Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

Hardback : 390 pages
Genre: Teenage Fantasy Fiction
Publisher: Dial Books, Penguin Group 2010
Source: Won in a Prize Draw hosted by blogger Len Lambert and donated by another blogger Theresa Milstein
First Sentence: "You are ready for your mission, then, little one?"
Review Quote: 'A bittersweet fairytale' - School Library Journal
My Opinion: I liked it more than I expected to.

I am not a fan of the genre called Teenage Fiction as generally I prefer to think that children know at very different ages when they are ready for titles that are considered adult fiction. surely life was much simpler when it was books for children or adults so we could choose for ourselves. I know I am very much in the minority on this though so will say no more. I would never have purchased this book but I do consider it to be well written and appropriate its intended market.  Older children that do not yet feel ready to read adult fiction, but I do also realise that many adults frequently read the Fantasy Fiction genre from choice. Another genre that regular readers here will know I am not overly keen on, although I have been sent a few to review and found them better than I expected.  I guess this title comes into that category because actually despite  the Faerie element it is a readable story of love and loyalty between two best friends. Also weaved into this is an interesting family history, as Mayer Rothschild, his wife Gutle and their five extraordinary sons were real.  Catherine and her daughter Phoebe were fictional additions to the family which is why the author is deliberately vague about these characters connections to the famous Rothschild's.


In the novel the main protagonists are Phoebe Rothschild and from the Fairy Kingdom Mallory and Ryland who over a number of years try to manipulate Phoebe into doing something solely for the interests of  the survival of their kingdom. For years Phoebe has listened to her parents telling her she is 'extraordinary' but her life is going to depend on her admitting that she is in fact just 'ordinary',  It all started when Phoebe was in the seventh grade at school and decided to befriend the strange new girl Mallory,  that is in need of friends to help her settle in. Over the years the two of them become very close like sisters in fact and Phoebe's mother helped as well with organising care for Mallory's mentally unstable Mother. The sudden appearance of a previously hardly mentioned brother, Ryland is accepted with little surprise because Phoebe finds herself strongly attracted to him. She accepts his demands to keep their relationship a secret and puts up with all sorts of psychological verbal abuse from him, only because she is so smitten.  One day she finds out something that she just cannot begin to explain, although the reader can. 


Enough said to tempt you and help you decide if you would like to read this one, yet not enough to spoil it for you. I reiterate this novel is well written and I did like it enough to admit it was better than I expected. Worth reading if it is in your comfort zone or if like me you are happy to try something different from time to time.




                                            Book Trailer For Extraordinary - No spoilers.

                                         Uploaded by PenguinYoungReaders on Sep 21, 2010

Author Profile - Nancy Werlin

Nancy Werlin was born and grew up in Peabody, Massachusetts, USA and now lives near Boston. She received her bachelor's degree in English from Yale.  Since then, she has worked as a technical writer and editor for several computer software and Internet companies, while also writing fiction. She was a U.S. National Book Award finalist for 'The Rules of Survival' in 2006, and won an Edgar Award for ' The Killers Cousin' in 1999.

Biographical and other information including photos and videos are courtesy of the following websites and from the book itself.


YouTube,  Goodreads Author Profile   Nancy Werlin - Official Website

I have chosen to read this title as the letter E for The A - Z Book Challenge which I have decided to attempt to achieve in alphabetical order. I have a good selection of titles to choose from our bookshelves, it will be interesting to see how far I can get before I get stuck. You can follow my progress here.

Highland Storms by Christina Courtenay

Paperback : 318 pages
Genre: Historical Romantic Fiction
Publisher: Choc Lit Ltd 2011
Source: The Author in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
First Sentence: Marsaili Buchanan was pulled back from the brink of sleep by the soft growling of her deerhound, Laith.
Review Quote:   'This sequel to Trade Winds is passionate and engaging, with some amazingly evocative descriptions of the rugged Highlands. A great read.' Star Magazine
Awards: Romantic Novelists Association 2012 - Best Historical Romantic Novel
My Opinion: I was disappointed when the book ended, I wanted more.

Although Highland Storms is in fact a sequel, it is not dependent on having read Trade Winds although, I really urge you to read it first if possible. Why? Well because the protagonist Brice Kinross, although just a baby in the previous novel, his background and birth in China to parents of Swedish and Scottish descent is an integral part of the story. It was to me anyway as I enjoy family sagas, in fact I would love to read more stories about the Kinross's as I was disappointed when the book ended. I have no idea though if Christina is considering another sequel. Do not let the fact that you have not read Trade Winds stop you from reading this though as it does stand perfectly well alone. Basing my expectations on the previous novel I was hoping for a good read with plenty of love and adventure that would take me away to times past for a few satisfying hours. It did not disappoint.


The hero Brice Kinross recently thwarted in love by his own brother and his childhood sweetheart decides that the time is right to take over his inheritance, the family estate Rosyth in Scotland. His father has been worried about the situation back at Rosyth for some time and warns his son that he may at first be unwlecome when he suddenly turns up to take over the estate. So first Brice needs to find out whom he can trust,  bear in mind this is 1754 and since The Jacobite Rebellion  the locals do not trust anyone, particularly strangers. His situation is not helped by the fact that Seton, the estate foreman, is a really nasty character and turns the locals against him, although it is thanks to him that the estate is in such disrepair and that they live in poverty. Brice as the laird feels responsible and soon sets about improving conditions for those dependent on him, he wants to see the estate thriving as it once did. Seton is evil and has no intention of letting Brice get in the way of his own plans for the estate. Unfortunately he is riled even more when he discovers that not only does Brice want his estate back but that Marsaili Buchanan, the young housekeeper appears to be becoming his ally.


Marsaili is a very independent young lady and works hard at being the housekeeper, as a beautiful young woman she also attracts unwelcome advances from men, especially the evil Seton. To ward off her unwelcome admirers she is guarded by her constant companion her dog Laith, who becomes very protective of his mistress if a man approaches her against her will.

The love between our two main protagonists builds slowly as both Marsaili and Brice have good reasons for not wanting to become romantically with anyone. They are inevitably attracted to each other but determined that what ever happens between them just to be 'friends'. Love of course tends to thwart all the best intentions but they have a lot of battles to face together first.

The novel certainly met my expectations with romance and adventure in a historical setting. If you enjoy historical romance then I recommend you give Christina Courtenay's novels a try.

To read more about this novel and what inspired it, please click here.

To read an extract, please click here.

Author Profile: Christina Courtenay

Photo by Helen Bartlett

Christina Courtenay lives in London and is married with two children. Although born in England, she is half Swedish and was brought up in Sweden. In her teens, the family moved to Japan and she had the opportunity to travel extensively in the Far East and other parts of the world.

Christina is a committee member of the Romantic Novelists' Association. She has won two of their prizes - The Elizabeth Goudge Trophy for a historical short story in 2001 and the Katie Fforde Bursary in 2006.

Her debut novel Trade Winds was short-listed for the Pure Passion Award for Best Historical Fiction 2011. Her second novel, The Scarlet Kimono, received the Best Historical Fiction prize for the Big Red Read 2011, and her third novel, Highland Storms, won the RoNA (Romantic Novelists Association Award) for Best Historical Romantic Novel 2012. As well as her novels, Christina has had four Regency novellas published, all available in Large Print and soon to be released for Kindle.

Her hobbies include genealogy, archaeology (the armchair variety), listening to loud rock music and collecting things.

Christina Courtenay’s Novels:

The Scarlet Kimono is already on my bookshelves courtesy of me winning a signed copy in a Prize Draw, but I wanted to track down and read her earlier novels first. I prefer to read an author’s work in order or writing/publication if possible. I am planning to read The Scarlet Kimono soon.

Biographical and other information including photos and videos are courtesy of the following websites and from the paperback itself.

