Book Review: Dare You To by Katie McGarry

Pages: 462
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Review source: Publisher
Rating: 7
Reviewed by: Kathy Davie
Series: Pushing the Limits, 2

Second in the Pushing the Limits New Adult romance series with some gritty events and characters. It's based in Groveton, Kentucky.

I received this ARC from the publisher.

My Take
Oh. My. God. Good. It's a story about two young adults who are more mature than their parents that will stay with me for a very long time, and I cannot emphasize enough how excellent this was.

McGarry pulled deep for this, delving into parental pressures of all kinds—primarily those that parents place on their children with a minor look at those placed on parents by their children. Manipulating their children to satisfy their own selfish needs.

Even better, McGarry took her time to develop this story and brought in a nice range of characters to help emphasize the issues, making the most incredibly complete story. It may be a story aimed at Young Adults, but it's a story I recommend to parents as well. If you recognize yourself in this—STOP.

We learn quickly enough that this story is about Ryan and Beth---the superstar jock and the trailer trash girl---and their strengths and fears. Two people I would be proud to call friends, people from whom I could learn. The supporting characters are nicely rounded out with their own issues as people in themselves, who also support what is happening between Ryan and Beth as a couple and as individuals.

There are sections with Ryan's dad that drive me mad. How dare he! How dare he extort his own son!!? How dare he think Ryan owes him!!

I love that Ryan has the maturity to look below the surface and the patience to wait.

A bit of home truth that applies to anyone:
"Why would any girl ask a guy to give up something he loves?"

How can you not cry over: "It's our rain, Beth"?

The only quibbles I can think of is that I wish McGarry had put a bit more emphasis on Beth's biggest regret about her past, the last battle with Trent seemed gratuitous, and I do wish that McGarry had made the distinctions between chapters more obvious as to whose perspective we were viewing (she switches between Ryan's and Beth's thoughts throughout).

There may be clichés in this, but I haven't noticed them. Instead, McGarry has played this with a tremendous realism. Beth's fears ring true; it doesn't feel contrived simply to create drama or tension. Just as Ryan's anger feels real. It may not make a lot of sense, but he's still reeling from events, from the huge disruption in his life. And he's still just a teenager struggling with emotions and coming to terms with the stupidity of adults.

Oh, wow. I love the advice Scott gives Ryan making baseball his career. Then there's the scene at the end between Ryan and Beth when he asks her why. Oh...so heartrending and honest.

The drama and tension in this are perfect. And enough to make you cry for all the loss. For the lessons that Beth and Ryan, and yes, even Mark, have had to learn. For the pain that forces these lessons on so many people.

I recommend this book very highly, and hope I can get hold of the first in this series, Pushing the Limits, 1.

The Story
It's a dare that brings Beth to Ryan's attention, but it's something under all that camouflage that keeps him interested.

The Characters
Elisabeth Risk is the most loyal person, even when it's unwarranted. When she loves, she loves hard. Isaiah, a.k.a., Tattoo Guy, is Beth's best friend, her refuge from her life, her rock. Noah is their friend as well, and he's with Echo (see Pushing the Limits).

Beth's mother is a drug addict, weak and selfish with a need to get entangled with the wrong kind of guy. Shirley is her mom's enabling sister. Trent is the jerk of a boyfriend currently in mom's life. He's also managed to slip under the police radar in spite of his activities and the beatings he doles out to one and all. Scott Risk is her dad's brother. A successful, and retired, professional ball player who managed to escape his origins. Allison is his very angry wife.

Ryan Stone is in love with baseball and winning. A good thing as his father has ambitions that way. Too bad if Ryan also has a passion for writing. Mark was a loved brother, before he came out with his news. A truth his parents, Miriam and Andrew, with their passion to be the model family, can't handle. Mom loves her charity-luncheon social whirl while Dad owns his own company and is active in local politics.

Chris and the easily bored and very intelligent Logan with his need for that edge are both on the baseball team and best friends with Ryan. Lacy Harper is Chris' girlfriend, and they're very much in love—"Chris reveres her as his own personal religion." Too many years ago, she was also Beth's friend.

