Recommendations from Peggy for January 2016.

In order to bring some more variety to my blog, I have asked some of my bookish friends to tell about the books they have read in the past month, and to give us a recommendation. Today’s post is made by Peggy from Belgium.

Peggy:

I have read 4 novels in the past month, and the 3 books I enjoyed the most are:

1. Making faces – Amy Harmon



2. Master of crows – Grace Draven



3. So much more – R.C. Martin



I haven’t read many books the last few weeks but I was lucky enough that the few books that I read were very good books. One of them had me even crying.

After reading and loving ‘Radiance’ from Grace Draven I really wanted to read another book from her and after asking advice from Karin I decided to read ‘Master of crows’ and I loved that story too. But the book that I want to talk about this month is ‘Making faces’ from Amy Harmon. Amy Harmon is a new writer to me but when I read in the blurb that it involved a Beauty and Beast theme, it got my attention. I love reading stories about that and I just fell in love with this book. I was so happy that I decided to read this story.

Ambrose Young and Fern Taylor live in the same, small town and they go to the same school but there’s where the similarities stop. Where Ambrose is the popular boy in school and in town. Fern is the quiet, not so beautiful girl in the background. Something she’s very aware of but through the years she has come to terms with it. Just like the fact that she has a huge crash on Ambrose but she knows deep down in her heart that he will never fall for a girl like her. But that’s just life. Luckily she has her nephew and her best friend Bailey to keep her company and make fun with. They are the best of friends. And although Bailey was born with an illness that is getting worse and worse with age, he never admits defeat or the chance to do crazy things with Fern.

Ambrose has the perfect life. He is very popular, not only at school but also in his small town where he lives. He is blessed with good looks, four fabulous friends and he’s the best in his favorite sport, wrestling. But the older he gets, the more he gets to hate the pressure that everyone is putting on his shoulders. And then comes the day that will change his life (and the lives of many other people) forever, 9/11. A day that will change him and his future forever.

Fern is just like the rest of town shocked and confused when she hears the news that Ambrose and his four close friends are joining the army. Because they all know that the chance is big that they will be send off to war and that’s just what happens. And just when they think that everything is going to be fine and the boys will be home soon, the town gets the awhile news that they lost four of their boys and that their ‘golden’ boy is terribly wounded.

After many months in the hospital Ambrose is finally home but he’s hiding. Not only hiding because of his scars but also because of guilt. Because he survived where his best friends died. So he hides at home and at the bakery of his father where at night he bakes. The only thing that he didn’t count on was Fern. Fern who dreams of becoming a writer but works nightshifts in the grocery shop next to the bakery. Fern who never stopped loving Ambrose and now wants to help him to come to terms with his new scarred appearance and the loss of his best friends. And if someone can show Ambrose he’s more than a handsome face, it’s Fern because she always loved him because of his heart and not his looks. And with the help of her best friend Bailey, Fern is slowly convincing Ambrose that life is worth living and that maybe he can have the future that he deserves.

This book contains more than a love story. It’s also a story about friendship, loss, hard decisions and accepting what life gives you. This story isn’t only about Fern and Ambrose but also about Bailey and a small town.

I found it a very emotional story that I really adored. But if you’re looking for a book with hot sex scenes, I would say don’t read this book because you will get disappointed but if you’re looking for an emotional book about love, loss and friendship, then give this book a try.

Until next month.



Aurian: Thanks for the recommendation Peggy! That makes me the only one who hasn't read Grace Draven yet. I need to get to it!

© 2016 Reviews by Aurian