Sherlock Holmes Sucks at Deduction

Thanks to my friend Liz for sending this to me. :)

Once S3 Finale Spoilers!

This Sunday Once Upon a Time ends its third season with a TWO HOUR finale. There are lots of good spoilers HERE, if you are so inclined.

Once has also been officially renewed for a fourth season!

To celebrate, I'm going to continue doing what I've done all week, which is stare at these photos of Hook and Emma from the finale, because they make my Captain Swan-shipping heart SO FRIGGIN' HAPPY.

Emma's dress! I DIE. That look on Hook's face? I CANNOT DEAL WITH THAT LOOK ON HIS FACE.

If this doesn't happen again...it's going to be a long summer hiatus, people.

Review: To Sir Phillip, With Love by Julia Quinn

To Sir Phillip, With Love (Bridgertons #5)
By: Julia Quinn
Publisher: Harper Collins
ASIN: B000FC1494

Review:

At twenty-eight and firmly "on the shelf," Eloise Bridgerton was content with her life as a spinster -- or so she thought. Within the arms of her eclectic family, she never felt pressured to marry, and so she held out for the right one, because she was not one to settle for second (or third or fourth) best. As the years since her debut passed, she became increasingly acclimated to the idea of the single life, especially with her best friend and confidante, Penelope at her side. But then Penelope went and married her brother, Colin (Colin!!), and while she was truly happy for two of the people she loved most in the world to find happiness together, she couldn't help feeling...stuck. And so when Sir Phillip Crane, the widowed husband of her cousin, Marina, her secret correspondent of the last year, proposed marriage, she decided to accept. Seized with desperation to claim her chance at a life she thought had passed her by, Eloise flees London before she can lose her nerve...only she neglected apprise Sir Phillip of her impending arrival, and so she arrives at Romney Hall to set her plan in motion, only to be surprised by Phillip's two (unruly) children, no chaperone, and a man equal parts maddening and intoxicating, his manners making her temper flare while his smiles turned her knees to jelly. Is marriage to a man she barely knows her only hope of happiness? Or will her reckless gamble see her married to a man consumed by past demons, one she could never love?

Phillip Crane has spent much of the last decade living a life he'd never wanted. The second born, all Phillip ever wanted was to escape his abusive father's reach, losing himself in his studies at Cambridge where he earned a first in botany. But everything changed when Waterloo took his brother's life, and Phillip found himself the heir to his father's baronetcy. He'd hoped to find a measure of happiness with Marina, his brother's now-bereaved fiancee, but their marriage is doomed from the start, as Marina is crippled by depression. Left with two children he barely knows, and if he's honest, fears to raise -- fears seeing his father's temper rear its ugly head as a twisted, emotional inheritance -- Phillip is every bit as lost as his late wife. But a chance letter from Eloise, a woman he's never met, leads to an unlikely friendship, and gives birth to a desperate plan -- he'll marry the spinster, she'll take charge of his children, and his life will finally be normal. When Eloise arrives, she's nothing like he expected -- gorgeous, spirited, and independent, she's the answer to all of his prayers...if only he can convince her to stay. But when their hands are forced and marriage is no longer an option but a decree, will love have room to grow? Or will happiness remain a dream unfulfilled, forever out of reach?

To Sir Phillip, With Love marks a transition in the Bridgerton series, as with Eloise's story Quinn begins to tell the tales of the four younger siblings that make up this quirky, loving family. The older siblings are now well-established in their lives and families, and the younger are at last given the spotlight in which to shine. Eloise has long been a fixture of the series, for as Penelope's best friend and confidant she unknowingly played a critical role in the Lady Whistledown saga that ran through the first four books, tying them together with columnist's famously droll observations about the ton's eccentricities. This installment is a bit of a departure from the winning formula of its predecessors, as Eloise makes the conscious, shocking decision to flee the only life she's ever known, risking everything on the wild hope that she could love a man she's never met, and thrive in a life outside the close-knit confines of her family.

