Another Quilt Along - Moose On The Porch Fat Quarter Quilt Along

While one of my goals was to ACTUALLY FINISH a quilt this year, I still have a ways to go on the Layer Cake Quilt Along I started in 2010.  I'm totally blaming the kid for my procrastination and lack of sewing at all these past 6 months...probably not totally true, but convenient :)

All that aside, I am going to TRY to do another quilt along...I'll probably get 1/2 way through this one too, maybe I should just combine the squares for a quilt at some point!  Moose on the Porch Quilts is hosting another Quilt Along this Fall/Winter, this one wth Fat Quarters.  I have a ton at home and this will let me do some stash-busting too, which is an added bonus.    Block One was posted today, and it looks challenging...pretty, but challenging.  So off we go on another sewing adventure!

Review: In Pursuit of Miss Eliza Cynster: A Cynster Novel

In Pursuit of Miss Eliza Cynster: A Cynster Novel by Stephanie Laurens

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


From Goodreads:

Three heros, three rescues, three weddings.

The pleasure of your company is requested
at the wedding of Miss Eliza Cynster

...but not until she's rescued from a daring abduction by the most unexpected of heros!

Brazenly kidnapped from her sister Heather's engagement ball, Eliza Cynster is spirited north to Edinburgh. Desperate and determined to escape, she seizes upon the first possible champion who happens along - gentleman scholar Jeremy Carling.

Villains and rescues are a far cry from Jeremy's expertise, yet he cannot abandon a damsel in distress. But danger lurks and hurdles abound in their race to escape the mysterious laird, until a final confrontation on a windswept cliff reveals what their future life could hold - if both are bold enough to seize and own the unexpected love they now share.

My Thoughts: The second in a trilogy (of which I have yet to read the first), Ms. Laurens reminded me of why I first started reading her books. Continuing the Cynster series, but with brief appearances from other characters as well, the book was a fun read. It was missing many of the issues I had with some of her most recent books, particularly in her other series. The characters were entertaining, and I especially enjoyed the "bookish" hero, as opposed to heroine. I am very much looking forward to going back to read the first sister's book, and will await the third impatiently.


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Review: Unclaimed

Unclaimed by Courtney Milan

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


From Goodreads: Her only hope for survival…

Handsome, wealthy and respected, Sir Mark Turner is the most sought-after bachelor in all of London—and he's known far and wide for his irreproachable character. But behind his virtuous reputation lies a passionate nature he keeps carefully in check...until he meets the beautiful Jessica Farleigh, the woman he's waited for all his life.

Is to ruin the man she loves…

But Jessica is a courtesan, not the genteel lady Sir Mark believes. Desperate to be free of a life she despises, she seizes her chance when Mark's enemies make her an offer she can't refuse: seduce Mark and tarnish his good name, and a princely sum will be hers. Yet as she comes to know the man she's sworn to destroy, Jessica will be forced to choose between the future she needs…and the love she knows is impossible.

My Thoughts: I thoroughly enjoy Ms. Milan's books, and Unclaimed was no exception. I love that her heroes and heroines are very nontraditional and unique...and the stories maintain that same level of novelty as well. The books are fun, and keep you interested throughout. Mark's story (the second of the Turner brothers' books) is unique in that it's not often the hero is the virgin of the story. That could have gotten old fast, but Milan does a good job of creating a story that works with characters that don't get annoying. It's fun to see the interaction of the brothers here again, I wish there was even a bit more of that, and perhaps a bit more backstory. If I had one complaint is that it took me a bit to figure out that this begins several years after the first book ends, which may have just been me not paying attention. Another success from Milan, and I look forward to reading Smite's story next.



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Review: Elizabeth, The Enchantress

Elizabeth, The Enchantress by Lavinia Kent

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


From Goodreads: Regency England just got real(ity)

Episode 4: How to Succeed in Marriage without Really Trying

Elizabeth, the Countess of Westhampton, has found her husband. Unfortunately, she’d have preferred it if he’d stayed lost! How is she supposed to react when the man who married her and then abandoned her without a wedding night suddenly reappears? Obviously, she’ll have to plan her revenge very carefully…

My Thoughts: I've read a couple of these novellas now, all are fun quick reads. If they were full-length books, I'd probably go back and try to read the ones I've missed, but as I don't normally read novellas, I may have to just try to let my imagination fill in the blanks. They're enjoyable for a number of reasons, but mostly because Kent does a good job of ensuring that even in a novella length that there's a story and character development. This was a fun one, as the "evil" one of the group of women who make up the heroines had her turn in the spotlight. The redemption of the bad girl is essentially the theme...finding out why she is the way she is, and then how she moves forward. Another fun, quick read from Kent, so far I'd recommend this whole series.



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