Thoroughly enjoyable very good read with believable, evolving characters
937554
I am glad I picked this book to read this weekend. It sucked me in within a few pages. You simply want to know what happens to the mother and her daughter; how they will cope with the hard times in 1945 in a major city in Germany where so much of the city is broken. It is not just the buildings that need rebuilding, but also the lives of the survivors of this terrible war. Like in the movie  The book paints a life that is full of controversies, of hard choices and of the shame for the choices forced upon the Germans during the war. It shows the human face of the war as it affected the lives of the common man and woman. For a first novel this is a really good book. I hope the writer will write more as I will most certainly want to read them.
539382
I read this book expecting it to be predictable, and at times it was indeed what I expected; however, I was drawn into the storyline by believable, evolving characters.  Catastrophic events do often lead to positive change, and that is certainly true in this book.  Though the plot could have been heavy and dark, secondary characters lighten the mood and provide humor and wisdom at the same time.  I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
3170800
Love in the Balance is a thoroughly enjoyable read. It's delightfully unpredictable, tightly plotted, and has one of my favorite first lines of all the books I've read in the last few years, which goes to illustrate Jennings' excellent wordsmith abilities.

Adding to this book's many compelling features are the well-woven motivations of the hero, Bailey Garner, and the heroine, Molly Lovelace. Jennings pushes to a deeper level when exploring the ins and outs of the forces pulling the would-be couple apart. I found both characters likable and easy to empathize with, and the supporting characters add plenty of diversity.

I'll be watching for this author's future books. I've absolutely found both this book and her debut, Sixty Acres and a Bride, well worth recommending to those looking for a great historical romance.

This book was provided by Bethany House for review.
3956147
Well written, with very well developed characters.
1617949
Thoroughly enjoyable book. Some interesting twists that I did not see coming, but that also made perfect sense when revealed. Imaginative yet relatable. I liked the characters, especially how my understanding of them grew. A nice way of building the character rather than simple explication. Had some deeper themes, but the story itself took forefront. (As it should!)
1621295
A very good read.  Excellent characters and not just the two main ones but the surrounding supportive characters as well.  All were ell written and very believable to the point you felt you were in the story yourself.  Excellent storyline as well.  Main characters of Sir Hillary and Eleanor were delightful and the repartee between them made for a very captivating read.  I definitely recommend this book.
3765270
This is a very well paced novel with characters that I fell in love with right off the bat.  Tone was very good from scene to scene.  All in all a wonderful read that was skillfully plotted.  There were a few minor "clunky" spots in the first half of the book that I thought could have been fixed up for readability.  I am now a huge fan and can not wait for the next installment.
2016964
I really enjoyed the characters in this book, very believable and sympathetic. There is a good romantic thread in this book, but it is a subplot to the larger story of a young girl discovering her heritage. I found the complexity of the book intriguing. Lucy carries a dual heritage of good and evil, but it isn't that simple. Evil has a good side and the good aspects can have a darker side.  It is a little reminiscent of Harry Potter with characters morphing into animals and the witchcraft is done quite believably.  All in all a very good and enjoyable read.
1267677
Refreshing story, intelligent characters and fun all around read
3141489
Thoroughly enjoyed this book.  Entire story was both engaging and quite believable.  There were no over the top scenes and the characters easily came to life.  I also appreciated how the author showed sensitivity in his descriptions of violent events; giving just enough without being gratuitous. A very good read. BL
859375
I rarely give five stars but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The characters are well defined, the plot has a nice pace. Tight editing imbued with good details make this a top notch read.
4411571
Very enjoyable read -- the kind of book that just makes you feel good when you read it
3014515
Only my first read of this author's work and only my second delve into futuristic worlds but I have to say, I really took to this story. It begins in what seems to be an idyllic setting, open country, nice farm, close-knit family, that is, until we find out more about 'The Institute' and exactly what they do there. We, as the readers, are learning from our host and I suspect, future heroine, Allira as she combats bother her own personal feelings and acquires the skill to use her own defect - which she didn't know that she had.

I found the story to be engaging, told very well from the first person perspective and it certainly had enough twists and surprises to keep the pages turning right to the very end. The characters were written very well, plenty of emphasis on the main ones with just enough on some of the lesser involved people. This story is quite believable in the world to come, it is quite possible that governments would indeed react to such anomalies this way - even though in today's world, people can do some extraordinary things. I particularly liked the ending to this tale, even if abrupt but it saved itself with just a snippet of the sequel book. It is VERY hard not to continue reading after the last page of the story, I simply had to know where it would go next after such a revelation. Needless to say, I will be buying 'The Resistance' very shortly.

For me, a 5* review given, means that the author earned it. It means the story did everything I expect a good book to do. It entertained me, it had me thinking, it wowed me from time to time at the intricacy of the given plot, or the complicated nature of the whole shebang. It had me turning the pages and feeling the characters, envisaging the situations and indeed, the dilemmas right there in the scenes. I warmed to Kayla's writing style from quite early on, it has a nice flow to it, an almost casual air which makes for great reading time. There were no apparent faults that I could see in the process of reading this story, it all ties in nicely and alludes to an equally enthralling sequel to come.

In closing then, a well rounded, well voiced tale that will appeal to a wide age group of people, as well, I think, as a multitude of genre lovers. There is a little of everything in here, erring on the side of YA I would say, but equally suited to anyone with as good imagination and a view to a future I hope that we will do our very best to avoid. Very well done! A well-earned 5* from me.
2518027
A thoroughly enjoyable read. Believable and endearing characters in a captivating story - I look forward to reading more in the series.
3027809
Excellent character development, plausible storyline, a fun read.
2272988
This is a thoroughly enjoyable novel.  I was captivated in the first chapter.
The style was particularly fun.  Moving about from person to person and getting different takes on the same situations was great.
I am recommending this book to my book club for next year's reading list.  I have also recommended it to all my friends.
2153893
Totally enjoyed it. Smitherd has a knack for developing characters that are so honest they keep the story anchored with a feeling of reality, which makes this a very enjoyable read. I'm always on the hunt for an authentic new voice, and this author is one I will read again. Well plotted and paced, an easy, fluent style and memorable, beautifully drawn characters make this a book I recommend to anyone who loves speculative fiction.