10/31/2018

Waiting On Wednesday #75 – Never Let Me Fall by Abbie Roads

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy.

There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

This week I am presenting a book, that will come out in a couple of days. Yes, it is on very short notice, but I don´t want to miss the chance to bring it to your attention. Abbie Roads writes Dark Contemporary Romance, with a twist of the paranormal. I´ve read her other books as well and every time I was completely gripped and fascinated. Her style is different from those other authors have – in a very good way. There is a lot of pain between the lines in her novels but hope and love are always strong. When I saw the cover for the very first time - I am honest about that - I was kind of shocked. Because it is totally different from the covers of its predecessors. But now, after I saw it a couple of times, it developed a certain beauty to me and I am looking forward to receiving and reading it. So, if you are a fan of the Dark Contemporary Romance genre and maybe never heard from the author, this book might be the perfect choice for you to discover Abbie Roads´ work.

                       

Never Let Me Fall

Author Abbie Roads
Fatal Dreams #3
Publishing Date November 6, 2018
Publisher Sourcebooks Inc
Format Paperback
Goodreads

Thomas Brown can´t see color. But he can see people´s true souls. His abilities allow him to work with criminal investigators and deliver justice to families of the wronged. And he is starting to accept that his life will forever be in black and white … Then he encounters Helena Grayse, and everything changes. She brings vibrant color to his world, and he brings acceptance and belief to hers. But Helena´s past is quickly catching up with her, and Thomas is in the crosshairs. As an enemy hidden in plain sight threatens their every move, they´ll have to rely on their love to beat the darkness.

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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10/29/2018

Destined For An Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

At first, I was a bit irritated. Some things in the ongoing story confused me and I couldn´t see where the novel was going. But the way how Cat was shown was amazing. One of the best books of this series, I´d say. In the end, it all made perfect sense and showed me, that the way how the story was written, was the only way to keep the door open for other books in this series.  Sometimes it pays off to present the reader with the unusual and some twists and turns.

Destined For An Early Grave*

by Jeaniene Frost
Night Huntress Series #4
Publisher Avon Books on July 28, 2009
Genre Vampire
Pages 355
Format Paperback
Source Purchased
Goodreads

✶✶✶✶½

Her deadly dreams leave her in grave danger. Since half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her undead lover Bones met six years ago, they´ve fought against the rogue undead, battled a vengeful Master vampire, and pledged their devotion with a blood bond. Now it´s time for a vacation. But their hopes for a perfect Paris holiday are dashed when Cat awakes one night in terror. She´s having visions of a vampire named Gregor who´s more powerful than Bones and has ties to her past that even Cat herself didn´t know about. Gregor believes that Cat is his and he won´t stop until he has her. As the battle begins between the vamp who haunts her nightmares and the one who holds her heart, only Cat can break Gregor´s hold over her. She´ll need all the power she can summon in order to bring down the baddest bloodsucker she´s ever faced … even if getting that power will result in an early grave.

Story

Cat and Bones are recovering from the exhausting fight, but for Cat, recovery is a double-edged thing. Instead of finding restful sleep at night, a nightmare is haunting her containing a faceless man who claims her as his wife and wants to bring her back to him. Catastrophic news for Bones when he learns about it. His co-regent Mencheres has news for Cat and Bones, which means the opposite. While Cat is still struggling with the incredible news, Bones is fighting for his wife.

Style

Funny to snappy dialogues, wonderfully fast-paced scenes, and highly dramatic moments make this book a wonderful fantasy experience. The tension is here additionally increased by short chapters and this almost to the unbearable. The finale culminates in an incredibly bloody fight that unfolds its effect in front of the reader´s eye with breathtaking speed, refinement, and brutal elegance. Jeaniene Frost leaves the reader a long time in the dark, whether by the intervention of Mencheres years before, the love of Bones was really desired or if an old master only wanted to ruin the game for fate. In a certain scene, the question of whether providence is always so good, was swirling around my head. 

Characters

In this volume, the reader gets an unfamiliar insight into Bones. The author allows the reader to see the views and actions of the vampire, as in none of the other books before. He fights with an unusual logic and attack tactics, which is sometimes opaque and only fully opens to the reader at the end. It was fascinating to see how a creature of the night fights for his wife, his property, and always works with style and elegance. The author has many a surprise for the reader. And some of them you see in her figures. Where in my eyes Cat herself holds the biggest surprise for the reader. She changes in a fabulous way shows a completely different side of herself without giving herself up. 

