How to Catch a Professor (Without Even Trying)

Published:  January 20th, 2014

Prudence and the Professor (Brides of Jubilee #1)

By: Sibelle Stone

Moon Valley Publishing

ASIN #:  B00I0B8Y22

Civil War widow Prudence Worthington has vowed to never again be at the mercy of a man.  She's determined to make her own way in the world after being one of the first women to graduate from a business school in upstate New York.  In search of adventure and independence she takes a position as a personal secretary to an eccentric inventor and heads to Montana territory.

Professor Gerritt Rhineheart must develop his newest invention to meet a critical deadline.  Someone is willing to do almost anything to stop him, and the distraction of a raven-haired beauty he hired as his secretary makes it impossible to concentrate.  But he must stay focused, especially when his invention could change the course of the War-Between-the-States.

Discover a rollicking steampunk romance from an award-winning author.   The first book in the Brides of Jubilee series.

Review

     Anyone who knows me, knows that I tend to avoid most things steampunk related.  I like my complicated world-building and overall book surroundings to be more fantasy than mech in their flavor.  But occasionally there will be a steampunk novel that will sneak its way into my to-read pile.  Because of the fact that this was marketed first and foremost as a historical romance, this one crawled in through the breach!  I was interested because the cover doesn't scream steampunk OR typical, historical romance, at all, and I wanted to read it and find out how it would turn out.  I enjoyed the fact that Prudence, while still fairly young for a widow and heroine, is a strong and independent woman.  She has graduated from business college and wants to run her own secretarial school one day.  After being stuck living with her cruel mother-in-law, who treated her like an unpaid servant, and was abusive verbally and physically, Prudence wants to make a way for herself.  She wants to control her own destiny and help other women do that as well.  Plus, she's sassy, kind of awkward, and pretty darn funny!

     Professor Gerritt Rhineheart is a colleague of her Uncle's, so Prudence starts corresponding with him and takes the position as his secretary.  But Gerritt hired her mainly because the tintype (photo) she sent him made her look plain, unappealing and downright ugly  He figures she won't be getting married away from her job anytime soon, so it's safe to hire her to help him out.  Well, the tintype just turns out to be a bad picture day.  Prudence is very pretty and also, very distracting to Professor Rhineheart himself.  With Prudence and Gerritt getting into compromising situations at every turn, his inappropriate bawdy housekeeper Alma trying to get them together, the Confederates trying to steal the designs for his game-changing invention, and someone trying to harm Prudence, can Gerritt truly resist falling in love?  Especially when Prudence is falling right along with him?

     What drew me in was the approachability of these characters.  Prudence is by no means a prissy, perfect widow.  She is flawed, slightly lust-driven and sometimes says things she knows she shouldn't.  Gerritt is insecure, but beyond charming and the sex appeal just oozes off the page in every encounter between the two of them.  Sure, the verbal exchanges are a bit corny sometimes.  And the "high action" sequence at the end of the book, meant to resolve the mystery, is by no means unpredictable.  I knew who the villain was going to be less than halfway through.  But this book tickled my funny bone, tugged at my heart and had some truly awesome characters.  It was a sweet romance (if a bit sexually unrealistic, in terms of their somewhat weak surrender & societal disregard a great deal of the time), and the supporting characters were wonderful too.  I loved Alma, who teaches Prudence to shoot a revolver and a rifle, gives her sex advice (and unsolicited stories from her bedroom, set when her husband was alive), and can cook like nobody's business.  She's a scary, warm and fuzzy teddy bear.  And somewhat of a man-eater.  I adored her so much.  Alma is the latter day Golden Girl of the Wild West romance genre!  

