Update for November 2025

Hello.

It seems that I have been away for much longer than I intended.  Shortly after my last posting in May 2024, two more people in my family passed away.  

I do not think that I have finished reading a fiction book from start to finish during the past two years. Trying to commit to something of substantial length seems too difficult. Instead, I have been reading serial chapters of stories posted on web-based platforms or apps.  Most limit access to how many episodes can be read in a sitting, so I have completed some longer works- but only because of the constraint introduced by this feature. 

 

Some of the content was okay.  Some of it was terrible.  Some of it also felt like AI generated slop. When most of the offerings for these reading apps presented similar storylines, it was not difficult to feel that I was reading the same story, although details like the names of characters and locations were different.  Also, whether the story lasted 10, 30 or 200 episodes, there was so much repetition with the cycling/recycling plotlines that it felt like the stories could have been shortened by many, many chapters.    It was enough for me to want to ask an AI bot to write a story using a similar plot to confirm my suspicions.    

I am not ready to tackle a larger work or fiction or non-fiction.  I did buy a couple of regencies, but haven't read through enough to write reviews for them.  I still also have my NetGalley list to get through.

Hopefully I will be motivated enough in 2026 to read something more than what increasingly seems to be brain rot.

 

Review: Last Duke Standing by Cheryl Bolen

 Alex Haversham, the new Duke of Fordham, has a problem.  He has the unenviable task of informing Lady Georgiana Fenton that her fiance, Alex’s brother, is now deceased.  When Georgiana finds out, she insists on viewing Freddie’s body with her own eyes.  As soon as she views his corpse, she deduces that he had been smothered to death, and the duchy’s surgeon concurs with her assessment.  

Alex never wanted to become the duke.  Now that he is responsible for his family and duchy,  he is determined to find out who murdered his brother.  However, Georgiana insists on being part of the investigation, partly because of her own suspicions about Alex. In her eyes, he stands to gain the most from Freddie’s death.

As Alex and Georgiana work together to solve the mystery of who killed Freddie, an attraction develops between them.  Can Alex overcome Georgiana’s suspicions, and will the two of them be able to find the real culprit?

I did not realize that there would be a mystery in addition to the historical romance that I had expected to read.  As a mystery, I didn’t really figure out who was the guilty party until the narrative started dropping a lot of obvious hints about the identity of the villain.  Last Duke Standing is mainly a romance that explores the relationship between Alex and Georgiana.   

I’ve previously read a title by Cheryl Bolen under the faith-based Love Inspired line (i.e. Marriage of Inconvenience), but I would classify Last Duke Standing as a secular romance.  There are no x-rated interactions between the main characters, but there are allusions to the hero’s history as a rake.  There are a couple of explicit statements that appear in a letter written by the mistress of the previous duke that might be uncomfortable for a certain audience to read. The couple share a bed, but nothing happens between them beyond heart-felt conversation because the hero is conveniently injured.  This is not a steamy romance.  Generally, Alex is fairly respectful towards Georgiana.  

I’ll admit that the cover of the book appealed to me...Alex’s appearance reminded me of Rupert Penry-Jones' portrayal of Frederick Wentworth in Persuasion (2007).  

I miss the Love Inspired Historical line.  I tried my best to snap up any Regency or Georgian story that Harlequin put out through that imprint.  As I alluded to before, this was how I recognized Cheryl’s name when I was looking through the selections on Net Galley.  

Last Duke Standing is the third installment of a series titled The Lords of Eton, which include The Portrait of Lady Wycliff, The Earl, the Vow, and the Plain Jane, and One Room at the Inn.

Disclaimer:  I was given an e-copy of Last Duke Standing by Net Galley in exchange for a review.  Any opinions stated in this review are mine.  

Net Galley Update in 2024.

About three days ago, I saw an e-mail message in my inbox from Net Galley.  Apparently, I had been inactive for about 3 years or so, and because of that, a message was sent to my address to notify me that they were going to close my account.  

Because I had my notifications on, I actually read the message within a day of it being sent to me.  I had forgotten my password at this point, so I had to dig around just to reactivate my account.  To my horror, I realized that I have titles almost going back ten years that have not been reviewed.  

As I mentioned in previous posts, I created this blog so that I could read titles from Net Galley.  I also had every intention to write reviews for every book that I had signed up for.  

However, a few things in my life happened over the past six years. 

A family member's health started to decline, and this person eventually passed on.  But the impact of her decline and death affected my family greatly, and we are still in recovery mode.  Shortly after, another family member started showing marked signs of dementia.  Writing book reviews just seemed to be beyond me at that time. 

And so, I forgot about Net Galley.  I was still aware of it, and I knew that I had books to review, but the years crept past me...and when I read the notification from Net Galley about my account closing, I received quite a jolt.  I could not believe that so much time had passed by.

By some miracle, some of the titles have still not been archived yet, and so I will probably review those as quickly as possible.  I have other titles that are still available in Kindle, even though they have been archived on Net Galley.  My goal for this upcoming year is to get through as many titles through the list.  

So, to the authors of the books that I signed up for, and to Net Galley...I apologize about not holding up my end.  I hope to get reviews out as soon as I can.  

 

Review: Shadow of Suspicion by Christy Barritt

A computer expert, Lacey Ryan, is accused of child kidnapping and faces numerous attempts on her life.  Mark James,the detective investigating Lacey, moves from suspicion to a desire to prove her innocence. The novel covers the following:  deception on many levels, computer hacking, cyber-terrorism, and a complicated plan to entrap the female protagonist.  There is a bit of an Alias/Sydney Bristow/CIA/SD-6 situation going on in this story, but on a smaller scale. 

The novel takes place in the same universe as Mountain Hideaway (Trent McCabe’s and Tessa Jones’s story), and Dark Harbor (Zach Davis’ and Madelyn Sawyer’s story), which were both also written by Christy Barritt.  In fact, readers are given a look into the post-nuptial life of Trent and Tessa, however, Zach is given just a passing mention.

There was enough mystery and suspense for me to wonder about what was going on.  I had a bit of a Scooby Doo experience:  I wasn’t able to guess who all the culprits were before the end, and needed the debriefing to discover how deep the conspiracy against Lacey was.  