Conclusion

A really great book. The reader gets everything on offer here: passion, hate, jealousy, and lots of great fighting scenes combined with a breathtaking storyline. For fans of this series an absolute must. 

Happy reading

*The German edition Der sanfte Hauch der Finsternis published by Blanvalet on September 20, 2010 

Jeaniene Frost

Jeaniene Frost is a New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author whose works include the Night Huntress series, the Night Prince series, and the Broken Destiny series. To date, foreign rights for her novels have sold to twenty different countries. Jeaniene lives in North Carolina with her husband Matthew, who long ago accepted that she rarely cooks and always sleeps in on the weekends. Aside from writing, Jeaniene enjoys reading, poetry, watching movies, exploring old cemeteries, spelunking and traveling – by car. Airplanes, children, and cookbooks frighten her. 

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10/27/2018

Das Mädchen Aus Feuer & Sturm by Renée Ahdieh

Can someone please tell me why I haven´t read this sooner? The setting in Japan, a heroine who isn´t a storybook beauty but beautiful enough to turn a man´s head around and a war between two women and two families who turn out to be as deadly as poison?! Flame in the Mist has all a reader could ask for. If you like premodern Japan in all its glory, that is. I fell in love with the US cover first. The combination of the orange bird, the brown background, silver letters, purple flowers, and the bright rose made me want it without a doubt. I hadn´t read any summary but knew that I had to have it. The cover of the German edition is smooth contrary to the US edition. Both are beautiful, no doubt here, but incommensurable when it comes to the design. While the US cover literally bursts into a fiery orange combined with purple and bright rose in a strong motive, the German edition shows a pastel-colored and almost dreamy picture. Either way, both look amazing and contain a story that entertains its reader very well in more than one way. But enough of that. Let´s get to the novel itself.

Das Mädchen Aus Feuer Und Sturm* 

by Renée Ahdieh
Flame In The Mist #1
Translation Martina M. Oepping
Original Title Flame In The Mist
Publisher One on September 28, 2018
Genre Young Adult
Pages 406
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶

Mariko is the daughter of a powerful samurai and knows her place in life. As clever and inventive she may be, others decide on her future. When she learns that she is to marry the Emperor´s son, she takes her fate. But on the way to her wedding, she barely escapes an attack on her life. Her entire entourage will be destroyed. Suddenly on her own, she uses her chance to taste the freedom and find out for herself why one wants to see her dead. In her search for the truth, she not only discovers that many things are different from what she thought until now, but she also loses her heart … to the enemy of all people. (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary) 

Story

Mariko is on her way to her future husband when she is thrown into a deadly situation and has to overcome her fears to survive. But who wants her dead? Who wants to destroy her family and the life she´s known since she can think? But most importantly, will there ever be a time where she is valued for what she is and can instead of only being a worthless daughter to a father who feels only humiliated by her curiosity?

Style

Renée Ahdieh´s writing style is light, fluently, and read at a good pace. There isn´t one page where you are at risk to become bored or distracted by other things happening outside the book. The author shows you the main figure who is well aware that she is far from being flawless and who knows that she is always asking too many questions. Born with a unique curiosity and a never-ending fascination for everything that isn´t usual or outside her comfort zone, she always needs to know how things work. Not exactly the way she´s supposed to be. Let alone to function. Magical creatures, the honor of a Samurai and man, in general, are shown in a very harmonic, yet bloody way. Lose the grace of your Shogun or the Emperor itself, and you have to pay the price with your own life. And if you get lucky, you can keep your honor and the one of your family by using the sword against your own body.

Towards the end, the story speeds up. There is a lot of action, blood, and even more cruelty than at the beginning of the novel. And it becomes clear, that the answer Mariko is searching for, hasn´t been given yet. Or not entirely.

Characters

The inner conflict Mariko has, is shown by the author in a sensitive but very entertaining way. Sometimes you see a bit of defiance and stubbornness shine through Mariko´s behavior and it makes you kind of smile. She wants it all, and she wants it the only way she knows how. Not every figure is what they seem to be or claim to be. And for Mariko, that means that she has first to prove herself to the others, that she´s well worth it being among their circle. 