     Also, Gerritt reminded me SO MUCH of Nathan Fillion in his role as Mal on Firefly - only with slightly more common sense and more academia.  But the way the reader is introduced to his character is very swashbuckling, daring hero-esque.  The cover model also does not help to dissuade me from this notion.  I also love the cover of this one and it's relation to the actual story!  Prudence and Gerritt look just how they're described, all the way down to her horribly ugly hat with the stuffed, dead birds on it!  Overall, even with some mech tendencies, the focus in this one was more on the romance.  I recommend it to fans of light, humorous historical romance who don't mind a slight bit of alternative history.  Also, fans of Nathan Fillion.  Be prepared for Gerritt Rhineheart to melt your panties with his daring, tragic backstory and sweet talking ways!

VERDICT:  4/5  Stars

*I received this book from Moon Valley Publishing, on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on January 20th, 2014.*

Neverwas, Otherwhen & Maybe Soon...

Published:  January 7th, 2014

Neverwas (The Amber House Trilogy #2)

By: Kelly Moore, Tucker Reed, & Larkin Reed

Arthur A. Levine

ISBN-13:  9780545434188

"I was sixteen the second time I had my first kiss..."

At the end of AMBER HOUSE, Sarah made a choice that transformed everything -- and now she must choose it all again.

Things are very different -- better -- for Sarah and her family: her Aunt Maggie grew up; her parents are happily married; her grandmother died after a long, productive and respected life.  But other things are different too, and not for the better.

After growing up in the free country of the Pacific Northwest, Sarah Parsons has settled in at Amber House, the stately Maryland home that's been in her family for generations.  But the world surrounding the House feels deeply wrong to Sarah.  It's a place where the colonists lost the 1776 Insurrection, where the American Confederation of States still struggles with segregation, and where Sarah is haunted by echoes of a better world that she knows never existed.

Her friend Jackson shares these visions of a different world -- and together, they manage both to remember the way things ought to be, and to plan a daring mission that will reset the universe once again.  Sarah must figure out what has changed, and why, and how she can fix it -- how she can find her way to an otherwhen.

Review

     I can see why some people would be confused by this book, especially the theory behind the alternate history in it.  It's a whole Hell of a lot to take in, even if you have read the first book in the series.  I did understand that in saving her younger brother, Sarah has managed to reset time.  She is now living in an alternate reality, where the colonists lost the Revolutionary War (known as the "Insurrection") and "America" doesn't exist as we know it.  Slavery continued a lot later on, the Civil Rights movement is basically happening now and North "America" is divided up into territories (the naming of the land as the American Confederation of States confuses me, as it's NOT really America).  In Sarah's own life, her Aunt Maggie is still alive, her brother Sam is okay, her Grandma wasn't a lonely alcoholic who drank herself to death and her parents are still marries.  For the Parsons family, life is good.  Everyone else, not so much.  Oh, and did I forget to mention that the Nazis won WWII and they are still around as a major political influence?  But the major mystery is what exactly did Sarah do that changed things so drastically?  Just saving Sam, or even Maggie couldn't have caused such a ripple effect, so far back in time.  So what else is different?  Where does the buck stop?  And just what lengths will Sara have to go to, to make the world the way it should be?

     I enjoyed trying to figure out the catalyst for the time travel and the break as to where the major shift was caused.  I definitely loved all of the intricacies of the plot involving Sarah's family history and the way it played into the present of the alternate timeline - and Sarah's original timeline as well.  As in the first book, Amber House in this one seemed like a living character alongside all of the people.  The addition of Aunt Maggie mixed things up in the family dynamic, with it causing Sarah and Sammy to not be quite as close as in the original scenario.  Also, the cultural differences definitely showed us that this Sarah was different from the old Sarah.  Similar in some ways, but definitely different in others (this Sarah loves designers, is comfortable with wealth, and only seems to be liberal when it suits her to be).  The relationships between Sarah and Jackson, & Sarah and Richard were at a contrast in different ways in this book than in the first.  Especially with a South that is reminiscent of Jim Crow era-South in our own timeline.  

