eyes.2c Reviews

Secret of a Thousand Beauties by Mingmei Yip  China in the 1930's. Spring Swallow, fated to be a 'bad luck' woman, is clear sighted and determined. Promised in marriage whilst in the womb she is later married to the ghost of her groom, or a chicken depending on your point of view.  As a young girl Spring Swallow escapes her life of predetermined drudgery on her ghostly wedding day and flees to the city of Soochow. She finds herself by chance rather than plan being trained in embroidery by Aunt Peony, a woman with dark secrets and passionate jealousies. As Spring Swallow's talent for embroidery grows more of the secrets of Aunt Peony are revealed, as are the personalities of the other 'sister' embroiderers. (I was fascinated by the treatise on the art and technique of embroidering that Mingmei Yip exposes us to throughout the book. The book deserves further reading to dip more solidly into the artistic way of this medium.) I really liked Spring Swallow...

Tall, Dark and Royal (Renegade Royal ) by Vanessa Kelly The story of Domonic Hunter and Chloe Steele gives more background into the lives of those royals born to others. Griffin Steel features heavily along with Justine. We find out the story behind Chloe's disappearance, and are treated to the torturous sight of Domonic and Chloe circling around each other as their love, one that has survived more than 14 years, is tentatively declared and at last consummated. The force of these three vibrant personalities; of the determined Chloe, the powerful Domonic in full protection mode and the compelling Griifin are brought into relief and fully displayed as their stories rub against each other. The support they offer each other is not to be sold short. Chloe, lost in the guilt she feels denies Domonic and is determined to return to her life of rescuing young pregnant women lost and alone, much as she was. Domonic, in love with Chloe from childhood, has to learn to let her be her o...

The Hero and the Crown (Damar #1) by Robin McKinley   A timely re-release of a classic fantasy and winner of the 1985 Newbery Medal. I must confess though that The Blue Sword holds a dearer place in my reading heart.  And don't even get me started on Deerskin!     About the same time Tamora Pierce's Allana was being told for the first time, so was McKinley's story about Aerin, the princess who was different. Aerin carries the burden of negative public opinion, being seen as less than adequate. What do these two have in common? Both are strong female leads who fights the odds and win through. Both move forward at great personal cost against seemingly hopeless situations, armed only with sheer grit and determination, and a lot of tears shed in quiet places. In this tale of discovering one's abilities, Aerin is the princess who didn't inherit the family magical gifts. So to many there's obviously some fault within her. In fact magic done anywhere near Aerin...

Secrets in Scarlet (The Rookery Rogues Book 2) by Erica Monroe  Sergeant Thaddeus Knight is not your normal 'Peeler.' For him being part of the Met is a calling, a duty, a responsibility to do his best for the inhabitants of the rookeries, and he's thorough. A Shakespeare quoting, Eton raised grandson of the second son of an Earl, as his father keeps declaring. Thaddeus has 'bloodline.'          When a young girl dies in his arms Thaddeus driving intent is to find her murderer...and that leads him to Poppy O'Reilly. He is drawn to her from the first. For Poppy however, Thaddeus has 'danger' tattooed across his forehead. I enjoyed this novel far more than the first in the Rookery series, A Dangerous Invitation. The writing is crisp. The storyline is tighter. The introduction of Poppy and Thaddeus folds seamlessly around the young murdered factory girl. Despicable crooks are a threat to all. Once more the rookeries, the dark underbelly of London in t...

A Spy Unmasked (Entangled Scandalous) by Tina Gabrielle  A singular reflection by Lady Sophia Merrill about Ware as they are chased through Viscount Delmont's estate grounds. London 1820. Robert Ware, the new Earl of Kirkland, tortured soul, decent man and Home Office spy collides with Lady Sophia Merrill, gorgeous, intelligent young woman, with enticing or fiery green eyes (depending on how you interact with her) and the determination of a terrier. Their meeting is one to remember. It's not everyday your interrupted whilst trying to break into your host's safe. It's not at every masquerade that you end up fleeing for your life accompanied by the most interfering, gorgeous bundle of womanhood, or depending on your point of view, the most impertinent, frustrating, demanding, Adonis of a man. Sophia is searching for clues as to who murdered her father, the Marquess of Haverton, an eccentric inventor, dubbed the 'mad' Marquess. Robert is searching for clue...

