Magical Words

I read through "Marked' In one night.

While on Skype with my fiance and my best friend. Here's a hint of how much I dove into the book: I don't remember any of my conversation with them aside from the "Goodnights" and "Love you"'s.

The idea of Keres (those that mark people for Death) and Ferry's (Those that ferry them off) not completely bonding, but making a decent relationship out of the different parts of their hands in death, fascinated me.

I absolutely LOVE Cacy and her snarky, no bullshit way of handling both her very personal family business and being a paramedic too. I don't think I could ever handle it, but the character takes it with sarcasm, sass and simple bullshit when she needs to spit it.

I recommend this to ANYONE who wants something to drop into. It comes out in January and I got a preview as a Prime Member on Amazon.

Blurb from Amazon:

"A girl with a clockwork heart must make every second count.

 

When Penny Farthing nearly dies, brilliant surgeon Calvin Warwick manages to implant a brass “Ticker” in her chest, transforming her into the first of the Augmented. But soon it’s discovered that Warwick killed dozens of people as he strove to perfect another improved Ticker for Penny, and he’s put on trial for mass murder.

On the last day of Warwick’s trial, the Farthings’ factory is bombed, Penny’s parents disappear, and Penny and her brother, Nic, receive a ransom note demanding all of their Augmentation research if they want to see their parents again. Is someone trying to destroy the Farthings...or is the motive more sinister?

Desperate to reunite their family and rescue their research, Penny and her brother recruit fiery baker Violet Nesselrode, gentleman-about-town Sebastian Stirling, and Marcus Kingsley, a young army general who has his own reasons for wanting to lift the veil between this world and the next. Wagers are placed, friends are lost, romance stages an ambush, and time is running out for the girl with the clockwork heart."

I adored this book, hence it's very high rating. From the start, you're dropping into Penny's world, all of the intrigue of a century reliant on steam and mechanics. Penny's best friend Violet acts more like her mother than her friend at times and Sebastian, while Nic's best friend, has a protective brother streak in him towards the two ladies. Nic himself is broody and sees Penny as someone to be watched closely, given her health.

I fell into the story and read for hours before anyone had my attention and I'm fairly certain it would happen again if I opened the cover. I even ignored my fiance in desperation to finish- and I don't do that. EVER.

The characters have characteristics that remind me of my own friends, in some good ways and some bad, but it's what will endear you to the characters. The story has some confusing moments (keeping track of who is where and what different items of the technology they use is for) but it's oh so very worth it.  I would definitely read this again and probably will the next time I've got the time to spare.

Jo Marie Rose runs the Rose Harbor Inn. It's her sanctuary after the loss of her husband Paul in Afghanistan. What she never considered was that this would be a sanctuary for other people. Ellie Reynolds, a middle aged woman, has been under the cover of her mother's helicopter way of parenting for far too long and is off to meet a man she feels a connection with- one she made online first. Her mother is worried and reminds her to be cautious. She's determined to see this meeting through and has booked a room at Rose Harbor.

The second bunch of visitors to the inn are a couple: Roy and Maggie Porter. The couple had booked their room only to have relatives call and later put up the money for it. Arriving at the inn presented a whole new set of problems- an angry work driving husband who forgot how to relax- and a wife who just wanted him back.

Jo isn't without looking for information either- even if she'll swear to everyone, including her best friend Peggy, another bed and breakfast owner- that there is nothing romantic leading her to wanting information on the quiet and tight lipped handy man Mark. While the inn seems to be the sanctuary for her- maybe she's not the only one who needs it.

Everyone seems to be hoping to find some love at the Rose Harbor and for once, it might just be happy endings.

Overall, the characters themselves are interesting as is the various ways the characters interact and their individual story lines. I like the setting, gods know I'd love to be somewhere near a harbor right now, it's beautiful. Plot is semi typical for a love story- everyone will find their way by the end, but I like it.

Score: 4/5