Spare by Prince Harry

Spare by Prince Harry

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

This book doesn't need an introduction-- if you live anywhere in the Western world, you've heard about it. But just in case you haven't, this is Prince Harry's tell-all (or, if he's to be believed, heavily edited down tell-most).

All of the book's most sordid details have already been covered ad nauseam by the press. We all know that William, the Prince of Wales, allegedly physically attacked Harry in an argument over Meghan. We have first person confirmation of Harry's copious use of drugs. We know about Harry's loss of virginity behind a bar to an older woman who rode him like a horse. We even know about Harry's frostbitten penis.

So, instead of talking more about the content of the book, I wanted to talk about my experience in reading it, and then, for something completely unexpected, about King Charles, Harry's father. 

Reading this book got a lot better for me when I started to let myself relax into it and treat it like a work of fiction rather than a memoir. Whether Harry is a reliable narrator, and if so to what degree, was the most interesting question that this book presented for me. Unfortunately, unlike many novels where an unreliable narrator is used to great affect, there's never any wink toward the audience that helps you guess what the objective truth is. Harry admits himself he has no memory for conversations, and that he was on drugs for large portions of his youth. He is also self-evidently attempting to present himself and his new nuclear family in the most favorable light possible while throwing almost everyone else under the bus-- I think the only person outside his current nuclear family who is talked about at length and escapes relatively unscathed is his first serious girlfriend, Chelsy Davy. It's also obvious in the book that Harry has mental health issues, and that these were at times what I'd call severe-- it's possible they still are. At the same time, the book somehow has a ring of veracity that leads me to think that Harry is speaking his truth. The question of whether this is actually the truth is a different one, and I'm inclined to think the answer is 'no'.

 
Interestingly, despite Harry's dogged determination to present King Charles as the worst father imaginable, he ends up coming across as an altogether decent dad. Harry, on the other hand, comes across as quite spoiled and entitled in their interactions. I understand that their dynamic is heavily shaped by Harry's hero worship of his mother, and the way in which his father failed his mother. But Harry fails to make a real case for how Charles failed him. He talks about a man who, despite heavy social engagements, would sit with him every single night until he fell asleep because he was afraid to be alone in the dark. He talks about a man who would leave heartfelt notes about how proud he was of him on his pillow (not good enough for Harry, who evidently can only tolerate hearing praise directly and in person). He talks about a man who attended his school play and laughed uproariously, and how furious he was because Charles laughed at the 'wrong' parts. He talks about his immature and crazy request that Charles never marry again as though this was something reasonable to demand of a person, and still to this day seems to view it as a huge betrayal that Charles went ahead and married again anyway. He talks about a thoughtful, scholarly man who is mild mannered and cares for and respects the Earth. I'd rather have Charles in my life than Harry any day if  this book is anything do go on.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this anyone with any interest in the British royal family-- 100% guaranteed you'll be suitably entertained. But I'd also take it all with a grain of salt, because, while objective truth is out there, we'll never find it. This is especially true since almost all of the very people who Harry is bashing aren't able to respond to the accusations against them in any substantive way.

One Wedding and an Earl by Tracy Sumner

One Wedding and an Earl by Tracy Sumner

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

"'I like plants because they change. I transform them.
'I like stars because they're constant. I transform nothing."

Dear reader, it's thanks to this book that I personally know my historical romance limit-- 2 a week is enough for me, 3 is really pushing it. I'll definitely be reviewing different genres in the coming days, but I wanted to finish reading this and get a review out before it publishes tomorrow!

This novel follows Necessity, the best gardener in London, and Oliver, an Earl whose fraught childhood and horrible father have left him with all kinds of scars.

These two had explosive chemistry from their first meeting. The tension between them was palpable and I couldn't wait for the fireworks between them to finally go off. Watching them both slowly bring their walls down was a delight, and I loved how multi-faceted they both were-- I was never sure what exactly one of them might say or do next.

Sumner has a deft hand with detail and description. We know that Necessity smells of rain and earth, and that Oliver's eyes are moonlight striking stone. She also gives each chapter a diverting title-- sometimes I wanted to skip ahead just to see what the next one would be. My personal favorite was 'Where an Intrepid Gardner Seethes and an Arrogant Earl Persists."

Necessity is a very strong main character, the exact kind of female I love to read about in this time period. She is independent and would rather remain so than settle; she's interested in exploring in the bedroom and not ashamed of that, and she has many interests outside of Oliver to keep her busy and happy-- though of course, she just might come to decided that she's happier with him. 