It’s also a quick read; I was able to finish the book in less than two hours in one sitting.  If you are looking for a quick mystery to occupy yourself for an afternoon, and you enjoy a touch of romance, Shadow of Suspicion might be the book for you.

And now it's May 2023...plus thoughts about the blog

It has been so long since I've written in this blog, that I just want to post something quickly to get this going again.  I've also been reading, but the things that I've been looking at have been challenging to write about. Part of the problem has been that I've been reading unfinished serials that have been posted on the web, and I haven't decided yet if I want to write about them.  

I also don't really know what I want my reviews to look like now.  Before, I wanted to write summaries of the plot and comment on my thoughts about the story lines and characters, but I can appreciate the hard work that authors put into creating their work.  So, do I have too many spoilers in what I post?  However, as a reader, sometimes I appreciate being able to read more detailed summaries posted by other reviewers so that I can decide if I truly want to take the time to read a book, perhaps to even give it a second chance if I am thinking of putting it aside.

Also, there have been works where I've had strong opinions about characters and their actions without considering whether it may be hurtful to the author, whose "baby" might have been "diced and sliced" by what I've written.  I had removed one review that I felt was too overly critical after considering the matter.  Also, for example, in the case of Betty Neels...I *love* reading her novels, but I often skewer her characters.  Although I love the escape her stories offer, I have often thought that if these characters were 'real' people, I would be tempted to actually throttle them in pure frustration over their behaviour.

As mentioned in the description, the blog was created so that I could post reviews in exchange for e-books from NetGalley.  I realize that this blog is just a blip in the internet, and that the vast majority of visits to it are actually by bots based on the statistics provided.  With it being a small insignificant entity with few actual readers, I didn't really think much before about the questions that I'm thinking about now:

a)  Are there too many spoilers in my reviews?

b)  Are the reviews too mean or critical in tone (at least for some)?  How do I write something that is fair without being malicious? 

c)  I have cross posted reviews on Goodreads.  Should I stop that, especially for non-Net Galley works that I review ?  I felt that NetGalley's purpose was to drum up publicity for their books, and Goodreads has a larger reach than my piddly little blog, and I started posting NetGalley reviews there.  When I started reviewing non-NetGalley books, I started to post those reviews on Goodreads too.

d)  What do I actually want to do with this blog?  I like having my little corner to voice what I really think about the things that I read.  

Well...this *is* a work-in-progress.  

  

Review: Hoop Dreams: Modern Hand Embroidery by Cristin Morgan

My interest in Hoop Dreams: Modern Hand Embroidery by Cristin Morgan, was initially captured by the cover.  It features an attractive sampler in an embroidery hoop, with the title stitched in the design.  Kudos to whoever designed the cover; it worked well in snagging my attention.

The book has been out for a few years; it was published in 2018 by Abrams.  It includes a short introduction by Cristin, in which she states her hopes that the book will inspire the reader.  There is a list of tools and materials that could be used, patterns for projects that can be framed in hoops, for home decor (banner, pillow, napkins, plant cozy, and framed art), and as embellishment for other articles of clothing and/or accessories.  There are about 21 projects that appear in the book. 

The book also covers some basic techniques, such as using templates and motifs, transfer techniques, stabilizers, hoops, and threads.  A beginner stitch dictionary is included, with descriptions, illustrations, and samples on how to make these stitches.  

I read this title as an e-book, so there are features that were apparently included with the hard copy version that appear differently in the e-book.  There is supposed to be an envelope with carbon transfer patterns/templates included in the hard copy version.  In the e-book, a link is included to a webpage where templates can be printed out. 

Finally, a reference is included about the brand (DMC Threads) and identity number for each type of thread that was used in the projects featured in this book.  I can see that this would be helpful and useful for crafters who would like to replicate these projects with the exact same colourways that were used.  

Because I have done a little hand sewing before, I was familiar with some of the stitches in this book’s stitch dictionary, but there were some that I didn’t know.  As I mentioned before, the author includes a sample for each type of stitch, a diagram demonstrating needle placement, and a written description, which I think will be helpful in learning these new stitches.  

I think that the author gives enough information for a crafter to strike out on their own to create their own designs.  I cannot speak about how useful experienced stitchers would find this book, but the stitch dictionary includes only 12 different stitches (straight, split, granitos, French knot, stem, long and short, satin, back, running, fern, chain, and woven wheel), and the patterns in this book feature these stitches.  My impression is that this book would be a good introduction for beginners to embroidery, although more experienced stitchers may also enjoy the book if they like the designs that are included.

Review: Winter Of Change by Betty Neels

I sped through another Betty Neels novel.  This time, I read Winter of Change, which was originally published in 1973.  

Protagonists:

Heroine:  Mary Jane Pettigrew, a plain looking 22 year-old nurse who inherits her grandfather's estate, which includes a house and a substantial amount of money.  However, her grandfather has also arranged for her to have a guardian who would oversee her finances, along with vetting any prospective candidates who wish to marry Mary Jane.  

Hero:  Fabian van der Blocq, a handsome Dutch surgeon who gets the lucky task of being Mary Jane's guardian.

Plot:

Mary Jane doesn't want to have a guardian because she thinks that she is mature enough to take control of her inheritance.   Negativity flies between Fabian and Mary Jane whenever they meet to discuss matters arising from their situation.  Fabian tries to carry out his duty as Mary Jane's guardian, but meets with resistance from her every step of the way throughout their relationship. Our protagonists are supposed to fall in love, but will it happen?

Antagonist of note:

Mervyn Pettigrew:  Mary Jane's gold-digging, scam-artist of a cousin who appears on her doorstep and sweet talks himself into her life.  I am seriously chagrined to know that he is a Canadian, because I'm Canadian.  I like to think of us as being Nice People, but Mervyn is a snake.

Stuff that this novel has:

Fabian speaks silkily three times:  two times to Mary Jane while they are duking things out verbally, and once to Mervyn when he's calling Mervyn out on scam-like behaviour.  I usually get annoyed when I see the hero say something silkily, but Fabian dressed Mervyn down very nicely and put him in his place. 

So, did I like this novel?

Ummm...not really.  

The chemistry between this couple is rather toxic.  BN heroes tend to be overbearing, bossy, and non-communicative, but Mary Jane is so antagonistic towards Fabian, it's a wonder they get around to falling in love.  As Mary Jane succinctly summarizes their relationship while talking to Fabian, "What a pity we don't get on."  

The prickly behaviour and negativity drags on for most of the book, and in my opinion, most of this is Mary Jane's fault. I'm not going to bother including examples of her behaviour to back this up. I don't feel like hunting them down, but there is a lot to pick from.  Fabian bitterly tells Mary Jane midway through the book, "You are not only a tiresome girl, you are also a very ungrateful one."  When she says that she doesn't remember being tiresome, and asks what particular occasion that she behaved as such, Fabian tells her wearily, " You are tiresome all the time."  

I agree with him.  Being Mary Jane's guardian is a thankless task.   I almost included Mary Jane, herself, under the, "Antagonist of Note," section.  

The backstory of the heroine in A Winter Love Story (also written by Betty Neels), which I reviewed on June 16th, 2021, is similar to that of the heroine in Winter of Change.  Both heroines have elderly family members who die, and the heroes are brought into their lives because of their connection through these elderly relatives.  However, I enjoyed reading A Winter Love Story more than Winter of Change.  The heroine of A Winter Love Story had some snarky moments with the hero in the beginning of that book, but their relationship was more amicable, and they developed a genuine friendship.  Winter of Change follows a trope of enemies to lovers, but the overall negativity was definitely "tiresome" for me.  

If Fabian were my friend, I'd be tempted to tell him to consider another girl with less shrewish tendencies.

Review: A Winter Love Story by Betty Neels

I meant to post a review of a Susan May Warren novel, but I feel a bit of a writer's block over writing it.

In the meantime, I finished reading Betty Neels' A Winter Love Story.  Neels' category romances are usually about nine chapters long, and are quick to finish.  A Winter Love Story, originally released in 1998, was republished in 2019 as a Special Release, along with A Christmas Wish, for which I posted a review on June 3, 2021.  

Shall I use a template again, as I did for the last Betty Neels' novel I reviewed?

Protagonists:

Heroine:  Claudia Ramsay, a "nearly 27" year old, "shapely girl with a lovely face and shining copper hair."  Along with her mother, they are dependents of her great-uncle, Colonel Ramsay.  She is untrained for any profession.

Hero:  Dr. Thomas Tait-Bullen.  He's an English (not Dutch) "surgeon of some fame" who has been called upon to form a second opinion about the health of Colonel Ramsay.  He's determined that he will never fall in love again because of a failed romance in his youth.  He's 39, and true to form as with other BN heroes, he could learn to become a better communicator of his thoughts and feelings.

Plot:

Claudia and her mother face eviction from their home when Colonel Ramsay passes away, as his estate comes into the possession of an unpleasant distant cousin.  Although her mother remarries, Claudia must make her own way, and finds a job as a general assistant at a geriatric hospital.  However, it is a difficult life to what Claudia had previously known while the Colonel was alive.  Claudia lives on site at the hospital, wishing to give her mother and new step-father privacy for their fledgling marriage.  

Dr. Tait-Bullen, who has been attracted to Claudia from page 1 (page 201 in my edition), proposes a marriage of convenience.  He's her knight in shining armour, swooping in to rescue her from a life of drudgery, and likely, a dead-end job with little hope of advancement, unless she is able to save enough to train for something else.  

And she no longer needs to worry about this, as the good doctor marries her, convincing her that they would do nicely together, as they appear to like each other.  However, he is quite clear that he does not love her, but is looking for a life companion.  He believes that she would be able to fill this role well. 

Claudia is ushered into a lifestyle that is characterized by shopping, mulitple homes, and a busy social life (hospital balls, tea times with other doctors' wives, etc.).  She also gets welcomed into the warmth of Thomas' large family.  In a few short weeks, Claudia realizes that she wants more than friendship with Thomas; she wants his heart.  Will she get what she is hoping for?

Antagonists:

Mr. Ramsay, the unpleasant and uncaring distant cousin who casts Claudia and her mother out of their home.  He sounds like he has taken lessons from Mrs. John Dashwood, from Sense and Sensibility, as he doesn't care to make any provision for his poor relations, even though it is within his means to do so.  However, he and his wife are quickly forgotten, as they serve plotwise to put Claudia and her mom in the situation of needing to find a better living situation.

Honor Thompson is the woman who had hoped to marry Dr. Tait-Bullen, and sticks a spoke to damage the trust between Claudia and Thomas.  

Stuff that this novel also has:

A husband who is happy to wait patiently while his wife goes shopping for a brand new and expensive wardrobe...and he tells her to buy more after previewing what she has already selected.

Adopting a woe-be-gone puppy that becomes the beloved family pet.

A marriage by a special license in relatively modern times.  This was interesting to me.  I thought that this happened historically (as in the Regency Era) and was no longer used.  

So...did I like this novel?

Thomas gets brownie points for not talking silkily to Claudia.

I liked Thomas, and he seemed to be warmer and more pleasant than most BN heroes.   The interesting thing about Thomas is that he seemed to be quite perceptive of what Claudia was thinking when it came to her insecurities.  He always seemed to recognize when to reassure her when she felt self conscious about her looks and abilities. An additional plus was that he liked Claudia from the start, and recognized that she would make a good wife for him.  However, they got married rather quickly.  They definitely didn't know each other well enough to communicate effectively.  In my opinion, in real life, those would present "proceed with caution" signs.  Taking the time to get to know each other would have taken care of this, especially if Thomas' assessment about Claudia's suitability as a wife is true.  

I was also mildly horrified by Claudia's rationalization on getting married quickly.  On page 276 (in my edition), she says,  "Yes, Thomas.  It's a bit unusual, isn't it?  Getting married like this.  But if we're sure, and it's what we want, there's no point in mulling it over for months, is there?  And I don't suppose that if we were engaged for a long time we'd see much of each other-I mean, get to know each other better-for you would be working and I'd be bogged down in plans for the wedding."

His answer:  "What a sensible girl you are, Claudia."

My response:  !?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not a marriage counselor, and I know of some people who have gotten married quickly and have had successful marriages.  However, from my perspective, I can't believe that he said that, because I don't think that it's sensible at all.  I think that getting to know each other is more important than planning the wedding, because we're talking about a relationship that is supposed to last for a very long time.  In my opinion, it would be better to invest time and energy in things that would help in the success of the marriage.  If it's important to you, you'll make the time for it.  C'mon...priorities, Thomas and Claudia!  I'm of the opinion that it's wiser to find out important, possibly deal-breaking facts before marriage.  

