Review: Painted Faces

Rating: ★★★★★

Author: L.H. Cosway

Genre:  Adult Fiction; Contemporary Romance

Publisher: L.H. Cosway

Publication Date:  December 14, 2012

Pages: 358

Format: E-book; Self-Published Paperback

Content Rating: NC-17

"It doesn't matter what he's wearing. I like the him that's underneath the clothes and the painted face. I'd like him no matter what he wore."

Overview

Come forth with an open mind, for an unconventional tale of love.. 

Dublin native Freda Wilson considers herself to be an acquired taste. She has a habit of making offensive jokes and speaking her mind too often. She doesn't have the best track record with first impressions, which is why she gets a surprise when her new neighbour Nicholas takes a shine to her.

Nicholas is darkly handsome, funny and magnetic, and Freda feels like her black and white existence is plunged into a rainbow of colour when she's around him. When he walks into a room he lights it up, with his quick wit and charisma. He is a travelling cabaret performer, but Freda doesn't know exactly what that entails until the curtains pull back on his opening night.

She is gob-smacked and entirely intrigued to see him take to the stage in drag. Later on, Nicholas asks her if she would like to become his show assistant. Excited by the idea, she jumps at the chance. Soon she finds herself immersed in a world of wigs, make-up and high heels, surrounded by pretty men and the temptation of falling for her incredibly beautiful employer.

In this story of passion and sexual discovery, Nicholas and Freda will contend with jealousy, emotional highs and lows, and the kind of love that only comes around once in a lifetime. (Goodreads.com)

Review

1. This is why I still read indie!  Lately I have grown frustrated with a lot of the indie books I pick up because of weak plots, one-dimensional characters and rampant grammatical errors but Painted Faces reminded me that a truly good book and talented author can be found amidst the masses of indies.

2. Freda tops my list of favorite protagonists.  Freda, a.k.a "Fred," is an every girl.  She has a self- deprecating sense of humor that reminds me somewhat of Bridget Jones, but is still uniquely her own and is both hilarious and endearing.  The story is told in her first person point of view and by the end of the book you feel as if you know her inside and out.  She goes off on odd tangents that could frustrate some readers, but for me, those ramblings help to define her and add a comedic element that sets this novel apart.  I can't honestly remember when another character has made me laugh so much as Fred.

3.  I have a thing for unique plots and this one has it in spades. It is refreshing to read a love story that doesn't follow a harlequinesque mold of what a romance should be.  Originally, I read the overview of this and thought "Hmmm, I'm just not sure.  How does that work?" but eventually my curiosity won out and thank God it did. I love stories that challenge you to see beyond your preconceptions.

4.  "Who would have thought a drag queen could be my ultimate male fantasy?"~ Freda.  It can't be an easy task to convincingly create a character like Nicholas, but Cosway sold him to me 110 percent. He is somewhat of a paradox. A sexy combination of alpha male and effeminate performer.  I totally got him. I understood what made him who he was and to my own astonishment, I was completely taken in by him.

5. I was actually sad to reach the end of the story and for me that is a sign of an excellent book.  It doesn't happen very often.  I just didn't want to leave the lives of this group of crazy Dubliners.  I miss them already.

Bonus

Not since Colleen Hoover's Slammed, have I found a book where I highlighted so many passages. There were so many lines that had me laughing out loud, sighing or shaking my head in frustration.  So I thought I would list my top five favorite quotes as a bonus:

1. "I love him because he challenges my view of what a man is." ~ Freda

2. “I might not have a boyfriend, but I have cupcakes, an those tasty bastards haven't let me down yet.” ~ Freda

3. “We all paint on a face to show the world," Nicholas replies philosophically. "For some of us, that's quite literal.”

4.  "I wouldn't even care about how I'd look snogging the face off a drag queen." ~ Freda

5. "You know Viv, most men try to get their girlfriends out of their clothes, not into them." ~Freda
"I think we both know that I've never been most men," ~Nicholas
"No you're not, you're better." ~Freda

Review: The Memory Thief

Rating: ★★★★★

Author: Emily Colin

Genre: Adult Fiction; Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Publication Date: August 21, 2012

Pages: 333

Format: E-book; Trade Fiction Paperback

Content Rating: R

"I kept my promise," he says then, his eyes on mine. "I told her I would come back, and I did. Even if it wasn't quite the way I planned." ~ Emily Colin, The Memory Thief

Overview

One man’s vow to his wife sparks a remarkable journey that tests the pull of memory and reaffirms the bonds of love.

Before Madeleine Kimble’s mountaineer husband, Aidan, climbs Mount McKinley’s south face, he makes her a solemn vow: I will come back to you. But late one night, Maddie gets the devastating news that Aidan has died in an avalanche, leaving her to care for their son—a small boy with a very big secret. The call comes from J.C., Aidan’s best friend and fellow climber, whose grief is seasoned with survivor’s guilt . . . and something more. J.C. has loved Maddie for years, but he never wanted his chance with her to come at so terrible a cost.

