Gemstar Books

Desperate Distractions- the new romance novel by Rachael Grace- was a real stay-up-til-two-in-the-morning page-turner! Even more fascinating was the historically accurate detail. As someone who has taught both medieval and early modern England at the college level, I am more sensitive than most to ahistorical details and anachronisms. This book never trips up! It is extremely well-researched and yet never feels dry or dusty. The characters come alive and leap off of the page. Unlike some romance writers, Grace seems just as comfortable writing from a male perspective as she does a female one. This makes for much more believeable characters and dialogue than one usually sees in a historical romance. She also allows her characters to be sexual without straining the bounds of possibility given the period. An A+ first effort from a rising new star!

I devoured this book. Desperate Distractions is a fast-paced romantic novel that is moving and inspiring. Where is my Sir Robert? This wonderful read stands way out in the pack of mindless and historically inaccurate published in the category of historical romance. Let's see more. Go Rachel Grace!

Why the devotion in both reviews to knocking other historical romances as a way of praising this one? I took them to heart and bought the e-book, wishing (now) that I'd perused the sampler first. The dialogue is so beyond stilted that I found it practically unreadable. Not for a minute do I believe people ever talked that way. It struck me as wholly inauthentic, the author's imagination working solo, her idea that people used 4 times as many words back then to convey the simplest message. The narration was better, but the love scenes gave new meaning to the word STOCK. Where in this book is the stupendous authenticity I heard about? Nothing jumped out at me as "Wow, that is so authentic!" I'm an old fan of Sergeanne Golon, Anya Seton, Lolah Burford, Fiona Harrowe and Marilyn Harris, still searching for jump-off-the-page historical authenticity in any new romance I've read. Many current authors manage it. This author seems in no way exceptional, so don't be fooled unless you want to be. Much more than authenticity, I'm still in search of a great plot (read "adventure") and believable characters. This hero, with his pathological need of a virtuous virgin (not just any virgin), is so old hat and boring that I nearly quit reading. Pathological is too exciting a word to fit him, really. What DID I like? His looks, the author's way of putting that unshyly and succinctly instead of pretending it's an incidental thing to a woman, even a drawback. Also, the heroine's sexuality (for a change). That was refreshing.

The only thing this book has are stories about experiences of other people. When you read them you're reading their advice and as always you can follow what you were told or not. You can agree or disagree but you can't rate the experience of another person. The gist in every relationship: friendship, marriage, business, siblings or next of kin is to communicate. Be aware that I didn't say "talk" because you can communicate in many forms without talking and this is the message in this book. Of course when you met new people the communication will be difficult but as the time goes you have to try to "say" or communicate what you want if you want that relationship to last.

I rate it with four stars just to put something.

A series of meant to be erotic stories. However, they're told as though by people who are ashamed to talk about sex, which wasn't much of a turn-on. All phallus were "big". How imaginative is that?! If you're someone who can't talk about it with your partner, this may be a place to start. There is a lot better material out there. Go, get it.

I read the previos review of Nice COuples Do and bought the book anyway. I was delighted. Having been written in 1991 it's a bit less than some of the more overt stuff now, but the suggestions were great and the short pieces of erotic fiction were fun to read aloud and share with my husband. I got a great deal out of it.

Having had Mr. Fox for an english course at the University of South Carolina, I can tell you that one thing he is not is too serious about anything. Yes, you could take his renditions of the South as something serious and demeaning. But you could also have met this man and realized that he is eclectic and terribly funny. He is an amazing person who made a lasting impression on many of his students. There is a rhythm to even the way he talks that is utterly entertaining. This book is entertainment. Hence, the 'fiction' classification. If you want a portrayal of the South in all its elegance and splendor, go find some non-fiction.

I absolutely despise the efforts of such crayon-wielding "writers" such as Fox to portray southern culture and life in the lowest and trashiest characterizations possible. Such persons only prove what I've suspected for sometime now: the last great Southern author is Pat Conroy. Everyone else is a tired old hack. And this book proves there is no one more tired and offensive than Mr. Fox.

This book is funny, realistic, and the characters are exceptional. Anyone can relate to the plot of a girl that would like to make it big, help a friend see the light, and make it out of a small, provincial town. She meets people along the way that help her to learn where she's going. The ending atypical. If the reader has already decided in what direction Ruby is going, they might be a little let down, but it is nevertheless a realistic ending for a realistic and humorous story.

One reviewer said you either love this book or you hate it. I was one that hated it. The good news is that is a short book and I finished it in an hour. At least I didn't waste days reading it. I found it depressing and disappointing - not romantic at all.

