Browning Books

Held my interest from the very beginning. I recommended this book to my friends. I have since passed this book on for others to read and enjoy.

At first the frequent misspellings or typographical errors are annoying and slightly distracting, but by the time one reads about the "grizzly" (instead of grisly) murder, the hapless reader finds that any properly somber reflections about death are replaced by unfortunately hilarious thoughts and ghastly puns (e.g., perhaps the victim couldn't bear to be in the story for even one more paragraph).

This was my first book to read by Laura Childs. It was a very easy read, interesting and exciting. I could not stop turning the pages as I was intrigued to figure out who was the murderer as well as to see what Haley was going to be whipping up in the kitchen. I will read more Laura Childs books in the future.

This series of Tea Shop mysteries is refreshing. The characters are eccentric and lovable, the setting is divine and lovely, the mysteries are tricky and enjoyable. Ms. Childs can transport her readers to a gentler time and place with the turn of a page.

This is the first book of this series I have written. I thought the characters were interesting and well developed. I enjoyed the interaction between them and felt they did come to "life". I also enjoyed the tidbits about tea and cooking. However, I felt the mystery story line was an after thought. At times I felt the mystery had been inserted into the book after the book had been completed. There was no real meat to the mystery. I would have liked more detail regarding the investigation. The setting and characters were very detailed but the plot regarding the mystery and clues into the investigation were lacking. I have not decided whether I will read another in this series. I would love to know more about the characters but the mystery aspect left me wanting.

She was young, beautiful, innocent. He vowed to protect her . . . from himself.
Six years of Lady Shelbourne's School for Girls gave her polish. But nothing could tame the passion Calandra Locke felt for Sir Scarborough Weston,"Scar" as she called him, her father's employer, the man she'd loved since childhood. She knew that Scar remembered her as a horseback-riding hoyden, but surely he would be stunned by the woman she had become. Callie was determined to be his wife. No one knew him better, could make him happier than she. If only he would let her . . .She would go through hellfire to get him to notice her and love her as she loved him. Excellent Debut book for Sherri Browning.

The Scoundrel's Vow -- Sherri Browning is a fresh, new voice in romance and I believe she is destined for great things in the future! Scar and Callie heat up the pages of her first novel and leave the reader anxious for her next book, Once Wicked. I for one, like dark heroes, and the handsome Scar--whose name, by the way, makes perfect sense, unlike some romance monikers--is sizzling! Don't miss The Scoundrel's Vow!

This is a well written historical novel about the love of a common girl and a her father's employer. Callie just recently finished 6 years of schooling at Lady Shelbourne's school for ladies. Now she is a woman and bound and determined to make Sir Weston notice the lady she has become. At the start there a fireworks between these two and they continue throughout this book. The ending is typical of romance novels but the story is endearing.

The Scoundrel's Vow -- Sherri Browning is a fresh, new voice in romance and I believe she is destined for great things in the future! Scar and Callie heat up the pages of her first novel and leave the reader anxious for her next book, Once Wicked. I for one, like dark heroes, and the handsome Scar--whose name, by the way, makes perfect sense, unlike some romance monikers--is sizzling! Don't miss The Scoundrel's Vow!

The Scoundrel's Vow is okay and stuff. I won't say it was totally good but it was just okay.

Calandra Locke has come back home after 6 years of Lady Shelbourne's School for Girls. She has changed a lot! Before she left, she was fat and not really confident but she came back as a beauty. She became a lot skinnier and became more "polished". Calandra is the daughter of a steward and her father works for the handsome Scarborough (Calandra called him Scar) Weston. Even when Callie was a kid she had always loved Scar. Now she dreams of getting married with Scar and that Scar would love her as she loves him.

Scarborough Weston was a known rake or player who had many mistresses and he gets bored with women easily. When Calandra (he called her Callie) returned from school, he was deeply shocked because the little girl was gone and a beauty has come back in return. Secretly, when he was a kid, he felt this connection towards Callie but he can never express it.