The romantic in me loves a romance based on letters, and as such was thrilled with the premise behind Eloise and Phillip's connection, despite the decided lack of letters, romantic or otherwise, featured in the narrative. Rather than Whistledown excerpts, each chapter opens with an excerpt from Eloise's past correspondence with friends and family, revealing a glimpse of the woman she'd one day become, whose firmly-held views would undergo a trial by fire when she gambles her future on Phillip. Quinn's trademark warmth and humor are ever present throughout the story, if perhaps in a slightly muted form given the tragedy coloring the lives of the Crane family. I loved the impact of Phillip's "surprise" children on his attempts to court Eloise -- it reminded me a bit of The Brady Bunch, only twins Amanda and Oliver are first wholly opposed to the idea of welcoming Eloise in their lives. Pranks and tears ensue in turn en route to Phillip and Eloise's happily ever after, but Quinn imbues the journey with the warmth, sensitivity, and emotional depth I've come to appreciate as a hallmark of her fiction.

Eloise is a fascinating character, because up to this point she's been given an extraordinary amount of latitude in a culture that raised women to fulfill limited, specific roles. Her contentment with the concept of spinsterhood, and her family's support, enabling her to enjoy a measure of freedom not typically afforded to well-bred single women in her social sphere. But even a Bridgerton must pay the piper, as Eloise discovers to her mortification when her scandalous plans are uncovered, leading her four brothers to Phillip's door, where marriage, once just an option, becomes her future. I LOVED seeing all four of the Bridgerton brothers again, their typical easy-going camaraderie transformed into a formidable force when united in defense of their sister's honor, and the glimpse afforded into Benedict and Sophie's married life. And I loved that even in romantic, escapist fiction of this ilk, Eloise has to come to terms with the consequences of her choices.

Eloise and Phillip's love story is one of conscious choice, wherein the decision is made over and over to fight for the success of their unorthodox relationship. In many respects, these two couldn't be more different, their marriage a study in work and compromise. Quinn handles the impact of Marina's depression on her family with a compassionate touch, sketching the heartbreaking effect such an illness can have on those within its orbit. Therefore, Phillip's response to Eloise, his relief at marrying a passionate, capable woman masking his reticence to deal with his own emotional issues felt incredibly authentic. Once again Quinn crafts a romance that takes the relationship far beyond the physical, here delving into trickier emotional waters, forcing her leads to work through their respective fears and commit to each other and the health of their marriage.

Quinn has never been one to shy away from weightier issues in her romances (i.e., illegitimacy in An Offer from a Gentleman or parental death/mortality in The Viscount Who Loved Me), but this volume feels more somber in tone, perhaps due to circumstances surround Marina's death and Phillip's young children. Although less effortlessly humorous, less effervescent than its predecessors, Eloise's story stands out for its emotional resonance and the unorthodox origin of her love story. While the Bridgerton clan is largely absent from this tale, their presence is always felt, as Eloise discovers anew the import and gift that is her familial legacy as she scripts her life story. The tale of a woman determined to live life on her own terms and a man broken by his past, To Sir Phillip, With Love, is a tribute to the dreamers and the risk-takers among us, those with the courage to seize their dreams and the passion to see them succeed, one of Quinn's best portraits of marriage and commitment.

About the book:

She wrote him a letter...and he stole her heart.

Sir Phillip knew that Eloise Bridgerton was a spinster, so he proposed, figuring that she'd be more than a little desperate for an offer of marriage. Except...she wasn't. The beautiful woman on his doorstep was anything but quiet, and when she stopped talking enough to close her mouth, all he wanted to do was kiss her...and more.

Did he think she was mad? Eloise Bridgerton couldn't marry a man she had never met! But then she started thinking...and wondering...and before she knew it, she was on her way to meet the man she hoped might be her perfect match. Except...he wasn't. Her perfect husband wouldn't be so moody and ill-mannered, totally unlike the London gentlemen vying for her hand. But when he smiled...and when he kissed her...the rest of the world simply fell away. Could this imperfect man be perfect for her?

The UK cover!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

I'm over at BreakPoint talking about hope and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - I'd love to know what you think! :)

Review: Sinners and the Sea by Rebecca Kanner

Sinners and the Sea
By: Rebecca Kanner
Publisher: Howard Books
ISBN: 978-1-4516-9525-0

Review:

A large, wine-colored birthmark has stained the nameless girl's forehead since birth, setting her apart as other, different, one to be feared. Left nameless for fear of bringing further calamity upon her life, she has lived as an outcast, only ever craving a name, a place to belong, and a sense of identity -- but instead feared as the spawn of a demon. At nearly twenty, long past the age when most girls have married and started families, the girl and her beloved father eke out a bare existence as outcasts among their own people. As tempers flare, and neighbors threaten to forcibly remove the marked girl's presence from their midst, her desperate father strikes a bargain with the one man who will look beyond his daughter's mark. Noah, a righteous man in a land of sinners, seeks a woman to wed and give him sons. Desperate to live, and desperate to save her father, the girl agrees -- and is given in marriage to Noah, a man hundreds of years her senior, who speaks to a God she doesn't know and whose purpose will change her life forever.

