Valerie B

I think I understand what Dorthea Benton Frank was attempting to do with her newest novel, "Folly Beach: a lowcountry tale"; she was attempting to connect with the in vogue "horror" movement by having Dorothy Heyward come out of her grave to recount her life in every other chapter. If not, then I completely lost the idea she was going for. The present-day story of Cate--the unfortunate wife of a Bernie Madoff-like husband--could stand alone and it got to the point that I skipped the historical chapters and read only Cate's story.
If Ms Frank had tried to connect past with present in the form of a diary Cate finds in her girlhood home, then I think it would have been a much smoother plot.

Hunky Giordano Bruno is back in this compelling page-turner. This time, he has wormed his way into the French ambassador's home when he finds himself in the middle of a complex plot to overthrow Elizabeth I and replace her with Mary, Queen of Scots--the one true queen according to the English and French Catholic faction.
Despite several "close-calls" Bruno deftly defies discovery of his true loyalties (a Protestant-leaning scientific humanist) and manages to keep his secrets from his hosts.
In addition to the coup-planning, Bruno is also brought into the fold by Sir Francis Walsingham on a series of murders of Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting meant to scare the Queen into believing her death has been foretold by the stars.

Prophecy's plot twists alone are enough to make this book immensely interesting. But, Parris' historical detail and accuracy brings in a whole new element to the story. You actually feel like you are part of Elizabeth's court and can sense it's sights, smells and sounds.

Don't miss this satisfying sequel as I, for one, await Bruno's next thrilling mission.

It took me until page 200 to realize that I was really Rose with intermittent splashes of Bean thrown in (ahh...those unforgettable college nights!). Due to my blended family upbringing, my birth order personality is a bit warped. Although I am technically the oldest as is Rose and I share her sense of responsibility and order, I became a middle child and therefore also developed a bit of the attention grabbing ways of Bean (Bianca).

This book will hold a treasured place on my weighty bookshelves and in my heart! If you have sisters, you must read this book and discover who you really are!

Amidst several personal crises, Lily Berry leaps at the chance to leave her life and live one of an idyllic Regency girl from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park during an annual British lit fest.

This element alone grabbed my attention from the start as I became enamored with Lily's quest to outrun her problems. Her journey into England and literature becomes one of self-discovery and change as she deals with the loss of her mother and many other significant life alterations. There's even a "Thornbirds-esque" plot twist that makes her character even more likeable!

I found myself rooting for her success from the start--all along wishing that her theory of escaping from life into a book were really that easy. It's amazing that this is Cindy Jones' first foray into novels as I don't find many authors who capture my attention from page 1 with their freshman attempt. My only "criticism" is that I wish the book would have had the same blatant "happy ending" that you know is coming at the end of an Austen book.

This, however, is perhaps Jones' moral to Lily's story: life is not literature. Yet, there is still that green light of hope shining away at the end of Lily's dock.