This particular novel also reminded me a lot of the regencies in which the plot involves a marriage of convenience where the couple eventually get their love match.  As I mentioned before, there was the special license, and the separate bedrooms, even after the marriage which took place in Chapter 4.  Thomas says on page 293, "Let us give ourselves time to get to know and understand each other."  In other words, for the first little while of their marriage (and for the rest of the time readers spend with these two), they will live as flatmates.  As this is a BN novel, there is no mention of any hanky panky, except for allusions to becoming a father, and having a handful of sons and daughters, which by the way, I repeat, would have been good things to discuss before they got married.  

Personality-wise, I liked the hero better than most BN heroes.  I didn't care for the protagonists' rationalizations for their quick marriage.  Maybe Thomas' decision was driven by lust to some degree, and not sense.  However, that is conjecture, and even so, he didn't press for marital relations at the start.  I can understand Claudia's desperation rushing her decision making processes, but...wow.  This novel required some suspension of belief for me.

 

Review: A Christmas Wish by Betty Neels

 Yes, I'm still reading works by Betty Neels.  I bought a few special releases during the past few years where Harlequin had been offering two stories in one edition.  I don't know if the company continued to do so for Betty Neels' novels throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, but I have noticed that there have been special editions of Love Inspired Historical novels when I get a chance to slink out of my home to go to the local Walmart.  

Anyways, A Christmas Wish was published along with A Winter Love Story in a Special Release by Harlequin in 2019.  This review covers only A Christmas Wish, as I haven't started reading A Winter Love Story yet.

Every time I've written a review of a Betty Neels romance, I end up repeating a lot of things as her writing tends to be formulaic.

I'm tempted to write this review using a template that appears as such:

Protagonists:  

Heroine:  Olivia Harding: Jill-of-All-Trades, extremely capable twenty-seven year old woman with a "splendid shape," who lives with an overbearing grandmother and a meek mother.  She has no special training or skills, making it difficult to find work after she is let go from her job as a hospital records clerk, even though she is a hard working, and superior employee.   

Hero:  Haso van der Eisler:  Older, rich, handsome, blond, Dutch, 36 year old medical specialist, whose eye is caught by Olivia.  In the shocker of shockers...he actually remembers her from their first meeting, unlike many other Betty Neels' heroes.  God-father to Nel, the daughter of his best friend, Rob, who is no longer alive.  Does not show emotions clearly, and is sufficiently vague enough so that the heroine doesn't know that she is the object of his affections.

Plot:  The good doctor tries to find Olivia a position when her hospital clerical job becomes redundant, eventually finding her a job at a girl's school where Nel attends.  Olivia falls in love with said doctor, wondering if she has a chance with him, as it seems that everyone else is expecting for the doctor and Nel's mother to marry.  

Antagonist of note:

Rita:  Nel's mother who is not much of a mother.  Gold-digger who is looking for a second husband who will support the lifestyle that she is accustomed to.  

Secondary character of note:

Nel:  The god-daughter who brings Olivia and Haso together...like, about 95% of the time. 

Stuff that this novel also has:

Loser ex-boyfriend who tosses heroine over for a less attractive woman who has better connections.  The heroine even attends his wedding!

Evil, social climbing maternal grandmother who constantly puts Olivia down for absolutely everything, because Olivia is a reminder of the son-in-law that Grams never wanted.

Heroine gets soundly kissed, but still thinks that she's not in a relationship with the hero, and that he's not interested in her romantically.

Heroine's hair gets unpinned and tumbles down!

So...did I like this novel?  

Yes...I did.  Really.  And it's because this time around in Betty Neels-land, I actually respected the hero, Haso.  Yeah, he did respond "silkily" to the heroine once when she snarked at him about being a know-it-all over what she should do about her ex's invitation to his wedding.  (I hate it when BN's heroes say things silkily, because I hate The Condescension!  I despise The Impudence! I abhor The Nastiness!  I hate it when the hero Cuts-the-Heroine-Down-to-Put-Her-in-Her-Place in this way.  Yup.  My hackles go up when I see the hero say something silkily.)

But I'm getting off topic.  

Haso won me over.  He seems to be a genuinely nice man, polite, and wants to hide the fact that he's Olivia benefactor in landing her new job at Nel's school.  He's observant, shows how much he cares about people, and takes his job as Nel's god-father very seriously.  

I also felt that he tried to communicate his interest to Olivia, and to clarify his feelings for her when he noticed that she didn't understand.  This time, I think the blame lies with Olivia for not being able to read Haso and his intentions clearly.

I liked Haso...even though he still was a bit bossy.  

So, yeah...there are a lot of static characters...dare I say... caricatures and stereotypes in this novel...but because I liked the hero more than usual, I enjoyed this book.  

Review: Vogue Knitting Magazine, Winter 2020/21

This issue was supposedly released on December 29th, 2020, but I was not able to get a copy until yesterday.  It is an interesting issue, given the changes that have been happening with Vogue Knitting Magazine.  Norah Gaughan is now the Editor-in-Chief, and I have heard that the magazine is now reducing the number of published issues to two a year. 

There is a marked effort to make the magazine more inclusive, with respect to the models who are wearing the samples, and the range in sizing that is now available in the patterns.  However, Vogue Knitting Magazine doesn't look like Vogue Knitting Magazine anymore.  It looks like an issue of Interweave Knits, which is also a great knitting magazine.  

I do not want to complain.  I want Vogue Knitting and Interweave Knits to survive Covid-19, and to keep publishing, but this last issue of Vogue Knitting appears to be so much like its competitor, that I wonder if they could be fighting for the same readership.  

I have been collecting VK issues since 2008, and I have found past issues to follow a high fashion/haute couture/designer/glitzy editorial look, as opposed to the more casual, relaxed, natural atmosphere that permeates IK issues.  The Winter 2020/21 issue of Vogue Knitting resembles an issue of Interweave Knits except for the ads promoting patterns that had been published in previous issues of VK.  The difference could be how the models are styled in previous issues as compared to this latest issue, with respect to make up, hair, and coordinating clothes.  