Scar and Callie act as old friends but as they spend more time together, their passion is easily started. And each time they see each other when no one is around their passion increases. But even when their passion increases and kisses are stolen, Scar has vowed never to take Callie because he knows he will hurt her in the future, because he's scared that he would get tired of her and then hurt her since he's not into monogamy.

But Scar still can't resist Callie. But how would they overcome the boundaries of a steward's daughter and a lord? And would Scar always remain faithful to Callie?

I think this book is romantic and funny because of Callie's personality. I think that it's also good that Callie and Scar faces some little problems that kind of test their love for each other and to make them realize their love.

I recently discovered these lovely mysteries. They are fun and delightful, such easy reading you will hate to put them down. The recipes at the end of each novel is a special treat. You can not help but become attached the these marvelous characters and the historic district of Charleston, S.C..

Laura Childs' Tea Shop Mysteries are light, engaging and full of interesting historical and local commentary on the Charleston area. I enjoy these very much and they are an easy read, nice to pick up and read a few chapters then come back to them later on.

This is another Tea Shop Mystery starring Theodosia Browning and her buddies. All of the characters are very nice except, of course, the killer and we don't really have a take on that person until the very end. This is a very light read with little or no substance to the story.

"Chamomile Mourning" is the sixth installment in Laura Child's Tea Shop Mystery series. While Childs has certainly created a unique blend of mystery and recipe in her series, no improvements have been made in the way she approaches her subject matter. While some have praised this as the strongest installment in the series, it is littered with amateur mistakes that slow down the plot and aggravate the reader.

As usual, Theodosia Browning, owner of the Indigo Tea Shop, finds herself sniffing out clues in another murder mystery. When the body of Roger Crispin falls onto her tea table during the annual Spoletto arts festival, Theodosia instantly sets out to find his killer and clear a newfound friend from a charge of murder. Intermingled with Theodosia's snopping efforts are the usual scenes at the tea shop, which make one want to eat more than read, and relationship problems with her long-time beau. And also as usual, Theodosia manages to solve the crime ahead of the police, putting herself in danger as she always does. Yet the denouement is rather rushed and incredible, offering a too quick wrap-up to the wayward clues that came before.

The Tea Shop Mystery series offers readers a nice escape, offering tea lovers a chance to learn more about tea, and mystery-lovers a chance to solve quaint and rather simple yarns. But what is maddening about the series is that Childs' is not a good writer, and has not improved the stiffness of her descriptions. Her stories are littered with mistakes such as spelling errors, but "Chamomile Mourning" abounds in sentence fragments that are just grammatical errors, not stylistic choices in writing. I cannot believe an editor allowed it to be published in this manner. While I may read another Tea Shop Mystery, I definitely will not be expecting much from the novel.

I have been in love with Charleston, South Carolina for almost 20 years, so I'm surprised that I didn't stumble upon Laura Childs' The Tea Shop Mysteries until recently. Like a cup of tea, I found Chamomile Mourning delightful and refreshing, although a bit light.

Theodosia Browning owns The Indigo Tea Shop in downtown Charleston. She also has a reputation as an amateur sleuth. She is in the middle of a tea party when an art gallery owner, Roger Crispin, plunges over a balcony and crashes on top of her cake--shot dead. When the police start focusing their investigation on Grace Venable (a fellow business owner and friend), Theodosia knows that she's going to have to investigate for herself to discover the real killer and exonerate her friend.

In between her investigation, Theodosia runs her tea shop and hosts tea events. Throughout, Childs regales her readers with lots of information about teas. She also fills Chamomile Mourning with tidbits and trivia about Charleston and the surrounding low country including history, architecture, nature, waterways and wildlife. She even includes recipes in the back of dishes that she mentions, as well as ideas for tea parties. The recipes look surprisingly good, and I intend to try several of them.

