Mary B

Mary B- Katherine J. Chen
Random House
Release Date: July 24, 2018

Rating:

Synopsis: What is to be done with Mary Bennet? She possesses neither the beauty of her eldest sister, Jane, nor the high-spirited charm of second-born Lizzy. Even compared to her frivolous younger siblings, Kitty and Lydia, Mary knows she is lacking in the ways that matter for single, not-so-well-to-do women in nineteenth-century England who must secure their futures through the finding of a husband. As her sisters wed, one by one, Mary pictures herself growing old, a spinster with no estate to run or children to mind, dependent on the charity of others. At least she has the silent rebellion and secret pleasures of reading and writing to keep her company.

But even her fictional creations are no match for the scandal, tragedy, and romance that eventually visit Mary’s own life. In Mary B, readers are transported beyond the center of the ballroom to discover that wallflowers are sometimes the most intriguing guests at the party. Beneath Mary’s plain appearance and bookish demeanor simmers an inner life brimming with passion, humor, and imagination—and a voice that demands to be heard.

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Retellings or 'untold stories' of classic and beloved books are always risky.  They can go into avenues that the original author could not follow, they can be spicy or modern.  They can explore from the point of view of servants or secondary characters.  They can allow readers to revisit and enjoy the same world they loved in the original.  Or they can fall completely flat.  Sadly, this was the case for me with Katherine J. Chen's Mary B.  The story of the Bennets from the point of view of Mary, the middle daughter, could have been a wonderful exploration of the world of Longbourne from the point of view of a plain and generally overlooked, quiet, middle daughter.  It could have been a story of how a woman in Regency England chooses an independent life as a scholar or writer over marriage and fortune.  Or it could have followed the idea that Jane Austen herself described in a letter, where Mary marries quietly and enjoys a life of respectable society.

Instead, Chen seems determined to depress the reader and destroy everything they loved about the characters in Austen's Pride and Prejudice.  Chen doesn't retell the entire Austen original from Mary's point of view (which is probably a good thing) but glosses over that to focus on what happens in her mind after P&P ends.  Mary discovers her imagination can take her to new and improbable worlds through writing, and if this had been Chen's focus- maybe Mary becomes the next Mrs. Radcliffe- the book could have been enjoyable.  But the focus seems to be on making everyone miserable.  No characters are given the happiness we hoped for, including Mary.  Characters become their complete opposites.  Mary's life seems focused on misery and poor choices.  When Mary falls in love with first one and then another man unlikely or unable to marry her, it seems to be based mostly on being grateful for a modicum of attention (not always positive attention) than genuine depth of emotion.  Chen's writing alternates between mimicking or copying Austen's and then having her characters say things in completely modern language. Her characters are mostly shallow and completely unlikeable. 

As a book clearly intended to appeal to people who loved the original Pride and Prejudice, Chen's Mary B. has little to no chance of charming that audience.  For readers who have not read Austen's novel, Mary B.'s depressing mood has little likelihood of endearing it to a new audience.  I was frequently tempted to put the book down, but kept at it on the hope that things would turn around, characters would become likable, if not become more like their original inspiration, and readers would get the happy ending they wanted.  None of that happens and a novel that could have become a triumphant exploration of female independence remained one that I wouldn't recommend to anyone, and wish I could unread.  The first book in a long time I've read and had no choice but to give a "0" books ("so bad I can't even") rating, with no redeeming features whatsoever. This is one "untold story" that, in my opinion, should have remained untold.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Playing Hurt

Playing Hurt (An Aces Hockey Novel)- Kelly Jamieson
Loveswept/Random House 
Release Date: July 17, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚

Warning: Possible Spoilers Ahead!

Synopsis: Chase: The last thing I’d ever want to do is let my team down. After overcoming my bad-boy reputation, I was dominating on the ice. But things aren’t going so well this season, and even my parents think I’m partying again. Now I’m really worried about my career. The only bright spot in my life is the Twitter flirtation I’ve struck up with pop princess Jordyn Banks. Turns out she’s a huge hockey fan—and she’s willing to wager a date on her favorite team. . . .
 
