Review: The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes

Title: The Last Letter from Your Lover
Author: Jojo Moyes
My rating: 4 of 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS

I think I can tell that Jojo Moyes became one of my favorite authors. I’ve read four books by her and I loved them all. I read The Last Letter from Your Lover back in May, when I had a break from reviewing. I had a pile of books, and I ended up writing mini-reviews for most of them. Not in this case. This book deserves a full review.

The Last Letter from Your Lover has similar structure to another Jojo Moyes’s book The Girl You Left Behind. There are two stories in one book. Strangely, I wasn’t frustrated when we were abruptly switched from one story to another as I was while reading The Girl You Left Behind. Probably I was prepared this time.

In 1960 Jennifer Stirling awakened in hospital after a car accident with no recollections of who she was and how she ended up there. As she’s trying to return to normal life, she could feel the strain between her and her husband and finally she found a letter from a mysterious B where he asked her to leave her husband. It’s obvious she had a lover, but who he was and how Jennifer could find him? In 2003 Ellie Haworth, a journalist who is trying to pick up her collapsing career, finds this letter in the newspaper’s archive. Intrigued, she decides to find out what happened to Jennifer and B, while trying to sort her own life, since she has an affair with a married man.

The first chapters of the book were slow, painfully so. Probably some readers would get bored and give up on the book, but I didn’t have problem with it. Jojo Moyes perfectly created this stifling atmosphere, where confused Jennifer couldn’t breathe.

I admit I was hesitant to pick up this book because it deals with infidelity. Writing about such sensitive topic requires tact and not every writer can pull it off. But Jojo Moyes did an amazing job here. All relationships in this book were complex, messy and real.

Laurence, Jennifer’s husband was an interesting character. I’m glad Jojo Moyes didn’t make him the evil, so Jennifer’s choice would be easy. Laurence was an average man from that period of time. He was cold, he thought that a good wife should be just a pretty silent thing on her husband’s arm, but he genuinely loved Jennifer, he tried to make her happy in his own way, and he suffered and didn’t understand why she wasn’t happy.

Romance between Jennifer and B really touched me despite it being an affair. Their story was unfolded in snippet, by letters, memories, and my heart broke every time something went wrong.

"If only’ is a very dangerous game indeed."

You know I tend to think and rethink “what if”; what if I’ve done it differently. I consciously try not to do it because what good can it bring? I’ve done what I’ve done and now I can’t change it. Life goes on. So Jennifer and B's story was like my personal hell. So many lost opportunities, so many different paths, so many “what ifs”.

I especially was grabbed by relationship between Ellie and John. He is married and she is that woman. I didn’t expect to feel so much. I sympathized with Ellie, I felt frustration, anger. Their relationship were painful, draining. While Ellie could see the toxic effect they had on her life, she couldn’t get out of this trap.

When I was in my early twenties, young and single, and later when I was happy newlywed I had a strong negative opinion about infidelity. I was quick to judge and thought that to have an affair was an awful and unforgivable thing to do. I also pitied and couldn’t understand those women who stayed with their unfaithful husbands. As time passed something in me shifted and I realized that things are not black and white. Relationships are more complex. I don’t try to justify infidelity. I personally think that if two people love each other and are in relationship, they should be faithful, but now I have it in me to at least try to understand the other side. The other revelation I had some time ago, you can’t really predict how you would react if you discovered that your partner was unfaithful. My close friend found herself in such situation. She always was pretty vocal that she would kick her husband out of her life if he cheated but when it happened she decided to give him second chance, she did it for herself, for their relationship, for their children. God, it’s so easier when it’s just two of you… So far they are good together. I’m sorry, I got way off track here, but this book made me think about all of this. There was a scene in the book that was a trigger to this train of thoughts.

The scene where John’s wife confronts Ellie.

I absolutely loved Ellie’s relationship with Rory. He is a sweet guy, very down-to-earth. I felt like he can be my neibour. He is not a muscular superhero with bad behavior, he is kind, caring guy. I don’t think I’ve ever come across such an unflattering description of hero.

"He’s not her type. He’s sarcastic, a bit chippy, probably several years younger than she is. She suspects he earns significantly less than she does, and probably still shares a flat."

Isn’t it wonderful?

and another:

"Her head, her flat, her life, are full of John. There’s no room for this man. Perhaps what she actually feels for him is sisterly, and only mildly confused by the fact that he is not exactly ugly."