Gwen Knoll? Gardner? is Ryan's old girlfriend. She's moved on to greener pastures, but can't resist twisting the knife. She does come by her nastiness honestly—gets it from her mom. Mrs. Rowe is the enthusiastic English teacher. Rob Davis is a scout for the Cincinnati Reds. Pete Carson is a scout with the University of Louisville while his wife, Vickie, is the dean of the English department. It makes for a very lively recruiting session, LOL... Denny is the bartender and owner of The Last Stop, her mother's favorite watering hole.

The Cover
The cover is the only time it feels as if the publisher is purposely jerking at your heartstrings and is a metaphor for the problems that Beth and Ryan have to overcome.

The title involves several levels, beginning with Ryan's overt need to excel, particularly when his friends Dare You To do. Yet it also involves Ryan's need for his brother, and Beth's torn loyalties between her friends, her mother, and Ryan.

Book Review: Twerp by Mark Goldblatt

Pages: 288
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Review source: Publisher
Rating: 5
Reviewed by: Kathy Davie

It's six months in the life of Julian Twerski---a very bright young man in 1969.

My Take
It's good. I love the flow of Goldblatt's writing, and he really captures the mind of a twelve-year-old. It's a structured stream of consciousness as Julian writes what he thinks of his teacher, his task, and his own actions. Actions that will have a far-reaching effect on his future and his becoming a man.

You'll laugh, you'll cry. You'll shake your head. Some of it will bring back memories of your own.

It was slow to get started, but once I got a third of the way in or so, things perked up and the reading just flew by. It was so perfectly a boy's childhood with the playing, the pranks, the worries, the sister, the mishaps. And boys who are easily led.

For the most part, the boys are good kids. Sure they get up to mischief, but that Lonnie… He's a bit of a bad boy with too much charisma and leads the boys into devilry. The consequences of which seem to slide right off him. Maybe it's those minyans he keeps getting dragged off to, LOL.

It was as if one pigeon took it into its head that the far end of Ponzini would be a good place to rest for a minute, and then the entire air force joined in.

Oh man, Cyrano de Bergerac has a lot to answer for. And so does Lonnie, asking his friend to do such a thing for him. That love letter was a good effort on Julian's part, and it does at least further his friendship with a good kid.

I do love Julian's insights into Shakespeare, and how he relates his lessons to his own life. How a guy can hurt his friend by doing the right thing. That, in the long run, no one will ever know or remember Julian Twerski, that he's a quintessence of dust.

Julian is a good kid, introspective, and with a good heart. Once he quiets down away from Lonnie and his influence. he's smart and discovering an appreciation for writing.

The Story
A vicious little prank finds Julian paying for his part in it by writing a journal. It might grant him relief from Julius Caeser while Mr. Selkirk is hoping he reflects on his actions.

Typical kidstuff, back in the day before kids had to be wrapped up in cotton wool...however, did the human race survive...*grin*...

The Characters
Julian Twerski is twelve years old and hangs with his friends—mostly in Ponzini, an empty lot behind an apartment building.

His friends include Lonnie Fine, the leader of their gang and Julian's best friend; Quick Quentin is a bit slow; Eric the Red (it's his hair); Howie "Wartnose" Wurtzberg; Shlomo Shlomo (his mama…); and, Bernard and Beverly Segal---brother and sister. Bernard is "a waste of human ingredients" while Howie is in love with his sister.

I think his sister Amelia has it right about Julian. The Dongs are the Chinese couple who own the house where Julian's family rent the upstairs. Mrs. Fine is a concentration camp survivor while Mr. Fine owns a candy store.

Stanley "Danley" Stimmel is slow and attends a special school. Victor Ponzini is a year younger and unliked. Partly because he's a squealer. Jillian Rifkin is new to school and absolutely gorgeous. On the outside. Her dad is a great guy---just ask Eduardo, the Guatemalan fútbol player and orphan he takes in, who is a threat to Julian. Devlin is an obnoxious fourteen-year-old who mows lawns. Willie is another runner at school, almost fast enough to beat Julian.

Mr. Selkirk is his English teacher. Mr. Caricone is the student teacher for Mr. Loeb's social studies class. Mr. Greetham is the coach.

The Cover
The cover is an egg in your face against a red background...and the truth behind how Julian feels, he's a Twerp for having done as he did.