Chamomile Mourning is not the first book in this series, so I intend to go back to the beginning and start from there. While not Michael Connelly or James Lee Burke, they are nonetheless entertaining. Plus any book centered in Charleston can't be all bad. Childs also writes a series called The Scrapbooking Mysteries, but I think I'll stick with Charleston and The Tea Shop series.

This is a fast read, chiefly because you can skip half the text. In fact, I had to skim, otherwise I'd have gotten too frustrated with Abby, the main character, whose personality is nonexistent and inertia more than annoying.

Other parts you can skip: the narrator's endless cataloging of antiques. The silly encounter with a reporter, the whole of which was a hoot, being so badly overwritten. The soppy pity parties in Abby's apartment. The conversation with the make-up artist on Antiques Roadshow. The deposition scene. Anything Lavinia is made to say. The caricatures who pass as men in the novel.

I came away despising Abby, rolling my eyes at most of the characters (except Gus, Mary Agnes and Clyde -- Clyde's "apologies" are the best reading!), and feeling anxious for the chamber pot. It's pretty bad when you're more concerned for the fate of an inanimate object than the main character. But then again, I think the chamber pot is the main character.

Abby the main character states on page #3: " I'd always liked everybody's leavings, the discarded and dented bits and pieces of other people's lives"....yeah, me too. This novel shows how sometimes those bits and pieces affect us long after the people are gone, and how sometimes we are left to pick up our own bits and pieces.

Loved this. Similar to Claire Cook but with an antiques/Massachusetts setting. I'm an antiques nut AND a MA resident, formerly of Cambridge, so I'm probably biased. Ms. Medwed writes about a milieu that she really knows, and the narrator's dating disasters were funny. I definitely plan to read more by this author.

Fast read. Interesting characters. Pretty predictable ending but it was a happy one. Better than watching tv. No violence, foul language or gratuitous sex. Humorous and intelligent.

Being from the Boston area myself this book truly is a wonderful and accurate ride through the Boston area. Men and women will find something in this because this isn't "chic lit" it's a good story. Abigail works hard to get what she wants and she gets it, no down and out failure to be found. The dialogue is a bit weak at times but the narrative makes up for that. Unlike other books, this story does not end where you think it ends, highly recommended.

Theo, honey, please act like grown up!! Lots of silly behavior in this latest installment.
I like the descriptions of the locale, foods, and clothing. All of our favorite characters are here again. Haley's cooking makes you hungry! I swear, you can smell the tea brewing! And, the hint of Jory coming back is intriguing, hmmmm.
BUT,the B-movie, girl alone stuff is much too ridiculous for Theo! Even Delanie slips out of character! And the ending...OH PLEASE! Way over the top melodramatic, doesn't tie into the story, no reason for the captive to be taken, why on earth does the killer head where they do? no explanation of HOW the second corpse was hidden where it was, what the heck? And then, no less than FIVE elements in the final killer scene. COME ON! Let's hope the next book is a little more back to tea shop reality.

Glad to catch up with my favourite tea shop personnel. Passed it on to both my sisters..........

Theodasia Browning and the staff of the Indigo Tea Shop are busy with catering jobs brought on by a local film festival, until a sudden murder changes everything. Suspicion, danger and intrigue permeate the film festival and create an atmosphere of tension in this vivid murder mystery that includes tea time tips and recipes: perfect for mystery lending libraries.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

I've been a fan of mystery and detective fiction since I opened my first Trixie Belden book when I was in elementary school. I devoured Nancy Drew, pined for the Hardy Boys (my mother, in one of her rare fits of sexist behavior, wouldn't let me enjoy Frank and Joe's exploits), and quickly moved on to whatever romantic mysteries my mother was reading. As I grew older, my tastes ranged from the Golden Age mysteries to police procedurals to cozies to hard-boiled tales. Now, as an adult and the possessor of an advanced degree in English, I still indulge my passion for mysteries. Laura Childs' The Silver Needle Murder, the ninth Tea Shop Mystery, satisfies my perpetual longing to find a new voice in mystery fiction.

