Thursday, April 30, 2015

Imaginary Things by Andrea Lochen

Published April 1, 2015 by Astor+Blue Editions

Watching children play and invent whimsical games of fantasy is one of life's great joys. But what if you could actually see your child's imagination as it unfolded? And what would you do if your child's imagination suddenly became dark and threatening?

Burned-out and broke, twenty-two-year-old single mother Anna Jennings moves to her grandparents' rural home for the summer with her four-year-old son, David. The sudden appearance of shadowy dinosaurs forces Anna to admit that either she's lost her mind or she can actually see her son's active imagination. Frightened for David's safety, Anna struggles to learn the rules of this bizarre phenomenon and how best to protect him. But what she uncovers along the way is completely unexpected: revelations about what her son's imaginary friends truly represent and dark secrets about her own childhood imaginary friend.

Living next door is Jamie Presswood, Anna's childhood friend who's grown much more handsome and hardened than the boy she once knew. But past regrets and their messy lives are making the rekindling of their complex friendship prove easier said than done. Between imaginary creatures stalking her son and a tumultuous relationship with David's biological father, Anna may find it impossible to have room in her life or her heart for another man. But as David's visions become more threatening, Anna must learn to differentiate between which dangers are real and which are imagined, and whom she can truly trust. 

My Thoughts…

My children never had imaginary friends.   I never thought about why they would have or didn’t have these friends.   Yet, I started Imaginary Things and was instantly intrigued.   I loved the idea of a little boy, David,  with an imaginary friend or two and that these friends were dinosaurs.   When the story continued and Anna, the boy’s mother, could see these imaginary friend I was hooked. 

Andrea Lochen as an amazing imagination and a way with words.    She is able to described the characters and their feelings so well that the reader takes them on as friends and people they care about.   I could relate to Anna’s fear for her son and his reaction to the way his life has become.   Her confusion as to why David felt the need to have these dinosaurs around to keep him safe from the scary cat, a panther.  

When Anna and Jamie, the next door neighbor, became friends and their history was revealed I was thrilled.   I knew where I wanted it go and was happy when it started to head that direction with twists and turns.   Their story is not easy, it is not a straight line, and it is worth the trip to get there.   Jamie has a history, Anna has a history and together it is complicated.  

 As the story continued I was trying to figure out how it was all going to be tied up in a pretty package.  I should have seen where the story was going.   The clues were there, the story was heading in the right direction, yet I did not.  I love that I did not.  I love that it kept me reading.  I had to know that David would be safe, that the mother would find happiness, and that there would be a happy ending.

This is the second book by Andrea Lochen that I have read and I recommend them both.    Imaginary Friends is a fun read, that gets serious at points.   There are some tough subjects discussed and hinted at but it never loses that easy read feel. 

Book Links
  
What Others are Saying...

“Andrea Lochen writes another beautiful book, filled with vivid scenes, unforgettable characters, and oodles of heart. With a page-turning plot and an utterly unique concept, IMAGINARY THINGS entertains, inspires, and provokes thought--a perfect book club pick.” –Lori Nelson Spielman, author of international bestseller The Life List

“Cleverly written with a perfect touch of magic, Imaginary Things will take you on a journey of the unexpected, and leave you contemplating the power of your own mind.” ~Liz Fenton & Lisa Steinke, authors of Your Perfect Life

"An honest, charming novel that blends reality and magical possibilities, hard struggles and small victories, starting over and daring to dare." --Cathy Lamb, author of Julia's Chocolates

"IMAGINARY THINGS reminded me again and again that the act of raising a child is a love story, a test of strength, and a thrill ride." – Susanna Daniel, author of Stiltsville



Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Seduced by Sunday(The Weekday Brides #6) by Catherine Bybee & GIVEAWAY

Published April 14, 2015 by Montlake Romance



Meg Rosenthal: Matchmaker by day, realist by night, Meg is not about to get swept away by a charming, darkly handsome businessman in a designer suit. She’s come to a beautiful secluded resort to evaluate the private island’s potential for her agency, not to ogle its owner. But there’s something about the magnetic man that’s hard to resist, even for a woman who refuses to fall in love.

Valentino Masini: A successful and drop-dead sexy businessman, Valentino is used to having the finer things in life. Yet he’s never wanted someone the way he wants Meg, who’s stirring up a hurricane of trouble in his heart. But just as he decides to convince her to stay, someone else decides it might be time to get Meg off the island…permanently.

