Series Sunday: House of Cards

(Francis Urquhart #1)

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"Politics. The word is taken from the Ancient Greek. 'Poly' means 'many.' And ticks are tiny, bloodsucking insects." ~ pg. 187

My Series Sunday pick is House of Cards, the first book in the Francis Urquhart series by Michael Dobbs. Francis is the Chief Whip. He must know the vote at all times, which gives him reason to know every secret in politics. The thrilling part is Francis will betray them all to become Prime Minister. Mattie is a young reporter with a knack for finding out the real story behind headlines. Mattie stumbles across a web of deceit and financial corruption, risking her life to reveal the truth.

House of Cards is a harsh dark tale of the corruption, manipulation and greed in politics, no matter the country. Just look at the book cover. The characters in House of Cards are puppets and Francis holds the strings. His unapologetic ambition is unmatched. His initials are FU for a reason.

The author, Michael Dobbs, is a member of the British House of Lords. He is Britain's leading political novelist and is a senior adviser to Prime Ministers. I'd say he is a credible source in knowing the sacrifices made and discipline shown in politics. Perhaps this is why most of the content in the novel went over my head. I struggled through the lingo and Parliament references. I stifled many yawns while reading.

The international bestseller is too wordy and politic-y for my taste. But the show is a must-see! You'll never view Scandal or The White House the same. I will not read the other books in the series but cannot wait to watch the third season. Kevin Spacey is the perfect actor for the role of Francis Underwood (still initials FU). Check out the trailers below of S1 and S2 of the Netflix original series inspired by the novel House of Cards.

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: House of Cards
Author: Michael Dobbs
Published: February 2014
Pages: 401
Edition: Galley
Book Rating: ♥♥
Show Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

 

First Lines Friday BONUS

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s).
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"It was an ugly Monday just after noon."
 
 ~ Unlucky 13: FREE Preview of First 8 Chapters by James Patterson 

 

Almost Royalty

"I don't know when my mind started playing tricks on me but I found myself nostalgic for things I once despised." ~ pg. 6

Courtney Hamilton is an attorney living in the city of status seekers, Los Angeles. She is mortified as her best friends give up careers to marry entertainment royalty and civilian overachievers. Courtney tries her best to live a meaningful life with the perfect balance of social ambition and self-actualization in a city full of smoke mirrors.

Don't you just love funny down-to-earth characters? Courtney loves Velveeta, was thrown out of group therapy for insulting a former child actress and goes on self-destructive binges. She still drives a Honda and prefers to attend non-celebrity events. She has no interest in climbing up the social ladder to B-status or almost royalty. And may I also mention a meddling mother and misguided friends. I bet you have a friend like this.

I don't read too many books set in the city of L.A. nor have I ever visited, but this funny novel is how I imagine life to be there for a civilian. I especially liked how the ending summed up all of the characters.

Kirkus Reviews calls Almost Royalty "a hilarious, scathing tale of LA life." Almost Royalty releases later this month on May 28. Click the link below to pre-order or add to your reading list. Then, as the author suggests, "Sit. Read. Have some Velveeta. Laugh. Enjoy."

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the publisher for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: Almost Royalty
Author: Courtney Hamilton
Published: May 2014
Pages: 238
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥

 

RIGHT CLICK Cover Reveal

Love. Marriage.  Infidelity. Parenthood. Crises of identity. Death. Cupcakes. The themes in Right Click, the third and final installment in the Click series, couldn't be more pressing for this group of friends as they navigate through their 30's. Another six months have passed since we last eavesdropped on the hilarious, poignant and often times inappropriate email adventures of Renee and friends. As the light-hearted, slice of life story continues to unfold, relationships are tested and some need to be set "right" before everyone can find their "happily ever after."

My Reviews of Click: An Online Love Story and Double Click

Right Click will be released in mid-May. Without further ado...here is the cover reveal.

