Book Review: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Jane Eyre

By Charlotte Bronte

Release Date: 1847

Source: Own Copy

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Summary: Orphaned into the household of her Aunt Reed at Gateshead, subject to the cruel regime at Lowood charity school, Jane Eyre nonetheless emerges unbroken in spirit and integrity. She takes up the post of governess at Thornfield, falls in love with Mr. Rochester, and discovers the impediment to their lawful marriage in a story that transcends melodrama to portray a woman's passionate search for a wider and richer life than Victorian society traditionally allowed.

With a heroine full of yearning, the dangerous secrets she encounters, and the choices she finally makes, Charlotte Bronte's innovative and enduring romantic novel continues to engage and provoke readers.

Review: I don't know how I've gone this long without reading this novel. As a future English teacher with a minor in English Literature, you would have thought I would have read this for a class by now, if not at least on my own. Oh, not to mention that I watched the movie for the first time last year and fell head over heels in love with Mr. Rochester (aka Michael Fassbender). Well, I finally had the chance to read Jane Eyre with my book club and it has easily become one of my favorite novels of all time. 

Orphaned at a young age, Jane Eyre is left to live with her cruel Aunt Reed who believes her to be a liar and a scoundrel. Fed up with her, Aunt Reed sends Jane to the Lowood charity school to endure a life of strict rules and harsh punishments. When Jane takes the post as governess at Thornfield, she is content to do her work educating the little Adele in the vast, haunted mansion. When Mr. Rochester returns home, though, Jane finds herself falling in love with him and the two find themselves in a romance that seems utterly impossible. 

Geez Louise, this book. Gah, I am seriously obsessed now. I mean, I was obsessed when I saw the movie, but you get so much more out of the book. First off, Jane is just awesome. I mean, she's this plain, poor girl who everyone hates for no reason yet she never lets that get her down. No, instead she continues to hold her head high and lets others know what she really thinks of them. I think that's why Mr. Rochester fell for her, because she didn't put up with his harsh, pessimistic attitude. Their banter was so much fun and I loved how much they would toy with each other. Those two are just too adorable and absolutely perfect for each other. 

Aside from the romance, I really liked how we got to see so much of Jane's life and how she grew throughout every obstacle that was thrown her way. This was told as a sort of autobiography from Jane's actual point of view, so there were moments she addressed us as the reader, as if we were her friend she was simply telling a story to. Heck yes, I'm best friends with Jane Eyre. Of course, the shocking mystery surrounding Thornfield was INSANE and, even though I knew it was coming, I was still on the edge of my seat, eyes bulging at what was happening on the page. As far as plot twists go, Charlotte Bronte blows all other writers out of the water. It was fantastic! Things got so intense and I could just feel the emotion and desperation falling off the pages. There was just so much emotion and you wanted Jane to act one way even though you knew she couldn't and, well, it was just a whole lot to deal with. And I could not stop reading! 

If you can't tell, Jane Eyre is one of the best classics, one of the best books, I have ever read. There's romance, gothic horror, secrecy, scandal, and a whole lot of drama. Jane is one of the best heroines I've ever read about because she is just average and accepts that, but doesn't let that deter her from holding her head high and holding her ground. If you haven't yet, you absolutely have to read Jane Eyre. It's a literary classic that you won't be able to put down.

Book Review: An American Duchess by Sharon Page

An American Duchess

By Sharon Page

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Source: Book Tour

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Summary: Set on a crumbling English manor estate during the height of the Roaring Twenties, an American duchess must decide how much she's willing to risk for the life she truly desires… 

It's 1922, and New York heiress Zoe Gifford longs for the freedoms promised by the Jazz Age. Headstrong and brazen, but bound by her father's will to marry before she can access his fortune, Zoe arranges for a brief marriage to Sebastian Hazelton, whose aristocratic British family sorely needs a benefactor. 

Once in England, her foolproof plan to wed, inherit and divorce proves more complicated than Zoe had anticipated. Nigel Hazelton, Duke of Langford and Sebastian's older brother, is as austere and imposing as the family's ancestral estate. Still reeling from the Great War, Nigel is now staging a one-man battle against a rapidly changing world—and the outspoken Zoe represents everything he's fighting against. 

When circumstances compel Zoe to marry Nigel rather than Sebastian, their heated quarrelling begets passion of another sort. But with Nigel unwilling to change with the times, will Zoe be forced to choose between her husband and her dreams?

Review: I love everything about the twenties- the fashion, the lifestyle, the bootlegging and speakeasies…life seemed so cool back then and I love reading books set in that era. One look at An American Duchess and I thought I would absolutely love it. Unfortunately, I just couldn't connect with the characters and the whole theme of the modernization of the world was a bit heavy handed to me. 

In 1922 New York, Zoe Gifford embodies all things up and coming in the Jazz Age. She longs for freedom to be who she wants and to indulge in all of life's pleasures. But Zoe must marry in order to access a fortune her mother desperately needs, so she arranges a marriage with Sebastian Hazelton, an English aristocrat who's family is also finding itself in the midst of money troubles. When Zoe and her mother go to England to carry out the engagement, the last thing Zoe expects to find Nigel Hazelton, the irritable yet intriguing brother of Sebastian, who also happens to be the Duke of Langford. Still affected by the shocks of the war, Nigel is content keeping Langford just the way it is and resists anything that has to do with the emerging modern world. While Zoe and Nigel couldn't be more opposite, the more time they spend together, the harder it is to deny the passion brewing between them. 

Like I said, I was very excited to read this book. I watch Downton Abbey and their flapper cousin Rose is one of my favorite characters. I expected Zoe to be somewhat like her, but instead Zoe was a very exaggerated flapper you might find in the 20s. Zoe is very hardheaded and strongly believes in feminism and loose morals. I wish her character wasn't so overdone or stubborn because at times it seems like she just enjoyed picking fights and arguments and it just got old. With Nigel being the exact opposite, I felt like his character was also a bit too much in that old-fashioned regard. He wanted nothing to change and was just as hardheaded. While I like it when the romantic interests bicker and flirt, their fighting happened again and again over the same issues to the point where it was just boring and not interesting anymore. 

I was intrigued that Zoe's character was able to fly airplanes, but I was disappointed with the scenes we got where she actually flew a plane. There was no detail about the event at all, just that she got in, flew, and landed. I wanted her flying to come alive, but I didn't get a sense at all of why she loved flying so much. Also, with the story, I feel like I was over the story about 150 pages in and that everything else just seemed redundant and tiring for the next 200 pages. Things started going by too fast and I didn't have enough time to become really invested in the characters before huge decisions were being made and time was moving forward. I ended up skimming through the last half of the book because I wasn't interested in their story anymore and just wanted to be done with it. 

While the premise was promising, the end result was too heavy handed in the themes that made up the Roaring 20s. The pacing felt off and I didn't find myself caring for the characters as much as I wanted to. While I appreciated how the story emphasized how both America and England changed after the war in the 20s, the story just couldn't hold up for me. 

Read Pink 2014 with Penguin Random House

Read Pink® in Honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Support the Next Chapter in Innovative Research

Penguin Random House Marks Five-Year Partnership Milestone and $125,000

in Donations to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation®

What’s black and white and pink all over?  The initiative by Penguin Random House called Read Pink® in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October)!

Today the scientific community has left behind the “one-size-fits-all” breast cancer treatment to emerge with targeted, more effective therapies. As a result, after remaining stagnant for more than 50 years, the death rate from breast cancer has decreased by 30 percent. The Read Pink^® initiative by Penguin Random House is proud to be part of this exciting new chapter in the fight against breast cancer, supporting the bold research of The Breast Cancer Foundation^® (BCRF), while leveraging its passionate readers to help increase awareness and education about the disease. This literary embrace of a life-saving cause has resulted in nearly 1.5 million best-selling novels shipped with Read Pink seals and information about BCRF across all five years of the promotion.

Penguin Random House is thrilled to partner once again this year with BCRF, as 91 cents of every dollar spent by BCRF is directed towards breast cancer research and awareness programs.

The $25,000 donation that Penguin Random House contributes, regardless of sales, provides vital funds to support the mission of BCRF.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Penguin Random House’s Read Pink® editions, we are featuring a few participating authors and what Read Pink® means to them…

Beatriz Williams (2014 Read Pink® Spokesperson), A Hundred Summers

“Every life lost to breast cancer leaves behind a hole that can never be filled again: a wife, a mother, a sister, a friend, an aunt, a grandmother. I’m so grateful for organizations like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation for their efforts to find a cure for this devastating disease, and honored to support breast cancer awareness, detection, and research through Penguin’s READ PINK program in 2014. With your help, we can move closer to the day when breast cancer leaves behind only survivors.”

Karen White, The Time Between

“Since 1989, death rates from breast cancer have been decreasing due to earlier detection and improved treatment because of the efforts of organizations like The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Books have always been an important part of my life, and I am honored that my book will be part of Penguin’s Read Pink program that supports breast cancer awareness and research through reading. It is my greatest hope that through efforts like this we might find a cure within my lifetime.”

