The Bookbabe 2014 Wrap - Up!

As this year comes to a close a it dawns on me that a lot happened.  Personally I was thrown a few things that could have been considered heart breaking and that made me question my faith and my trust in people; but, I came out all the better for it. As far as the Bookbabe of Delaware is concerned so many things happened. I reached 1349 followers on Tumblr, had some shout outs of authors on twitter and started receiving books from some amazing publishing houses. Among them Kensington, Random House and Thomas Nelson; and independent publisher Poison Press. Only thing that I regret is that I did not read a many books as I really wanted to and my blogger account suffered because of it. In 2015, I will be ramping up my reading so that I can review as many books as possible. In 2014, I read several books that I really loved and started a few series that I can not wait to finish. Here is a list of my five favorite books that I read/reviewed this year and all of these reviews can be found on my goodreads profile (which will be linked below).

1) The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan; the conclusion to one of the best series I have ever read. I will say that I did find this book very predictable but  the ending was indeed very unexpected and very sad.

2) Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas; oh my gosh, Celaena is one of the best female characters that I have read in sometime. She has her vulnerable side but she is one kick butt chic. Sarah J. Maas also is an amazing world builder. This book was all you could ask for in a fantasy adventure. It has it all from a tyrannical ruler, assassins, princes and princesses from far way lands etc. I would definitely read these in 2015 if I were you; if you don't you will really be missing out.

3) The Demonologist by Andew Pyper; one of the best thrillers/mysteries that I have ever read. Pyper's books are always surprising, fun and quick reads. This book also set my on an obsession with books about books. This is definitely a book I will be recommending to friends and family during the next year.

4) Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson; I found this beautiful gem in Barnes and Noble over the summer and since I wanted an Austen like read I decided to try it and I was not disappointed. It was a beautifully written "proper" romance that did not contain any sex. (Yes in romances that can be done.) I really hope that Ms. Donaldson writes another proper romance of this kind; I am definitely a fan of her work. 

5) Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare; this is the final book to the Infernal Devices series. It was so beautifully written and so wonderful. I was really happy with how everything was wrapped up for all of the characters. I also loved that we see to of the characters in this series cross over to the last book of the City of Heavenly Fire. 

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Top Banned Books of 2013 and Why They Where Banned....

All information listed below is from www.ala.org (American Library Association)

1. Captain Underpants (series), by Dav Pilkey
   Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence
2. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison
   Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence
3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, by Sherman Alexie
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, offensive language, racism, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
4. Fifty Shades of Grey, by E.L. James
   Reasons: Nudity, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
5. The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins
   Reasons: Religious viewpoint, unsuited to age group
6. A Bad Boy Can Be Good for A Girl, by Tanya Lee Stone
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit
7. Looking for Alaska, by John Green
   Reasons: Drugs/alcohol/smoking, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
8. The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky
   Reasons: drugs/alcohol/smoking, homosexuality, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group
9. Bless Me Ultima, by Rudolfo Anaya
   Reasons: Occult/Satanism, offensive language, religious viewpoint, sexually explicit
10. Bone (series), by Jeff Smith
    Reasons: Political viewpoint, racism, violence

Review of Jesus Wants to Save Christians: Learning How to read a Dangerous Book by Rob Bell and Don Golden

Wow. All I can say is Wow. What an amazing book. Rob Bell really hit one out of the park with this one. I don't even know where to begin with this book. I will say that Rob Bell's examination of the Exodus and what it means for those the follow Christ. What really blew my mind is how Bell shows us that God is doing a "new thing" when Christ comes into the world. That Christ is ushering in a new Exodus. He is here to do what Moses did with the people in Egypt but on a much grander scale. Moses was just saving one group of people; through Jesus God is saving all of Humanity. I also was very taken with how Bell explains the role of the modern church and how we have lost our way. As the people of God we have some how become comfortable and so "blessed" that we are indifferent to the cries of those that are hurting. Just as the Bible teaches us; Bell explains that Christ is a servant to humanity. He was born to serve and so are we. That through serving others we are worshiping God because God tells us to "listen" to the cries of those that are needy. I would definitely have to agree with Bell; the modern church often misses the plot of the Jesus story and has become to comfortable with not sharing their faith with those that need it to most. As one once said; sometimes we are the only bible that anyone will ever see. This book is definitely now one of my favorites. One that I will be talking about for months and months.