**drumroll please**

 

The Medea Complex

"Lady Stanbury's crime is widely viewed as the worst a woman could ever commit." ~ pg. 22

Based on a true story taken place in 1885, Anne Stanbury wakes up in a strange bed, calling out for the familiar then realizes she's been placed in a lunatic asylum. The voices she overhears claim she is unfit to stand trial for a crime of which she is indicted. Edgar is her grieving husband torn between helping his wife recover her sanity and seeking revenge on the woman who ruined his life. Dr. Savage is the chief medical officer who holds Anne's future in his hands.

Reading from the alternate points of view made it more mysterious. Was I to trust the main character Anne? Was Dr. Savage right to believe that behind Lady Standbury's smile is the diseased mind of a lunatic? Is Edgar using money and influence to get anything he wants done? One thing was for sure. In using real dialogue and notes, the author kept this fiction novel as close to fact as possible.

What possesses us? What drives us to insanity? What actions affect the human psyche? These are all questions explored in The Medea Complex. I appreciate historical fiction and am a recent fan of psychological thrillers, but never did I think the two genres could successfully be combined. Kudos to author Rachel Florence Roberts for taking a chance and writing outside of the safe zone. Exceptionally done for a debut novel!

"Love, passion, and hope can drive us to insanity." ~ R.F.R.

The Medea Complex takes places in an era when mental illness was misunderstood, misdiagnosed and mistreated. This fact alone made the novel an interesting deep read. Then add in the haunting book cover that grabbed my attention. It is a psychological historical thriller that pulled me in from the first line and didn't release me until the end. Watch the book trailer below and follow The Medea Complex on its official website, Facebook and Twitter pages. I recommend you visit the asylum!

DISCLAIMER: This book was received directly from the author for review purposes only. In no way does it influence my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Title: The Medea Complex
Author: Rachel Florence Roberts
Published: November 2013
Pages: 339
Edition: eBook
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

Series Sunday: Heart of Gold

(Blessings #5)

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

"That's why the Spirit gives us youth, so we can do dumb stuff, learn from it, and move on." ~ pg. 46

My Series Sunday pick is Heart of Gold, the fifth book in the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins. This is my fifth visit to Henry Adams and oh, have I missed this little fictional town. These kids have come a long way. Just as a reminder, Zoey had been homeless in Miami, Amari was a young car thief in Detroit, Preston was in the foster care system. So much going on in this novel. Crystal ran away. Devon is acting different. Zoey's parents are separating. Bernadine's mean-spirited sister unexpectedly visits. A battle with a neighboring town starts. And a bag of gold is left to one of the kids. Drama, right?!

These former foster kids continue to amaze me. They are wise beyond their years. Despite how unfair life is sometimes, they deal with it—sometimes better than adults would. I love how the author equally focuses on the growth of the children, adoptive family and the town.

"She has a heart of gold, and a head hard as concrete." ~ pg. 157

Read Heart of Gold if you are looking for a story of friendship, genuine love and family. Beverly Jenkins (Aunt Bev in-my-head) is one of the most talented authors. She writes historical fiction and romance like none other. The characters in the Blessings series are realistic. Visit www.beverlyjenkins.net for excerpts and more info.

I still feel like the nosy neighbor watching all the town folk. Never a dull moment in Henry Adams, Kansas. I suggest you pull up a chair and join me on the porch.

Title: Heart of Gold
Author: Beverly Jenkins
Published: April 2014
Pages: 210
Edition: Galley
Rating: ♥♥♥♥

 

First Lines Friday

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Grab your current read(s). (Read during my break)
• Share the first line(s).
• Include the title and author.

"What I really want to know is how the bastards did it."

~ The Medea Complex by Rachel Florence Roberts

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"Coma. There's something innocuous about the word, soothing almost in the way it conjures up the image of a dreamless sleep."

~ Before I Wake by C.L. Taylor

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"Nothing lasts, not forever. Not laughter, not lust, not even life itself. Not forever. Which is why we make the most of what we have."

~ House of Cards by Michael Dobbs