Conclusion

The novel ends with a cliffhanger. Or sort of. It is obvious, that the plot will move to a different location in the second book, and because of the last scene, you get a taste of what´s to come. Hate, passion, revenge, and hunger for even more power are the strong lines in this book. It was fascinating to see how a girl coming from a rich environment, changes to be able to survive in the world she´s never really known. Oh yes, the Japanese setting is the perfect place for this kind of story. Looking forward to reading the next part. 

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by One in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

*The book was originally published Flame in the Mist by G.P. Putnam´s Sons on May 16, 2017. 

Renée Ahdieh

Renée Ahdieh is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In her spare time, she likes to dance salsa and collect shoes. She is passionate about all kinds of curry, rescue dogs, and college basketball. The first few years of her life were spent in a high-rise in South Korea; consequently, Renée enjoys having her head in the clouds. She lives in Charleston, North Carolina, with her husband and their tiny overlord of a dog. She is the author of The Wrath and the Dawn. 

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10/26/2018

Auf Ewig Uns by Eva Völler

Time School has come to an end. And I am struggling with my rating. Not that I hated this novel, no. Not at all. It was a wonderful feeling to walk with Anna through Venice, remembering some places I´ve been there myself many years ago. So, what was then my problem with this last book? To be honest, I can´t quite name it. I was happy when I got the news, that I would be among those few who could read it way before its actual release date. And having the author participating too was a huge plus. But else?

Auf Ewig Uns*

by Eva Völler
Time School Trilogy #3
Publisher One on October 26, 2018
Genre Fantasy
Pages 381
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶½

There was always something in between, but now it had finally worked out: Anna and Sebastiano have taken the vows! But when they celebrate a party with their guests after their civil wedding, the unbelievable happens: A time portal opens, and Sebastiano is abducted by her archenemy Mr. Fitzjohn! Anna is terrified. How is she ever going to find Sebastiano again? Fortunately, she gets the crucial clue from an unexpected direction, and she draws hope. But she knows only too well what Mr. Fitzjohn is after – a treasure that Anna wants to protect at all costs: her unborn child … (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary)

Story

Anna is in heaven. She finally became Sebastiano´s wife. And with a baby on the way, she couldn´t be happier. But while the wedding party is going on, Sebastiano gets hijacked and the nightmare begins. Because in Venice, where she finally finds him, she has to discover that he´s lost his memory all over again. But this time it´s even worse. Pregnant, another woman claiming the man she loves and stuck in a year where giving birth doesn´t seem the best idea. And what is Fitzjohn up to? Or Chester?

Style

The soft style, the way how the author describes things, the setting of the present Venice and the one in the past – all that was again, wonderful to read. I was literally walking through Venice with Anna, enjoying the memories it brought back from my last trip to this captivating town. And yet I missed the esprit and the thrill I felt while reading the trilogies´ first novel. This third book has a great start - you are jumping right into the action when something unexpected happens and Anna is forced to think things over. But then the story becomes a bit shallow, and it seems that the novel got a bit stretched before towards the end, all of a sudden the plot gets wings. Everything gets solved within a few pages and before you know it, you are at the end of the book. 

But at least I got many answers to my open questions. The author solved some things that weren´t clear to me while reading other books. And she explained a few things that needed an explanation. And I am very happy, that my guessing, with whom one of the figures might be related, was right. All that saved the book from getting a much lower rating, than you can see.

Characters

Can you believe it? Anna tries to help a man who tried to kill her moments ago! What in the world? Hasn´t she learned anything from the past? Apparently not. And that is what bugs me most when it comes to her character. She is incredibly naïve, gullible, acts before she thinks and the fact that none of her students takes her serious, says it all. On the other hand, she does everything to get them accustomed to life in the twenty-first century. And her love for Sebastiano is timeless. And knows no boundaries. A plus, if you ask me. I had the most fun, at first that is, with Ole and Fatima. He, a real Viking, and she an oriental beauty falling in love with each other. The passion and desire between them are huge and so are the fights they have often and with growing tension. Oh yes, the author brings all kinds of different figures and characters together. And coming from all sorts of centuries, you can imagine how life at the Time School is. 

Conclusion

Not as good as the first book was (my favorite) and, told in stars, the same as book two. Somehow it couldn´t thrill me as much as book one has. Anna shows how credulous she is and the plot isn´t new too. Good, the romance factor is high, and being in Venice again with the story was great. But that alone isn´t enough, at least not for me, to give it a higher evaluation. But I am glad, one way or the other, that I´ve read it anyway. Now, I know how things end up and that Anna got, what she desired most. So, read it yourself, and see what I mean.

Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language. The title was kindly provided to me by One in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Eva Völler

As a child, Eva Völler liked to make stories. Nevertheless, she earned her buns first as a judge and attorney before she finally put the jurisprudence to the nail. "You can simply get a better mood from writing books than from legal disputes. And you can always decide for yourself how it ends in the end." The author lives with her children on the edge of the Rhön in Hesse.

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10/25/2018

Eisrot by Mads Peder Nordbo

Holy smokes, that was brilliant! My first thriller by the author and one that kept me up all night. I just wasn´t able to put it aside – it was THAT haunting. If you are looking for a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, shows you the beauty of nature, and the danger a long-time kept a secret can bring, then this is definitely your book. And in combination with a battled main figure who tries to cope with his own shattered past, this is the stuff you are looking for when it comes to well-written thrillers.  

Eisrot*

by Mads Peder Nordbo
Grønland - Greenland #1
Translation Marieke Heimburger, Kerstin Schöps
Original Title Pigen Uden Hud
English Title The Girl Without Skin**
Publisher Fischer TB on October 24, 2018
Genre Thriller
Pages 408
Format Paperback
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶✶

“Matthew craned his neck out of the helicopter. They were near the edge of the glacier. Below them the sea full of pack ice. In front of them, the endless white as far as the eye could reach. Dazzling white. Millions of white crystals. Except for one place. One spot. Exactly where yesterday the mummy had lain and Aqqalu had kept watch. There the ice was glossy red.” (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary)

Story

Matthew Cave once was a happy man. He had a wife, was expecting a baby and life seemed to be perfect. Until that awful accident, that destroyed everything. Now a reporter, who writes stories about things that won´t be noticed on the other side of the world. Local news that gives him an income, but nothing more. He is far from being the reporter he once wanted to become. But then he is sent to a story that changes everything. His life and that of so many others.

Style

There is no unnecessary word in this book. No gesture that doesn´t need to be there. Mads Peder Nordbo´s writing is clear, to the point, and very structured. The story jumps back and forth between the past and present. The past is shown through a notebook Matthew is reading while working on a story about a mummy that was found in the ice. Soon the fund of the mummy turns into a murder case that not only turns Matthew´s life but also that of a young woman he unintentionally gets to know. She is rough, doesn´t like men in general, and wants nothing to do with his story or the case. And yet she is right in the middle of the police´s attention. How everything is bound together, how a long-kept secret is brought back to life and what some suffering little girls got to do with it all, shows Mads Peder Nordbo in a captivating, almost demure way that makes you bite your nails and find out more. Psychological finesse at its finest, I´d say.

Characters

Matthew is a tortured man. Hit by destiny very hard, he´s in a state of deep grieve and almost unable to cope with it. And yet he still wants to live, do his job and to find the one story that will bring him what he always wanted: Being a reporter who hits the world with one meaningful story. And he will get that story, but in a way, he never imagined it. Fighting his nightmares, working in a place his ability to use words and the truth isn´t very welcome and as if that wouldn´t be enough, the past of others starts to threaten his own life. 

I was very intrigued by the way how Matthew deals with everything that comes across his path. Yes, he still mourns the loss of his family, and yes sleep is kind of unknown to him since that terrible day. But other than that? He fights. For himself and for others. His edges, his way of seeing things, and how he combines what happens are great to watch.  

Conclusion

I read this thriller overnight. Or better said: I inhaled it. This is what I call a page-turner. The author writes about the incredible beauty ice and glaciers have, and how dangerous they are on the other hand. That life in Greenland is pure but with hidden evil. And right in the middle a man who tries to see it all and change something. If you are a fan of the Scandinavian writing (I am from now on) and love thriller who has it all; action, blood, the right amount of secrets, and growing tension – then this is your book. Read!

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Fischer TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

**This book will be published in the English language The Girl Without Skin by Text Publishing on June 11, 2019 

Mads Peder Nordbo

Mads Peder Nordbo is Danish but has lived in Greenland for several years. Born in 1970, he holds degrees in Literature, Communications and Philosophy from the University of Southern Denmark and the University of Stockholm. Mads has lived in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Greenland. He works in communications at the Town Hall of Nuuk, where he amongst other things, writes for the mayor of the municipality, Kommunequarfik Semersooq, which stretches across the Greenland ice sheet. The Girl Without Skin is his crime debut.