Laura Childs is not a newcomer to the mystery genre. In addition to the Tea Shop Mysteries, she writes a series involving scrapbooking and another one about a group of middle-aged women who have formed what they call the Cackleberry Club.

Childs' heroine, Theodosia Browning, is the owner of the Indigo Tea Shop in Charleston, South Carolina. As the novel opens, all of Charleston is abuzz about the Charleston Film Festival. Theodosia hopes looks to gain extra business in the tea shop during the festival and looks forward to the social aspect of the event. Before long, she is pressed into service as a judge. On the first night of the festival, a murder occurs, setting all of Charleston fluttering and Theodosia sleuthing.

Theodosia Browning is an intriguing heroine. She is all the things we've come to expect of the main character of a cozy mystery. She can be nosy; she is persistent; she is dogged when pursuing a thread that she thinks will lead somewhere; she is passionate about finding the culprit and simultaneously clearing anyone who may be unjustly or incorrectly accused; she is fearless when she needs to be. Theodosia is a well-rounded character with just enough mystery about her to entice a reader to return for more.

Childs surrounds Theo with a cast of wacky counterparts, but she avoids the pitfall of making Theodosia's friends too odd. Drayton, the catering manager and master tea blender, is just persnickety enough to satisfy the reader, but not so stuffy that he becomes a distraction or a drag. Childs says: "Drayton was a self-proclaimed arbiter of style and taste. He was also imbued with a keen sense of melodrama" (2). Even as she paints him with a broad brush, Childs avoids caricature. While his pronouncements are a bit waspish and even old-womanish, he is rounded enough to make the reader care about him and what happens to him.

In addition to Drayton, Childs supplies Theodosia with a love interest (Parker) who is attentive enough to keep Theodosia--and the reader--happy, but is not smothering in his affections. Haley, the cook at the Indigo Tea Shop, is inventive in the kitchen and supportive of her employer's sleuthing. While Haley does not figure largely in The Silver Needle Murder, her presence is necessary, and it leaves room for Haley to grow and become more involved in the other cases that are sure to come Theodosia's way. Two other character types are included: the crotchety police detective, Detective Tidwell, and the endearing pet, Theodosia's dog Earl Grey.

Before coming to The Silver Needle Murder, I had not read any of Childs' work, and I opened the book with some trepidation. I wasn't familiar with these characters; what if I didn't like them? The book was a cozy, and I'm more of a hard-boiled fan. I needn't have worried. I fell into the first chapter of The Silver Needle Murder and was only disappointed when the book came to an end.

by Gwen Whitehead
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

SPOILERS FOLLOW:

As much as I usually enjoy this light reading series, for some reason this particular book just annoyed me.

Yes, fashion, tea history tidbits, and Charleston society doings are mildly interesting, but the 'mystery' was lost this time and the characters acted stupid!

I knew 'who done it' early in the book and am sure most readers figured it out, too. The usually well written heroine needs to get back to some semblance of reality and I'm truly beginning to dislike these gossipy, snoopy people.

We had way, way, way too much description of clothing, jewelry, shoes, table settings, glassware, crystal, wine, & antique furniture. It's like the author is going overboard to let readers know these people have good taste, are wealthy, and, supposedly, are well-bred.

It felt like the author needed to get the length of the novel up and increase the word count, so readers wouldn't feel cheated.

But, what bothered me the most this time was that the character of Theodosia acted like a stupid heroine from a B-rated horror movie.

More than once she went, alone, into the empty theater, scene of the murder, without letting anyone know where she was going. Like a female horror movie character going alone down to the cellar or up to the attic where you KNOW something awful is going to happen. If this book had sound track it would be a slasher-type theme.

Then, Theodosia, wearing 3" high heels, **runs**, with her dog on leash, away from someone who's following her home down the darkest, loneliest street in Charleston. Running in high heels. Sure!

Toward the (very bad, unbelievable) end, again, wearing Prada slides with 3-1/2 heels, she follows a wooded path off a dirt road. Only after walking quite a way, with no light, does she remove her shoes.