Official Website - Christina Courtenay

Amazon Author Profile

Goodreads Author Profile

Fanta C by Sandra Brown

Paperback : 228 pages
Genre: Romantic Fiction
Publisher: Bantam
Source: Goodreads - First Read Scheme
First Sentences: The first time was enchanted. we made love in the stable amid the smell of hay and horses and dust.
Review Quote: 'Larger than life heroes and heroines make you believe all the warm, wonderful, wild things in life'  Rendezvous.
My Opinion:  If you enjoy a light romantic read then this is probably for you. 

This arrived in my postbox at the end of last year along with a give away I won by the same author Hidden Fires. I must admit to being disappointed that both these titles were originally published in the 1980's! I doubt I would have entered the give away had I realised this. I have enough trouble keeping up with new titles. 

I was very disappointed in this mainly as stated above, never mind I will be more careful when I apply for give-aways in the future. Sandra Brown is not an author I am familiar with and I have never read any of her books prior to these two.

I was very surprised to discover on Amazon.co.uk that this title is  to be re published in the UK this coming September, having previously been republished in 2001. As first published in 1982 I guess the author is looking to attract another new generation of readers.  Sandra Brown is an extremely popular and prolific author so no doubt this will do well yet again.



I read this one even quicker than the previous one, not because it was a page turner but more to do with the fact that it is very short at 228 pages and a pocket size paperback.
I prefer a novel with more depth. It would be boring if we all enjoyed the same authors, it just seems that judging by these two Sandra Brown is not for me.



The heroine Elizabeth Burke has been a widow for two years now and when not running her own business or looking after her young children she daydreams. However these are not just ordinary every day dreams but vivid sexual romantic fantasies. She is wondering if she will ever experience real live love and romance ever again when she meets her neighbour Thad Randolph. He is charming, a gentleman, makes her laugh, gets on with her children, but somehow she holds back and continues to satisfy herself in her fantasy world. What a waste as Thad seemingly has everything she is looking for.


If you are looking for a quick read that is also an entertaining romance then this might just be for you.

Author Profile: Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-one New York Times bestsellers, including LETHAL (2011), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), HELLO, DARKNESS (2003), THE CRUSH (2002), and ENVY (2001), all of which have jumped onto the Times bestseller list in the number one to five spot. 

Sandra  began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages. 

A lifelong Texan, she was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program “PM Magazine.” 

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression. 

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The author profile information has been taken from  the authors biographical  pages on Goodreads,  Amazon and her  Publishers Author Page

Hidden Fires by Sandra Brown

Paperback : 356 pages
Genre: Romantic Fiction
Publisher: Warner Vision
Source: Goodreads - First Read Scheme
First Sentence: The heat from the September sun was like a physical assault to the young woman who stepped down from the train at the Austin depot.
Review Quote: 'One of romance fiction's brightest stars' Dallas Morning News
My Opinion:  If you enjoy a light romantic read then this is probably for you. 

This arrived in my postbox at the end of last year along with a give away I won by the same author Fanta C. I must admit to being disappointed that both these titles were originally published in the 1980's! I doubt I would have entered the give away had I realised this. I have enough trouble keeping up with new titles. 

I was very disappointed in this mainly as stated above, never mind I will be more careful when I apply for give-aways in the future. Sandra Brown is not an author I am familiar with and I have never read any of her books prior to these two.

I was very surprised to discover on Amazon.co.uk that this title is to be re published in the UK this coming September, having previously been republished in 2001. As first published in 1982 I guess the author is looking to attract another new generation of readers.  Sandra Brown is an extremely popular and prolific author so no doubt this will do well yet again.

Set in the Texas of the 1800's The heroine Lauren takes a position as secretary to Olivia Lockett, however she ends up becoming her daughter in law.  Jared the heir to the family estate becomes her husband because due to her feelings for him she accepts an offer to marry him in name only! Lauren is determined to fight to make their marriage as strong as her love. Can she turn this playboy into a loving husband, you will have to read it to find out.

If you enjoy a light romantic read then this is probably for you.


