CLOAKED by Rachel Kovaciny | A Captivating, Old West Retelling of LITTLE RED RIDING HOOD

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★★★★★

A story of love. A story of fear. A story of hope. A story of courage.

Have you ever read a book that makes you crave an adventure? Perhaps a story that sparks a desire for travel, or independence? A story that simply sweeps you off your feet, whisking you away and inspiring that sense of wanderlust? For me, that story was Cloaked, by Rachel Kovaciny.

Mary Rose arrives in Wyoming with few expectations; all she knows is that she's to meet her grandmother, an estranged -- and possibly wealthy -- member of the family. But when a striking accountant enters the scene, Mary Rose realizes that her newfound adventure was merely a mirage... and she might just need to flee for her life.

Oh, this book was wonderful! Like the sunrise on a chilly spring morning, this book held such a glow of warm familiarity. The writing style was direct and to-the-point, but also maintained a bit of elegance. The characters were all so real: Mary Rose with her curiosity, Jubilee and Hauer with their friendship and laughter, Mr. Linden with his charms...

Cloaked was so amazing! I highly recommend it, and I would read it again in a heartbeat. ❤

You may want to know: There are some implications, including brief and un-descriptive "touching" and a forced kiss. There is some mild violence, as well as a very light romance.

NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of Cloaked from the author, in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

~Liv
livkfisher.blogspot.com

THE SOUND OF DIAMONDS by Rachelle Rea Cobb | A Stunning Rogue Romance & Redemption Story

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★★★★☆

(4.5 stars)

Nay. Hatred would not bar my heart against pain. Hatred would only bar my heart against healing, redemption, love. ~Rachelle Rea Cobb, The Sound of Diamonds

I love a good rogue romance. Unfortunately, most of those romances I hold so dear rarely come true, so to put it (*coughs* I'm looking at you, Guy and Marian). But this... My dear friends, this was so good.

Gwyneth Barrington is on the path to becoming a nun. Living in a convent in Leiden, the Netherlands, she suffers from the memory of her parents' murders, and their promise for her happy future.

And then the assumed murder shows up, claiming that Leiden's convent is under attack, and he wishes to bring Gwyn to safety.

If only it were that simple.

I've been interested in The Sound of Diamonds for a while, now. That gorgeous title, that intriguing cover... As Prince Edward from Disney's Enchanted would say, what's not to like? So when a review opportunity came up, I pounced. 😉

The first chapter begins with action and adventure. Gwyneth, a young, headstrong noblewoman. Dirk Godfrey, a redeemed rogue with a scandalous past. Two of Dirks closest friends, a strict nun, and a sweet postulant.

The characters -- One of my biggest pet peeves in religious romance novels (and probably the main reason I don't read more romance, period) is the helpless (and very beautiful) Mary Sue and the slightly flawed (yet still very handsome) Gary Stu. I love how Rachelle took these stereotypical characters and tossed them out the window. 😄

We have a feisty daughter of nobility (with glasses! *cheers*), a God-pursuing son of a lord and lady, and a cast full of fun characters.

My only complaints in regards to the cast were Cade and Ian, both of whom seemed very similar (though the latter got much less "screen time"); and the villain, who, though his reasons seemed comprehensible enough, felt like he needed a little more motivation.

The romance -- I'll start by saying that the side-romance (between a certain friend and postulant *winks*) was super sweet. There was what was possibly an implication of sorts later on in their relationship that seemed a bit out of place, but it was left open to interpretation.

But the main romance. Our hero and our heroine. (*smiles*) Even though I know the answers, I'm still tempted to scream at them, "What took you so long?!" ♥

The writing -- I've yet to experience a novel so wonderfully historically accurate, yet so well written at the same time. Never in my life have I heard of the Dutch Revolution, but Rachelle brought it to life in wonderful ways, with her little phrases in late-Renaissance Dutch and Spanish.

The setting -- I'm not big on description; in fact, if there's more than one sentence of description in a book, that's the part I usually skip. However, I did feel as if this area could've done with a tad more development.

The plot -- Fantasy lovers, take your favourite fantasy quest -- journeys across seas, through forests, to castles, you name it... Now apply it to a historical romance, with an emotional murder mystery along the way. (*nods*) Remarkable, isn't it?

So, yes, my dear friend -- go read The Sound of Diamonds! Even if you're not big on historical romance, go do it. You won't regret it. ☺

You may want to know: There is violence (murder included) and kissing, as well as a few slight implications.

NOTE: I received a free ebook copy of The Sound of Diamonds from the author, in exchange for my honest review.

~Liv
livkfisher.blogspot.com

ENJOY THE POODLE SKIRT by Kate Willis | A Delightful Little Short Story

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★★★★☆

Kate Willis's middle-grade short story, Enjoy the Poodle Skirt, is the tale of Canary and her siblings, who have gone to spend the week working at their newlywed aunt's vintage diner. But when an oddly titled map finds its way into Canary's hands, she is determined to find its owner... and solve the mystery that is at large.

My, what a fun, fast-paced, delightful little tale this was! It brought me back to summers in which my bestie and I would go to my grandfather's house and ride quads, practice archery, go jar "fishing," and, of course, eat ice cream! (Now I want to write a short story of my own... and wear a poodle skirt!) Four stars!