This book is SO over the top I found myself anticipating the next breathless passage with actual excitement. It also provides another exception to the cliche that "the book is always superior to the movie"---the Eastwood movie is actually a nice little bittersweet romance----if you want a love story see the movie---if you want a laugh read the book!

I love this book. Great love story. The book arrived in perfect condition and very quickly. Thank you

After reading a gut-wrenching novel, I decided to read something that I thought would be light and quick, so I settled down with the Bridges of Madison County. I don't normally read romances, but I had heard a good review, and I thought it would be worth the time. It turned out that it was, although not the light reading I had anticipated. A very emotionally draining book, this is a story that will stick with me for a time. It is written as though it were a nonfiction book, even with a beginning on how the story came about and was researched, and ending with an interview with a musician who know Robert Kincaid, one of the main characters. But don't be fooled, this is a piece of fiction, and there was no Robert Kincaid. This is a deeply moving love story of two strangers who fall in love, but spend only four days together before making the decision to part forever. Separate, but not forgotten, their lives were from that time on woven together.

I read this in one sitting yesterday afternoon, and immediately regretted it. What's so romantic about betraying your spouse? Maybe this is just my conservative upbringing, but both Francesca and Robert disgusted me beyond belief. I especially hated her daughter's reaction to the affair. There is no justification for cheating, least of all fickle emotions. It seems Waller is trying to insult the reader's intelligence.

[..]The romance itself was unconvincing, rushed, and unrealistic. I certainly hope this "novel" doesn't find its way onto any required reading lists, because it's such garbage.

This book has a little bit of everything. It's a mystery, suspense, and romance all rolled into one. This is a mystery first and foremost with a little romance thrown in. The romance is nice and easy without being corny or superficial. This book is a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon on the beach or curled up in front of the fireplace with a comfy blanket and a good drink. I highly reccomend buying this book, you will not be disappointed in this one at all. Enjoy!

I have read several of Baldacci's later books and enjoyed them, so I went back one of his earlier novels I had missed. I agree with other reviewers that this is not Baldacci's best work, but it is still a compelling story. Saving Faith doesn't show the polish of his more recent books nor the plot ingenuity of his first few novels, but it does prove that Baldacci has excellent storytelling skills, even when pushed against what must have been a tough deadline. I enjoyed the book. I just rode the story and pushed aside the implausible motivations and light characterization. Adjust your expectations for a Baldacci novel and I believe you'll enjoy this quick read.
The Shut Mouth Society
The Shopkeeper

Good story, although a bit slow in places. Faith Lockhart has information that will allow the FBI to put away quite a few Congressmen. Problem is that CIA has been using her boss to gather intelligence on these same Congressmen for their own purposes.

I'm surprised that the average rating is only 3 stars. I've read every Baldacci Novel published through 2007 and Saving Faith is still my favorite. Everything - the story, characters, and settings - were all appealing and interesting to me. Last Man Standing is a close second favorite.

I thought this was right on par with David Baldacci's other books. It kept my interest and was fast paced. I liked the characterization of Faith and made me root for her. I would recommend this to people who like political thrillers!

I assumed that because this was an Oprah Book Club selection the book would be good. Not! It was a painfully slow read and I kept waiting for the good part. It never came. I agree with the other reviewers who said there was no discernable plot. Not recommended.

I agree with the other reviews, this books has no plot. I like a book that takes you somewhere. This one never does. There was no theme. I'm very surprised this made it on the Oprah's Book Club list.

I agree that this was a slow read, but if you keep reading you will enjoy it. It was ok, not the best book I've ever read, but far from the worse.

Review by Raina N. Thomas

"Little Clara Bynum has fallen into the river." Within the hour the
African American community of Georgetown had heard the tragic news and
ran down to the murky banks of the Potomac River. The men searched
while the women gave refuge to the fallen five-year-olds mother and
big sister Jonnie Mae.

Jonnie Mae was an excellent swimmer. She immediately took to the
water in the creeks of North Carolina with her Grandfather. She had a
moxie for water ever since. But, she could not get Clara out of the
river.

Set in the mid summer of 1925, Jonnie Mae Bynum and her family
struggle with the death of baby Clara. The family, Willie and Alice
Bynum and Aunt Ina, learn to cope with the loss and show the community
that no matter what life does go on. All the while Jonnie Mae, a
young girl, learns about many coming of age lessons. One of those
lessons she learned about was segregation. Had she and all the black
children been able to swim in the white's only pool, they would not
have had to go to the Three Sisters to swim that day and little Clara
(or Rat) would still be alive.