I'm always eager to try new authors who dare to explore the scriptures through the lens of fiction. For her debut, Kanner has taken the arguably unorthodox route of bringing to life the nameless woman who was Noah's wife, an individual referred to a scant handful of time sin Genesis, and only in passing, but whose impact on the world to people of faith is undeniable. Within the pages of Sinners and the Sea, Kanner seeks to illuminate this shadowy figure -- who was this woman, mother of nations through her three sons, forever immortalized in scripture yet never given a name, an identity? By giving a voice to Noah's wife, Kanner restores the feminine narrative to this history writ in patriarchy, examining the fall, the flood, and the world's rebirth with a voice whose impact was always present, undeniably important, yet has remained shrouded in mystery.

Noah's life and the story of the flood encompasses barely four chapters in Genesis, most of which covers time on the ark and subsequent descendants. There is little social context given in the pre-flood verses, and so, although "the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and...filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11), I was ill-prepared for the utter bleakness and depravity our marked heroine encounters when she journeys to Noah's home. Sorum is a land of outcasts, violence, and horror, with Noah as the proverbial "voice in the wilderness" speaking his message to a very un-receptive audience. Reading Kanner's account of the pre-flood society is not for the faint of heart, though it is eye-opening in its unvarnished depiction of unbridled excess and depravity.

I confess to being somewhat troubled by the novel's characterizations of Noah, and later his sons. This is an unabashedly feminist text, and as such I applaud it and the author for giving voice to the female side of the population in biblical times. Noah's wife is not an Esther, given a grand platform on which to stand -- in her everyday life she is, if you'll pardon the term, rather ordinary -- but that doesn't make her life or contribution or place in the Judeo-Christian tradition any less important. However, given the limited verses mentioning Noah or his sons, here they are painted an almost wholly unsympathetic light. Indeed, Noah is not redeemed to some degree until the very end of the novel, where he finally opens up about his struggles with doubt and fear to his still-nameless wife. Without clear scriptural basis, painting Noah and sons, particularly Japheth, with broad brushstrokes of extreme religious radicalism to the point of villainy is unsettling at best to this reader.

Sinners and the Sea is, in many respects, a gorgeously-rendered novel. Kanner has a gift for description and her prose has a fluidity that spins a heady web, pulling you into the story of Noah's nameless wife and her struggle to reconcile her mark, her lack of identity, with her husband's all-consuming purpose. In many respects this is the biblical version of a dystopian novel. Compared to novels I've read that have brought Jacob, Joseph, and David to life, Kanner's depiction of Noah's time has the other-worldly feel of a nightmare-ish fable. Seen only through the eyes of Noah's nameless wife, God is almost wholly absent, as Noah's faith is a foreign, strange thing to his wife.

I have mixed feelings about this book as a work of biblical fiction -- from the world, to the making of the ark, to the passengers who board it, there seems to be a greater mark of artistic license than I generally look for in fiction of this ilk. That said, this is a heart-breaking, thought-provoking story. With her stark, high-impact prose, Kanner paints a bleak portrait of the depths to which man can sink, where everyone is, to some degree, painted in varying shades of gray -- for much like the fiery madam Javan, Kanner forces readers to consider the oft-times dual nature of humanity, and how even in the midst of utter depravity, light can be found. While Sinners and the Sea takes a great deal of license with the biblical account of the flood, it is a powerful portrait of a woman coming into her own in a male-dominated world. A sinner can be a saint, and the righteous can fall short and sin, but I take comfort in God's constancy and provision, and that reminder is, perhaps, this dark, challenging, thought-provoking book's greatest gift.

About the book:

The young heroine in Sinners and the Sea is destined for greatness. Known only as “wife” in the Bible and cursed with a birthmark that many think is the brand of a demon, this unnamed woman lives anew through Rebecca Kanner. The author gives this virtuous woman the perfect voice to make one of the Old Testament’s stories come alive like never before.