You may want to know: This book was completely clean, and seemed void of anything questionable. :)

~Liv
oliviakfisher.blogspot.com

FOR ELISE by Hayden Wand | A Delightfully Light-Hearted "Spook" Novella

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★★★★★
(4.5 stars)

When the narrator of For Elise buys a supposedly haunted mansion, he is disappointed to find it, well, lacking... at least in the sense of inspiration for his novel. But the tides turn when an invisible, Frank-Sinatra-loving grammar Nazi finds a red editor's pen and takes to revising and commenting on his work.

I adore Hayden Wand's books, and For Elise was certainly no exception! With a rich, classic prose, Hayden delivers a fun and light-hearted novella on relationships of all sorts. The characters were positively delightful, each with their own little quirks. Though I was unsure where the plot was headed, at first, the characters soon took me by the hand and pulled me into a mysterious, boundless world of friendship, love, romance, and redemption. Go and read For Elise -- you won't regret it!

You may want to know: There is some reference to drinking (and, possibly, getting drunk).

~Liv
oliviakfisher.blogspot.com

Once Upon a Summer, by Janette Oke

From the Back Cover:
Sure it's unusual to have a 18 year old mother when you're twelve. But when you're an orphan and she's your aunt- and the only mother you've ever had- well, as I explained, it had worked out real well.

Where do I even start with this book... It was one of the first books by Janette Oke I had ever read, and I was skeptical at first. I mean, there can't be many books from a twelve year old boy's viewpoint, right? But I totally changed my mind after reading it. I could hardly wait to read the other three books! But, before I start on them, let me get back to the book I'm supposed to be talking about.
Joshua Jones is a typical twelve year old. He has friends, gets into trouble with these friends, does his chores and suffers through his grandfather insisting he goes to church each Sunday. When his grandfather and great uncle decide its time to start surveying prospects for his pretty aunt before she chooses a husband for herself, Josh's world is pretty much torn apart. The thought of his aunt leaving the family isn't welcome, especially since she's been his mother and best friend since he lost his own parents.
This book made me cry and, more often than not, laugh. When a spry great-grandfather shows up and teams with Josh to ruin his grandfather and great-uncle's plans, you can expect a lot of comical moments! The story does have it's touching moments; like I said, I cried. Auntie Lou's attempts to help Josh remove his bitterness towards God over losing his parents, and feeling the hurt that Josh feels when he loses his brand new puppy... be ready with some tissues.
And the ending- well, I won't give it away, but if you're like me, you won't stop grinning for days. I've read this book probably a hundred times, and I still can't stop smiling when I get to the end. I definitely give this book five stars, and highly recommend if you like it, read the next three books in the series that go through the rest of Joshua Jones' life!

PRIDE & PREJUDICE by Jane Austen | A Regency Tale of True Love & Social Standards

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★★★☆☆

(3-4 stars)

The BBC miniseries remain, to this day, some of my favourite Jane Austen adaptions. Thus I was rather saddened when I first cracked open Emma to find it not at all to my liking, and soon after began Pride & Prejudice to find it much better, but still with its dull bits.

For those of you who are unacquainted with Pride & Prejudice, it follows a year in the life of Elizabeth Bennet, a young woman of marriageable age who hails from a very poor (and rather silly) family. Determined to marry a man who is both sensible and wealthy, she finds herself turning down proposal after proposal from unwelcome suitors... but very soon learns a lesson in love and understanding.

I had hoped to fall head-over-heels-in-love with this book... But alas, it was not meant to be.

Austen's prose was witty and poetic, but not quite to my liking. I found myself lost at times between the pools of words and stray commas.

The love story and the characters, however, surely made for a legend. Pride & Prejudice certainly has the structure of a classic, with all its silly, wonderful, and romantic parts. Mr. Darcy (though the portrayal of his character at the beginning did him no justice) was such a gentleman, and Elizabeth was absolutely perfect for him.

For those who enjoy classics, I would recommend this. For those who do not... Well, I'd still recommend it, even if just for the sake of reading it. 😉

You may want to know: There is very mild kissing, as well as a few stray swear words and uses of God's name in vain. There are also some implications that hint at indecency between an unmarried couple.

~Liv
oliviakfisher.blogspot.com

BAMBI by Felix Salten | The Tale of a Young Forest Prince

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★★★★★

I'm quite the fan of Walt Disney's interpretation of Bambi, but was rather hesitant to hear the original tale, due to the many mentionings of its harshness towards the practice of hunting. Yet I was surprised to find that it was not a disappointment!

Felix Salten's Bambi is the tale of a young stag and the future prince of the forest. Hidden deep in the woods with his mother, he watches as his animal friends grow and explore. All the while, an unknown danger stalks their forest...

I personally do not believe that killing wild animals for survival is wrong. However, I do agree with the book's point that killing off does and fawns disrupts the deer population more than the killing of stags.

As to the book rather than the theme, itself: Though I listened to the audiobook instead of reading the actual story, the writing still came across as direct and only slightly descriptive, but still elegant with that old-fashioned flair.

The plot didn't seem to be entirely there; however, Bambi and his family were interesting enough to let the story flow along on their own.

In the end, Bambi made for a charming (if sad) little story. I wouldn't recommend it to children or tweens, -- mainly because of how it portrays mankind as evil -- but it is a somewhat peaceful tale.

You may want to know: Several characters are killed.

~Liv
oliviakfisher.blogspot.com