The Princess and the Hound

He is a prince, heir to a kingdom threatened on all sides, possessor of the animal magic, which is forbidden by death in the land he'll rule.

She is a princess from a rival kingdom, the daughter her father never wanted, isolated from true human friendship but inseparable from her hound.

Though they think they have little in common, each possesses a secret that must be hidden at all costs.

This summation from the inside cover seems a good beginning to the book, The Princess and the Hound by Mette Ivie Harrison. The cover is a beautiful draw and I was intrigued. Now keeping with the title I assumed that a princess or at least a female would narrate or guide this story, not so. The story is instead told from Prince George's vantage point, a twist for many a fairy tale. (But the luscious cover will probably keep those male readers away!)

I really did like this book, but felt it lacked something - some sparkle maybe. It certainly was not a riveting book, although I enjoyed getting lost in its story. The plot was uneven in places and began to lag towards the end. As much as I had been enjoying it, at one point, I glanced at how many pages I had yet to go to be finished and I felt that the author had already said it all.

I did enjoy George's emotional and poignant growth and found some of the supporting characters such as Henry appealing. I would have liked to see him more involved in the story.

This story is one that I have found difficult to explain to others without giving too much of the plot way and now find writing about it to be the same. I enjoyed the "ride" but don't know if I truly got my money's worth!

3.5/5.0

I got emergency babysitting detail for sweet baby Jase today. What a fun time I had playing with him. Of course I had forgotten how much time a little 14 month old needs!! We giggled, tickled toes, discovered and sang songs. Having this sweet little one in our lives makes us so happy. It seems like just yesterday that my little ones were this size and now they have babies of their own. Where did the time go?? Because of babysitting I missed attending a book signing in Glendale where I hoped to meet a fellow blogger. Please forgive me for not coming. I will try to come another time!!

Lunch dates with another good friend this week was a real refreshing treat for me. I don't get to do it often enough - but in these economic times it's probably a good thing. Guess next time I'll just invite others over for fresh garden salsa and chips!!

Rich and I are studying A Heart Like His by Virginia Pierce for our weekly FHE. We've started our experiment together and it's a great experience so far. We're motivated. We miss having so many others be with us, so we decided to kind of change our modis operandi!! We'll get back to doing Game Night soon as well. Boy, I like this not working stuff!