Passages to the Past

Wow, what an incredibly fascinating and heart-wrenching read! I've long been intrigued by the story of the Romanov family and in particular, the four sisters, Olga, Tatiana, Marie, and Anastasia - collectively known as OTMA - so I immediately requested to review Rappaport's book as soon as it popped up on Edelweiss and I am so glad that I did!

Rappaport delivers a highly enjoyable and insightful read that was never dry or boring. The Romanov girls personalities shine through and the reader comes away with a sense of having known them intimately, which makes their ending all that more tragic with the final scene (be sure to have hankies at the ready!) Rappaport of course also touches on the politics of the time, their dominating mother Alexandra, and their brother Alexei's hemophilia.

I would recommend The Romanov Sisters to anyone wanting to learn more about the ill-fated Romanovs. It's one that will stay with you a long time after closing the book.

Peter Pan was one my favorite children’s stories when I was little…fairies, flying, lost boys, mermaids, what isn’t there to love? Then came the release of the movie HOOK, starring Robin Williams, when I was a teenager and it was fantastic to re-visit the magical world of Pan, Tinker Bell, and Captain Hook. Now as an adult I am back again in Neverland, but this time author Lisa Jensen has turned it on its head! Take everything you know about Peter Pan and throw it out the door because nothing is as you remembered.

Alias Hook is a darker, R-rated version of the Peter Pan story that you know, as told from the villainous Captain Hook, but as the real man behind the legend. He tells of his life as the son of an aristocrat and how he ended up stuck for centuries in a Neverland purgatory, endlessly harassed by Pan and his Lost Boys. That sweet chance at freedom will come to Hook in the form of Stella Parrish, but it won’t be easy to break the spell keeping him there.

One of the things that I love best about my Kindle is the ability to highlight passages, and boy did I highlight the crap out of this book. There were so many fantastic lines and quotes that I wanted to share but didn’t dare since I have an early reviewer copy. However, I stalked Lisa Jensen on Facebook and ran the lines by her and she kindly confirmed that the quotes I used in this review did make the final version.

There is no other way to describe Jensen’s writing other than magical. I was “hooked” from the very first page…and yes, that pun was indeed intended J …and didn’t want to put it down until I absolutely had to, or when threatened by my husband or kids. Jensen is a natural storyteller, and she knows how to suck a reader in and keep them enthralled. I am so happy that I had the opportunity to read Alias Hook and I cannot wait to see what else in store from Lisa Jensen. If she reads this review, maybe she’ll comment and let us know! Whatever it is, I’ll be checking it out for sure!