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10/24/2018

Waiting On Wednesday #74 – Waffenschwestern by Mark Lawrence

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy.

There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

The German edition of Mark Lawrence´s Red Sister will have its premiere later this year and though it sounds pretty much like the Nevernight-Chronicles, I am kind of curious to see how this one will be.

Waffenschwestern-Das Erste Buch Des Ahnen

Author Mark Lawrence

Book Of The Ancestor #1

Publishing Date November 28, 2018
Publisher Fischer FJB

Format Paperback
Goodreads

At the Convent of Sweet Mercy, young girls are raised to be killers. In some few children, the old bloods show, gifting rare talents that can be honed to deadly or mystic effect. But even the mistresses of sword and shadow don´t truly understand what they have purchased when Nona Grey is brought to their halls. A bloodstained child of nine falsely accused of murder, guilty of worse, Nona is stolen from the shadow of the noose. It takes ten years to educate a Red Sister in the ways of blade and fist, but under Abbess Glass´s care, there is much more to learn than the arts of death. Among her class, Nona finds a new family – and new enemies. Despite the security and isolation of the convent, Nona´s secret and violent past finds her out, drawing with it the tangled politics of a crumbling empire. Her arrival sparks old feuds to life, igniting vicious struggles within the church and even drawing the eye of the emperor himself. Beneath a dying sun, Nona Grey must master her inner demons, then loose them on those who stand in her way.

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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10/20/2018

Für Immer Zuckerfrei-Meine Glücksrezepte by Anastasia Zampounidis

I haven’t read the other book, where she talks about the “how and why” she cut sugar out of her life. But this one was an offering from the publisher, and the cover alone made me want it. Which is exactly what a cover should achieve, right? That a reader wants the book… Sure, you will find a page in here as well, where she talks a bit about her reasons why she wanted to cut off the sweet poison – as she calls it – from her life. And it makes total sense. At least it did for me.

Für Immer Zuckerfrei-Meine Glücksrezepte*

by Anastasia Zampounidis
Publisher Bastei Lübbe on September 28, 2018
Genre Nonfiction
Pages 206
Format Hardcover
Source Publisher
Goodreads
✶✶✶✶

Our diet significantly influences how we feel. Anastasia Zampounidis has personally experienced that sugar causes extreme mood swings – since she has renounced the sweet poison, she is much more balanced and free of hunger attacks. But food can do much more! Negative emotions are often based on the undersupply of individual organs, and if we give our body what it needs, the good mood returns. Inspired by Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayurveda and the Mediterranean cuisine, Anastasia Zampounidis has developed dishes for every mood that has helped her to live sugar-free for twelve years now. From relaxing millet and cinnamon porridge to comforting quinoa sushi to encouraging mango ice cream, everyone will find something that is good and tastes good. (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary)

Style

Her tone is light but yet professional. You won´t find boring technical terms nobody can understand. Instead, she explains it in a kind of joyful manner without losing the seriousness this topic deserves and needs. We all know that sugar isn´t the healthiest stuff you can consume and yet it is contained in almost every grocery we eat. Except for veggies or fruits (they contain more or less sweet by nature).

Anastasia Zampounidis shares a bit of her experience and knowledge with her readers. The recipes are very easy to cook and the text between tells you a bit about the story behind some ingredients. The author combines since many years sugar-free cooking with Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and the style of the Mediterranean cuisine. Good, some of the spices you might not like, but in that case, you can use something you like. Nothing´s chiseled in stone. And that is good. Besides that, you´ll find some very beautiful looking dish pictures, no matter if it is something you can eat for breakfast, lunch or dinner. They literally make your mouth water. The ones that show the author herself, are not really mine. She kind of looks strained in them, which gives those pictures an affected look. But they aren´t a reason to look away generally. Important are those where you see all the delicious meals you can cook, and that´s what counts most. For me, that is.

Conclusion

I can´t compare it to her other book about a sugar-free lifestyle - since I haven´t read it so far -, but this one is nice to read and has for sure some really good recipes. At least it convinced me to make some more changes in my life and that is quite something, I´d say.

Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language. The title was kindly provided to me by Bastei Lübbe in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Thank you. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

Anastasia Zampounidis

Anastasia Zampounidis, born in 1968, started her TV career on the music channel MTV. It was followed by moderation for Wetten, dass…?, Sixx TV and ZDFneo. Most recently, she regularly exposed consumer traps on behalf of ZDF as a WISO consumer agent, including in the documentary Die Zuckerfalle. She has been refraining from sugar for twelve years and has gained many times as much energy and joie de vivre. 