It would be interesting to see what direction Vogue Knitting will take for future issues.  

Review: Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason

I didn't read this book. I actually listened to the audiobook version of it.  It was a fully developed mystery suspense novel. To me, taking in the content of this book was kind of like experiencing a Julie Klassen novel...except that the genre was suspense, instead of historical romance. There were a lot of ups and downs, and twists and turns. I can now say that I now know two Christian fiction authors who can take you for a long and eventful ride through Plotland.

Oath of Honor is the first book of the Blue Justice series. The series covers the stories of a family consisting of mostly police officers. In Oath of Honor, Isabelle St. John, must solve the death of her partner, who was murdered during a stakeout. The fallen officer's brother, Ryan, who is also in law enforcement, teams up with her to solve the mystery. However, the discoveries that they make causes Isabelle to wonder if the members of her own family are innocent of wrong doing.

There are a lot of characters to keep track of in this book, especially with a family having six siblings. I also found that I had to replay certain sections over and over just to catch everything that was being said. However, my interest was piqued enough to look into the rest of the Blue Justice series, which includes, Called to Protect (Chloe's book), Code of Valor (Brady's book), and Vow of Justice (Linc's book).

For your information, if you wish to read other stories of the other remaining St. John siblings, Ruthie's story is found in the novella, Code of Ethics. Derek's story is found in the collection titled, Protecting Tanner Hollow. It's the fourth novella, which is called, Lethal Agenda.

Finally, although the books in the series are about the St. John siblings and their romantic interests, the stories are generally more focused on action than on romance. Basically, these are books that I might be able to convince my male relatives to read since there is not much mush present.

Burda Knitting, Issue No. 1, 2019, UK edition

I was walking through a supermarket when I ran across a Simply Knitting magazine (Issue 192, 2019).  It's a British publication, which eventually gets stocked in Canadian stores about 2 to 3 months after it appears in Britain. I usually don't buy this magazine, although it usually comes packaged along with a small project kit, or some knitting accessory.  This time, however, the issue came not only with a "My Little Angel," knit kit...it also came packaged with the first UK issue of Burda Knitting.

I like the magazine.  It reminds me a lot of Verena Knitting, which I miss since the English version is no longer being published.

However, it looks quite different than the last Verena magazine that I purchased, which was almost 7 years ago. There is a photographic index of all the projects offered in the magazine, which reminds me of the similar layout that appears in Interweave Knits magazines.  However, there aren't any fancy names for the knits.  The projects have generic titles, such as Crochet Granny Square Sweater and Polo Neck (Project 1), or Jacket with Embroidered Squares (Project 3), or Cape Sweater (Project 16).  Many projects have photographs showing various different angles, and some offer close ups so that you can see the stitches.  Also, unlike the Verena Knitting magazines that I remember, the pattern instructions are less cramped, and are printed on similar glossy paper as the photographs appear on. (Verena's instructions appeared on newsprint, with photographs appearing on nicer paper.)  There are also 33 patterns in the magazine, which is less than the number that appeared in earlier Verena Knitting issues, but more than what Vogue Knitting or Interweave Knits currently offer in their issues.

This issue of the magazine offers mainly knit patterns, but there are four crochet patterns, and one that uses both knitting and crocheting.  The bulk of the patterns are for sweaters and cardigans.  There are couple of shawls, a few hats and scarves, and one crocheted bag.  There is some colourwork, but many of the samples are in neutrals or muted colours.  There are a couple of projects with lace, and a couple with cables, and some with ribbing, and one bobble hat.  According to the magazine's own difficulty rating system, most projects fall within the 2 to 4 dots out of 5 dots, with 5 dots being the most challenging.  I like most of the longer cardigan projects that are featured in the issue...even the one that is crocheted.

The magazine has a list of abbreviations, and a list explaining special instructions that may appear in the issue.

There are also things that do not appear in this issue:  I couldn't find much information in the magazine itself about the publishers or the editorial staff.  I have no idea what the cost of the issue is, or what future issues may cost. It simply appeared to be the gift that came along with the issue of Simply Knitting that I bought.

Would I buy another issue of Burda Knitting?

I might purchase another issue if there were enough patterns inside that I liked, and if the price isn't beyond my budget.  This issue was okay, but I wasn't able to preview it since it had been sealed in a plastic bag.  I feel that I lucked out this time around.  Currently, Vogue Knitting is the only knitting magazine that is an autobuy for me.  For most other titles, I'd have to like at least 50% of the patterns before I'd consider purchasing it.

However, Burda Knitting magazine seems to have quite a nice layout, and I have a favourable impression about it.  

Review: 100 Knits: Interweave's Ultimate Pattern Collection by the Editors at Interweave

Interweave, the company that publishes Interweave Knits and Knitscene has released 100 Knits:  Interweave's Ultimate Pattern Collection.  The patterns are arranged in five sections: 1)  Hats and Socks, 2)  Scarves, Cowls, Shawls and Wraps, 3)  Cardigans, 4)  Pullovers, and 5)  Tanks and Tees.  There are projects that feature colourwork, intarsia, lace, stockinette, garter stitch or cables.  There's even a tutorial on circular grafting. 

A lot of patterns that appear have been previously published in Interweave publications.  When I glanced through 100 Knits and checked the pattern listings for this book on Ravelry, there are patterns in the collection that have dated as far back as 2006, but with the bulk of the patterns dating between 2014 to 2017.  Most of them have appeared in past issues of Interweave Knits and Knitscene magazines.  There are a smattering of patterns that have appeared in Interweave books and/or e-books, which include the following:

Wanderlust: 46 Modern Knits for Bohemian Style
New Directions in Sock Knitting
Rugged Knits
Family-Friendly Knits
New Lace Knitting: Designs for Wide Open Spaces
New American Knits:  Classic Sportswear Patterns
New England Knits:  Timeless Knitwear With a Modern Twist
Garter Stitch Revival
Free Spirit Knits
Urban Knit Collection:  18 City Inspired Knitting Patterns for the Modern Wardrobe.

The pattern collection includes Interweave's top five patterns:  Jared Flood's Koolhaus Hat, Carina Spencer's Lucy Hat, Evelyn A. Clark's Swallowtail Shawl, Heather Lodinsky's Central Park Hoodie, and Heather Zoppetti's Dahlia Cardigan.  Other designers include Rosemary (Romi) Hill, Susanna IC, Isabell Kraemer, Holli Yeoh, Mari Chiba, Kristen TenDyke, Cecily Glowik MacDonald, Shirley Paden, Tanis Gray, Norah Gaughan, and Amy Christoffers, who has at least five of her patterns in 100 Knits.

I really like this pattern collection.  It's a hefty price to pay at $45 US, but, it has many lovely patterns in it.  I could see myself wanting to knit many of the designs in this book.  Just looking at the designs that have previously appeared in New Directions in Sock Knitting and Garter Stitch Revival have piqued my interested in searching for those two books.  However, I already own a number of these patterns that appear in 100 Knits through my knitting magazine collection.  If I didn't already own these, I would probably be seriously drooling over this book.  For the knitter who doesn't already have issues of Interweave Knits and Knitscene magazines from the past four years, 100 Knits may offer a fantastic collection of designs to knit from. 

Edited to add:  100 Knits has patterns mainly for women, although I saw a pullover designed for a man.  Some of the hat and cowl patterns could be considered unisex.  I would also consider this book suitable for an intermediate to advanced knitter, although there are a few patterns that a beginner or less experienced knitter could tackle. 

Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of 100 Knits:  Interweave's Ultimate Pattern Collection by the Editors at Interweave from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Manga Classics: The Count of Monte Cristo, By Alexandre Dumas, Adapted by Crystal S. Chan, and Illustrated by Nokman Poon

Alexandre Dumas' The Count of Monte Cristo, a story about a man who seeks revenge against those who ruined his life, has been adapted again, this time by Crystal S. Chan with illustrations by Nokman Poon.  I was pretty impressed with what I read, and I've been fortunate to have previously read two other illustrated adaptations of this novel (an ancient Illustrated Classics version that belonged to my father, and a version published by Moby Books/Playmore in 1979, which was illustrated by Mitsu Yamamoto). 

Edmond Dantes has everything going for him.  He is about to become captain of the merchant ship, The Pharaon, and is about to be married to Mercedes, when he is arrested, thrown into prison, and forgotten.  During that time, he meets a fellow prisoner, Abbe Faria, who helps him figure out why he has been imprisoned, and who his enemies are.  The religious man passes on, but not before he bequeaths a secret treasure to Edmond, one which Edmond can use to bring vengeance upon those who had ruined his life for their own gain...if only he can escape from the prison, Chateau D'If. 

Here's where I confess that I haven't read the original novel...however, Manga Classics' version of the Count of Monte Cristo appears to be a more complete adaptation than the other two versions that I mentioned earlier.  Upon reading the end of Manga Classics version, the Count's words, "Wait and hope," made more sense to me than when I had read them at the end of the other versions.  In fact, this version has probably made me more inclined to actually read the original.  There are appendices at the end of the book where Crystal Chan explains the process that was used to adapt the novel into the manga version, which was quite fascinating to read.

The drawing style appears to be a mix of shoujo and shonen.  The content and plot of the Count of Monte Cristo does not lend itself to a lot of humour, and I did not notice any chibi, so if any did appear, I completely missed it.  There are a couple of pages in the appendices that show character design sketches.  I also appreciated see the character map, which showed the relationships between many of the characters that appeared in this story.

There's something about this type of media that makes it a great avenue for presenting classical literature.  I was caught up with Edmond's quest for revenge, and the path of self-destruction that he embarked upon. In my opinion, Manga Classics' version of The Count of Monte Cristo is a great gateway book to capture young (and maybe not so young) readers' interest in reading a classic story.

Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of Manga Classics' The Count of Monte Cristo, adapted by Crystal S. Chan and illustrated by Nokman Poon from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Review: Draw Manga: Step-By-Steps, Character Construction, and Projects from the Masters by Sweatdrop Studios

The title of this book is a mouthful, but it does basically cover what it says that it will do.  Various artists from Sweatdrop Studios have collaborated together to put out Draw Manga: Step-by-Steps, Character Construction, and Projects from the Masters. The introduction of the book states that its purpose is to teach the reader how to draw in this unique comic style, and reveals that its target audience is beginners of all ages. 

The introduction also explains that the book is organized into three sections, beginning with drawing tutorials (e.g. how to draw eyes, hair, facial expressions, anatomy, proportion, human form, action lines, etc.) in Part 1.  Part 2 covers character construction (e.g. showing the differences in drawing a female child vs. a male teenager or female adult).  Part 3 contains specific projects which may focus on different aspects to consider while drawing manga, such as the use of watercolours, colouring pencils, markers, etc.

Although the book says that it will show readers how to create manga step by step, it means this more in a general sense of a recipe.  There are drawing books that will tell readers each stroke that must be drawn and the order in which these must appear.  This is not that kind of book.  Instead, this book provides examples of what one can create, and leaves readers to go off on their own to draw their own characters.  For example, for the description in sketching the proportions for a shonen figure, the book shows a completed diagram with the rendered circles/balloons in place.  However, it does not tell the reader how to draw these circles or the order in which to draw them.  Because I have some limited experience in drawing, it isn't too daunting to me to follow the book's instructions.  However, if a reader is looking for something more detailed, with more minute-by-minute instructions, then this book does not fall into that category.

There are approximately 140 illustrations in the book, and they form enough of a base for a beginning manga artist to start creating their own work.  There are examples of shouju, shonen, chibi, and fantasy figures (elves, vampire)   If there is a concern about exposing children to occult figures, I only saw a couple of figures that fit under that category (e.g. a vampiric chibi).  As for overtly sexualized images, this book seems to be fairly safe in that area.  I recall only one figure showing cleavage because of a low neckline, but generally, the figures in the drawings are dressed (although the females seem to favour miniskirts a lot), except for the illustrations showing proportional dimensions.  For these, if the drawings are detailed, the figures are generally covered.  There are other illustrations that show proportion, but with the circles  filling out space.  If you have an issue with roughed in circles showing the curves for balloon figures...well, the book does cover anatomical drawings, so please consider yourself warned. 

I tried to view galleys for this title for computer and for Kindle.  I don't know if it was because they were galleys that I had problems viewing the PDFs, especially for the computer.  I could only view a handful of drawings, and couldn't read any text.  For the Kindle format, I was able to view most of the text and drawings, but there were some images under the "Tools and Equipment" section that I was not able to see...I don't know if what I saw were place holders for the final images that would fill those spots, or if there was something wrong with the file that affected what I could see. 

