Reviews written by C.J. Redwine

I devoured the entire Love Comes Softly series as a girl. And then I went back and re-read them multiple times. Love Comes Softly is a sweet story about love growing gradually, the power of hope, and the fact that while dark times hit us all, they don't stay forever....

I loved our second year at Hogwarts. Dobby is introduced, more of Voldemort's backstory is revealed, and the castle begins to give up more of its secrets. The friendships are deepened, the characters are as fabulously compelling as they were the year before, and we are once again seduced by...

A stunning conclusion to one of my favorite trilogies. I love that Tolkien's world is so thoroughly built. I can imagine it clearly every step of the way. I also love that Tolkien's characters must face hard choices. None of them are perfect, and their flaws drive the plot as...

This isn't my favorite of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, mostly because it is obviously a middle book and doesn't really feel like it has a strong ending. It functions as a bridge between books 1 & 3. However, the adventure is nail-biting, the world building is incredibly compelling,...

This is one of my favorite books. The world building is superb, the characters are distinct and worth reading about, and the stakes are high. I fell in love with Middle Earth, and with hobbits, after reading this book. This story is vividly imagined and worth reading again and again....

The sequel to the fabulous Eyes Like Stars takes Beatrice and friends out of the Theatre Illuminata and into the world at large on a rescue mission. The plot is once again steeped in Shakespeare and magical story lore. The characters are flawed, interesting, and compelling. And the world building...

This story reminded me of the very best in historical romance: sweeping setting, glamour, intrigue, secrets, and an improbable but lovely romance. I was captivated and interested, despite the fact that every character was a bit too perfect for my taste. This is a thoroughly sweet romance, with a lovely...

The modern-day Lord of the Flies (with a bit of a paranormal/supernatural twist) continues in this second book. The conflict is more intense, the stakes are high, and the freaky occurances are mounting. Beneath the drama and conflict, there's an interesting look at prejudice and fear and what that will...

What a fabulous end to such a wonderful series. An epic battle, heartbreak, joy, and a vivid, imaginitve conclusion to the magical Narnia books. I highly recommend this series to everyone!

I found the premise of this book to be unique and intriguing. Violet's ability is well described, as is the aftermath she suffers when she finds something dead. She has strong relationships with her family and with Jay, and I enjoyed reading about those. I also felt the moments when...

I don't think I can possibly overstate how much I love this book. I love this book. I had no expectations when I started it, and I was just blown away. The post-apoc world of New Orleans is so haunting and vivid. I felt...

This isn't my favorite of the Chronicles of Narnia series, but it's still a grand adventure. I think because the entire story takes place in Narnia, rather than pulling a human from Earth into the world of Narnia, it lost a bit of its magic for me. However, I can...

I was totally captivated by this book from the first scene. Nick and Alan are interesting charcters for so many reasons. They seem to be opposites, they have a strange bond between them, and everything about them screams SECRETS. I can't talk about what I really loved about this book...

This installment in the Chronicles of Narnia series is very different from the others because when the kids are taken to Narnia, we realize we're actually reading a story that takes place just as Narnia is being created by Aslan. I love that the Uncle in the story is an...

The second installment in the Strange Angels series is just as tense, just as packed full of adventure, and just as scary as the first. Dru is now at a private school for people like her, but she isn't safe. At least one of the students wants her dead. Kudos...