Here are a few quotes that I loved
"God who is defined by action on behalf of the oppressed. God is about giving the good gift. Jesus is God's good gift for the healing of the world. The church is Jesus's body, a good gift for the healing of the world"

"A Church is an organization that exists for the benefits of nonmembers...this blessing extends even to our enemies"

"Everybody would understand their role as priests. That everybody would worship God by serving each other. That those wouldn't be two things, but one. This is why God continually mentions the widow, the orphan, and the refugee. Remembering them, caring for them, serving them is worshiping God"

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/ When the Rainbow is Enuf by Ntozake Shange

This is now one of my all time favorites. Why??? Because of its fluidity and emotion. I have several favorite passages, and some of which will be written in my journal, writing diary and book log for years to come. I would definitely gift this book to friends and family or re-read it too.

Book Haul for September 7th, 2014 (the first but not the last for this month)

These are four of the books that I purchased today (unfortunately the other pictures would not load correctly). I was very lucky to have found these books at very reasonable prices. All four were purchased at an Ollie discount store. Here are the synopsis and prices for each book. (The synopsis are from www.goodreads.com).

Promises for a Jesus Freak (devotional) by D.C. Talk ($1.99)

Promises You Can Stake Your Life On 
Throughout history, Jesus freaks have valued God's Word above food, water, clothing, comfort, safety--their very lives. Why?
They understand the power of His promises to comfort them, strengthen them, correct them, inspire them, and transform them into the person God wants them to be. 
Are you ready to be a Jesus Freak? Then you got to know God's Word. 
And here is one small place to start. Discover God's wisdom and promises for your life when you need strength to overcome temptation, the power to face persecution, the words to testify for Jesus, the faith to continue your walk with Jesus when others have fallen away. Jesus Freaks know that they can stake their lives on God's promise.

Jesus Freaks: Stories of Those Who Stood for Jesus, the Ultimate Jesus Freaks by D.C Talk ($4.99)

Jesus Freaks by dc Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs, is a companion volume to dc Talk's album of the same name. It is a book for teenagers about martyrdom, containing dozens of profiles of figures ranging from Stephen, whose martyrdom is described in the Book of Acts, to "Anila and Perveen," two teenage Pakistani girls and Christian believers. In 1997, Perveen was killed for running away in order to avoid marrying a Muslim man; Anila was imprisoned for helping her friend escape. In an introduction to the book, Michael Tait explains its purpose: "In a world built on free will instead of God's will, we must be the Freaks. While we may not be called to martyr our lives, we must martyr our way of life. We must put our selfish ways to death and march to a different beat. Then the world will see Jesus." The book's design is hip and easy to read, and its summary of Christian persecutions that continue today is useful--and frightening.

Burn by Ted Dekker ($3.99)

She escaped the fire--but not the effects of the burn.Janeal has long felt trapped in her father's Gypsy culture. Then one night a powerful man named Salazar Sanso promises her the life she longs for--if she will help recover a vast sum of money tied to her father.When the plan implodes, Sanso and his men attack the gypsy settlement and burn it to the ground. During the blaze, Janeal is faced with a staggering choice."The impact of that moment changes her forever. "As her past rises from the ashes, Janeal faces a new life-or-death choice. And this time, escape is not an option.

Immanuel's Veins by Ted Dekker ($3.99)

This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story. It is a dangerous tale of times past. A love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice. Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover. With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds. Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow. Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter. But remember, not everyone is for this story. "A heart-wrenching journey of redemption and hope that left me sobbing, laughing, and clinging to every word."--Donna McChristian, 44, Environmental Chemist

Oh Well....Mr. Darcy is!

I just finished Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson

I usually never stay up all night with a book but once I got back into reading this one I just had to finish it. Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson is just perfect. It has it all. Its witty, intelligent, romantic and extremely funny. Marianne is such and easy character to love and to root for. She is trying to make it in a world that confines her to certain societal standards. She wants to have the carefree and independent life that she had as a child on the family farm; especially since she is now removed from that happy life and sent to Bath to live with her grandmother. Of course, her grandmother wants to tame Marianne's ways; she wants her to catch a good husband and the best way to do that is through being a little more "lady like". So off to Edenbrooke she goes to visit with a friend of her mothers; Lady Caroline and her son Phillip. Of course; the trip to Edenbrooke is not smooth and they are robbed along the way. It is at the end they are laid over in after the robbery that Marianne first meets Phillip. She finds him to be a boorish, inconsiderate young flirt. She wants nothing to do with him. But, wouldn't you know it that she ends up falling in love with him by no fault of her own. Phillip reminds me a lot of Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice (by Jane Austen); he is good look, a man of good wealth and he has this "air" about him that makes you want to kiss him and strangle him at the same time. As the book progressed I fell head over heels with Phillip and I could not understand why Marianne does not take the bate right away; she was so convinced that her sister Cecily (who was also on her way to Edenbrooke from London) would be able to steal his heart. Mainly because Cecily is just everything that Marianne is not. However, Phillip is not interested in a woman that wants him for his wealth. So he does all he can to not draw attention to his fortune. He spends time with Marianne, taking her riding, watching her draw/paint and talking about books. He shows her a side of him that he only shares with his family; he begins to gain back the happiness he has lost since the death of his father and brother. The book could not have come together more perfectly. The two get together beautifully and with a bit of confusion. Marianne is unsure of the way Phillip feels and he does all that he can to prove his love. Honestly what I loved most about the book was that it was indeed a "proper" romance. There is no sex; no real need to talk about it either. I got everything that I loved about Jane Austen books in this book little book about a dreamy country estate in Kent. I see this book being on my to recommend list for a very long time.

Book quote of the Day

May the written word always live on...unless its badly written...that we can forget about!

Books I Just Can't Shut Up About...

There is just something so amazing about these nine books that are pictured above. The authors are funny, complex, draw you in and leave you wanting to devour their next few books. I fell in love with reading at a very young age and have had a love affair with stories and words for some time. So when I come across  a really good book; one that challenges me, surprises  me or lifts my spirits then I just have to brag about them. So here goes….

The DaVinci Code by Dan Brown

I was not a fan of mysteries or thrillers until I read this book. I was late to the game on this one. It had been out for a while. The movie was being heavily promoted and people just kept talking about it. I was not really ready to hop on the band wagon until Walden books (may they rest in peace) issued me a 50 percent off coupon. Next thing I know I was falling in love with a Harvard Professor named Robert Langdon. I couldn’t help it. Langdon was one of the most well developed characters I had read for sometime; and the story was interesting and thrilling. I recommended this book for months after I read it. I even let others borrow my copy. Professor Langdon and his mad dash through France has  still stayed with me even though it’s been over 5 years since I have read the novel.

Renee and Jay by J.J. Murray

This was the second book I had ever read by Virginia author J.J. Murray. I really was not into romantic comedies and surely not interracial romantic comedies ; but , these one as just different. Murray, who is male and Caucasian; writes from the POV of a sexy African American woman. Renee is struggling after a break up and by chance gets stuck in a restaurant with the sexy Giovanni. This chance meeting makes Renee reevaluate how she views dating and she starts thinking outside the box. Giovanni is easy to love as a character; as is his father. He is sweet, kind, romantic and seems to fall head over heel with Renee almost right away. What really impresses me with this book is that it is so fast paced. It keeps you interested and its funny. I could not stop talking about this book. The reading of this one book has lead to me reading several others by this amazing master of words.