Desperate to keep her safe, the woman’s father gives her to the righteous Noah, who weds her and takes her to the town of Sorum, a haven for outcasts. Alone in her new life, Noah’s wife gives him three sons. But living in this wicked and perverse town with an aloof husband who speaks more to God than to her takes its toll. She tries to make friends with the violent and dissolute people of Sorum while raising a brood that, despite its pious upbringing, develops some sinful tendencies of its own. While Noah carries out the Lord’s commands, she tries to hide her mark and her shame as she weathers the scorn and taunts of the townspeople.

But these trials are nothing compared to what awaits her after God tells her husband that a flood is coming—and that Noah and his family must build an ark so that they alone can repopulate the world. As the floodwaters draw near, she grows in courage and honor, and when the water finally recedes, she emerges whole, displaying once and for all the indomitable strength of women. Drawing on the biblical narrative and Jewish mythology, Sinners and the Sea is a beauti­fully written account of the antediluvian world told in cinematic detail.

*Thanks to Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours for the review opportunity!

Review: Mr. Impossible by Loretta Chase

Mr. Impossible (Carsington Brothers #2)
By: Loretta Chase
Publisher: Berkley
ASIN: B000PC71MI

Review:

Long ago, Daphne Pembroke once let her emotions rule her intellect, and made a grave error in judgement. At nineteen, she became enamored with an older scholar who became a condescending, controlling husband, using his experience and age as leverage with which to stifle Daphne's own considerable intellect and passion for study. Forced to deny the very essence of herself -- her love of learning -- Daphne adapts in order to survive, and upon her husband's death continues her intellectual charade. Her beloved brother Myles becomes a scholar, renowned for his work in studying the enigma of Egyptian hieroglyphs, while Daphne is is loyal assistant, the world never suspecting that it is Daphne's work bringing academic acclaim to the family name. It's a sensible arrangement, one that has worked well for years, hiding the scandalous truth of Daphne's "unwomanly" intellect and allowing her to pursue her studies in peace -- until the unthinkable happens, and Myles is kidnapped by treasure seekers, determined to use the famed scholar's ability to translate hieroglyphs to discover an untouched trove of Egyptian treasure. Desperate to save Myles before the truth behind his alleged intellectual prowess is discovered, thereby nullifying his usefulness to his captors, Dapne turns to the authorities for help. But the only help that is forthcoming is Lord Hargate's scapegrace fourth son, Rupert Carsington, infamous from London to Cairo for his inability to stay out of trouble.

The utter despair of his parents, Rupert was sent to Egypt to make something of himself (or die trying), and has managed to met every challenge -- whether self-made or unceremoniously thrust upon him -- with a degree of equanimity that should make his sire proud. But digging in the sand in search of knick-knacks and ancient "thingums" is dashed boring -- and therefore, when presented with the chance to legitimately bash heads and spend time with the buttoned-up-but-beautiful Daphne Pembroke, Rupert embraces the challenge with his usual measure of enthusiasm. Particularly if, in his efforts to reunite the devoted Daphne with her missing brother, circumstances should allow him to embrace her with enthusiasm, a prospect the likes of which he is determined to avail himself at the first opportunity.

Daphne is determined to rid herself of the nobleman's blockhead of a son at the first opportunity, but as the pair begin to make investigate Myles's disappearance, unexpected danger threatens -- and the man she hired for only his brawn proves himself to be a more necessary -- and worthy -- ally than she'd ever dreamed. As they travel across Egypt in search of Myles, desperately seeking clues locked within the cryptic hieroglyphs that may aid in securing his release, Daphne finds herself irresistibly drawn to her unlikely partner in adventure, while Rupert finds himself dealing with feelings of an unexpected nature -- feelings that have as much to do with his appreciation of Daphne's "magnificent brain" as her fine figure. When an immovable object -- the determinedly bookish Daphne -- meets an irresistible force -- Rupert, the numskull of surprising depth -- the impossible occurs, and sparks fly. With danger stalking their every step, can the reckless Rupert convince his would-be lady that their relationship is a risk worth taking?

Ms. Chase returns to the Carsington family for a second tale of unlikely lovers with Mr. Impossible, even more more outrageously delightful than its predecessor. You GUYS...this book is like The Mummy meets Romancing the Stone. Cravats and breeches and adventure in 1821 Egypt? I am SO THERE. Chase refreshes the historical romance formula with a dash of adventure and a healthy dose of the exotic. In the vein of Alistair and Mirabel's stormy courtship in Miss Wonderful, the pages of Mr. Impossible sizzle with romantic tension. But more than that, what I am growing to love about Chase's fiction is her humor -- and that quality is happily evident in abundance, wherein Chase has taken one of my favorite tropes -- the bookish heroine -- and given her an adventure with a truly cinematic flair.

