Love Beyond Time, Nancy Campbell Allen

Title: Love Beyond Time
Author: Nancy Campbell Allen
Publisher: Covenant Communications
Publishing Date: 1999
Length: 196 pages
Summary: (from book) Amber Saxton is a bright young LDS doctor on the cutting edge of twenty-first century medicine. But when she has a head on collision with a swinging door, life as she knows it is suddenly reduced to a heart full of searing memories when she awakens in another time and place. How can she practice modern medicine on a Civil War battlefield-and how can she get out of this mess? She longs for her comfortable apartment and her dear little Pirmary class, but she's trapped in a world that is not her own. And it's anything but friendly.
Meanwhile, Tyler Tyler Montgomery, an overworked accountant, is spending the night at his computer, preparing for an audit, when two of his worst nightmares walk through his office door. The last thing he remembers is the blow from the butt of their sawed off shotgun-until he comes to in a tiny room adjacent to a nineteenth century Army hospital. I've died and I'm not in heaven, he thinks.
Amber and Tyler have just begun the adventure of their lives, fraught with danger, intrigue and unbelievable discoveries at every turn. Thrown together in a world apart, they must somehow find their way back to the present. But first, they need to find each other and learn what matters most in life. Can they meet the test- or will it cost them their lives  before they can unravel the mystery of generations past?

My Thoughts: Mm....what to say about this one. It was given to me by a friend who loved it, but I'm not sure this is my cuppa tea.  The title is bona fide cheesy, and I don't think I would call this much of  a time travel fic.  I didn't like the pacing of the novel at all and just read through it for it to get it over with.  I quickly grew tired of Tyler's 'heated blood' when it came to his attraction to Amber, but since this is an LDS novel, it never really goes anywhere except for more kissing than I like, which is surprising since the author claims her objective is to write enjoyable romance without guilt.
I feel horrible for never really liking LDS fiction. It just always has to be so perfect and everybody has to join the church at the end. If I read Christian lit, I much prefer to read from other sects rather than my own, not for the religious perspective, but just for the content.
The one thing I did like about this book is that both Amber and Tyler met some of their ancestors while living in 1862. It was a happy touch for the genealogist in me.
What I Learned:   I need to stop bashing LDS fics.
 

The House I Loved, Tatiana De Rosnay

Title:  The House I loved
Author: Tatiana De Rosnay
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publishing Date: February 2012
Length: 222 Pages
Summary: (From book)  Paris, France: 1860's. Hundreds of houses are being destroyed, entire neighborhoods reduced to ashes. By order of Emperor Napoleon III, Baron Haussmann has begun a series of large-scale renovations that will permanently alter the face of old Paris, molding it into a "modern city."  The reforms will erase generations of history, but in the midst of the tumult, one woman will take a stand.
Rose Bazelet is determined to fight against the destruction of her family home until the very end, even while others flee to new houses on bigger streets. She stakes her claim in the basement of the old house on rue Childebert, ignoring the sounds of change that march closer and closer each day. And as she waits, she escapes in the past, writing letters to her beloved late husband, Armand. By delving into the ritual of remembering, Rose is forced to come to terms with a secret that has been buried deep in her heart for thirty years.
My Thoughts:  Well....this book was nothing like the cover promised. I'm guessing the picture is supposed to portray how Rose and Armand looked as a young couple-but they didn't live in some mansion down a tree lined  drive, so I'm missing the point here...
I liked the writing style. It was elegant and too the point, but the story overall fell a little flat for me. I saw the movie Sarah's Key, and have had that story impressed on my mind for quite some time, so when I saw a new book by this author, I wanted to give it a try.
Rose is a widow living in the cellar of her house waiting for the destruction of her neighborhood. She does't want to let her house go, and is planning on staying until the bitter end. It wasn't a public protest, just her alone by herself, so the fight was more personal than rallying.
While she waits, she writes letters to her dead husband, Armand. I have to say I felt like she was a little selfish. She talks about how her mother paid little attention to her and her brother growing up, but then justifies not loving her own daughter in favor of their son. It's like an abuse cycle.
The big secret she carried around for thirty years wasn't something I wanted to read about, and I didn't feel like it was necessary to the story, but it works.
I have never wanted to visit Paris; it's always felt very pompous and...French. But I get the impression I would have liked to visit the old Paris before the renovations; that sounds more like something I'd love. So for giving me an interest in the old city, the book did it's job. For plot and characters....not so much.

Things To Be Cautious Of:  *MAJOR SPOILERS*  Rose's secret is that she was taken advantage of in her home and that is where her son comes from. I found it awkward and not necessary to the book and really wished I hadn't read that. After the son, *SPOILERS,* dies, the husband writes her a letter and says the way to overcome their grief is to love each other. ....Right.   There's hinting at romance lovey stuff, but nothing obscene, just married couple things. I really don't care for adult fiction since that seems to be an underlying theme.

