I’m not sure how to describe “Grendel’s Guide to Love and War.” It isn’t as deep as it could be, considering Tom Grendel has a very difficult life, including a father suffering from severe PTSD. Yet it does evoke quite a few emotions by just skimming the surface of the issues he’s dealing with. It is also hilarious. Laugh out loud hilarious. If you’re looking for a fast read with a bit of an emotional roller coaster, give it a try.
“Maid of the King’s Court” is an excellent historical fiction novel about life in the court of King Henry VIII.
While the story of Elizabeth is fictionalized, most of the facts of life at the time are as historically accurate as possible, owing to the fact that the author (Lucy Worsley) is a British historian who actually works at the castle featured in the book. I have always enjoyed reading about life in Tudor England, and this novel did not disappoint. It’s also surprisingly clean considering it’s about life with King Henry VIII. It does have talk about sexual situations but none involving the main character.
I highly recommend “Maid of the King’s Court” to those who like historical fiction with a dash of romance.
'Gentle and romantic. A holiday in itself.' Rainbow Rowell 'I flew through ONE ITALIAN SUMMER. It's a perfect summer read with a gorgeous setting, warm characters and a bittersweet evocation of life after tragedy.' Sophia Bennett, author of LOVE SONG Milly loves her sisters more than anything - they are her best friends. But this holiday is different. The loss of their dad has left a gaping hole in their lives that none of them know how to fill. Heartbreak is a hard thing to fix ...Still, there is plenty to keep the girls busy in Rome. A family wedding. Food, wine, parties and sun. And of course Luke ...Luke is hot, there is no way around that. And Milly will always have a crush on him. But this summer is about family, being together, and learning to live without Dad. It isn't about Luke at all ...is it?
“One Italian Summer” is a light ya romance that reads quickly but lacks much substance.
While there was an attempt at making the characters developed, I still felt somewhat removed from them, especially the love interest, Luke. There was little to no explanation of exactly why Milly was so interested in him, aside from a rather alarming amount of wanting to lick his muscles. Not going to lie, the amount of times a phrase like that was thought by her was a bit unsettling. I know this complaint may be nitpicky, but the author seems to lose track of what her characters were doing quite a bit. Characters would stand up twice in one page without sitting down, be in a car one second and in a parking lot walking to the car the next, etc. It kept pulling me out of the story.
That being said, “One Italian Summer” is still a cute romance if you’re looking for a beach read that doesn’t require much from you.