Retro Friday Review: The Lauren Holbrook Series by Erynn Mangum

Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted @ Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at any time!

I haven't done one of these for a great while, but the author of this series just published number four (happily unexpectedly! :) which I am currently reading and which also made me want to reread the original trilogy (which I proceeded to do). I had so much fun, I decided it was high time I recommended it to y'all. Fun, right? I sure think so! So let's get to it, shall we?

The highlight of this series is Lauren herself. This girl lives on coffee and Jane Austen. I think we'd be best friends were she real! (Well. You know. Except for the coffee part. Make that tea and then we'll talk! ;) But seriously, she's watched Pride and Prejudice so many times that she has it memorized and prefers to quote it with a British accent. She lives on coffee. (To the point that she finds it awfully hard to function without it.) And chocolate! She talks a mile a minute and makes friends everywhere she goes. She doesn't know a stranger and her skill with sarcasm? Brilliant. (Is any of this reminding you of someone? Ding ding ding! Yes! She's remarkably like Lorelai from Gilmore Girls.) In short? She's awesome. And even better? She has an incredible group of people she's surrounded with.

From her co-workers to the people at the coffee shop she frequents to her sister and brother-in-law, the girl has a knack for knowing fabulous people. And also people who can be talked into helping her with her matchmaking. Because Lauren can read people. Quite well, in fact, and her track record with knowing two people who are meant for each other is pretty much unmatched. (Ha! See what I did there?) (Yes. I know I'm ridiculous.) Whether she's "unexpectedly" throwing them together, setting up blind dates with other people so they can see who they're truly meant to be with, or following along with their dates in disguise. And if they reach the moment of "Will you marry me?", you can bet that she'll be there somewhere making sure the moment is as romantic and perfect as possible! (Plus she just likes to see proof of her genius.) The only struggle she has is potentially finding her Mr. Right when she's been planning to stay single her entire life. What a bummer, right?

Mixing her days with her photography job, drinking multiple cups of coffee, setting up her co-workers, saving her sister from Eenie, Meanie, Mienie, and Moe (who are geese, by the way), watching Pride and Prejudice for the millionth time, agreeing to help lead a bible study with 13 year olds (scary stuff!), pretend to date her co-worker's brother-in-law (who's making her heart beat a little faster), and eat more chocolate than is good for her, Lauren is a busy gal.

The point I'm trying to make is that these books are hilarious. And fun! I laugh my way through each book no matter how many times I've read them. Ms. Mangum knows her characters well. But even better is that they're far from perfect. Lauren makes plenty of mistakes, but she realizes it and does what she can to make it better. I can relate so much easier to a character who feels real. And Lauren and her friends feel like people I'd love to hang out with. Where we'd spend the majority of our time laughing and at the end of the evening we'd all be making plans to meet up again the very next day. Aren't these the sort of characters you'd like to meet? :)

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My mouth is full of Oreo, ice cream, fudge, and Cool Whip, so I just nod. This is heaven. I'm moving into one of their guest rooms.
"So, Laur, do you want to come with us tomorrow? You can help me plan out furniture while Nick and Ryan dig for grubs," she says, licking her fork.
"Can we keep the rest of this dessert?"
She grins. "Sure."
"Then I'll come."
She watches me put another bite in my mouth and close my eyes. "You're pitiful."
"No, just a chocoholic."
She shakes her head. "Same thing."

Retro Friday: Savannah Trilogy by Denise Hildreth

{Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted at Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at anytime!}

Today I'm talking about Savannah. A woman who is funny and nice and talkative and insecure and quirky! And still learning about herself and who she truly is (hence the insecurity), while trying as hard as she can not to end up just like her mother. She's the protagonist in this wonderful trilogy by Denise Hildreth, which consists of Savannah From Savannah, Savannah Comes Undone, and Savannah By The Sea.  She has spent most of her life trying to distance herself from her southern mother (yes, she grew up in Savannah, Georgia, she's heard all the jokes, now moving on...), but inevitably comes back to the place of her birth. And back to her mother.

Victoria Phillips is unique to say the least. From never going out of the house without every single thing from hair to make-up to outfit to shoes looking perfect, to loving her city so much she named her daughter after it, to chaining herself to a monument of the ten commandments, to befriending other ex-beauty pageant queens........well. What more is there to say? Savannah's relationship with her mother is difficult (she's her mother!) yet loving. In the midst of trying not to be too embarrassed by what her mother may say or do next (don't forget the chaining herself to a monument in front of the courthouse; yes, the TV people think it's terribly newsworthy), Savannah comes to understand all the love and wisdom her mother carries. But it does take a while to get to that understanding. And meanwhile, that means we get loads of fun!

Savannah takes a job working for the Savannah Chronicle as a columnist. Which leads her to meeting Amber, an ex-beauty pageant queen still re-living her glory days who absolutely adores Victoria. She also spends time with Paige, her best friend since forever. And Thomas, her brother. Oh, can't forget Duke, her dad's golden retriever, or her dad either for that matter. They both feature pretty prominently. Joshua becomes pretty important in books two and three as well. (Savannah's rather fond of him, for all that she denies it like crazy. I'm rather fond of him myself! He's a genuinely nice guy and pretty adorable. Why can't I find a Joshua?) We get lots of great southern cooking and lots of great southern accents and phrases, "slow down a tad", "y'all", "oh my stars!". Yeah, I'm a fan of all of those. :)