Book Review: Lucifer's Daughter by Eve Langlais

Pages: 79
Publisher: Indianapolis: Liquid Silver Books
Review source: Publisher
Rating: 3
Reviewed by: Kathy Davie
Series: Princess of Hell, 1

First in the Princess of Hell erotic urban fantasy series revolving around Muriel, Satan's bastard half-human daughter.

My Take
It's cute. It's got its funny bits---I did crack up over Lucifer. He's such the antithesis of the usual parent who wants to be proud of his daughter because she's still a virgin, she likes puppies, she's honest, etc., etc. Instead, Lucifer nags her because a) why is she still a virgin, b) why must she tell the truth, c) why is she nice.

It certainly humanizes Lucifer even amidst the attacks against his little girl, the wrong man chasing after her, and

"That would require manners, something you know I abhor," he retorted.

The funny bits were almost enough to make up for how inane the rest of it was with all the overdone melodrama and clichéd characterization---how does her kidnapper not see the oh-so-obvious clinker in this deal? Throw in the unreasonably fast insta-love and the way overdone oh, I must let him go excuse...gag… I'm trying to convince myself that maybe this is a satire.

"No respect, which would usually make me proud, but you're not following through with vile acts. You're making me look like a bad parent. ...My minions in Hell are laughing at me…"

Obvious much? When she lives at 666 Devil's Lane...in apartment 6?

I do wish Muriel would make up her mind. She doesn't want Auric nor does she hear him. Daddy would be so proud with how selfish she is. Then there's how very proud Muriel claims she is to be her daddy's daughter, and a few paragraphs later, she's so ashamed of it. I do wish she'd make up her mind...Langlais, that is. Then another misconnect. Auric is making her dinner---in his apartment. They eat. When they're attacked---after they've eaten dinner, mind you---he takes off his coat.

Oh, LOL, that is cute! I did enjoy Langlais' reasoning for Muriel's unexpected power amplification. Her description of Heaven is unexpectedly tragic. It makes too much sense about what keeps happening on earth, and I appreciate her point about Satan at least being honest. Oh, oh, oh, and then there's the call waiting response that Muriel gets, oh, too, too funny.

I'd read it for dad's dialog---it's the best part.

The Story
It's getting embarrassing. His daughter, one of Satan's daughters, is still a virgin. What's wrong with her? None of her sisters are virgins.

It's a conundrum, and one that Muriel herself is eager to fix. Now if only she can find a man to fall in love with...

The Characters
Satana Muriel Baphomet is the half-something, half-demon daughter of Lucifer. A twenty-three-year-old virgin! Can you see the theme here, LOL?? Anyway, she owns the Nexus, a bar, that's magic-free. Lucifer is her daddy, but did you know that God is her uncle? Buxom Bambi is one of her voluptuous half-sisters, a succubus---she keeps proudly winning the World's Biggest Slut award.

Auric is the first man to really capture her attention AND pass her tests. Now, whatever will she do with him? David, a shapeshifter, and Christopher, a wizard, are Auric's friends.

Charon, yup, the boatman, is Lucifer's best friend, and he cares for Muriel. He certainly spends enough time in her bar. His son is "not the sharpest blade", but dad's taking preemptive measures. Azazel is Lucifer's lieutenant, and he's still got the hots for Muriel.

Percy, a half-giant, is her bartender and bouncer; Sylvia, a wood nymph, and some dryads act as her barmaids.

The Cover
The cover is definitely eye candy for the ladies...with a nude Auric---flames do a lovely job of covering the...ahem...naughty bits, dang it---while Muriel is definitely hands-off in her lycra bustier and very-fitted jeans.

The title is to the point, for Muriel is Lucifer's Daughter.

Review of Deceiving the Witch Next Door

Deceiving the Witch Next Door by Misa Bourbon Ramirez

Pages: 149

Publisher: Entangled (Covet)

Review source: Netgalley

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by: Stormi

Down-on-her-luck witch Storie Bell never thought the biggest threat to her future would be Reid Malone, the very man she’d run from years before. After striking it rich in Texas shale, he’s back in town, and he seems hell-bent on getting in the way of her bookstore’s grand opening.

Reid knows there’s much more to Storie than meets the eye, but right now he has only one mission: to infiltrate her shop so he can snatch the elusive secret ingredient to his father’s million-dollar moonshine recipe. Once he does, he can go back to the city and get out of his small hometown, a place in which he has no future.

