#FitReaders Check-In: April 15, 2016 and 3 Reviews

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A travel agent who longs to travel. An intrepid explorer who just wants to find a place to call home. And a Big Idea that changes everything!. Close your eyes and imagine the world is your oyster! And now imagine never seeing it. Welcome to Harriet Langton's world. All her life she's dreamt of travelling the globe - fate always got in the way. Working as a travel agent, the closest Harri comes to her dream destination of Venice is booking the trip for someone else. But everything changes when travel fanatic Alex drops in. With her boyfriend Rob tied up with work, Harri is persuaded to help Alex in his quest for love. But in her attempts to help, Harri soon discovers that she's alienating those around her. Desperate to leave her life behind, will her dreams finally come true? Or will Harri's leap of faith be her biggest mistake yet?

My thoughts:

My bad. I took one book with me over Easter weekend, one! Only one! One that turned out to be meh, damn it, So I read it.

Harri works in a travel agency, and has never been anywhere. She was rather dull. She also has a stupid boyfriend who was always away. It was pretty obvious what he got up to. Why he stayed with her I do not know since he was always at work.

She has a friend who changes men like clothes

She has another friend Alex, who I liked at first, but then lost ALL respect for. I mean really...what? He most be the biggest idiot in the world.

Boring friendship with friends who do not give a F about each other. Stupid romance. A meh book that I read cos I had nothing else to read. 

Paperback, 406 pages
Published November 1st 2010 by Avon Books
Women's fiction
Library

Thanks to a philandering father, ad exec Emily Rodgers knows happily ever after doesn’t exist. Relying on a man only leads to heartache. She takes care of herself, and work defines her life. But Emily soon finds herself in the hands of a real-life prince who defines the words charming and sexy. Not to mention reckless. If Prince Lucas doesn’t find a royal bride, Emily’s dream of being named a partner at the advertising firm will die.

Luc’s fun-loving ways have made him a magnet for scandal. His father gives Luc an ultimatum—find a wife on a reality TV show or be disowned. Rules require him to marry nobility, but after he meets the uptight American sent to find him find a princess bride, his search for Cinderella might be over. Too bad Emily wants nothing to do with him. Perhaps he can show her that fairytale endings can happen in real life… 

My thoughts:

Quiiiiick!

Setting: A reality show in a world where there seems to be HUNDREDS of kingdoms and principalities in Europe ;)

Lovers. Luc, the playboy who has a heart of gold. Emily, the hard working career woman who will turn this show around.

Background. Luc's father is an asshole for making him do that. Poor Luc. HELLO! Wouldn't love make everyone happy?

Drama. Oh no, Luc must marry a princess. Will they ever be together.

Answer. yes, this is romance.

Cute

ebook, 151 pages
Published April 2nd 2015 by Tule Publishing
Royal Holiday #1
Contemporary romance
Own

After four years on the Seattle mainland, when Hanna Walker returns to Walker Island to make a documentary about the infamous Peterson-Walker feud from the early 1950s, she’s shocked to realize that passions still run high. Especially when it comes to Joel Peterson, the one man who is totally off-limits…but that she’s never been able to stop dreaming about. 

The last thing Joel wants is for Hanna to dredge up the past, but when he realizes she’s determined to follow through with her documentary no matter what, he knows he has no choice but to join her. But despite vowing to hold back his growing feelings for her, as Joel works with Hanna to unravel the mystery of what really happened between their two families, he soon begins to see that love is an unstoppable force…and that sometimes two people are meant to be. 

My thoughts:

Oh no! I am 3 reviews behind! I have been busy ...

Setting: An island

Time. A few days

Lovers: Joel and Hannah. Raised on the same island. Two noble families. Torn apart by tragedy and therefore these families does not speak to each other. Until Hannah wants to make a documentary and drags up the past.

A quickie love story. But isn't that why I love romance. The chance to meet your true love and just know it, and just be in love after a day? Ok so in my heart I believe they will stay together and then after 3 years they break up cos he farts in bed ;)

It was cute. 

Kindle Edition, 200 pages
Published April 2nd 2014
A Walker Island Romance #1
Contemporary romance
Own

The stealers' war - Stephen Hunt

Weyland has been at war. Invaded by a technologically advanced enemy, the cities sacked, and what fragile peace remained torn apart by a civil war.

All anyone should want is a return to peace.

But Jacob Carneham still wants his revenge; and if he can lure the invaders into the mountain he can have it. He can kill them all. 

If he does, there may never be peace again.

If he doesn't, Weyland will never be free of the threat of invasion.

The northern horse lords are planning an attack. A future Empress is fighting to save her daughter. Jacob's son is trying to restore peace and stability to Weyland, alongside the rightful King. And behind it all is a greater struggle, which may spell the end for them all . . . 

My thoughts:

No, I have not read book 1 and 2, should I have? Of course, but this book arrived and I was all, hmm, what else to do than to try it. And to my surprise it actually worked.