At first Ellie didn’t see him as a love interest at all. She just liked to spend time with him and in his presence she could relax, be herself. There was a scene when they went skating:

"When she fell over, he laughed mercilessly. It was liberating to do this with someone whose opinion she cared so little for: if it had been John, she would have fretted that the chill of the ice was making her nose redden."

As they form tentative friendship I couldn’t help myself, but rooted for them and wished them to become more than friends.

There was also twist at the end which I totally didn’t see coming. Speaking about the end, I was pleased how the book ended. It was an open-ending but full of hope.

All in all I it was another great book by Jojo Moyes, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Mini-reviews: On Dublin Street and Until Fountain Bridge by Samantha Young

Title: On Dublin Street (On Dublin Street #1)
Author: Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 Stars

Jocelyn Butler has been hiding from her past for years. But all her secrets are about to be laid bare…

Four years ago, Jocelyn left her tragic past behind in the States and started over in Scotland, burying her grief, ignoring her demons, and forging ahead without attachments. Her solitary life is working well—until she moves into a new apartment on Dublin Street where she meets a man who shakes her carefully guarded world to its core.

Braden Carmichael is used to getting what he wants, and he’s determined to get Jocelyn into his bed. Knowing how skittish she is about entering a relationship, Braden proposes an arrangement that will satisfy their intense attraction without any strings attached.

But after an intrigued Jocelyn accepts, she realizes that Braden won’t be satisfied with just mind-blowing passion. The stubborn Scotsman is intent on truly knowing her… down to the very soul.

MY THOUGHTS

My high expectations will be my death one day. This is what happened here. I liked this book, but I didn’t love it as I expected. It seems like all of my friends have read On Dublin Street ages ago and loved it. Since I’ve read Samantha Young’s Hero and it’s now on my favorite shelf I decided that it’s finally time for me to give On Dublin Street a go.

The romance was so delicious, with slow build-up, amazing sexual tension and explosive sex scenes.

I didn’t expect Braden to be such an alpha-male. He was so possessive; probably I just wasn’t in the mood for such character in the moment. But I loved his persistence toward Jocelyn, only such man could make her open up; and he was caring and protective toward her.

As for the Jocelyn, I can see why some readers couldn’t connect with her. She had such high walls around her heart and her unwillingness to open to anyone and get close to people was sometimes frustrating. But I can understand why she was the way she was. On Dublin Street is not just romance, it’s also a story about a girl, grieving loss of her family.

I’m sure I’m the last person here to read On Dublin Street, but if you were under the rock like me, I recommend this book.

Title: Until Fountain Bridge (On Dublin Street #1.5)
Author: Samantha Young
My rating: 4 of 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS

This mini-review is a little spoilerish if you haven’t read On Dublin Street.

Until Fountain Bridge is a sweet novella, perfect for those who wanted more of Ellie and Adam after reading On Dublin Street. It focuses only on Ellie and Adam’s relationship. We see them through Ellie’s diaries as Ellie and Adam (a couple now) peruse through them and read some entries.

Samantha Young as always writes wonderful romance.

My only complaint, I find unbelievable that someone would write their diary in such manner. Ellie’s diary sounds like a novel, something a writer wrote for his readers. It doesn’t sound like something a person (especially a teenage girl) would write in her diary. Perhaps it would be better if the author made memory flashbacks instead the diary.

Aside from this I really enjoyed Until Fountain Bridge. I recommend it, especially if you loved On Dublin Street.

Audiobook mini-review: Sinner (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #4) by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Sinner (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #4)
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Narrator: Dan Bittner and Emma Galvin
My rating: 4 of 5 Stars
My rating of Narration: 5 of 5 Stars

SUMMARY (from Goodreads)

found.
Cole St. Clair has come to California for one reason: to get Isabel Culpeper back. She fled from his damaged, drained life, and damaged and drained it even more. He doesn't just want her. He needs her.

lost.
Isabel is trying to build herself a life in Los Angeles. It's not really working. She can play the game as well as all the other fakes...but what's the point? What is there to win?

sinner.
Cole and Isabel share a past that never seemed to have a future. They have the power to save each other and the power to tear each other apart. The only thing for certain is that they cannot let go.

MY THOUGHTS

This review is a little spoilerish if you haven’t read previous books in this series.

I’ve listened to the audio version of the whole series and it’s very well done. There are four narrators, each for Sam, Grace, Cole and Isabel; each of them made an amazing job bringing these characters to life. I know most of YA-lovers have already read this series, but if you decide to reread this series I highly recommend the audiobooks. Actually I remember Maggie Stiefvater herself said in one of her interviews that she was pleased how the audio had turned out.