Come on! Any woman who wears heels knows there is no way you can easily walk on non-pavement without twisting your ankle. And slides -- no backs, no straps, no support! Just totally unreal.

Maybe it's time for a good editor to step in. Perhaps the author has run out of ideas for murders. If so, that's OK. Start a new series with new characters and let this one die a well deserved death.

This is not my first Laura Childs Tea Shop Mystery, although this is the first I have reviewed. I read the others years ago before I started reviewing on Amazon.
I find this particular one to be just as charming as the others. I cannot say the mystery was a big draw for me, but like other reviewers the tea information is wonderful. I also find the descriptions of the town to be lovely. It makes you want to take weekend getaway there, and visit Theodosia's tea shop.
One of my favorite characters is Drayton. I just find him so proper and old fashion that I hang on to his every word. I really love the old world, proper attitude that Laura Childs gives him. Some may find him stuffy, but to me he is definitely charming like the rest of the story.
Like I mentioned above I totally agree with some of the other reviewers who have remarked that the mystery could be taken out and the story would have been just as great with the descriptions, characters, and tea facts. I think this is the main reason why I read the books. I have never been a big mystery fan until I found the cozy mysteries anyway.
I recommend this highly for fans of the art of tea, and those who love the cozy, charming life.

Larua Childs is becoming one of my favorite authors. Jasmine Moon Murder was well written with tidbits about tea and tea shops inserted well. There is a surprise ending but book has a great finish!

I enjoy the cozy atmosphere of the tea shop, and it is abundant here. This book isn't quite as good as the last because the motive of the murderer is a little lame. I'm not sure someone willing to commit murder wouldn't think things out a bit more to make sure they were murdering the right person. The second murder was even more "unthought out" - circumstantial evidence of such a thin nature being the reason to get a gun and shoot to kill? I don't think so. One last complaint about the heroine's relationship with her boyfriend - could it be any less passionate? Yikes! Tidwell the policeman seems to like Theo more! The warmth of the book is definitely in the tea shop and with Theo's tea shop family - and not with her romantic relationship! That all being said, it still is fun to read to be part of the cozy family.

Laura Childs has certainly found a niche with her Tea Shop Mystery series. For fans of both mystery and tea alike can find something to enjoy in these fast-paced easy reads. Yet Childs and her amateur sleuth don't seem to be making many improvements as the series continues down its predictable path.

"The Jasmine Moon Murder", the fifth in the series, finds the amateur detective Theodosia Browning dealing with a murder that hits very close to home - the uncle of her boyfriend, Jory Davis. When Jory's uncle collapses at a local fundraising event, Theodosia finds a synringe on the ground nearby and knows that his death was not accidental. And although Theo promises the now familiar detective Burt Tidwell that she will keep her distance from the crime, she can't help but investigate when Jory asks her for help. And just like always, Theodosia's sleuthing winds up with her getting a little too close to the truth and making herself a target for the killer at large.

The Tea Shop Mystery series is a unique series, and it seems a shame that the recipes and information about tea are almost more entertaining than the mystery at hand. Childs will certainly never win any awards for writing, as she refuses to believe that her audience is as intelligent as she believes her own creation to be. Her writing is strewn with repeated descriptions mere pages apart and similes that land as softly as an atom bomb, (not to mention that this particular edition had an awful lot of typos in it). All in all, taking the bad with the good, these mysteries are a pleasant and thirst-inducing escape from reality.

I love this mystery series and they keep getting better and better. I have often noticed that after about the fourth or fifth book in a mystery series, they often start losing their "punch". That is not the case with this one. In fact, I think this is the best book in the series. The tea info is enlightening, the characters are well-developed and the setting of Charleston intriging. What a gem of a book !!!!

Anyone who enjoys "cozy" myteries should definitely give this series a try .... it doesn't get better than this.