My Thoughts…

This was an easy read for me.   I started in on a Friday night and had it finished before Sunday morning came.    Every book in this series is amazing.   I have read each one and am so excited when I get a notice that another is on the way.    Catherine Bybee is an author that I know I can always rely on to entertain me from the first page until the very last word. 

Seduced by Sunday is my favorite so far.    It was packed with a ton of action yet kept the love and romance alive and strong.    Meg was due to find her happiness.   She saw her best friend find her forever happy ever after in Taken by Tuesday (#5) yet didn’t really think she was due to find hers.   The idea of traveling to a secluded, no paparazzi, island was intriguing.   I mean isn’t there media and cameras everywhere?   Yet, Meg and Michael pose as a couple and travel to this remote island to test their security.   

Enter Valentine, SIGH! From the very first email between Meg and Val you could feel the sparks.  I was just hoping that the sparks would ignite into a fire when they finally met face to face.    There was no disappointment.   The flames grew with each meeting and each conversation.   The romance and love grew and their story just got better and better.

If you have not checked out Catherine Bybee and this series of Bride books you are seriously missing out.    RUN to the nearest book store and purchase your copy today. 
 Of course, I recommend Seduced by Sunday.  

BUY LINKS:
Amazon:    |   B&N:     |   BAM:    |   BOOK DEPOSITORY:  

Meet the Author:   
New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Catherine Bybee was raised in Washington State, but after graduating high school, she moved to Southern California in hopes of becoming a movie star. After growing bored with waiting tables, she returned to school and became a registered nurse, spending most of her career in urban emergency rooms. She now writes full-time and has penned the Weekday Brides Series and the Not Quite Series. Bybee lives with her husband and two teenage sons in Southern California.


CONTACT LINKS:
www.catherinebybe.com   |   catherinebybee@yahoo.com   |   catherinebybee.blogspot.com   

twitter.com/catherinebybee

What Others Are Saying...

“Suspense, survival, and chemistry mix in this scintillating read in the style of Julie Garwood and Suzanne Brockmann.” —Booklist on FiancĂ© by Friday

"This is a book nobody should miss, because the magic it contains is awesome." —Booked Up Reviews on Married by Monday

"[A] wonderfully exciting plot, lots of desire, and some sassy attitude thrown in for good measure!" —Harlequin Junkie on Single by Saturday






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Tuesday, April 28, 2015

The Bookseller by Cynthia Swanson

Published March 3, 2015 by Harper

The Bookseller is part of the Spring SheReads book choices.    Every quarter SheReads chooses a few books and promotes them to the SheReads community.  


Nothing is as permanent as it appears . . .

Denver, 1962: Kitty Miller has come to terms with her unconventional single life. She loves the bookshop she runs with her best friend, Frieda, and enjoys complete control over her day-to-day existence. She can come and go as she pleases, answering to no one. There was a man once, a doctor named Kevin, but it didn’t quite work out the way Kitty had hoped.

Then the dreams begin.

Denver, 1963: Katharyn Andersson is married to Lars, the love of her life. They have beautiful children, an elegant home, and good friends. It's everything Kitty Miller once believed she wanted—but it only exists when she sleeps.

Convinced that these dreams are simply due to her overactive imagination, Kitty enjoys her nighttime forays into this alternate world. But with each visit, the more irresistibly real Katharyn’s life becomes. Can she choose which life she wants? If so, what is the cost of staying Kitty, or becoming Katharyn?

As the lines between her worlds begin to blur, Kitty must figure out what is real and what is imagined. And how do we know where that boundary lies in our own lives? 

My Thoughts…

Have you ever had a dream that seemed so real that when you woke up you had to take a few minutes to decide where you were?   That is Kitty’s life.  She is having dreams and living real life.   These two worlds are colliding and she is having a hard time deciding what is real.    

I have thought what if… what if I hadn’t met my wonderful husband and had my amazing children?   What if I hadn’t started working for my parents?   What if… what if… what if… that is the world of Kitty.   By seeing Kitty’s what if’s I felt that I really got to know and understand her.   I knew her life, her wishes, her dreams, and where her life was heading.   Or so I thought.   I loved watching her cope with both worlds and try to figure out what was happening.    When the light finally went on for Kitty, I sighed.    She is in the right place, with the right people, and with the right tools to make her life happy.  

Cynthia Swanson has written a book showing how people can cope with stress in their life.   I don’t want to give away what that stress is, but I didn’t see it coming.   It shows how people use mechanisms to cope with events in the world.    


I thought I was picking up a light and fun read.  It was, but it was more than that.   I could not put the book down.   I was excited to learn more about Kitty and her lives.    This is definitely a book I would recommend.   