So from what I gathered while easily slipping into the book was that in earlier books some kids got sold as slaves. One become a part of a harem. One seems to have hooked up with the Lady of the house. One was a prince whose family had been murdered. One had a father who was some kind of bad ass and who rescued them. Too bad I missed that cos that sounded intense!

What I had now was that I got thrown into a civil war. An evil empire helping the bad guy and a few characters I got to know. No idea who I should like or not so I made my own mind about them.

Duncan (the one who had hooked up with a princess), no, I can't say I liked him but then he was on the invading force, and I clearly liked the rebels. So booo Duncan. 

Cassandra, she seems to have been kidnapped by the rebels and was with a nomadic tribe. I liked her (dunno if I was meant to), but I liked her, but that man of hers, she could do better. But he did seem cute and brave.

Willow, she seems to have suffered. Oh and her stepmum needs to die. Do all men think with their tiny heads?

And yes a few more ;)

The world was interesting. They got everything from tech to not tech societies. And the contrast was so cool. The country they are in is also going to hell in a hand basket. 

And then there was this twist at the end and I was surprised. Maybe it had been hinted at in previous books but I was left 0_0.

Conclusion:

So it worked out. I read book 3 in a serious but the author was really good at just letting the reader in easy, it's not meant to be read like that. But I was never left wondering. I could just read.

Cover

Nice

Paperback, 512 pages
Published March 17th 2016 by Gollancz
Far Called Trilogy #3
Fantasy

The Midnight Watch - David Dyer

On a black night in April 1912, fifteen hundred passengers and crew perish as the Titanic slowly sinks beneath the freezing waters of the North Atlantic. Charting the same perilous course through the icebergs is the SS Californian, close enough for her crew to see the eight white distress rockets fired by the Titanic. Yet the Californian fails to act, and later her crew insist that they saw nothing. As news of the disaster spreads throughout America, journalists begin a feeding frenzy, desperate for stories. John Steadman is one such reporter, a man broken by alcoholism, grief and a failed marriage. Steadman senses blood as he fixates on the Californian and his investigation reveals a tense and perplexing relationship between the ship's captain and second officer, who hold the secrets of what occurred that night. Slowly he peels back the layers of deception, and his final, stunning revelation of what happened while the Titanic sank will either redeem the men of the Californian, or destroy them. 

My thoughts:

This is fiction mixed in with reality, the fiction being there was no John Steadman out for the big scoop. But his eagerness of that big story made me feel that the hunt was on.

I had not known that the Californian was close when the Titanic sank and it was such a mess! Wtf happened? What were they thinking? Doing? There also seems to be many answers that we just do not know, still today. It's a mystery, a sad one really.

The book begins with the dead bodies newsman John Steadman, he is the man to write about catastrophes. And when he hears about Titanic he knows he has a winner, but he focuses on The Californian, and wonders what went wrong...yes what did go wrong?

And we all know what happened to the Titanic, I do not have to say anything more there, cos this is not about that. It's about that other ship and what she was doing, and the aftermath.

I liked that I learned more, because yes I had no idea about the whole Californian mess. But I still wonder about it, I guess I always will.

Oh and Ice bergs are scary!

Conclusion:

Interesting take on this story.

'

Hardcover, 336 pages
Published April 7th 2016 by Atlantic Books
Historical fiction
For review

Clash of Eagles - Alan Smale

Imagine a world where the Roman Empire never fell... In AD 1218, Praetor Gaius Marcellinus, commander of the 33rd Legion, invades Nova Hesperia, a land inhabited by Powhatani, Iroqua and Cahokiani. In search of gold, he and his men find only death. Marcellinus is taken prisoner, but his life is spared. To survive he must re-evaluate his allegiances and find a new place in a strange land. 

My thoughts:

I like alternate history books. What if this, what if that? In this what if Rome never fell, instead it continued to conquer and spread its wings. And now the Northmen whose countries they also conquered bring tales about the land across the sea. Let's go forth and conquer.

But let's think about it, yes they can send a legion, but they are still alone in a vast land, getting picked off one by one. Yes they do have superior skills in some ways, but as you can see from the blurb it all goes to hell and Gaius is the only one left standing...

I admit, I know nothing about early American history, nothing northern at least. I know more about South American, I do know what the Hopi was up to, but this, nope, nothing. Like those mounds that Gaius come across and the author gave them more of a history now. And came up with some new interesting things too.

Of course this will all go to hell again wont it. Like Rome would let it go like that, like they let anything go. And then there is the fighting between tribes. I have no idea what this series will end like...no idea at all. But then he can invent anything really. I wonder if Rome will go fight the Aztects next. Ok I am digressing.

So this is a book about a stranger in a strange land, he needs to learns customs, language, and staying alive. He learns to appreciate a new culture all while knowing they might be doomed.

Conclusion;

Interesting. 

Paperback, UK edition, 400 pages
Published March 20th 2015 by Titan Books
Clash of Eagles Trilogy #1
Alternative history / historical fiction
For review