a different approach

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Genre: romance

Reveiw: Christina Lauren's fans will likely agree that this offering is somewhat different from their previous romance novels, in that the steam level is greatly reduced, and they address some heavier themes than usual.  But if a good romance is about the emotions, their fans won't be disappointed as all the feels you expect to find in their stories is evident on nearly every page.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.

on the road again

The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Genre: historical fiction

Review: When an author's first book is good, a reader has high hopes for the 2nd, which, unfortunately, often disappoints.  Not so with Amor Towles, whose second book (A Gentleman in Moscow) was, in my opinion, even better than the first (Rules of Civility).  But one could be forgiven for being even more nervous about his third book.  He can't possibly keep this up, right?  But one should have more faith.  The Lincoln Highway will not disappoint.

Towles is very upfront in telling readers that he wants each of his books to be different from the others.  Once again, he has succeeded, at least as far as subject matter and character go.  But he can't disguise his writing, so fans will still know it's a Towles book, and I think all will agree that it's a worthy addition to his card catalog entry.  I'm excited to see what "something different" he comes up with next.

FTC Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher in exchange for this review.