Review: Engaged me, entertained me, and left me with a smile
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 03 21, 2014
I read this book cover-to-cover in one afternoon.  I was honestly surprised that I did, and it's a credit to the author's voice because, honestly, it's not a deep book, nor does it have a particularly challenging conflict.  However, I was fully engaged in the honestly written characters, once I got everyone sorted out -- there are a LOT of people here and, especially in the beginning, I found myself having to go back and figure out just who was who and how they all fit together!The story is pretty simple and involves a quest of sorts as do most fantasies.  Ivan and Sonia are instantly attracted, and other than a difficulty in trusting men and the chance that their fathers may not give them permission to marry, there wasn't much keeping them apart.  I honestly never worried that they'd not be together, but I really enjoyed Ivan's straightforward behavior -- I'm certain that's why he was able to win Sonia's trust fairly easily.The quest, too, wasn't particularly fraught with danger or worry.  Things seemed to be fairly simple for them, despite their footsteps being dogged by Sonia's ex-fiancé.  Still, again, it was engaging and so smooth to read.This is the second book by this author that I've read, and I'm truly impressed by her ability to craft characters that I care about.  Her plots may not be the most nail-bitingly suspenseful or particularly complex, but they're strong enough to keep my attention and the time I spend reading her books just flies by.  I wasn't a fan of the few words she used quirky spelling on, like "myles" instead of "miles" and "fyte" for "foot".  It wasn't necessary and was one of the few things that really distracted me as I read.All-in-all, though The Green Rose was a book that engaged me, entertained me, and left me with a smile. What more can I ask?