Breena Clarke brings to life old stories she heard as a child in
"River Cross My Heart". After the death of her own fourteen year old
son in 1989 she wanted her first novel to explain the grief she felt
without drawing full attention to herself. Chosen as one of the
selections in Oprah's Book Club in 2004, this story still has a review
on the popular website. Which I believe it is safe to say it must be
a favorite of Ms. Winfrey's.

When I opened the first page and began reading, I knew this book was
to become a favorite of mine. I was captivated by the rich African
American history that she created in fictional form. The plot
surrounding a family loosing a child placed me in their shoes being a
mother myself (Jonnie Mae and little Clara are the same ages as my own
two daughters). Jonnie Mae, the main character, reminded me of my own
adversities I had at the age of twelve. How, no matter what
circumstances one has to face, it's okay to follow your dreams and
achieve the moxie that's burning deep within your soul. I would
recommend this book to anyone of any age with a passion for a great
reading experience.

"River, Cross My Heart" by Breena Clarke is a heart warming and sweet read. But it is also a tale of courage and strength in the face of adversity. It's a story that says, believe in yourself, even if you feel that no one else does.

Johnnie Mae,is a pre-teen on the brink of womanhood in the 1920's. The neighborhood of Georgetown, just outside of Washington, D.C. seems to be a place where blacks could go and be accepted by their white neighbors. In realty, although outwardly, the white population sees themselves as progressive and 'tolerant', they will not even allow the black population to swim in the neighborhood swimming pool.It is as though they really tolerate the black people so they will have good workers!

To Johnnie Mae, it is incomprehensible, and what's more she can't help but to be drawn to the beautiful pool, even picturing herself being the best swimmer they ever saw there.She's a born swimmer ,and loves the water. She and her friends, are forced to do their cooling off and swimming in the murky river nearby. It is there, during a fun-filled day of diving and splashing around, that her little sister Clara, while under the charge of Johnnie Mae, is lost to the flow of the river.

It is the next year in the life of Johnnie Mae,her family, and the neighborhood characters we follow, from grief to recovery. The trials they must face, and the guilt Johnnie feels deep down. In her we see the strength that a young Rosa Parks may have possessed, as she defies the rules,her parents,and discrimination, and fulfills her dreams of swimming in the 'white pool'. In the trouble that follows, we get a glimpse of where her inner strength has come from. And, personally I thought it ended just right.

It's a wonderfully charming story, with exceptionally interesting and colorful characters. A good look at what life must have been like, for people who were not too far descended from slavery, and a taste of the beliefs and superstitions of the era. A good one time read, a feel good story, and one I would highly recommend especially to teenage girls, who may be inspired by Johnnie Mae's tenacity.

Enjoy the read....Laurie

This novel suffers from mis-categorization. If you begin reading it expecting a thriller in the same vein as Plum Island, Cathedral, or Wild Fire, you will be disappointed, as many of the other reviews here admit. However, if you are looking for a more of a straight fiction, character-driven novel, with lots of backstory, and some bits of action thrown in, then you've come to the right place. DeMille is an excellent writer and has a way of drawing you in no matter what he is writing. I think even his grocery list must be an interesting read.

I did mark him down one star on this book though because I felt he drew out some of the events a little too much here and there. For example, the sub plot about the Washington DC recruiting efforts to get the main character back into his old job seemed drawn out and unnecessary. When the action does come at the end it also seems to take way too long and it sort of loses its impact as a result. But having said that, I very much enjoyed the read and would recommend it, as long as you're expecting more of a straight fiction book as opposed to the thrillers we are used to from DeMille.

I've read several Nelson DeMille books and this does not live up to his writing and plot creating ability. Very amateurish and more along the lines of a soap opera/modern romance novel. Forget it!

DeMille's odyssey into the heartland of America does not come across as a taut thriller the way "The Lion's Game" did. Instead, it's as if a Lifetime Movie of the Week were created in book form. The cat-and-mouse games between the protagonist and the villain make for somewhat tense reading at times, but I'll be at the library looking for something that DeMille wrote with Detective John Corey in it; those books are far superior to this one.

My son lives in Italy and wanted this. Thanks for the speedy delivery of it so I could send it to him.

This book started off quick, and held my interest the entire time. The characters weren't as developed as in his other books, but the plot made up for it. I've recommended it to everyone.

David L. Lindsey's writing in this book is fabulous: peaceful, detailed, lyrical. I thoroughly enjoyed the pace and the way Lindsey puts words together to convey descriptions and ideas. The actual story, however, left me cold. Another reviewer mentioned that the protagonist is passive. Worse, he's gullible and apparently completely unable to think for himself. Other characters repeatedly lie to him and he believes every outrageous thing he's told with very little questioning. I'm not sorry I read the book, but I did leave it in a hotel room - it's not a book I'd add to my collection.