As a reader who counts Beauty and the Beast among her favorite fairy tales, it should come as no surprise that intelligent, book-loving heroines are near and dear to my heart -- and as such, Daphne is a gem. Though a widow as the time the story opens, the negative impact of her husband's controlling nature and the doubts he planted within regarding her self-worth cut deeply enough to continue to inform her image and outlook years after his death. I absolutely loved watching Daphne blossom over the course of her journey to find Myles, tapping into reservoirs of strength and purpose she never knew she had -- but more than that, of coming to accept herself. While a woman's access and right to education during this time was limited if not outright frowned upon, it's fabulous to see a romance where the hero is not only attracted to the heroine's intellect, but encourages it.

Unlike his brother Alistair, Rupert is a man upon whom life seems to have placed no expectations -- and he's just good-natured enough not to care, or if he does, not to let it darken his otherwise perpetually optimistic disposition. A self-proclaimed blockhead and a widely-renowned scandal-monger, Rupert could easily be the cookie-cutter definition of a rake. But thanks to Chase's deft characterization, he's quite simply too good-natured, and though he might seem to think first all too often with other parts of his anatomy rather than his brain, he is not without street-smarts. This novel is as much about Rupert defying and exceeding expectations as it is about Daphne's self-worth, and as such I loved his optimism and determination. While he is exceedingly comfortable in his own skin, he is quite capable of adapting and changing when required. Simply put, it's refreshing to read a romance where the tall, dark, and handsome hero isn't brooding, angst-ridden, and emotionally scarred -- he's self-deprecating, funny, and just plain nice.

With Mr. Impossible Loretta Chase has cemented her position on my list of must-read authors. All of the elements that I loved in Alistair's story, my introduction to her work -- from the swoon-worthy romance, sharply-drawn characters, and wonderfully sly sense of humor explode with Technicolor brilliance here. Mr. Impossible is the very definition of a rollicking, adventure-packed romance. With Chase's deliciously subversive, sarcastic sense of humor, lightning-fast pacing, exotic setting, and a chemistry so electric the sparks practically fly from the page, Mr. Impossible is the perfect blend of spine-tingling romance and high-spirited adventure. A love letter to bookishly-minded heroines, Daphne and Rupert's romance -- physicality aside, which is present in near over-abundance -- is a joy to read, the definition of opposites attract as a meeting of two more dissimilar, yet perfectly matched minds than I could ever hope to meet on the page.

About the book:

Impossible
Rupert Carsington, fourth son of the Earl of Hargate, is his aristocratic family's favorite disaster. He is irresistibly handsome, shockingly masculine, and irrevocably reckless, and wherever he goes, trouble follows. Still, Rupert's never met an entanglement -- emotional or other -- he couldn't escape. Until now.

Outrageous
Now he's in Egypt, stranded in the depths of Cairo's most infamous prison, and his only way out is accepting a beautiful widow's dangerous proposal. Scholar Daphne Pembroke wants him to rescue her brother, who's been kidnapped by a rival seeking a fabled treasure. Their partnership is strictly business: She'll provide the brains, he, the brawn. Simple enough in theory.

Inevitable
Blame it on the sun or the blazing desert heat, but as tensions flare and inhibitions melt, the most disciplined of women and the most reckless of men are about to clash in the most impossibly irresistible way.

Review: A Spear of Summer Grass by Deanna Raybourn

A Spear of Summer Grass
By: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
ISBN: 978-0-7783-1439-4

Review:

"Don't believe the stories you have heard about me. I have never killed anyone, and I have never stolen another woman's husband....And I never meant to go to Africa." - Delilah Drummond

Delilah Drummond is no stranger to scandal, having learned the essentials of mastering a notorious lifestyle with verve and flair at her mother Mossy's knee. But her latest scandal is even too much for her open-minded mother, as following her last husband's suicide and the subsequent battle over his assets, the newspapers smell blood -- and Delilah's questionable mores and carefree lifestyle are the target, with collateral damage among her family, friends, and ex-husbands not just a fear, but a very real possibility. And so Delilah is sent packing, her infamy and seemingly unstoppable proclivity for fostering scandal sent to Fairlight, her (first) stepfather's Kenyan estate. There she will cool her heels, lost in the wilds of Africa, until the worst of the scandal passes and she is free to return from exile -- free to return to her endless round of parties and pleasure-seeking, a life of carelessly constructed excess designed to fill the hole ripped in her soul by the Great War.

