A Courtesean's Scandal by Julia London

A Courtesan's Scandal by Julia London


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book that I've read by Julia London. Earlier this year, I read Summer of Two Wishes and loved it! You can read that review here!

A Courtesan's Scandal is about the life of Kate Bergeron and Grayson Christopher, Duke of Darlington. Kate is a courtesan who is well cared for and highly desired by the Prince. The Prince can't have her until his divorce is final or risk the scandal that will incur when the Princess makes her demands. Instead of risking that scandal, the Prince asks his most trusted man, the Duke, to appear to court Miss Kate until he can have her for his own. Upon meeting, the Duke and Miss Bergeron do not like each other or the arrangement that is in place. However, there is too much at stake for both of them to disobey the Prince. Kate would lose her lavish lifestyle and home that the Prince has set up for her and the Duke's affair with Lady Diana would be exposed and put his desire for the abolition of slavery vote at risk.

Throughout this book, we learn of many people who have influenced the lives of Kate and Christy. All of these people help to shape them into who they are. Their love/hate relationship begins to blossom and before long, they are faced with a decision...to betray the Prince or forget the love they have for each other? What will they decide? Is there too much at risk or is love worth all?

I loved this book and the storyline behind it. I've not read many historical fiction books but they are fast becoming some of my favorites. While Miss London does include some graphic sex scenes and strong language (which I do not like to read most of the time) I enjoy her writing style and the stories she weaves in her characters. Overlooking these things that I find bothersome, she is becoming one of my favorite authors!

This is one of those books that I like to pick my favorite character in and desire to be. IF I was not the person that I am today (picture an imaginary world where there is no right or wrong, where moral decisions are a mute point), I would want to be Kate. I am not a fan of her lifestyle but the love she has for Christy and vice-versa makes me desire to want to be her in a different type of world. She has had a rough life and has finally got a break that she has to decide if the chance of falling in love wholeheartedly is worth it. There is something about her that draws me to her. Maybe it's the way she reaches out to those who are like her on a lower level. Maybe it's the pride she has in herself. Maybe it's her desire to keep her word. Either way, she's my favorite character!

I was provided a review copy of this book by Pocketbook Publishers. I would like to thank them and the author for this review copy. Thank you for reading this review!

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Breaking the Bank by Yona Zeldis McDonough + Giveaway

A very special thank you to Sarah and the staff at Pocket Books for providing a copy of Breaking the Bank for me to review for you today!

Imagine you and your only child being left by your husband for some swanky, Asian chick. Now imagine that loser never paying child support or offering you a dime for anything. You work your tail off while your Lloyd is out playing around and enjoying the high life. All he wants is to see his daughter, Eden, at every possible chance. Not quite fair eh?

This is the life of Mia. Her loser ex-husband Lloyd is demanding to spend time with his daughter Eden while Mia is working her absolute hardest to make ends meet. One day she visits a local ATM for some cash for some groceries on the way home. Instead of getting the $100 she asks for, she gets a little extra...at no expense to her account. She thinks of this bank error and just hopes she won't be asked to repay it. A few days later, she visits the same ATM again and receives more than she asks for. What kind of luck is this?

Family holidays and get togethers...you just gotta love 'em!! (NOT) Mia and Eden are visiting Mia's brother Stewart, ever loving sister-in-law Gail, and mom Betty over the Thanksgiving holidays. The girls are sent away to a neighbor's house while the adults are deep in conversation. Mia's family thinks she is the lowest form of scum on earth as a mother and want Eden to spend the Christmas holidays away with Betty. They all seem to think that mother and daughter could use a break from each other. What? Take her kid away to? Mia is beside herself.

A knock on the door starts even more trouble for Mia. It's the detectives and they want to know about her "friend" Weed. What will she tell them? What will Eden tell Lloyd, who'll then tell Stewart, who'll then tell Betty, who'll then tell....

It's only when Mia spends a long night in jail and meets Patrick that life starts to make an upward turn for her. Will she ever get Eden back? Will her family ever see her for the real person she is? What about the money? Will she get to keep it? What will she do?

Overall, I found this to be an enjoyable book. I loved the story line and the underlying theme. I did not appreciate the language of the book (multiple "f" bombs dropped) or the casual sex. That withstanding, the sentiment behind the story is one that I think more Americans need to hear and believe. There are still good people in this world!! Mia, in my opinion, gets a really bad rap from her family and friends. She's a single mom trying her very best to get by. Sure she might have needed to reach out for some help but she was doing what she felt best for her and Eden.

What would you do if an ATM gave you more money than you asked for?

Answer this question and be entered for a chance to win one of two copies of Breaking the Bank that I'm giving away.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address with your answer, so that I can contact you if you win. You will have 3 days to respond to the email. You must put your email address in the comments or your entry is invalid. Format like faithfulgirl4[at]gmail[dot]com
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4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
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7. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on October 31, 2009.


Check out these other great bloggers featuring Breaking the Bank today!

Drey’s Library: http://dreyslibrary.blogspot.com/
Found Not Lost: http://jmomfinds.amoores.com/
Rundpinne: http://www.rundpinne.blogspot.com/
The Brain Lair: http://brainlair.blogspot.com/
My Own Little Corner of the World: http://molcotw.blogspot.com/
My Reading Room: http://myreadingroom-crystal.blogspot.com/
All About {n}: http://www.bookwormygirl.blogspot.com/
Bookin’ with Bingo: http://bookinwithbingo.blogspot.com/
Chicks with Books: www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com
I’m Booking It: http://imbookingit.wordpress.com/
My Guilty Pleasures: http://www.mgpblog.com/
Blog Business World: http://blogbusinessworld.blogspot.com/
Crazy For Books: http://www.crazy-for-books.com
Libby’s Library News: http://www.libslibrary.blogspot.com/
Jeanne’s Ramblings: http://jeannesgifts.blogspot.com/
Just Another New Blog: http://justanothernewblog.blogspot.com/
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How It Ends by Laura Weiss + Giveaway

How It Ends by Laura Wiess


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
"I would not willingly peel back the scar tissue protecting the deepest chambers of my heart and reveal the bruised hollows pooled with the blood of old wounds---the terror that just thinking about it---but now, facing darkness I am left with no choice. I love you, and because of that I am going to try and raise the dead." ---Louise Bell Closson

This is one of the most haunting books I've read this year. The twists and turns will keep you wondering from the minute you start reading this book until you know How It Ends.

I was intrigued most about Laura Wiess's use of an audiobook within a book. There were times I became confused about which story we were on but it all ties in together. I've never read a book even remotely close to this and really enjoyed it!

Hanna is your almost typical teenager. She thinks Seth is the bomb diggity and can't imagine her life without him. She also thinks a lot of her neighbor, Gran. As she grows older, Hanna spends less and less time with Gran, which causes a lot of heartache on both sides. I found myself feeling sorry for Gran and her loneliness. A school project helps Hanna to find her way back into spending more time with Gran and learning more about her life growing up.

I found myself at times not wanting to know how this book would end. I laughed, I wanted to throw the book at certain characters, and I bawled like a baby. I believe I may have experience every imaginable emotion during my reading of this book.

It is written for young adults but I know that "older" adults would enjoy it just as well, if not more so. I do rate this book PG-13 for some very strong language and some suggestive scenes. I don't guess I recognized that this was a YA book until I was reading the author's interview and the discussion questions.

Be patient while reading this book (it's hard to do in this one with all the twists and turns!) and by the end, you will know How It Ends. Like it, love it, or hate it, the book does end!

Thanks to Sarah at Pocket Books for providing this copy for review and giveaway.

Please check out these other reviews this week!

My Book Views: my-book-views.blogspot.com
Book Soulmates: http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com/
Just Jennifer Reading: http://justjenniferreading.blogspot.com/
Debbie’s World of Books: http://debbiesworldofbooks.com/
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Chick with Books: www.chickwithbooks.blogspot.com
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Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
Booksie’s Blog: http://booksiesblog.blogspot.com/
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Poisoned Rationality: http://lastexilewords.blogspot.com/
So Many Books, So Little Time: http://purplg8r-somanybooks.blogspot.com/
Beth’s Book Review Blog: http://bethsbookreviewblog.blogspot.com/
Park Avenue Princess: http://aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com/
Half Deserted Streets: http://www.halfdesertedstreets.com/
Power in the Blog: http://jesharris.wordpress.com/
Metroreader: http://metroreader.blogspot.com/
Crazy for Books: http://crazy-for-books.blogspot.com/
Angieville: http://angieville.blogspot.com/

View all my reviews >>


Contest Rules:
To enter, respond and tell me about someone that has meant a lot to you in your life that was not physically related to you.