Nora Roberts, Sea Swept and The Witness

“To all the moms and daughters, wives and sisters, lovers and friends, Read Pink is here for you and yours. Help support breast cancer awareness and the strong, brave women who fight or will fight this disease and Read Pink in October.”

Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing

“I am so delighted to be included in the Read Pink campaign again this year with Perfect Timing being featured, along with so many other great books, to raise funds for breast cancer research. I can remember when a diagnosis of breast cancer was often equivalent to a death sentence. Nowadays, the survival rates have increased greatly, and I personally know women who have prevailed over this terrible disease. Sadly, I’ve also known a few women who lost the battle. So I call upon all of you to join ranks with me and countless other women in a war to defeat breast cancer. ‘Read Pink! Buy books bearing the Read Pink logo as gifts for the women you love.’ By standing together as sisters, we have it within our power to make a huge difference!”

Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes

“This is the time of year when we celebrate the progress that has been made in the battle against breast cancer and acknowledge the work that lies ahead. No, we aren't there yet. There's a long way to go. The greatest weapon we have to fight this disease is research and research costs money. That is why this breast cancer awareness campaign is so important and why I am proud to participate.”

Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand

“I’m so thrilled to be part of the Read Pink effort to help raise awareness and funding for breast cancer research. I hear frequently from romance readers who tell me my books and those of other romance authors have helped them get through breast cancer treatment. I want to hear from fewer of them in the future. I want to hear they took our books on fabulous vacations rather than treatments. Please Read Pink in October to support all the courageous women fighting this disease and to fund critical research. Thank you for Reading Pink!”

Full List of 2014 Participating Authors:

Jojo Moyes, The Last Letter from your Lover

Karen White, The Time Between

Nora Roberts, Sea Swept and The Witness

Jennifer Chiaverini, Mrs. Lincoln’s Dressmaker

Beatriz Williams, A Hundred Summers

Wendy Wax, While We Were Watching Downton Abbey

Catherine Anderson, Perfect Timing

Marie Force, I Want to Hold Your Hand

Janet Chapman, The Heart of a Hero

Lisa Gardner, MacNamara’s Woman

Jayne Ann Krentz, Dream Eyes

Mark your calendars and remember to join in the conversation with @BerkleyRomance and @PenguinGroupUSA on Twitter in October.  Make sure to use the hashtag #ReadPink!

For more information about the Read Pink initiative and to view a complete list of the participating retail outlets, please visit penguin.com/readpink.

Read Pink® Blog Tour Schedule

Please support the blogs taking part in this special, Read Pink® Spotlight Tour!

October 1 – Exclusive guest post with spokesperson Beatriz Williams on LizandLisa.com

***

September 22

Cheryl's Book Nook; The Readers Den; Gone with the Words;

Pretty Sassy Cool

September 23

Reading Reality; You Gotta Read; Adria's Romance Reviews

September 24

Kimberly Faye Reads; Nicely Phrased; I Smell Sheep

September 25

Romance Junkies; To Read or Not To Read;

A Southern Girl’s Bookshelf

September 26

Cindy's Love of Books; Chick Lit Plus; The Book Reading Gals

September 29

LitChat; Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf; Chris Book Blog Emporium

September 30

Reality Bites! Let's Get Lost!; Grave Tells; Britt's Book and Life Blog;

Sincerely Stacie

October 1

Cocktails and Books; The Reading Nook Reviews; 2Bookaholics;

Wit & Sin; Raw Books

October 2

SOS Aloha; Bookish Things & More; Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads

October 3

Dew on the Kudzu; Peace Love Books;

Grown Up Book Reviews

October 6

My Book Addiction and More; Book-alicious Mama;

Chick Lit Central

October 7

A Dream Within A Dream; Thoughts in Progress; Mundie Moms

October 8

Flirty and Dirty Book Blog; Readers Live A Thousand Lives;

That's What I'm Talking About

October 9

Book Lovin' Mamas; Lori's Reading Corner; The Book Reading Gals

October 10

Supernatural Snark; Once Upon a Twilight;

Expressions of a Hopeful Romantic

October 13

Fallen Angel Reviews; Parajunkee's View; As I Turn the Pages

October 14

Reading in Black & White; Keepin It Real Book Blog

October 15

ABCD Diaries; Fictional Candy; Paranormal Book Club

October 16

Sexy Bibliophiles; Book Sniffers Anonymous;

Sexy Book Reviews By Shelly & April

October 17

Wicked Lil Pixie; The Book Swarm; Addicted 2 Novels;

