Bella's Impossible Boss by Michelle Douglas

4 STARS Bella Maldini has come to help her father build his dream restraunt. She wants to make her father so proud of her. Bella knows she let her father down time after time. She knows she can do it. Things are not getting off to a great start though she is running late. Left some papers down in the kitchen and the file of information she needed to make a plan was not sent to her till last night and to top it off the meeting started 15 minutes earlier than she was told. Dominic Wright was put in charge of the new hotel. Now he is told that the boss wants his unskilled daughter to be in charge of the restraunt. She has had no experience working to make it work. Dominic had overcome his dads acholism and his many marriages. he owed Marco Maldini so much he does not want to let her father dream down. He does not want to work with Bella and tries to show him that she is not up to heading the restraunt. Both Bella and Dominic have emotional issues to workout at the same time they have to work together. Instead of having their own apartment they are in a love nest suite together. One room bright pink and the other so bland. Bella also brought her friend's spoiled cat with her to take care of. Bella and Dominic are oposites she is a virgin and he sleeps around and does not get involved. Bella is full of life, Dominic life has gotten dull, bland. I like Bella that she is willing to work hard to make her father's dream happen. Dominic has some great qualties too, when he realizes that he was wrong about something he tries to make up for it. This is a nice quick read, some tempting scenes but they do not go to far. I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review by Netgalley. 10/02/2012 PUB Harlequin

The 13th Day of Christmas by Jason F. Wright

5 Stars
Warning don't forget the tissue. This story touched me in so many ways. I shed tears for bad news, for good news & most of all for the Love of God has for us all.
Our family has had the twelve days of christmas given to us. We have had fun giving and trying to runaway without being caught. I wish I had thought about giving the 13th Day then but I will in the future.
Marva Ferguson collects aprons she has over 150 of them. She is a lovely widow, who's only son died in the Vietnam war. They used to have lots of land but they sold most of it to the city and trailers have moved in. She loves to hang up clothes to dry on her line through out the years she has shared the chore with lot of different friends.
Charlee is a little girl who is close to her father and he tells her wonderful stories at bedtime. Then things started to change and her father was sad and tired to tell stories very often. They had to sell thier house,car and lots of thier possesions. They were moving to a new town and starting all over in a trailer park. Charlee was having a hard time making friends and one day out in the field she was dancing on a tree stump she heard clapping. Saw thier neighbor hanging clothes and was invited over by hand jesters.
Charlee and Marva started a good relationship and became best friends. Charlee got to help her decorate for christmas even if it was only Oct.
Marva likes decorating early so when the trick or treaters came they would see her decorations and that way she could share them.
Zach is 15 and got suspended in his last school. He met Mrs. Ferguson when he went to pick up his sister. Mrs. Ferguson was really interested in Zach's life too.
Mrs. Ferguson invited Charlee's whole family over for Thanks Giving and planned a big dinner. She was excited to have company come.
Thomas had to file for bankrupty. He has a hard time finding fulltime work now. His wife Emily got a job working at Walmart. They both fought and worried over money trying to keep thier kids that things were alright.
Then Charlee got cancer and thier family really got more worried. Charlee after surgery to remove the tumor got to come home but could not to much and could not have friends over.
Marva got walkie talkies and she kept hers on all the time and carried in her apron. Charlee could talk to her when ever she wanted now. Charlee loved that she could talk to her best friend. Asks her everyday what apron she was wearing and what it said today.
Then Charlee got a letter on the front porch that told her that they would be sharing the 13 days of Christmas with her and she could share them with her family.
each day the traveling Elves shared with them what the song really meant because they wrote it.
The first day they were traveling and wanted to buy the best Pear tree and picked it up when a big bus pulled in and teen girls surrounded it and David Cassidy made a run for it and hid in the tree. So they had a Partage in the pear tree. So they sent her the last fruit of that tree with Charlee.
The stories that came with each gift was charming. I loved it.
But I admit to crying way to much in this book. I have a feeling this will be a favorite christmas book to read every year. I loved the characters and the little details of the characters, the lessons in the apron sayings and Marva sharing her love with a little girl who brought joy back to her.
If you read one book for Christmas read this one but read it before the 12 days of Christmas because it might give you ideas for your own special Christmas Season.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of a honest reviews from Netgalley.
10/09/2012 PUB. Deseret Book Imprint Shadow Mountain

