since we cannot visit Iceland in 1000 AD in person, we’ll have to settle for wonderful stories like this one which will allow us to go there in our imaginations.

Read this book if: You have an interest in Norse mythology, or would like an easy story of love, loss, and friendship.  This isn’t a new take on the topic, but it’s a nice introduction that will leave you looking for more.  Plus, that cover is gorgeous, and I am a sucker for a beautiful cover.

Full disclosure: I received this book as an advanced reading copy from the publisher, Plume (a member of Penguin Group Inc), and this has in no way affected my review.

Photo courtesy of Goodreads

Synopsis: Connie Goodwin should be spending her summer doing research for her Ph.D. dissertation in American History.  But when her mother asks her to handle the sale of Connie’s grandmother’s abandoned home near Salem, she’s compelled to help.  One day, while exploring the dusty bookshelves in the study, Connie discovers an ancient key, and within the key is a brittle slip of paper with two words written on it: Deliverance Dane.

Along with a handsome steeplejack named Sam, Connie begins to research Deliverance Dane.  But even as the pieces fall into place, Connie is haunted by visions of long ago, and she fears that she is more tied to Salem’s dark past than she could have ever imagined.

Written by an author whose ancestors were accused witches in Salem, The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane travels seamlessly between the trials in the 1690s and a modern woman’s story of mystery and discovery.

Review: I received this book as an ARC, and quite honestly, I knew nothing about it at first.  However, after reading the description of it, I knew right away this is exactly the kind of book that appeals to me.  A story woven between the (sort of) present and the past, this book has mystery, suspense, and the plights of women all rolled into one.  Who could resist!

The author set this book in 1991 and the late 1600’s, which provides a semi-modern view and also a fictionalized version of the Salem Witch Trials in US colonial times.  As a life long resident of the Western US, I’ve always known about the Salem trials, but not a whole lot as we tend to learn about history as it pertains to our region of the country as we’re growing up.  One thing I love about fiction is the ability to teach while being entertaining, and this book delivers on both fronts.  And the setting in 1991, before the internet, makes for a very interesting read as far as Connie’s quest to find this elusive book.

In the book, the idea is introduced: what if the witch trials were real?  While I do believe that witches are still a metaphor for the unexplained in society, it’s a very interesting concept to explore, that to these people, magic really did exist.  It’s easy to forget that not too long ago, many things were unexplained – science and medicine are relatively new concepts in the scope of humanity.  So while to me, the weather is simply something I read about, it really was something magical to these people.  Illness, plague, drought – they were all caused by mysterious, unknown sources.  And really, that is magic.

Another concept that always appeals to me is the idea of what happens in a society as women gain more power and self awareness.  I consider the Salem trials to be a consequence of women evolving in society, and the men reacting in any way they could to regain control.  This book firmly keeps the female characters in both self confidence and power, with the men as more outside characters, almost accessories in a sense.  In the book, we are supposing that witches are real, and the abilities are passed down to the females of the family.  It’s not only a powerful method of showing that women have always been more resiliant than men had supposed, but also a nice way to say “Hey sister, you can do it on your own.”

To me, the characters were more of a way to drive the plot, but I quite liked them all, and Connie herself reminds me a lot of me.  Although I saw a couple of the plot devices coming, the story was very enjoyable and I loved the way it got there.  It was suspense without anxiety, my favorite kind.  My only complaint is that there wasn’t more historical passages, I loved every bit of the sections surrounding the trial.  I think this is a very versatile read that can appeal to all kinds of readers, and I encourage everyone to get it from their local bookstore or library.  And I, naturally, am keeping my fingers crossed that the author writes a sequel!

Read this book if: You’re interested in the Salem trials, women in history, or even just a good fiction.  I recommend it to pretty much everyone, and am going to suggest it for my book club!

Synopsis: “Bury me standing.  I must be buried standing.”

Deep in the swamps of southern Louisiana, Mariutza’s beloved grandfather whispers his ominous last request – and dies in her arms.  All her life he’s looked after her, trained her in the old Gypsy ways and kept her hidden away in the swamp.  But now…

The Badness has found her.

Mari’s only hope is to find Jaazaniah the Prophet, the legendary hero of her grandfather’s bedtime stories.  But how can a girl who has never left the swamp survive the terrifying world of men long enough to find a savior who may not even exist?

*****

In the heart of New Orleans, musician Jazz Rechabson runs for his life.  Everyone is out to get him.  Soldiers, government agents, mysterious hooded men.  What do they want?  And who is the beautiful young woman who haunts his waking dreams?

Can strangers from different worlds come together in time to unmask a horrifying enemy?  And if they do, will they be able to STAND?