Forster does a good job of pulling us into the plight of Wilson, the maid. She effectively demonstrates the selfishness of employers and the desperation of servants in that era. The book is long and sometimes slow and seems to repeat itself in certain points, and I wish Wilson had come to her realization of self-sufficiency earlier on, but overall I liked it and wanted to see how it ended, however sad.

I was expecting a very interesting read from this book, but just could not finish it. The characters were dull and the storyline was monotonous and never seemed to go anywhere. Elizabeth Barrett Browning was just plain depressing. I kept hoping something exciting would happen, so I kept on reading, but stopped before I reached the halfway mark. Just too tedious.

Told from the intriguing perspective of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's maid, Wilson, this book asks us to look at the relationship between the English upper-class and their personal servants in the nineteenth century. Where close bonds can develop, as they do here, what are the obligations of a maid to her mistress, and what are the obligations of a mistress to her maid?

Here, the Brownings (especially Elizabeth) do not necessarily come off well, at some points seeming to deliberately throw up obstacles to the happiness of Mrs. Browning's maid, even though to help her would come at little or no cost to themselves, and would seem to be no more than she deserves after years of loyal and devoted service. But Wilson also makes poor choices; is she relying on the Brownings for their help inappropriately? That she continually chooses her employers over herself and her family is frustrating, as is the Browning's continuing inability to recognize the sacrifices she makes.

The resolution of the book is not entirely satisfactory. After a lengthy, drawn-out process, Wilson more or less accepts that she is on her own and that the Brownings owe her nothing. But it feels more as though she was forced to this realization, rather than coming to it naturally, and showing some growth as a character.

This book was our book club pick last month. I would say only half of us read it . It was so slow in starting , I almost did not finish it. However, I loved Elizabeth Barrett and Robt Browning when I was younger . So I gave it another try and finished it. I felt it was too drawn out and very slow to start. This is the reason why I only gave it 2 stars.

Dr. Phil is right in that you teach people how to treat you, and that is the lesson this "lady's maid" needs to learn. She spends the whole book letting her famous employer deprive her of a human existence (the dog has a better life), whining all the while but rarely taking the necessary steps to ensure a life of her own. Or even believing that she deserves a life of her own. She's mostly content (whatever her whining) to bask in vicariously living through what crumbs her employer throws her. I lost patience with her very quickly. What little she learns is mostly too little and too late. As for those who say "this is how life was for maids -- sure, for some. But they aren't the ones worth a novel. I can't recommend this book at all. I do recommend "Not in front of the servants" which is a fascinating description of true life tales "in service" that doesn't involve hair shirt flagellation.

This book is probably the weakest personal account of an eating disorder i have read. Chelsea is juvenile in her idealisms and shallow in her everyday thoughts and concerns.I am not saying she didn't suffer, I just think that this was one journal that didn't need to go to print. I highly recommend WASTED by marya hornbacher< spelling? that is a deep, teeth to the bones story. she dosn't dance around anything. it is served straight up and often leaves those who have been there speachless.

I think this book is realistic. From her journal, she lets you in on her thoughts and concerns, when in most cases you would never be able to get that kind of insight. Coming from having an eating disorder myself, it helped to know that I wasn't alone in my situation. Also, the added words from her mother gives most of us a point of view we would never truly get an opportunity to hear. As long as you remember to take it as the story of her struggle and her recovery, I think it is worth reading. If you can't relate to it, it still has good insight for a friend or a family member, or anyone interested in the subject of eating disorders.

Finally a book about eating disorders that isn't all sarcasm and would be wit. A book about a girls battles and triumphs, fears and ambitions, but most importantly about herself, her needs and her recovery.

Vapid, self-important, and poorly written, this book is also chock full of religious claptrap and the rationalizing of a spoiled brat. I'm happy that Chelsea recovered, but can't believe that anybody decided that this "journal" was worth putting into print. Very few redeeming qualities.

