romance

Death Takes a Holiday in Pemberley by Kelly Miller

| Jasmin De Anda

A Beautiful Story…

Death Takes a Holiday in Pemberley is a beautiful written story that focuses on life, death, and family.

SYNOPSIS

Fitzwilliam Darcy’s well-ordered life is about to become a chaotic nightmare. A man of fortune, property, and social prominence, he has everything he could desire. Blissfully married to his wife, Elizabeth, they have a two-year-old son. With so much to live for, Darcy is shaken by a near-fatal riding accident. After a miraculous escape, he is visited by an otherworldly being: an angel of death named Graham. Threatening dire consequences, Graham compels Darcy to guide him on a sojourn in the world of mortals.

Darcy immediately questions the angel’s motives when he demands to be a guest at Pemberley. Can he trust Graham’s assurance that no harm will come to his wife and child? And why does Graham insist on spending time with Elizabeth? How can Darcy possibly protect his family from an angel with power over life and death?

In this romantic fantasy, the beloved couple from Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice must contend with both human and unearthly challenges. Are the fates against them? Or will their extraordinary love conquer all?

A Pride and Prejudice Story…

This book was beautiful. So this story is a Pride and Prejudice fanfiction. It is set three years after Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy marry, telling the story of an angel of death who intervenes with Darcy’s impending death and expresses an interest in his life. This angel of death, Graham asks, or more demands, to be a guest and observe and learn about the life of the Darcy’s, but of course Darcy is not so trusting of this powerful being who can so easily choose to claim his life.

I have to admit, I’ve never read a Jane Austen novel. I’ve never even seen a movie adaptation of any of her books. Then last week I decided to crochet all day and thought it was the perfect time to watch it, so I did. I wasn’t sure I would like the movie, but I did enjoy it and I was really glad I watched it before I started this book because knowing the character’s history made it easier to connect with the book. Although I haven’t read Pride and Prejudice, as I read this story after watching the movie it felt like a true continuation of the story and I never felt like I was reading fan fiction. It made me smile, and on occasion brought some tears to my eyes. To feel joy and sadness for characters is something I always love because it means I really connected with them.

An Angel of Death..

When Graham is introduced, he seems like he’s going to be potentially immature or at least naive, and very invasive and maybe that was the intention. It is clear from the start that he is a very direct person, and someone who never lies, which is exactly what I would expect honestly from an immortal being whose job is to retrieve the dead. But as he observes them, he seems to grow into a very empathetic character.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 307

Genres: Paranormal, Historical Fantasy, Romance

His conversations with them as he began to use his higher abilities to influence them is what made me want him to have his own book actually. He was the kind of character so fleshed out, and so interesting, that I could easily see a story with him outside the world of Pride and Prejudice. I wanted to see more of a struggle for him with his thoughts on human mortality as he walked among them.

My Rating…

Any book that has me emotionally invested gets a high rating from me.

Of course I have no idea if watching the movie and getting a visual representation of the character’s influence me. Who knows if this book would have had the same effect on me if the character’s were original, but the fact is it did. Which is why my personal rating for this book is five stars. I have books that I bookmark moments for so I can go back to them without rereading the whole book, and I have a few in mind that I want to bookmark which means buying it on kindle.

The next book I’m reading is “Braxley”, a sci fi mystery written by indie author Allison Miller.

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When You Returned by Havelah Mclat

| Jasmin De Anda

A cute romance for the Hallmark fans…

When You Returned is a sweet, simple romance for when you just want to sit back and enjoy a book over a nice cup of coffee.

SYNOPSIS

Is their love strong enough to heal the wounds of the past?

Once a renowned skater, Jaclyn is now a single mother, working at the beloved skating rink in a small town in Colorado that has been in her family for generations. When the rink is at risk of being lost, she looks for help from professionals.

The last person she expects to help them get back on their feet is Lavern, an old flame from high school.

After running from grief over the loss of his brother eight years ago, Lavern is back in town on assignment from a company that helps struggling businesses. Assigned to help the rink recover, he now must face the girl he once loved and left behind.

Together, Lavern and Jaclyn are the only hope to save her family’s rink. But confronting the pain of the past might be more than they can imagine.

A Simple Premise…

When looking for a quick way to describe this book, I would say it reminds me of the Hallmark and Netflix Christmas movies, the sweet small town romances. It’s the kind of story that you’ll likely enjoy if you’re just looking for a sweet romance.

The premise for when you returned is that Jaclyn’s family skating rink is in danger after a foreclosure notice from the bank, and Lavern is the representative for his company sent to help them get the business back on it’s feet. I would describe this more as a small subplot. The issue with the rink is mentioned at the start, but doesn’t play a very important role in the story. There’s not much time spent discussing it. The true story is the one about Jaclyn and Lavern. There are a few things made clear from the start, one is that Jaclyn and Lavern haven’t spoken in years and the other is that Lavern left abruptly after the death of his brother. And those things are why this story is more about the two character’s reconnecting, and facing their feelings for each other.