Book Links

Monday, April 27, 2015

Shelf Life by Christina George AUDIOBOOK

Book Details:

Book Title: Shelf Life (The Publicist Book 2) by Christina George
Category: Adult fiction
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Audible, unabridged audiobook
Length: 8 hours, 36 mins
Release Date:  Jan 21, 2015
Narrator: Lisa Cordileone
Audiobook available: Internationally
Tour dates:  April 13 to May 1st, 2015
Content Rating: PG-13 Mature* Scroll down for rating explanation

About the book:

Publishing: An industry of out-of-control of egos, unrealistic expectations, and books with the shelf life of milk. This is Kate’s world, but for how long?

When one of Kate Mitchell’s star authors is carted away in handcuffs, she thinks it’s only the beginning of her troubles. As her world crumbles around her, Kate desperately looks for anyone to hold on to but finds that happy endings are truly works of fiction. When her career and love affair hit their expiration dates, Kate sets off on a new adventure....

Starting over in California is easy, but Kate soon learns that leaving her old life behind isn’t. Nicholas Lavigne is eager to help her forget, but two things still own her heart: the dream of discovering the next great American novel and MacDermott Ellis. As Kate tries to rebuild her life, she finds a surprising gift that reboots her career in a new and unexpected direction. Suddenly her name becomes synonymous with one of the biggest best sellers publishing has seen in ages, and she's welcomed back with open arms. At the height of her success, the ghosts of her past come back to remind her of the world she'd been trying to forget and the man who never let go of her heart. Behind the book there’s always more to the story.



My Thoughts…
This is the second book in the Publicist series.  I have read and listened to them both.   
Lisa Cordileone is a great narrator.  With her changes in voice tones, volumes changes, and over all reading style I was pulled right into the story.  The characters emotions come through in her voice.  I have found the cadence of her reading keeps me in steady tempo while working out.  
Now, about the book.    If you have read book 1 hold on to your seats, there is more greatness being shared in book 2.   This is the second book in The Publicist series with at least one more book to come.  Shelf Life really needs to be read after you have read the first book, so much of the story hinges on things that happen before.   I found both books to be fast reads that pulled me in from the very beginning and leaving me wanting and needing so much more. 

Kate is the main character.  I love her.   She is strong, independent, and has a huge heart.   When she falls in love she falls fully.   The problem?  She has fallen in love with a married man and the man that loves her is a man she loves but is not in love with.   She struggles with this.  I did not always agree with her decisions, but she owned them and made them either work for her or she changed her mind, making the right decision after the fact. 

There is really two stories in this book.   The romance of Kate, Nick, and Mac and the inside world of publishing.  As a book reviewer, I have a small part in the publishing/promoting world.  I learned so much more from both The Publicist and Shelf Life.    I enjoyed both parts of this book.   Although the romance kept me entertained, the publishing world part kept me thinking and paying close attention. 

I highly recommend this entire series and am anxiously awaiting the next part to this story. 

About the Author:

Christina George has worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here’s what this book isn't. It’s not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it’s not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won’t know which ones, cause it’s more fun to guess, right? George continues to work in publicity and helps authors because at the end of the day she does love books, she loves publishing, and she loves authors. She hopes you’ll enjoy this romp through Kate’s world as much as she enjoyed creating it.
Connect with Christina: Website  ~  Twitter  ~  Facebook  ~ Goodreads

Where to buy the audiobook:





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Friday, April 24, 2015

Below the Belt (Worth the Fight #3) by Sidney Halston

Publish Date of February 10, 2015 by Loveswept

Once one of the most sought-after names on the mixed martial arts circuit, Antonio “Scarface” Marino watched his career go down for the count as he chased skirts and made tabloid headlines. Now he’s finally making a comeback, and it’s all thanks to Francesca Silva, a Brazilian bombshell as tough as any of her fighters. But who’s the real Francesca: the trash-talking trainer who rides him hard, or the vulnerable woman who blushes at his touch?

Francesca went to the mat to sign Tony because she believes he still has the potential to bring big success to her gym—if she can keep his head in the cage and out of her personal life. After a short-lived marriage soured her on love, a one-night stand is all she can handle. Now Tony’s kisses are stirring up complicated feelings—especially when he agrees to face her ex in the ring. Francesca’s used to freezing guys out. But Tony’s tempting her to give in to the heat.

My Thoughts…

This is my first Worth the Fight book and I already want more.     I was unsure what to expect when starting but when I finished I was left wanting more of these characters that became my friends.  I was invested in the outcome of this story.  I was unable to stop reading due to needing to know that everyone came out okay.    This doesn’t always happen with a book, but when it does I know it a book, a series, and an author that I will need more from.