But as the days go by, he can’t help falling for Storie in every way…and every encounter brings him closer to finding out what happens when you try to deceive a witch.

This is my first Misa Bourbon Ramirez novel and I enjoyed it. I am a fan of short romance novels, I know some people aren't but sometimes they are just so fun to read in between long novels. 

Storie is not your ordinary  woman next door, as she is a witch. Storie grew up with listening to people whisper and gossip about her and she never thought she would move back to her home town, but her father left her his old gas station. Storie and her friend Harper are going to fix it into a nice little cafe and bookstore. One complication she didn't expect was to find out Reid Malone was still in town.

Reid is sort of that bad boy cowboy. His father is a old fashioned moonshiner and has for the first time got a deal with Gemstone Spirits for his Apple Moonshine that could make him a millionaire. The only problem is, is that Stories father use to give him what it is that makes this moonshine taste so good. Now that Storie's father is dead he wants Reid to try and find the ingredient.  

Reid could never get that one encounter that he had with Storie eight years ago out of his head. He sure can't seem to get her out of his head now that she is next door to his bar The Speakeasy. He was hoping she wouldn't come back and that he could some how get into the building to look for his fathers missing ingredient. He doesn't like deceiving Storie, but he doesn't want to let his father down either. 

I think in this story I actually liked the H more than the h. I don't know why but  there was just something about Storie that I just didn't like. Reid on the other hand had this sexy bad boy cowboy thing going on that I just liked! 

I felt that the ending was a little strange, with the confrontation at the end that I can't mention.  Over all though I liked the story and would recommend it to those who like these types of romances. 

Book Review: Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead

Pages: 401
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers
Review source: Library
Rating: 3
Reviewed by: Kathy Davie
Series: Bloodlines, 3

Third in the Bloodlines urban fantasy series for Young Adults and revolving around Sydney Sage, a young Alchemist, slowly loosening-up. Based at a boarding school in Palm Springs.

My Take
It's a slow eroding of the values instilled in Sydney, finally putting her intelligence to use along with her morals. And it's Sydney's problem that she has an extra set of skills Ms. Terwilliger is determined to hone.

I dislike Sydney less in this story---she's starting to think for herself, becoming more flexible. Although, I still prefer just about everyone else in this series. She's such a rigid little dimwit for all her intelligence. And I get so tired of her whining…

Some of the events in this are rather childish: the dare to prove yourself? How middle school. Their secret undercover mission doesn't fare too well with all the screw-ups. For all Sydney and Adrian's smarts, they're amazingly ignorant.

My biggest problem with this story is how juvenile it is. And, I guess it's also very attuned to the high school mentality, which is Mead's target audience. So I'm having a difficult time separating myself out from my older expectations. On the other hand, there are Young Adult stories out there in which the characters aren't this untried (seems a fair word to use). I mostly read it to keep up with Rose and Dimitri and I do adore Adrian.

And just when Sydney thinks she has it all together...

The Story
Sydney's rejection of Adrian in The Golden Lily, 2, is haunting Sydney, that and the questions that have been arising about the Alchemists. Worse, Ms. Terwilliger is becoming more insistent on learning magic!

But it's Sonya and Mikhail's wedding that showcase the differences between Sydney and the other Alchemists. When Sydney learns of a rogue Alchemist, who doesn't exist, well, that's the end of blind faith.

The Characters
The socially clueless Sydney Sage (Melrose/Melbourne are her u/c names) is an Alchemist undercover as a student with the mission to keep Jill from being assassinated. She does have some human traits: an obsession with coffee, she's in love with Adrian's Mustang, and she's a bit OCD. Carly is her older sister; Zoe is the younger one who is so angry with Sydney for cutting her out of the mission. Jared Sage is her father; a cold, calculating man whom the Alchemists highly respect.

Ms. Jaclyn Terwilliger is Sydney's history teacher who is sneakily teaching her magic—a class that still infuriates Sydney because magic is evil! Veronica Terwilliger is her older sister working in the blackest of magics.

Adrian Ivashkov, a spirit using Moroi, is in love with Sydney; he's part of their group because he and Jill formed a bond when he brought her back.