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10/19/2018

Carlotta-Internat und Kuss und Schluss? by Dagmar Hoßfeld

This series comes now to an end. Though the author announces on her Carlotta-page that there will be a special edition about the plans Carlotta made while learning for her exams. Well, not sure about that one, but this final book of her Carlotta series was an absolutely good one. The author went back to her light, fun style, and created a story that made reading this novel pure pleasure.

Carlotta-Internat Und Kuss Und Schluss*

by Dagmar Hoßfeld
Carlotta Series #8
Illustration Edda Skibbe
Publisher Carlsen on September 28, 2018
Genre Children 10+
Pages 248
Format Hardcover
Source Library

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶

The final year is on and for the twelfth class of Castle Prinzensee this means one thing above all: Abitur exams! Carlotta thinks things up. She has registered in the driving school, plans her own photo exhibition and would like to do a year abroad after leaving school. And as if there were not enough vertebrae: A quarrel with Jonas bothers her too. (personal translation by ©Vi at Inkvotary)

Story

Carlotta is right in the middle of her final exams. Her mother is giving her a hard time and her future is sometimes in the dust. She knows for sure, that she wants to do something with her camera, but going right to University to study? Doesn´t sound like actual fun. She wants to travel, see the world, or at least a bit of it and after that, she can decide when and where she wants to study. Until then? Fun and a bittersweet goodbye are in order.

Style

I am so happy that the author went back to her light and fun style that was so characteristic for most of her Carlotta-books. And together with Manu, one of her classmates, Carlotta is having a great time. The dialogues are hilarious, and some scenes are giving you one hell of a great time as a reader. It was simply said pure reading pleasure and I enjoyed every minute of this book.

Characters

Carlotta is almost eighteen. Her birthday is getting closer and with that comes freedom! Something she is yearning for. No more torn between her divorced parents. Or at least not in the way it used to be. Because Carlotta knows for sure, she wants to stay with her father. With him, she can talk, breathe, and knows that she is taken seriously. Her mother is one hell of another story. Stiff, always making plans, future planned until god knows when. Nothing Carlotta sees in her future life. Yes, she loves her mother dearly and her stepbrothers too, but why the heck does she need to know with eighteen what she wants to do with thirty? 

Conclusion

Sure, it is a book for children, and for sure, a quick read. But why not? Can´t hurt if I know this book/ series and can recommend it to other families. And it doesn´t hurt if you change your reading habits from time to time, doesn´t it? So yes, I absolutely enjoyed this book. It is beautifully illustrated, gives you some life lessons in a playful manner, and still shows life in all its shades and colors. Well done, Dagmar Hoßfeld, well done.

Happy reading

*This book was, at the time this review was published, only available in the German language.

Dagmar Hoßfeld

Dagmar Hoßfeld was born 1960 in Kiel, Germany. When she was a child, she wanted to become a veterinarian, farmer or stud’s owner. The fact that she has decided otherwise, is due to her son. When he was about half a year old, she was eager to write a children´s book. She sat down at her desk – and didn´t stop writing. Luckily! Dagmar Hoßfeld lives in a little village between the Baltic Sea and the Schlei and, as she says, has the most beautiful profession in the world: author.

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10/17/2018

Waiting On Wednesday #73 – Frozen Reign by Kathryn Purdie

is a weekly event that was originally hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This meme is a place that spotlights upcoming releases that we´re eagerly anticipating with pure joy.

There are a lot of new books coming out each year and some of them catch my attention and will get a spotlight in my Waiting on Wednesday post. While some of them will finally end up here at my place, others won´t. I am joining Tressa at Wishful Endings and her meme Can´t-Wait Wednesday.

It has been a while since my last Waiting on Wednesday post. This now is about a book that will come out in a few weeks - so a bit on short notice. The fun thing is, I wasn´t really sure if I would order it, or not. Something was holding me back, but don´t ask me what, because I have no answer to that. It was a post by Kathryn Purdie over at Instagram, that made me realize that I still hadn´t pre-ordered it. Now I have, and the waiting begins …

Frozen Reign

Author Kathryn Purdie
Burning Glass Trilogy #3
Publishing Date November 6, 2018
Publisher Harper Collins
Format Hardcover
Goodreads

Civil war is on the horizon, and Sonya is helpless to stop it. With her empathic powers gone, she can no longer protect her beloved Anton from his vindictive brother Valko, who will stop at nothing to get his revenge and reclaim his throne. Even if that means using an Auraseer to hunt – and kill – both Sonya and Anton. Then Sonya hears about an empath in a far-off kingdom who may be able to heal her – but without her powers, finding the legendary Auraseer will be dangerous. And if she doesn´t succeed, the peace Sonya sacrificed so much to achieve will be shattered forever.