What I Learned:  Old Paris sounds amazing. I don't want to be an old widow waiting for my house to cave in on me.

The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud, Ben Sherwood

Title: The Death and Life of Charlie St. Cloud
Author: Ben Sherwood
Publisher: Bantam Books
Publishing Date: March 2, 2004
Summary: (From book)   In a snug New England fishing village, Charlie St. Cloud tends the lawns and monuments of an ancient cemetery where his younger brother, Sam, is buried. After surviving the accident that claimed his brother's life, Charlie is graced with an extraordinary gift: he can see, talk to and even play catch with Sam's spirit. Into this magical world comes Tess Carroll, a captivating woman training for a solo sailing trip around the globe. Fate steers her boat into a treacherous storm that propels her into Charlie's life. Their beautiful and uncommon connection leads to a race between death and life, between the past and the future, between holding on and letting go-and the discovery that miracles can happen if we simply open our hearts.

My Thoughts:  Saw this at the library at this afternoon and remembered always wanting to read it after watching the movie awhile ago. It was a short read, took me a couple of hours, and very good. I could consider this my first adult fiction book and was a little taken back by how much they mentioned drinking. So watch out for that. I also encountered my first, uh, love scene...but I skipped it when it got awkward. The entire time I read this, all I could picture was Zac Efron in the role of Charlie, and I do believe he was perfect for that role. I'm rather impressed with how well Efron is doing in the acting profession after High School Musical, but that's not really the point here...

Overall it was a good book. I've always loved the story and the book and movie stay very true to each other.  There is a constant sense of melancholy and longing to the book, making it perfect for a rainy day like today.  But do watch out for the infrequent swearing (several of the Lord's name in vain in different variations), the love scene (still feel guilty over that) and the mention of heavy drinking.

What I learned:  It's ok to let go.

Review: The Arthurian Omen, G.G. Vandagriff

Title: The Arthurian Omen
Author: G.G. Vandagriff
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publishing Date: April 2, 2008
Length: 322 pages
Summary: (from book)  Is the story of King Arthur history or myth?  A Celtic scholar is brutally murdered when she discovers a clue to a priceless fifth-century manuscript that could prove the identity of King Arthur. Determined to find the ancient relic and avenge her sister's death, Maren Southcott begins a quest that immediately puts her own life in danger.
In the tradition of Mary Higgins Clark, The Arthurian Omen weaves a tale of mystery and suspense as pursuit of the manuscript winds through the medieval castles and monasteries of Wales. 
Stalked by a psychopath with delusions of a Welsh revolution, Maren is shaken to the core when a new crisis threatens to destroy the one person s he loves most. Can she find the manuscript before the murderer strikes again? Or is the manuscript-and the legend- better left buried in the past?
My Thoughts: This book, to put it in Welsh, was bendigedig. The author's story even more so. She suffered a health problem that left her with no memories and lacking the ability to write. Due to a miraculous recovery, she gained her ability to write back, but her memories are still gone. Her husband found an old computer file that was the first few pages of this book and she finished the manuscript from there. It's nothing less than a miracle.
The writing was a bit confusing at times, due to the several character's involved, but understanding the author's background, I can let that one slide.
The story was fascinating. I have a deep love for mysteries and folklore and this one did not disappoint. The story weaved in and out with several plot twists and I honestly did not see the end of this one coming. I spent the entire novel believing the wrong character to be the culprit.  I love a story that surprises me.
This book made me want to speak Welsh, and I had to Google a sound recording of the language to hear how beautiful it is.
I enjoyed the depth of the characters and the emotional pull I felt along the storyline. The author has a love for genealogy and you can tell that in the importance laid on family ties. The book felt well researched and I am looking forward to reading more by this author.
Things To Be Cautious Of: This was a suspense novel, and there is mention of several murders, and brief, non detailed violence.

Review: Edenbrooke, Julianne Donaldson

Title: Edenbrooke
Author: Julianne Donaldson
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Publishing Date: March 27, 2012
Length: 255 pages
Summary: (From back of book) Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.
From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.
My Thoughts: This book was perfect. Even the cover and the name is perfect. I picked this one up searching for a cute love story after my last book got a little too heated for my taste. I had been expecting a pleasing, albeit, cliche romance so typical to this genre, but I was delightfully disappointed. This book grabbed my attention from the start and I read the entire thing in an afternoon. (The perfect thing to help cope with a head cold.)
Philip, the hero of the story is everything a girl should want in a guy, and Marianne is an independent and lovable narrator. The banter and wit was enjoyable and I loved watching the development and waiting for the next big twist. The mystery and adventure of the story was original and the setting a delight to fall into.
This is how a love story should be. I agree wholeheartedly with the author about wanting just a sweet love story without all the lust and desire that is so rampant among fiction these days.  I admire the character Philip for his gentleman like behavior and upright standards. It is an ageless trait you do not see very often anymore and I found it refreshing.
This was a wonderful book that I will recommend happily and take off my shelf to read again and again.