But nothing prepared Delilah for Africa. Even in Nairobi, Delilah finds her reputation has proceeded her, souring the opinion of local authorities against her presence. Fairlight has fallen into disrepair, and she throws herself into the project of its rehabilitation -- and as word of her presence spreads, the natives arrive, seeking work, medicine, and justice, casting the new mistress of Fairlight as benefactress, a role Delilah isn't sure she's willing -- or able -- to play. Drawing on reservoirs of strength and determination she never knew she possessed, Delilah settles into life at Fairlight and slowly but surely finds herself falling under Africa's heady, intoxicating spell.

All temptation, however, was not left behind in Europe and America, as the small community of expatriates Delilah meets remind her of the life to which she fully intends to return, even as she finds herself troubled by their excesses and attitude toward the native Africans. She renews a liason with Kit, a painter, even as she's inexorably drawn to the rugged masculinity and raw power of Ryder White, a legendary hunter. But the more time she spends with Ryder, the more Delilah realizes that Ryder is the one man she can't control, the one man who threatens to demand more of her than she's willing to give -- the fearful leap of whole-hearted commitment. As tensions escalate over Kenya's bid for independence, an unspeakable crime is committed, and Delilah is forced to confront her deepest fears and decide if she has the strength to stop running and claim a life and a love the likes of which she'd never dreamed -- a life as starkly honest and unvarnished as Africa, the land that's staked an irrevocable claim on her soul.

Last year I was captivated by Far in the Wilds, the prequel novella to Delilah's story, in which Raybourn introduced Ryder in all of his smoldering glory and rugged charm. But to my everlasting chagrin, I allowed the follow-up to languish on my to-be-read pile -- however, if a book was ever worth the wait, it's this one. A Spear of Summer Grass is an absolutely intoxicating read. As an ardent fan of British costume dramas, I'm always on the lookout for novels that replicate that viewing experience -- and with the exception of Philip Rock's Greville trilogy, novels that possess that cinematic spark, that seduce the reader with luxurious prose, unforgettable characterizations, and an unparalleled sense of time and place have fallen short -- until now. With Delilah's story, Raybourn has delivered a sterling example of everything I crave in historical fiction. A Spear of Summer Grass is a story to be savored, an evocative glimpse into a world long past, and a heartbreaking examination of the transformative effect of the Great War on social mores and those who survived to stitch together the shattered remains of their pre-war illusions.

Delilah is, perhaps, Raybourn's strongest heroine to date. Powerfully informed by the tremendously flawed, strong women surrounding her Lousiana-Creole upbringing, she's independent, strong-willed, and compassionate, renowned for her fast lifestyle but with her own strong moral code that cannot be denied. By setting this novel in the early post-war years, at the dawn of the heady rush that was the Roaring Twenties, Raybourn is able to explore the well-entrenched impact of the Great War on a bright young thing like Delilah. The loss of her first great love, Johnny, and the wholesale destruction the conflict wreaked upon her generation is, in a word, catastrophic. As her cousin and companion Dora so astutely observes, it isn't endless pleasure that Delilah seeks with her hedonistic lifestyle, it's oblivion -- always fleeting and increasingly temporary, a mind-numbing salve that allows her time and again to deny coming to terms with herself and her life. With Delilah, Raybourn has captured the underlying brokenness of the 1920s, the pain that so often festered just beneath the excess, a never-healed wound carried by many of those touched by the previous decade's conflict.

I knew from reading Raybourn's Lady Julia novels that she could pen a swoon-worthy romance, and maybe it's just been a while since I read those but with Ryder I'm convinced she's crafted her best hero yet. Cut from the classic adventure mold created by the likes of Allen Quartermain, and which informed my favorite, Indiana Jones, Ryder is bold, brash, and larger-than-life, every bit as wounded as Delilah. Yet where her first, carefully-honed instinct is to run, he is one who plays the long game, a stayer who'd like nothing more than the chance to invest in a relationship with Delilah, much as he has in building his life in Africa. As Ryder tells Delilah, Africa is "no country for softness," the land serving as the crucible in which those who are broken are remade -- but one must make the choice to survive, to embrace a life lived on the knife edge of uncertainty and live it to the full. With Ryder and Delilah, Raybourn has penned a romance for the ages, at once cinematic in scope and breathtakingly intimate. For Ryder, broken and remade as he is, is a man who proves over and over that "he's a hell of a stayer."