Jordyn: Even though I’m an L.A. fan now, I’ve always had a soft spot for the Aces, since I grew up in Chicago. Then I lose a bet to Chase Hartman, and suddenly I’m up close and personal with a pro athlete who’s anything but soft. Not only is Chase the hottest guy I’ve ever met, he’s secretly super sweet. As if I had time for a relationship . . . yeah, right. But when I suddenly have nothing but time on my hands, he’s the only one who understands. Now, with both of our careers at stake, Chase is tempting me to put my heart on the line too.

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Have you ever wondered what could happen if you started following someone famous on Twitter and were actually brave enough to send them a message- and they responded? Chase Hartman of the Chicago Aces has a huge crush on singer Jordyn Banks, so when she follows him back on Twitter he's excited, and thanks her.  They get into Twitter messaging over hockey and before he quite knows what he's done, Chase has asked Jordyn out on a date.  And she's agreed.  Both say they aren't looking for a relationship at this stage in their lives, but as health challenges get thrown at them both they discover that life doesn't always go according to plan.

I loved the premise for Playing Hurt- we've all wondered "what if" you actually started talking with a famous person you liked, and they turned out to enjoy talking to you.  Jordyn and Chase, both famous in their own circles, instantly spark something with each other despite connecting online.  When they finally meet in person, the sparks are even hotter.  They discover they can be themselves and be safe with each other.  Whether that's going bowling and to blues clubs or vacationing in Aruba, they click.  When a health scare and forced time off mean Jordyn spends more time in Chicago, they fall into a relationship neither really planned on. But you know what they say- life doesn't give you what you plan for, it gives you what you need.

You spend most of the book thinking that the title Playing Hurt refers to Jordyn's health problems sidelining her while Chase refuses to deal with his own injuries.  But Chase's injuries are not just physical- he has some serious emotional roadblocks he should be working through.  Experience has shown him that people only value him when he's perfect- whether that's former girlfriends, teams, or even his parents.  So he pushes playing on when he shouldn't and then pours a lot of guilt on himself that he isn't playing well enough and is hurting the team.  When Jordyn expresses concern about him playing hurt, he lashes out at her, instantly assuming if he doesn't do what she wants that she'll leave him.  So he leaves her first. It's only after he sees her defending his play on Twitter after breaking up that he realizes he's found someone who will stick by him even when he messes up.  There is a scene towards the end where Jordyn explains to Chase that everyone is playing life hurt- sometimes you can see the injuries, but most of the time you can't.  It's not about being the best, but trying your best that will get you through life. It was so powerful, and I just loved it.  Talk about a great reminder that whether it's a famous hockey player or the person serving you coffee, you have no idea what they are going through in their lives at that moment- so be nice.  Wouldn't you want the same treatment?

I have to admit I didn't think the first half of Playing Hurt was as well written as Jamieson's books (Back Check)  usually are, but the writing got tighter and better as the book went along and ended on a real high note. Jordyn and Chase are well-written characters with lots of depth, real-world issues, and electric chemistry.  As always, Playing Hurt is a true hockey lover's book, written by an author who obvious loves hockey as much as her characters do, but without it being so much the focus of the book that non-hockey fans would be turned off.  Although part of a series, new readers can read this as a stand alone and not be lost, although returning readers will enjoy a few cameos from characters from other books. 

A fast and fun read to get hockey lovers through to the start of the season, and romance lovers a new couple to love!

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Barons of the Sea

Barons of the Sea: And their race to build the world's fastest clipper ship- Steven Ujifusa
Simon & Schuster
Release Date: July 17, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚

Synopsis: There was a time, back when the United States was young and the robber barons were just starting to come into their own, when fortunes were made and lost importing luxury goods from China. It was a secretive, glamorous, often brutal business—one where teas and silks and porcelain were purchased with profits from the opium trade. But the journey by sea to New York from Canton could take six agonizing months, and so the most pressing technological challenge of the day became ensuring one’s goods arrived first to market, so they might fetch the highest price.

