To Whisper Her Name

Friends!

Wow, has it been a while--or has it been a while?! FEW! I was beginning to wonder if I would ever be able to review again! *sniff*

But, this forced hiatus has been GREAT for my TBR pile! It's only about three stories high now, as opposed to five. That's improvement, right? ;)

If you have followed me for a while you know that this book (TO WHISPER HER NAME) has taken me a looooong time to get excited about. I know, I know--its Tamera Alexander! She's amazing--what's the big deal, Amber?

I LU-HUVED her first books, but these newer ones..... I just can't get excited. Am I the only one that can't do any more post-Civil War stories--from the South?! After this one, I think I am done. At least for like twelve years. OBVIOUSLY, there's a huge market for them and I'm not who they are catering to.... but I digress...

I know this review won't be popular with the masses, but I need to "mine own self be true"...or however that saying goes.... *slanted smile*

Book Rating: Here a little, there a little

First, PLEASE let me say that I know in most circles this book is extremely popular and in truth, there is nothing inherently wrong with this story. It's beautifully written and the hero and heroine are well developed--which for me was the saving grace. Annnnnd there was some great romantic tension in parts, as well as a few FAB-ulous kisses. *wink, wink*

As much as I enjoyed Olivia Aberdeen and the likable hero, Ridley Cooper, I found most of the plot quite slow and in the end--there was nothing to compel me to continue reading. Not a super great sign--I like a book to consume me. If I have to stop reading to change the laundry over or break up a fight, I want to be gagging to get back to the book. It was just too easy for me to put this one down.

I know a lot of my reader friends out there found this one to be fabulous! So, I'd love to hear from you. Please tell me what it was about this story that you enjoyed!

Be looking for more reviews in the coming weeks!!!

HUGS and
HAPPY READING!!
Buy It!

Beauty for Ashes

Oh man. This is a tough review to write...

Book Rating: Here a little, there a little

I really thought this book would be a winner. Unfortunately, I couldn't like it.

Carrie Daly is a young widow--her husband died at the Battle of Shiloh. She's trying to move on with her life although there's an emptiness that surrounds her. As far as leading ladies go, I really hate to say it, but she is one of my least favorites.  First of all, I had a hard time remembering she was a widow--because she hardly talked or thought about her deceased husband at all, whether she liked or didn't like him, missed or didn't miss him. Either way, I didn't get much of a sense of her feelings about it, so in that respect she wasn't established well. And she seemed to move aimlessly through the book without a real established conflict/goal, etc.

Also, there was A LOT of contention between characters many of the characters. Carrie's brother Henry marries at the beginning of the book, and the woman he marries is also a widow who has two boys. *huff* If there is anything that really gets my goat, it's very naughty children who's parents do not discipline them! That's exactly what happens with those boys (arg!), and they do so many bad things, I literally could not stand it!  Sorry, I may be getting carried away, but really--their behavior caused a lot of anxiety for many of the characters and that was a bit of a problem for me. (understatement!)

Griff Rutledge, the leading man, was an honest fellow and a good guy, but I didn't feel like he was in the book a whole lot. I would have liked to see more interaction between the two main characters. This lack of interaction, for me, made the romance pretty "blah".

The spiritual nature of the book was the one very good thing. I enjoyed the references to Christ, scriptures, etc. It was indeed inspiring in that respect, so if you read it for no other reason than that, you won't be sorry.

I really don't like writing reviews that are not glowing, but I find that the more of these that I read, the more particular I get. Do you find that happens to you?

Anyway, if you read this book--let me know what you think. I may be off-base here, so tell me what your opinion about the story is.


Happy Reading!
Buy it!