      Sarah's biggest challenge in this book is to do what she knows to be right.  She spends a lot of the book trying to puzzle through her visions of an alternate timeline, with some help from Jackson, and waffles quite a bit on whether or not she wants to mess with the timeline again.  What if she makes things worse this time around?  Is it worth trying to get back to where she was, if it means the possibility of something even more horrific than her current time?  Probably the biggest problem for me was the contradictions of the alternate timeline.  At times it felt completely clear to me, and others it was a bit of a muddled haze.  How could a failed Insurrection in 1776 lead to WWII?  With a skewed geography, history and timeline of events, you'd think Europe would be more heavily effected than it seemed to be.  Also that means WWI still happened in this timeline.  How much different or the same was that from originally?  This is just the nitpicky history nerd in me though, dying to puzzle everything out, and fit it together!  Overall though, it's definitely a pulse-pounding adventure, sweet romance, historical mystery and time travel adventure of the one-of-a-kind variety!  It keeps you thinking the whole way through, and if you're willing to suspend some disbelief and enjoyed the first one, you should check it out!  Personally I can't wait to see how the ladies resolve it this time around, in the last book!

VERDICT:  3.5/5 Stars

*I received this book from Scholastic on NetGalley.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book was published on January 7th, 2014.*

More Conspiracies, Draped In Petticoats

Expected Publication:  November 5th, 2013

Curtsies and Conspiracies (Finishing School #2)

By: Gail Carriger

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

ISBN-13:  9780316190114

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

Review

     When we last saw her Sophronia had just managed solve a mystery about a stolen device and a traitor within her school for girls training to be assassins/spies (and debutantes).  With a penchant for curiosity Sophronia is in trouble again, this time because she has become entangles in another mystery surrounding a valve that has malfunctioned in the school's testing machine - and why they are going to London.  The harmless class trip to see an event with a dirigible may not be everything it seems, especially when Sophronia uncovers some shocking things while sneaking through the teacher's quarters, eavesdropping and using situations to her advantage.  With the help of her friends Soap, Vieve, Dimity, Sidheag, and Agatha can she figure out what's going on before it's too late.  Also, when will Lord Felix Mercer learn to take a hint, that she is just not interested?  And what is Monique planning now, that could direly affect everyone aboard the ship?

     Don't mistake me: I enjoyed this book, just as I did the first one in the trilogy.  But I feel that it's written more for established fans of Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series than newcomers.  The feel of it is very established, in that I went in feeling like an outsider looking in through my little bookish lens.  Those kinds of books don't necessarily make a new reader feel like they are very easily approached.  That said, Sophronia is an amusing, precociously nosy young girl who has found her niche in training to be a spy, even if the horrendous debutante training is necessary right alongside it! :)  I found her to be very loyal, genuine.  I love her curiosity; there is nothing worse to me than lack of curiosity on the part of a heroine in a weird/off-kilter situation.  Don't you want to know what's going on?  Sophronia always wants to know, and it gets her into trouble sometimes.  When the teachers announce the progress report results of each girl out loud, Sophronia was ostracized which made for an interesting plot twist.  A decent portion of the novel is spent with Sophronia trying to solve the latest mystery all on her own mostly (with only help from boiler room friend Soap and inventive, little scamp Vieve).  It definitely helped the reader, as well as Sophronia, to realize that she is at her strongest when she has the help of her friends.

     Carriger also introduces the possibility of a love triangle between Sophronia, Soap, and semi-racist, classist (but entirely charming) rich Lord Felix Mercer.  It's an interesting dynamic to say the least.  Sophronia is only just starting to realize her own identity as person old enough to feel romantic interest in another.  Soap is from the opposite end of the class spectrum, works for her school and is of a different race as well.  Yet Soap challenges her and keeps Sophronia grounded in reality.  He's a true friend and she values him for it - precisely the reason she's trying to avoid anything beyond harmless flirtation.  She knows it would most likely lead to heartache.  Felix Mercer is intelligent in entirely different ways, has loads of social connections and is within reach societally.  But his family is also prejudiced against supernaturals and has opinions opposite of her on their civil rights.  It's the beginning of  a fascinating inner-struggle on the part of Sophronia to stay true to herself.