I like this book, and think that it does an adequate job in presenting instructions on how to draw in the manga style.  However, the illustrations are not exactly the most beautiful looking manga that I've seen.  Instead...it's just okay.  I do think that the content that the artists are trying to convey is quite valuable, especially to a beginner who wants to create manga.
 
Disclaimer:  I received e-copies of "Draw Manga: Step-By-Steps, Character Construction, and Projects from the Masters" from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Review: A Royal Christmas Wedding by Rachel Hauck

A Royal Christmas Wedding is a novella by Rachel Hauck.  It's the story of Avery Truitt, an American from Georgia, and Prince Colin of Brighton Kingdom, a fictional European principality.  Our protagonists used to be an item when Avery was 17, and Colin was 21, but he broke up with her then because of their youth.  Now, five years later, they are reunited when Susanna, Avery's sister, and now Queen of Brighton, invites Avery and their mother to celebrate Christmas with her in Brighton. 

Avery hasn't quite gotten over Colin, but Colin is now linked with Lady Jordan Skye, a favourite of Colin's parents and Brightonian society. Hosts of a television talk show hound him about whether he will restart a Brightonian tradition of ringing the ancient bell at Pembroke Chapel.  In the past, whoever did this would propose to the woman he wished to marry and that they would marry by Christmas Day. 

Apparently Colin hasn't quite gotten over Avery either; he considers her to be the girl who he had given up due to parental pressure.  While hiding overnight in the ruins of Pembroke Chapel, Colin prays about his love life:  he tells the Lord that he will ring the bell for Avery if she'll become his wife...and the bell spontaneously begins to ring without anyone touching it. 
 
However, the path to the altar is not smooth for Colin. There are many obstacles that he has to overcome before he can convince Avery to become his wife.  Will there be a royal Christmas wedding in Brighton?

I really liked this story.  It had royalty, ancient ruins with historical folklore attached to it, grand romantic gestures, and God moments.  Colin may have gotten direction from the Lord, but he still had to act, and the question was whether he would follow through on the guidance that he received and soldier his way through the obstacles that were blocking his way. 

A Royal Christmas Wedding is part of the Royal Wedding Series, which also includes Once Upon a Prince, Princess Ever After, and How to Catch a Prince. 

Review: Strength Training: Staying Fit and Fabulous by Cris Caivano

Strength Training:  Staying Fit and Fabulous, by Cris Caivano is a book that caught my eye, because it is geared for the more mature reader.  This means that the target audience is someone who is entering their 50's.  Now, I'm not quite 50...yet.  And...I'm definitely not a spring chicken anymore.  Years of sedentary living have resulted in the development of batwings for my upper arms.  Workout books with extremely young and fit models who are a half generation younger than me...are intimidating to crack open.  So, yes...I like the idea of a workout book with a healthy looking older person in mind. 

The book starts off with an introduction that has a comfortable, encouraging, and down to earth tone.  In fact, sensibility rings throughout the whole book.  Reading the book took me back to my high school Physical Education classes; the author wasn't saying much that was different than what my P.E. teachers were saying about health, fitness, and strength training.  The exercises that are described in this book were also familiar to me.  Also, I am left with the impression that getting fit is quite an accessible goal without the need to spend oodles of money on expensive exercise equipment.  There are photos and descriptions of exercises, and encouragement to just get going on the road to fitness, especially if one is not already physically active.

I like the book, and would seriously consider buying it to add to my own personal library. 

Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of Cris Caivano's Strength Training:  Staying Fit and Fabulous from NetGalley, in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine.

Review: Glittering Promises by Lisa Tawn Bergren

"All that glitters is not gold."

Glittering Promises is the last installment in Lisa Tawn Bergren's Grand Tour series.  It is preceded by Glamorous Illusions and Grave Consequences.  Glittering Promises picks up where Grave Consequences left off.  Cora Diehl Kensington and her travelling companions are in the middle of a Grand European tour but must face several challenges that threaten their physical safety and relationships within their group.  The group is hounded by the press, who want to find scandalous information about Cora and her family.  They must also find a way to avoid people who are intent in doing physical harm to Cora. 

In addition to this, Cora must sort out her feelings for Will and Pierre, the two men who are vying for her heart.  She must also determine what her future will be as part of the Kensington Family.  When Wallace Kensington, her biological father, hands over controlling interest of the mines that exist on the land of her adoptive family, the Diehls, the consequences have far reaching effects that bring dramatic changes, division, and for some members of their group, even ruin. 

When I first went through this book about three years ago, the narrative's ending made me quite upset.  There is a happy ending for some characters, but not for all of them.  I was also sort of blindsided by the identities of those who wanted to do harm to Cora.  So, I left the book for a while.  I didn't know that I would leave it for three years!  Upon my more recent reading, I could see that the foreshadowing in the novel should have prepared me a bit for what was to come the first time that I read it.   Perhaps I was looking for a light and romantic story, so to realize that it would not end well for all the characters was a bit disappointing. 

Nevertheless, I thought that the novel was quite good.  I especially liked it when Cora realized, that despite the tumultuous things that were going on all around her, the forces that operating against her, and the confusing changes in her social status, she remembered who she was:  she was a daughter of God.  The light that was in her life either made her attractive to others, or be viewed as a person to be scorned.  For some, she inspired them to become a stronger and better person, while for others, she was an object to be manipulated in their attempts to get their own way.

As in Grave Consequences (I have not read Glamorous Illusions yet), Cora's point of view was in first person, but all other characters' points of view were written in third person.  It took a while to get used to again, but I didn't find the changes between first and third person points of view as jarring as I did when I read Grave Consequences.  I would not consider Glittering Promises a stand alone book; it resolves the mystery of who is pursuing Cora and her companions, a mystery which began in the earlier volumes of the Grand Tour trilogy. 



Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of, "Glittering Promises," by Lisa Tawn Bergren from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in the this review are mine.

