The Art of Romance

The Art of Romance by Kaye Dacus
Barbour, 2011
319 pages
Christian Romance
3.5/5 stars

Review of the first Matchmakers book, Love Remains.

Source: Received a free copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I did not like this book as much as Love Remains but the ending still made me a little teary-eyed as I ended up invested in the relationship of Caylor and Dylan, both of whom believe they have significant baggage.

Caylor lives with her grandmother, having moved in after the death of her grandfather to provide transportation and support.  She has resigned herself to never getting involved in a relationship due to her obligation to her grandmother.  Instead she celebrates Zarah and Bobby's pending marriage and throws herself into life at the college where she is tenured and into her inspirational romance novels.

Dylan has legitimate baggage and then baggage I found ridiculous.  The legitimacy comes from a verboten relationship with the head of his department at the art school in Philadelphia where he used to work.  She was controlling and slowly changed most of his personality and cut him off from his family.  The fact that she was older and more established in the field than him gives him worries in relation to Caylor, who is also older and already has tenure.  The other baggage? Well...

Dylan refers to his big shameful secret about what he did to put himself through college before revealing it to his three brothers in a very sweet "intervention" scene. I expected this to be that he stripped and/or served as a gigolo to wealthy older women.  Instead his secret is that he designed and modeled for romance covers.  Um, kind of lame? Not worth as much anguish as he spent on it.  Funnily enough, his covers were for Melanie Mason...the pen name of Caylor, under which she wrote increasingly steamy novels and was inspired by the handsome model on the cover.

I definitely liked the book more once they got together because their whingeing before that dragged on too long.  Besides their romance issues, Caylor has conflict with her irresponsible younger sister Sage and Dylan struggles with his parents's expectations and their inability to accept his art as a legitimate career path.  Those stories were okay but I wanted more romance.  I also would have liked more God; although finding a church is an important part of the story, I wanted to see more of each of them having a relationship with God instead of having church signify such a relationship.

The romance novel plot was interesting to me because I'm pretty sure that such inspirational romance writers as Francine Rivers and Robin Lee Hatcher wrote secular romances before switching exclusively to Christian romances in order to write cleaner novels and include mentions of God.  I think Caylor is supposed to have followed the same path as them.  It also makes me wonder if Dacus used to write secular romances?

Overall: An okay romance with some interesting subplots; I'm hoping the third book, Turnabout's Fair Play will be more to my taste.

Cover: Caylor's not the painter but it fits in with the pattern established by Love Remains.

The Diamond of Drury Lane

The Diamond of Drury Lane by Julia Golding
Roaring Book Press, 2006
419 pages
YA; Historical
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Book Battle and also because the sequels looked really intriguing.

Cat Royal is an orphan living in the Theater Royal in 1790 London.  She has been unofficially adopted by the theater folk and has lived there as long as she can remember.  Living among the actors, writers, and designers as well as the gangs that control the seedier sections of town is a not too bad existence.  Then one night she hears about a diamond hidden in the theater, which sends her off on vivid imaginings and kick-starts this story.

The next day she meets a new friend, Pedro Hawkins, a former slave (not sure how as slavery wasn't abolished in the UK until 1833) with a remarkable agility and incredible talent with the violin.  His skill attracts the interest of Lord Francis and Lady Elizabeth and a mystery around the treasonous cartoons of "Captain Sparkler" springs up.

Cat is a great heroine.  She's a colorful heroine with the plentiful sprinkling of the slang of the times and she speaks her mind.  In general, she's up for any adventure and she's very loyal.  Cat also begins writing, something I bet becomes more prominent in later books as she ages.

Besides being a fun adventure, this book also treats themes of gender, race, and class. Cat would love to be part of her friend Syd's gang but he will only let boys join, even if he's only known them for a few hours.  She protests the unfairness of this and hopes that Syd doesn't harbor deeper feelings for her.  Pedro is easily accepted but some of the meaner characters do mock him based on the color of his skin and claim their own superiority over him because of that.  Class is another element; lords have the final say while penniless orphans can only hope for some protection.

My main quibble is that it was a little long and the mystery is a bit simplistic (my rationale is that I figured it out and I hardly ever do that).  There's a lot of promise for future books.

Overall: Great historical mystery with an engaging main character-definitely excited about the sequels.

Read for British Books Challenge.

A Tale of Two Castles

A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
HarperCollins, 2011
215 pages
YA/MG; Fantasy; Fairy Tale
3/5 stars

Source: Received a free e-galley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really like Gail Carson Levine so I was excited to see another book by her.  The cover indicated a dragon and hopefully another spunky heroine in the vein of Ella Enchanted.  I got that in the dragon Meenore and the would-be actor Elodie.

And I did like those two elements but the book as a whole didn't cohere for me. It felt disjointed and it seemed like a character would be introduced for a few chapters and then leave just as I was starting to get to know him. This happened several times.  I also found Levine's made-up words and names more annoying than cool, which might have been different if I'd read this when I was ten.

However I did enjoy the wrapping up of the plot.  Elodie unravels a mystery and I really liked how she deducted and induced clues.  Happily it didn't take her too long to do this and I was caught completely off-guard by the villain.

Overall: The pieces for a great story are there but it didn't come together as I hoped.

Cover: For those who've read the book, I like that Elodie isn't wearing a cap ;)

A Little Wanting Song

A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley
Alfred A. Knopf, 2005
262 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Overlooked Book Battle.

This is told in alternating perspectives from Charlie, lonely city-girl, and Rose, smart country-girl dying to attend school in the city.  That marks the beginning of their friendship: Rose's desire to get out of the small Australian town where she has always lived and Charlie visits for the summer (as this is Australia, that summer is over Christmas break which was so weird to this American girl).  Their friendship brings out new aspects of each other.