Author Profile: Sandra Brown

Sandra Brown is the author of sixty-one New York Times bestsellers, including LETHAL (2011), TOUGH CUSTOMER (2010), SMASH CUT (2009), SMOKE SCREEN (2008), PLAY DIRTY (2007), RICOCHET (2006), CHILL FACTOR (2005), WHITE HOT (2004), HELLO, DARKNESS (2003), THE CRUSH (2002), and ENVY (2001), all of which have jumped onto the Times bestseller list in the number one to five spot. 

Sandra  began her writing career in 1981 and since then has published over seventy novels, bringing the number of copies of her books in print worldwide to upwards of eighty million. Her work has been translated into thirty-three languages. 

A lifelong Texan, she was born in Waco, grew up in Fort Worth and attended Texas Christian University, majoring in English. Before embarking on her writing career, she worked as a model at the Dallas Apparel Mart, and in television, including weathercasting for WFAA-TV in Dallas, and feature reporting on the nationally syndicated program “PM Magazine.” 

In 2009 Brown detoured from her thrillers to write, Rainwater, a much acclaimed, powerfully moving story about honor and sacrifice during the Great Depression. 

Brown recently was given an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Texas Christian University. She was named Thriller Master for 2008, the top award given by the International Thriller Writer’s Association. Other awards and commendations include the 2007 Texas Medal of Arts Award for Literature and the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. 

The author profile information has been taken from  the authors biographical  pages on Goodreads,  Amazon and her  Publishers Author Page

The Darling Strumpet by Gillian Bagwell

Paperback: 414 pages

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Avon, Harper Collins 2011

Source: Gift from a blogging friend over at Southhams Darling

First Sentence : ‘London – Twenty-Ninth of May, 1660, The sun shone hot and bright in the glorious May sky and the streets of London were rivers of joyous activity .’

Review Quote : ‘Richly engaging’ Diana Gabaldon, Author.

Award: Named Number 1 in the 10 Best Historical Novels of 2011 by Kayla Posney of the Pittsburgh Historical Fiction Examiner.

My Opinion: A brilliant first novel.            

I have rediscovered historical novels since I have been reviewing books here, so I was delighted when a blogging friend of mine Southhams Darling offered to send me a novel she had just finished reading and thought I would enjoy.


Considering this was a first novel  I thought it was very ambitious of the author to not only pick Nell Gwynn as her protagonist but rather than just cover a particular period of her life she chose to tell her complete life story.  By her own admission in the notes at the end of the novel she has  tried to do so as fully and truthfully as possible, keeping to the facts as known as much as possible.  I think she has succeeded very successfully and only true historians will pick up the few minor liberties that Gillian Bagwell tells us she altered as to the timing of events. She also copes successfully with a vast cast of characters, the vast majority of which were real life people in Nell's world.  With this brilliant first novel there seems no doubt that Gillian Bagwell is going to be a historical fiction writer to look out for. 

The story is a bawdy one and the detail in the novel is sexually explicit, but it will make you realise exactly what life was like for this little girl growing up in 17C London.  From oyster seller, to courtesan, orange seller to actress.  Nell becomes one of  London's favourite actresses when she is still a very young woman and her beauty, personality and ambitious dedication soon make her a favourite of Charles the Second. It is her relationship with Charles that changes her life for ever, as the novel progresses you can feel just how much this famous historical figure was passionate in her love for the King.  A wonderful fictional read about real people and places. 

Author Profile

Gillian Bagwell grew up in Berkeley, California, and began her professional life as an actress, studying at the University of California Berkeley and the Drama Studio London at Berkeley before relocating to Los Angeles to pursue a career in film and television. She moved into directing and producing theatre, founding The Pasadena Shakespeare Company, where she served as artistic director for nine years, producing thirty-seven critically acclaimed productions. 
She united her life-long love of books, British history, and theatre in writing her first novel, "The Darling Strumpet," based on the life of Nell Gwynn. Her second novel, 'The September Queen' which was published in paperback in November 2011 is the first fictional account of the perilous and romantic odyssey of Jane Lane, an ordinary English girl who risked her life to help the young Charles II escape after the disastrous Battle of Worcester in 1651 by disguising him as her servant. Gillian is now writing her third novel, about the formidable four-times widowed Tudor dynast Bess of Hardwick.  Visit her official website, Gillian Bagwell for further information about her books and upcoming events, and links to her blogs, articles, and videos of sites in Nell Gwynn’s London.