      The main storyline about the mysterious valve, the habits and politics of vampires, the attempted kidnappings of Sophronia's friends Dimity and Pillover, and the further exploration of everyone's true loyalties was really well carried out.  I did find myself losing interest a few times when it started moving fairly slowly, but it picked up again so I kept going.  I was not disappointed and liked the way the book resolved, even if there were a couple of lingering questions still to be answered (I assume in the final installment of the trilogy).  Overall, I had fun and got to stop thinking for a couple hours - and Carriger managed to keep me by staying light on the steampunk, of which I am NOT a fan.  I would recommend it to fans of supernatural adventures and spy stories (more middle grade than YA in my opinion), but I still feel fans of the adult series this is an off-shoot of would be better suited to truly fall into effusive declarations of love with it.

VERDICT:  3.5/5  Stars

*I received this book as part of Around the World ARC Tours, run by the lovely Princess Bookie.  No favors or money were exchanged for this review.  This book's expected publication is November 5th, 2013.*

Creepy Little Chalk Figures, All In A Row

 

Published:  May 14th, 2013

The Rithmatist (Rithmatist # 1)

By: Brandon Sanderson

Tor Teen

ISBN-13:  9780765320322

 

 

More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings — merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing — kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery — one that will change Rithmatics — and their world — forever.

 

Review

 

     Having never read a Brandon Sanderson book before this, all I knew going in is that he is a purveyor of epic fantasy novels.  Definitely an accurate description, alongside the title A King of World-Building and Much Detail!  This was definitely a good thing the majority of the time, as it definitely immersed me into this alternate-history/fantasy novel about people called Rithmatists (who kind of reminded me of Yu-Gi-Oh! only with chalk figures instead of playing cards).  The main character, Joel, is a teenaged boy obsessed with the art of the Rithmatists and the magic behind their craft.  He has always wanted to be one, but missed his chance and is the poor chalkmaker's son on scholarship at a Rithmatist academy instead.  But when Joel becomes assistant to the newly challenged and defeated Rithmatic Strategy Professor, his obsession is put to good use helping to solve the recent, mysterious disappearances of academy students (all gifted Rithmatists).  With the help of Melody, a Rithmatist scholar who is reluctant at best and would much rather draw unicorns, the disgraced Professor and raw talent can Joel solve the mystery, while finding a way to be part of the Rithmatic world in his own right?  Also is the creepy new Professor really an evil mastermind?  And what is the mysterious Rithmatic line that no one knows the meaning of? 

     I love it when a book does the thinking for me and describes everything down to the last molecule of the dirt on the ground.  I alternately love it when I am left to imagine much of the detail and am only given characters, base settings and feelings.  This book DEFINITELY falls into the first category of writing style.  The wild chalklings out west in Nebrask, that attack & kill & are only contained by the Rithmatist's military outpost/tower, are technically the evil 'villains' in this book.  And the descriptions of acts carried out by the wild, 2-dimensional beasts were quite chillingly written.  Joel is obsessed with all things Rithmatic and as such, we the readers are bombarded with seemingly overzealous details about the lifestyle.  It did begin to get annoying after awhile and the drawings didn't do much for me, as someone who is the exact opposite of mathematically brained.  I just couldn't picture any of this in mind, even with the exacting descriptions.  All I could see in my head was the characters drawing lines.  Okay, sure I can go with that.   \

     The friendship between Joel and Melody was awesome, in that it wasn't instantaneous and they more or less despised each other for a good part of the book.  It took each of them quite some time to realize the true heart of the other and think beyond their own problems.  Their interactions are pretty hilarious as well.  The conclusion of the mystery wasn't all that shocking, nor was the good-evil status of the new Professor everyone was on the fence about.  I do like Sanderson's twist of how Joel could be included in Rithmatist battles.  It was well thought out and made the ending that much greater.  All in all, this was a really intriguing book with a lot of world building and set up for further books.  If you don't mind that you will definitely like this book!