Stephanie’s Book Reports

October 20

News & Sentinel, “Book Nook”; The Reading Café

October 21

The Book Bellas; The Book Cellar

October 22

The Novel Life; My Book Muse;

Confessions of a Y.A. & N.A. Book Addict

October 23

Rock Stars of Romance; Silver's Reviews; Journey of a Bookseller

October 24

Sunshine & Mountains

October 27

Bewitched Bookworms; Ramblings From This Chick

October 28

Reading in Pajamas; Turn the Page

October 29

Michelle & Leslie's Book Picks; Stuck In YA Books;

Reviews by Tammy & Kim

October 30

Fang-tastic Books; No BS Book Reviews; Marie’s Cozy Corner

Smut Book Junkie Book Reviews

October 31

In Shadows; Love Romances & More

                                                                                  

Book Review: Open Road Summer by Emery Lord

Open Road Summer

By Emery Lord

Release Date: April 15, 2014

Source: Library

Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Summary: After breaking up with her bad-news boyfriend, Reagan O’Neill is ready to leave her rebellious ways behind. . . and her best friend, country superstar Lilah Montgomery, is nursing a broken heart of her own. Fortunately, Lilah’s 24-city tour is about to kick off, offering a perfect opportunity for a girls-only summer of break-up ballads and healing hearts. But when Matt Finch joins the tour as its opening act, his boy-next-door charm proves difficult for Reagan to resist, despite her vow to live a drama-free existence. This summer, Reagan and Lilah will navigate the ups and downs of fame and friendship as they come to see that giving your heart to the right person is always a risk worth taking. A fresh new voice in contemporary romance, Emery Lord’s gorgeous writing hits all the right notes.

Review: One look at this book and I knew that I just and to read it. As a YA contemporary that had to do with road trips and country superstars, it sounded right up my alley. 

Reagan O'Neill is finally ready to change her life after breaking up with her boyfriend, and what better way to start over than by spending the summer on tour with her best friend who just so happens to be the biggest country superstar? But when Matt Finch joins the tour in order to help save her best friend's reputation after nasty rumors were spread, his good-boy charm is impossible to ignore. On her journey towards being a better person, Reagan discovers that you can't always control who you fall for and that taking that risk may be just what she needs to become the person she needs to be. 

At the beginning of the novel, I was super wary of Reagan's character. I usually hate girls who are all, "oh, guys check out my hot body all the time" and have very scandalous, bad girl pasts. With Reagan, though, we get to see her at a point in her life where she's been hurt and finally sees that she wants to change that bad-girl persona and try to be a better person. I loved how Dee, her superstar best friend, is the complete opposite with her wholesome, good girl personality. While they're complete opposites, I think that Dee and Reagan were perfect for each other and I'm so glad that this book had such a strong friendship at the core of its story. They both knew each other's painful pasts and care about each other to the point where they'd do anything to make the other one happy. It was nice seeing a friendship that, while having its ups and downs, played an integral part to the stories of each of the characters. 

Yes, the friendship was great, but we can't ignore Matt Finch. Oh, Matt. He was such a cutie pie. I love guys like him and he was exactly what Reagan needed at that time in her life, thought she wouldn't admit it to herself. Matt is the kind of guy who is super genuine, but also won't put up with Reagan's crap. Their initial bantering was so cute and I loved how flirty Matt could get because it would get on Reagan's nerves since she didn't want to admit how much she liked his attention. It doesn't hurt, either, that Matt's also a singer who can write some adorable, emotional songs about the relationships in his life, which may or may not include one with Reagan. Reagan may be this tough girl on the outside, but Matt's charm finds a way to wriggle underneath the surface and show Reagan that a guy like him is just what she needs. And, oh my gosh, what he does at the end? I was literally swooning over how freaking perfect and adorable he was. Reagan wasn't just about to dive into anything with Matt after how her last relationship ended, so she really made him work to show her how perfect they were for each other. 

There are contemporary YA books that completely blow all of the other ones out of the water, and I definitely think Emery Lord has written one of those. She's created a real friendship between her two main characters and an emotional romance that has to establish a sense of trust before either character goes all in. Reagan was a tough girl, but her bad girl reputation wasn't too over the top and she was a the point where she was trying to change for the better. And Matt Finch is more than ready to help her with that task! If you want a YA contemporary that has the fun, summer road trip setting full of new beginnings, friendship, and romance, pick up Open Road Summer by Emery Lord.

