A sweeping, gorgeously written debut: a novel of duty to family and country, the dictates of passion, and blood ties unraveling in the charged political climate of Berlin between the world wars. Lev Perlmutter, an assimilated, cultured German Jew, enlists to fight in World War I, leaving behind his gentile wife, Josephine, and their children, Franz and Vicki. Moving between Lev's and Josephine's points of view, the first part of the novel focuses on Lev's experiences on the Eastern Front--both in war and in love--which render his life at home a pale aftermath by comparison. The second part of the novel takes us to Berlin, 1927--28. Now young adults, the Perlmutter children grapple with their own questions: Franz, drawn into the Nazi brown shirt movement, struggles with his unexpressed homosexuality; Vicki, seduced by the Jazz Age and everything new, bobs her hair and falls in love with a young man who wants to take her to Palestine. Unlike many... Views: 13
Surrender to desireAfter one night of passion, the dissolute Duke of Dunstan made Julia his wife, but their honeymoon is far from blissful. Alistair trusts no one with his shameful secret, and that means keeping his tempting new bride at a distanceJulia longs for Alistair to yield to the powerful desire between them. But when the dark secrets of the marriage bed threaten their future, this new couple must overcome the past and surrender to their wildest passions to find a new, oh-so-delicious beginning together! Views: 13
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.Amazon.com ReviewAmazon Best Books of the Month, June 2012: Alina Starkov has never been anything more than yet another orphan of her country’s on-going wars...until she channels magic not seen in centuries to protect her best friend, Mal. Her new-found powers attract the attention of the Darkling, the most powerful of the country’s magic-wielders. He tells Alina that her magic could heal the Shadow Fold, if she can only learn to control it--and if she agrees to trust the Darkling despite the mystery that surrounds his very existence. Leigh Bardugo brings a cast of well-defined characters and a unique magic system to her lavishly imagined world, where light doesn’t always conquer dark and deception runs so deep that it becomes truth. And yet, against all expectations, the bonds of sacrifice and friendship remain too strong to be severed in this thrilling debut. --Malissa KentReview"A rich fantasy landscape, an inspired magical structure, and a gratifying emotional hook keep the pages whirring by until a final twist upends assumptions and lands us smack in the middle of a harrowing climax. "--Horn Book Magazine"Filled with lush descriptions, intriguing magic, and plenty of twists, this memorable adventure offers action and intrigue mixed with an undercurrent of romance and danger.”--Publishers Weekly“The plotting is powerful…”--Kirkus"Bardugo weaves a captivating spell with lushly descriptive writing, engaging characters, and an exotic, vivid world. Readers will wait impatiently for the next installment.”--Booklist Views: 13
"Finding SOMEWHERE Series"WELCOME TO SOMEWHERE, OREGONNestled in a cove on Oregon's coastline, the town of Somewhere is charming, picturesque, inhabited by townsfolk who love their community—and teeming with mystery. You are invited to join the heroes and heroines of Somewhere as they solve mysteries, discover romance, experience inexplicable phenomena, and fight injustice—just the usual stuff!SOMEWHERE BY THE SEA:Faith Bennison suffered a tragedy that changed her life in unimaginable ways, and she fears she will die of a broken heart. In an attempt to salvage her life, she uproots herself and travels from the Midwest to the small Oregon town of Somewhere. As she settles into the day-to-day life at Hope Bed & Breakfast, she makes friends and even meets a man who jump-starts her battered heart. Strange happenings, however, have her questioning her sanity as she tries to make sense of an unfathomable encounter. Views: 13
London, 1816 Cavalry captain Gabriel Lacey returns to Regency London from the Napoleonic wars, his career ignominiously over. He stumbles onto the case of a kidnapping, the accused a prominent MP. Lacey's search for the girl leads to the discovery of murder, corruption, and dealings with a leader of the underworld. At the same time, Lacey must face the everyday troubles of his own life. Views: 13
Mary is a nursing sister at a Lancashire prison camp for the housing and treatment of German POWs. Life at work is difficult but fulfilling; life at home a constant round of arguments – often prompted by her fly-by-night sister, Ellen, the apple of her shorttempered father's eye. Then Frank turns up at the house one night – a guard at the camp, he's been watching Mary for weeks – and won't leave until she agrees to walk out with him. Frank Shuttleworth is a difficult man to love and it's not long before Mary gives him his marching orders. But Shuttleworth won't take no for an answer and the gossips are eager for their next victim, for the least hint at fraternization with the enemy. Now, not only Mary's happiness but her very life is threatened by the most dangerous of wartime secrets... Views: 13
Edmond Joseph “Eddie Joe” Hampton, foreman for the Jacobson Ranch in Monarch Bend, had his own reasons for encouraging his boss to marry and start a family. Once he signed up with the Colorado Bridal Agency while Lizett Millard was in Jubilee Springs on Independence Day, July 4th, he figured it will be easier to persuade his boss to allow him to build a separate house and live as a married foreman on the ranch if the man is enjoying his own wedded bliss. As wily as Eddie Joe can be, he has to work hard to stay ahead of his boss who has shown no interest in marriage. He knows he can pull it off—as long as his plot isn’t discovered too soon.Etta Crabtree, an impoverished young widow of an abusive first husband, cannot stay at her widowed mother’s home. She has been corresponding with Eddie Joe, and arrives in Jubilee Springs with other brides intended for the town’s miners. The miners claim they have priority on all brides coming to Jubilee Springs until all ten men who signed up for brides and mining company housing are married.Who will win Etta Crabtree’s hand in marriage, the cowboy or one of the miners? Views: 13
Jealous whispers. Old rivalries. New betrayals. Two months after Elizabeth Holland's dramatic homecoming, Manhattan eagerly awaits her return to the pinnacle of society. When Elizabeth refuses to rejoin her sister Diana's side, however, those watching New York's favorite family begin to suspect that all is not as it seems behind the stately doors of No. 17 Gramercy Park South. Farther uptown, Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker are the city's most celebrated couple. But despite the glittering diamond ring on Penelope's finger, the newlyweds share little more than scorn for each other. And while the newspapers call Penelope's social-climbing best friend, Carolina Broad, an heiress, her fortune — and her fame — are anything but secure, especially now that one of society's darlings is slipping tales to the eager press. In this next thrilling installment of Anna Godbersen's bestselling Luxe series, Manhattan's most envied residents appear to have everything they desire: Wealth. Beauty. Happiness. But sometimes the most practiced smiles hide the most scandalous secrets. . Views: 13
The fifth of the six classic Elric novels picks up, as is usual with these books, where the fourth leaves off. Moorcock sets the last pieces of the puzzle into place, introducing us to Zarozinia, the love of Elric's life. Once again, Moorcock takes his already intriguing concepts that he's built up throughout the series and adds a few more twists and turns, to make them even more intriguing than they already were. The book is good, it's readable, and the payoff, in Stormbringer, is astounding. Views: 13
