I took a multiple year break between this and the rest of the series. It was intentional. This was the last book before Ms. Kleypas started her hiatus from historical romance. I didn't want to not have one if I needed an LK fix. Even after all those years, I fell back into the world of the Hathaways, like a worn in pair of shoes. They feel like real people to me, just as quirky as real relatives. Beatrix earns a special place in my heart as heroine. She is such a wonderful, sweet person, but has a very thoughtful and wise beyond her years core. Many times I didn't feel like Christopher deserved her in the least. I love animals much in the same way as Beatrix, so I really connected to her in her animal and nature love.

The romance seduced me, even when I didn't really like Christopher. I felt bad for his experiences, but his superior and somewhat shallow behavior initially was a turnoff. I like that he did evolve as a character. I was sorry for the way he suffered in the war, and it took that to help mature him. I am sure it didn't help that his mother was so mean to him and made no mistake about favoring John (his brother).

As always, the Hathaways charm the socks off me. It was lovely to see how the years have evolved the various siblings and their spouses. I did miss seeing Harry and Poppy. It was awesome to see the next generation of Hathaways.

Lisa Kleypas has such a wonderful voice and her historical romances are sensual in a way that goes beyond sexuality. Her descriptions of the setting stimulate all the senses in a delightful way. And the letters that Beatrix and Christopher exchange are heartfelt and deep.

Other than Christopher starting out as a jerk, I can't say I disliked anything about this book. I love that he realizes before it's too late what a treasure he has in Beatrix, and he truly is like many of her charges, wounded and striking out in anger, but deep down in need of love and care.

Another wonderful Hathaway novel by Ms. Kleypas. A treasure to read.

I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.

For Mature Readers: 18+

 

I previously reviewed a shorter version of this book as part of the "Behind the Cape" anthology.

 

I thoroughly enjoyed Sunniva Dee’s Cat Love. This paranormal thriller is really a great love story. It is well-written with great characters.

 

In my previous review I assumed Aidan Keir had a secret that went beyond his special abilities. Boy I was off! His only secret was his inner character. Throughout the story Aidan is self-sacrificing in order for a very unique woman to reach her full potential. New book boyfriend!

 

Aidan’s obsession with self-control threw me. I figured he had to have something dangerous lurking beneath waiting to come to the surface. Well, if his type of love is dangerous, then, every woman should have a man with that kind of peril. Aidan was a man who was willing to put his needs on a back burner and concentrate on the needs of the woman he loved. Priceless!

 

Ulani, the special lady who landed in his life, had a major issue with self-control. She knew she could manipulate others through her sexuality. The love and concern of a good man, however, helped her learn restraint. Ulani’s stability enabled her to embrace her strength as an intelligent woman with hopes and dreams.

 

Aidan and Ulani had the perfect symbiotic relationship. His unrelenting faith in her allowed him to grow as a person. He’d spent his adult years never settling down with any one person for long. Aidan had female friends, but he had yet to discover love. Supporting Ulani through her struggle cultivated a special friendship which morphed into something stronger, greater. Ulani never placed any conditions on Aidan. She had always wanted to be in control of her other half, but she didn’t work to develop it until Aidan. Her desire to conquer her weakness was driven by her love for him.

 

Furthermore, the two of them had a selfless love for others which was truly beautiful. In this intriguing story, they were willing to risk themselves to help others. Aidan and Ulani never questioned whether they should assist people. They only wondered how and when.

The story had me racing through the pages. I was holding my breath waiting for something terrible to happen. But, in this tale, the villains stay villains and justice is served.

 

Cat Love offers readers a wonderful message. When you take yourself out of the equation and focus on someone else, you’ll find true love. Thanks again Sunniva Dee for an awesome story!

I received a free kindle copy of I Love My Mom (A Celebration of Motherhood) by Bob Frothingham, published by Fast Forward Publishing from an Amazon promotion in exchange for a fair review. Each photo had a quote: "I love my Mom because..." It also includes a list of what animal babies are called. It was well done. I gave it five stars.