I have enjoyed David Lindsey's novels, but this one was a big disappointment. I firmly believed it should be renamed "A Tale of a Stupid Man". I came away with the impression that the main character, Ross Marteau, thought more with his male sex organ than with his brain, and this led him to an inglorious (and probably well-deserved) end.

The only person in the family that artist Ross Marteau doesn't shag in this tale is the mother.That's because she died before he got to her. I enjoyed this book. The writing is beautiful, but I was annoyed by how gullible Ross was over and over again.chocolatesleuth.com recommends this book though because it packs a lot of suspense.

Never have I been so transfixed by a story! Lindsey's protagonist, Ross Marteau, is an intense sculptor, whose relationships with women mirrored his passion. The consequences of the characters' animosity toward each other were astounding. They all became irrevokably dependent on each other as a web of deceit, malice, and evil unraveled all of their lives.

There was also an underlying theme to the story that I found intriguing. It highlighted the paradox in which beauty and ugliness can co-exist within the same person, both on a physical and an emotional level.

This book was seductive. I've never read anything like it.

I was very upset with Lindsey over this book. He managed to write with beautiful prose that created a very evocative sense of place. I felt like I was inside a classic MGM noir flick, watching characters delve towards the seedier side. But aside from the great writing, the plot here in the end became insulting and rather beside the point. Its as if Lindsey, with this book, were not writing a mystery or a thriller but putting up essences of emotions and places under the guise of a genre novel. So what you have here is something trapped in between a Jim Harrison tale that is biting in its glint edged fury and a David Lynch flick. And with Lynch, I am referring to his films as being nothing more than a grand pastiche of emotions or of moving paintings that really have no plot.

So this book does not work... try Jim Harrison for a tale that it seems Lindsey finds influence in. All of Harrison's books that I have picked up have been very good, so I don't think that you will be disappointed by any of them. Just skip this book, `Animosity,' and move on to something better.

I picked this book out as an easy summer read; just something to have on hand by the pool. I was hoping for something with a bit of excitement along the lines of Jurrasic Park or the original The Lost World, but this book was a disappointment. It had its moments, but for the most part it's predictable. Some of the action bits were confusing, the timeline was baffling (should have been established far better and earlier) the narrative got sloppy once or twice (non-sequiters introduced like they were valid responses to whatever just happened) and the characters' motivations were pretty murky at times. (I recall one instance where Pete notes his father looked 'empty' for no reason at all, and I couldn't figure that one out.) Still, there were a few moments of good, entertaining storytelling and some genuinely tense action scenes. I think the trouble with this story is that there's no way it could live up to anything by Conan Arthur Doyle. It was a poor premise to choose; the style was too different and it seemed derivative rather than a clever homage.

I've read alot of Greg Bear's books. I was enjoying this one until Chapter 18. The first page of Chapter 18 describes a character mentioned nowhere else in the book - Dr Tannenbaum. Bear describes him as "His nose hooked sharpley and his eyes were small and close together." This is the quintessential Nazi stereotype Jew. Why is it used here??

This book reads like either, A) an early effort written before a good author learns pacing and plot development, or B) a movie or television treatment flushed out to book length.

We know the answer isn't A, since this book was published, and presumably written, years after Bear wrote memorable series like Eon and Forge of God. If the answer is B, well then, it's going to be a pretty darn slow moving movie.

Bear gets points for showing us interesting dinosaur behavior and for incorporating real people and famous fictional characters into the story line. But the story never takes off and soars.

Rating: If you are a dinosaur fiction nut: 3 stars
If not, 2 stars.
If you are looking for more quality fiction from the author of Eon and Forge of God, keep looking.

Jurassic Park meets Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World in this unpretentious story about a group of adventurers returning circus dinosaurs back to the wild. The first half was a pleasingly poignant story, centered around a coming-of-age-story of a boy trying to understand his father. Much of this novel had the feel of a young adult story, in a good way; I could picture myself reading it to a young nephew someday. Unfortunately, once the adventurers released the dinosaurs into their native habitat, Jurassic Park broke loose. And so I read as quickly as possible to get to the end. P.S. The illustrations are keen.