Love Wins by Rob Bell

Love Wins is a non-fiction, Christian book that talks about the fate of the world and the importance of hell. Bell got a lot of blow back for this book. He left the church that he co – founded behind it. He has also become one of the most influential Christian speakers in the United States. What I loved about the book is that Bell really talked about the way that I felt about Christianity . He makes you feel like you are sitting down one on one with him having this intimate conversation about the world and Christianity. This one book has led me to read to others by him as well. Each just as insightful as this one; the other two that I have read were What we talk about when we talk about God and Sex God.

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

If you have not read this book; well you are missing out. This is a fast paced beautiful love story. A man, after a terrible car accident which leaves him terribly burned. While recovering he meets Marianne Engle that tells him that they were lovers in a past life. The book takes us on a journey between their friendship and their past life. The story switches back and forth a lot but is not dry or boring. It is beautiful and sweet and complex and adventurous. By the end of the book  I wanted a different ending. It was bittersweet but it was clear that the man (who is unnamed the entire time) is changed because of his relationship with Marianne. This book is one of my favorite of all time. It touched my heart and is one of the greatest love stories I have ever had the privilege to read.

City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Wow….just wow. Cassandra Clare sucked me in. All she had to do was write a cocky, blonde haired, demon fighting young man into a book and I was there. Jace Wayland is one of the best supporting characters I have read in a young adult novel in a very long time. Clare’s characters are relatable, funny and loveable. You will find yourself falling in love with at least one of them. I personally love Jace; mainly due to his  quick  and witty come  backs. I also love Simon and Isabelle. But, I also found myself feeling sorry for the bad guy.  This  May the last book of this series will be released and I will be very sad to see this group of Shadowhunters go. Even though there is a promise of more Shadowhunter tales to come.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

This is an amazing book. So beautifully written; so lovely and it will bring you to tears. Golden allows us a glimpse into the world of a young Geisha. Who did not choose this life for herself but was sold into it; along with her sister. The story tracks the highs and lows of her life and proves that even though love is not an option to her it will always find a way. What makes this book so amazing is the way it is written. The prose is so fluid and beautiful. I found myself reading passages over and over again just because I wanted to memorize their beauty.

Something Real by J.J. Murray

Another Murray book…I know. But, Murray is amazing. This was the first book that I ever read by the author. I was  just walking in Target and the cover got me interested. It was a quick fast read. I found myself identifying with Penny. Who is African American and plus sized. She is funny and going through a hard time in her life because she is single and Mr. Right does not seem to becoming her way anytime soon. Then on one fateful Sunday in flies a man looking for prayer; he is suffering a lost and is now left to care for his children. Through no fault of her own she ends up falling head over heels in love with Dewey Baxter (the man that enters her church). What I love about this book is how strong a character Penny is. She is not very sure of who she is and she knows what she wants. Of course, this is not always the case throughout the book but she becomes stronger as you read. Its not very often that you see African American characters; especially women like this in books that often.

Night by Elie Wiesel

Another non- fiction book, but it is a powerful one. It really has had a great impact on my as an adult. It made me think of how precious life is and how important it is to fight sometimes just to survive. What is so amazing about this book is the author. Even through unimaginable sadness Wiesel did not allow it to swallow him whole.  The book reads quickly but it’s hard to get through; it took me a couple of days due to the fact there is some very graphic scenes in it.

The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch

I read this book my senior year of college and I really needed to read it. What I love the most about this book is that it is funny and heartfelt. It’s another book where you feel like you are getting advice and insights from an old friend. The book reminds you of the power of living your dreams and just being yourself. The Last Lecture is an amazing book and I always recommend it to those graduating from college or who are struggling to figure things out.

eBook Search App for iPad

Long gone are the days of paying for online books that are now public domain. I recently purchased and iPad to help me with my course work and blogging in the course of downloading apps I was looking for a way to get my hands on more ePublished works. Wouldn't you know it that eBook Search (as developed by Inkstone Software, Inc) does just that. I have now downloaded several public domain books that most companies are still charging readers for. Among them are the four that are pictured above. eBooks search is a free app, but it does have a pro addition that will cost you a few bucks. But that app offer a lot of books. I hope this article helps anyone looking for ePub / public domain access to classics. 

