Martha

First, the bad. I was warned this story was very trope-y, and it is. Insta-love in high school, deathly rival, not talking about misunderstandings, blah blah. Truthfully, it cost a star from me, because those aren't the tropes I love. Don't let that stop you if they're your trope of choice.

Also, there's a totally unrealistic coma. Induced comas are never used that way in real life, so it was obviously an author's ploy. (Hint: use sedation next time.)

But the good... Even though it was her first book, Liz's skill as a writer comes through. Smooth prose, good dialogue, mostly realistic characters. Painless to read, even with the tropes.

Final analysis: if these ARE your tropes, this is a great book. ;)

I'm giving this 3 stars only because it doesn't apply to me... If I needed the info right now, it would get 4. That might be unfair. Sorry.

The only bad part: now I want to get lost down the rabbit hole...

3.5 stars.

I really liked the first two books, but this one was not so good. The plot jumped around erratically, switching scenes without warning and skipping transitions. Beloved characters behaved in irrational ways that were never explained. Descriptions were inadequate. Basically, I was confused and frustrated for most of the book.

3.5 stars. Another nice, “there's no one-size-fits-all but let me give you some tips to get you started” book.

Good, but less helpful?

Maybe not interesting to the general public, but extremely helpful for a writer. Specific ways to help knock down writer's block, depending on the problem AND the writer's personal strengths and weaknesses. She even explains WHY the tactics work. Love it!

2.5 stars.

The characters' reasons for not getting together were somewhat believable, so I'll let it keep 3 stars. But nothing was outstanding, and there were a lot of annoying editing goofs. I'm not talking about simple typos, which I understand and don't usually comment on, but commas in the wrong place (not “you shouldn't use a comma here,” but “um, it belongs two words over instead of in the middle of the phrase”) and sentences where the author obviously rewrote it to sound better but didn't get all of the old words deleted.

DNF. Amarande played the part of both Buttercup and Wesley, which left Luca nothing to do but love horses. And I'm much better at spotting plot twists than Amarande is, which left no surprises for me. Yes, I admit, I read other reviews to see if I was right. I am.

3 1/2 stars.

I liked the story, but by the time I got to the end, all the misplaced modifiers were driving me insane.

Some content is not appropriate for all audiences.

What comparisons was Paul really making when he talked about the whole armor of God? Well, he was most familiar with Roman armor, and an analysis of it leads to fascinating insights. This book combines history, weaponry, and scripture into recommendations for the purpose of a righteous life. I zipped through the text and enjoyed the photos. A fascinating blend of history and scripture, altogether enjoyable and educational.

It has a lot of good information, including some coaching prompts to help you practice skills, but it can be a bit repetitive at times. Nonetheless, I took notes.
I'll give it 3 stars for now. If it works like a dream, maybe I can figure out how to upgrade the stars. ;)

The first few stories were fun. The last two were trash.

Not as fun as Encyclopedia Brown, but not bad.

It was interesting seeing how the author used the classic story. Though I could trace the original tale, she did well at making the retelling seem natural and realistic. I liked both characters (except for the heroine's insistence on believing well of her scummy ex-fiance), and the writing was smooth. The story was clean and had a happily ever after. It's a nice Regency read.

Lots of useful tips on life as a teenager, told with humor and an easy-to-read style. If you follow Trina's advice, you'll have fun while you become (even more of) a wonderful being and learn the skills you need to be a great adult.

If you already know beekeeping (even a little), this is a great resource to help you remember everything and plan ahead. If you have no idea how to keep bees, this is less helpful. It doesn't define jargon, doesn't provide illustrations, and leaves out certain important steps (granted, they're probably the ones that are very obvious once you've done it a few times). If it were expanded as well as it is a summary, it would be great, but it's only a summary. Also, the last QUARTER of the book is a preview of a totally different book.

2 1/2 stars.

Not too bad until the last 2-3 pages. 2 1/2 stars.

2.5 stars.

2.5 stars. The actual event from the scriptures took a very, very small amount of the book (3 pages?).