Call Me Mrs. Miracle

Title: Call Me Mrs. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
Genre: Fiction, Romance
Rating: 4/5

Mrs. Miracle is back and this Christmas she's working her magic in the toy department of Finley's department store in New York. Unfortunately, Christmas has been ruined for her boss, Jake Finley, since the death of his mother and sister decades ago and this year the store's in need of a miracle to stay open. Meanwhile, Holly Larson, who's been looking after her nephew while her brother is stationed overseas, is in need of her own miracle in order to purchase the perfect gift despite her financial troubles. Can Mrs. Miracle help make this the perfect Christmas for them both?

Call Me Mrs. Miracle is a wonderful read, guaranteed to put you in the holiday spirit. The sequel to Macomber's successful Mrs. Miracle, I had high hopes for this book and it didn't disappoint.

Mrs. Miracle is just as brilliant and wonderful this time around, refusing to take any gruff from anyone, even J.R. Finley, the store owner and Jake's grumpy father. Each chapter begins with words of wisdom from her or one of her friends. And Gabe, Holly's nephew, is adorable. He's a strong boy, who obviously misses his father and is dealing with this major life change as best he can.

Macomber's writing is as delightful as ever, but I was a little disappointed by the story itself. While a heartwarming read, it's not as complex and intricate a tale as Macomber normally weaves. The secondary storylines aren't as drawn out as they could be and seem to be too easily resolved. And admittedly the conclusion is a bit predictable to anyone familiar with her writing or romances in general. However, she does a beautiful job of setting the scene and it's easy to feel like you're in New York at Christmas with the characters. Plus, there's a couple of delicious-sounding recipes throughout, which seems to be Macomber's signature.

Regardless, I'd definitely recommend Call Me Mrs. Miracle to anyone looking for an uplifting, holiday story or a little bit of romance. It may not be Macomber's strongest book, but it's still a fantastic read. And keep an eye out for the movie this Christmas from Hallmark.

Thanks to MIRA Books for the Advance Reading Copy of Call Me Mrs. Miracle. The views expressed above are my own. For more information on Call Me Mrs. Miracle, check out the Harlequin website.

Warlord

Title: Warlord by Ted Bell
Genre: Fiction, Thriller, Mystery
Rating: 4/5

For months, Alex Hawke has given up on life, drinking away his grief over the death of the woman he loved and ignoring the concerns of his closest friends. But when a madman threatens the British royal family, Alex answers the call of duty (and HRH himself) and becomes entangled in a conspiracy that stretches far beyond what he imagines.

Warlord by Ted Bell is an action-packed and engaging read, in the style of Clive Cussler and Robert Ludlum.

I really enjoyed the fictional portrayal of Prince Charles, Lord Mountbatten, and the rest of the royals. Most of the novels I read depicting royalty focus on historical figures like Henry VIII, so these contemporary portraits were a nice change. And I'm curious about how Bell developed these portraits, whether research and interviews were involved or if they're completely fictional. I also found Bell's use of actual events (Mountbatten's assassination and Diana's death) as major plot points fascinating. It brings a realistic element to Warlord that a lot of thrillers are missing.

As for Bell's writing style, although I found the changes in point of view a little distracting at points, his use of flashbacks to relate events that occurred before the novel's start worked far better to maintain the pace of the story and keep the readers intrigued than a long recitation from a character would have. As well, some of the chapters from other points of view were like snapshots of the horror the terrorists were inflicting. Unfortunately, because we only meet the characters for them to die, the scenes don't quite hit the emotional note. However, in the end, the stories weave together for a powerful climax.

My main complaint about the book is that it's a little too long. As I sadly haven't read the rest of the series yet, I'm not sure how Warlord compares in terms of length, but I think that it could have been trimmed down just a bit. For example, the little injections of trivia/research were interesting but interrupted the flow of the action.

Overall, Warlord is a great book for anyone looking for an entertaining read. Personally, I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

Thanks to William Morrow for the Advance Reader's Edition of Warlord. The views expressed above are my own. For more information on Warlord, check out the HarperCollins' website.