Review: I have mixed feelings about this book.  On the one hand, I liked the story as a whole, and it’s an interesting topic considering most of the paranormal reading I do is either flat out obvious vampires or angels.  But the flip side is that I had a really hard time with the presentation.  Don’t get me wrong, it was written okay, just not exactly my style.

I like reading things that are out of my normal comfort zone, but the problem with that is sometimes I end up reading something that makes me think “ugh, I wish I was reading some historical fiction instead”.  But see, I’m a woman, so I would say to an extent, the things I normally read are written more for a female audience.  With Powers, it seems like the book was written more for a male audience.  Which in itself is an interesting concept, that just being of a different gender means subject matter and the way it’s written is more or less appealing to us.

It was really hard for me to get into, even though it’s a fast read, and one night after reading a few chapters I think I figured out what my problem was.  Not only did I feel from the start that the book was written more for men, the pacing just felt totally off for me.  The book opens with a high action, stressful situation, and it keeps at that level for the entire book.

I was trying to figure out what other form of media I’ve used where I feel that same kind of anxiety, because I get rather pulled into books and having the characters in danger constantly is a little hard on me.  And then it hit me – the book reads kind of like a video game plays.  You get into a video game and it’s constant action, which makes sense because why else would you be playing?  But…if I want to play a video game, I’ll do that instead of picking up a book.

Another point of contention for me was simply the characters – everyone is either completely trusting of everyone else and very naive, or doesn’t trust anyone else and is constantly finding something wrong with them.  It got old pretty fast, and predictable, that Jazz thought everyone had to be playing an angle and they wanted his treasure!  And I think I’ve mentioned before that I’m not a fan of characters that are constantly down on themselves, so I was rather tired of Mari thinking she was stupid and no one liked her simply because there was some disagreement.  I don’t want to give the plot away, but I will say that after reading it, I have absolutely no idea why Mari wasn’t more educated and experienced in the real world.

I’m not sure if the author intends to write another book in this series, if it’s meant to be the end, or if maybe some things got edited out, but I would like some explanation about The Badness specifically.  I get the concept of it, sort of – it’s black evil stuff that wants to kill The Standing.  But is it evil that just floats from entity to entity?  And does it *only* want to kill The Standing?  Because if it’s about world domination, go ahead and fight it.  You know – STAND!  But if it’s just hunting your people and your people alone, I don’t really know why you would run around highly populated areas, endangering the rest of the population.

I think if I were presented with a scenario where some evil force was hunting down members of my family, and it was infecting people to do so, I’d get myself to the middle of nowhere so it would be more of a fair fight.  And to save as many innocent people as possible.  Kind of like when Angel decides to not save someone he loves because doing so would kill a ton of people in the process.  Yeah, I can turn anything into a Buffy reference.

And speaking of Buffy, the general impression is that The Badness is supposedly vampires or something like that.  Internets, I was confused enough that I actually did some research on the book!  And let me tell you – if this is actually about vampires, this is the worst vampire novel I have read since Stephenie Meyer’s.  So based on that, I guess The Standing represents some kind of group of slayers?  But I’m confused again because people who were infected with The Badness become uninfected later on.  Umm, vampirism doesn’t really work that way.

This book is also being billed as Christian Fiction, and I’m not sure that I see that.  I don’t think that references and quotes from the bible make something Christian.  That being said, I am terribly unfamiliar with normal Christian literature, so maybe this is typical?  But if I was a Christian, and this is the kind of book that is written “for me”, I don’t think I’d be impressed.

I know people are really impressed with the first book in this series, Shade, but if it’s anything like this one, I don’t think I’ll like it.  And I don’t intend to read it.  I really wanted to like this book, but I can’t bring myself to do it.  Maybe if there had been some more revisions, some explanation, and a slightly slower pace, but as it stands, this is not the sort of book for me.

Read this book if: I think if you liked the first novel, you might like this one.  People who are a fan of this author seem to really really like him.  I also don’t feel like this book required you to have read the first one to be able to read it.  There’s also a quote on the cover saying this author is a must read if you enjoy Ted Dekker and Frank Peretti.  I have absolutely no idea who they are.  So, unless you already like the author or authors he is likened to, I just can’t recommend this book.

Synopsis: Daniel’s gaze caught hers, and her breath caught in her throat.  She recognized him from somewhere.  But she would have remembered meeting someone like him.  She would have remembered feeling as absolutely shaken up as she did right now.

They were still locking eyes when Daniel flashed her a smile.  A jet of warmth shot through her…but then he raised his hand in the air.  And flipped her off.  Luce gasped and dropped her eyes.  Her momentary delirium vanished.  What was that guy’s problem?

Just before she ducked into her first class, she dared to glance back.  His face was blank, but there was no mistaking it – he was watching her go.