Jill Mastrano Dragomir is the queen's Moroi sister and Lissa's only remaining family. She is hiding out at Amberwood Prep, a private boarding school, with the help of the Alchemists and Queen Vasilisa Dragomir. (Christian Ozera is still Lissa's boyfriend.) Neil Raymond joins the bodyguarding detail at the end. Eddie Castile is her assigned dhampir bodyguard also undercover as a student attending classes and trying to put his love for her behind him by dating Angeline Dawes (McCormick is her u/c name), who is an uncivilized Keeper undercover is Jill's roommate and additional security,

Fellow students include Trey Juarez, a fellow senior, football star, brainy, and friends with Sydney who's not too sure where his allegiances lie anymore; Micah is a human classmate who dated Jill at one point; Kristin Sawyer and Julia Cavendish are friends with Sydney; and, Brayden is an extremely intelligent but selfish non-Amberwood student who isn't dating Sydney because of her issues.

Sonya Karp is a Moroi marrying Mikhail Tanner, a dhampir! Abe Mazur is colorfully present. Shockingly, Rose Hathaway is a bridesmaid(!), so naturally Dimitri Belikov is at the wedding as well.

The Alchemists include Donna Stanton is Sydney's immediate supervisor and extremely close-mouthed. The extremely bigoted Ian Jansen still has a crush on Sydney. Zebulon Jameson is an official with the Warriors of Light.

Marcus and his Merry Men
Marcus Finch is a major question for Sydney. Rumors of his having been an Alchemist, his aiding Clarence, interacting with the Warriors of Light. Too many questions only to find he's a dissident and wants Sydney to join them. Lots of talk, not much action. Sabrina is Marcus' friend and undercover with the Warriors of Light. Amelia and Wade are additional dissidents from the Alchemists.

People encountered on the hunt for Veronica include:
Alicia, who is the receptionist at the B&B where the locator spell placed Veronica and Wendy Stone and Lynne Titus who are some of those who fit the profile of the targeted victims.

The Palm Springs cast includes:
Mrs. Desiree Weathers is the dorm matron for the girls. Lia DiStefano is a fashion designer who still wants Jill to come model for her. Not the best idea for a teen in hiding from assassins. Malachi Wolfe is the eccentric self-defense instructor who helps Sydney and Adrian. Clarence Donahue is an old Moroi who lives in Palm Springs and provides the gang with a refuge.

The Alchemists are an organization dedicated to keeping mankind from learning about the Moroi or the Strigoi. Hierophants are the Alchemist priests. The Moroi are the good vampires, living their lives and working hard to avoid the Strigoi, the bad vampires. The Keepers are a secret group of Moroi, dhampirs, and humans who live in hiding in the backwoods---with all the stereotypes that entails! They do not adhere to the regular Moroi strictures about no fraternization. The Warriors of Light are a group that split from the Alchemists back in the Renaissance and their agenda is destruction. Callistanas are a type of minor and benign demon.

The Cover
It's a grim cover in grays and a blackish purple background with Sydney in the middle between Marcus and Adrian. A carved, silver font focuses on The Indigo Spell which is surrounded by ghostly looking morning glories.

The title is held out as a hope to Sydney, for The Indigo Spell may set her free.

Book Review: Imperfect Pairings by Jackie Townsend

Pages: 387
Publisher: Ripetta Press
Review source: Publisher
Rating: 3
Reviewed by: Kathy Davie
A novel about expectations and relationships, and culture clashes. Yes, I consider this a romance, but more of a love affair about wine.

My Take
This story explores Imperfect Pairings on so many levels. It's almost exhausting to consider. Townsend broke open old wounds, made me re-examine past relationships, wondered about wine, and checked for flights to Roma.

I confess that I was torn between a "3" and a "4". The "4" for Townsend's diving into the negatives of both cultures, for dissecting Jamie's relationship with her family. The "3" for her heavyhanded and undeveloped approach to it.

I will confess that both her primary characters drove me nuts—Jack was standoffish and cold until food or football came up while Jamie was an uptight workaholic insisting on the superiority of American business practices. After spending some ten years in the States, he either never absorbed how Americans were or never noticed; he certainly couldn't be bothered to try and explain the differences in American and Italian culture to her. Although, to be fair, I have to wonder if Jamie would have listened to anything he said if it didn't agree with what she expected.

