Swept Away: A Book Review

Today I'm reviewing Swept Away by Mary Coneally! (You guys get three posts this week, just in case I'm unable to post Monday.)
 This book was given to me by Bethany House Publishers in exchange for a fair and honest review.

 From the back cover: When a cowboy focused on revenge encounters a woman determined to distract him, there's going to be trouble in Texas!

Swept away when her wagon train attempts a difficult river crossing, Ruthy MacNeil isn't terribly upset at being separated from the family who raised her. All they've ever done is work her to the bone. Alive but disoriented, she's rescued by Luke Stone...so unfortunately, there are more chances to die in her immediate future.

 Luke is on a mission to reclaim the ranch stolen from his family. But the men currently on the property won't let it go without a fight. Luke plans to meet up with friends who will help him take back the land, and since he can't just leave Ruthy in the middle of nowhere, she's going to have to go with him.

But the more time Luke spends around the hardworking young woman, the more he finds himself thinking of things besides revenge. Will Ruthy convince him to give up his destructive path and be swept away by love?

~~~~

  I thought this looked like a fun book, and having heard some good things about Mary Connealy, I decided to give it a try. It took me a little while to actually read this book the whole way through, not entirely the fault of the book. I happened to get it at a time when there were other books I needed/wanted to read, so this little book was a bit neglected. But when I was almost halfway through the book, I buckled down and read it.

 And I liked it. After my beginning, of reading only bits and pieces once in awhile, I finally started to enjoy it. Swept Away is a good book. I liked Ruthie, always trying to find some task to do, and I wish I was a bit more like her. I'd probably accomplish a lot more if I was! Luke was an interested character. Focused on revenge, it was neat to see him meet the feisty redhead who would soften him up a little. I liked how he was upset when hearing about the cruel family she had lived with, and how he wished he could teach a certain member of it a lesson.

 Then there were the rest of the Regulators, men Luke had formed a tight bond with after being in prison camp together during the Civil War. Big John the Texas Ranger, Dare the doctor, Vince the lawyer, and Jonas the preacher. These four men were fun characters who I expect will be showcased in upcoming books. The sequel to Swept Away- Fired Up features Dare, and another character featured in Swept Away.

 I liked how the main intention of revenge, and wanting the land wasn't as important as rescuing an abused woman and her children to the men, and... well, there was a lot of stuff I liked!

 On the other hand, I like my books to have a tad bit more substance than this one. There was a certain element missing that I can't really name. But I truly did enjoy it, and would love to read the sequel, especially since I suspected about the couple featured in the back, and would love to see what comes of it.

 Thank you for reading this review. I hope you enjoyed it! I give Swept Away 4 stars out of 5. ****

 ~ a rambling author

Doctor Who Perfume!

 Hello all! Today, I'm doing something I've never done before- reviewing perfume! The perfume I'm reviewing is from the Etsy shop MarieDeMars. She was kind enough to send me SEVEN samples of Doctor Who perfume, and today I'm going to do my best to review them. They are all made with essential oils.

photo taken from MarieDeMars etsy shop

 All right, now on to the review. :)         

We'll start with The Lonely Assassin. This is actually a cologne that came along with the perfume. Don't Blink! This cologne is based on the Weeping Angels. The description given in the Etsy shop is this: Deep earth notes reminiscent of the forest in autumn mix with warm spice and light floral overtones. This is definitely a masculine scent. I like it, but wouldn't wear it because of this. However, I let two of my brothers try. One thought it was okay. The other tried it, and liked it well enough to talk about possibly buying his own.

  

  Next is Jelly Baby. This perfume is based on the 4th Doctor's favorite candy. The scent is very sweet, as you'd expect, and quite fruity. The shop description fits with my thoughts: This scent is all light fruit and sugar - pure and sweet. And that's what is is. I like it very much. Perfect for if you just want a light scent.

 Still Not Ginger (based on the Doctor's longing for ginger hair) was one of the first I tried, and I wasn't impressed right off. It has a certain bitter quality to it- owed to the ginger, I suppose. But the more I smell it, the more I like it, though it's still not my favorite scent. The Etsy shop describes it as: warm spice balanced with Vanilla and the earthy aroma of Vetiver and Oakmoss. 

 River Song (based on a character in the show) is probably one of my favorites. The scent is difficult to pinpoint. A bit flowery almost, when in actuality it is described in the shop as: balance of sweet citrus and spice – vanilla undertones mix with ginger and tangerine. Love this scent.