I loved Sinner! Though my favorite in this series is the second book Linger, Sinner is close behind.

For those of you who haven’t read Sinner yet, this book is about Isabel, who moved back to LA, and Cole, who came there to record an album and be on reality show.

There are several reasons this installment worked for me.

1. This book reads almost as a contemporary.

You see, I’m a contemporary girl. I always prefer good contemporary to paranormal or fantasy, though I often venture to these genres and I’m happy when I can find some gems, hidden there. Anyway, back to Sinner. Paranormal aspect of it is practically nonexistent. In previous books “shapeshifting equal losing yourself” was in the front; Sam’s struggles to stay himself had profound effect on readers. In Sinner Cole’s shifting to a wolf is a way to run from reality, like drugs or alcohol. And his ability to control his shifting, to become a wolf when he wants it, only accentuates this similarity to drugs. I’m rumbling here, I hope you get what I’m trying to say.

2. Romance with a celebrity is my favorite trope.

I have a soft spot for famous heroes in my books. Give me an actor or a rock star who fall in love with a noncelebrity heroine and I’m a happy girl. But Maggie Stiefvater is Maggie Stiefvater, of course she took this usual trope about a tortured famous rock star and an average girl and made it into something beautiful, unexpected and wonderful.

3. Cole and Isabel’s relationship was intense.

Cole and Isabel were very intense characters and their relationship was explosive. I don’t mean only their sexual interactions, though compare to previous books there was definitely more this stuff in Sinner and these scenes between Cole and Isabel were hot.

Both Cole and Isabel are unstable persons, so while reading this book I was constantly nervous, in anticipation of someone’s breakdown or some disaster happening. I can say that I wanted this intensity and instability in previous installments. I loved Sam and Grace, but I wanted some angst.

I don’t know why, but I find very difficult to write a proper review on Maggie Stiefvater’s books, and I see that this attempt is no better than the previous. But I hope I was able to convey my love for this author, who writes beautiful and strange stories with amazing characters, which would stay with you for a long time.

Audiobook Mini-review: After the Night by Linda Howard

Title: After the Night
Author: Linda Howard
My rating: 3.5 - 4 of 5 Stars

MY THOUGHTS

Faith Devlin was a poor girl from the wrong side of the road. Since early age she had a crush on Gray Rouillard, son of the rich and powerful man of the town. After his father disappeared with Faith’s mother, leaving behind his family and his money, Gray was enraged and hated every remained in town Devlin, Faith included. He threw them all out of the town. Twelve years later Faith returned to her hometown to finally find out what happened to Gray’s father all those years ago.

Faith was such a strong and likable heroine. She had been through so much but she didn’t break. She had achieved a lot in life. Despite hardships she stayed kind and kind-hearted person. As for Gray I can see why some readers had problems with this character, but if you like alpha-heroes, he would be right up your alley. He was rude and possessive, but at the same time as their relationship with Faith progressed we see his caring and more vulnerable side. Romance was steamy and Linda Howard wrote some hot scenes here.

I liked After the Night, but unfortunately it wasn’t 5 Star read for me. Why? Two reasons. Firstly I guested early in the book who was the “bad guy”. I don’t know, maybe I’ve read too many romantic suspense… I like when the author keeps me on my toes, when I suspect everyone and have no idea who the killer is until the end. So this definitely took some of my enjoyment. My second issue was with the ending. After the scene where the culprit was revealed, I expected the author would wrap up the book. Instead she continued to drag the story telling us many insignificant and unnecessary details like what clothes the heroine had bought.

I’ve listened to the audiobook narrated by Natalie Ross. I love this narrator; she brings so much to the book. She masterfully delivers distinct female voices as well as male ones. I have only two small complaints, and they are so weird, that I’m sure you won’t have them. First one: Natalie Ross has such a melodic throaty beautiful voice; it’s like music to me. So I constantly was in situation when I was listening HOW she was saying words, not what words she was saying. It was like blackouts for several minutes. So I have to concentrate more while listening to this audiobook. My second issue is that my first experience with Natalie Ross was Fever series by Karen Marie Moning (which I absolutely loved), where she brilliantly narrated main character Mac. I was so impressed by her work (I’m still impressed), now when I start listening a new book narrated by Natalie Ross, during first several minutes I hear Mac from Fever. I just couldn’t help myself. It’s only first several minutes but it continues to happen again and again.