Then there's that superior attitude from Jack about all things Italian. Sure, I get that he's proud of his Italian heritage and culture. And he should be. That doesn't mean he has to be the ugly Italian. I ran into that problem with my in-laws. They looked down on everything American and thought everything British was too fabulous for words. Gimme a break. Every culture has great and awful aspects to it. There is no excuse for that blanket of superiority. From anyone.

It should appeal to readers who don't like it when the protagonists fall instantly in love. It slowly becomes obvious to the reader that she's in love, but she's battling it every step of the way. She certainly fought being married. What was with her denying it all the time? I didn't understand that at all. As for Jack/Giovanni, once in a while he says something that makes you think he loves her, but there's nothing to support it in between. At one point he claims "I'm not going to marry you for my green card, Jamie" and in the next, he's obsessing about the paperwork for it. I certainly don't understand what he saw in her; I'd'a dumped her after a few months! She was so caught up in her life, her expectations as well as being an ugly American that she couldn't see the trees for the forest. The blow-up at the end from Giovanni is not unexpected, but it is late. All we ever get is the cold shoulder until this.

What is it with Americans who can't go with the flow? Those who go to a foreign country and wonder why it's not like America? What's the point of ever leaving the States if you don't want to explore another culture? One of my favorite things to do when I traveled was to eat the breakfast that was typical for the country. We get exposed to dinner here in America, but no one ever serves up a Thai or Norwegian breakfast.

I never did understand why Jamie went to Italy---she does spend a lot of time knuckling under to her own expectations, however stupid they may have been. Why wouldn't she do some research ahead of time to get a feel for Italy? Why did it take years before she realized she should learn Italian? So Jack's family does things differently? So, what? Sit back and observe how they eat the various dishes, imitate them. What's so hard about this? So they drink thimbles of coffee. Drink a lotta thimbles…or ask for a large cup. Jesus, she acts like a petulant child.

Excuse me! After all this time, and Jamie doesn't get that harvest time is important??? WTF?? How insular is this woman? Jack has been telling her that Giorgio constantly downplays how successful his pharmacy is, so why does she think that Jack's been saying the opposite all this time? The death that Jack has told her he doesn't want to deal with until after the wedding. The one she keeps nagging on and on about at the wedding. Does she listen to anyone? Is anyone paying attention to continuity?

I think Townsend has a great novel that needs work. The character interactions between Jamie and Jack just don't ring true. He never calls her on her denials. He never explains anything until push comes to shoving him over the edge of a cliff, metaphorically speaking. She's so defensive of her job and independence---it's like these two people are running on completely separate tracks with the occasional crossover. We get better interaction between family members, and I have to wonder if that's simply because Townsend went nuts with the Italian "temperament" and felt it was okay, since it was Italians and they didn't have an investment of any sort in Jamie. There's a great scene with Jamie's mom that I kept waiting for Townsend to take somewhere, and it just fizzles.

I love this…

"In Italy we work so that we can pursue our passions.

Where I think Townsend did well was in portraying the culture and the people. Their warmth and insecurities, their passions and fears. The architecture and landscape. Their sense of family---and it's that closeness that triggered Jamie's self-examination. Family was too incredibly important to each of them whereas Jamie's family left almost as soon as she was born. Their obsession with food, LOL. It so reminded me of my father-in-law who was an amazing foodie! I still dream about his gnocchi al pesto. I adored the sections about the wine, about Luca's passion for greatness.

I love this one too…"the night before Tiberio's wedding" and he'd rather pursue fresh cornettos than strippers or shots.

I'm rather irritated about the 500,000 loose thread. Then there's all the teasing about being around her mother is a desperate move of some sort. It's never clear. Nor is that paragraph clear about why his father left. And what's the deal with Puglia? Why do so few people have last names? This is one of my personal prejudices, but if you are passionate enough to write a book, I shouldn't think it would be that big a deal to figure out last names for your characters. The weird thing is that authors usually at least manage a last name for their main characters...

I don't know if it was my Kindle or the formatting of this book, and I can't imagine it was the formatting, but I almost stopped reading because it kept jumping all over the damned place. Half the time, when I tried to do a search on a word or phrase that I knew was in the text to get back to where I had been, nothing. It didn't believe the word existed. Until I pressed the bloody "Next Page" button a million times to get back!

In spite of my whining, I do recommend this book for its passion and Townsend's bringing us into the family with their warts, their history, their real-ness.