In the beginning of the story, Francesca and Tony are standoffish, tough, and maybe a little unlikeable.   Yet as their story is told they become people, people with a history that most people would crumble under.  As the story continues, I found myself needing them to settle their pasts, find happiness, and learn to love again.  

Francesca has a good reason to be tough, yet she is just a shell of who she really wants to be.   I loved watching her internal struggles and seeing her real self come out.   She fought with everyone she came in touch with, but mostly with herself.   She wanted to love, she wanted to accept Tony into her life, and she wanted to start living.   Eventually she realized that she was holding herself back.
Bad ass Tony was just that, a bad ass.   He thought he was tough, beyond hurting.   Yet when Francesca came into his life he learned a new lesson.   The lesson that he has feelings, he can hurt, and he is jealous.    Watching Tony put his party life beyond him and find what he wanted most in life opened my heart.  I felt for him when he was shut out or left alone.   I wanted, no needed, him to be happy.    He deserved it.   


Below the Belt is book that I enjoyed.  I will certainly be looking for more from Sidney Halston and this series.  

Book Links

Cover Reveal for Renegade Angel by Emily Minton

Aaron “Timber” Kellar is running from his past.  He turns his back on his family and walks away from his legacy as the next President of his father’s club.  Knowing it’s time to start over, he does his best to forget the day that changed him forever and goes on to build a new life half way across the country with the Renegade Sons MC.  


He thinks his life is perfect, until he lays eyes on Tabby.  

Tabitha Mayes is running from her past.  She’s hiding from the police and trying to forget the memory of the man that made her life a living hell.  Knowing she needs help, she turns to the one person she trust most in the world, her brother.  He introduces Tabby to a whole new world, the Renegade Sons MC.  

She thinks her life is over, until she lays eyes on Timber.  

In the blink of an eye, everything changes. Instead of being a wife, Tabby’s now an old lady.  Instead of being alone, Timber now has a family.  Will Timber and Tabby find happiness together or will their past catch up with them?

USA Today Best Selling Author, Emily Minton is a Kentucky native. She claims she bleeds blue--Wildcat Blue! Emily loves to read, and this love of the written word led to her writing career.



Thursday, April 23, 2015

Homefront by Jessica Scott

Homefront #1

A breathtaking new series from USA Today Bestselling author Jessica Scott

He’s always loved her...

First Sergeant Gale Sorren waited a war and half a lifetime for a chance to be stationed near the ex-wife who left him years ago. When he finally musters the courage to see her, the life he imagined she was living was nothing close to reality.

She’s never stopped loving him...

Melanie never stopped loving Gale, never stopped worrying about him each time he headed off to war. But he’s never been there when she needed him and she’s had fifteen years to steel her heart against him.

When Gale moves to Fort Hood, he finally has a chance to make things right with Melanie and the daughter she raised without him.

But Mel can't trust her heart to a man who has always let her down.

My Thoughts…

Jessica Scott has always written books that keep it real.    She tells how military life affects a person and their families, how coming home from deployment can be so difficult, and how finding and keeping romance alive can be so tricky.    I get excited every time I find out she has a new book coming out.   I look forward to getting my hands on them and devouring them. 

Homefront is a story about teenage love that went wrong.   Gale joined the military and things fell apart with his wife and young daughter.   He left Melanie to raise their daughter on her own.  Now he has moved back to Fort Hood and wants to rejoin his family.    I cannot imagine how Melanie felt when she opened the door to Gale.   The betrayal and loss she felt after the divorce had to weigh heavy on her.  I cannot imagine being left to raise a baby alone, although I know a lot of strong women who do that successfully.   Melanie is incredibly strong.  She doesn’t need Gale, yet she realizes that if Gale is able and willing to rejoin the family and help her raise their daughter she needs to let him have that chance.   I definitely related to Melanie more than Gale, probably because she is a mother and her first response is to protect her daughter.

There are characters from her past book that make appearances in Homefront.  I love getting to catch up and see what they are up to now and look forward to more about them.   That being said, you do not have to read other Jessica Scott books to enjoy Homefront, but I recommend checking them out since they are just as amazing as this one is.   


I definitely recommend Homefront.   The rest of this series cannot come soon enough.   

Book Links
Amazon   |   Goodreads   |   iTunes


Wednesday, April 22, 2015

A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley SPOTLIGHT & GIVEAWAY

Description:
A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley
9781492602026 * $16.99/TP * ON-SALE: April 7, 2015




For nearly three hundred years, the cryptic journal of Mary Dundas has lain unread. Now, amateur code breaker Sara Thomas has been sent to Paris to crack the cipher.