 

VERDICT:  3.75/5  Stars

 

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

I Do Have A Name and I Am Someone

Published:  April 4th, 2013
Nameless (A Tale of Beauty and Madness # 1)
By: Lili St. Crow
Razorbill
ISBN-13:  9781595143570

When Camille was six years old, she was discovered alone in the snow by Enrico Vultusino, godfather of the Seven—the powerful Families that rule magic-ridden New Haven. Papa Vultusino adopted the mute, scarred child, naming her after his dead wife and raising her in luxury on Haven Hill alongside his own son, Nico.

Now Cami is turning sixteen. She’s no longer mute, though she keeps her faded scars hidden under her school uniform, and though she opens up only to her two best friends, Ruby and Ellie, and to Nico, who has become more than a brother to her. But even though Cami is a pampered Vultusino heiress, she knows that she is not really Family. Unlike them, she is a mortal with a past that lies buried in trauma. And it’s not until she meets the mysterious Tor, who reveals scars of his own, that Cami begins to uncover the secrets of her birth…to find out where she comes from and why her past is threatening her now.

Review

 

     Camille Vultusino isn't really one of the New Haven royalty, a daughter of the most powerful of the seven Families that rule the city.  She is just a little girl, found by Enrico Vultusino, head of the family, wandering in the snow broken by abuse and unable to speak.  Now she is on the verge of turning sixteen years old and Cami is starting to ask questions about who she really is, and where she appeared from as a child.  With Papa Vultusino making the change into full-fledged vampire and her adopted 'brother' (with not so brotherly feelings) is busy taking the reigns of the family and his place among the Seven, Cami is feeling lost and alone.  When Tor shows up with sacrs like hers and a mysterious past, she starts taking dangerous risks to get some answers.  But the truth may be far more horrifying than she ever could have imagined.  With a secret that might consume them all can Cami, Nico, along with her friends Ruby and Ella, avoid total destruction in the face of pure evil?  Or will it take them over completely?
     I have seen so many negative and lukewarm reviews of this book that I really was unsure what to expect.  But when I began to read it, I was immediately sucked into the story and found myself attached to the characters.  Cami might be taken by some readers to be whiny, manipulative and annoyingly weak.  I found her to be just another human being, struggling to heal from hurts in her past and become a better person.  Yes, she plays the victim and the martyr in this book which got on my nerves.  But I thought the author also managed to give her quite a good sense of humor in the internal musings and narrative that belong to Cami for the most part.  I think pretty much everyone can identify with feeling like you don't fit in and wanting to find somewhere that you do.  But Cami does do some pretty stupidly-impulsive things while trying to accomplish this very common goal. 
     The dystopian/steampunk type world that the author creates did get slightly confusing at times, as the world build wasn't slowly and carefully done - as a reader, you get tossed into the deep end immediately.  The supernatural aspect and alternate history (focus on Tesla versus Edison being one point, of many) was fascinating.  The world in the novel retained an almost Victorian aspect due to the Revolution of the supernaturals shortly after the first World War.  There is a mixture of magic and technology that for the most part is hinted at, but never really focused.  The only history the author really ever focuses on is Camille's.  Romance when it is well done can really add to a novel, especially in a fairy tale retelling and that floats my boat when it happens.  But this was not one of those times.  Honestly with a confused and volatile 'hero' like Nico and his competition being Tor who turns out to being something COMPLETEY DIFFERENT from how he is initially represented, I felt like it was just a convenience romance build on the part of the author.  Just because Camille and Nico have known each other forever doesn't mean they have to end up together and that Cami has to make the choice she does in the end of the book.  It made sense for her character, but still felt like the easy way out.  The truth of  Cami's birth and early childhood is truly horrific and the stuff of nightmares.  It was some of the best horror writing that I've encountered in the YA world since I finished reading The Devouring series by Simon Holt which terrified the Hell out of me, incidentally! 
     But my favorite characters in this novel with the most promise were Cami's friends Ruby and Ellie.  They were most obviously the incarnations of Red Riding Hood and Cinderella.  I am super excited to read their individual novels, because the author managed wonderfully rich characterizations in this book for them, which rarely happens with secondary characters in YA fairy tale retellings.  It made me happy!  Ruby made me laugh and smile with her rebellious, smart ass but loyal as a tiger ways.  Ellie made my heart bleed with the abuse she was suffering and the haunted life she was living.  Overall, this was an inventive retelling of a classic fairy tale (even with some flaws).  Rarely is a book 'perfect', or even close so I can honestly say that there was nothing overwhelmingly annoying to me as a reader in any of the flaws listed above.  It's a fairy tale and the characters in the originals weren't exactly 3-D and living color either.  I would highly recommend this for hardcore fairy tale fans and people who want something fresh and new.