And what are you waiting for? Let me know your thoughts about this one or leave me the link to your WoW and I check it out.

Happy reading & waiting on

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10/04/2018

Für Gefühle Ist Es Nie Zu Spät by Robyn Carr

For the first time in my life, I read a Robyn Carr novel. And Never Too Late was a very good read. Romance, all kinds of family troubles, totally different characters, and a writing style that made me laugh and smile very often while reading. Sometimes you just enjoy a novel for the pleasure of reading. I had no expectations when I asked for this book. And the cover was no reason to want it. A bit too kitschy for my taste though I love flowers. s

Für Gefühle Ist Es Nie Zu Spät*

by Robyn Carr
Translation Gisela Schmitt
Original Title Never Too Late
Publisher Mira TB on September 03, 2018
Genre Novel
Pages 363
Format Paperback
Source Publisher

Goodreads

✶✶✶✶

Three sisters, love and life. Three sisters, three times relationship chaos. Clare can not save herself from men after her separation. For Maggie, after many years of marriage, the passion has fallen by the wayside, which she desperately wants to change. Finally, with baby Sarah, Mr. Right is still a long way off – and the right candidate to get her knees weak seems to have only eyes for Clare … But the sisters are determined to stand by each other. Because they are convinced: for the great luck, it is never too late! (personal translation by ©Vi Ebner at Inkvotary)

Story

Clare is done with her marriage when she finds her still husband in a very compromising situation. Only he thinks otherwise. And when destiny hits her hard and very cruel, Clare knows that she´s given the one in a lifetime chance to change something. She files for divorce gets back on her feet and starts all over. Only that life isn´t that easy to handle when you´ve come out of a life where you´ve only been a caring mother who put her own wishes and desires behind everything.

Style

The soft writing style with this incredible wonderful touch of humor made me sometimes laugh and very often smile while reading. There are so many hilarious dialogues, great scenes and the characters are so diverse that in the end, it all plays together very smoothly. The novel is a great combination of wonderfully created characters and things out of real-life that could happen to any of us. Combined with the life of a small American town and a typical American family, you get the picture of romance, problems, and trouble teenagers can cause. In the end, you are left with a smart woman who does her first steps as a single mother after a divorce and who learns that life has still some good things to offer.

Characters

Three sisters who could not be more different. They all come from the same man but are as different as day and night. One is a typical mother who puts the well-being and woe of her family above her own needs and desires. The other is a conservative and highly controlled lawyer who suffers from the fact that her sisters or her father have never asked her for legal advice. The third in the league is a creative soul, which now presents itself as a gray wallflower after a very revealing defiance phase and can not do anything with the life of her sisters. 

Conclusion

I enjoyed reading this novel very much. A very soulful novel that knows how to kidnap the reader into a world in which not everything is just sunshine. Provided with beautiful scenes, priceless dialogues, and an incredibly great sense of humor, this novel is very well suited for relaxed reading. At least I had my reading pleasure with it. 

Happy reading

*This book was kindly provided to me by Mira TB in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Therefore, the cover of the German edition is shown first in this review.

The novel was published Never Too Late by Harlequin Mira on May 17, 2016. 

Robyn Carr

Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning and #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than forty novels. Her work includes the critically acclaimed Virgin River series. Her novels touch on whether she writes them in the historical genre, romance novels or thrillers. Robyn remembers very well how she started her career as a writer 25 years ago. She was a trained nurse but was not able to take a steady job because her husband had to move professionally again and again. At that time, she read a lot – mainly from the genre of fantasy. During that time, she thought, “I can do that myself!” Her start into the new profession was difficult. She herself thought she had written a new novel with the class “Gone with the Wind”, but she was totally mistaken. It was a big failure. Only her third attempt was successful. Meanwhile, her two children are out of the house and she enjoys the great luxury of leisure. She has led a senior citizen group writing memoirs, is running a book club chat inside and outside the state and works in the local library. Robyn and her husband live in Las Vegas, Nevada. 

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