Jacobite exile Mary Dundas is filled with longing—for freedom, for adventure, for the family she lost. When fate opens the door, Mary dares to set her foot on a path far more surprising and dangerous than she ever could have dreamed.

As Mary’s gripping tale is revealed, Sara is faced with challenges that will require letting go of everything she thought she knew—about herself, about loyalty, and especially about love. Though divided by centuries, these two women will be united in a quest to discover the limits of trust and the coincidences of fate.





Author Bio:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Susanna Kearsley is known for her meticulous research and exotic settings from Russia to Italy to Cornwall, which not only entertain her readers but give her a great reason to travel. Her lush writing has been compared to Mary Stewart, Daphne du Maurier, and Diana Gabaldon. She hit the bestseller lists in the U.S. with The Firebird (a RITA winner) as well as, The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden (both RITA finalists and winners of RT Reviewers’ Choice Awards). Other honors include National Readers' Choice Awards, the prestigious Catherine Cookson Fiction Prize, and finaling for the UK's Romantic Novel of the Year Award. Her popular and critically acclaimed books are available in translation in more than 20 countries and as audiobooks. She lives in Canada, near the shores of Lake Ontario.



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Tuesday, April 21, 2015

Dual Cover Reveal from author Christa Cervone

Banner

Dual Cover Reveal: Down for the Count series by Christa Cervone. On the Ropes (book 1) release May 5, 2015 Going the Distance (book 2) releases May 19, 2015


On-The-Ropes-461x732
ON THE ROPES: A murderer’s child…A foster child…A troubled teen…Gabriel ‘The Saint’ Vega has never had an easy life. Being shuffled from one foster home to another after his father murdered his mother, he found himself in and out of trouble with the law. Never giving a damn about himself, let alone anyone else, his life was spiraling out of control; fast. Until one man and one sport changed everything. Frankie Carbone taught Saint how to handle his anger and rejection; by fighting it out in the ring. On his way to stardom, Saint finds himself pushed into the spotlight and into the arms of more women than he can ever imagine; he’s completely content with one night stands and random sex. Then Salem Harris comes walking into his life and changes his game plan. Saint finds himself wanting Salem in all the ways that scare him. She is off limits; taken. But that doesn’t stop Saint from going after what he wants, and he wants her. Frankie showed Saint a new way of life with Boxing, but will Salem give him the one thing he's never known – love? Will Saint find himself fighting for the one thing he thinks he doesn't deserve or will Salem end up breaking his heart? Gabriel ‘The Saint’ Vega has had to fight for every good thing he's gotten in his life. 11016796_609565312508170_790301385196499782_o


                                                                                                                                                                                              




G
OING THE DISTANCE: Life has been a roller coaster for Gabriel ‘The Saint’ Vega. From surviving a hellish childhood, to reuniting with his lost brother, only to hit the struggle of helping him battle his drug addiction. Boxing saved Gabriel’s life, and just when his career hits the fast track, he finally finds love with Salem; at least for a short time. Social differences, obligations, and misguided good intentions tore Gabriel and Salem apart before they could ever really get started. Will Gabriel be able to save his brother from the whirlpool of addiction that threatens to drag him under? Is Salem capable of breaking away from the ropes that bind her to doing what’s expected rather than what and whom she desires? Can Gabriel convince Salem that their mutual feelings are worth fighting for, and that together, they will be able to go the distance? 10999948_609565309174837_6468719613093261782_o




ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
10363664_709119325797078_2685902959868418631_nBorn and raised in New England, Christa is a married mother of three. She began writing her first book, Broken, in October 2012, as a love story to her husband, Frank. During the writing process, Christa managed to keep her book a secret from the majority of her family and friends, including her mother. She finally revealed that she had written a book on her personal Facebook page just two weeks before Broken was released. Broken was released in February 2013, and within twenty-four hours of its release, it was on Amazon's Movers and Shakers list as well as in the Top 20 Erotica. Christa released her second novel, On the Ropes - Book One in the Down for the Count series, in February 2014. On the Ropes has also climbed the charts on Amazon, hitting the Top 10 Sports Fiction and the Top 20 Romance Sports Fiction lists. Book Two, Going the Distance, was released July 2014 and claimed the number 3 spot in the Interracial category as well being in the top 20 in Erotica on Amazon. Limitless Publishing has recently acquired the Down for the Count series and will be re-releasing the series under their publishing label in May 2015. Along with the Down for the Count series, Christa's new series titled, Can't Stop Lovin' You, will also be released under Limitless Publishing. The series will have at least four books, Dream On, What it Takes, Sweet Emotion and Hole in my Soul. Dream On is slated for 2015 release.