Review: The Golden Door by Emily Rodda

5 STARS The Golden Door is a exciting adventure. I did not put the book down and can't wait till the next book comes out. In the wall City of Weld its the season for Skimmers. The skimmers are great big winged monsters that will eat anyone or animal it finds. People hide in thier homes in the dark. Every crack is filled in. No noise to draw them in attacking. Lately thier have been more and more deaths. The Warden of Weld annouced that they are willing to take volunteers to go out of the city by themselves to hunt for whoever is sending the skimmers to attack them. The widow Lisbeth has three sons . Only the oldest Dirk was old enough to sign up. Dirk was brave,strong and usually good natured. He was tired of the Warden not doing enough to stop the skimmers. He works like his father did before him building on the wall higher. Sholto was the middle son he is thin, cautious and clever he works with the city healer. Learning how to heal broken bones and potions. Rye was still in school learning. He has dreams that show him different things that are happening. Dirk volunteered to go out of the city and find who was sending the skimmers into thier city. Until the notice went up no one believed that they could even go out of the city. I was going to say a little more of the story but realized it might give away part of the storyline that you will want to read. This is a fantasy book with magic, monsters. in different lands to meet. Friends to meet and plenty of bad guys too. It is a good story. The characters are likeable unless they are the ones you hate. They have good and bad faults. No swearing or sex scenes in the book. Just a good entertaining story. I was given this book to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. 10/01/2012 pub. Scholastic Inc. Inprint Scholastic Press

Second Chance in Dry Creek by Janet Tronstad

4 STARS
I like that Gracie was willing to sacrifice her freedom for her sons. Don't agree with her but admire the sacrifice. I wish I had read the other books in this series.
Janet characters are likeable and seam real to me.


Gracie Stone has been home from prison for a while. She is living in the family home on the ranch. Her sons all have houses built on the ranch too.
One night Gracie can not sleep and she sees headlights coming down her road. She figures one of her sons saw her light was coming to check up on her. When she hears the soft knock on the door realized it can't be them.
Its a strange female who has fallen at the door.
She is bleeding and says Calen name. Gracie calls her son that knows some first aid and Calen.
Calen realizes it is his daughter Renee and she has been shot, and abused. After the ambulance leaves they realize the dog wants them to follow him and heads to the car.
Thier is a little girl crying in the car. Her name is Tessie and she is scared of males, but trusts Gracie.
Thier have been lots of theft of stores around the area the latest he shot one of the thiefs and they caught one.
Renee tells them the other robbers name and says she was forced to be a part of the last robbery. Renee lived with her mother in a city and had runaway from home when she was 16.
Calen says he will take care of Tessie and do everything for Renee.
After a doll was left hanging by a noose in Gracie's house. Tessie sees it and says dolly mine and bad man.
Sheriff realizes that thier was a second man and Tessie or Gracie might not be safe.
One of Gracie's son's father-in-law built a house with bullet proof windows and state of art security system. So thats where Gracie and Tessie stays.
Calen has liked Gracie since high school but he was too shy and his good friend married her and was abusive to her.
Gracie's sons think they need to find a husband for thier mother and one of them thinks Calen would be perfect.
Thier is no sex or swearimg in this book . Just a nice romance with a little danger on the side.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.
10/02/2012 PUB Harlequin Harlequin Love Inspired imprint 224 pages

Gold Coin by Andrea Kane

4 STARS

Gold Coin by Andrea Kane is now a ebook. It is a historcal romance novel that was first published years ago. The book starts in 1803.
Two six year old cousins are playing together when one fell into a puddle of mud. Breanna knew her father would be mad that she got the dress grandfather had bought them dirty. Anastaia wished she was the one dirty because her father would not get mad at all. So since everyone at times had problems telling them apart. Anastaia suggested they trade and be each other.
Thier fathers are twins and they married sisters who looked really close to each other. Thier manners are different and they wear thier hair different but they could pull it off. It worked except with their grandfather he could tell that they were being each other.
Grandfather had a conversation with them letting them know that he knew and would give them time to switch dresses. He also gave them each a coin and told them to hold onto them one had gold and the other silver. They were to never show them to anyone for no matter who wanted it.
Thier fathers never got along but now it was worse than ever. So Anastasia and her parents were going to America to open a branch of the family business. Breanna's father would stay and run the England branch.
1817 Anastasia is back home in England. She just lost her father and had already had lost her mother. Her Uncle had offered her a home with her cousin.
Anastasia and Breanna had stayed close through letters and were happy to be reunited.
When they went to the reading of the will thier were some surprises for everyone.
Stacie was left with a finacial gaurdian the Marquess of Sheldrake for three months till she turned 21. Her Uncle got left with only 10,000 to spend on presenting her to Society. He was expecting to have all control of his niece's money and the half of the company he expected to recieve. Instead Stacie's father left everything to his daughter.
Then the lawyer asked both girls if they brought the coins like he asked them too.
They did not bring them but did admit to having them still. He said if they would turn the coins into him that thier grandfather will left them fifty thousand pounds in trust for each of them.
George hates anastasia only invited her to stay with them to get his hands on her money. He owes a lot of money and is doing a lot of schemeing to get money. He has different plans how to get out of his mess.
Breanna and Anastasia make plans of their own to give them a happier life.
The characters are interesting especially all the changes Breanna can now show. Anastasia will not just be a empty headed girl she has plans for her money and ideas how to help others.
Thier are few love scenes that I skimmed over at the back of the book.
I can not wait till I read the Silver Coin soon. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.
10/02/2012 Pub. Open Road