Chelsea Smith's diary entries become tediously repetitive in their adolescent appeals to "God". "I'm so glad I have God", she writes. I believe that faith can help those suffering from eating disorders overcome their obstacles to recovery, but Chelsea's book didn't really delve into the emotional roots of her eating disorder. The entire book reads like a pre-teen's diary (even her entries as a young adult), full of empty platitudes. Nothing new here. I recommend instead Cindy Nappa Bitter's book, "Good Enough." It opens up all the emotional agony that provokes an eating disorder, but in such a way that anyone can relate.

I loved a lot of things about this book. Kate is funny, smart, modern, and you feel like she could be your best friend or your sister. But it is a lot of build up for an ending that leaves you feel unsatisfied. One of the reasons, I think, to read a Romance Novel as opposed to something else, is for the happy ending. This has one...to a point. Just be warned.

This book had a lot of promise, but I have to say, I could barely get through it. The ending was a bummer, certainly, but the rest of the book never really reached me.

Not really interesting, hard to keep you interested. I found it boring and would not recommend it to anyone. Not a keeper

To Hell with Love had a very interesting premise, Hades the god of the underworld is out to find a loving companion to end the dark loneliness of his immortal existence. Interior designer Kate draws Hades notice when she responds to the question of who would be the perfect man to date and replies that it would be the devil but it would take more than a couple of dates before she'd be willing to give up her soul. But of course Hades who makes his appearance a year later as rich and handsome Owen doesn't do souls, and anyway what he really wants is Kate's heart for all eternity.

Though the premise was great the execution is not typical of your standard romance novel, more time was spent developing Kate and her family than the relationship between Kate and Owen, making the romance between the two not developed enough in the first two thirds of the book to give it a real intensity. In fact Kate spends way too much time dreaming of being with Owen and waiting for his calls and not enough time in his company. When they actually do spend time together, Owen is so omnipotent that their conversations have a very odd feel. Also since Owen does grand gestures but doesn't do a great deal of acting on the emotion that Kate sees in his eyes -- while he also keeps fending off Kate's blatant seduction -- it felt at times that all the love between them was in Kate's head.

As strange as it seems with everything I've said so far, the book did redeem itself in the end. So while I can understand why some reviewers couldn't get past all this, somehow in the last third of the book once Kate and Owen got to the crisis point in their relationship, where he reveals his true identity and wants her to make the choice of loving him at the cost of giving up her life and her family, I really started to finally connect to these two. And since this crisis point also coincided with a family crisis for Kate, the final development of her character and the clarity that brings really added depth to the story. Add to that Owen finally learning the selflessness of love and sacrificing when there was no compromise along with the bittersweetness of his sacrifice and I ended up liking the book. But I have to admit that I did cheat and read the other reviews, so I was prepared when the author didn't succumb and give us the easy typical romance novel happily ever after.

If you don't mind unconventional HEAs and like the mythological tie-in of To Hell with Love, you might want to consider checking out P.C. Cast's books. She has several goddess related works that have a similar bittersweetness if you are looking for something a little out of the mainstream romance norm.

P.C. Cast's Goddess Summoning Series:
Goddess of the Sea (Goddess Summoning, Book 1) (Berkley Sensation)
Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning, Book 2)
Goddess of Light (Goddess Summoning, Book 3)
Goddess of the Rose (Goddess Summoning, Book 4)

I haven't read this one but am including it for completeness.
Goddess of Love (Goddess Summoning, Book 5)

I'll have to differ from some of the other reviewers here to say that I, for one, loved the very thing that they didn't. For me, Owen's (Hades) gift to Kate was incredibly romantic even if the ending was bittersweet. And there IS a HAE to come - even if it's after Kate's mortal life is over. Seriously, did those other reviewers really think there could be a perfect love between a mortal and a god here on earth?

While Mrs. Pearson crafts an engaging tale and a gut-wrenching tribute to POWs during World War Two, the way this book is packaged tarnishes the story. On the cover is written, "A POW's inspiring true story of faith, courage, and survival aboard the infamous WWII Japanese hell ship Oryoku Maru." A picture of the Oryoku Maru adorns the top of the front cover. In fact, the protagonist spends 10 pages of the narrative onboard the Oryoku Maru, out of a 265-page story.