Monday, April 20, 2015

The Patriot Threat by Steve Berry

Published March 31, 2014 by Minotaur Books

The 16th Amendment to the Constitution is why Americans pay income taxes. But what if there were problems associated with that amendment? Secrets that call into question decades of tax collecting? In fact, there is a surprising truth to this hidden possibility.

Cotton Malone, once a member of an elite intelligence division within the Justice Department known as the Magellan Billet, is now retired and owns an old bookshop in Denmark. But when his former-boss, Stephanie Nelle, asks him to track a rogue North Korean who may have acquired some top secret Treasury Department files—the kind that could bring the United States to its knees—Malone is vaulted into a harrowing twenty-four hour chase that begins on the canals in Venice and ends in the remote highlands of Croatia.

With appearances by Franklin Roosevelt, Andrew Mellon, a curious painting that still hangs in the National Gallery of Art, and some eye-opening revelations from the $1 bill, this riveting, non-stop adventure is trademark Steve Berry—90% historical fact, 10% exciting speculation—a provocative thriller posing a dangerous question: What if the Federal income tax is illegal?


Buy the book here...
Amazon   |   Goodreads   |    Barnes and Noble   


Friday, April 17, 2015

The Liar by Nora Roberts

Published April 14, 2015 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions …

The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn’t just dead. He never really existed.

Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows–and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning …

My Thoughts…

It has been quite a while since I have read a Nora Robert’s book.  The Liar just proved to me that I need to get caught up.    Her style is unique and one of a kind.    The characters are always relatable.  The storyline is amazing.  

While Nora is known for her romance novels, this one is a true mystery.    Richard dies on a boat accident and Shelby’s entire world comes crashing down around her.    The man that Shelby married is not the real Richard.  Was she even really married?   I am still not sure who the real Richard is.   The mystery surrounding Richard and his extracurricular activities just intensifies as the story continues.    Who is Richard?  Who is killing or trying to kill the people in Shelby’s hometown?    Shelby handles all this with so much strength that it amazed me.   She deserves to just break down  but holds it all together for her family, herself, and her daughter.   

Now let me get to the romance.   Shelby and Griff.  SIGH!   The romance started with the first eye contact and went fast forward from there.   I love that Griff wanted to take it slow but Shelby took things into her own hands and made her own blue print to follow.    With all the drama and happenings surrounding Shelby, Griff never gives up on Shelby, never lets her down, and is always there to pick her up when things do not go so good.   Not only does he take care of Shelby but he takes care of her little girl.   Falling in love with them both and being determined to make them his family makes him a hero to me.   


I am very excited to share this book with my friends.    Nora Roberts has wrote the perfect romance mystery story.    I definitely recommend everyone picking up a copy.  

Book Links



Meet the Author....

Nora Roberts is the bestselling author of more than 210 novels with more than 500 million copies of her books in print.  Her books regularly debut at the top of all four New York Times fiction bestseller lists (hardcover, trade paperback, mass market, e-book) and she has more than half a million fans on Facebook.  Visit her online at www.noraroberts.com or at her official Facebook page, www.facebook.com/noraroberts.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

The Denim Blue Sea by Joane DeMaio

Published March 3, 2015

During two August weeks, denim designer Maris Carrington and coastal architect Jason Barlow prepare for their much-anticipated wedding. Guests arrive early, turning keys in charming cottage doors to begin their New England summer escape. The wedding is a reason for old friends to gather again; to meet in their shabby beach hangout and get the jukebox cranking; to walk that weathered boardwalk beneath a starry sky; to breathe the sweet salt air. "Cures what ails you," one of the friends, Neil, always said long before his life was sadly claimed. But his legacy was not.

When Maris discovers Neil's long-lost journal, its passages reveal a heartbreaking secret. Can truths be found within its timeworn pages? Can this leather-bound journal unite the friends as their lives begin to fray? A bittersweet family reunion, a surprising encounter from a devastating accident, a shocking confession leaving one marriage shattered--all will test the once close-knit circle. Suddenly this safe haven on the tranquil Connecticut shoreline churns with emotional turmoil, threatening even the beach wedding just days before it is to happen.