Raybourn paints the canvas of her story with sweeping, gorgeously-rendered detail, evoking colonial Africa as a land ripe with possibilities, on the cusp of great change, and not for the faint of heart. Peopled with a host of colorful supporting players, from Gideon, the Masai warrior Delilah befriends, the pleasure-seeking expat Helen, and Tusker, Ryder's indomitable aunt. I particularly loved Raybourn's handling of race relations in 1923 -- while Delilah is a very forward-thinking woman, she's still very much a product of her time, and as such is able to confront issues like race relations and colonial justice with sensitivity and thought-provoking honesty.

A Spear of Summer Grass is a stunning, wholly absorbing novel that will sweep you away to a world lost to the inexorable march of time. Replete with lush, evocative descriptions of Africa's wild beauty, with characters dancing across this vast panorama every bit as wild, wonderful, and unique as the land the grow to love. As a product of Raybourn's imagination, Delilah is a masterclass in characterization; as a character she is an irresistible, compelling force to be reckoned with, one that will wile her way into your heart and captivate your imagination. At once a fascinating character piece, a love letter to a beautiful land, and an insightful examination of the shattering effects of the Great War, A Spear of Summer Grass is a novel to be savored. This is Raybourn at her finest -- lush prose, impeccable plotting, sublimely crafted characters, and a heart-tugging, sweeping saga that will leave its indelible imprint on your imagination.

About the book:

Paris, 1923

The daughter of a scandalous mother, Delilah Drummond is already notorious, even among Paris society. But her latest scandal is big enough to make even her oft-married mother blanch. Delilah is exiled to Kenya and her favorite stepfather's savanna manor house until gossip subsides.

Fairlight is the crumbling, sun-bleached skeleton of a faded African dream, a world where dissolute expats are bolstered by gin and jazz records, cigarettes and safaris. As mistress of this wasted estate, Delilah falls into the decadent pleasures of society.

Against the frivolity of her peers, Ryder White stands in sharp contrast. As foreign to Delilah as Africa, Ryder becomes her guide to the complex beauty of this unknown world. Giraffes, buffalo, lions and elephants roam the shores of Lake Wanyama amid swirls of red dust. Here, life is lush and teeming—yet fleeting and often cheap.

Amidst the wonders—and dangers—of Africa, Delilah awakes to a land out of all proportion: extremes of heat, darkness, beauty and joy that cut to her very heart. Only when this sacred place is profaned by bloodshed does Delilah discover what is truly worth fighting for—and what she can no longer live without.

******

And now, a book-casting BONUS! :) A Spear of Summer Grass practically begs to be made into a film, as Raybourn brings Delilah and Ryder to life with technicolor vibrancy on the page. So of COURSE, I had to "cast" Delilah and Ryder...if you've read the novel, I'd love to know your thoughts!

I cannot think of an actress more perfectly suited to play Delilah than Essie Davis, pictured here in her role as Phryne Fisher from the AMAZING Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries (if you haven't watched this show, WHAT ON EARTH are you waiting for?!). Not only is Phryne, in many respects, Delilah's emotional twin, but Davis has the clothes and mannerisms down perfectly. BBC, someone, make this happen!

Now, it could be that I'm a little obsessed with Outlaw Queen-shipping on Once Upon a Time, and was therefore projecting on my reading -- but setting aside my love for the developing Robin/Regina relationship, I really think Sean Maguire would be an excellent Ryder. He's got the rough edges, the humor, the attitude, and most of all, the looks.

And one more, just in case I haven't convinced you of Sean's ability to cast smoldering looks at his leading lady (incidentally, if Essie Davis isn't available to play Delilah, Lana Parrilla would be my second choice). :)

I can't even deal with this.

The Colonel's Lady - on sale!

The Colonel's Lady by Laura Frantz, a.k.a. one of my favorite books EVER with one of the most amazing heroes of ALL TIME (I love Cassius McLinn SO MUCH!) is currently on sale for Kindle for just $1.99! I have no idea how long this sale will last, so don't miss out on this amazing deal! You can read my review of The Colonel's Lady here (in fact, I think I might need to re-read this book ASAP and expand on that post, as I don't think I talked about Cassius quite enough!).