A Quick Read…

The story is told quickly so there isn’t much room for questions, but it does have its sweet moments. I would say the parts I enjoyed more were the flashbacks, some between Jaclyn and Lavern and others between Lavern and his brother.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ ?

Page Count: 256

Genres: Contemporary Romance, New Adult

Character’s I Wish I Got to Know More…

There are of course two main character’s, Jaclyn and Lavern. Jaclyn’s backstory gets explored a little more. Her ambitions, her lost dreams, and her inspiration. Lavern on the other hand has his history told slowly primarily in flashbacks. But while I was given somewhat of an idea as to who these people were, I did wish I was given more.

While the technical details are shared: their family situation, their careers, the ghosts of their past. Their personalities are what needed more. I wanted to know what they enjoy, what makes them smile.

I wanted to know how Jaclyn likes spending time with her daughter and how her and her friend’s spend their time when she isn’t working or being a mother.

It was the same with Lavern. I wondered if he was a workaholic, or if he had hobbies. I wondered if he thought of Jaclyn beyond the simple nostalgic memories and if he ever felt guilt for leaving. I especially wondered what the two character’s were like in high school not as a couple, but as individuals.

My Rating…

I rate books with a five star system from would never read it again to loved it and can’t wait to reread it. I don’t really believe in calling a book bad because each person’s interests are different and a book I hated could be loved by someone else and vice versa. Everyone has different deal breakers.

I gave this book two stars because I enjoyed some sections of the book, but heartwarming romance just isn’t something I read often. I would recommend this to the Hallmark and Netflix Christmas movie fans.

The next book I’ll be reading is “The Girl in the Storm” which is another Indie Novel. I’m trying to read a lot of Indie author novel’s which is why I plan to read a new book every week. If you’re an author, let me know a little about your book in the comments!

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It Ends With Us by Colleen hoover

| Jasmin De Anda

A Tale of Youth, Hardships, and Strength…

It Ends With Us is a more grounded romance of a young woman finding love.

SYNOPSIS

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. And when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life seems too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

What’s So Special About This Book?

Colleen Hoover is all the rage right now. Having written dozens of novels, the first time I read one of her books I honestly expected a cookie cutter romance because who really can release that many novels so close together and still be unique. Well Colleen can.

“It Ends With Us” at it’s core is a story of abuse. Lily has a past where she was forced to watch her mother suffer. Traumatized heroine’s are my guilty pleasure. I see a trigger warning, I read it. It’s not that I enjoy their suffering, I’m not sadistic. It’s their strength and recovery that I love. (A guy who saves her and worries about her is always a bonus). But this one was different because it was realistic. Most books that center abuse tend to pain the male as a monster incapable of empathy or kindness. Some stick to the pattern of abuse followed by apologies. But with this book I got to see the true psychology of why a woman stays with her abuser, but also the judgement they face.

A Heartbreaking Story…

The only Colleen Hoover book I ever read had me crying and I expected the same here. Luckily it wasn’t that bad, but it was still emotional and I imagine the movie will have me sobbing.

In this story we follow Lily Bloom, a 23-year-old living in Boston. Lily is innocent, smart, and brave as hell. She knows what she wants and goes for it, but when she meets Ryle, the matters of the heart prove to be more confusing than she expected. Her experiences prove that what you think and what you feel are difficult to separate and it’s never as simple as finding the love of your life and living happily ever after. Especially when her first love Atlas enters the picture.

MORE DETAILS

Word Count (rounded)~ 115, 000

Page Count: 384

Genres: Contemporary Romance, Domestic Fiction

As much as I sometimes wanted to shake Lily and tell her to think, I was able to understand why things were the way they were.

A Surprisingly Special Story…

I’m pretty picky with romance. If it’s not a specific type of story, I tend to ignore it. But I definitely enjoyed this one. If you’re tired of the cliches of romantic fiction, I would definitely suggest trying this book. Sure there’s still a gay best friend but he isn’t used as her therapist. There may be a love triangle but there’s no alpha male dominance fight over who she does or doesn’t deserve. It’s raw, it’s real, and it’s entertaining.

My Rating…

I rate books with a five star system from would never read it again to loved it and can’t wait to reread it. I don’t really believe in calling a book bad because each person’s interests are different and a book I hated could be loved by someone else and vice versa. Everyone has different deal breakers.

I gave this book three stars because I really enjoyed it but I don’t think I’ll be rereading it. I’ll probably end up watching that movie over and over again though.

The next book I’ll be reading is “Sign Here”. I’m trying to read a lot of Indie author novel’s too which is why I plan to read a new book every week.

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