Night of Pan (The Oracle of Delphi Trilogy Book 1) by Gail Strickland  Evocative, poetic and moving. The story of the 300 takes new wings after King Xerxes and his Persian army defeat King Leonidas at Thermopylae, Greece 480 BC. What of Greece now? Thaleia as the oracle come in to being, surrounded by treachery and greed, on the cusp of womanhood and great events is a striking female lead easily identified with. An epic character brought to life by Strickland's startling descriptors. I look forward to the rest of the trilogy. I loved the cover. It reflects the moment when the satyr Pan tucks poppies into Thaleia's hair. 'The poppies burst into life and multiply until [Thaleia's] hair is a storm of green stems, a filigree of leaves and blooms...' Thaleia moves beyond herself, beyond the girl, to become the divine messenger, the oracle Pythia, with 'poppies dancing like Medusa's snake-hair.,' Strickland has combined a pantheon of Greek gods and ...

A New York Christmas: A Novel by Anne Perry  Anne Perry's  superb writing skill continues to delight me. What goes on beneath the surface of her stories is always a pleasure to ponder. In A New York Christmas sacrifice and love shine through. Questions follow questions, seemingly dark and despairing, and yet a light shines through and truth is revealed.       It's 1904 and Thomas and Charlotte Pitts daughter 23 year old daughter Jemima journeys across the Atlantic as a companion to a wealthy young woman Delphinia Cardew,who is to marry into a wealthy New York family--the Albrights. This was to be Jemima's 'first real adventure of her life.' There are strange undercurrents amongst the Albrights. Jemima is unsure about Phinnie's brother-in-law to be, Harley. Phinnie moves between spoilt heiress aware of her alleviated societal place and insecure young woman. A mystery surrounding Phinnie's mother Maria comes to a head and Jemima finds herself in jail ch...

Waistcoats & Weaponry (Finishing School #3) by Gail Carriger Sophronia's training at Miss Geraldine's continues. Now she's into lessons on seduction, fans and flirting. As the plots develops we are left in no doubt that there's something very special and unique about Sophronia. (I couldn't help it. I started to play with her name. Fascinating and fun, especially when reflecting on the strengths that Sophronia displays, those qualities that make her such a fabulous character. Sophistry is "a specious argument for displaying ingenuity in reasoning or for deceiving someone." ( Dictionary.com) And if Miss Geraldine's School is not taking Sophronia's natural talent and training her to develop her ingenuity to deceive, then I'll eat my hat! But Aha! you say, what about the  'ronia' part of her name? A Ronin is a Japanese samurai warrior.  According to the Urban dictionary,  a 'roni' is mentioned in a song by by Bobby Brow...

A Rake by Any Other Name (Somerfield Park) by Mia Marlowe A father in a wheelchair with his mind wandering, an estate on the edge of ruin and now an heiress with deep pockets courtesy of the Indian trade being dangled in front of him are not what Richard  Barrett, Lord Hartley wants to face when he's recalled home by the family to set things to right. After all, he's in love with another and all but ready to declare himself. Marriage to another is no part of his plans. The heiress, one Miss Sophie Goodnight wants none of Richard, nor for that matter any man. A true original, forthright in speech and action, who daring quite takes Hartley's breath away. Certainly when these two meet the sparks fly, and the they need to tread carefully to avoid conflagration. Sophie is touchingly innocent in that forthrightness, in her desire to set the world to rights and to be accepted for herself. Her confidence or rather difference comes of course of being brought up in the more exot...

Pretender at the Gate (Markinch #2) by S. J. Garland  An exciting tale of intrigue, loyalty and betrayal set against the Old Pretender, James Francis Stuart's initial invasion near Edinburgh in 1708. Captain Esmond Clyde-Dalton is the excise officer at the village of Markinch. In reality he works for England's master spy, Colonel Manners . Fresh from the new world, Esmond's choice of tomahawks as hidden weapons hints at a darker past. His relationship with Manners hints at even more tangled depths. Philomena Clunes and her father Magnus Clunes have been arrested as jacobite sympathizers. Esmond is in love with Phil and follows her to Edinburgh to see to her safety and her innocence. En route to Edinburgh Castle dungeons Phil is seized by masked rebels and spirited away. The back alleys below Edinburgh Castle come vividly to life as Esmond and his new allies search for Phil--always just one step behind. An engrossing read, seething with the emotion felt on both the...

The Viscount's Christmas Temptation (Dukes of War Book 0) by Erica Ridley  How can one resist a blurb that has a confirmed rake 'up to his cravat with tinsel'? That was enough to intrigue me. And intriguing this novella definitely is! What a challenge Lord Benedict Sheffield sets himself? There's twelve days before Christmas...'and twelve nights to teach lady Amelia to enjoy life.' Lady Amelia Pembroke is certainly a take charge young woman who works at a task with a Machiavellian eye for detail and is always six moves ahead of the game. When she determines to take up or over the Sheffield family's annual Christmas ball it's full steam ahead. A NetGalley ARC