Thirty Days Hath

:My random thoughts:
I'm a pretty big fan of Mrs. Havig's. I try to read every book of hers that I get my hands on.  90% of my kindle ebooks are hers, and some of my favorite novels have her name on the cover. So, this review will probably be all positive....

:Publisher's Description:

 

Blind dates are for wimps!

 At least, that’s what Adric Garrison thinks.

Can you blame him? Thanks to his sister and brother-in-law, Adric is about to embark on a year of month-long, chaperoned, blind dates.  awkward.
He didn’t ask for it. But Adric still finds himself living what seems more like a bad TV reality show than a new life in Fairbury.
Once an ordinary (if prematurely gray and vertically challenged) guy, Adric is now Fairbury’s newest “most eligible bachelor,” and dreams of permanent bachelorhood loom on the horizon. Will he call it quits before the year is out, or will one of his “girls of the month” change his mind?

:info to know:

Author: Chautona Havig

My recommended age: 13+

Their recommended age:12+

Publisher: Create Space

Number of Pages: 334

Characters: As always, her characters were quirky, fresh, and unique. Starting it, I was wondering how she could write 12 different woman without mingling the personalities.  But, she pulled it off without a hitch!  Each Lady had her own quirks, faults, and high points (Some were just more faulty then others...).   And Adric, of course, was fantastic.  I did love the relationship between Adric and his sister, his brother in law, and his nephews. It was sweet.  

Plot:

I finished this book in a day.  I just couldn't put it down. As each chapter told a month of the year for Adric, and his Lady of the month, I was pulled into the book, and just couldn't put it down.  Very fast, and enjoyable.

 

Writing Style:

Perfect.  She writes with detail, while still leaving a lot for the reader to imagine.  Her humor seems to fit my idea of humor, and the characters are just so individual and lovely. Or unlovely. Some of Thirty Days Hath's characters weren't very lovely....

 

Cover:

I had a ebook of this, so I didn't get to see the cover that well, but I still like it. ^.^

 

Ending: She finished it well, while still leaving room for a sequal.

 

World Building: I really like this about Mrs. Havig's books. Most of her novels are staged in the same fictional town.  So I got to hear from Willow and Chad and the rest of her Rockland characters.  It has a sense of familiarity to it.  In a way, when you pick up one of her books, you feel like you are going to your second home.

  Language: None.

 

Drugs and Drink:  aside from much coffee, none. ^.^

 

Romance and sexual content: The whole book is a christian romance.  It's about blind dates, and going out on a limb to find your soul partner. But, it was clean.  There was no sexual intercourse (YAY!!!!!) and I can't remember any kissing. Hugs, yeah. 

 

Violence:None.

 

Ratings

 

Do you really need me to say I give this book a whole hearted: 

  

For more about Chautona, go to her website, 'Just the Write escape".

She has a page up for 'Thirty Days Hath' and you can look around at her other published works, and works in progress.

Take a Bow

:My random thoughts:
I was attracted by the performance theme of this novel.  Since I would one day like to go into stage acting myself, it stood out to me.  I was impressed with the book, and some of it hit cords inside of me, but on the whole it lacked 'stuff'. It was fun, entertaining, but there really wasn't any material that would make it turn into a classic, or best seller.

:Publisher's Description:

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and  bane mates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

:info to know:

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg

My recommended age: 12+

Their recommended age:12+

Publisher: Bantam

Number of Pages: 288

Characters: I didn't get particularly attached to any of them outside of Emme. Me and her have a lot alike.  We both like to help people, and both bite off more then we can chew when assisting others.  But outside of that, none really struck me as, "Wow, these are awesome people". 

Plot:

It was slow, to say the least.  There really wasn't a climax.  Most of the trials were internal, and there really wasn't a Villain to work around.  Rather, it was just a story of how the last bit of their school year went. 

 

Writing Style:

I might not have really loved the book, but Ms. Eulburg has a very good writing style.  It was clear, and easy to read without feeling childish.  This book felt very different then normal Teen flicks.

 

Cover:

So so. Nothing spectacular, or overly pitiful.

 

Ending: It was just the end. No battle was won, no case was solved, no journey finished. Just the end, Emme and Ethan get together (As I expected, I mean, come on. It was obvious they would). Carter leaves the entertainment genre to pursue his dream, and Sophie is becomes the next star-terror. The end.

 

World Building: It gave you a good, I thought, taste of a drama school.

  Language: None.

Drugs and Drink:  Ethan has a drinking problem that nearly ruined his career, and all he held dear.

Romance and sexual content:  Ethan gets and dumps girls like crazy, Carter and Sophie have a rocky relationship, and Ethan and Emme become a pair in the end, a kissing scene or two. But nothing objectionable that I can remember.

 

Violence: I can't remember any....

 

Ratings

It wasn't stellar star-tastic. But it wasn't terrible either.  I think I can sum it up best by saying it was just 'there'.  Its the type of book you read once, don't get attached to, put up on your shelf, and forget about.  

I feel I have to give it a:

It's not terrible enough for a 2, but not good enough for a 4.  I liked it, but didn't love it.  And, I'll probably forget about it in a year.