fiction – Page 6 – The Pajama Chef

Book Review: The Dancing Master

March 3, 2014March 2, 2014 Sarah

Happy Monday! Need a book to read during this March snowy/icy week? How about Julie Klassen’s The Dancing Master? It is a fun read that I’m excited to share with you today. I was sent a free copy of this novel as part of Bethany House Publishers‘ book review program.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Finding himself the man of the family, London dancing master Alec Valcourt moves his mother and sister to remote Devonshire, hoping to start over. But he is stunned to learn the village matriarch has prohibited all dancing, for reasons buried deep in her past.

Alec finds an unlikely ally in the matriarch’s daughter. Though he’s initially wary of Julia Midwinter’s reckless flirtation, he comes to realize her bold exterior disguises a vulnerable soul–and hidden sorrows of her own.

Julia is quickly attracted to the handsome dancing master–a man her mother would never approve of–but she cannot imagine why Mr. Valcourt would leave London, or why he evades questions about his past. With Alec’s help, can Julia uncover old secrets and restore life to her somber village. . .and to her mother’s tattered heart?

Filled with mystery and romance, The Dancing Master brings to life the intriguing profession of those who taught essential social graces for ladies and gentlemen hoping to make a “good match” in Regency England.

And as usual, my five point review:

I use Goodreads to help me find new books. [Follow me!] Sometimes before beginning a new book, I’ll peruse the reviews before I begin reading [non-spoiler ones, that is] and one of the first ones I saw was that this book is “Footloose in Regency England!” How fun, I thought–and it was. An all around fun read.
My biggest gripe about The Dancing Master was that everything was soooooo drawwwwwn outttttt. Writing like that reminds me of my sister, circa 2007. But seriously, it takes forever to learn WHY dancing has been all but outlawed in this tiny town, and even then, it’s a pretty outlandish reason. Maybe it wouldn’t have been outlandish back in Regency times but it seemed sort of silly today.
There were lots of secrets in this book, and I liked that the reader didn’t learn secrets before the characters do. Many good books are set up that way, but sometimes it is fun to try to figure out the mysterious events as the characters do.
Speaking of characters, many times I like the main female leads in these cheesy romances. This time? Not so much. I think Julia learns a lot throughout the events in the novel, but something about her rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn’t that she was super spoiled or selfish; she’s just annoying at times. She has a few good friends though [including Alec’s sister] that I would really like to know better. A spinoff perhaps? Alec was very likeable. I enjoyed hearing a lot of the story from his point of view–a bit unusual, the male perspective, but very good.
All in all, this was a good book. Fun. Exciting. Unpredictable [well, as much as romances are]. I enjoyed the setting and the history lesson about the upperclass social graces of the time. Dancing masters also taught fencing, so it was fun to read about Alec fencing too. Hope you enjoy this book like I did!

What are you reading lately?

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bethany House Publishers. However, I was not required to write a positive review. The thoughts expressed above are entirely my own. Thanks to Bethany House for the chance to read this great book!

Reviews

Book Review: Rebellious Heart

December 13, 2013December 13, 2013 Sarah

I know… I know, I just posted a book review last week! I have two more book reviews to share so I am caught up before Christmas, so bear with me. 🙂 Today I’m going to talk about Jody Hedlund’s Rebellious Heart. I read this book as part of the awesome book review program offered by Bethany House Publishers.

Here is the description of the book from the publisher:

Massachusetts, 1763. When Susanna Smith and Benjamin Ross act to save the life of a runaway indentured servant, they’ll risk everything for love and justice in a nation on the brink of revolution.

And as usual… my five point review.

I NEVER WANTED THIS BOOK TO END. Never never never. It was SO good. So engaging, so funny, so frightful, so wonderful. The story is based on the true story of John and Abigail Adams, which is really interesting. Makes me want to read more about them! Reading about the Colonial era is something I haven’t done very much of since I was into Felicity and the other American Girl dolls back in the day, but now I want to explore Goodreads and see what else is out there!
Knowing that Benjamin [or Ben, as he goes by in the book] is really John Adams puts a bit more perspective and context into this character. Nevertheless, watching Ben develop from a “nobody” as initially stated into a man of purpose throughout the story was amazing. Really, Susanna developed a lot too, but that’s typical of female leads in Christian romance novels. I love seeing strong men in these books because that’s who men should emulate nowadays, not weak men that [can] be common because of societal pressures and gender equality. [BTW this isn’t a political stance on gender, just a statement that Ben the character is strong and I like that.]
It was really interesting–and really heartbreaking–to consider one of the key themes of this story. Justice is a huge part of this book, and this era of history–who deserves justice, what is justice, who has justice, etc. The runaway indentured servant that Ben and Susanna are fighting to save is named Dotty, and she has suffered terrible abuses. It was just SO sad what she had been through, and I had to keep reminding myself that Dotty was not a real person. However, her story unfortunately was all too common, and often [in real life] the perpetrators were never punished because of societal views on the practice of indenturing people and the role/importance of women in society. Dotty’s story also provides a nice backdrop for considering the colonies and British rule… however Ben my husband tells me [from the Assassin’s Creed video game] that perhaps some the outcomes of British rule like taxes that the Colonists fought against may have been a bit more justified than our history texts lead us to believe. That is a whole ‘nother issue though, but I just wanted to acknowledge that perspective. This doesn’t change the fact that indentured servitude often resulted in mistreatment of people–women AND men, so Dotty’s story is still very important.
Faith definitely plays an element in this story but not in a preachy, over the top way. The work of Susanna and Ben in caring for Dotty, and the work of Susanna and her mother in caring for poor widows and orphans in their community is certainly a response to God… but the faith journey is not part of this story at all. I’m not sure that would have added much to the story anyway, as it was very powerful already.
Lastly, I’ve read nearly all of Jody Hedlund’s wonderful historical fiction books. They are all well researched. She does a great job at developing both characters and plot, and this tale is no different. I heartily encourage you to pick it up for your next plane ride or reading day on the couch. I think it’s my favorite Jody Hedlund book by far!

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: Chasing Hope

December 5, 2013January 19, 2015 Sarah

Today I have a fun book to review for you: Kathryn Cushman’s Chasing Hope. When I saw this title on the list from Bethany House Publishers‘ awesome book review program, I was immediately drawn to it because it’s about RUNNING! Aka my favorite thing ever. Maybe even more than cooking or baking. Or reading. It’s close. But anyway, this book blew my expectations out of the water–it was a great read. I hope you like the review! 🙂

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

After her Olympic dreams are dashed, Sabrina Rice distances herself from everything to do with running—until the day she sees Brandy Phillip racing security across campus. When she meets this troubled teen, Sabrina realizes she’s Brandy’s best hope to salvage a life about to spiral out of control.…

And as usual, my five point review:

Though I loved that the book centered around running, I was a bit hesitant to read it because it was set in contemporary times. Sometimes contemporary Christian fiction [or even general fiction] can be dated, super quickly. But I was pleasantly surprised that this one wasn’t, and I think that Kathryn Cushman may have even tried to keep away from that by not talking about technology or tv or movies or music. So, yay!
I really enjoyed watching the relationship between Sabrina and Brandy develop. Their grandmothers certainly had something to do with it, and so did Sabrina’s faith in God, but the choice both made to pursue a relationship was explored really well.
One thing that I was not a big fan of was that the running/training aspect of this book was not at all realistic. Or, at the very least, it didn’t match my experience at all. I’ve been a runner for nearly 16 years [gasp] and just felt the training details and race strategies were a bit contrived. Maybe my experience has just been different, but regardless, it just seemed a bit silly. Some aspects of running are spot on–like the need to train hard, work hard, and show up for competition. But the “training sessions” were just odd. And the fact that they took place at 5 am, outside in the dark, just doesn’t seem safe to me. But regardless…
Sabrina, as a character, is very inspirational. She had a college scholarship for running and had Olympic dreams, but both were dashed due to uncontrollable issues [didn’t want to spoil it for you]. Her character could have been blue, mopey, and sad… and while she IS those things at times, she is so hopeful and forward-looking. I love that. What a great ideal for what to do when life doesn’t turn out like you plan.
Finally, the author keeps the reader focused on the story by continually asking question after question about what Sabrina and Brandy are going to do, about Sabrina’s love interest, about family relations, etc. I always wanted to know what would happen next! This book did not disappoint and I hope you check it out soon! 🙂

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: Into the Whirlwind

November 11, 2013November 7, 2013 Sarah

Hey hey, another book review! 🙂 The book I am reviewing for you today is Elizabeth Camden’s Into the Whirlwind. I had the opportunity to read it thanks to Bethany House Publishers‘ awesome book review program.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

Mollie Knox takes pride in her good business sense and in the beautiful watches she and her loyal employees create. As owner of the 57th Illinois Watch Company, her future looks bright until the Great Chicago Fire destroys her city. With her world crumbling around her, Mollie will do whatever it takes to rebuild in the aftermath.

While she struggles to save her company, two men battle for her affections. Can Mollie rise from the ashes with both her business and her heart intact?

And here my five point review!

It’s always a pleasure to read Elizabeth Camden’s books. As a librarian by day, she is understandably SO attentive to detail, facts, and themes. I love reading her work for that reason. Even more, as an author, she crafts a compelling story with characters that you actually care about. What a novel idea. 🙂
I love the characters in this book, especially Mollie. Main characters in Christian fiction are kind of hit or miss, and what I really enjoyed about Mollie was that she was sweet, stubborn, flawed, and determined–a mix of good and bad, just like a real person.
It was very interesting reading about the Great Chicago Fire. If you know me well, fires really terrify me because of a few fires I’ve experienced personally, so I appreciate that the plot was written so the readers could see how scary it must have been to of live through this event without the story being written in a fear-driven or suspenseful manner.
As always, the romantic plot involves two men competing for the main character’s affection. Without giving too much away, I loved the honor displayed by both men, and their growth as they each pursued Mollie. That’s a new thing–usually books emphasize how the woman grows, not the man.
Lastly, learning about the clock/watch business was so intriguing! It makes me want to be crafty. Thanks to Elizabeth Camden for giving us a glimpse into another world. I’d highly recommend this book–or any of her others. They’re all great!

What are you reading lately?

Reviews

Book Review: A Most Peculiar Circumstance

October 14, 2013October 15, 2013 Sarah

Happy Monday, everyone! I’m excited to be sharing another fun book with y’all. Can I say y’all now that I live in Nashville? That still sounds weird, btw. I’ve been told that even Northerners start saying it after awhile though! I haven’t said it out loud yet, but as I’ve been talking and say ‘all of you’ or something similar, have realized that I could rephrase things a bit… But anyways. The book of the day is Jen Turano’s A Most Peculiar Circumstance and I had the opportunity to read it thanks to Bethany House Publishers‘ awesome book review program.

Here is a description of the book from the publisher:

An avid supporter of the women’s suffrage movement, Miss Arabella Beckett’s driving passion in life is to aid downtrodden women. Her most recent act to that end, however, has landed her in more trouble than even she can manage.

Still, Arabella is loath to accept help—especially from the arrogant knight in shining armor her brother sent to fetch her. But she’s about to learn that private investigator Theodore Wilder is just as stubborn as she is. Has this feisty suffragette finally met her match?

…and as usual, my five point review:

I read Jen Turano’s first novel, A Change of Fortune, earlier this year. This book is the sequel, and let me tell you… it is just as funny as the first one. These books are the first two in the series, and they are just great. Jen Turano is just so talented and comes up with great content for her novels.
The premise of the book, as you can tell from the description, is rooted in two things: the suffrage movement of the 1880s, and the blossoming romance between Arabella and Theodore. What I loved about this was just how well written, non-pushy, and non-feminist the portions about the suffrage movement were. Sometimes when things get too feminist, I am just turned off even though I agree with many of the ideals [especially historically with the vote]. I know that’s a touchy subject so I won’t get into too many details, but I felt this subject was treated with care and I appreciated that.
However, one part of the book that I just didn’t like was the romance aspect. I know! So rare for me. I think the story just turned into a full blown battle of the sexes between Arabella and her friends and Theodore and his. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for that kind of banter [1880s style], but it just kind of annoyed me. Perhaps it was also Arabella’s stubborn nature that did it too…
Speaking of stubbornness, I loved the theme of redemption and grace woven through the plot as Arabella works through her stubbornness and lack of love to those around her. The restoration of some of her relationships is just so cool to see!
All in all, this was a fun read even though parts were annoying. 🙂 Jen Turano is definitely an author to keep reading and check out if you haven’t already!

What are you reading lately?