Here are the descriptions of the books I have recently downloaded below:

Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence 

(Description is from Amazon.com) 

With its four-letter words and its explicit descriptions of sexual intercourse, Lady Chatterley's Lover is the novel with which D.H. Lawrence is most often associated. First published privately in Florence in 1928, it only became a world-wide best-seller after Penguin Books had successfully resisted an attempt by the British Director of Public Prosecutions to prevent them offering an unexpurgated edition to the general public. The famous 'trial of Lady Chatterley' heralded the sexual revolution of the coming decades and signalled the defeat of Establishment prudery. Yet Lawrence himself was hardly a liberationist and the conservativism of many aspects of his novel would later lay it open to attacks from the political avant-garde and from feminists. The story of how the wife of Sir Clifford Chatterley responds when her husband returns from the war paralysed from the waist down, and of the tender love which then develops between her and her husband's gamekeeper, is a complex one open to a variety of conflicting interpretations. This edition of the novel offers an occasion for a new generation of readers to discover what all the fuss was about; to appraise Lawrence's bitter indictment of modern industrial society, and to ask themselves what lessons there might be for the 21st century in his intense exploration of the complicated relations between love and sex.

The Beautiful and the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald 

(Description from goodreads. com)

First published in 1922, The Beautiful and the Damned followed Fitzgerald's impeccable debut, This Side of Paradise, thus securing his place in the tradition of great American novelists. Embellished with the author's lyrical prose, here is the story of Harvard-educated, aspiring aesthete Anthony Patch and his beautiful wife, Gloria. As they await the inheritance of his grandfather's fortune, their reckless marriage sways under the influence of alcohol and avarice. A devastating look at the nouveau riche and New York nightlife, as well as the ruinous effects wild ambition, The Beautiful and the Damned achieved stature as one of Fitzgerald's most accomplished novels. Its distinction as a classic endures to this day. Pocket Book's Enriched Classics present the great works of world literature enhanced for the contemporary reader. Special features include critical perspectives, suggestions for further read, and a unique visual essay composed of period photographs that help bring every word to life.

Bel Ami by Guy de Maupassant

(Description from goodreads.com)

De Maupassant's second novel, Bel-Ami (1885) is the story of a ruthlessly ambitious young man (Georges Duroy, christened ''Bel-Ami'' by his female admirers) making it to the top in fin-de-siecle Paris. It is a novel about money, sex, and power, set against the background of the politics of the French colonization of North Africa. It explores the dynamics of an urban society uncomfortably close to our own and is a devastating satire of the sleaziness of contemporary journalism. Bel-Ami enjoys the status of an authentic record of the apotheosis of bourgeois capitalism under the Third Republic. But the creative tension between its analysis of modern behaviour and its identifiably late nineteenth-century fabric is one of the reasons why Bel-Ami remains one of the finest French novels of its time, as well as being recognized as Maupassant''s greatest achievement as a novelist.

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

(Description from goodreads.com)

On what slender threads do life and fortune hang'

Thrown in prison for a crime he has not committed, Edmond Dantès is confined to the grim fortress of If. There he learns of a great hoard of treasure hidden on the Isle of Monte Cristo and he becomes determined not only to escape, but also to unearth the treasure and use it to plot the destruction of the three men responsible for his incarceration. Dumas' epic tale of suffering and retribution, inspired by a real-life case of wrongful imprisonment, was a huge popular success when it was first serialised in the 1840s.

What I am currently reading

My current read! The Night Eternal (book 3 of the Strain trilogy). Really excited about this book...its vampires the way they should be...no sparkling here. I can't wait to see how civilization survives after a complete vamp take over. So far, everyone is falling in line with the new world order. Which includes farms...were people are penned and bred for the vamps to feed off of. Its gonna be an epic ending lol!  