Barons of the Sea tells the story of a handful of cutthroat competitors who raced to build the fastest, finest, most profitable clipper ships to carry their precious cargo to American shores. They were visionary, eccentric shipbuilders, debonair captains, and socially-ambitious merchants with names like Forbes and Delano—men whose business interests took them from the cloistered confines of China’s expatriate communities to the sin city decadence of Gold Rush-era San Francisco, and from the teeming hubbub of East Boston’s shipyards and to the lavish sitting rooms of New York’s Hudson Valley estates.

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Today people are fascinated by the "Tall Ships" when they come into a port- people come from miles around to walk their decks and imagine what it might have been like to sail the open waters in these small  (to us) wooden ships with their giant sails.  But it wasn't all that long ago that these ships ruled the waves.  Barons of the Sea tells the uniquely American story of the race to build bigger and faster clipper ships in search of money and fame.

The first part of Barons sets the stage for the building race by giving the reader an intimate look at early 1800s shipping in China.  Confined to one port, allowed to deal only with a few specific Chinese individuals, British and American trading was a young bachelor's game- building connections, working hard, playing hard.  Americans followed the British lead of smuggling opium into China, then using the money from those sales to buy large shipments of goods like tea to bring back to New York or Boston and sell for often huge profits.  I had never read anything specific on the trade, the attempts of the Chinese to stop the opium shipments, or the Opium Wars that followed and was fascinated by the story.  Just as interesting was following the few young men Barons focuses on, men who became some of the first millionaires in America.  With names like Low, Aspinwall, Forbes, and Delano, men whose children and grandchildren would build universities, rule society, and become politicians (you may have heard of at least one, Franklin Delano Roosevelt), those stories all begin with the opium trade.

The close knit band of friends and rivals from China came back to America to build their families and send others back to China to increase the company fortunes.  But they recognized that the faster a shipment could reach America, the more money they would make.  So began the golden age of clipper ship building, as each tried to break the speed records of the other, adjusting ship designs to get as much speed as possible while still fitting large consignments of goods in the hulls.  When the gold rush sent thousands rushing to California, these same men knew that whoever could get to San Fransisco fastest would earn the most money, as basic goods in California were selling for five to ten times the price they were on the East Coast.

Barons fo the Sea is an interesting exploration of the 19th century trading and economic battles through the focus on a handful of leading men and their daring captains who attempted the dangerous voyages.  Those interested in maritime history, 19th century America, and early trading in China will especially appreciate the careful research and writing of this fascinating look into American history.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Bite-Sized History of France

A Bite-Sized History of France: Gastronomic Tales of Revolution, War, and Enlightenment- Stéphane Hénaut & Jeni Mitchell
The New Press
Release Date: July 10, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚

Synopsis: From the cassoulet that won a war to the crêpe that doomed Napoleon, from the rebellions sparked by bread and salt to the new cuisines forged by empire, the history of France is intimately entwined with its gastronomic pursuits. A witty exploration of the facts and legends surrounding some of the most popular French foods and wines by a French cheesemonger and an American academic, A Bite-Sized History of France tells the compelling and often surprising story of France from the Roman era to modern times. Traversing the cuisines of France’s most famous cities as well as its underexplored regions, this innovative social history explores the impact of war and imperialism, the age-old tension between tradition and innovation, and the enduring use of food to prop up social and political identities.

The origins of the most legendary French foods and wines—from Roquefort and cognac to croissants and Calvados, from absinthe and oysters to Camembert and champagne—also reveal the social and political trends that propelled France’s rise upon the world stage. They help explain France’s dark history of war and conquest, as well as its most enlightened cultural achievements and the political and scientific innovations that transformed human history. These gastronomic tales will edify even the most seasoned lovers of food, history and all things French.