Yet like a silver cap on a breaking wave, love and friendship wash ashore with hope, ever shimmering, in The Denim Blue Sea

My Thoughts…

This is my fifth book by Joanne DeMaio.   It definitely is my favorite.    I love the beach, the friendships, and the romance.    I love that it included some drama, lots of love, and a ton of great conversations.    The friendships in this book are the best.   No matter what was happening in their lives these friends are there for each other, no questions asked and nothing expected in return.    They listen to the good, the bad, and the funny never passing judgment. 

Maris and Jason are both people with deep histories.   They both have dealt with loss of extremely important people in their lives and this impacts them every day.   I enjoyed seeing them lean on each other, share their feelings with each other, and show their love.    They have the relationship that will certainly withstand time and only get stronger as it goes on.  


I cannot stress enough how much everyone needs to go get their copy of The Denim Blue Sea.    It is a story with will pull you away from your everyday life and pull you into the life of Maris, Jason, and all their friends.   

Book Links
Amazon   |   Goodreads   |    Barnes and Noble

Wednesday, April 15, 2015

Crossroads (a Miller Creek novel #6) by Cathy Bryant

Published April 6, 2015

A Miller's Creek novel and Christian contemporary romance

A former soldier battles for the soul of a prodigal...

After a devastating divorce, a bitter single mom and atheist starts her own real estate company in the nostalgic and picturesque town of Miller’s Creek, Texas. Then her young daughter’s disturbing symptoms lead doctors to discover that her leukemia has relapsed. With her new life now turned upside down, Mara Hedwig struggles to keep her business afloat. And her daughter’s worsening condition forces her to rethink her beliefs about Carter Callahan and his God. Will Mara make the return to Christian faith in the face of life’s greatest challenge?
An ex-military operative struggles with the return to civilian life while coping with his rebellious teen-aged daughter. During a house-search, Carter meets Mara, a headstrong Realtor who wants nothing to do with his God. But when Mara’s little girl is diagnosed with leukemia, the clock begins ticking for him to convince Mara to return to a life of faith. Just as he seems to be making headway, circumstances beyond his control throw his efforts into a tailspin. Can Carter learn to rest in the sovereignty of God?

My Thoughts…

Wow, my emotions were all over.    There were trials for the characters, each having their own struggles and working to find the answers that they were in need of.    I felt happiness as Mara learned what was important and had Carter by her side guiding her.    There were tears and fears throughout the story.   Ashton’s story scared me.  I cannot imagine how a child that young can go through so much and come out so strong.     Then there is Chloe’s story.   Abandoned by her mother at the age when a teenage girl needs her mother the most.   Crossroads is a story that kept me enthralled in the story and rooting for the characters. There were many tough subjects that Cathy was not afraid to cover and put in front of the reader.

This is a Christian romance book.    There is a lot of talk of finding God and believing in Jesus.  Whether you believe or not, the story will push your beliefs and make you wonder how you would handle doubt.   Cathy Bryant pushes her reader to test their beliefs.  It will push the reader to believe in prayer and how it affects their daily lives.  


If you have not read any of Cathy Bryant’s books you are missing out.    Crossroads is part of series set in Miller Creek, but it is definitely a stand-alone story.    I will recommend this book to all of my friends and family. 

Book Links
Amazon   |       Goodreads


Amazon best-selling author Cathy Bryant writes Christian fiction set in the heart of Texas. Her popular romance and romantic suspense novels take place in the fictional town of Miller's Creek, where folks are friendly, the iced tea is sweet, and Mama Beth's front porch beckons. All the Miller's Creek novels have been on the Amazon Best-Seller list and are rated at 4.5 stars or higher on Amazon. Her debut novel, TEXAS ROADS, was a 2009 ACFW Genesis finalist. Since then five other stand-alone novels have been added to the series, one of which was a reader-nominated 2013 Grace Award nominee (PILGRIMAGE OF PROMISE). Readers have compared her work to that of Karen Kingsbury and Nicholas Sparks.

A native Texan, Cathy currently resides in the beautiful Sangre de Cristo mountains of northern New Mexico with her minister husband of over thirty years. She's written devotions for The Upper Room devotional magazine, two devotional books in collaboration with other Christian authors, and for online sites. She also has released a Bible study book, THE FRAGRANCE OF CRUSHED VIOLETS. In addition to her writing, she enjoys thrift store shopping, romping in the great outdoors, and mini-farming. To learn more about Cathy and her books, visit her website at www.CatBryant.com or make contact with her in these places:





YOU'RE INVITED!

What: CROSSROADS Book Launch Party

Where: Facebook (from the comfort & convenience of your own home)

When: April 30, 2015 ~ 7:00-8:30 p.m. (Central time)

Why: To celebrate the book launch of CROSSROADS (a Miller's Creek novel and Christian Romance by Cathy Bryant)

LOTS of Fun, Games and Prizes!