Despite this, there were a few things that prevented me from giving this a 5-star rating. One is superficially petty--I could not fully get over the heroine's name. I understand the concept of virtue names, but this one is so uncommon as to be confusing. Often paragraphs would begin with her name and I'd initially not fully grasp that they meant a person-- I'd be thinking what necessity? Where? The cutesy nickname of 'Nessie' bestowed on her by Oliver didn't make the name any better for me, but at least eliminated my confusion.

My other complaint concerns the wider story beyond the romance. I feel that it's incredibly important for books in historical romance series to be able to stand alone. If you following a series and are able to gain additional enjoyment from seeing the characters you fell in love with in prior books again, that's amazing, but it shouldn't be necessary to the book you are currently reading. When it is, I think it's a huge barrier to new readers and even to old ones who may not vividly remember characters from prior books. There were several moments when it was difficult for me to follow the dynamics and relationships between Oliver, his friends, and their wives. I found myself first trying desperately and fruitlessly to understand what was going on with these characters backstories, and then just skimming past them to focus on the romance and the relationship between Oliver and his brother. I wish the author had done the same.

I would recommend this to fans of Historical Romance, but if you haven't read the other books in the Duchess Society series I think you have to brace for not always fully understanding who's who and what's going on with the wider cast of characters.

I received a copy from NetGalley and BookBuzz.net in exchange for an honest review. 

Love on the Line by Anabelle Bryant

 

Love on the Line by Anabelle Bryant

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

"It was the spark that set the inferno ablaze."

This novel follows Lola, a tightrope walker at Vauxhall who is trying to outrun her past, and Theodore, an Earl who only wants to solve the murder of his best friend. The twist? Lola saw the murder happen while she was walking the rope. Who did it will keep you guessing for the rest of the book as Lola and Theodore investigate-- and, of course, fall in love along the way.

I was immediately swept into the beauty and magic of Vauxhall, where Lola preformed. More than once, I found myself wishing that it was still open so I could travel to London and visit myself. After reading this book it's actually incredible to me that more authors don't exploit Vauxhall as a setting in their own Regency Romances. I loved experiencing it on the page and am eager to read further books in Bryant's Vauxhall Voices series, even if only to hear about the waterfall again.

Often, when there's a mystery in a romance book I grow frustrated and just want to see more of the romance, but that was not the case here. I absolutely loved the main mystery of who had killed Theodore's friend, and I also enjoyed the secondary mystery regarding Lola's own past and what exactly had happened to her. Her story is revealed slowly over the course of the book and really held my attention throughout. While both threads were ultimately resolved extremely neatly, I didn't anticipate either resolution and had a lot of fun guessing along the way.

However, the romance itself was mediocre to me. Lola and Theodore had many sweet and tender moments that drew me in, such as her telling him she finds him remarkably attractive in his spectacles. However, their relationship in reality could most accurately be described as insta-lust. Theodore in particular is an incredibly upstanding and moral person, the kind of man any woman would want to be with. But the truth is that Lola has no awareness of that or reason to believe that the first several times that she falls into his arms, overcome by lust. For his part, Theodore spends most of the book not knowing a huge secret Lola is keeping from him-- in fact, you could argue he barely knows her at all. He doesn't even know her real name.

Despite this, their story is sweet, and their love scenes are steamy (in the case of the spectacles, at one point quite literally). I would definitely recommend this to fans of Historical Romance who don't mind a murder mystery featuring quite heavily in the plot.

I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

As soon as I read DeStefano's first book in this trilogy, Wither, a few weeks ago, I knew I had to devour this book ASAP.

While this book didn't quite grab me the way that Wither did, it was nonetheless a compelling and worthwhile read.  DeStefano picked up right where we left off, and instead of falling into the typical trap where the second book is largely filler, she immediately threw Rhine and Gabrielle into a difficult situation- and their difficulties just kept on coming.

This book was slower than the first, and does drag in places.  Despite DeStefano's wisdom in keeping the plot moving, many of the characters we grew to love in the first book were entirely absent from this one, and at the end of the day, not much progress (if any, actually) was made toward a permanent solution to Rhine's dilemma. We did get deeper insight into Rhine, the deliciously twisted Vaughn, and into Rhine's brother Rowan through her memories of him and her search for him, though, so the book was far from wasted.

DeStefano also gives us no shortage of new characters to love. Much attention has been given to Maddie, the child who ends up accompanying Rhine on her journey.  However, I was more taken with the enigmatic Silas, and sincerely hope we haven't seen the last of him.  I'm always a sucker for a character who is rough around the edges but has a heart of gold, and I think I've found one in him.