Review: Inspired Shawls: 15 Creative Patterns for Year-Round Knitting by Laura Zukaite

Laura Zukaite's book, Inspired Shawls:  15 Creative Patterns For Year-Round Knitting, is a new work being released by Dover Publications.  It contains shawls with names reflecting South American locales and culture, such as Cartegena, Nazca, Cuzco, Ipanema, Copacabana, Geo Aztec, and Inca.  There are definitely creative designs in this book that feature elements that make many of the shawls quite unique.  The photographs are attractive and the instructions appear to be nicely laid out.  There is a list of general abbreviations located at the back of the book, along with a US/UK needle conversion chart.  If there are more unusual/special abbreviations specific for a pattern (e.g. Tw3B, which means, "twist 3 stitches to the back"), they appear near the beginning of the pattern after the materials and gauge are mentioned.   Besides written instructions, several patterns have charts, especially for designs that feature lace or colourwork.

The shawls vary in size; some are large shawls and some are shawlettes.  The shapes also vary; I found one crescent, three rectangular, four semi-circular, six triangular shawls and a ruana.  The crescent shaped shawl, the Copacabana design, features several tiers of ruffles.  Other designs, such as the Cartegena, feature lace.  Colourwork is featured in the Cuzco, Geo Aztec, Inca, and Mayan (the ruana) designs.  The Mayan shawl seems to showcase a variety of techniques and stitches; it contains star stitches, bobbles, slip stitches, garter stitch and Fair-isle.  The La Paz and Puno shawls (the latter is featured on the book's cover) have embroidery, and tassels can be found on the Amazonas, Ipanema, and Geo Aztec shawls.  The Ipanema design also has cables and a drawcord, in addition to the tassels.  The Salento shawl is mainly in garter stitch.  There is quite a variety of techniques and embellishments utilized in many of the designs.  I peeked on Ravelry earlier today to see if any of the patterns from this book has been uploaded into the database there, but I haven't seen any yet.

The patterns and samples in the book use luxury yarn labels such as Artyarns (Ensemble, Silk Mohair, Silk Rhapsody), Madelinetosh (Merino, Chunky, Prairie), Plucky Knitter (Spiffy, Crew), Malabrigo (Silky Merino), Sweet Georgia (Superwash Sport), Miss Babs (Big Silk), Shalimar Yarns (Aerie, Breathless), Ancient Arts Yarns, and Hedgehog Fibers.  These represent varying yarn weights ranging from lace to aran weight; however, most of the patterns seem to use sport/DK weight.  Also, most of the patterns call for several skeins of yarn.  However, if you do your research, you could probably substitute many of the yarns with more economical ones to recreate these shawls. 

Out of the 15 designs, I would probably knit about ten of them, which would make this book a big candidate for joining my knitting library.  In my opinion, I think that the difficulty level of most of the patterns in this book would be suitable for intermediate and experienced knitters, although there appear to be a few patterns that advanced beginners can take on. 

Also, I would probably opt to buy a hard copy of this book rather than an e-book (unless it was a Kindle version).  I had problems viewing the photographs of the book using the latest version of Adobe Digital Editions, and had to download an older version of ADE (4.0) in order to see them. 


Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of Laura Zukaite's, "Inspired Shawls:  15 Creative Patterns For Year-Round Knitting," from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in the review are mine.

Review: Tudor Roses by Alice Starmore, 2017 Edition

I first heard about Alice Starmore in a book whose title I can't remember.  There was a whole chapter devoted to Ms. Starmore, especially about her book titled, Tudor Roses.  Apparently, Ms. Starmore's book contained gorgeous sweater designs, and was out of print.  The thing that caught my attention was that because it was so rare, the price for a copy of this book was over $200.  I wanted to see this book for myself, because it had grown into a legend in my mind.  I believe that my local library had a copy of it; but, alas!  It had gone missing from the shelves, or maybe that was someone else's story from what I had read from reviews of Amazon customers who were also trying to find copies of this book.  In any case, I thought that I would never see the book for myself, because I didn't have the budget to spend $200 on a knitting book.   

So, when I found out that Tudor Roses was going to be republished in 2017, I was very excited.  Even better yet, I was able to find an advanced copy through NetGalley.  I looked at the galley when I first received it, but because I am not an experienced knitter, I got a bit overwhelmed when I looked at the text.  What I can tell you is that the republished version of Tudor Roses is not exactly the same book that had been published in 1998.  The knitwear designs that appear in the 2017 version of this title have been altered and updated from those that appeared in the 1998 version.  I was able to confirm this by comparing the photos in the newer version of the book to photographs of sweaters made from patterns in the older book that other knitters had uploaded onto Ravelry, a social network for knitters and crocheters.  The back of the book also spells it out quite clearly; this new version is a "Reimagined Edition of the Groundbreaking Classic."

I have read other people's opinions of the changes, and some people like them, while others do not. There was a design that had appeared in the older book that did not appear in the newer one.  Some people had been upset by this omission, and perhaps would have preferred to have had an updated design even if they had disliked the idea of updated designs.  For the most part, I like the newer designs because I think that they are more wearable for today; however, there were a few designs in the older book that I prefer over the ones in the newer version. 

In general, the designs are inspired by various historical figures of the Tudor Dynasty, such as Elizabeth Woodville, Margaret Beaufort, Elizabeth of York, and Margaret Tudor.  At the introduction of each design, there is a brief first person narrative about each woman that the design is based upon.  There are lovely photographs of the garment modeled by different women for each historical figure that is portrayed.  There's a coffee table book quality to the photos; each model is staged and dressed in a way that gives a historical feel to the presentation. 

As I mentioned before, I got a bit overwhelmed when I first looked at the instructions in the text, but I would now attribute that to my own lack of experience in reading a pattern.  Although I have not actually knit any of these patterns (I cannot, because the galley does not include the charts for the designs), I think that I could probably tackle these designs as an intermediate knitter.  The designs include fair isle and cable work.  I especially like the knitwear designs for the Margaret Beaufort, Anne Boleyn, and Katherine Howard models. 

At first, after viewing the book, I was not sure if I was going to add this book to my library, but after letting the designs sit with me for a while, I think that I will add this title to my collection.  The designs have definitely grown on me.  I'm pretty sure that the designs will challenge my knitting skills, but I would like to try them because they are really lovely.

Disclaimer:  I received an e-copy of "Tudor Roses," by Alice Starmore from NetGalley in exchange for a review.  All opinions stated in this review are mine.