Summerhaven by Tiffany Odekirk book review

 

Summerhaven

by

Tiffany Odekirk  

Hannah Kent and Oliver Jennings pledged their hearts to each other as children. Now, years later, Hannah is thrilled to receive an invitation to spend the summer at Oliver’s family’s country estate. The path to wedded bliss is clear—so long as Oliver’s highbrow older brother, Damon, has ceased his juvenile antics, Hannah’s future looks bright indeed.

But from the moment Hannah arrives at Summerhaven, nothing is as she expected. Oliver seems disinterested in renewing their acquaintance, and Damon is not the brutish boy she remembers but a man intent on avoiding marriage. Although she has loathed Damon her whole life, when he contrives a ruse designed to win them both what they desire, Hannah warily agrees. All she has to do to reclaim Oliver’s attention is pretend to be madly in love with Damon. But when Damon is surprisingly convincing in his role as a suitor, it proves difficult to discern the line between pretense and true love.

 

 

My Review: 6/10

 Summerhaven sucked me in right away. I couldn't put it down and the first half gave me the silly smile  feels. The second half felt like a different book. It slowed down, dragged out, and our heroine made some frustrating choices.

*Spoilers*

Early on, I did not understand Hannah's feelings of obligation toward Miss Atherton. They had one super brief conversation and I didn't understand why Hannah was determined to make a friend of her. She knew nothing of her and I wouldn't have been placing my secrets or reputation in the hands of strangers, especially ones who may feel threatened by my ruse.

On a similar note, I did not think Miss Digby did anything cruel in their few interactions. And honestly, the longer one at the picnic was largely Oliver's unkindness. Miss Digby seemed like a typical female who feels threatened and insecure, egged on by men she is trying to impress.

Hannah finally seems to get some clarity around who Oliver really is now and how things have changed. Then for who knows what reason, she breaks her agreement with Damon, gets Oliver alone, and spills everything out to him. This made absolutely no sense to me. None. Willfully nonsensical.

Hannah's idea of love and marriage definitely seem shallow and naive... but she is called out on it, which soothed me for a time.

Later, Damon abruptly dumps Hannah when the real state of the earldom is revealed. I was disappointed in his willingness to give up, something he accused her of before. He didn't even ask her to wait, for time to try to figure something, anything out.

And later still, Hannah reconsiders Oliver who has had a complete character shift (not untrustworthy at all...), saying to herself "Could I marry without love?" Setting aside my personal pet peeve on this subject, I was super upset with Hannah. That's not the question. The question is, is it appropriate or at all advisable to marry a man when you are deeply in love with his brother? And the answer is a resounding NO. So disappointing to even flirt with this idea.

Despite my frustrations with the second half of the book, I would read another book by this author.

Enchanting the Heiress (Hearts on the Heath #3) by Kristi Ann Hunter book review

 

Enchanting the Heiress

(Hearts on the Heath #3)

by

Kristi Ann Hunter  

Harriet Hancock likes to make the lives of those around her better whether they like it or not. So, she is surprised when her friend Sophia Whitworth has ideas of her own on how to make Harriet happier--by throwing her together with Sophia's brother, stable hand Jonas Fitzroy. When Harriet discovers his natural way with words, she hatches a plan that would benefit them both.

Holding a grudge against Harriet for her meddling in Sophia's life, it is only because of his sister that Jonas agrees to approach Harriet about a possible artistic project. What he doesn't expect is for her to request his help writing a book.

As they work together, they start to see each other in a different light, but when the truth of Harriet's schemes is revealed, she'll find her good intentions for once have gone too far.

 

My Review: 5.5/10

I liked Jonas, but I found his early exchanges with Harriet tiring. They both seemed to view it as charming banter, but honestly it reminded me of the bickering of kids - arguing over every little thing, nitpicking, refusing to give an inch.

 I didn't like the pulling of Harriet's back story forward one string at a time, especially when she laments guilt and lies that her whole life is based on. As the reader, it's frustrating to not know what she's talking about when you're in her head and it kept me from connecting with her experiences.

I liked Harriet and her passion for Jonas' writing. Ironically though, at one point she says, "Your writing is good enough to circumvent what some would consider a lack of a story." Which I thought was hilarious on its own, but it was also somewhat applicable for how I was feeling at this point in the novel. Things were very slow moving and I really wasn't sure where they were going.

Harriet accidentally lets slip that she meddles because she "knows better," which she is immediately ashamed of. I thought this response was out of character for her. She doesn't really take away anyone's choices. They've always had the ability to go along with the opportunities she provides. Or not.

In general, Harriet is portrayed as someone who has been conditioned since childhood to manipulate with white lies and good intentions. Left unchecked, this has apparently grown some character flaws (arrogance), and bricked her personal life up in a tower of untruths, leaving her isolated and trapped. I appreciate imperfect people and I love an opportunity for growth, but I just didn't connect with this one. It took too long to find out what the situation was/ who Harriet was.

The Merchant and the Rogue (The Dread Penny Society #3) by Sarah M. Eden book review

The Merchant and the Rogue

(The Dread Penny Society #3)

by

Sarah M. Eden  

London, 1865

Vera Sorokina loves reading the Penny Dreadfuls and immersing herself in tales of adventure, mystery, and romance. Her own days are filled with the often mundane work of running the book and print shop she owns with her father. The shop offers her freedom and an income, and while she is grateful for the stability it brings to her life, she often feels lonely.

Brogan Donnelly was born and raised in Ireland, but has lived in London for several years, where he’s built a career as a penny dreadful writer. He has dedicated himself to the plight of the poor with the help of his sister. But with no one to share his life with, he fears London will never truly feel like home.

Brogan and Vera’s paths cross, and the attraction is both immediate and ill-advised. Vera knows from past experience that writers are never to be trusted, and Brogan has reason to suspect not everything at Vera’s print shop is aboveboard. When a growing criminal enterprise begins targeting their area of London, Brogan and Vera must work together to protect the community they’ve both grown to love. But that means they’ll need to learn to trust each other with dangerous secrets that have followed both of them from their home countries. 

 

 

 

My Review: 6.5/10

 I don't feel this is a standalone novel; you should read them in order. This one was a slow start for me, but couldn't put it down by the end. I didn't understand why the other Dreadfuls were making such a big deal about Brogan leaving. I just felt like, it's not that serious. If he wants to move on or needs a change or WHATEVER the reason, him leaving the group is not a betrayal. Felt like a big overreaction to me.

Also, even though this book's main character was Brogan Donnelly, I agreed with Vera that Mr. King's stories were still my favorite. :)

Based on the ominous ending, it seems like book 4 will have the series conclusion that everything has been driving toward. I hope it's Serena's story!