Clockwork Princess Review and Impressions

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Brief Synopsis (without Spoilers)

            What to say about this wonderful book? Cassandra Clare has done it again. She has kept her readers caught up in the amazing, beautiful world of Victorian London. We meet up again with Jem, Tessa and Will as they battle to stop the Magister at his dangerous game to harm the shadowhunter race. The story opens with Tessa getting ready for her nuptials with James Carstairs. She should be happy, ready to marry the love of her life. But, their engagement is over shadowed ; not only by James failing health, but also by the magister need to get his hands on Tessa. The Magister will stop at nothing to get to her. The book takes us through the ups and downs of Will’s emotions as he battles to not only keep Tessa safe ; but, to keep his emotions hidden. He is sure that Tessa does not love him; and is happy to hide his feelings if it means that is best friend and parabatai from being hurt. The story finds Jem fighting for his life after the drug he needs to sustain it is in short supply. The Magister does this in hopes to lure Tessa out into the open; by putting Jem’s life in danger he ensures that she will come to him. He also knows that Tessa is a the missing piece to his plot; and will allow him to seek the revenge he so desperately craves. Once he is assured that even the shortage of Jem’s drug; well not lure Tessa out into the open. He takes advantage of Jessie’s return to the institute. Using automatons the Magister attacks the Institute; resulting in the death of Jessie and the kidnapping of Tessa. Jem is gravely injured, weakened due to his sickness and not likely to recover. He grants Will permission to go after Tessa. While on his mission to find Tessa ; Will and Jem’s bond is severed.  Even though his Parabatai is dead Will soldiers on determined to find the woman he loves. Meanwhile back at the institute Charlotte is trying to convince the Consul to help them. She has reliable information from Will of the whereabouts of the Magister. The Consul makes it very clear that he is unwilling to trust or help Charlotte; mainly because he wants to protect his own position and power within the Clave. With no backup the Shadowhunters of the London Institute must go it alone. The fight side by side and are joined by the Silent Brothers. It is; in fact, revealed that Jem has become a Silent Brother. He does so as a means of saving not only himself; but, so that he can help fight and save those he loves. Of course, the Shadowhunters prevail;  with the help of the Angel Ithuriel, who was trapped in the Clockwork Angel.

Impression:

            Cassandra Clare is one hell of a writer. Her work is always impressive; and it always draws you in. The same is true of this series and especially this book. I fell head over heels in love with several of the characters of this series. It was heart breaking to part with them. Of course, I know that Magnus,  Tessa and now Jem will be seen in other books. (And in fact Jem has already been seen in The Mortal Instruments Series.)  What I loved the most about this series is the setting and the attention to detail. Clare really makes you feel like you are walking the streets of London with Will, Jem and Tessa. She uses the time period to create a beautiful atmosphere that is believable and beautiful. I love the fact that in this story, there is sexual tension between Will and Tessa; and Tessa and Jem. They are all romance and restraint and that is not something that we get to see in some many books these days. I hope she writes more period pieces; this one was wonderful.

Favorite Scene:

Gideon’s Proposal to Sophie; I really did not know that Gideon had so much Darcy in him. It was so beautifully rewritten. I was so happy for the couple. I would have loved to see more happen between Gabriel and Cecily.

Water Works Moments:

Jem and Tessa’s farewell: This was the worst scene I could have ever read. It made me ball. I have been in love with James Carstairs (Jem) since he was first introduced. I always found him to be the more interesting of the two boys. The was calm and steady; romantic and haunting beautiful. His departure from Tessa was hard. I felt so sorry for him because he was losing the woman that he loved so that he could live.

Will’s Death: This was an unexpected surprise for me. I think that it was because It was not until the end; when it seemed like Tessa was really truly happy with Will that I came to terms like this cocky boy actually having some really emotions. I personally was not always a fan of Will’s; he has a little too much Jace in him; but he was likeable enough.  

Another book to buy

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson 

Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she'll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry. From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will Marianne be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.