Furthermore, on the back cover: "On December 13, 1944, POW Estel Myers was herded aboard the Japanese prison ship Oryoku Maru with more than 1,600 other American captives. Almost 1,300 of them would be dead by journey's end...." Again, this sounds as if 1,300 prisoners perished aboard the Oryoku Maru, but this is not what Mrs. Pearson details inside the book! Included in this figure of 1,300 are deaths in the Philippines, on another Japanese vessel, and in Japan. Horribly misleading.

One final note. Skip pages 200 and 201 of this book which state that during World War Two Emperor Hirohito chose "not to be involved in his government's actions or decisions." For the truth behind Hirohito's role during and leading up to World War Two, read Herbert P. Bix's Pulitzer Prize-winning "Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan."

This false advertising from Penguin Putnam prevents Mrs. Pearson's book from receiving the 4 stars it deserves. Shame on you, publisher!

To start with the title might lead you to believe this is a 'POW's true story" except the POW passed away in 1973 and never wrote this story. It is nothing more than using a mans name to lend some authenticity to the "based upon a true story" concept. The dialogue is completely made up by the author and it reads like a 1950's television show... "Gee fellas... those japs sure are nasty". In my opinion this should be listed as fiction. The author claims in her opening that she did not want to distract the reader with footnotes. I can see why because there wouldn't be any. Overall this 'novel' could have been put together with a dozen or so Wikipedia searches and some overly cheesy dialogue. If you are looking for a true accounts similiar to Night by Elie Weisel this isn't it! Ghost Soldiers and Baa Baa Black Sheep are two that come to mind that give a much better treatment of the subject. If you are only interested in the glossed over Ladies Home Journal version this might do, but barely.

Author Judith Pearson has written a riveting tale about the improsonment and ultimate mistreatment of American POWs by the Japanese. The story centers around Estel Myers, a young man who joins the Army as a corpsman. After serving a tour in China, Myers was assigned to the Philippines shortly before the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The Japanese invaded in mid-December, 1941, and Myers was taken prisoner by the Japanese.

Myers suffered for two years in a Japanese prison camp with very little food or water, but his ultimate punishment was soon to follow. The Americans had turned the tide against the Japanese,and were fighting their way back to re-capture the Philippines. Realizing this, the Japanese began loading their POWs on "Hell Ships"; grossly overloaded freighters; for the long voyage to prison camps in Japan. Myers was loaded aboard the ship Oryuku Maru with approximately 1,600 other POWs. Only about 400 arrived in Japan alive. Myers survived the sinking of the Oryuku Maru as well as transfers from two other Hell Ships before reaching Japan.

The conditions on the ships were much worse than in the camps. Each man was allotted approximately 1/4 cup of rotten rice per day, along with a tiny amount of water. Men were unable to sit or lay down in the holds of the ships due to the massive overcrowding. Sanitary facilities amounted to a bucket lowered by the Japanese. The death rate was astounding. In the later stages of the voyage, as many as fifty men were dying per day.

Upon reaching Japan, many of the men were put to work on docks, in coal mines, or building defense shelters. Many died, but some, including Myers, managed to survive to be liberated by the Americans. Myers eventually succumbed years later due to the toll taken on his body by the Japanese.

This is an eye-opening book. The atrocities committed by the Japanese are unbelievable, and it is a miracle that Myers managed to survive for so long. Read this fine book and live the life of a POW.

the best book i have read so far on this subject.i felt i was living every moment, but so glad i was not. a true testimony to the spirit of human courage and endurance. and a valuable insight to the inhumanities of mankind.

I speak from the perspective of someone who has known several Philippine POWs and have read extensively on this subject. This book is so full of inaccuracies it is not worth anyone's time to read it. There are hundreds of better books out there on the subject. Save your money!