VERDICT:  4.25/5  Stars

**No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book is now available in stores, online, or maybe even at your local library.**

The Magical, Mystery Chocolate Pot

Published: May 22nd, 2012 (as eBook, originally published April 15th, 1988)
Sorcery & Cecelia or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot (Cecelia and Kate #1)
By: Patricia Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Open Road for Young Readers
ISBN-13: 9781453254677

A great deal is happening in London and the country this season. For starters, there's the witch who tried to poison Kate at the Royal College of Wizards. There's also the man who seems to be spying on Cecelia. (Though he's not doing a very good job of it--so just what are his intentions?) And then there's Oliver. Ever since he was turned into a tree, he hasn't bothered to tell anyone where he is. Clearly, magic is a deadly and dangerous business. And the girls might be in fear for their lives . . . if only they weren't having so much fun!

Review

   The year is 1817 in an England where magic is a natural part of life.  Kate and Cecelia are cousins that have trouble staying out of mischief when they are together.  That's why their Aunts decide to separate them for the summer - Kate will go to London for her Season with her younger sister Georgina and Cecelia will stay in the country with her brother Oliver.  It turns out that Kate doesn't need Cecelia around to get into trouble and this becomes apparent when she gets in the middle of a feud between an undetermined assasin and the Marquis of Schofield.  On the other hand, Cecy's summer in the country has become just as strange when she discovers neighbor James Tarleton spying on her very shy (and strangely popular) friend Dorothea.  Neither man will explain things to Kate or Cecy, so they decide to investigate the increasingly odd goings-on for themselves.  Meanwhile, they are corresponding everything to one another with surprising dedication and wit.  Someone has set a rather horrible plan into motion that may involve harm to the Queen herself - but it won't happen if Kate and Cecy have anything to say about it.  And what does an enchanted chocolate pot have to do with anything?  This book started off a little bit slowly, but once it got going it was so much fun!  I loved the intrigue surrounding (of all the ridiculous objects) the choclate pot, the strange enchantment of Dorothea and the plots swirling around the whole affair.  The idea of proper and boorish Oliver being turned into a tree was absolutely hilarious, as were most of the things that happend in the country setting.  The London issues were a slight bit more of the alarming sort.  I adored the letters between Cecy and Kate.  You could tell how fond of each other they were and how much they trusted each other. I thought the romances were well-done, if obvious.  My favorite was not Kate and the Marquis (Thomas) though it was wonderful.  I loved Cecy and Thomas because of how truly nonsensically they started out and by the end of things, I couldn't imagine them without each other.  At times things did seem disjointed, considering this book began as a letter game between the authors, with no real direction.  But other than that I loved the plot, characters, and the conclusion fit very well for me.  I loved this book quite a bit and would highly recommend it.  If the fact that it's part of a series is off-putting, be glad to know that this book can stand on its own.

VERDICT:  4.5/5  Stars

*I received an Advanced Reading E-book Copy from the publisher, via NetGalley. No money or favors were exchanged for this review. This book was published as an eBook on May 22nd, 2012.*