The video I have included gives a brief glimpse of present day Covent Garden and the church of St Paul's Covent Garden, which were the setting for scenes from the novel.

                                                Uploaded by acorn1651 on Jul 1, 2011




The biographical information photo and the video used in this post are with thanks to the following websites.


Goodreads Author Profile,    Gillian Bagwell      Facebook Profile


Number 6 in the Awards listed at the top of this post just happens to be another novel about Nell Gwynn, which I also reviewed Exit the Actress by Priya Parmar enjoy one and  I think you will also enjoy the other. 


I have chosen to read this title as the letter D for The A - Z Book  Challenge which I have decided to attempt to achieve in alphabetical order. I have a good selection of titles to choose from our bookshelves, it will be interesting to see how far I can get before I get stuck. You can follow my progress here.

The Boy Who Made Them Love Again by Scarlet Wilson

Paperback : 186 pages 

 Genre: Medical Romance
 Publisher: Mills and Boon, December 2011
 Source: Gift from the author after an on line conversation
 First Sentence: 'If Abby Taylor had known how the day was                                going to end she night not have got out of bed that day'  
Cover Quote: 'Captivating medical drama with heart'
My Opinion:  Pocket size and more of a novella.


Last November I left the following comment on the Romantic Novelists Association Blog

LindyLouMac in Italy said...

'I was surprised to see so many Mills and Boon titles on this list. As an ex librarian I am afraid they still have a stigma for me and I would not be seen reading one. Although I guess they are maybe different these days.'

Unfortunately although I did not mean to I obviously upset a few people who felt my tone was implying that there was something wrong with Mills and Boon publications.

I of course apologised and I would like to reiterate here that this was certainly not the case, just a matter of personal taste. I have great admiration for all authors and hate offending them. The problem is that honesty on line can set you up for a fall sometimes. I was of course talking of Mills and Boon of thirty plus years ago, when yes light romance was an extremely popular genre and yes it is still a very popular one today. Yes I am sure Mills and Boon is very different nowadays.


Anyway Mills and Boon author Scarlet Wilson was kind (brave) enough to give me the opportunity to read my first Mills and Boon for over thirty years by offering to send me one of her recently published titles.


The Boy Who Made Them Love Again is all about the love of our heroines life, the one that broke her heart and got away. Abby Taylor has recovered from a broken heart and moved on with her life, until suddenly one day Luke Storm walks right back into her life. In extraordinary circumstances they find themselves both working for the White House Medical Team. It is not easy for them as it is five years since they last saw each other, in very different circumstances. It seems they may still be attracted to each other but can they really rekindle what they had between them and do they really want to? 
It was Luke that ended the relationship and he thought he was doing the right thing because he knew he would never be able to give Abby the family she wanted. Imagine his shock when he meets her again to realise that not only does he still have feelings for her but she has a son. If he wants Abby back in his life he needs to build a relationship with not one but two people.


There is obviously a market for these publications, pocket sized novels with mini prices, ( I do not of course know if all the titles they publish are in this format). I think that Scarlett has written a perfect story for that niche of the market.  If you are a fan of light romance I would certainly recommend that you read Scarlett Wilson's novels.


Author Profile

Scarlett Wilson lives on the west Coast of Scotland with her fiancé and their two sons. As she trained as a nurse and health visitor and currently works in public health her background is perfect to write medical romances. 
Her first title It Started With a Pregnancy was published in Sept 2011 and the second reviewed here just a few months later in the December. Her third title  West Wing to Maternity Wing is due to be released in May 2012


Information and photos other than my own are with thanks to the following websites.


Scarlet Wilson - Blog,  and  Scarlet Wilson - Official Website,  where you can read extracts from her novels and learn more about the author.