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How do you explore and understand the history of a country like France, which prides itself on being a Mecca of fine foods and wines?  Through the development of its' foods and wines of course! What started as stories told by a French cheesemonger to try and convince his (non-French) wife that the cheeses he wanted her to try were not smelly and disgusting once you knew the story behind them eventually became A Bite-Sized History of France: Gastronomic Tales of Revolution, War, and Enlightenment.

Told in small, bite-sized chapters, this book follows the history of France beginning with the Gauls and Romans to the modern day.  It explores the creation or increased popularity of foods from croissants to Camembert, seafoods to sauces.  Where did certain foods come from? Who are some dishes named after and why? What brought them to popularity?  Including both actual culinary history and the more apocryphal tales surrounding certain foods, Hénault and Mitchell provide entertaining and informative vignettes linking food and French history.  

The history is told with a witty, often tongue-in-cheek approach that should appeal to foodies more interested in the story behind their favorite wine than the history of France, and the weaving of food into history will give historians a new light to shine on what they thought they knew.  As the book does literally cover almost the entire history of France, reading it in bite-sized pieces will keep it fresh and interesting instead of gorging on the entire book at one sitting.

Witty, entertaining, and informative, A Bite-Sized History of France allows readers a delightful new look at their favorite foods and the political and global story behind them- and still being formed to this day.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Indianapolis

The Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man- Lynn Vincent & Sara Vladic
Simon & Schuster
Release Date: July 10, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Just after midnight on July 30, 1945, days after delivering the components of the atomic bomb from California to the Pacific Islands in the most highly classified naval mission of the war, USS Indianapolis is sailing alone in the center of the Philippine Sea when she is struck by two Japanese torpedoes. The ship is instantly transformed into a fiery cauldron and sinks within minutes. Some 300 men go down with the ship. Nearly 900 make it into the water alive. For the next five nights and four days, almost three hundred miles from the nearest land, the men battle injuries, sharks, dehydration, insanity, and eventually each other. Only 316 will survive.

For the better part of a century, the story of USS Indianapolis has been understood as a sinking tale. The reality, however, is far more complicated—and compelling. Now, for the first time, thanks to a decade of original research and interviews with 107 survivors and eyewit­nesses, Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic tell the complete story of the ship, her crew, and their final mission to save one of their own.

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Most people today know the story of the Indianapolis, if they know it at all, from the movie Jaws.  While hunting a great white shark, boat captain Quint tells Hooper and Brody of being on the Indy (as she was known by the crew) when she sunk, sharks circling until the men were pulled from the water after delivering "the bomb".  The full story, told here for the first time, is much more complex, dramatic, and heartbreaking.  Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic do full justice to the story of the Indy, her crew, and her captain in this new book, The Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man.  

Vincent and Vladic have done incredible, in-depth research with only primary sources- including speaking with survivors- to piece together a saga every bit as gripping and full of personal drama as the sinking of the Titanic or Lusitania.  The stories of the crew, how they lived, how they came to be on Indy in the first place, their families and plans for the future connect you to them intimately.  Indy's final, famous mission was a series of coincidences and Naval negligence from first to last.  Originally she was not slated to carry uranium for the first atomic bomb, but due to damage from a kamikaze strike she was in California finishing repairs and called into action because of the sterling reputation of her captain, Charles McVay III.  After successfully delivering the uranium, Indy was slated to travel to Guam for training. Despite knowing there was submarine activity in the route McVay was to take, he was told by authorities the route was safe, and given no escort.  The recounting of the torpedo strikes, the sinking, and the five nights the survivors spent in the water are told in a straightforward piecing together of memories.  No additional drama is needed to make the tale emotional, dramatic,, and viscerally terrifying and heartbreaking.

The story of the Indianapolis does not end when the 316 survivors were pulled out of the water.  Vincent and Vladic follow the crew back to the States, and then all too troubling tale of the courtmarshal of Captain McVay for negligence in allowing his ship to be sunk.  It took over fifty years and an amazing amount of intense battling before this injustice was rectified and McVay's record cleared.  