Fans of the films of Willis O'Brien and Ray Harryhausen (King Kong, Mighty Joe Young, Vally Of Gwangi etc.) must not miss this wonderful book. Bear has payed loving homage to those masters of the lost art of stop-motion animation in a thrilling, beautiful story that begs to be read again and again. A sequel to the original "The Lost World" by Arthur Conan Doyle, this book is tailor-made for those like myself who grew up glued to the TV on Saturday afternoons whenever the local UHF station treated us to any of the aforementioned films (often with a dog-eared copy of "Famous Monsters Magazine" clutched in our hands.).Indeed, reading "Dinosaur Summer" was like watching the lost O'Brien-Harryhausen film that you never knew existed.
But even if you have no idea who O'Brien, Harryhausen, Merian C. Cooper or Ernest Schoedsack are, if you love dinosaurs and/or adventure this book is a can't-miss winner. And as an added bonus the art of Tony DiTerlizzi found throughout the book-in B/W and Color-captures wonderfully the spirit of adventure and imagination that fuels the story.
As an aside, to those who have complained that the creatures inhabiting the plateau are not the dinos they would like to see; What do you want? More of Crichton's Velociraptors and rexes? Hey, don't tell me the Altovenator wasn't cool (and pretty darn close to the real-life Afrovenator.) Likewise, the Death Eagle is quite a remarkable beast and not too far removed from actual prehistoric counterparts in Titanis walleri, Phorusrachus, etc.
So if you love dinos but were dissapointed by some of the less-than-stellar efforts lately (Crichton's "Lost World", both page and screen, come to mind as well as JP3 and Dismal's...er...uh...Disney's "Dinosaur") "Dinosaur Summer" is just the ticket. Dig up those old "Famous Monsters" magazines, pop some popcorn and dig in!

I have loved all of Ms. Cameron's Mayfair Square books and highly recommend the series as a whole, but I had to work to finish this one. In her other stories she creates passion that is also romantic, but this time the sex scenes ( I cannot call them love scenes, as that emotion is notably absent) felt forced on the reader, and the characters hardly more than lustful strangers. And after wading through all the foreplay, she glosses right over the true consumation. Badly done, Stella!

I thought that this book was pretty good. It had a developed plot and I could easily tell what was going on. The characters also had a visible personality, it's easy to fall for them. I found myself reading the book a couple of times. True, the love scenes are all alike, but there is more to the book than that. I enjoyed the conversations Finch had with her friends at Mayfair 7. They were always worried about Ross taking advantage of her, which she always denied.

This is the best Stella Cameron book I've read so far. I recommend the other books in the Mayfair series.

Wow - this book was so boring, the heroine so childish and the hero, well, what was he doing with her?? I could not finish this book!! I tried so hard but this whole mess of a book, outside of some of the renters, was bland and silly. Don't waste your time with this wreck. Perhaps the book would have gotten better but really, who cared anyway? If the h/h do not grab your attention early on, than it does not matter if one finishes or not.

Finch More (yes, Finch is her name) is a confirmed spinster at the ripe old age of 29, boarding with her eccentric brother struggling to establish himself as an antique dealer. The More's business relationship with Viscount Kilroy becomes risky when Ross's (Viscount Kilroy's) adversaries involve the Mores' by abducting Latimore More, leaving Finch and Ross to locate the abductors and dismantle their plans to topple a foreign government.

I did not find this book exciting, although the plot encouraged you become engrossed in it. It was extremely slow moving and I found the sensual petting between Finch and Ross annoying at the least. While tracking abductors and trying to outmaneuver his adversaries, Ross still found time to open Finch's bodice every chance he got. She constantly surrendered to his passionate kisses, then berated herself later.

O.k. I love romance and the thrill of the chase, but this was
ridiculous.

At 29, Finch More is considered "on the shelf" in Regency England. She is a spinster whose time for love has come and gone. She has made a life for herself as the co-owner of a shipping firm with her brother, and has rooms in a former glorious mansion located at 7 at Mayfield Square and finding simple pleasure helping him run an import business. As the book opens, however, Finch finds herself in trouble, accosted by a strange man issuing oblique warnings. From the moment Ross forces her to tell him about the encounter, their fate is sealed. Ross's work may have instigated the danger, but Finch and her brother are right in the thick of it, and Ross and Finch will have to work together if they want to keep Finch's brother, and themselves, alive.

Ross, Viscount Kilrood, a mysterious and handsome troubleshooter who takes on commissions for foreign Sultans and the like. He's sworn his allegiance to a cause that allows no room for family or love, no matter how interesting he finds his neighbor's sister. He becomes a customer Finch has no idea how her simple spinster's life will change. Suddenly, mystery, intrigue and a passionate romance are on the horizon.

More and More is a quirky, passionate historical romance which Cameron fans should adore. Ross and Finch are sharp, intelligent and funny. The dialogue is crisp and witty, and the passion is fiery. The addition of a meddlesome ghost is quite funny, as are some of the predicaments in which Fitch finds herself. A charming and funny romance which fans should love.