Psst, I hate the ending for Imperfect Pairings, AND it's perfect.

The Story
It's Luca's wedding to Antonia that brings about Jack and Jamie's trip to Italy. Jack and Jamie have only been dating a few months, but Jack takes her up on her comment. A challenge she never expected him to take seriously.

It's the start of Jamie's questions. Questions about her family, her expectations, what she wants out of life.

For Jack, it becomes a return to his roots.

The Characters
Jamie __ handles financial integration when companies merge, and she's very good at it. It should be since her work is her family and her friends. "She's descended from generations of career women" with all their expectations. Jill is her equally workaholic sister who recently gave birth to twins. Her husband Philip is just as hard a worker.

Jack, the Chosen One, has been "passing" in America as an American. In truth he's Giovanni, an Italian taking advantage of the American educational system to achieve degrees from MIT and Cornell, to fulfill a promise to his father, Giorgio, who took off for Napoli. I think Nonno Carlo is Giorgio's father. La Mamma is Jack's stereotypical Italian mother and Giacomo's daughter.

Zio Silvio is Giorgio's brother while Zia Renata is their sister. Lucrezia is an adopted sister. Gabriella is Silvio's girlfriend. Maria is Silvio's daughter, another cousin getting married.

The rest of Jack's family includes:
Bisnonno, Jack's great-grandfather, bought Villa Ruffoli for its vines. Peter was the third of four sons and inherited his father's passion for wine, a passion his grandson, Luca, inherits as well. Nonno Giacomo, and the other two brothers ran the rest of the family businesses, until they lost it.

Marco is married to Zia Maddalena who is La Mamma's sister and definitely Frederico's daughter. Simona is their daughter, the wanna-be artist. Gabir is a gorgeous guy Simona meets in Paris; Jack likes him because he involved with the FIFA, the International Football Federation. "Michele is the son of her father's business partner."

Luca is Jack's cousin, and he's passionate about the vines on the Ruffoli land. Zia Claudia is Luca's mother; Dino was his philosophy professor father. Caterina is Luca's younger sister.

Silvestro is the Roman cousin. Zio Lorenzo's son. Lorenzo is also Jack's godfather. Principessa Isabella Savelli is only the latest woman Silvestro is panting after.

Jamie's work group includes:
Donald is the Managing Partner of her group; Chris is the CEO of the company; and, Charles is the lecherous man in charge in Korea.

The rival Crespi are a neighboring family who also produces wine. Sal is the top Italian wine merchant in New York City. Tiberio is a friend of Jack's and helps their fledgling wine business by insisting on serving Ruffoli wine at his wedding reception. Peter Thompson is a visitor to the vineyard. Hans Friedrich is a wealthy collector who may be interested in the vintage Barolo. And may save the vineyard. Hmmm, that makes four whole last names in this story...

Zia is an aunt while Zio is uncle; I believe that Nonno is grandfather.

The Cover
The background for the cover is an overview of the land and its vineyards with close-up of a pair of hands clinking wine glasses---you can't miss that this is a tale of wine.

The title is perfect. One of the joys and challenges of choosing wine and food is finding the perfect combination that will bring out the best in both. For Luca, it's using only the best of the harvest to create the Ruffoli wines. For the characters within Imperfect Pairings, it's a story that abounds with the many ways people cope with each other whether in love, friendship, business, or family.

Reviews of Deadweather and Sunrise and New Lands. Plus giveaway!

Deadweather and Sunrise and by Geoff Rodkey

Pages: 320

Publisher: Puffin

Review source: Publisher

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by: Stormi

A stunning middle-grade debut--full of heart, humor, and nonstop action

It's tough to be thirteen, especially when somebody's trying to kill you.

Not that Egg's life was ever easy, growing up on sweaty, pirate-infested Deadweather Island with no company except an incompetent tutor and a pair of unusually violent siblings who hate his guts.

But when Egg's father hustles their family off on a mysterious errand to fabulously wealthy Sunrise Island, then disappears with the siblings in a freak accident, Egg finds himself a long-term guest at the mansion of the glamorous Pembroke family and their beautiful, sharp-tongued daughter Millicent. Finally, life seems perfect.

Until someone tries to throw him off a cliff.

