SO PRETTY IT HURTS

Bailey Weggins joins her friend, Jessie, at an exclusive weekend house party.  Bailey decides to go because her boyfriend, Beau, is out of town and to be with Jessie who has her eye on the host.  Devon Barr, a supermodel is also spending the weekend at the home, along with several of her entourage.  The model turns out to be very spoiled and soon - very dead!  When Bailey and the other guests get snowed in at the house, things turn very creepy because one of them must be the murderer.

I've read all of Kate White's Bailey Weggins books.  It's been quite awhile since the last one and I thought I'd enjoy another.  Hmmm.  It was just ok.  Once again, Bailey does a few TSTL moves that are pretty transparent.  At least this one didn't have such detailed comments about her sex life.  Bailey is alright but I'm not in a hurry to read another of these.  Maybe, in a couple of years, when I've forgotten that they are pretty average.....

Rating - B

THE SHOEMAKER'S WIFE

Ciro and his brother are abandoned as young boys and left to live in an Italian convent. Raised by the nuns, they grow to be wonderful young men. When Ciro sees the priest behaving innappropriately, he is banished from the convent and the nuns arrange to send him to America. Enza is a young Italian girl who leaves her beloved Italy to go make a living in America to help her family buy a new home. They both end up in New York City, he as a shoemaker's apprentice and she as a seamstress who works her way into a job as a costume designer at the Metropolitan Opera. The two cross paths several times and eventually marry. Their love story is a beautiful one, told only as Adriana Trigiani can tell it.

This is supposed to be the story of Adriana Trigiani's grandparents. It is a lovely story. Trigiani has a way of creating characters that are warm, human and so memorable. Ciro was a wonderful man and Enza an amazing woman and wife. I loved this book and I will treasure it's memories for a very long time.

Rating - A+

FORCE OF NATURE

Nate Romanowski has a secret that he has always thought might come back to do him harm someday. That day has come. Three innocent looking fishermen try to kill him. Soon Nate is on the run and he realizes that anyone that he cares about is potentially in danger. The people who are after him are well trained and would kill in a heartbeat if it would lead them to Nate. Nate fears for his friend, Joe Pickett and his family. Joe feels that Nate has helped him many times and this is his time to help his friend.

I am a pretty big fan of C.J. Box's books but this wasn't my favorite. The focus was all on Nate and all on killing. Even Joe wasn't as much of the stand up guy we are used to seeing. I'm sure I'll read the next one in this series but I hope the focus is more on Joe and his family plus Joe's work instead of violence just to be violent.

Rating - B

HE'S JUST NOT THAT INTO YOU

Ok, this was kind of a joke. One of the girls keeps falling for guys who don't seem crazy about her. I think that this philosophy seems a little harsh - guys always do the picking. Still, I think there are some very valid points. It seems that when men choose the women, they are willing to persue them and work at a relationship. When the women picks them, they tend to be kind of lazy and act like jerks. I think the author was encouraging women to let men do the choosing but for them to maintain high standards for what they will tolerate from men.

Rating - B+

STAY CLOSE

Three people are drawn together after an unforgettable night 17 years ago. A photojournalist who has sunk to the level of acting like paparazzi at Bar Mitzvahs is beaten and his camera is stolen. He realizes that someone is after a photo that may link to a man who disappeared recently. A soccer mom is a little bored with her suburban life. She gets a call that brings her back to Atlantic City where she worked as a dancer. A police officer has been working a case of a missing man for 17 years. When another man goes missing, he starts to put the missing pieces together.

I am a Harlan Coben fan but I prefer his series to his standalones. This was a good one but it took awhile to get rolling. Lots of characters coming from lots of different perspectives. It worked but it took awhile to really get hooked into the story. I liked the ending. The good husband who stood by his wife didn't get left high and dry. Others found a way to move on from their pasts. I'll be waiting for the next book!

Rating - A-