Tag: hope

Angelina’s Bachelors – REVIEW

Valerie @ Valerie's MusingsLeave a comment

4 out of 5 stars

Angelina's Bachelors by Brian O'Reilly book cover - photo of a woman from the neck down dressed in a black dress with an apron and high heeled shoes getting ready to set a table with plates

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line of blueberries spilling out of a basket on the left
©GraphicGarden

Synopsis

Far too young to be a widow, Angelina D’Angelo suddenly finds herself facing a life without her beloved husband, Frank. Late one night shortly after the funeral, she makes her way down to the kitchen and pours all of her grief and anger into the only outlet she has left, her passion for cooking. In a frenzy of concentration and swift precision, she builds layer upon layer of thick, rich lasagna, braids loaves of yeasty bread, roasts, plump herb-rubbed chicken; she makes so much food that she winds up delivering the spoils to the neighbors in her tight-knit Italian community in South Philadelphia.

Retiree Basil Cupertino, who has just moved in with his kindly sister across the street, is positively smitten with Angelina’s food. In a stroke of good fortune, Basil offers Angelina (not only husbandless but unemployed) a job cooking for him, two meals a day, six days a week, in exchange for a handsome salary. Soon, word of her irresistible culinary prowess spreads and she finds herself cooking for seven bachelors, and in the process discovers the magical power of food to heal, to bring people together . . . and maybe even to provide a second chance at love.

Filled to the brim with homemade warmth, Angelina’s Bachelors is a sweet tale of overcoming grief, redefining family, and following your heart, through food.

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Review

Angelina’s Bachelors by Brian O’Reilly is a wonderful debut novel. It’s well-written; the characters are lovable and interesting; and the story line is well-thought and well-executed.

The bachelors that Angelina ends up cooking for are all fascinating and it’s fun to gradually get their back stories as the novel progresses. The level of emotions throughout the book also seemed to fit the circumstances of where they fell in the plot. This book struck the right balance between heavy, emotional reading and light-hearted, carefree reading.

The one thing I did find annoying was that, at least in the copy I read, the recipes for Angelina’s dinners were right in the middle of the story line. It was very annoying to have to keep skipping over three to five pages with the recipes on them just to get back to the story line. It would’ve been much better if the author had put those at the end of the chapter.

All in all, a wonderful debut novel and I would love to read more from this author should he publish more.

line of strawberries spilling out of a basket on the left
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The Promise of Rainbows – REVIEW

Valerie @ Valerie's MusingsLeave a comment

5 out of 5 stars.

The Promise of Rainbows by Ava Miles - Pasture land scene with rainbow in sky

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A graphic rainbow between two clouds
©Graphic Garden

Synopsis

When military veteran and country music star Jake Lassiter hires Susannah McGuiness as his interior decorator, she has no idea he carries a secret so great it will change the love developing between them.

A graphic rainbow between two clouds
©Graphic Garden

Review

The Promise of Rainbows by Ava Miles is the fourth book in the Dare River series.

Wow. That pretty much sums up all my feelings as I finish of this latest offering from Ava Miles. Absolutely wow. This book was phenomenal.

Our hero Jake suffers from PTSD and is looking to find ways to cope. He’s already been through several therapists and different types of therapies, but in this book, he ends up working with Reverend Louisa, who we’ve met before in the other books in this series. Jake doesn’t believe there’s much hope, but working with Louisa, together with dating Louisa’s daughter, Susannah, he experiences breakthroughs like he never has before.

THIS book is what I was so hoping to see when Ms. Miles published “The Chocolate Garden”. This book accurately portrayed PTSD and the struggles that arise from it. Whereas I felt like “The Chocolate Garden” glossed over some of the difficulties of surviving domestic violence and entering into a new relationship after an abusive relationship, this book NAILED all the struggles and such that come with PTSD.  Jake’s feelings about himself and the brokenness he feels is all very indicative of what many PTSD sufferers feel. I know. I am one. The brokenness, the self-loathing, the feel that others are better off without being in a relationship with you, everything.

And yet, Susannah sees past all that and loves the man who Jake is, not all the lies that PTSD tells him about himself. He ends up seeing Susannah as his miracle, helping pull him out of himself and back into the world.   Each and every one of us has someone who either has worked such a miracle in our lives or who will work such a miracle one day. Not necessarily a romantic someone, but someone who pulls you up out of the depths when you can’t find the way out yourself. Even tho’ this is a romance book, the theme of having someone to lean on in the hardest of times is the main focus of the book.

It’s not an easy book to read given all of Jake’s struggles. If you struggle with PTSD yourself, like I do, you may find this book hitting very close to home. I certainly did. I cried more with this book than I have since The Bridge to a Better Life came out last spring. But it’s totally worth it. Take your time with the book, but read it. Give yourself breaks to process, but don’t hide from this book because of its subject matter. It’s too good to pass up.

The plot, the setting, the characters, everything about this book was phenomenal. One of Ms. Miles’ best books EVER. Read it. You won’t forget it or regret it.

(I received a free eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review. All conclusions are my own.)

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 – REVIEW

Valerie @ Valerie's MusingsLeave a comment

5 out of 5 stars

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 book cover - Silhouette of boy/man standing in front of a door with a window in it - boy/man's hand is emitting lightning

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Synopsis

My name is Michael Vey, and the story I’m about to tell you is strange. Very strange. It’s my story.

To everyone at Meridian High School, Michael Vey is an ordinary fourteen-year-old. In fact, the only thing that seems to set him apart is the fact that he has Tourette’s syndrome. But Michael is anything but ordinary. Michael has special powers. Electric powers.

Michael thinks he’s unique until he discovers that a cheerleader named Taylor also has special powers. With the help of Michael’s friend, Ostin, the three of them set out to discover how Michael and Taylor ended up this way, but their investigation brings them to the attention of a powerful group who wants to control the electric children – and through them the world. Michael will have to rely on his wits, powers, and friends if he’s to survive.

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Review

Michael Vey: The Prisoner of Cell 25 by Richard Paul Evans is the first in the Michael Vey series for teens. This was Mr. Evans’ first foray into the world of teen fiction and it was very well done. It’s a bit different from other teen books in there isn’t the horror and darkness you often encounter. Instead, there’s an underlying feeling of hope. There are villains certainly and villains that you would love to hate, but it has an underlying feeling of hope and inspiration. Yet it’s not “preachy” either. It strikes just the right balance of conflict, personal growth, and positive messages for teens.

The protagonist, Michael Vey, has Tourette’s Syndrome. It’s rare to find a book where the protagonist is dealing with some sort of syndrome and dealing with it successfully. It’s not hidden away in a dark corner. It’s shown as something that Michael has to deal with and yet it’s not the sole focus of the story. The teenage years are full of angst and uncertainty anyway and to add in a chronic health condition just makes it worse. This book shows teens that they’re not alone in their struggles and they can be dealt with.

Finally, this book holds your attention. It grabs you and doesn’t let go until the end. I read it in one setting because I couldn’t put it down! If you have teens in your life and you want them to be reading something other than vampires and zombies, perhaps consider introducing them to the Michael Vey series!