I continue to struggle to feel anything for Gabriel, and as he remains Rhine's main love interest throughout this book, this is a real problem.  He is loyal, I get it.  But beyond that there is little about him to grasp onto, to root for, to care about.  In truth, if he is never heard from again in the conclusion, I wouldn't much care- and sometimes I'm not positive Rhine would either

The problems with world building in this book remain.  However, in the interest of enjoying the books and DeStefano's gorgeous writing, my advice to picky readers everywhere is to just do what I've done and let that go.  While it's all very well to fuss and fret about world building, and intellectually it can be fun and fulfilling, when novels are as gripping and well written as this I think energy is better spent enjoying them.

I am really looking forward to seeing how DeStefano pulls everything together in the final book.  I think if I were her I'd need a thousand pages- and I wouldn't mind if she wrote them.  January can't come soon enough.

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I was at the Pubic Library, foolishly judging books by their covers again, when I picked up this gem.  If anyone also knows where I can pick up the dress the model is wearing, that would be greatly appreciated ;)

Everneath tells the story of Nikki Bennett, who six months ago willingly traveled to the underworld as a sacrifice of sorts.  While there, she was used to 'feed' Cole, an immortal, in a ritual called 'the feed' that occurs every 100 years. During each feed, the immortals each feed off of one human's emotions, draining them until nothing is left.  Afterwards, Nikki chooses to return to the surface for 6 months, knowing that after that time has passed she will be forced to return to the underworld- this time forever. During those six months she struggles to make peace with Jack, her ex, and with her family, all the while searching for a way to defeat the inevitable.

I truly enjoyed Brodi Ashton's debut.  She brilliantly incorporates both mythology and flashbacks to Nikki's present day universe.  While I did find some of the flashbacks to be more worthwhile than others, none were disruptive to the flow of the story and I enjoyed Ashton's writing style generally.  While she could stand to offer a bit more description in places, her flow and pacing were impeccable.  I also enjoyed how she played with the myths, giving them subtle and interesting twists for the reader to think about and enjoy.

In Nikki, I found a strong protagonist who has a very real sense of morality and a backbone that is refreshing.  She is also someone who is flawed and makes mistakes, but who also constantly seeks to learn from them and avoid their repetition.  Like most people, I really related to that.  While the romance angle is played heavily, I did feel that Nikki is her own person who is ultimately determined to make her own choices.  While the other characters did not grab me in quite the way she did (possibly due to the fact that the story is told  in the first person) Cole is also fascinating as a character. Jack, while at times slightly generic, is likable and commendably loyal.

The themes in this book are also strong, and if they are not all that unusual, they are still well done and worthwhile.  Ashton's examination of the nature of sacrifice, heroes, and what makes us truly human are all thought-provoking and under her direction never seem stale.  I also appreciated that she did not seem to think it was  necessary to hit the reader over the head to make a point.

So, why four stars out of five? The truth is simply that, while I thoroughly enjoyed the book, there wasn't anything that blew me away.  In keeping with this, there were two major 'twists' in the book that I spotted coming literally a hundred or more pages before they were revealed.

I also felt that there were some unexplained gaps in the story.  Some of these were clearly intentional and came as a natural result of the fact that the story is told in Nikki's voice and there is a lot she doesn't know.  However, I couldn't figure out why there needed to be a 'feed' at all when the immortals like Cole can just feed off anyone's emotions any time. Why totally empty one person? I also never understood what debt was left to be paid and why the girls who were fed off of had to pay it.  Was draining them of their emotions and lives not enough for some reason?

Overall, I do recommend this book to anyone who likes young adult paranormal or romance stories, and to anyone who enjoys mythology.  It is a fun, fast read that will give you a lot to think about.  I'm definitely looking forward to the sequel!

Wither (The Chemical Garden, #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Much as I try to fight it, occasionally I find myself judging a book by its cover.  Wither was that kind of book.  It was recommended to me by a friend because of my recent penchant for young adult dystopia, and like any careful reader I decided I should look it up before hunting a copy down.

My research left me feeling disappointed and uncertain about whether I should pick it up.  While the premise of a world where everyone is dying before their 25th birthday was intriguing,  a lot of discriminating readers seemed to think that the book was something of a joke, written by someone who doesn't fully understand what dystopia is or how to craft a universe.

And so, I tried to resist it.  But the cover kept calling to me until I couldn't stand it anymore and just had to pick the book up off the shelf.

