Talk to Me - Jules Wake

Olivia and Daniel certainly aren’t talking the language of love…

Olivia has been in love with Daniel forever but, despite her best efforts, they’ve never been able to get it together. Their relationship has always been a series of mixed messages and misunderstandings, and the final straw comes when Daniel mysteriously starts dating her flat-mate, Emily.

Hurt and confused, Olivia resolves to forget her heartache with a spot of speed-dating. After all, what could possibly go wrong?

One crazy stalker later and Olivia’s life is becoming increasingly strange and scary. Can she rely on Daniel to step in when events take a terrifying turn, or will their communication breakdown ultimately result in tragedy?

My thoughts:

A romance with suspense thrown in, as the end does get really suspenseful.

Olivia has been in love with her friend Daniel for a while. But nothing has happened. But the spark is there, I can see it as I read and they so belong together. She is a nice girl, he is a nice boy. they should be.

But Daniel is dating her room mate. Noooo. And she was such a cow, I grew to loathe her as the book progressed. Trust me, you will also feel the same. Arghhh, what a cow!

So these two have a long way to go. He is with someone else, she thinks all is lost.

Now where does the suspense come in? Oh there is a stalker, a creepy creeping stalker. And who is it? What does the stalker want? What will happen? You will see.

Conclusion:

Romance, suspense and a friendship that has a suffered a bit.

Cover

eh

Paperback, 336 pages
Expected publication: June 15th 2014 by Choc Lit (first published May 6th 2014)
Romantic suspense
for review

Dark Aemilia - Sally O'Reilly

A TALE OF SORCERY AND PASSION IN SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY LONDON—WHERE WITCHES HAUNT WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND HIS DARK LADY, THE PLAYWRIGHT'S MUSE AND ONE TRUE LOVE

The daughter of a Venetian musician, Aemilia Bassano came of age in Queen Elizabeth’s royal court. The Queen’s favorite, she develops a love of poetry and learning, maturing into a young woman known not only for her beauty but also her sharp mind and quick tongue. Aemilia becomes the mistress of Lord Hunsdon, but her position is precarious. Then she crosses paths with an impetuous playwright named William Shakespeare and begins an impassioned but ill-fated affair.

A decade later, the Queen is dead, and Aemilia Bassano is now Aemilia Lanyer, fallen from favor and married to a fool. Like the rest of London, she fears the plague. And when her young son Henry takes ill, Aemilia resolves to do anything to save him, even if it means seeking help from her estranged lover, Will—or worse, making a pact with the Devil himself.

My thoughts:

The book takes place during different important years during her life.

Aemilia is first the mistress of a powerful man and she has everything. She is happy with her lot in life. But the title already says is and the passion she and Shakespeare share drive them mad for each other. That is the first part of her life. Meeting Shakespeare, and losing it all.

The second part takes place when she is married to a gambler and her old life is long gone. She has a son. She still wants to write. But this was not a time for women, men were the writers. In this part something, well I do not want to call it paranormal, let's just call it witchy, comes over it all. Superstition, needs and wants sets her on a different road. It's a shitty life to be honest. I can feel the smell and dirt that was the early 1700th century. And it was not pretty and people were fools.

The last part, oh I am not gonna say everything that happens.

She was real, if she really was Shakespeare's dark lady we do not know. But I quite like how O'Reilly portrayed it here.

Conclusion:

Love, passion, need. Witchcraft, sorcery and poetry. Plague, death and despair. Yes this book really gives us all of it.

Cover

I like the birds

Hardcover, 448 pages
Published May 27th 2014 by Picador (first published March 27th 2014)
Historical fiction
for review

Mischief by Moonlight - Emily Greenwood

With the night so full of romance...

Colin Pearce, the Earl of Ivorwood, never dreamed he'd desire another man's fiancée, but when his best friend goes off to war and asks Colin to look after the bewitching Josie Cardworthy, he falls under her sparkling spell.

Who can resist mischief?

Josie can't wait for the return of her long-absent fiancé. If only her beloved sister might find someone, too...someone like the handsome, reserved Colin. A gypsy's love potion gives Josie the chance to matchmake, but the wild results reveal her own growing passion for the earl. And though fate offers them a chance, a steely honor may force him to reject what her reckless heart is offering...

My thoughts:

Boy meets girl, boy falls for girl, but boy's best friend gets there first. Yes poor Colin, his friend Josie grew up, he started falling for her but his best friend Nicholas won her.

Colin is still in love with her, but he is a good friend, so he becomes a good friend and only that to her. And again I found myself reading about a nerdy hero who loved history (yay! my kind of guy.)

Josie was a whirlwind! At times I did not think they would suit that well, I thought her sister Edwina would fit him better. But, that's the thing, you never really know. And they were already best friends too, he had a calming effect on her.

And of course there is mischief going on. Josie tries to set Colin up with her sister, she even gives him a potion. There is a London season and these two slowly moving even closer. But there is that bog cloud, she is in love with someone else, or is she?

Conclusion:

A fun mischievous book.

Cover

works

Mass Market Paperback, 384 pages
Expected publication: June 3rd 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Mischief #3
Historical romance
for review

Book Blog Walkers: Weekly Check-in May 30 2014

This challenge is organized by Felicia over at the Geeky Blogger's Book Blog.

Saturday 1 hour bike
Sunday - 6 km bike and 40 min walk
Monday - 5 km bike and 30 min walk
Tuesday - 5 km bike and 50 min walk
Wednesday - 10 km bike and 1 hour zumba
Thursday - 30 min walk
Friday 5 km bike and 30 min walk

I usually post on another blog (I tried to photo blog, FAIL) so I can just try this here instead. This is a great challenge by Felicia. Do join in. It does give me that extra kick in the butt when I have to show off my week.

From one of my walks