Thoroughly researched and deeply moving, the story of the Indianapolis is a tale of courage, strength, and determination in the face of overwhelming odds. Despite Vincent and Vladic's prose occasionally falling victim to non-fiction book's tendency of dramatically foreshadowing what is to come (the typical "it was a mistake they would soon come to regret" type of chapter ending) and the fact that they can't seem to go more than three sentences without using similes or metaphors in describing anything, The Indianapolis is a well told, compelling story. 

Fans of Erik Larson's Dead Wake will appreciate the attention to detail not only from the American point of view, but the Japanese as well.  An absolute must-read for military history buffs, naval history buffs, or anyone curious about the story behind the tale told in Jaws, The Indianapolis is a powerful, fast-paced, emotionally moving, account of the greatest disaster in U.S. naval history.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

Risk of Rogues

The Risk of Rogues (Sinful Suitors novella)- Sabrina Jeffries
Simon & Schuster
Release Date: July 2, 2018

Rating:
📚📚📚📚

Synopsis: Lady Anne is shocked when Captain Lord Hartley Corry—her former fiancé who left for India after her father forbade their marriage—returns to England and acts as if everything is all water under the bridge. He never fought for her hand or eloped with her as he promised and he thinks she’d still be willing to marry him? Not a chance.

Hartley is equally shocked to literally run into his past love upon arriving at his brother’s house. Though he yearns to take advantage of this second chance to woo his beloved, he can hardly admit that he is secretly a spy—at least not until he can be sure he trusts her. But convincing Lady Anne to let him prove his sincerity by courting her respectably all over again might be his undoing. Because all he wants is to show her how much of a rogue he can be when the right woman is in his arms…

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Lady Anne is known for her unique hats, and Captain Hartley "Hart" Corry is known as a gambler, a wastrel, and a rogue.  While Anne knows her reputation for hats is well earned, she's not sure about Hart's reputation.  If true, she should steer clear of the man she once hoped to marry.  If not, she needs to find out why he never eloped with her as promised and if they can still have a future.  Hart has to convince Anne they are still right for each other without telling her any of his past actions of future plans- all of which revolve around spying.  Can he balance both worlds and come out the winner?

Readers to Jeffries' Sinful Suitors series will recognize Hart and Lady Anne as secondary characters from the other books and be thrilled that they get their own story.  And Jeffries works her usual magic, bringing humor, heart, and happy endings to even a quick novella.  While I'm not usually a fan of second chance romance, Rogues is the perfect kind of second chance story- two people who were kept apart because their parents disapproved, but who were both too young to be ready for marriage at the time- even if they didn't realize it.  Both have lived and grown and discovered themselves as people, and now get to meet again for the first time.

Anne is a practical woman trying to look after herself and her mother, and no longer the romantic, lovestruck teen that Hart knew, so he's both surprised and suspicious when she asks practical questions about things like his future plans and money.  I loved how Anne stood up for herself, refusing to be swept along by passion and chemistry (which was instant and electric) and insisting that she was right to try to get to the truth of Hart's life and reputation before agreeing to marry him.  Both of them were smart enough to recognize that they weren't necessarily the same people they had been eleven years ago and they needed to get to known each other again- but Hart especially was also smart enough to know that the kind of chemistry they had was not something that should be ignored.  Readers can look forward to some truly romantic grand gestures as each works to prove their love to the other, and a most satisfying happy ending in true Sabrina Jeffries' style: discovering the true risk of rogues!

Sabrina Jeffries couldn't finish off her Sinful Suitors series (The Secret of Flirting) without giving us Lady Anne and Captain Hartley's story, and here it is! A short novella, The Risk of Rogues gives readers either the final helping of Jeffries' Suitors characters or, if this is your first taste, a delightful sample of what's in store when you read the rest of the series.  

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review