I'm glad I did, and I'd like to make clear that, despite the complaints which do follow, I genuinely enjoyed this book and in my heart of hearts wish I could give it 5 stars.

First, the basic premise: due to genetic engineering gone horribly wrong, everyone in America is dying by their 25th birthday.  In reaction, people are marrying young and attempting to produce children.  However, some of the girls are being married off against their will into polygamous marriages.  Rhine is one such girl.  Kidnapped and sold into marriage to the very wealthy Linden at the age of 16, she is left to struggle with her desire to escape from her gilded prison, her twisted father-in law and his hunt for a cure, and her grim knowledge that her time on earth is limited.

Second, the rotten truth: everything you've heard about how the universe DeStefano creates is ridiculous, improbable, even impossible, is basically true.  However, before I commence complaining, I should say, without qualification, that if you are able to really suspend disbelief, the universe is fascinating.  Despite this, I was often left with the unsettling feeling that, were I to ask DeStefano herself a direct question about the universe, she would not know the answer.  Furthermore, I didn't ever feel like the universe DeStefano painted was one that could conceivably occur.  A world where all Americans embraced genetic engineering, could afford it, and not a single person chose to have a baby that was not genetically engineered not only didn't ring true- it was unfathomable.  Making it moreso was that this book is set what appears to be less than 100 years in the future.

Unlike some, I was not freaked out by the polyamorous or polygamous aspect of the book. I actually know people, in real life, who will admit to being polyamorous (though not polygamous), and who are not embarrassed by this.  In fact, I dated one once, though for a variety of reasons mostly centered around me and my old fashioned ideas, we were monogomous during our time together.  I'd actually be willing to let that go, even considering that, again, it is almost impossible to imagine a world where polyamory, much less polygamy, would be viewed as acceptable in America.  However, while I could understand how, in this universe, a 13 year old might marry, I couldn't understand how society had devolved to a point where it was acceptable for a 21 year old to sleep with a 13 year old.  I also couldn't understand why, if polygamous marriages were somehow vital to the survival of the race, some girls were just being killed while others were viewed as SO valuable as wombs.

 How we are supposed to accept that all of the world, other than parts of North America, are gone, is beyond me.  How we are supposed to accept that, after a flood, the parts of North America that remain are parts that would absolutely, 100% be underwater (Florida and New York, respectively) and not mountainous regions, is also beyond me.  This doesn't even touch on the science aspect of the story, which is a mess.

If any of this is likely to be a deal breaker for you, it's best that you just steer away from this book.

However, somewhat to my surprise, I found that it was not a deal breaker for me.

DeStefano's prose is steady and flowing, almost like a river. It lulls you into a sense of comfort and is genuinely pleasant to read.  However, she is also capable of creating waves and storms with her words, masterful at capturing the tensions beneath the surface and the calm before the storm. Her writing is crisp, her word choice is exquisite, and everything about her writing style screams to me that I want to read more by her. I devoured the book in two sittings, no small feat given how my life is currently structured, and am currently determined to get the next book in the series, Fever into my hands as soon as possible.

However, even more striking than DeStefano's prose is her masterful grasp of character.  It has been a long time since I read a book where I was truly invested in all the characters, both major and minor, and where those who I did not know much about, I wanted to know more about.  Rhine is a strong female character who is sure of what she wants and unfailingly human. I found it generally easy to identify with her, her reactions, and her hopes, fears, and dreams.  I could understand the conflict she felt about Linden and her determination to see her brother again was extremely touching.

I found DeStefano's sketches of Rhines's 'sister-wives', Cecily and Jenna, to be equally compelling.  They were well sketched characters who both grew enormously throughout the course of the book.  Cecily's transformation, in particular, was beautiful to watch, as she changed from a naive, somewhat selfish imp to a loving mother who was willing to make sacrifices for others.  Linden is a nuanced character and while we learned more and more about him as the book progressed, I was left feeling that there was more about him to learn and that I wanted DeStefano to have a chance to tell me, though I do think the book ended exactly where it should.

I do have some minor complaints about some of Rhine's actions- for instance, it did not make sense to me why she felt she could not tell Linden that she wanted to contact her brother, as I don't believe he would have denied her that.  In addition, her interactions with Gabriel, a servant at the house, did not move me to the extent that I think DeStefano hoped they would, and I had a hard time really believing that relationship.  However, overall, the characters and their relationships to one another were strong and believable.

I had to take a star off because of the problems with the world and some of my issues in understanding Rhine, but I have high hopes for the rest of the series and am really looking forward to whatever DeStefano does next.