Despite some qualms I enjoyed After the Night very much and recommend it to all romantic suspense lovers. Linda Howard delivered amazing steamy romance, strong heroine and hot alpha hero. After the Night was my first book by Linda Howard and it was a positive experience. I plan to check out her backlist.

Should foreigners write reviews in English?

After some contemplation I finally decided to write this post, because this incident really bothers me.

A couple of weeks ago I received a comment where I was told that my English is awful and my reviews are full of mistakes, so why I even bother to post anything, nobody want to read my stuff. I’m sure many of you have your share of hateful comments and I usually ignore them. The thing is this comment really hit a nerve. You see, I’ve always been self-conscious about my English level. I am weary to make a mistake, misspell a word or use wrong tense. Actually this is the reason I’ve been a silent follower on GR and blogs for a long time. But lately I was relaxed, I found many fellow booklovers and was happy to chat with them and write my own reviews. While I know my English is not perfect I thought that it’s not that bad, that I can write a coherent review, which people can enjoy. So this comment made me upset, mostly because it was so unexpected and I wasn’t in my happy place anymore.

Those of you who follow me probably noticed that I wasn’t very active lately and didn’t post my reviews for a while. The reason is that I was somewhat depressed and wasn’t in the mood to do chat and review.

But you know what? I realized that I don’t want to let one hateful comment to rule my life. I love reading and writing reviews. I’ve met so many wonderful people who have the same passion. So I start reviewing again.

Why I wrote all this? I think I just wanted to let it all go, and it seems like a good way to do it. Also I want to open a discussion. DO REVIEWS WITH GRAMMAR MISTAKES AND MISSPELLINGS BOTHER YOU?

PS. I also want to say big THANK YOU to Rachel from The Readers Den, because you accepted my friend request when I had about five friends and a dozen reviews and actually began chatting with me, read my reviews and left comments. You were a big support for me. After that it was not so scary to send friend requests and comment. Now it seems funny, but then I found many reviewers very intimidating (I’m looking at you, Feifei).

Mini-review: Captive (Captive #1) by Brighton Walsh

Title: Captive (Captive #1)
Author: Brighton Walsh
My rating: 3.5 of 5 Stars

SUMMARY (from Goodreads)
He’s the most dangerous man she’s ever met…and she’s falling in love with him.

Madison Frost is desperate to escape her life. Daughter of a prominent businessman, she has everything a girl could ask for. Except for a family who’s present in her life, and anyone to talk to outside the four walls of the prison she calls home. Madison dreams of one day leaving her life behind. She never thought being kidnapped is how it would happen.

Now she’s being held captive by a man who’s as frightening as he is sinfully gorgeous. Enormous, muscular, and filled with secrets, the man they call Ghost is an enigmatic mercenary, and Madison is trapped with him. She doesn’t know who hired him or why, but the more time she spends at his mercy, the more she realizes he’s not what he seems. Beneath his rough exterior lies an unexpected gentleness and a heart as broken and battered as her own.

But as Madison lets down her walls, Ghost holds tight to his, hiding secrets that could destroy everything.

MY THOUGHTS

I’ve read this book a while ago and wasn’t in the mood to write a review right away. Now some details are a little bit foggy, so it will be a mini-review.

Captive was such a mood read for me. I wanted a brain-candy and I got one.

Despite the fact that this book is about kidnapping, Captive is a sweet love story at core. Romance is the strongest aspect of this book. My favorite part of romance is prelude. Build-up, furtive glances and touches, fighting their feelings, gradually increasing sexual tension; these are elements that make great romance for me. And Brighton Walsh delivered it all. I loved romance between Madison and Ghost.

I found both main characters interesting, but I would like them to be more fleshed out.

As for the plot it was rather weak in my opinion. I think fans of suspense and thrillers would be disappointed. There were many little inconsistencies and gaps, as for the big revelation, I personally found it far-stretched and unbelievable.

My final verdict: if you want romantic suspense with unpredictable realistic plot, you should probably look elsewhere. If you are looking for a romance with amazing chemistry and sexual tension, grab Captive right now.

Captive was my first book by Brighton Walsh, but won’t be my last. I think I’ll check out the next book in this series, also I’ve heard a lot of positive things about another series by this author Caged in Winter which is on my tbr-list.

