The Accidental Bride

The Accidental Bride (Summer Island #2)

by Christina Skye

3 stars

 

376 pages

Published Sept. 18, 2012 by Harlequin

 

I wasn't overly thrilled with this book, but it was a sweet story without all the yucky sex scenes. A bit of an unbelievable plot, with the main characters falling in love the moment they see each other - call me jaded, but it usually doesn't happen that way. I guess that's why it's a "romance" book - the idealized version of love.

I was a little bugged by the blatant use of puppies and knitting and cooking in the book - it was as if the author thought of three things that women love and stuck them in the book to appeal to the widest range. I'm surprised that kittens and rainbows did not make an appearance, although reading in front of a sunset did (which is my personal favorite). See! It caught me, too!

Doubt I'll read another one in the series. But it was a good experiment.

The Friday Night Knitting Club

The Friday Night Knitting Club (Friday Night Knitting Club #1)

by Kate Jacobs

2 stars

352 pages 

Published Jan. 18, 2007 by Putnam Adult (first published January 1st 2006)

 

I had waited a few years for this book to finally be added as an ebook at my local library. I thought I would like this book - yarn and women crafters with a touch of romance thrown in? Sounds good! I love working with yarn, although I enjoy crocheting more than knitting. Maybe I was hoping for a bit of inspiration to get me back into knitting. I rarely delve into adult fiction, but I thought I'd make an exception for this one.

Unfortunately, when I closed the cover on my Nook after reading the last sentence, I was decidedly underwhelmed and not a little bit disgusted. I remember all sorts of hype associated with this book. Why? The ending was crap. If I had known what was going to happen (and I purposely did NOT read any spoilers beforehand), I would not have wasted my time. The only reason I gave it 2 stars was that the writing was pretty good - except for the swearing. TOO MUCH! I mean, come on! This is a book about knitting! You don't need to be dropping the f-bomb when you're purling!

So, I cannot recommend this book to any of my friends. Sorry. Actually - I'm not.

Knit Christmas Stockings, 2nd Edition

Knit Christmas Stockings, 2nd Edition

by Gwen Steege (Editor)

5 stars

 
I have always had grand dreams of knitting Christmas stocking for my children, but have never known where to start. Socks of any kind intimidate me, and adding cute charts makes me start to sweat. But this cute, beautifully photographed book has taken away most of the fear associated with trying something new.
What makes it so accessible and fun is that there is something for all levels of knitter. If you're like me (an advanced beginner), start out with something small - like Mini Felted Mitts and Socks or Ski Sweater Ornaments. That way, you learn the technique without investing hours and hours of time, just to discover you've missed a stitch or something. Frustration is limited when working on a small project.
If you are more advanced - and I bow down to you! - there are quite challenging projects, such as Winter Wonderland or Reindeer and Bells. Lots of charts, color changes and textures.
Photographs are a necessity in knitting books, and the ones contained in this one do not disappoint.
A solid offering.
Thank you NetGalley.com and Storey Publishing for allowing me to review this delightful book.