Martha
I admire Ellen, but there were a lot of things I did not like. So far, Countess Downstairs is still my favorite by this author.
Writing style was not well-suited to first-person narrative. Author did not think out certain aspects of background well enough. Despite flaws, I'll look for the sequel.
2.5 stars. Inappropriate focus on improper clothing & behavior, in my opinion. Charming characters, other than that.
Patricia's Brigg's story is good, but each succeeding story sank deeper and deeper into “I don't want to read this,” ending with “oh-my-goodness-this-is-straight-porn.” If it weren't a library book, I'd have ripped off the story I wanted and burned the rest.
Private enemies at school, Rick & Jesse get conjured to a parallel world to save it from the fierce wolf Fenris. If they can work together, they might be able to overcome all the obstacles in their path, but if they can't give up their animosity, both worlds will fall.
2 1/2 stars. I didn't buy the whole “no more magic” thing, or the “I can learn magic with a pronunciation guide” thing, or the secondary romance (which I won't name to avoid spoilers), or the “we can't arrest the uncle much, much sooner” thing, or the magic world. On the other hand, I did like the primary romance (as far as it went), and Ash's pranks & ways around her uncle's dictates.
I think this is the first book I've read in a long time that had a total random family connection to me! (a chocolate store) More importantly, it was very funny.
Doesn't cover Isaiah in a lot of detail or in every chapter, but provides an excellent “big picture” and gives tools to use to understand more. Each chapter includes an application section for real life.
The kidnapping scenes (half the book) were almost too much for me, but I admire her courage & resilience.