Across the country, Nicholas Sullivan wakes from a motorcycle crash with his memory wiped clean. Yet his dreams are haunted by visions of a mysterious woman and a young boy, neither of whom he has ever met. Convinced that these strangers hold the answers he seeks, Nicholas leaves everything behind to find them. What he discovers will require a leap of faith that will change all of their lives forever. (Ballantine)

Review

After reading the overview for The Memory Thief, I knew right off the bat I was in for an emotion-filled read.  I expected the sadness, grief, sympathy and pain that would accompany any book about losing a soul mate, but I didn't expect all the other emotions this book brought to light.  Hope, confusion, anger, love and yearning all war within as you follow Aidan's journey back to his family so he can fulfill his promise.

I spotted Emily Colin's debut novel on the shelf at Target in the emerging author section right next to another author I recently found and loved, Catherine McKenzie (see my review of Arranged), so I decided to give the book a try and wow did this book completely blow me away!  So much so, that I finished it in a day and a half.

The Memory Thief struck a chord with me.  I related with all the main characters on so many different levels it was a little rattling.  So I will be up front and say that my ability to relate in such real terms caught me by surprise and turned this book into a rather personal reading experience but regardless I will do my best to review it objectively.

The fact that this is Colin's first novel is astonishing.  She effortlessly wove together such an intricate and beautiful story.  Her characters were completely fleshed-out and her writing strikes the perfect balance between ease and complex.  There is constantly a question or a mystery beckoning you to keep reading, to move forward even in the midst of the heartbreaking moments.

Colin's heroine, Madeline Kimble, is one of my all-time favorite heroines in that she is flawed, vulnerable, forgiving and real.  She makes unconventional choices that she isn't always happy with but she doesn't discount them.  She wars within herself and hurts and finds peace.  It is as consuming as Aidan's journey back to her. 

Aidan's progression throughout the story was inspiring and sad all at once.  He never loses his dare devil spirit and the stigma of selfishness that accompanies it continues to have repercussions but I absolutely loved him by the end. I could easily see why Maddie took the risk and loved him as she did. 

There were actually three completely worthy heroes in this book.  Who wouldn't love that! In addition to Aidan, you also have the wonderfully steady J.C. and the confused complexity of Nicholas who has lost his own identity.

Some reviewers/ readers have been taken by surprise with the sexual intimacy that takes place throughout this book since it is marketed more as adult fiction rather than romance but personally I felt the sexual context was essential.  It conveyed the depth of emotion, the soul deep connections and the warring of feelings that takes this book to another level.  So be warned that there are scenes of sexual nature throughout this book and decide for yourself. 

I loved every word.

Review: Arranged

Rating: ★★★★★

Author: Catherine McKenzie

Genre: Adult Fiction; Contemporary Romance; Chick-Lit

Publisher: (William Morrow) Harper Collins

Publication Date: January 8, 2011

Pages: 243

Format: E-Book, Trade Fiction Paperback

Content Rating: PG-13

“You just need to be honest with yourself about what kind of life you want.  And once you do that, you'll know what you want and how to get it." ~ Catherine McKenzie, Arranged

Overview

Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, close friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share her life with, however, she just can't seem to get it right. When her latest relationship implodes, and her best friend announces she's engaged, Anne impulsively calls what she thinks is a dating service—only to discover that it's actually an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. Anne initially rejects the idea, but the more she learns about the service, the more she thinks: Why not? After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world; maybe it could work for her.

A few months later, Anne is travelling to a Mexican resort, where in one short weekend she will meet and marry Jack. And against all odds, it seems to be working out-until Anne learns that Jack, and the company that arranged their marriage, are not what they seem at all. (Harper Collins /Goodreads)

Review

I love it when I stumble on a book that I was not expecting and it then turns out to be exactly what I need.  Such was my introduction to the beautifully simple writing style of Catherine McKenzie through her second book Arranged.

I came across Arranged while searching through the 'Deals' section on my Nook. It was temporarily marked down to $1.99 (Although, the sale did not last long at all and it is now back to its standard $9.99.) I will confess it was the cover that caught my eye initially.  Then I read the overview and thought to myself, "hmm, this is different.  I need something different. My book rut is quickly becoming a book pothole. "  After reading over some reviews that explained how McKenzie wove in a correlation to the classic serial Anne of Green Gables, I was sold (my sister-in-law and my niece are HUGE Anne fans.)

What I didn't expect was how absorbed I would be after only the first few pages and even more that it would continue to keep me entertained all the way to the end. 

Arranged was first and foremost a strong character-driven self discovery novel.  It had a handful of life themes that really wrapped up Anne's journey in a heart-felt and realistic manner.  'Forgiveness', 'making your own way' and 'love requires hard work' are the most prominent lessons Anne navigates through her relationship with Jack and the trials of their arranged marriage. 

I really can't say enough good things about McKenzie's writing style.  It flows so easily.  The dialogue is crisp and the settings transport you seamlessly.  My mind did not have to work to understand the characters or the plot even though both were complex and three-dimensional.  It just clicked. A writer that can do that is one to add to your favorites list. What impresses me even more is that McKenzie is a  lawyer by day and writes in her spare time!  I'll be picking up McKenzie's first novel Spin next and will follow that up with her new novel Forgotten when it is released on October 16.