A Vintage Affair, by Isabel Wolff

 

Book Title: A Vintage Affair

Author: Isabel Wolf

Published By: Bantam Books

Date Published: June 29, 2010

Genre: Contemporary Fiction, British Literature

Pages: 346

Recommended Age: Adults

Read & Reviewed By: Me

Rating: B/4

 Internationally Bestselling Author

I borrowed it from the library

Summary:

Phoebe Swift owns a boutique dealing with vintage clothing called Village Vintage.  She is also dealing with the loss of her best friend and her guilt over the part she played in her friend’s death.  While at an elderly Frenchwoman, Thérèse Bell’s apartment looking through old clothes she may buy she comes across a child’s sky-blue coat, an item which Bell is stubbornly reluctant to part with.  As she becomes friends with the dying Thérèse, Thérèse tells her the story of why she will never part with the coat. Hearing the tale, Phoebe discovers a connection between herself and Thérèse, one that will heal her own pain and help her to love once again.

My Thoughts:

I am surprised that I actually like this book. When my book club voted on what book to read this month, I had voted against this book and was disappointed it got majority of the votes.  It didn’t seem like a book I would choose to read on my own…a book about clothes, really? 

It is well written and easy to read. Yes, it talks a lot about clothes. It talks about the designer, the year the clothing was made and the costs, but it also tells the history of who last wore the dress, pants, or even the accessories like a purse. It seems that some of the clothing gave the women courage to do things they felt they couldn’t do on their own, like blow the whistle on their bosses, or break up with an overbearing and bossy boyfriend.  Some of the stories are quite touching such as the story of the Jewish girl during WWII, which has a big part in making the book more interesting for me as I am fascinated by stories of WWII and the plight of the Jewish people during the war. A Vintage Affair is emotionally tugging and I found myself crying towards the end of the book.

I gave A Vintage Affair four stars and a grade of B because I enjoyed the book and found myself actually wanting to finish it, and not dragging my feet, kicking and screaming through it because I had to have it read for my book club. If you like contemporary fiction, I recommend A Vintage Affair by the internationally bestselling author, Isabel Wolff.

Language: none

Adult Content: Talks about concentration camps from WWII and other forms of death, some sex

 Violence: none

Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte

 

Book Title: Jane Eyre

Author:  Charlotte Bronte

Published By:  Bantam Classics

Date Published: September 30, 2003 (First published in 1847)

Genre: Classics, British Literature, Romance

Pages: 493

Recommended Age: Young Adults, Adults

Read and Reviewed By:  Me

Rating: B/4

I borrowed this book from the library.  I also own it on my Kindle.

Summary:

Jane Eyre is a woman who spent the first 10 years of her life with an aunt who didn’t want her around, and then she was sent to a deplorable boarding school.  At the young age of twenty, Jane takes a governess position working for arrogant Mr. Rochester teaching his adoptive French daughter.  Jane eventually falls in love with her employer, which leads her on a journey of self discovery and finding family she never dreamed of having.

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed the book very much. I liked that it was clearly written.  I did not feel like I was trudging through a swamp to get an idea of what was going on.  Jane Eyre was clear and precise.  I also liked how she would talk to us, the readers; as if she was writing her memoirs and knew someone would be reading the book.

Charlotte Bronte did a wonderful job telling how two unlikely people with two different personalities and a huge age gap can fall in love.  She also threw in a bit of mystery and some obstacles for the two love birds, making the path to the altar not an easy one for the two.  I gave Jane Eyre four stars and a grade of B.  If you like the Classics and romance novels, I recommend reading Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte.

Parents:

Language: None

Adult Content: None

Violence: None

The Lost Years, by Mary Higgans Clark

 

The Lost Years

Author:  Mary Higgins Clark

Published By: Simon & Schuster

Date Published: April 3, 2012

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 292

Recommended Age: Adults

Read and Reviewed By:  Me

Rating: B/4

I got the book from the library.