Suddenly, Egg's running for his life in a bewildering world of cutthroat pirates, villainous businessmen, and strange Native legends. The only people who can help him sort out the mystery of why he's been marked for death are Millicent and a one-handed, possibly deranged cabin boy.

Come along for the ride. You'll be glad you did.

Deadwater and Sunrise was an entertaining romp through some very dangerous islands. The author Geoff Rodkey packs this novel full of great characters, interesting destinations and a great mystery. 

Egg is an interesting character as he is the youngest of three and the only one with a different sort of name. His brother is called Adonis and his sister is Venus, so you sort of wonder where Egbert comes from. I am going to guess that it is because he is not well liked as they all blame him for his mothers death. She dies in childbirth, so even the father is not real fond of him. 

Egg is small and gangly and horribly picked on by his brother and sister. They live on Deadweather island and have an ugly fruit plantation. Egg is nothing like his siblings he loves to read and has a thirst for knowledge and loves having a tutor, but they are in short supply on Deadweather. The one that does stay is horrible and knows nothing. Over all he is an interesting character.

The adventure really picks up after Egg's father decides to take them to Sunrise Island where they meet Pembroke. He is rich and owns most of the island and has an interest in what Egg's father knows about some sort of treasure on Deadweather. Pembroke puts them all in a hot air balloon and sends them off but Egg jumps out at the last minute which makes Pembroke not happy. Egg learns later why Pembroke wasn't happy with him getting out once he has someone try and kill him. 

So now Egg is running for his life among deadly pirates, and Pembrokes people trying to kill him. He is in for an adventure of a lifetime and is joined by Pembrokes daughter Millicent, who Egg is in love with, and a strange little one handed cabin boy named Guts. 

My only real problem with this book is that it is for ages 10 and up, but is really slow at the beginning. I don't know how many young readers would stick with it since the action doesn't really start until you are about 30-40 percent into the book. There was several times I would put the book down and pick something else up and then I would go back to it.  It is a fun adventure novel once you get into the book but it's getting into it that was hard for me.

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New Land by Geoff Rodkey

Pages: 336

Publisher: Putman Juvenile

Review Source: Publisher

Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed by: Stormi

 After a narrow escape from Deadweather Island, Egg and his slightly deranged partner Guts head for the remote New Lands. They’re in search of the lost Okalu tribe, who hold the key to the mysterious treasure map that Egg can't decipher. But the ruthless Roger Pembroke is hard on Egg's trail, and the New Lands are full of new enemies—against which our heroes' only weapons are their brains, their courage...and the two dozen swear words Guts just memorized in the local tongue.

They're going to need help. But who can they trust? Is Kira, the beautiful and heavily armed Okalu refugee, their ally…or their enemy? Is Pembroke's daughter Millicent on Egg's side…or her father's? Why on earth is the notorious pirate Burn Healy being so nice to them? And the biggest question of all: what shocking secret is Egg about to discover in the shadow of an ancient Okalu temple?

This book starts you off where Deadwater left you at the end, traveling the New Lands. 

Egg and Guts are on a cargo boat headed to New land and in search of a native tribe called Okalu to see if they can help decode the map to the Deadweather treasure. They verily escaped  from Pembroke and the soldiers with the help of Millicent, but they are not out of trouble yet. 

Eggs is a little scared this go around, he starts out with the can do attitude, but soon gets discouraged. Guts on the other hand is ready for action. I found that Guts became my favorite character in this one as his crazy antics is what makes this fun to read. Eggs and Guts has a long journey as they have no clue who they can trust and who might be out to kill them. They encounter new enemies as well as have to deal with their old nemesis Pembroke. 

I still found this one to be slow at times, but it was still a fun adventure novel for young readers.   Since it's the second book I don't want to give anything away so I am keeping this review short. 

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Now for the giveaway! 

This giveaway is from the publisher and consist of one paperback copy of Deadweather and Sunrise and one paperback copy of New lands. 

US and Canada entries only (sorry international followers)

    The publishers have asked for me to give extra entries if you do the following below. It will all be on the rafflecopter as I think that is the easiest way for all my fabulous followers!

      * Follow Geoff Rodkey on Facebook:    http://www.facebook.com/ChroniclesOfEgg

* Follow Geoff Rodkey on Twitter: @GeoffRodkey

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