Book review: Legacy by Nora Roberts

 

This is a great book that I give 4.5 stars. It is very modern but with a lot of Nora Roberts' classic elements: family, small town living and pets as characters. I really enjoyed this book! Adrian is a very strong character from page one. She has a somewhat difficult relationship with her mom and a trauma in the very beginning that aids in her strength, I believe. Adrian is a very strong woman who is driven and surrounds herself with family - both biological and friends who become family.

Raylan is also a great and strong character. He deals with the unexpected and tragic twists in his life in a very believable way. You will need some Kleenex at the ready while reading this book. I have no shame in admitting this book made me cry several times!

There is some romance in this story but it is not the main gist of the book.

My reasons for giving this book 4.5 stars instead of 5 are admittedly nitpicky on my part. They really aren't a deterrent. This is a well-paced, well-written story that I feel very happy to recommend.

Review: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

This book is amazing! It is the best book I have read in a long time! The book tells the story of Odile - in Paris during World War II and in small town Montana in the 1980's - and Lily, who is Odile's neighbor in Montana. The book moves seamlessly between war-torn Paris and the same old, same old of Froid, Montana. 

In Paris (from 1939 until the end of the war) Odile works at the American Library in Paris. She LOVES books and knows the Dewey Decimal system by heart. She has a twin brother named Remy who is very politically inclined and disenchanted with the path their father wants him to take in life. In Froid (in the 1980's) Odile is alone but befriends Lily and has a second chance at life.. Through the book the two parts of Odile's life are told in a way that is so smartly done. 

The Paris Library by Janet Skeslian Charles is heart-warming, heart-wrenching at times, a story about family, true friendships (through good times and bad!) and an absolute love story to books! I loved this SO MUCH! All through the book there are quotes and lines that are so good and heartfelt and so true! Yes, they are quotes but in my opinion they are also TRUE! For example, "Libraries are lungs. Books the fresh air breathed in to keep the heart beating, to keep the brain imagining, to keep hope alive."

If you like books that tell stories of World War II, have dual timelines, are well-written and show an obvious love for books and the people stories touch - then read The Paris Library. I have a feeling you'll be happy you did.

Review: The Stepsisters by Susan Mallery

 

I wanted to like this book and usually I do like Susan Mallery's stories. It isn't even that I disliked it but the story just didn't hold strong for me. I felt for Daisy in the beginning - her husband left her via a text message (jerk!) and her daughter is sick. Daisy is just trying to keep everything together but it's falling apart. Then her stepsister Sage, and half-sister Cassidy come back into her life. There was just a lot of turmoil and immaturity going on in this book. Maybe it was just the wrong time for me to read this book but I found it more frustrating than enjoyable. I give the book two stars because I do like Mallery's writing style but this was not the book for me.