Summary:

Biblical scholar Jonathon Lyons believes he has found the rarest of rare parchments, a letter written by Jesus, which was stolen from the Vatican library in the 1500s.  He has several experts check it out in secrecy. Within days, he is found shot to death in his home office with his wife suffering from Alzheimer’s hiding in the office closet holding the gun and mumbling incoherently.  Did his wife shoot him because he was having an affair?  Or did one of his closes friends murder him for the parchment?

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this book very much.  It’s the first time I ever read a Mary Higgins Clark book and since I enjoyed it I may read more of hers in the future. I found the plot of this story to be interesting.  It is what it intrigued me to pick up Clark’s book and put it on my To Be Read list. It’s an easy read.  The reader will not feel he or she is trudging through a swamp trying to figure out what is going on.  The characters are well-developed and made to be realistic. 

I did not like Detective Simon Benet.  He seemed to have prejudices, which led him to have a one-track mind.  I feel he wanted to choose the most obvious suspect just because it would make his job easier, and he would get annoyed with his female partner whenever she would suggest other possibilities.  I am also annoyed that I was able to pick out the true murderer several chapters before the last chapter and before the pompous detective did.

For these reasons, I gave The lost Years four stars and a grade of B.  Clark has a wonderful imagination and has told us a tale that could be plausible. The reader is not left thinking, “How ridiculous! That would never happen.”  If you are a fan of Mary Higgins Clark already, I recommend reading her latest book The Lost Years.  If you have never read anything by Clark before, but do love mysteries, I recommend giving this book a read.

Parents:

Language: some

Adult Content: None

Violence: Some

Let Love Find You, by Johanna Lindsey

 

Book Title: Let Love Find You

Author: Johanna Lindsey

Published By: Gallery Books

Date Published:  June 12, 2012

Genre: Romance, Historical Romance

Pages: 374

Recommended Age: Adult, Mature Adult

Read and Reviewed By:  Me

Rating: A/5

I got the book from the library.

Summary:

Devin Baldwin is a popular horse breeder who is also being referred to as “cupid” for his matchmaking abilities. He pairs the young ladies with eligible men based on animal magnetism and what they have in common. He speaks his mind and will dish out unsolicited advice to better one’s chance of getting a mate.

Lady Amanda Locke is on her third season among the ton and still cannot seem to find a husband.  Her family has gotten desperate and hires “Cupid,” whom Amanda finds infuriating, to give Amanda riding lessons so she can win an earl who talks about nothing but horses.

My Thoughts:

I love Johanna Lindsey’s books so when I heard she had a new book coming out I had to get on the waiting list for it at my neighborhood library, and it was well worth the wait.  I just loved this book!  It is well written and the characters are very descriptive. It’s an easy read and the story line just pulls you right in.  It’s one of those books the reader just can’t put down and is kept up until the wee hours of the morning reading. 

I loved how the book introduces the novelty of finding common interests in a future mate to the heroine, Amanda.  I found it funny that her father and aunt don’t think it is necessary to have some sort of common ground with one’s significant other. Common interests with one’s mate is something readers already know about and know that is why it’s not easy to find a mate as it used to be back in the days of the Regency.  The reader will want to climb into the book and tell the father and aunt that it is true.

I also love that there is a bit of mystery entwined with the story.  Who is Devin’s biological father? Who is trying to kill Devin and why? These questions are not answered until the last chapter and the reader is kept in suspense the whole time, but the suspense is not painful as there is some humor thrown in occasionally.

For these reason I gave Let Love Find You by Johanna Lindsey five stars and a grade of an A.   If you enjoy Johanna Lindsey’s books as much as I do, you must read this one.  If you have never read a book by Johanna Lindsey’s books but enjoy romance novels, I recommend reading Let Love Find You and then read her Mallory Family series. You’ll love it.

Parents:

Language: Very Little

Adult Content: Two small sex scenes and an attempted rape scene

Violence: People getting shot at