Heiress Behind the Headlines by Caitlin Crews

3 STARS This novel is hot. Lots of sex scenes in it. If you want that this book is what you want. If you don't want it stay away. I admit that I skimmed over those parts of the book. Just depends what you want on the day you want it. Its a good fast read. Larissa Whitney has a wild reputation that she worked hard to get. Now that she has changed, others don't see her changed. To get away from Society, her father and so called friends. She came to an isolated Maine island, cut her famous hair,dyed it and dress casual. She does not want to be seen or have cameras follow her. Jack Sutton sees her right off the bat. He thinks she has followed him here to play games. He has changed and tells her when the ferry will be here to leave his island. Jack gives the appearances of owning the island that is named after his family. Jack then comes to her hotel room and gets her to go to his house thier. They make love for days then go check her out of her room. Inbetween making love he tells her what he thinks of her and it is not nice. Jack also tells her that his grandfather wants him to marry a nice respectable heiress and that will never be her. He still thinks she has come to the island after him. Then he accuses her of wanting his grandfather. I really don't care about the character Jack and most of the other characters in the book I can't stand. Larissa knows that she has had self destructive behavior her whole life. After being in a coma she realizes that she needs to change before she forgets to care about her life again. I like her and admire that she is willing to change. The more you get to know her it is amazing that she cares about herself at all. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review by Netgalley. 09/03/2012 PUB Harlequin Imprint Harlequin Presents 192 pages

Justice at Cardwell Ranch by BJ Daniels

41/2 STARS This novel kept me guessing until the end. I thought I had guessed right but no way did I get it at all right. The power we give people from high school can be long time felt after. Dana Cardwell Savage was away from her ranch along with her husband and two kids. She at her doctors when he put her on bed rest for the rest of her pregnacy. She was having twins and they want to be surprised to thier sex. They already have a girl and a boy. Dana had inheirited the family ranch and split the profits with her sister and brothers. Six years ago they tried to force the sell of the ranch but she found her mother's new will leaving it in Dana's hands. She has not seen her brothers and sister since. Jordan Cardwell now divorced was at the family cemeatary when he saw someone on out riding a horse who looks familar. Then he realized she was a deputy that had booked him in the past. He was back at home for a high school reunion because a old friend wanted to talk about how he thought another old friend who comitted sucide might have been murdered. Liza Turner was riding a horse on her boss's ranch when she sees someone who should not be thier. Liza is Deputy Marshal and calls her boss to let him know who was on the ranch and she was watching him to see what he was up too. Hud Savage is the Marshal and father of two with twins on the way. As he is bringing home his wife and children he hears that Jordan is back. Then when they get to the ranch house a beatup car and his sister-in-law Stacy is back with a surprise. He does not trust her because of her lies in the past Dana and he were kept apart for five years. Liza is tailing Jordan when he goes and hikes by the falls and when she hears shots she hurries up and sees him over the dead body of his friend. Liza asks him what he is doing and Jordan tells her that Alex asked him to meet him thier. He did not tell him why he thought that Tanner death was murder instead of sucide like most thought. Thier are a lot of suspects of who killed Alex and was Tanner really murdered all those years ago too? As Liza tries to look into both murders she goes with Jordan to his reunion to talk to those around both guys. Hud does not trust Stacy and is looking into her past. Is that baby really hers? He thinks she is lying to them. He does not trust Jordan either. The body count rises as more questions are being asked and things are being brought into the light of just what happened at the time of Tanner's death. It kept me guessing and interested did not want to put the book down till I finshed reading it. I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. 09/03/2012 PUB Harlequin Imprint Harlequin Intrigue 224 pages