Review: I’m going to say ahead of time that this review is probably going to make it seem like I didn’t like this book, which is not actually the case.  I did like it.  But I also have some criticisms, so I apologize ahead of time.

First, I love the cover.  Mine was an ARC, so I don’t actually have this cover, but I love the cover.  It’s a good rendition of Luce and the positions she finds herself in.

I hate to sound like other people who have reviewed the book, but it just felt a little like Twilight crossed with Hush, Hush to me.  I liked it better than Twilight, because I think my like/hate relationship with that series isn’t a secret.  I did not like this book as well as I liked Hush, Hush.

I was really looking forward to this book, although you’d never guess by the timeframe in which I read it as compared to when it appeared on my doorstep.  I wouldn’t say I was disappointed, that’s a little strong, but maybe I felt let down?  Sometimes you read a YA novel and it’s just fantastic – I point to my review of Legacy as an example.  I can definitely fall in love with YA literature, and I’m a fan of Sarah Dessen’s.

But other times, you read a YA novel and kind of feel like it was not written for you.  I found several of the plot points and characters to be extremely obvious, and the climax of the book was really not a huge surprise to me.  I was only surprised by the true identity of one character, and I would even say surprised is too much to describe it.  Because nothing in this book was a *surprise* in the truest sense of the word.  More like “That one too…huh.” when the big reveal happened.

That being said, I loved the shadows and the threat Luce felt she was constantly under.  While the character development wasn’t surprising, there were still scenes that excited me and made me wish I was there.  I didn’t feel totally pulled in, like I couldn’t put it down, but I definitely wanted to finish and see how everything would wrap up…

But I don’t think it’s a spoiler to anyone that there’s a sequel to this book coming out later this year.  So we’re left with a definite cliff hanger as to what’s going to happen next.  I, personally, will still read the rest of the series, and I’m sure I’ll enjoy it, even cross my fingers that I get another ARC despite my review.  Since this is basically a debut novel, my guess is things will get better as the series goes on.  If nothing else, at least it’s not as far fetched as vampires that sparkle in the sun and can go in a house uninvited.  Yes, I’m still bitter about that.

Read this book if: You’re looking for a nice page turner that’s quick to read.  It’s not a bad book for the genre, but keep in mind when reading it that it’s designed for readers 12 & up, so it’s not going to be totally adult oriented.

From the book cover: Odessa, Ukraine, is the humor capital of the former Soviet Union, but in an upside-down world where waiters earn more than doctors and Odessans depend on the Mafia for basics like phone service and medical supplies, no one is laughing.  After months of job hunting, Daria, a young engineer, finds a plum position at a foreign firm as a secretary.  But every plum has a pit.  In this case, it’s Mr. Harmon, who makes it clear that sleeping with him is job one.  Daria evades Harmon’s advances by recruiting her neighbor, the slippery Olga, to be his mistress.  But soon Olga sets her sights on Daria’s job.

Daria begins to moonlight as an interpreter at Soviet Unions, a matchmaking agency that organizes “socials” where lonely American men can meet desperate Odessan women.  Her grandmother wants Daria to leave Ukraine for good and pushes her to marry one of the men she meets, but Daria already has feelings for a local.  She must choose between her world and America, between Vlad, a sexy, irresponsible mobster, and Tristan, a teacher nearly twice her age.  Daria chooses security and America.  Only it’s not exactly what she thought it would be…

A wry, tender, and darkly funny look at marriage, the desires we don’t acknowledge, and the aftermath of communism, “Moonlight in Odessa” is a novel about the choices and sacrifices that people make in the pursuit of love and stability.

*****

I was rather pulled in by this book from the start.  Daria was an engaging character, and the kind of girl I’d like to be friends with.  Which made reading about her life and choices kind of difficult, I think I often would have had the same reaction to her that her American friend Jane had.  I just felt so deeply for Daria, wanting the best for her, that I almost felt protective of her.

Daria is a non-native English speaker, so there are little parts in the book where she conjugates words in English, such as “swim, swam, swum”.  I found myself doing this in my actual life, in my head anyway, because it was just so charming!  It’s the kind of thing I never think about in my own language, and realistically it’s probably good to get me thinking about the different forms of our words.

I think the biggest thing about this book that spoke to me was that although Daria is from the Ukraine and is looking for a better life, this is kind of a comment on the life of a woman in general.  Daria comes to America expecting a perfect, magical life, and it just doesn’t happen that way.  But if you think about the problems she has throughout the book, they aren’t exactly things that are unique to the fact that she’s not from the US.

If you look at the book from a woman’s point of view, many of us have the same concerns and problems that Daria has.  Obviously, she has the added complication of relying on her link to the states, Tristan, to be able to stay here.  But otherwise, don’t we all feel a little like we have to stay with a man to survive?