  Now to Pond. I'm pretty sure Pond (based on another character) is my favorite of them all. It's another sort of sweet scent, the shop describes it better than I could: Sweet apples immersed in subtle ginger and honey. It's a really lovely, light scent, but has a bit more substance than Jelly Baby. Unfortunately, Pond is being replaced with a new scent based on the same character which is called Amelia. I haven't tried Amelia, but I hope it lives up to Pond!

 Next is Petrichor (the smell of dust after the rain.) This is a very strong scent, another one that's hard to pinpoint. Shop: Slightly elusive, this perfume blends the fresh scent of damp earth with ozone and light floral overtones. I agree, it is a bit elusive, but I think I can pick out the floral. This is another lovely one that I like quite a lot.

 Last, but not least, Silence in the Library, based on a really creepy episode. This is a really different perfume, but I like it. It's not flowery, or sweet... more a tad bit spicy... Shop description: full of deep vanilla base notes infused with black pepper and a touch of neroli for sweetness. This scent is warm and a little spicy, reminiscent of afternoons amongst stack of ancient books. Any scent reminiscent of books sounds good to me!

 I love these perfumes, and will use up all my samples, and hopefully be able to purchase more in the future.

 Click here to get your own.

Check back tomorrow for a review of Swept Away by Mary Coneally!


~ a rambling author

  
 

Les Miserables: An Audio Drama Review

Hey you guys! Because of my lack of posting... you get TWO posts this week! Today, a review of Les Miserables, recorded by Focus on the Family Radio Theatre, tomorrow a review of Swept Away by Mary Connealy, and a fun review of some Doctor Who perfume. Now to Les Mis. I was provided this audio book by Tyndale House is exchange for an honest review.

Description: It's one of the world's masterpieces of storytelling. Against the stirring background of the French Revolution, follow the tale of Jean Valjean as he encounters the savage injustice of the law — and then the gentleness and grace of God. It depicts events like the battle at the barricade and a heroic rescue through the underworld of Paris. But the truly epic nature of Les Misérables lies in its insights and glimpses into the human soul. No other novel has captured so well the transforming power of forgiveness as has Victor Hugo's masterpiece, Les Misérables. It has been called the most important novel of the 19th century. And rightly so. It's a tale of war and revolution, a touching love story — and a tale with some of the most memorable characters you'll find in any work of fiction.
Most of all, it's a story about a desperate thief whose life is changed forever when a kind bishop, catching him in the act of stealing precious silver, forgives him. Accustomed to living only for himself, Jean Valjean becomes a kindhearted man who helps a dying woman, cares for her child as if she were his own...and puts his life on the line to help an innocent stranger.
Les Misérables tells of the triumph of good over evil, of love over hatred, and of mercy over the letter of the law.

My thoughts: I love Les Miserables. I love the story, I love the musical (I just had the opportunity to be in it,) and I love just about anything having to do with it. As you can imagine, I was so excited when this audio drama came up for review since I also happen to LOVE Focus on the Family and their audio drama. All excited, I inserted the first CD into my player.

 And I was not disappointed.

 Wonderful narration, brilliant acting, lovely music... this audio drama did great justice to Victor Hugo's story. Being an audio drama, they couldn't fit the entire story in, and that may throw some people off. But if you let yourself appreciate the work for what it is: a wonderful, enjoyable adaptation, there shouldn't be a problem.

 I highly recommend this, and any other Focus on the Family audio dramas. It really does bring the story to life in a fantastic way. I hope that you'll buy this audio book for yourself to see how nice it is. Thank you Tyndale for giving me the opportunity to review it!

~ a rambling author

ABC Reading Challenge: A - Angry by Laura L. Smith

Hey everyone. It's been awhile. I feel like a complete and utter failure with the blog posting schedule, and I really hope I can get back on track. This is the first part in my ABC Reading Challenge book reviews, scheduled on Thursdays. Yay! *blows horns.*

From the back cover:
Emma is angry. She’s angry at her siblings, who she always has to baby sit; her parents, who are divorcing and ruining her life in the process; and herself for not measuring up to anyone’s standards.
With her simmering feelings ready to spill over at any time, Emma's self-worth plummets. Her faith in God is tested in the face of overwhelming hurt that threatens to send her over the edge. Can she turn back in time?
  
What I thought: There's lots of Les Mis. I love the musical Les Miserables, and this little book showcases a lot of it, from auditions, to show night.  I liked a lot of the characters, like Emma's younger siblings. Her dad annoyed me. Laura Smith likes to write stories about tough issues from rape (It's Complicated) to eating disorders (skinny) and she does a great job at it. Truthfully, someone needs to tackle these issues. Of course there were some things that the characters could have handled better, etc... but for the most part, I found this a really enjoyable book handling the subject of divorce without sugarcoating it, or making it seem like it was right. And it shows that God is the only one that can keep us from being Angry.

Another Camp

 Today, I'm off to another camp. Next week I'll be posting a product review of... *drum roll* Doctor Who perfume! Yep. I'm ver excited to let you guys know of my opinion and whatnot. Also, my book review for Angry is almost ready, and should be up pretty soon in the next week. I hope you'll pray for me. I hope to get a blessing from the Lord at this camp, and I know he can give it! Also, pretty soon I'm going to post something about the last youth camp I went to, so keep your eyes open! Thanks for reading this. I pray you have a blessed week! God bless!

~ a rambling author

Beloved Enemy: A Book Review

 Hey ya'll! I think I can finally get back into my regular schedule. Of course, right now, I'm a day off, but I figured I needed to get a post to you today. So, this post is a review of Beloved Enemy by Al Lacy.  I received this book free from Waterbrook Multnomah publishing. All opinions expressed are my own.

From the back cover: Jenny's allegiance lay with the Confederate Army. But her heart belonged to the enemy. Faithful to her family and the land of her birth, young Jenny Jordan covers for her father's Confederate spy missions. But as she grows closer to handsome Union soldier Buck Brownell. Jenny finds herself torn between devotion to the South and her feelings for the man she is forbidden to love. Overwhelmed by pressure to assist the South, Jenny agrees to carry critical information over enemy lines. But when she is caught in Buck Brownell's territory, will he follow orders to execute the beautiful spy or find a way to save his Beloved Enemy?

 Wow. Okay. My thoughts on this book are mixed. It's like throwing my emotions and writing opinions into a mixing bowl, and spinning them all up into a gooey mess. So maybe that's not the best analogy... but...

 When I first had the opportunity to review this book, I snatched it up pretty quick. I do like historical fiction, and the fact that it was about the war between the states, and spies, and such things only interested me further. But when I started reading, I wasn't the most happy camper. It IS an interesting story. At least it should be. All the elements are there. Everything's in place. Before I say more, I should tell you one thing. This book took me almost an entire YEAR to read. I'm sure for any book lover this is very odd. I was constantly reading something else that I found more interesting. I would feel bad, and try to finish it, but would soon tire of it. So, you ask, what was so bad?

 It wasn't allll bad, of course. But there were a few elements that threw me off. Al Lacy has a certain way of writing that doesn't really appeal to me. I suppose I should have known this after reading a bit of one of his other books, but the thought never occurred. I love history, as I said, but the way Mr. Lacy incorporated the history was distracting to the story line. He would have a chapter with a bit about the main characters, and then lots and lots of paragraphs and chapters dedicated to unimportant characters who usually just died at the end of the chapter. It wasn't the most fun experience. I could have enjoyed the book without reading about the guy and his dog who died, or such. I don't know if it was of historical significance, but it really just made me sad and want the book over with!

 The positive side of things is that when I could push myself to read, I did enjoy it for the most part, even if the writing style and storyline were a bit off. I rate the book three stars, and I say that I'm being generous sometimes. :D Don't just take my opinion, though, because many people have rated this five stars.

 Hope you enjoyed!

~ a rambling author

Apologies

Hey everyone! I just wanted to post to let you know I'm not dead. I feel terrible about all of the days I've missed... my summer has been incredibly busy. I'm going to try really hard to get my review of Angry by Laura Smith posted for this Thursday. And we have so much content coming up! Last week I had the pleasure of meeting Leah, another teen writer, and I was in Les Miserables. Also coming up... a review of Doctor Who perfume, some more book reviews, and lots of what I hope will be fun and exciting content. I hope you guys still love me even though I've left you for a while. Right now I'm working on completing devotions for a youth camp starting in a couple days! Thanks for reading this short snippet. Here's a photo of some of us kids in Les Mis!