Prizes Include: Miller's Creek pens, tote bags, t-shirts, mugs, digital books, autographed print books, Amazon gift cards, and
an Amazon Kindle Fire HD6!



Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Seaside Surprises by Stacy Claflin

Book 1 of the A Sweet Romance (The Seaside Hunters) Series
Published March 15, 2015 
         
Tiffany Saunders is on the run. When she winds up stranded in a seaside town, she wants nothing more than to forget her horrific past and kept moving. But a chance meeting with a handsome local changes everything.

Jake Hunter has some deep emotional scars and is trying to cope with running the family business. The last thing he wants is a relationship—until a mysterious brunette walks into his store and complicates it all.

Tiffany prefers to keep the painful memories of the past where they belong—in her rear view mirror. But dark secrets cannot stay hidden forever. Just as the walls around Tiffany’s heart start to come down, the past catches up with her. Will true love be able to conquer all?

My Thoughts…

Stacy Claflin is an author that I have read many books from.  She always pulls me in from the first chapter and keeps me entertained until I read the very last word.   Seaside Surprises is exactly what I was hoping for.  

 It is a different type of story than the Gone Series by Stacy Claflin.  It is much lighter, romantic, and fun, yet there is still a tough subject being handled.  The subject of abuse is never easy.   Seaside Surprises covers this topic with the care and respect that is needed.   Tiffany’s history is not a good one.   She fell in love and married a horrible man and as anyone who has been abused knows, could not get away.    As she finally takes the steps needed to escape she finds the love she really wants.    Of course, the getaway is not easy.   A someone who fortunately has not had to deal with an abusive relationship, I found it hard to put myself in Tiffany’s shoes.   Although I could not personally relate, I could feel sympathy and hope for her.   I had high hopes that since she was strong enough to get away she would be strong enough to open herself up to love and a relationship again.   
Seaside Surprises is a great story.   It is a great length, about 170 pages, for a weekend read.   I definitely recommend checking it out.  


Check out my review of Stacy Claflin’s Gone  HERE….

Book Links

Monday, April 13, 2015

Haven Lake by Holly Robinson

Published April 7, 2015 by NAL

Sydney Bishop hasn’t returned to Haven Lake, her idyllic childhood home, since a pair of shocking, tragic deaths shattered her family when she was only sixteen. Now a child psychologist engaged to marry a successful surgeon, Sydney has worked hard to build a relationship with Dylan, her fiancĂ©’s teenage son, so she feels nothing but empathy when he runs away—until she discovers that his hitchhiking journey has led him to Haven Lake and her mother Hannah’s sheep farm.

Sydney returns to Haven Lake for the first time in twenty years to coax the boy home. Against her daughter’s wishes, Hannah offers to take Dylan in until he’s ready to reveal his own troubling secrets. Now, for Dylan’s sake as well as their own, Sydney and Hannah must confront the devastating events that tore them apart and answer the questions that still haunt their family—and the suspicious surrounding community—about what really caused two people to die on their farm those many years ago.

My Thoughts….

How difficult is it to forgive and move past your history?  The idea that Sydney stayed away from Haven Lake for twenty years just to avoid dealing with everything that happen there was shattering.    The life she grew up with was different from the “normal”, but it was her life and she loved it.   The memories she had before that horrible series of events were perfect and she loved them.    When things went bad, they went really bad.   Sydney is a strong character.  She was able to escape her past and make herself successful in the real world.   Yet, she has to deal with her past. 

Gary, Sydney’s fiancĂ©, is not a likable character.   He is very selfish and standoffish.    I understand that he also has some past that he is trying to deal with.   Yet, he does nothing to help his fiancĂ©, other than criticize her every move, or his son, Dylan.    I struggled with everything that Gary said and wanted Sydney to just get out of that relationship.  By the end of the story, I felt that he was coming around, but still had a long way to go.

Dylan is by far my favorite character.   He was dealt a horribly blow when his mother was killed in an accident.  He strikes out against those who love him and are trying to keep him safe.   Yet, he manages to stand on his own two feet and be himself.   He finds what he loves and proves to himself and everyone else that he is not a lost cause.   As a teenager, he gets his life together and I have no doubt he will become successful.  

This is a long book.   But every page is wonderful.   I started it and could not put it down.   When I did put it down I continued to think about the story and the characters.    The story was realistic, the characters were believable.  This is a perfect read.  I recommend it.

Book Links
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