This was a fine fast novel.  I enjoyed the alternating perspectives although sometimes it shifted so quick (most chapters were about two pages) that I was confused about who was talking; happily each chapter opens with the name of the narrator so it was easy to check.  Both girls have harbored mistaken impressions of each other for years but were desperate for new company.  I adored the way they came to know each other and helped the other heal in some ways.  Both of them have serious difficulties in their life.

However the part I really liked was the love story.  Rose has been dating Luke but troubles in their relationship have arisen.  But Dave has liked Charlie for years and she reciprocates!  Their courtship was super awkward but also super adorable and I rooted for them.

Another element is tidbits from the girls' respective interests.  Rose likes science and shares some cool factoids about rocks and water through her narrative.  Charlie loves music and that largely dominates her section, culminating in a performance at the end.

Overall: A sweet growing up story about wanting more.

Cover: I wish there were two girls but I really like the black and white with the splash of color.

Hollywood Nobody

Hollywood Nobody by Lisa Samson
NavPress, 2007
209 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for YA Book Battle Longlist

Scotty and her mother Charley spend their time on film sets as Charley is a food stylist.  This peripatetic lifestyle is largely to Scotty's taste as she has a good relationship with her mother, she gets to meet lots of cool people (including up-and-coming hottie actor Seth Haas), and she's very independent.  There are downsides though.  Charley won't tell Scotty anything about her father, Charley's vegan lifestyle keeps Scotty from her beloved cheese, and sometimes moving around isn't all that fun.

Scotty is incredibly likable, smart, funny, friendly, creative, and adventurous.  Everything you could want in a narrator.  Her constant pursuit of cheese was especially funny to me.  She also loves movies and creates a blog celebrating the hot guys, the normal-sized women, and the talented in Hollywood (among other things).

On the latest film set in North Carolina, she embarks on a new set of adventures from the mundane like reading The Great Gatsby and conquering geometry to keeping the very cute Seth Haas from the clutches of rude Karissa Bonano, exploring Christianity, helping new friend Joy Overstreet, and escaping from the big biker dude.

The presence of said dude leads to a shocking revelation of Scotty and Charley's past. I spent much of the book wondering about the twist and hoping that Samson would tell in this book despite it being only the first in a series.  And we do find out.  There are good reasons for Charley keeping it hidden but I found the reason outlandish and not in keeping with the general tone of the book.

I also mentioned Christianity above.  This is a Christian series but it's not a big part in this first book.  Scotty has no religious background but becomes intrigued by tent meetings in the small town where they're living.  While she finds the events of the tent meetings uninspiring, she does find Jesus compelling.  That rings so true with me; even if ritualistic and legalistic actions threaten to engulf Christianity, I turn to Jesus and it's alright.

Overall: A cute and funny story with a fantastic main character.

Cover: Actually quite accurate with her glasses and not straight hair.

So Shelly

So Shelly by Ty Roth
Delacorte Press, 2011
319 pages
YA; Contemporary
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary:  Drawing on the Romantic poets Byron, Keats, and Shelley comes a modern take on love and death.

How much do you know about those poets? Because their (well mostly Gordon Byron's) lecherous side really comes out and quite frankly shocked me.  It covers up to about their eighteenth year and the acts committed largely by Gordon appalled me; it was so different from my own high school experience and disgusting to my sense of morality.  And the real-life guy did pretty much the same things! I struggle with how someone could be so depraved and those elements made it difficult for me to read.

Gordon and Keats are loosely inspired by their namesakes but Shelly is actually sort of a composite of Mary and Percy Shelley as the author shares in his end note. Her premature death is the framework for the story.  Gordon and Keats are two of her friends who she has charged with a final task.  As they set out to complete that commission, their lives are revealed with all of the darkness and debauchery accompanying that.  It covers Gordon's outsize fame and appetites, Keats's imminent death, and what would cause Shelly to kill herself.

I really enjoyed the writing and Gordon did have a magnetism for me despite everything I read about him.  I wanted to keep reading and I flew through this book.  Although I haven't read much about the Romantics, I think it does capture their philosophy of life and would be enjoyable for those who do like the Romantic poets a lot.

Warning: Content definitely puts this on the older side of YA.

Cover: Haunting-made me think there would be some paranormal aspects but that is untrue.

Read for YA Debut Author Challenge.

The Last Knight

The Last Knight by Hilari Bell
Eos, 2007
357 pages
YA; Fantasy
4/5 stars

Source: Library

Read for Best Overlooked YA Book Battle.

Eighteen-year old Sir Michael has decided to take up the lost art of knight errantry in order to avoid a stultifying existence on his father's estate.  He saves a seventeen-year old Fisk from his criminal existence to serve as his squire.  One night they rescue Lady Ceciel from a tower only to discover the next day that she had been sentenced there for poisoning her husband.  They must track her down and bring her in for justice in order to be redeemed in the eyes of the law.

I really enjoyed the alternating perspectives as first Fisk and then Michael tell their story.  They have many amusing side adventures as they attempt to track down Lady Ceciel and become actual friends.  Michael, raised as a noble, abhors the idea of lying while Fisk, as a pretty successful conman, has lying as his natural instinct. The conflict between the two over this was very amusing; in general, I sided with Fisk because some of their tasks would have been easier with lies.

I wish we could have had more back-story on Fisk's past as a thief; there are hints but I felt more could have been elaborated.  I also would have liked to know more about Michael's past.  I enjoyed seeing the characters as they were but I wouldn't have minded learning more.  The world was also somewhat sketchily outlined.  There are two moons on the cover, which seem to reflect gods but I didn't fully understand their belief system.  Magic is also present in this world.  Luckily there appear to be sequels so hopefully I can learn more through them.

Overall: An nice story about his knight errant and his squire that left me eager for the next book.