Women in America are in a better position than we’ve ever been, but we still face plenty of struggles that men will never know.  We often make less money than our male colleagues and partners, have fewer advantages simply because of our gender, yet we’re expected to run our households and raise our families.  The attitude of the average man has improved, I’ll give you that, but it’s not uncommon to find a man who really expects everything at home to be handed to him by his wife.

Am I generalizing?  Absolutely.  I know there are also plenty of really great men out there.  But I have lived in the United States my whole life and the only time I’ve ever felt like I wasn’t required to live up to the expectations of the men in my life was…when I moved to a place where there were no men in my life.  I think all you need to be able to see the sadness in Daria’s life and feel sympathy for her is look at your own past and reflect on how the men in your life have made you feel.  If you can look back and don’t understand where Daria is coming from, please count your blessings.

I had a hard time reading about Daria’s life with Tristan, just because I understand that feeling of thinking you’re trapped.  Not knowing how to get out, forge your own life.  I feel fortunate that I’ve been able to do that, and I hope that other women who feel that way are able to do the same thing.

This is the sort of book I think I would have read in one sitting if I’d had time to do so, and I also feel like I’ll be coming back to it for rereads in the future.  I hope the author writes a sequel to this book, because I’d really like to see what the future holds for Daria.  Like I said, she feels like a friend, and who doesn’t want to stay caught up with their friends?

Read this book if: You’re interested in a sweet character story, and a lovely romantic look at the Ukraine at the same time.  About half of this book takes place in America, but the rest is in the Ukraine, and I absolutely loved hearing about a place I knew virtually nothing about.

Reading this book was like a reunion with old friends.  I am always eager to see what these ladies are up to, and Kate Jacobs did not disappoint with the third installment of the series.

When I read Knit Two, I really liked it, but also felt like it required you to have read The Friday Night Knitting Club prior to reading it.  Whether intentionally or not, I believe that while Knit the Season is definitely a continuation of the stories of all the club members, it could also be a stand alone novel.  As a fan of the series, I would love for everyone to read it from the start, but you could totally just pick this book up and understand these people without having done so.

One of the things I really liked in this book was the memories of Georgia mixed in with everything else.  I felt like Dakota must have, getting an entirely new perspective on her mother based on who was telling the memory.  Georgia was something I missed in Knit Two, like all the club members I profoundly felt the loss of her.  But just as everyone in the novel is learning better how to cope with her no longer being around, the passages describing her helped me cope with it as well, what I genuinely feel was the loss of a friend.

For me, the book also continued to dispense real life advice, something I love about these books and Kate Jacobs as an author.  I feel like I can take the advice the ladies give each other to heart, as though they were giving it to me, such as when KC tells Peri that timing is more important in your life for a relationship to take hold, rather than who the person is – meaning there isn’t just one person for everyone, and it has to be right for you and your life.

The glimpses into Georgia’s past were also really interesting to me, and I’d honestly love a book just about Georgia in her younger days.  Seeing her always looking for the best, and trying to find a way to get to the big city, it’s a quality I hope to find in myself some day.  Perhaps Georgia can teach it to me.

I really loved watching Catherine, in particular, continue to grow and mature as time has gone on.  Although Dakota is the one who started out as a young teenager and has grown into a woman over the course of these novels, Catherine has had an even more important growth cycle into a wonderful maturity.  It’s very refreshing to see someone like her coming into their own, and figuring out what they really want.

Along with Anita as the voice of reason, we get to spend more time with Dakota and Georgia’s Gran from Scotland, as well as Bess Walker, Georgia’s mother.  These ladies always seem able to give the best advice, whether that be because of their own age and wisdom or simply because you do feel so close to them…although we never got much of Bess prior to this novel.  I feel as though I’m Dakota in these situations, learning from women who know better than I do.  I often thought maybe they were speaking directly to me, such as when Gran tells Dakota she doesn’t need to figure her entire life out at once, or when Bess explains that it doesn’t really do you any good to push people away to protect yourself.  It does more damage in the long run anyway.

Not only did this book reconnect me with characters I love, it also made me feel a new appreciation for the fast approaching holidays.  I’ve never been a huge holiday person myself, often choosing something like work over time with family.  But this year, perhaps because of my own new situations, I want to make an effort to be involved and spend time with the people I care about.  While I think those feelings were brewing inside me already, Knit the Season really helped to bring the thoughts to the forefront of my mind, and make it a priority this season.

And I consider this a fresh reminder to get cracking on my Christmas knitting!

Read this book if: You’re a fan of the series, or would like a fun, fast holiday read.  It would make a great book to sit down with during the holiday break this year, a wonderful way to unwind.  I, for one, hope there are more books to come!