For me this would be my "Aunt Faffy". In a lot of ways, she reminded me of Helen. In a lot of other ways, she was nothing like her.

Rules:
1. Please include your email address with your answer, so that I can contact you if you win. You will have 3 days to respond to the email. You must put your email address in the comments or your entry is invalid. Format like faithfulgirl4[at]gmail[dot]com
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader, blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
5. For another entry, Tweet about this contest and include @faithfulgirl along with website link.
6. For another entry, enter to win another of my giveaways and tell me that you have entered by leaving a comment here as to which one.
7. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on September 14, 2009.

Book Review and Giveaway: Summer of Two Wishes by Julia London

From New York Times bestselling historical romance author Julia London, SUMMER OF TWO WISHES is passionate contemporary love story about a young woman who is caught between two men she loves--her first husband who miraculously returns from Afghanistan where he was supposedly killed in action and the Texas rancher who helped her rebuild her life and became her second husband.

Product Details

Pocket Star, August 18, 2009
Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages
ISBN-10: 1-4165-4708-8
ISBN-13: 978-1-4165-4708-2

My Review:
I could hardly put this book down!!! I was captivated by the story of Macy, Finn, and Wyatt from the first paragraph. I felt as though I was the "fly on the wall" in their lives. While this is a work of fiction, the story could very well (and probably has) happened. Macy and Finn are madly in love. He chooses to go fight in Afghanistan as a tribute to the memory of his friend who died fighting for his country. Macy receives word that Finn has died and she slowly tries to put her life back together. After 2 years, Macy meets and falls for Wyatt. Only 7 short months after her marriage to Wyatt, another official Army car pulls up to her house with more news for Macy. She's not sure how to digest the information that the Army messed up and Finn is actually alive! Now she has to choose between the two men who've meant the most to her in her life. I do have to say that I was pleasantly surprised by the ending. There were a few times I wasn't sure what decision Macy would make. I do think she made the right one though!

This book does have some mild language and some pretty hot and steamy descriptions of intimacy. This book is not for the faint of heart. I do recommend it though and give it a hearty 4.5 stars!!

Another aspect of this book that really stuck out at me is that the author has a huge heart for abused/neglected animals as well as veterans. She has added a list of appropriate websites to contact if you are interested in becoming an advocate for these different groups.

An ironic thing happened to me while reading this book. The song "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks was playing on the radio. It truly reflects the sentiments in this book and was very appropriate!

My wish is that you will enjoy this book as much as I did. My second wish is that you'll pass along the great news of this book and that you'll have many wishes fulfilled!

Please be sure to visit these other bloggers and their reviews of this book!
My Book Views: my-book-views.blogspot.com
Book Soulmates: http://booksoulmates.blogspot.com/
A Journey of Books: http://ajourneyofbooks.blogspot.com/
Just Jennifer Reading: http://justjenniferreading.blogspot.com/
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My Guilty Pleasures: http://www.mgpblog.com/
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Starting Fresh: http://startingfresh-gaby317.blogspot.com/
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Park Avenue Princess: http://aparkavenueprincess.blogspot.com/
Power in the Blog: http://jesharris.wordpress.com/
Books and Needlepoint: http://booksandneedlepoint.blogspot.com/

Special thanks to Sarah at Pocket Books and Julia London for sending me this book to review.

Giveaway Rules:
1. Please include your email address with your answer, so that I can contact you if you win. You will have 3 days to respond to the email. You must put your email address in the comments or your entry is invalid. Format like faithfulgirl4[at]gmail[dot]com
2. For an extra entry, sign up to be a follower. If you're already a follower, let me know and you'll get the extra entry as well.
3. For another extra entry, subscribe via googlereader, blogger or by email and let me know that you do.
4. For another entry, blog about this giveaway and send me the link.
5. For another entry, Tweet about this contest and include @faithfulgirl along with website link.
6. For another entry, enter to win another of my giveaways and tell me that you have entered by leaving a comment here as to which one.
7. Leave a separate comment for each entry or you'll only be entered once.

The contest is limited to US and Canada only. No P.O. boxes. The contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on September 16, 2009.