The fifty six wonderful pictures of mothers & babies are from Royalty Free (licensed) image repositories, from photographic sites & have necessary attributions. I found some of these pictures so cute I had to go "Awww." Others were so ugly they were cute. A common thread throughout was the care the mothers seemed to give to their offspring.

Link to purchase: http://www.amazon.com/Love-My-Mom-Bob-Frothingham/dp/1497589495/ref=la_B00J3H0NH6_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1419238034&sr=1-1

This is a book that you need to read if you're an animal lover! I loved the whole aspect of the bond that formed between Scott and Maggie. They are both wounded warriors, grieving their lost love ones, and somewhat rejected because of their emotional/physical wounds. Maggie was so awesome, I felt my heart fill with love for this wonderful German Shepherd. I am a huge fan of this breed, and Crais presents their wonderful natures in the most truthful and vibrant way.

Crais fills in some interesting tidbits on the training of police dogs and their holders and what military dogs do. That aspect of Maggie in the frontlines with her handler just about tore my heart out. I cheer on military people who do that important and dangerous job, and it squeezes my heart as an animal lover how equally dangerous it is for their working dogs. Police dogs also serve a crucial role and they can face some very dangerous situations in the line of duty. Scott's boss reminded me of my dad who was a country boy who loved dogs. He had his down to earth manner and sense of connection to dogs that was almost spiritual.

Scott is a good character, but honestly, I needed more of his inner world. I feel that this was a function of this book being too short. I would have liked a longer, more expansive story that took place over a longer time period. While the bond between Scott and Maggie totally sells this book, I would have found it more believable had it taken place over a longer period of time. Such as it was, I loved it. Maggie is such a wonderful companion, and I liked that not only does she help Scott heal, he helps her as well. While I am a cat lady, I also love dogs, and this book made me long to bring home my very own German Shepherd Dog one day soon. Crais shows how important the human animal bond is in society and how therapeutic animals and people can be to each other. Sorry to go on my soapbox. I can't help it because this book really touches on this issue which is so dear to my heart.

The mystery part felt undeveloped, honestly. Crais is an excellent mystery writer, so I don't mean to put him down, but it was a bit simplistic compared to some of his other works. I was surprised at the culprits and the look Ta police corruption is sobering. The secondary characters add texture to the story, but some of their parts felt under-represented.

Man, I hate to put this book down in my review! I have so much love for the whole aspect of Maggie and Scott as partners, and I am truly in love with Maggie. She's up there with Einstein from Watchers for me, which is really saying something. This book has something so powerful to say about the love between people and their pets/animals that it earns a special place in my heart. And honestly, I still feel it deserves four stars despite some of my issues with its brevity affecting the execution of the overall storyline.

Definitely check this out. The audiobook is really good and the narrator is excellent.

There's a lot about this book that could have gone really wrong. In fact, it's the perfect recipe for disaster. I can imagine the pitch to the publisher, "I'm going to tell a fictional story whose purpose is to briefly summarize each of of more than 50 popular books and bring the disparate ideas together in a way that supports an over-arching, but somewhat nebulous, thesis that humans are primary social and rarely rational. Oh and I'm going to throw in some literature, pop culture, religion and philosophy in just for good measure." If that idea crossed my desk, I don't think I'd care that it was from David Brooks, there's no way I'd believe it could work.And yet... it does. The Social Animal probably won't change they way you live and it probably won't even change your ideas on politics, economics, philsophy or psychology even though it dives into all those areas. What it will do is give you a great jumping off point for further though and research. The underlying story of Harold and Erica is sometimes shallow, but ocassionally poingant. More importantly, it serves its purpose of providing continuity, structure and sometimes a humorous platform for all the ideas in the book.It's nothing new for a journalist or full-time writer to take a few ideas coming from scientists or "real" researchers and write a soon-to-be-forgotten pop-sci book, but The Social Animal stands apart both for the breadth of the ideas it contains and for the enjoyable way that they're presented.