October 2014 TBR Pile

How is it October already? I feel like the months are just flying by and, before I know it, it'll be May and I'll have graduated from college and forced to face the real world. Hopefully things will slow down so that I can enjoy this last year, especially during these fall months. Fall is my favorite season and I love it when the leaves start to fall and I can bundle up in warm sweaters, sipping some yummy hot cocoa. With a good book too, of course! While I was home over the weekend, I made sure to grab all of the books that came for me during September and I made a list of the nine books I have to get through this month. 

Hope Burns by Jaci Burton

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 

Chained by Night by Larissa Ione 

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

Sweet Thing by Renee Carlino 

Echoes of Scotland Street by Samantha Young

The Kill Order by James Dashner

Keep Me Safe by Maya Banks

Unmade by Sarah Reese Brennan

I am seriously excited for this list because it contains books by some of my absolute favorite authors. In fact, only two of these authors are new to me (Diana Gabaldon and Renee Carlino), while I have already fallen in love with the works of the other authors. I also have an eclectic array of genres, which always makes me happy. I like to switch things up so I'm not bored and can enjoy books without having other books of the same genre affect how I read it. I have some contemporary romance, historical romance, YA romance, new adult, and YA fantasy…so many good genres! If you want to know a little bit more about my TBR list for October, make sure you check out the video I made! Happy reading! 

Trailer Reveal: Whatever Life Throws At You by Julie Cross

 

We are so excited to bring you the trailer reveal for Julie Cross' Whatever Life Throws at You! Whatever Life Throws at You is a YA contemporary romance published by Entangled Teen and is releasing on October 7th!

   

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmfG4ZOv_rQ

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Powell’s Books 

Whatever Life Throws At You
By Julie Cross
Release Date: October 7, 2014

Summary: Life loves a good curveball… Seventeen-year-old Annie Lucas is too young to remember her dad’s glory days as a pitcher for the Yankees. So when her father is offered a coaching position with the Kansas City Royals, Annie is intrigued to see the baseball side of her dad. Of course, knowing he’ll be a mentor to hot young rookie pitcher, Jason Brody, certainly makes it more enticing. After an awkward first meeting with “Brody” involving very little clothing and a much-too-personal locker room interview, Annie’s convinced she knows Brody’s type: arrogant, self-involved, bossy. As her dad grows closer to the pitching phenom, the friction between Brody and Annie increases. But when opening day arrives and it looks like both her dad and Brody may lose their dream jobs, Annie steps up and offers support. She and Brody call a truce that grows into friendship—and beyond. Falling for a rising star who’s quickly reaching a level that involves rabid female fans is not what Annie would call smart, except suddenly she’s getting hints that maybe this crush isn’t one-sided after all. Could someone like Brody actually fall for a girl like her?

About the Author

Julie Cross lives in Central Illinois with her husband and three children. She’s a former gymnast and longtime gymnastics fan, coach, and former gymnastics program director with the YMCA. She’s a lover of books, devouring several novels a week, especially in the young adult and new adult genres. Outside of her reading and writing credentials, Julie is a committed—but not talented—long-distance runner, creator of imaginary beach vacations, Midwest bipolar-weather survivor, and expired CPR certification card holder, as well as a ponytail and gym-shoe addict.      

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Author Goodreads | WHATEVER LIFE THROWS AT YOU Goodreads

Waiting on Wednesday (163)

This is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine where every Wednesday bloggers highlight a book that they are eagerly anticipating the release of!

Echoes of Scotland Street (On Dublin Street #5)

By Samantha Young

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Summary: Shannon MacLeod has always gone for the wrong type of man. After she drifted from one toxic relationship to the next, her last boyfriend gave her a wakeup call in the worst possible way. With her world shattered, she’s sworn off men—especially those of the bad-boy variety.

Cole Walker is exactly the sort that Shannon wants to avoid—gorgeous, tattooed, charming, and cocky. But his rough exterior hides a good man who’s ready to find “the one.” He’s determined to pull Shannon from her self-imposed solitude and win her heart.

As Shannon opens up in the face of Cole’s steady devotion, the passion between them ignites to blazing levels. But when Shannon’s past comes back to haunt her, her fears may destroy the trust Cole has built between them—and tear them apart for good…

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OH MY GOSH, IT'S COLE'S STORY! Ah, words can't even begin to explain how excited I am to read this one. Seriously, Cole has been in the stories ever since Jo's book (the second one in the series) and I've grown to love him more and more with each passing book. I love how he has this bad boy exterior, but is a totally romantic on the inside. I've had a copy of this waiting for me at home and I was so excited to finally have it in my hands when I went home this past weekend (since I'm at school right now, I still have my books sent to my home address). The wait has been killing me and I can't wait to finally devour this book this weekend!