Review: I'll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Title: I'll Meet You There
Author: Heather Demetrios
My rating: 4 of 5 Stars

SUMMARY (from Goodreads)
If seventeen-year-old Skylar Evans were a typical Creek View girl, her future would involve a double-wide trailer, a baby on her hip, and the graveyard shift at Taco Bell. But after graduation, the only thing standing between straightedge Skylar and art school are three minimum-wage months of summer. Skylar can taste the freedom—that is, until her mother loses her job and everything starts coming apart. Torn between her dreams and the people she loves, Skylar realizes everything she’s ever worked for is on the line.

Nineteen-year-old Josh Mitchell had a different ticket out of Creek View: the Marines. But after his leg is blown off in Afghanistan, he returns home, a shell of the cocksure boy he used to be. What brings Skylar and Josh together is working at the Paradise—a quirky motel off California’s dusty Highway 99. Despite their differences, their shared isolation turns into an unexpected friendship and soon, something deeper.

MY THOUGHTS

My life is very different from Skylar’s, but we have at least two things in common: our love for dancing and paper crafting. When I went to college I used to dance. Not professionally, it was just a hobby, but for several years dancing was a big part of my life. So I relate to Skylar in this. There was a wonderful scene in the beginning of the book where Skylar went to a salsa club with her friend Chris. I can notch up a star just for this scene. The author so well captured Skylar’s emotions on the dance floor. This rush, energy, lightness, this freedom, when you don’t need to think, you can get lost in the music. When it’s just you and your partner, your hand in his and you just need to follow his lead.

"For a while, I just let the music have its way with me. The beats soaked into my skin and filled me up. I tilted my head back and laughed into the rainbow-colored lights, my body slick with sweat."

I know many readers probably won’t give this scene a second thought, but because of my personal experience it tugged at my heartstrings and made me nostalgic. I remember when I had an awful day or a bad week I would go to club and dance. Like Skylar said: “I just wanted to dance it all away”, and it actually went away. All bad staff evaporated when I was on the dance floor.

"When I was out there dancing, it was like anything was possible."

The second thing that resonated with me was Skylar’s love for paper crafting. I love everything paper related: collages, scrapbooking, projects with my kids. I’m familiar with this special state of mind when the world fell away and it’s just me and my project.

"As I worked… my world whittled down to the feel of the paper under my fingers"

I relate to Skylar’s need to express her emotions and life events in paper and just let it all go.

"I needed to collage, get my hands dirty with glue and scissors and paper that melted under my skin. I’d take all our bills and receipts and tear them up into tiny pieces. Then I’d turn the pieces into a kite, flying up into the sky. Or I could collage a cheeseburger with a thick, creamy shake. Maybe a train, heading out of Creek View."

I'll Meet You There is mostly Skylar’s story and is written from her perspective, but there are short chapters told from Josh POV between Skylar’s chapters. I really liked them.

I loved romance in this book. It was beautiful and slow, moving initially to friendship. While at first I thought there wasn’t a lot of chemistry between them, later there were a couple of absolutely swoony scenes. I found both Sky and Josh so real. Josh, cocky player in high school, had lost in Afghanistan not only his friends and his leg, but part of himself. He is lost and angry and alone in his guilt. Skylar desperately wants to leave her hometown behind. Suddenly her well planned future is not so sure and she is lost too. But together they will find their way to the happiness.

"I had to tell him we were like a collage. Pieces that could be put back together in a new way, a better way."

There is also a great cast of secondary characters in this book. I loved friendship between Chris, Dylan and Skylar. And of course there was Marge.

However several things bugged me. Characters used words w*tback, f*ggot and made offensive statements. It was always a joke, or a character was drunk and later apologized, but it bothered me.

The other aspect of the book that grated on my nerves was Skylar’s relationship with her mother. This woman made awful things and treated Skylar badly. In the end all their issues were quickly and conveniently resolved. And there was also Skylar’s aunt; this plot line was just dropped. I didn’t buy it. In my opinion this book could make all its points without this whole situation with the mother. Skylar and Josh had a lot on their plate as it was: Josh’s PTSD, disability, and unclear future; Skylar’s poverty, her graduation and plans to leave her hometown and friends behind. There were a lot to work with and Skylar’s mother only added unnecessary drama; this made my experience of reading, I don’t know, cheaper.

Another topic that the author addressed in this book is poverty. At first sight it takes the back seat to Josh’s PTSD and Skylar’s situation with her mother, but it always there in details and small moments. It’s like a background to the whole picture. Heather Demetrios made great job here and deals with this topic authentically and in not in your face way.

“I wanted to tell her that poverty wasn’t catching”

I'll Meet You There is a solid YA which tackles several important topics. Despite some flaws I think it’s a great story and I recommend it.