Filled with amusing characters and Savannah's mile-a-minute talking and thought-processes, this is simply a pleasurable way to spend a few hours. Savannah is such a funny girl, and her view of her world makes for great entertainment. I've re-read this entire series many times. Highly recommended for those who enjoy stories where the characters are what keeps you reading. All the escapades that Savannah gets herself in (and there are plenty let me tell you!), the characters are who bring you back for the next book and the next book until you finally reach the end and are sad. I'd love more details on these people's lives after book three. Who knows what Savannah's getting herself into now? :)

"Anyone with half a pea-pickin' ounce of perception can tell that Vicky and I are nothing alike. We don't talk alike, act alike, or do anything else alike.
And you wouldn't know I was hers by my looks, either. I have two inches on her five-foot-four frame. And I don't think our hair is the same color, although no one really knows what her original hair color was. My hair has always been golden brown and straight as a stick. Vicky has been blond, frosted, and redheaded. The best color of all was when she wanted to be platinum blonde, and woke up the morning of the annual Savannah Chamber of Commerce Ball with the majority of her hair lying broken off on her pillow. But we don't talk about that much.
The only remote proof that Vicky could actually be my mother is that I do, on rare, necessary occasions, feel the need to freely express myself in, shall we say, clear tones. My father, Jake Phillips, has the amazing ability to sit back and breathe before responding. I, however, like Vicky, tend to speak before thought has had a chance to register."

Toodle-loo kangaroos!

Retro Friday Review: Wounded Healer by Donna Fleisher

{Retro Friday is a weekly meme hosted @ Angieville and focuses on reviewing books from the past. This can be an old favorite, an under-the-radar book you think deserves more attention, something woefully out of print, etc. Everyone is welcome to join in at anytime!}

Wounded Healer (Homeland Heroes, Book 1)

About the Book:

Surrounded by the oppressive sand, heat, and tension of Operation Desert Storm, soldiers Erin Grayson and Christina McIntyre shared a special bond. But when an ugly secret from Chris' past shattered their close friendship, they went their separate ways without even a goodbye. Four years have gone by since that day in the desert, but Chris has spent her entire life running from the past, hiding her deepest secrets from those who care for her most. And now tragedy has ripped apart her life. She sees no hope in tomorrow.It's a good day to die. . . .Overcoming her own anger and doubt, Erin rushes to Chris' Colorado cabin. When Chris' fear of God and Erin's faith in Him collide, they are involved in a different kind of war that only one of them can win. As Chris wrestles with grief, fear, and ghosts from the past, Erin fights to pull her from the brink of self-destruction. She will not lose Chris again.Chris' life is at stake . . . as well as her soul.

My Thoughts:

I remember when this one first came out. I saw it in the store and didn't think it looked like something I would enjoy. Oh how wrong I was! But I didn't find out how wrong until book number three came out, at which point I decided I'd better read the first two books. Yes, there are four books in this series and they are all fabulous! But this isn't about the series, it's about book one. And what a story it is! Chris has issues, lots and lots of issues. But somehow Erin, along with you the reader, looks past those issues and into the heart of Chris. Chris has a very tender heart (which makes her a sympathetic character and very likeable, even when she's stubborn), but it is buried beneath layer upon layer of hurt and fear and all kinds of emotions that refuse to go away. It takes persistence and love and never, ever giving up on Erin's part, for Chris to finally let her in a little. But only a little, mind you. I think what originally turned me off was that I thought this was going to be a story with war featuring prominently. And it is there, but ultimately this is a story of people. Flawed people who have been through so much, especially Chris, and yet find strength to get up and go on living even when they'd prefer to die. It takes an extremely strong person to do that. The thing is, this isn't a pleasant, happy, fluffy book. It does have it's lighthearted moments, but this is Chris and Erin's story, mainly Chris', and it's not an easy one to tell. Ms. Fleisher is a great writer, she mixes in the current happenings with flashbacks and memories from the past. Which is needed, because Chris' past shaped who she is presently. And her past is pretty ugly and has left some awful scars. 

These two women share this bond of surviving together during Operation Desert Storm. This bond goes deep, which is why Chris allows Erin into her cabin after Chris' boyfriend dies (not a spoiler, this happens in the first chapter). Chris desperately wants to be loved, but at the same time she is absolutely terrified of it. Erin has lots of love to give and refuses to not love Chris. Despite the fact that they haven't seen each other for five years at the beginning, Erin runs to Chris' side when she needs her. Steadfastly refusing to give up on Chris, even when her husband wants her to. Then convincing Chris to come home with her and trying to get her to tell her story so she can find peace. Because that's the other thing Chris needs desperately, peace. Real peace. Erin truly wants to help Chris through this, but Chris doesn't make it easy at all. So this is their journey, at least part of it. A story of friendship and honor and a love that will not be ignored. Just a small warning, reading this will make you want to find out what happens next. Thank goodness all the books have been out a while, huh? :)

A passage for you:

"Erin sat there for a full minute, trying to decide what to do. She wanted to stay but didn't want to push it. She should probably go and let Chris sleep. Still, she decided to ask. "Do you want me to stay a little while? Until you fall back asleep?"
"No."
Of Course. What did you expect? She hasn't changed. Erin slowly started to get up. She's all right. She'll sleep-She stopped and quickly turned around.
Chris had reached up and grabbed the back of Erin's sweatshirt. 
The pause was filled with tension. Erin waited, standing now, by the bed.
"Y-yes."
She sad back down.
Chris closed her eyes. And reached out again.
Erin took Chris's hand. And squeezed it."

 Toodle-loo kangaroos! Happy reading!