The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova

 

The Montoya family is an interesting group of people; their matriarch Orquidea Divina is especially interesting and different. She's quite magical, too. Appearing in Four Winds decades before as a very young woman, she created an oasis out of nothing, leaving the townspeople to whisper about her and send the sheriff out on occasion to try to get her to leave. 

However, Orquidea stayed. She never left her little oasis, where food was always plentiful, the weather was beautiful, and there was a definite other-worldliness about it. 

Now Orquidea is calling her children and grandchildren back to Four Winds because she is dying and it's time to leave each of them an inheritance. When her family arrives, they are shocked to see Orquidea is not only dying, but is slowly transforming into a tree. Questions abound!

Now it's seven years later, and two of her grandchildren and one great-grandchild have gifts that are definitely odd: Rey, Marimar, and Rhiannon all have flowers growing out of their flesh. None of them understand why or what the flowers mean. 

Soon it becomes clear something is stalking the Montoya family, and it wants to destroy them. Seeking to figure out what is killing family members, they travel to Ecuador, Orquidea's home, to discover where her story began and to uncover the truth before they are all destroyed. 

Wow. This was one heck of a great read. Magic is everywhere in this story, and toss in a circus with a mysterious connection to Orquidea and you've got quite an interesting tale of bad decisions, promises made and broken, and heartbreak that never goes away. Revenge weaves its way through Orquidea's life story, and a big theme is the damage done to children by parents who do not love or care for them. Those children grow up to inflict damage on themselves and others, because of their rage, sorrow, and unanswered questions. 

I loved the mix of legends and magic, folklore and family love and connections. The story goes back and forth between present day (7 years after Orquidea transforms) and decades before, slowly revealing her journey and the price she paid for freedom. It all culminates in a showdown between the evil that stalks the family, and the gifts Orquidea gave her grandchildren. 

If you're looking for books with magic, cultural lore and otherworldliness, you'll enjoy this very much. The cover is just gorgeous. 

Rating: 5/6 for a tale of one woman's choices that create a magic safe place for family that is threatened by an evil that seeks revenge and will stop at nothing to destroy everything. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina by Zoraida Cordova

The Siren by Katherine St. John

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I looked at Katherine St. John's previous summer thriller The Lion's Den but I just never had my interest peaked enough to grab it and read it. Now that I've devoured her second novel, The Siren, I'm going to have to go back and read it. This is a novel that surprised me completely.

The cover certainly gives it a certain, shall we say, Jackie Collins vibe? So I was expecting something frothy and over the top. Instead, I got a novel about the underside of fame and a whole lot of surprises, all taking place on a jewel of a tropical island. 

Hollywood has come to the island of St. Genesius to film The Siren, a thriller of a movie that reunites ex-spouses Cole Power and Stella Rivers. Cole is a HUGE Hollywood power star, while Stella is seen as a has-been. A child star who became famous for her short marriage to Cole and her public meltdowns after, Stella is desperate for a job. 

Cole's son Jackson is the director of the film, but Cole holds the purse strings. Also on the island is Taylor, the producer, and Felicity Fox, Stella's new assistant. Each woman has a reason why this film is so very important to them, and as everyone gathers, you start to uncover the motives behind each of them. 

Let's make it clear: Cole is a major league asshole. A handsome leading man who has gotten away with an awful lot of awful things, he owns the island and knows just how to manipulate Stella and Taylor. 

As filming begins, you get to know each of the ladies, and you slowly start to put the pieces together. As a hurricane threatens to disrupt filming, things really start to heat up, and wow! the action really kicks in. I found myself so immersed in the last 1/4 of the book that I completely lost track of time and realized it was much later than I thought when I finished the book. It's definitely one of those "What?! What?!" kind of books--I was talking to myself a lot! 

I've been reading a lot of what could be termed "domestic thrillers" but this is definitely not a domestic thriller. I'm not sure what exactly I'd call it. Dang it was good! I'd take this on a vacation without hesitation. And now I'm heading to the bookstore to buy her first novel. There is drug use and rape (off scene) in the novel, so be aware of that if you are sensitive to those topics. 

This is definitely one of those books that I had no idea what to expect and was blown away by it and so surprised in a very good way. A huge thanks to Grand Central Publishing for sending me an ARC. This novel just was released in hardcover on May 4th, so run out and grab it!

Rating: 5/6 for a novel about Hollywood, dirty secrets, and a reckoning that is long overdue. In a bigger sense, it's also about hiding your true self, the evils of social media, and survival. 

Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio. 

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The Siren by Katherine St. John

Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick

I like Anna Kendrick.  I first became aware of her watching Twilight, as Bella's friend at her new high school.  Didn't think much of it; it was a small part. Next thing I know, she's appearing alongside George Clooney in Up in the Air; that garners her an Oscar nomination.  What?!  Then I see she can sing and upon further investigation, was on Broadway at age twelve and nominated for a Tony.  Holy crap.  And she's barely thirty years old.

May I also mention her twitter comments are hilarious?  Anna's memoir, Scrappy Little Nobody, is funny, self-deprecating, and full of all the angst and guessing we all go through when we're just starting out in life and have no clue who we are and what we want.  She was always a tiny person and looked years younger than she actually was; this proved to be both an advantage when it came to casting, and a disadvantage when it came to casting.  She loves being on stage, and theater is her first love; acting in Hollywood was the next obvious step for her.  She chronicles her teen and early twenties working, then not working; getting paid peanuts and trying to fit in, but often times not and feeling like a loser. 

But miracle of miracles, Anna finally figures herself out, and feels comfortable in her own skin.  Yes, she's hilarious-- she's that friend you have who always has a witty aside, talks with her hands in constant motion, and is completely unaware of just how charming and beautiful they really are to everyone else. 

 Anna discusses her early forays into romance at the age of nineteen, and her unapologetic enthusiasm for being a woman who enjoys sex is refreshing.  No, she's not a slut, and gets pretty pissed at her first boyfriend, who complains that it's no fun when she is always ready for sex--no chase, no fun for him.  And yes, she's rightfully ticked off at him for making that comment.  There is a difference between sleeping around just for sex's sake, and being a partner who enjoys having monogamous sex with someone they care about.  

Anna is ballsy, smart, talented, and her memoir was such fun to read.  Her peek into Hollywood and the craziness of it all is a good reminder of how the world can sometimes make us think we've got it wrong, when we've got it right.  Yes, she smokes pot, and yes, she drinks; those things didn't bother me; Anna is fully capable of taking care of herself (even if she does want to eat ice cream sandwiches for breakfast) and in my opinion, never in danger of losing her sense of self.  

Anyone who is a fan of Anna Kendrick, or even anyone who has no idea who she is, may find this an enjoyable read from the perspective of a young Hollywood up-and-comer who is down to earth and fully aware of the circus around her. 

Rating:  7/10.  Available in hardcover, e-book, and audio.

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Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick