Guernsey Retreat

Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a fatal connection…

A man loses his father. A young woman loses her mother. Both in tragic circumstances that lead, when they meet, to surprising revelations from the past.
Louisa needs to find the father she has never known, to warn him of possible danger - for them both. Her search takes her from England to Guernsey. Malcolm's journey is more tortuous: conceived in Guernsey, he travels to Canada as a baby with his bereaved mother. Many years later he arrives in India, and from here he is led back to Guernsey to open a health centre at La Folie. This was his father's home, where Malcolm was conceived, but never lived and where his father was killed at the start of the Second World War.

At the heart of the two deaths lie stolen jewels. Valuable enough to kill for. Twice.
Finding her father brings Louisa more than she bargains for, and her life is transformed, while Malcolm learns that life is, after all, for sharing…

*May Contain Spoilers*

Anne Allen continues sharing the magic of Guernsey in her novel, Guernsey Retreat. A rich story of familial discoveries, love that is lost as well as found, and a chance to bring justice to those who deserve it, Guernsey fans will enjoy the new series addition.

Louisa is the main character and readers will love her free spirited personality and open heart. She works as a physiotherapist, illustrating her focus of helping people. When Louisa meets her father for the first time, she is understanding, brave, and a bit nervous. These small details add to the overall realistic depiction of Louisa. She's a swimmer, loves the outdoors, and is quite health conscious. Readers will thoroughly relate to Louisa as she focuses on opening her life to a father who wants to make up for lost time and a chance to be truly balanced in life. 

The novel opens with the death of Susan, Louisa's mother. After a home invasion, Susan dies of heart failure, but Louisa caught a glimpse of the attacker. And with her last words, Susan told Louisa to warn her father -- a man she has never met -- of the mortal danger. With hope and fear simmering within, Louisa travels to Guernsey where her father has just opened a health and wellness center. Together they hope to track down the man who caused Susan's death. 

Guernsey Retreat is a book about building an enjoyable life and discovering new wonders by being open. It's also focused on family and the importance of love in your life. The novel is written mainly from Louisa's point of view in European style - complete with alternate vocabulary spellings. Though the characters and story line are interesting, the dialogue seems stiff at times and I had trouble imagining the characters actually saying certain phrases. Regardless, Anne Allen weaves a delicate novel with relatable characters and intriguing mystery.

Rating: 3.5/5Cups

A Storm of Swords

Scottchan

"Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, victim of the sorceress who holds him in her thrall.

Young Robb still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons left in the words.

And as opposing forces maneuver for the final showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost limits of civilization, accompanied by a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable.

As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords..."

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Over one thousand pages makes up this amazing novel, the third installment in the series A Song of Fire and Ice, A Storm of Swords by George R. R. Martin. 

Dreamstine

The characters who offer their point of view, have changed again from the first and second book. This creative angle is an effective method to draw the reader in by allowing them to see some events from various perspectives to better understand the underlying motives of the characters. It serves to bridge the reader to different characters throughout the series, changing the way the readers perceive them.
And where their loyalties lie...

However, I found myself stopping to consider how the characters had gotten to where they were. The ever changing perspectives creates the problem of forgetting where certain characters were while simultaneously offering the aforementioned understanding. 

The plot, which I just have to mention briefly, literally had my mouth hanging open, the word "what" perched on my tongue. It was completely unpredictable! So many things happen constantly: characters die, known plans fail while secret plans succeed, and betrayal is everywhere. Loyalty a hope lost on the raven's wing. 

I was a little disappointed, okay more than a little, when three of my favorite characters "died." I put the quotations around the word because more and more people who die in these novels are re-appearing as... I'll let you figure that our for yourself. 

And not to spoil anything, but the last page will blow every reader away. It makes the previous 1126-ish pages totally worth it.

A Storm of Swords 
on Amazon

rating: 3/5 cups

Do Not Resuscitate

DNR.
Do not resuscitate.

Those were the letters that Dr. Elena Gardner wrote on her husband's chart while he lay in a coma. Then someone turned off his life support.

DNR. The letters that were written on Chester Pulliam's chart right before his life support was withdrawn. Signed by Dr. Elena Gardner. Except she wasn't the one who wrote them, this time.

Midnight calls every Tuesday to Elena's phone. Letters that guarantee she will pay for what she's done. A suspicious eye focused on her, waiting for her to slip up again.

In Richard Mabry's book, Diagnosis Death, Elena is being framed for multiple homicides. And the killer is getting closer. Are all of these threats connected or are they coming from separate sources? Mabry takes the reader on a trek through the hospitals in Texas, weaving in and out of patient rooms, forcing them to keep their eyes glancing back over their left shoulder.

The main character, Dr. Elena Gardner, is easy to connect with on a personal level. She's a woman who has lost someone very close to her and is still struggling with the pain that loss caused. Readers can easily compare their own loss with that of Elena's, bringing them closer to understanding the fears that hide in the pages. This novel is fast-paced, but doesn't omit the details needed to fully comprehend the plot. Wonderful read, especially for anyone who has interests in medicine.

Diagnosis Death on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups

Mockingjay: The Final Book in The Hunger Games

Spoiler Alert: As this blog is about the final book in The Hunger Games series, it may contain spoiling information. :)

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The final book, Mockingjay, of Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games series was incredible, almost indescribable. The connection I had with the characters remained strong throughout the last novel. 

I felt every piece of hope, sadness, loss, and anger that Katniss described. The writing style of the entire series had me hooked and wanting more. 

However, I couldn't help feeling a little empty at the end. The conclusion of the trilogy seemed to be lacking something. It was if a void had been created inside of me and (four days after completing it) I still can't pinpoint exactly what gave birth to this disappointment. 

After the roller coaster of going through two hunger games with Katniss, witnessing her fall into love, fight for her life, and struggle to accept herself, when it was all over, I felt as empty as Katniss seemed in the last few pages. 

Perhaps that was what Collins had in mind though. Fighting for survival alongside Katniss brought the reader into her world. At the end, most of everything she loved was gone forever, never to be brought back. Maybe the void I feel is a mirror of what Collins believes Katniss felt. If this is indeed the case, then Collins got the exact reaction she wanted. 

(Not that that stopped me from scribbling down a few pages of text for myself, altering the ending, and bringing a smile to my face.) 

I definitely plan on reading this series again, and if you haven't read it, then do not hesitate to buy it and spend a few days in the world of the Katniss and district 12. 

Mockingjay on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups