Thursday, February 28, 2013

Grounds To Kill by Wendy Roberts

4 Stars

Grounds to kill keeps you guessing till the end who the bad guys are. It is a murder mystery that Barista Jen Hamby wants to solve, with her friends. Why she feels the need to investigate the murder is simple. She found the body and hated her. Misty was her half sister,who slept with her boyfriend Arthur. The other suspect the cops have is her father. Her father who is homeless,doesn't speak to her for years but comes by the coffee shop a lot lately and hands out fliers for missing dog out all over. He does not have a dog even.

Jen also has a left hand that has a mind of its own and writes messages to her. Jen's hand wrote on the bathroom mirror that Arthur slept with Misty. So Jen kicks him out. For her hand is always right. She does not tell to many people that fact. She has two good friends that try and help her when they can. The guy she works with wants to be better friends.

Jen keeps getting into more trouble the longer she looks for the truth. Even her ex-boyfriend thinks she could be the killer. Arthur wants Jen to give him a second chance.

It was not a book to easyly decide what catergory of books it is. I liked it because I had no idea where it was leading. Loved the different characters. It was easy to follow the story and keep track of the characters. Some good humor.

I would read another book in the future of Wendy's.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it when finshed by Netgalley.
Publisher: Carina Press (January 7, 2013) 181 pages ASIN: B00A22UVJG

Discription below taken off of amazon.com
Barista Jen Hamby's coworkers give her a hard time for bringing coffee and pastries to a homeless man who sits outside her café--but she has a secret. The scruffy man is her father.
She's also hiding the little matter of why her palm itches. But how can she explain that her hand has a mind of its own and writes messages from the beyond? Right. That'll get her Employee of the Month.
When she finds herself scrawling your boyfriend is cheating on you! to herself on the bathroom mirror, she immediately dumps the guy. But then his little fling--who just happens to be her half sister--turns up dead, and suddenly Jen's homeless father is the prime suspect.
Jen knows he is being framed and must take matters into her own hands to protect him. But will anyone believe that the crazy old man is innocent? Or that his spirit-writing daughter holds the truth?

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Cowboy for Keeps by Cathy MCDavid

4 STARS

I enjoyed reading again about Mustang Valley and seeing old friends again.
Conner Durham has lost his job months ago and can't find anything like he had. He has 2 degrees even. Conner had sold his new cars and got a used truck that had no payments. He rented his house less than the morgage to try and hang on. He is working with horses on his friends ranch and helping out on the mustang sanctuary. He lives in a small apartment on the ranch.
Dallas Sorrenson is going to take the photographs of Prince and the Mustangs. She used to date Conner but the timing was wrong. Then she was engaged to Richard who had taken Conner's job when the plant downsized. Dallas had broken off the marriage plans and then found herself pregnant with Richard's baby.
Conner and Dallas are thrown together a lot while she is taking photos. They see a injured mare with two arrows in her still and she has a colt. Dallas is worried about the mare. Her photos go out to the media to help find the person who shot her. Plus her owner.
Conner finally finds her again and is able to bring them in at a high cost to himself.
It's not been a easy time finding a job and its hard on his ego. Plus Richard is still in the picture and will be hopefully for the baby's whole life.
Lots of drama,romance,hope,pride and horses in this Mustang Valley novel. I liked it was easy to read and picture in my mind. I feel bad for Conner I know a lot of people are in that situation right now. Just trying to hold on till the right job comes along.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.
03/05/2013 PUB Harlequin Imprint Harlequin American Romance 224 pages ISBN-13: 978-0373754458

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World

5 STARS

I have heard the name Nellie Bly before but did not know anything about her or her famous race around the world. Matthew Goodman did a good job making it feel alive. The back of the book is around 75 pages of acknowledgments,notes and sources of where he got his information from.

A few days ago I got a surprise in the mail copy of Matthew Goodman's book Eighty days and a copy of Jules Verne book Around the world in eighty days. Which I have heard of but have not read. I am not sure how come I recieved the books. I enter a lot of contests,get books from Librarything,goodreads and Netgalley. I later got a digital copy of Eight Days so I was reading from book to listening on my kindle to reading the book. Either way the story was interesting. I would love to be able to do that even today. Except I would be more like Elizabeth and take more than one dress. Okay I would take pants.

I think the book showed up both the good and some not so favorable sides of both Nellie and Elizabeth.

Nellie got the idea to beat Phileas Fogg from Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne. A year before her trip. The World Newspaper turned her down than. They decided with two days notice to send her.

The Cosmopolitan Magazine owner decided to make a race of it and send his own reporter in a race going the oppisite direction. Elizabeth Bisland did not want to go. Just given hours to leave. Nellie was almost done with racing against the clock when she found out that thier was another reporter she was in a race against. Which is not fair to her.
One thing that Nellie got to do was to meet Jules Verne in his home. The race against his fictional character Fogg made his book sell even more copies and the play about hs book was produced again 11 years after it was closed the last time. I know now that I plan to read Around the World in Eighty Days and other Jules Verne fiction.

I learned a lot about how different people lived back than and how they traveled. So many things I have picked up that I had no clue about. That England fought a war to make China to let in Opium that they wanted to ship in China to make up trade decifit that they want against Tea

02/26/2013 PUB. Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine 480 pages ISBN 9780345527264

Description taken off Netgalley.com

On November 14, 1889, Nellie Bly, the crusading young female reporter for Joseph Pulitzer’s World newspaper, left New York City by steamship on a quest to break the record for the fastest trip around the world. Also departing from New York that day—and heading in the opposite direction by train—was a young journalist from The Cosmopolitan magazine, Elizabeth Bisland. Each woman was determined to outdo Jules Verne’s fictional hero Phileas Fogg and circle the globe in less than eighty days. The dramatic race that ensued would span twenty-eight thousand miles, captivate the nation, and change both competitors’ lives forever.

The two women were a study in contrasts. Nellie Bly was a scrappy, hard-driving, ambitious reporter from Pennsylvania coal country who sought out the most sensational news stories, often going undercover to expose social injustice. Genteel and elegant, Elizabeth Bisland had been born into an aristocratic Southern family, preferred novels and poetry to newspapers, and was widely referred to as the most beautiful woman in metropolitan journalism. Both women, though, were talented writers who had carved out successful careers in the hypercompetitive, male-dominated world of big-city newspapers. Eighty Days brings these trailblazing women to life as they race against time and each other, unaided and alone, ever aware that the slightest delay could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

A vivid real-life re-creation of the race and its aftermath, from its frenzied start to the nail-biting dash at its finish, Eighty Days is history with the heart of a great adventure novel. Here’s the journey that takes us behind the walls of Jules Verne’s Amiens estate, into the back alleys of Hong Kong, onto the grounds of a Ceylon tea plantation, through storm-tossed ocean crossings and mountains blocked by snowdrifts twenty feet deep, and to many more unexpected and exotic locales from London to Yokohama. Along the way, we are treated to fascinating glimpses of everyday life in the late nineteenth century—an era of unprecedented technological advances, newly remade in the image of the steamship, the railroad, and the telegraph. For Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland—two women ahead of their time in every sense of the word—were not only racing around the world. They were also racing through the very heart of the Victorian age.

Matthew Goodman is the author of two other nonfiction books, The Sun and the Moon: The Remarkable True Account of Hoaxers, Showmen, Dueling Journalists, and Lunar Man-Bats in Nineteenth-Century New York and Jewish Food: The World at Table. The recipient of two MacDowell fellowships and one Yaddo fellowship, he has taught creative writing at numerous universities and workshops. He lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and children.

Three Sisters (Blackberry Island) by Susan Mallery

4 STARS

Three Sister started out slowly and confusing for me. It kept switching telling three story lines at once. It was a while before they merged and it was a lot better. At first I was thinking that I would rather read a seperate book for each couple at a time.
Thier are some love scenes and dealing with hard issues that people have in thier lives.
Andi Gordon was left at the alter after being with him for ten years before he proposes. Then after that two weeks later he runs off and marrys his receptionist.
Andie is the child that is a disappointment to her parents. She has not lived up too her potential. Andie is only a children's doctor.
Andie decides to make some changes in her life. She has moved to Blackberry Island bought a big old house. She plans to have the bottom floor gutted and make her office and live above in the two stories. Andie plans to live in her attic while the remolding is done. She will work with the local doctor till her practice is ready for her to open.
Deanna Phillips is a perfectionist. Not very likeable. She lives in one of the Three Sisters Queen Anne houses. Her house and yard are perfectly restored. She has five girls. Deanna thinks her husband is having an affair. Her daughters are not close to her especially the oldest. Her husband travels in his job and he is gone most of the week. Deanna makes all her food from scratch. Only lets her girls have desert once a week.
Boston King is a artist and owns the third of the three sisters houses. Her house is more whimscal in design. Boston baby died at only 6 months old. She has been only able to draw him. Boston has not been able to cry over his death. Her husband has started drinking. They have always been close but now are far apart.
The story builds slowly till they are all connected and start working together on thier problems and relying on each other. Thier are no easy answers for what each women is facing but with each other they start to heal each other and help them to face thier trials.
I wanted the three new friends to all have happy endings or beginings. The more you got to know about the problems they each face instead of only seeing the front they hide behind the more I liked them.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley. This is the second Blackberry Island book that I have read. I look forward to reading more books set on Blackberry Island.
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA; Original edition (February 26, 2013) 352 pages ISBN-10: 0778314340

The Gray Ghost Murders by Keith McCafferty

4 STARS

The Gray Ghost Murders is a follow up with the same characters plus a lot of new ones from Royal Wuff Murders. I read Royal Wuff last march 2012 and reviewed it here http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/03/royal-wulff-murders-keith-mccafferty.html.
I gave it 4 stars too.

If you love fly fishing and murder mysterys you will love The Gray Ghost Murders. It talks more about the flies of fly fishing then a lot of actual fishing. But does make you want to go out to the woods. Except ours are all covered with snow. Their are a few mysteries going on in this book.

Sean gets asked to look into finding the two missing flys. They are worth a bunch of money but the value is sentamental. Sean gets tricked into going to look for one thing and it is actually to meet up with someone else to talk about the missing flies. One is the Gray Ghost fly.

Sheriff Ettinger and team are out looking for a lost hiker when they find a grave in the trees. Before too much time comes their party gets in the way of a bear and her cubs. After they get the wounded tracker to the hospital. The next day Sean is asked to take them to the graves and look around for them.

Two bodies are buried out their. The bear had dug up part of the one so they could not even say who or how they died.
So Sean is busy, he still paints, fishing guides, and P.I. work. He is now working on a case for the sheriff Martha Ettinger. His personal life he met someone new and started dating her. He is still sleeping in his office to save money.

I keep thinking that he would get together with the Sheriff someday. I don't really feel connected to any of the characters. I do like Sean,Martha but the others not so much. Even the ones who end up dead. Maybe it is just me today.

I was kept guessing on everything till it had all played out. loved the settings of the story.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it when done by Netgalley.
02/21/2013 PUB PENGUIN GROUP Viking 320 pages ISBN 9780670025695




Description taken below is off of Netgalley.com

Montana’s favorite fly fisherman detective is back on the case in this compelling follow-up to The Royal Wulff Murders

When the graves of two men are discovered on Sphinx Mountain, Sheriff Martha Ettinger suspects murder. But with the only evidence a hole in a skull that might or might not have been caused by a bullet, she once more finds herself turning to private investigator Sean Stranahan for help. Stranahan already has a case, having been hired by a group of eccentric fly fishermen called The Madison River Liars and Fly Tiers Club to find a valuable fly that they suspect has been stolen. Could the disappearance of a vintage Gray Ghost from a riverside cabin in the Madison Valley be connected to the gray ghosts who haunt Sphinx Mountain? Stranahan will cross paths, and arms, with some of the most powerful people in the valley to find out, in a novel that is sure to capture new fans for one of the mystery genre’s rising stars.

Blast from the Past Blog tour

Blast from the Past
Virtual Blog Tour
Guest Blog Post: Rhonda Laney’s Read A Lot
Meet Mac Faraday
By Lauren Carr

Anyone who has read any of my blog posts on other sites knows by now that I grew up reading Perry Mason, Ellery Queen, and saw every episode of Columbo, It’s Murder, She Wrote. I’m a die-hard mystery fan. When it became apparent that I was destined to be a writer, it was natural for me to create my own detective and write my own mysteries.

Before writing It’s Murder, My Son, the first installment in the Mac Faraday Mysteries, I went over the various popular detectives throughout the years, decades, really, and noticed a trend: The great detectives have become more humanized.

Take a look at Sherlock Holmes. (Not the star of Elementary, but the original Sherlock Holmes.) He lives at 221B Baker Street. His childhood is practically non-existent. He has no wife or family. No love interest. Sherlock Holmes is basically perfect as far as his intelligence and manner. He is so highly regarded that he appears beyond touch, which makes him difficult for the reader to embrace.

Let’s move forward twenty-five years or so to Ellery Queen: In the Ellery Queen books and radio show, you get more of a sense of the detective. Like Sherlock before him, Ellery comes across as highly educated. He is a successful author and investigates crime because they stimulate him. He’s got a hint of a love interest and a family and friends, which makes him a little more touchable. Yet, still, the reader is not allowed to get too close to Ellery Queen.

Fast forward another twenty-five years: Columbo, followed by It’s Murder, She Wrote and Monk: Television viewers never knew Columbo’s first name. However, you knew that he was married and adored his wife. Not an episode went by that you didn’t learn something about his wife, and smile at the way Peter Falk would grin when talking about her. Sometimes, he would even be paired up with his dog, an unnamed Bassett Hound.

Jessica Fletcher (It’s Murder, She Wrote) had more nieces and nephews than you could count. She had friends all over the world and was always ready to hop a plane to dive into solving amurder to clear their name. She was also ready to give some motherly advice when needed to put a friend or family member back on the straight and narrow.

Then there was Monk. Even with all his issues, or maybe because of his issues, Monk endeared himself to television viewers. The proper Sherlock Holmes, Monk is not.

All of these characters were great detectives, yet they are as different as night and day in their personalities. The most noticeable difference between all of them is the gradual humanization that has occurred over the decades.

This is where authors need to walk a fine line. It is easy to get so caught up in endearing the detective to the reader to make them touchable, that the mystery can end up taking the back seat to detective’s personal lives.

While Columbo is every bit as attune to subtle details as Sherlock Holmes (and this is decades before DNA profiling), he is much more down to earth, and approachable to the reader. Ask yourself: Who would you rather have as a neighbor? Sherlock Holmes or Columbo?

If you’re a killer—Neither!

Meet Mac Faraday
Mac Faraday was a homicide detective in Washington D.C. He is highly regarded by the other detectives and had worked his way up to lieutenant. After twenty years of marriage, his wife leaves him for another man, an assistant district attorney in Washington, who uses his connections to wipe Mac Faraday out in the divorce.

On the day that the divorce becomes final, Mac Faraday is approached by a lawyer as he comes out of the courtroom. Seeing the lawyer’s tailored suit and upper crust persona, Mac immediately assumes he is a friend of his ex-wife’s lover out to strike another blow, and runs.

The lawyer chases him for three blocks before Mac stops and braces himself.
With the grin of a child telling a secret, the lawyer tells Mac Faraday that he is the sole heir of Robin Spencer, the late Queen of American Mystery (the United States version of Agatha Christie) who had died six weeks before. Mac Faraday has inherited $270 million dollars and an estate on Deep Creek Lake.

Mac Faraday discovers that his mother was Robin Spencer, who had given birth to him and put him up for adoption when she was an unwed teenager. His birth father had gone on to become the police chief of Spencer, Maryland. Mac also has a half-brother, David O’Callaghan, who is now the town’s chief of police.

Mac has also inherited Gnarly, an overly intelligent German shepherd, the only K-9 to be dishonorably discharged from the United States Army. Why? The Army refuses to talk about it.

A rich man who doesn’t like golf, Mac solves murder mysteries for entertainment, or to help his new friends in the resort town of Spencer, Maryland, a town founded by his mother’s ancestors.

His love interest is Archie Monday, the lady who came with his manor home located along the shore of Deep Creek Lake. His late mother’s research assistant and editor, Archie lives in the guest cottage on the estate. Robin’s will stipulates that Archie may live there as long as she wants, and Mac has no desire for the green-eyed blonde to leave.

In Blast from the Past, Mac Faraday finds himself up to his eyeballs in mobsters and federal agents.

After an attempted hit ends badly with two of his men dead, mobster Tommy Cruze arrives in Spencer, Maryland, to personally supervise the execution of the witness responsible for putting him behind bars—Archie Monday!

Mac Faraday believes he has his work cut out for him in protecting his lady love from one of the most dangerous leaders in organized crime; but when bodies start dropping in his lakeshore resort town of Spencer, Maryland, things may be hotter than even he can handle.

In this fourth installment in the Mac Faraday Mysteries, readers learn more about Archie Monday’s past in a flash—as in a gun fight when the syndicate comes to town. In Blast from the Past, readers are going to be surprised to discover the secret of Archie Monday’s past, which threatens her and Mac’s future.

Blast from the Past also takes the Mac Faraday Mysteries to a new level as his relationship with Archie Monday moves onto a whole new level.

What about Gnarly, Mac Faraday’s canine inheritance—the only German shepherd to be dishonorably discharged from the United States Army? Let’s just say Gnarly kicks things up a notch in his own way.


Monday, February 25, 2013

Tomorrow author Lauren Carr will be guest blogger

I have read and reviewed Lauren's books and have enjoyed them. She is on a book tour for Blast from the Past.
She sent me soft back copies of Blast From the Past her new A Mac Faraday mystery. She also sent Dead on Ice from her Lovers in crime mystery.
I have read both in ebook form arc.So I read them again the past few days. Even though I knew who was the bad guys were I still enjoyed getting lost in the story.

So if you like murder mysteries try Lauren's Carrs book. I do like Mac and Gnarly. One question though. What happened to all the puppies? http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-gnarly-christmas-by-lauren-carr.html 4 STARS

http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2013/01/blast-form-past-by-lauren-carr.html 5 STARS

http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-reunion-to-die-for-joshua-thornton.html 4 STARS

http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-small-case-of-murder-by-lauren-carr.html 4 STARS
http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/11/lucky-dog-by-lauren-carr.html 4STARS

http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/08/review-dead-on-ice-by-lauren-carr.html 5 STARS

http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/06/reviewold-loves-die-hard-by-lauren-carr.html 5 STARS

http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/06/it-murder-my-son-by-lauren-carr.html 4 STARS

http://readalot-rhonda1111.blogspot.com/2012/06/shades-of-murder-mac-faraday-mystery-by.html 5 STARS

If you want to read my reviews of Lauren's novels here is the address and the rating I did when I read them.

The Truth About Comfort Cove by Tara Taylor Quinn

4 STARS

The Truth About Comfort Cove is book three in It Happened in Comfort Cove series.
This is the only one I have read but boy was my emotions involved in it. I would hate to see how much I would cry if I knew all the characters that much better. I cried sad tears,happy tears. I smiled too.

I am not sure what brought on both of the dectives Lucy and Ramsey to meet when they both live in different states but work cold cases dealing with missing kids. Lucy works on missing kids because her mother was raped and her child missing. Her Mother turned to drinking to cope. Lucy always dreams of finding her older sister and reuniting them. She wanted to see her mom happy and whole. The rapest and kidnapper were never caught until now they have a lead.
Ramsey works cold cases on his own time. He is working on a case in Comfort Cove. I believe a lot more of the details are in the first two books of series. But it tore up Clare's family too. Her older sister and step brother want her to be found too.
Emily is getting married and at her big wedding one of the suspects is going to be at the wedding. It would be easier to get him to police station for questing if he is in town. So Lucy and Ramsey are going to go to the wedding together. Lucy plans on staying with Ramsey.
They both call each other and text a lot helping to be a sounding board on ideas about their cold cases they are working on. Ramsey stayed with her when he flew in for his case.

It is one of a mother's worst fears is not finding your child not knowing what happens to their baby's. Hoping that they are one of the miracles their child is found alive.

The highs and lows of this story are so different. Tara does a good job getting us to care about her characters and what happens to them. I did not want to put this book down till I had the answers to all the questions.
I would definately read another of Tara Taylor Quinn's books again. Hope I don't have to breakout another box of kleenex though.
I was given this ebook to read and give it a honest review of it when done by Netgalley.
Publisher: Harlequin Superromance (January 1, 2013)
300 Page Numbers Source ISBN: 0373718292

Description below taken off of Netgalley.com

The case is cold but the leads are hot...
And so is the attraction between detectives Lucy Hayes and Ramsey Miller.

25 years ago, there was a kidnapping in Comfort Cove, Massachusetts.Neither the child nor the kidnapper was ever found.

Now there are fresh leads, including one in an Indiana town. Lucy is working that end of the case.

She and Ramsey are two top-notch detectives. And two people who've learned to keep an emotional distance from others. But as they explore various confusing clues in the decades-old abduction, they grow closer. Especially when they discover what really happened in Comfort Cove. Because the truth is as shocking as it is unexpected!

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Endor the Final Chapter by J.R. Garkand

4 STARS

Okay I was confused when reading this book. I believe there was a mix up. The title and discription of the book suggested it was book 1 Endor the Wizard. But title page and book I believe is actually book 3 Endor the Final Chapter. So I was expecting a different story so was lost for a bit. I would recommend reading the earlier books first I believe. Once I figured out what the story was about made a lot more sense. Because I looked at discription of Endor the Wizard and reviews and it was not matching.

I was given the ebook to read by Netgalley. Dont know where the mistake was but it is ARC copy not the ones for sale.

This can stand alone but probably better to read all three books in the correct order.
This book is about preparing for war and the war itself. The characters are all so different. Endor is a old wizard he travels with a owl and a mouse as friends and companions. Erg is another wizard on the heroes side. Their is also dragons,gnomes,elves,pirates, evil wizards and people having freedoms for the first time.

With the wars there are a lot of deaths on both sides. I really did not connect with the characters and so did not feel sad when some of the heroes died.(probably would have if I had read first two books) I liked how the heroes did not let the people caught in the middle starve. They worked out a way to give them food but not enough to feed and strengthen the other army.

There were a lot of life lessons taught in the story. Gundermire used mice to experiment on but the heroes protected all life and treated the mice well on their side. They used the older wiser to be judges and set up courts for the law breakers.
The heroes used their brains to beat the bigger armies.

I would think this was aimed at middle school age and above. Probably to target boys.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review when finshed by Netgalley.
01/26/2013 Smith Publicity 178 pages

Discription below taken off of Goodreads Endor the Final Chapter

Endor and Erg must fight their way to castle Daemon to confront the evil, Lord Gundermire. Along the way the liberated people of Crindeland enjoy a freedom and respect that they lacked under Gundermire's rule. For the first time in their lives justice was granted to the entire group instead of just the ruling class. It's a new way to look at life that the people can embrace wholeheartedly and readily support. Join us as our heroes inch their way towards destiny's end. You will sit on the edge of your seat during the battles, cry at the losses, rejoice with the victories and live the journey every step of the way to the end. Be sure to expect the unexpected as surprises are the norm in this delightful tale

Saturday, February 23, 2013

What Evil Lurks in Monet's Pond? by Sara M. Barton


4 STARS

I was on good reads to look to see if another Gabby Grim story was out and saw a book trailer for What Evil Lurks in Monet's Pond. So I decided to buy it and read it. It was worth the .99 cents on amazon but I noticed it was free on Smashwords.
(But I wanted to download on my new Kindle Fire and have not figured out how to do that just yet)
Either way it is a short novella that is worth the price.

Maisie Carr is staying at her sister's home and the whole family is their. She is a artist but she also works for the CIA. Her boyfriend no one can know of or what he does. So her cousins outs her for being gay. Which she does not like.
She is supposed to check out an art theft nearby so she can't leave. She goes out to walk her dog and finds a dead body.

I like the characters, would love to see Maisie in longer story. She is talented,smart and not afraid to yell for help when she is scared.
Only think I disliked it was too short. I wanted more.
Published December 19th 2012 ISBN:9781301847549

Discription below taken off of Goodreads.com

Maisie Carr carts her paints and easel all over the world, building her reputation as an international artist. But her real work is as an unusual CIA spy -- she gathers information on some pretty dangerous people while watching the action with an artist's eye. On a visit to hr sister's "faux" castle in CT, the Carr clan gets out of hand, speculating on Maisie's personal life, even as she delves into a strange local art heist at the Tattinger Museum. Founded by the oddly eccentric Hermione Wells Tattinger, a woman married five times, the museum suffers from a lack of visitors and some very unusual rules. The masterpieces are only displayed four times a year, and the rest of the time, only the minor paintings are hung in its galleries. Modeled after the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Tattinger is at a disadvantage -- it's off the beaten path. When the thief picks those minor paintings to steal in his brazen heist, questions abound. Is there a connection to what happened in Boston in 1990? Or does it have something to do with the Hungarian heirs of Hermione's last husband, the fake count, Viktor Szabo? The CIA is worried it's a cover for a Hungarian gang of organized criminals, but sorting this out isn't all that easy. Things get dicey when Maisie is outed on WikiLeaks as a spy. When a stranger is murdered and left in the snow up by Monet's Pond, there's a killer loose. Is that corpse connected to the museum robbery or to Maisie's work as a spy? It's up to her to figure it out, even as the love of her life seems to be cutting her loose. Is this any way to start the New Year? (intro novella

The Look of Love by Bella Andre

3 STARS
The Sullivans book 1

I really like the idea of the Sullivans. A big close family with great jobs. This first book was a disappointment to me.
The plot was mostly sex scenes and that was after Chase found her walking away from her car in a ditch, with a bruise on her face from a man.

I like Chase Sullivan. He was a good looking man. Cared about a strange woman walking along the road in the dark with her car in a ditch. Chloe did not trust him. Chase could have easly left her alone but he was worried about her safety. He planned to get her settled in his brother's guest house and leave her there.

Chloe Peterson was upset and on the run. Her car was in a ditch and even if she got it pulled out would need major work and she did not have any money. She was leary of trusting Chase. Finally she got into his car and asked to be taken to the nearest town and dropped off at a cheap motel. Her face was hurting from where her ex-husband had hit her.

I liked the scenes without all the sex in them but it was too much a exrated book for me to enjoy. I will try a different book from her in the Sullivan series to see if their is more plot in that one.

This is a very hot steamy book.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.
05/28/2013 Pub. Harlequin Mira 184 pages ISBN 9780778315568


Description below taken off of Netgalley.com

Sometimes one look is all it takes!

Chloe Peterson vowed never to make the mistake of trusting a man again. Her reasons are as vivid as the bruises on her cheek. So when her car skids off a wet country road straight into a ditch, she’s convinced the gorgeous guy who rescues her must be too good to be true.

As a successful international photographer, Chase Sullivan has his pick of beautiful women. He’s satisfied with his life—until he finds Chloe and her totaled car on the side of the road in Napa Valley.

With every loving look—and every sinfully sweet caress—the attraction between them sizzles, and Chloe can’t help but wonder if she’s met the man who may be the exception to her rule….

Friday, February 22, 2013

The Cana Diversion (Brock 'The Rock' Callahan, #9)

4 STARS

The Cana Diversion (Brock 'The Rock' Callahan, #9) by William Campbell Gault

This is the first book that I have read by William Campbell Gault. I believe he has written 14 at least featuring Brock the Rock Callahan. So the characters are already fleshed out. I feel that if I had read the others it would be more helpful to me. I would read more of his novels.
This a clean read that was first written in the 80's. It did not feel that old or course I was graduated in 1981 from high school so
I could have missed somethings.

Brock the Rock is a P.I. or at least he used to be. His Uncle left him a lot of money so now he is rich and retired. He used to play football. he is not one to push around. He ran into a P.I. from LA that he had known that is doing bailbonds now. He used him to bail out his wife when she was protesting a nuclear plant that they want to build. Days later he was murdered.

Brock feels like he has to get involved. Mrs. Puma agrees and gives him a file that she did not give the investigators.
Brock is followed by a fed and warns him off. The police wonder if Puma was involved with the mob, since he was the middleman once for a mob family and a kidnapper. Brock finds a lot about his once co-worker.

It is a good mystery. Kept me guessing to the end. If you like P.I. mystery novels this will do .
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it finshed by Netgalley.
09/18/2012 PUB Open Road Integrated Media,MysteriousPress.com/Open Road SBN9781453273371


Description below taken off of Netgalley.com

While tangling with radicals, Brock stumbles on a colleague’s corpse

Brock Callahan, ex-private investigator, is still not used to wealth and retirement. In fact he is struggling through a game of golf when the clubhouse calls with the curious news that his wife is in jail, pulled in at an anti-nuclear protest. Callahan hires Joe Puma, private detective and onetime peer, to post bail for the budding radical. A few days later, Puma is dead, and Brock begins to wonder where the student movement’s shadowy roots lie.

The agitators want to stop the proposed Mirage Point reactor, which sits at the intersection of mob money, corrupt utilities, and the violent rage of the radical fringe. And as Callahan knows all too well, California doesn’t run on nuclear energy; the state is powered by the dirtiest fuel there is—old-fashioned, murderous greed.

This book was originally published in 1982.

Thursday, February 21, 2013

The Heart's Journey by Barbara Cameron

4 Stars

Stitches in Time Series book 2

The Heart's Journey is the second book of the series. It is also the second one that I have read but I started with book 3 Heart in Hand. Even though I have read the books out of order I have enjoyed reading Stitches in Time. I have a feeling some of the characters in this book have been introduced in their own book. But I would like to read more of Barbara's novels in the future.

Naomi is engaged to be married to John but her choice is not the best. He is controlling where she is and what she does. He even hurt her some. Naomi is hiding how she feels from everyone.

Naomi makes quilts in the craft store that her Grandma Leah and her two cousins own with her. It is winter and Leah is thinking of going to visit her friend in Florida. Before she can bring it up she has a fall and sprains her foot badly.

Leah still wants to go even if she is on crutches. Nick is their english driver who gives them rides to and back from work says he will drive her to Florida and take a vacation too. Naomi says she will go with her grandmother too to help her.

Naomi fiance says she can't go but Naomi plans to go anyway.
Nick has had a crush on Naomi for awhile but he has not let her know it. He really likes Leah and is a good friend to her. Nick and Naomi spend a lot of time together and their friendship continues to grow. Nick even kisses her and she kisses him back.

Naomi fiance shows up in Florida to spy on her. This is the weak part of the story I felt that their was parts missed or cut out of how long was he actually in florida and the break up was too easy.

I like the characters and enjoyed reading about Naomi and Nick. Their joy at the simple things.( I like things simple but love electricity and microwave,cars ect.) I was drawn to their story.

I was given this ebook to read and in return give honest review of it by Netgalley.
Published October 1st 2012 by Abingdon Press 283 pages ISBN:1426714335

Description below taken off of Netgalley.com

Naomi knows she should be excited about her upcoming wedding but she remains unmoved. Not only are her feelings for her fiance lackluster but she believes he may see her more as a servant than a partner. And he's so controlling. Is it too late to back out of the marriage?

While praying for God's guidance, Naomi takes a break from her duties as a quilter and travels with her grandmother to Pinecraft, Florida. Along the way Naomi finds herself becoming attracted to Nick, their Englisch driver and friend, and the two begin to fall in love. The journey soon becomes one in which Naomi explores her most secret dream for love. But can she veer off the "safe" path she'd envisioned for her life to marry Nick?

A Billionaire's Redemption (Vengeance in Texas) by Cindy Dees

4 STARS
(Vengeance in Texas)book 3

I liked A Billionaire's Redemption. It is a romantic suspense. I stayed up late to finsh reading it. I hated the characters that
were so mean to Willa. Loved Willa & Gabe.

Willa was a kindergarten teacher. Her father was a U.S. Senator who was murdered. Willa is a gentle women who was raped by a family friend. Her father the Senator kept her hidden till the bruises faded and destroyed any evidence, because he was in a close race.
Willa had so many enemies. I don't know how she held up.

Gabe is a billionaire who is an enemy of the Senator but not of Willa. When he sees Willa being pushed around he protected her.
Someone kept breaking into where she was staying. Gabe ex-wife has been kidnapped. He is trying to find her because she does not have any family.

I cared about Willa and wanted to see her safe. She is willing to do anything when her students lives are in danger.

Gabe is goodlooking, smart and earned his money. He came from the wrong side of the tract. The old families with money don't like him but are willing to marry him for money. I really like the charitys he supposed.

Things get really dangerous to Willa. She keeps in the background of her father's relection but now she can dress how she wants to and make her own decisions.

There are still a lot of mysteries to be solved in the Vengeance in Texas series

I was given the ebook to read and asked to give honest review from Netgalley.
Publisher: Harlequin Romantic Suspense (Feb.19,2013) 284 pages ISBN: 0373278144

Description below taken off of Netgalley.com

Keep the daughter of your enemy closer
Kindergarten teacher Willa Merris has never wanted her father's lavish lifestyle. But when he's murdered, she becomes the executor of his estate. To add insult to injury, Gabe Dawson—her father's nemesis—informs her that she's on the brink of financial collapse. Willa doesn't trust him—or herself…not to run her hands over his chiseled physique.

Billionaire Gabe Dawson still remembers the gawky teenager Willa was. But that awkward girl is now a sultry, beautiful woman. Gabe knows he should keep his distance, but he can't, especially when peril is in hot pursuit. Now he'll risk his own life to protect the woman he's dangerously falling for

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Deadly Recall by Donnell Ann Bell

4 STAR

Deadly Recall kept me guess to till she told us who was guilty by showing him covering up for his wrong deeds. I like the characters were all different their were ones that we were not supposed to like so of course I didn't. The story kept me wanting to know more about the characters and I did not want to put the book down.

Eden Moran had gone through some tough times. The more her past became clear the more I admired her. When she was nine she witnessed something that shocked and changed her to the end of the book. She blocked it out of her mind for seventeen years.

Sister Beatrice was a nun who disappeared seventeen years ago. No one reported her missing, because she was leaving anyway. Now her bones were dug up construction workers.

Kevin Dancer APD got the case when the bones were discovered seventeen years later. It was hard to find witnesses who might have known what happened to her. He was told by a few people that she was close to one student nine year old Eden.

Eden is now a public defender the opposition for the police. When Kevin tries to question her about Sister Beatrice, she tells him that she did not know her. He told her that a few different people told him she was close to her. Eden remembers getting kicked out of school at nine. Then she was shipped up to her Aunt's because she refused to go to church or play the piano anymore.

Kevin is getting the run around and not getting to talk to some leaders of the Catholic Church at the time Sister Beatrice was a nun teaching the children.

Eden agrees to be her sister's bridemaid and panics when she enters churches. She runs into the Father George Slater who is the pastor of St. Patrick's. He hints that she might want to bring detective Kevin to the wedding as her date. Since most of the people he needs to talk to will be thier.

Kevin agrees to go to the wedding. When Eden almost faints during the service he reaches her before she can hit the floor.
After the wedding that night someone breaks into her building and attacks her neighbor.

Thier is lot of drama, humor, some love scenes. It was not a boring book. I like Donnell Ann Bell's writing and look forward to reading more of her books in the future.

I was given this ebook and asked in return to give honest review of it by Netgalley.

01/29/2013 PUB BelleBooks, Inc. 256 pages ISBN-10: 1611942446

Discription below taken off of Goodreads

A terrifying memory is locked deep inside of her. A killer wants to keep it that way.

Nine-year-old Eden Moran thought she was saying good-bye to her mentor that fateful day in St. Patrick’s. She had no idea she’d witness the nun’s demise, or that her child’s mind would compensate. Now seventeen years later, Albuquerque cops have unearthed human remains, and the evidence points to Eden as being the key to solving Sister Beatrice’s murder. When a hell-bent cop applies pressure, Eden stands firm. She doesn’t remember the woman. Unfortunately for Eden, Sister Beatrice’s killer will do whatever it takes to keep it that way.

One Less Lonely Cowboy by Kathleen Eagle

3 STARS

One Less Lonely Cowboy was a good romance. It was sweet and loving story.
Thier was a few love scenes in the story. The plot was simple. This is book is a fast read. Good escape to get lost in.
Jack McKenzie is a cowboy. He does not work for anyone ranch. When different ranches need a extra hand they call him. He was helping Mike a lot more. He kept his horses on Mike's ranch and lived in a horsetrailer for a home. His ex-wife has remarried and is raising his two kids a short distance away.
Lily Reardon is Mike's daughter that he kicked out over 13 years ago when she got pregnant. Now she has lost her job and is bringing her daughter Iris home to the ranch for the first time. Lily is a school teacher and she hopes to at least get to work as a subsitute teacher.
Lily remembers a lot about living on the ranch and pitches in. It is calving time on the ranch so thier is plenty of work to be done.
Lily and Jack hook up pretty fast it seems to me.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.
02/19/2013 PUB Harlequin Special Edition

Home to Montana by Charlotte Carter

4 STARS

Home to Montana is easy to fall for the characters. Does make you hungry for all the good food they talk about. It's a clean read.
Alisa Machak is chopping wood with a ax outside of thier cafe when Nick Carbini and his dog Rags show up.
Nick offers to finsh cutting the wood for table scraps for his dog.
Alisa recongizes a drifter right off. She was hurt by her son's drifter of a father that left her before her son was even born. She has a lot of stuff to do so she agrees to the deal.
Alisa mama the owner of the cafe and motel that is next door offers Nick a handyman job to feel in for her handyman that had to leave for family emergency but would be back in two weeks.
Greg notices the dog as soon as he gets home from school and asks if he can pet the dog. Greg and Rags fall in love with each other.
Nick is dealing with a lot of issues mostly PTSD. becasue of PTSD he drank and hurt someone in a bar fight. He did 3 years in prison for it. The prison chaplen was a lot of help to Nick.
When Mama has a accident and burns both of her arms badly, Nick steps into help.
Nick was trained by the army to be a chef. He was in Afghan when the kitchen was hit by enemies and he survived with rod and screws in his leg.
Greg really wants a dog and a dad. He wants to be with Nick and his dog.
Alisa is afraid that she will be hurt again when Nick leaves. Once she knows that he is a ex-con she is leary of him but she needs his help badly.
I grew to care about Nick,Alisa and Greg. wanted they to become a strong family.
Alisa was willing to help Nick with his problems once she understood them.
I enjoyed getting lost in the story and look forward to reading more from Charotte in the future.
I was given this ebook to read and in return asked to give honest reviews by Netgalley.
Publisher: Harlequin Love Inspired (March 1, 2013) 224 pages


The Magic Mirror and th Seventh Dwarf by Tia Nevitt

4 STARS

This is a retelling of Snow White and the seventh Dwarfs. I liked it. Had a lot of same characters but different.

Evil step-mother who was the fairest, she has taken the princess thrown till she comes of age if she lives that long. The Queen has a magic mirror that can not lie to her. She can ask three questions only morning and night.

The tattered Princess wears ill fitted clothes that the Queen makes her wear. She is kind and tries to help her people behind her step-mothers back.

The 5 dwarfs that live together and farm. It is run by a Dwarf couple. a minstral goes around telling tales of the dwarfs and thier farm.

Lars used to be a court jester has come now to work the farm and be with others of his kind.

Gretchen heres about the farm and she gets the minstral to take her thier. She wants to find a husband. She travels in disguise of a boy. No one knows her a women till Lars points that out at first meeting.

Magic Mirror is Prince Richard he can't refuse to tell the queen the truth but he tries to give her the least amount of good knowledge as he can. He travels around lost tries not to learn anything useful for the queen to find out.

I enjoyed reading The Magic Mirror and seeing the story in a whole new way. This is a very clean story and fast to read. Any age could enjoy it.

I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review from Netgalley.


Description taken off Netgalley


Book two in Accidental Enchantments.

Prince Richard is cursed. Enslaved to a magic mirror, he must truthfully answer the evil queen when she uses it to call on him. To keep from betraying innocents, Richard wanders the countryside and avoids people.

All her life, Gretchen has been teased for being small. When she hears of a hidden farm populated by little people like her, she sets out to find it—and is welcomed by the mostly male inhabitants. Lars in particular woos her with his gentle kindness and quiet strength.

Danger looms when Gretchen meets a runaway princess and offers her shelter at the Little Farm. Wandering nearby, Richard instantly falls in love with the beautiful princess, and is later compelled to tell the queen that she is not the fairest of them all. Enraged, the queen vows to find them and destroy them.

If either Gretchen or Richard are to have their happy endings, they must team up to break the mirror's spell before the queen kills them all…

For another fairy tale retelling from Tia Nevitt, check out The Sevenfold Spell, available now!

43,000 words

02/15/2012 PUB Carina Press 250 pages ISBN: 9781426895104

Cowboy's Texas Rescue by Beth Cornelison

4 STARS
Cowboy's Texas Rescue is full of drama and action. everytime I think the danger is over I get surprised.
Chelsea Harris just stopped to get gas before she headed to her parents house. She was house sitting while they were out of town. When a man came up and put a gun to her and told her to get back into the car and drive.
Edward Brady escaped prison killing two guards before he hi-jacked Chelsea. He looked at her GPS and asked her questions about who was at her home. Before they could make it to her parent's place the car ran out of gas.
Brady made her take off her clothes and put her into the trunk. Brady changed into her pink shirt and jeans.
Jake Connelly flew back into his home when he got word his father was in the hospital after a bad heart attack. Jake hopes he makes it thier before the snow storm closes the roads. He heard about the escaped convict on the radio. He sees the car on the side of the road and stops. Jake job as a black ops so he is leary of a guy in car with window down and music up loud.
Brady tries to shoot Jake but Jake shoots him in the leg. He dis arms him and hears noise in the trunk and finds Chelsea in underwear lets her out. Brady is able to find the taser he hid in car and tases Jake hard and Jake hits head.
Chelsea tries to shoot Brady but the gun she uses his empty. Brady gets Jake and Chelsea back in the trunk and he takes Jakes truck.
The novel is dramatic and kept my intention. Did not want to stop reading till I had finshed.
Thier is one love scene in the book that I skipped over. I don't think I could handle all that Chelsea was able too. Loved Jake and admire what he was willing to do to make the world safer.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange for honest review from Netgalley.
Publication date: 2/19/2013 PUB Harlequin Romantic Suspense 288 pages ISBN-13: 9780373278169

Monday, February 18, 2013

An Inescapable Temptaton by Scarlet Wilson


3 stars

This is a nice romance. There is lot of medical drama on board there cruise ship.

Francesca is a nurse on a cruise ship as they are loading passengers and supplies, their is cry for her help. A teenager had fallen off into the sea and someone dived after him. He got the boy and trying to get to help and he is bounced into a sea wall. A small boat was sent after they got the teenager in but the man was not breathing.

Francesca looked the teen over quick and told someone to get the doctor and get the kid warmed up. Franceseca saw that the man was not breathing and started CPR. She got him breathing again and found out he was her new boss doctor Gabriel Russo.

After things calmed down she realized he was the doctor playboy that her roommate was dating 6 years ago. He kicked her out of his apartment in the middle of the night and Francesca was called to go rescue her. Francesca was angry at him and now he was her new boss.

Francesca was waiting for her visa to take another job. She has not spent much time anywhere the last few years. She is doubting her nursing skills since her father died. His death has messed with her head.

Gabriel wanted to be closer to his father as he is fighting his own health. His father wanted him to take over the family business instead of being a doctor. He is rich and tired of his family in the news. He has a hard time knowing when people liked him for himself or his family money. He became a doctor because of family death when he was six year old.

Gabriel admires Francesca nurse skills but he wonders why she does not have confidence in her skills. He wished she had not told the others on the medical staff that his family was rich.

Makes me want to think of going on a cruise. See some of the places that they talk of like the leaning tower of Pisa.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give a review of it by Netgalley.

Publisher: Harlequin Medical Romances (February 1, 2013) 136 pages ASIN: B009YLXORC





Discription below taken off of Goodreads.com

Running from her past…she bumped into her future!

Nurse Francesca Cruz has taken a job on a cruise ship bound for the Mediterranean—the perfect retreat from her breakup—except, she finds herself trapped with gorgeous but arrogant doctor Gabriel Russo.

She knows his type well: that devastating smile, those come-to-bed eyes and that easy charm. She won't be tempted twice.

But with nowhere to escape—except overboard—and her delicious boss lying in the next cabin, it's easier said than done!

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Review: Hitched by Jessica Hart

4 STARS

Hitched is in the Harlequin brand new series called Kiss.
This book is flirty,fun has love scenes and lots of family problems. I liked it.

Frith is a engineer. She is overseeing a project on a estate. The estate manager has asked her out every time he sees her. She says no. They live on the estate in cottages that share a wall between them. She wants to be taken serious in a field that has a lot of men.

George is goodlooking and seems to be a fun guy. He always seems to be smileing. His good friend inheirited the estate when other relatives died unexpectedly. He loves taking care of the horses. George is very good at taking care of problems.

When Frith sister shows up all of a sudden with problems George comes up with a solution that helps both sisters and his boss too.
After that Frith and George start spending more time together. George changes her ring tone each day and surprises her and everyone around her.

This is a light hearted romance. Perfect if you want a fun read. Makes you appreciate your family.

I was given this ebook to read in exchange asked to give honest review from Netgalley.
Published January 22nd 2013 by Harlequin KISS 224 pages

Discription below taken off goodreads

Planning the most-talked-about wedding of the year is enough to break engineer Frith Taylor out in a cold sweat. She's used to construction sites, not wedding fairs! But estate manager George Challoner's offer of help is one that's too good to resist. George may be the rebel of the prestigious Challoner family, but his insanely good looks are giving Frith wedding fever! Charm personified, he's making her feel things she hasn't dared feel before. Maybe her little sister's wedding won't be the only one Frith's planning...?

Rosa's Land by Gilbert Morris

4 stars

I think the title does not really fit for the book. Rosa we don't meet until quarter of the way into the book. Plus she does not own any land herself.
I like Rosa's Land. It is a western novel. A Christian novel, and even romance novel all in one. This is a clean read too.

Lafayette is the the youngest of three sons. His mother does not like how her husband raised her first two sons so when Lafayette was born she told her husband that she intended to raise him more gentlemanly. She taught him the arts,to be gentle and thought he would make his lively hood as a painter.
Fay came to the aid of a woman and was beat up badly. After he healed he wanted to learn to fight. He had really fast hands.
His father did not think much of Fay and told his two brothers to watch out for him. He had a man watch out for him.
Fay decided he wanted to be tougher and become a man his father would be proud of. Plus he lost a girl because she was afraid he was too good for him. Lafayette
decided he would be a marshall for out west. He bought a gun only a .36 so he had to be accurate. a rifle, and went into the woods for a month to survive by what he could feed himself.

I love westerns. I loved how Lafayette decided on a goal and worked hard to get it. He would put up with a lot to make his goal.
He took the worst jobs that the other marshalls would not do.

Rosa worked hard to help her family but she had a temper and treated Lafayette terrible when they met. Because she wanted a marshall with more experience and one that looked more western.

This is the first Gilbert Morris novel that I have read but I hope it won't be the last.
His discriptions of the paintings and drawings Lafayette made me want to see the real pictures he did a great job of the discriptions of the art and landscapes.

Thier was talk of a couple of bible stories, a little talk of God but it fit into the story well.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it by Netgalley.

Published February 1st 2013 by Barbour Books 320 pages ISBN: 1616267585

Discription below taken off of Goodreads

Join Lafayette Riordan as he chases his dream of becoming a Wild West marshal. Young Faye longs for an adventurous life protecting the frontier alongside Judge Isaac Parker’s famous marshals. But his upbringing has left him more prepared for a life as scholar and artist. When faced with the opportunity to realize his dream, can he summon the courage to hunt down the outlaws? Or will one headstrong female rancher capture his heart first?

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Dead Locked by Amy Saunders

4 STARS

Dead Locked is a treasure hunt,murder mystery,action packed and pirates too. It's is a good book. Also this is a clean read.

It jumps a lot in the book. From pirate ship to different dates before the murder or so many days after. It was a little confusing especially as I was listening to the story on kindle.

The characters had good traits and some bad traits. You were not really sure who the good guys are and who were the bad guys,
Peter and Sebastian where looking for shipwrecks. Peter was also looking for a fable gem. Sebastian did not believe it existed.
Peter believed and he would not stop looking for it.

The day of the murder Imogen recieves a list in the mail from her boss Peter. Later that day he is murdered. Sebastian will not be part of the hunt. ButChad a old roommate of Sebastian who framed him for stealing is on the look for the ring. Chad is following Imogen he knows she is on the right track. Someone else is following her.

I would read more from Amy Saunders in the future. I was given this ebook from the author on Librarything and asked to give honest review of it when I was done.

discription below taken off of Amazon

Imogen Bell dishes publicity for a team of explorers, and she just can't resist a good pirate tale. So when her boss is murdered, Imogen dares to defy her anti-lore boyfriend and joins forces with his nemesis in a hunt to find treasure worth killing for. If she doesn't want to end up in Davy Jones' Locker, Imogen must trust the clues of a dead man and crack open a centuries-old mystery before her opponent does it first.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

Heart In Hand by Barbara Cameron

4 STARS
Stitches in Time Book 3

Oops I read book 3 before book 2. I don't even have book 1 yet. But I will be reading book 2 soon.
In Stitches in Time 3 cousins work in a craft store with thier Grandmother and find love along the way.
In Heart in Hand we see how the three cousins lives have changed by working together in the Craft store.

The main character in Heart in Hand is Anna who after a short marriage became a widow with no children. Anna has not been happy and she feels a little jealous of her cousins that they have found love. Anna had found love with Sam while they were both in school. Anna had never dated anyone else. She loves to knit.

Gideon Beiler is A widower raising a little girl Sarah Rose. Gideon has tried to be a good parent to Sarah Rose. He promised his late wife that she would learn the skills a mother would teach her. Gideon brought his daughter into the craft store so they could pick out a craft to learn together. They decided to learn how to knit a scarf.

The craft kit came with yarn that they planned to dye together in koolaid. Sarah Rose read the directions out loud but she skipped over the part to wear rubber gloves. Gideon ended up with purple dye all over his hands that did not come off at all. The next day was sunday and he got a lot of attention for purple hands.

After Anna had come to the rescue to help Gideon get the dye off his hands and teaching the knitting clase Gideon and Sarah Rose joined he asked Anna if he could date her. Anna did not think she was ready to date but agreed they could start slow. It was not easy to start dating again for either Anna or Gideon.

I liked the characters in Stitches in Time series. I wanted to know more about the different characters. Gideon and Anna seamed real to me. Some ways this book touched me and made me greatful for what I have.

Everyone grieves a little different. Sometimes we want to rush other people through the process. This does a good job showing the emotions of opening your heart to love again.

This is a clean read. Sweet romance with some humor,drama and good characters dealing with real problems.

I was given this ebook and asked in exchange to give honest review when done by Netgalley.
Publisher: Abingdon Press (February 1, 2013) 290 pages ISBN: 1426714343




Description below taken off of Netgalley. (I know the name is different but that was in the discription of book)
After the wedding of her cousin Naomi, knitter Anna, a widow, finds herself missing love and the closeness of a husband. She feels a special connection with her grandmother as they both struggle to go on with life.

Is Anna on the verge of finding happiness when she realizes John Esh is interested in her? Love begins to warm Anna’s heart, but will she be so afraid of losing someone that she gives up the second chance that God has provided?

A Home for Lydia by Vannetta Chapman

5 STARS
(The Pebble Creek Amish Series)book 2

This is more of community story than just 2 characters. You get to care about alot of different characters. Some are new to the series and others are old friends. I like how the community comes together to care and help where they are needed.

Aaron comes to this new community by bus. He is the oldest child. When his Uncle died and left a widow with children his dad sent him to help her. His Uncle had a few cabins that he rented to the English. When Aaron sees how worn down and out of shape he is angry.

Lydia is the only employee working at the cabins for the past two months. Business is bad people with three days reservation leave after only one night. She has done what she can to keep up. Lydia is 23 and earns the income for her family. Her father has farmer lung and needs lots of care. She has 5 younger siblings. She can't loose her job.

Gabe Miller & Miriam and daughters give Aaron a ride out to the cabins in the horse & buggy. They are good neighbors and see the need and offer to help Aaron get the place in shape.

Aaron is a farmer and he wants to go back home so he can work his land but he knows first he has to help his Uncle's family. He has some ideas to get the cabins in shape and bring in more business.

The story is well told and kept me wanting to see what happens next. Thier are a lot of characters, but that what made the story so interesting. How they are all so connected to each other. It also shows how the Plain People live. That they have trials too. That many people working together can help each other.

I look forward to reading more of Vannetta Chapman's work in the future.
This is a clean read and a enjoyable one too.
02/01/2013 Publisher: Harvest House Publishers 352 pages ISBN-10: 0736946144

Description below taken off of Netgalley.com

A Home for Lydia, the second book in a new romantic series from popular author Vannetta Chapman, centers again on the Plain community of Pebble Creek and the kind, caring people there. As they face challenges to their community from the English world, they come together to reach out to their non-Amish neighbors while still preserving their cherished Plain ways.

Aaron Troyer simply wants to farm like his father and grandfather before him. But instead he finds himself overseeing the family’s small group of guest cabins nestled along the banks of Pebble Creek. That also means he must work with the cabins’ housekeeper, Lydia Fisher.

Lydia is the most outspoken Amish woman Aaron has ever met, and she has strong opinions about how the guest cabins are to be run. She also desperately needs this job. Though sparks fly between boss and employee at first, when the cabins are robbed, nothing is more important to Aaron than making sure Lydia is safe.

Together they work to make the vacation property profitable, but can they find out the identity of the culprit before more damage is done? And is Lydia’s dream of a home of her own more than just a wish and a prayer?

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Home for Good by Jessica Keller

4 STARS

I could really see the characters were true. They were easy to understand and care about. The only thing I had a problem with was why she did not call the police right away when the sabatage was discovered.

Ali has raised her son by herself and now when her husband comes back after 8 years has a hard time forgiving him and trusting him. Ali runs the ranch and teaches handicap kids riding therapy program. Her mom is in a bitter, angry women in a care center dying on lung camcer. Now someone is leaving threats on her door,cutting fences,poison horses and other stuff. Her lawyer is a good friend from school and wants to marry her.

Jericho was a drunk and felt he was turning to be like his father. So he left his marriage before he hurt Ali. Now he is back after being away for years. He wants her back. Jericho has always loved Ali. He finds out she is a mother now to Chance. He wants to be a father to Chance too. Even when Ali denies that he is. Jericho has not had a drink in 5 years. He is now proud of the man he became.

Trip has always been jealous of Jericho. He wants Ali to divorce Jericho and let him adopt Chance. He was raised by a single mother and wants to help her.

Every time I think I know what is happening, then I think someone else is the one who is behind everything going wrong at the ranch.

This book has a few themes in it. Main one is forgiveness or bitter and angry choices we can choose. That God does not leave us alone it is us that leaves him.

This book had me sobbing in a few places. About a horse! animals are good friends and love us.

This is a clean read. It does mention God and scriptures but not preachy.

Chance is adorable little boy.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review of it in exchange by Netgalley.
1/22/2013 Pub. Harlequin Imprint Harlequin Love Inspired 224 pages ISBN:0373877978

Discription below is taken off of Goodreads.com

I made a promise to protect you."But pregnant Ali Silver's husband broke his vow and walked away from her. After being injured in combat, Jericho has finally come home to Bitterroot Valley to make peace with his father and regain Ali's trust. But the single mom's keeping secrets of her own. And someone's killing off Ali's cattle and sabotaging her horse therapy business. Jericho will do whatever it takes to protect his wife and be a real father to his son. Because when it comes to love and second chances, he's one determined cowboy

Good King Wenceslas by Jane Seymour's

4 STARS

I was just given the review on the ebook I recieved,it only had story not the DVD or big enough pictures to see the details.
I bet all of the things included in the hard back book would recieve 5 stars.

I have heard the song, I have even song it. But I never paid attention to the story before.
What a good example the King was to go out and help those poor in need and teach that to other generations to help those who have less. To share by choice because you see a need. Which is a important lesson for all to learn.

I think this would be a good book to have and read each Christmas season. I know that it is one that I plan to seek out and have for future Christmas to share.

I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review by Netgalley.

11/14/2012 PUB Shadow Mountain Publishing 32 pages ISBN-10: 1609071433






Description below taken off of Netgalley.com

One snowy evening, when the rest of the kingdom is reveling in a celebratory feast, a king and his faithful page venture out to deliver food, wood, and comfort to a poor peasant family. "Good King Wenceslas" is the beloved Christmas carol that relates this tender story, and it is brought to life in this book and DVD by actress Jane Seymour and artist Omar Rayyan. The sumptuous illustrations reflect the medieval setting of this tale, capturing the lavish Feast of St. Stephen at the castle and the arduous trek through heavy snow to a humble cottage deep within the forest. The original lyrics to the song, set to music more than 150 years ago, are interwoven throughout the story. The actions of the kind, humble Bohemian king reflect the invitation of another King to follow in His footsteps, bringing the blessings of Christmas to all of His kingdom.

The book includes a DVD featuring Jane Seymour's narration of this classic story, performed with the world-acclaimed Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Also included is an introduction by Jane Seymour and an original illustration created by her especially for this book.

A Cast of Stone by Patrick W. Carr

4 STARS
(The Staff and the Sword)

A Cast of Stone is a well told story. It kept my attention, I hated to stop reading. By reading the blurb about the book I thought Errol Stone would not be a character that I would like.

Errol is a drunk. He only works enough to buy more ale. But on his journey he grew and learned and overcame his problems. He made a lot of friends but also a bunch of enmies along the way. When Errol had the chance to learn new skills in fighting or other subjects he worked to keep improving.

Errol did not know who to trust and why people were trying to kill him. For he was only the town drunk. He also did not know why his friends thought it was so important that he make the trip to the conclave. Every time you thought it was to be his end something saves him. Also when you think he is safe something happens. You never knew where the story was going to take you.

This was full of drama,action,mystery and fantasy. The characters were engaging and I wanted to know more about each of them. Eventhough the book is long I was disappointed when it ended. Hope thier will be another Staff and the Sword book out soon. Just found out that The Hero's Lot is the title of second The Staff and the Sword book coming out summer of 2013. Yeah!

This is the first book that I have read of Patrick W. Carr but it won't be the last one.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give a honest review of it when done by Netgalley.
02/01/2013 PUB Baker Publishing Group, Bethany House Publishers 432 pages ISBN-10: 0764210432


Description below taken off Netgalley.com

The Fate of the Kingdom Awaits the Cast of Stones

In the backwater village of Callowford, roustabout Errol Stone is enlisted by a church messenger arriving with urgent missives for the hermit priest in the hills. Eager for coin, Errol agrees to what he thinks will be an easy task, but soon finds himself hunted by deadly assassins. Forced to flee with the priest and a small band of travelers, Errol soon learns he's joined a quest that could change the fate of his kingdom.

Protected for millennia by the heirs of the first king, the kingdom's dynasty nears its end and the selection of the new king begins--but in secret and shadow. As danger mounts, Errol must leave behind the stains and griefs of the past, learn to fight, and discover who is hunting him and his companions and how far they will go to stop the reading of the stones.

Monday, February 11, 2013

Remember Me, Cowboy by C.J. Carmichael

4 STARS
Remember Me, Cowboy is a Coffee Creek, Montana series book 1.

I enjoyed reading about the Lambert family in Coffee Creek, Montana. It did leave me wanting to know more some of the characters.
I have to know more. So I look forward to visiting again in Coffee Creek.

Laurel came to Coffee Creek for her best friends wedding. She is excited for her new promotion in New York City. But she has also fallen hard and fast with Corb Lambert in the week she has been in Montana. Her friend Winnie got bad news before the wedding.
She has had to move back home to her parents and can't be in Coffee Creek running her cafe. So Laurel has put her life on hold to help her friend out when she was needed.

Laurel has been thier two months now and she has not seen Corb since the night before the wedding when they slept together. He has not even called. Now Corb shows up and starts to flirt with her just like he had never met her. Laurel realizes that he does not remember them falling for each other. Laurel also realizes that she is pregnant with Corb's baby.

Laurel and Corb are in a strange place and try to plan a future together. Lots of humor and good characters. Lots of drama.
Laurel finds her new-mother-in-law Olive hard to take. Olive picked out her wedding dress and other decisions. Laurel is having a
hard time with her wanting her way in everything and Corb letting his mother run the show'

This is a fast read I would have like more in this book. I guess now I will have to wait to read the next book in the series. I finshed reading the book in one seating.

I was given this ebook by C.J. Carmichael and asked for a honest review when I had finshed.

Publisher: Harlequin American Romance (January 1, 2013) 218 pages ISBN: 0373754388

Discription below taken off Amazon.com

Corb Lambert is ready to marry Laurel Sheridan. She's pregnant with his baby—and Corb is the type of guy who will do the right thing. He just wishes that he could remember the passion they shared before a terrible accident wiped his memory clean.

Laurel can't decide whether to go or stay. Corb is willing to take on his responsibility, but Laurel can't bear the thought that he doesn't remember her, especially since she fell for him, hard. She's got a life in New York—but her baby deserves a father. Could he love her all over again? Or is he just staying in Montana to give her child a name? Laurel has to know now, because one person can't do all the loving….

Double Exposure by Susan Sleeman

4 STARS

Double Exposure (The Justice Agency)

Double exposure is good on keeping up the suspense. Both on who was after stoping Jennie from having her gallery showing and on her past with Ethan. I like the characters. Jennie is doing so much good with her charity, even willing risking her life to help the children in need. The Justice Agency is run and owned by a family of 5 brothers & sisters. They each went into law at different agencys. They were adopted and are close to each other. After thier parents were murdered they came home to help solve it. They then decided to open thier own agency and work together.

Jennie is home getting ready for her photograph show with the procedes to help her charity. She travels the world taking photos of children living in poverty. With the money she makes from selling her photos she is able to help the children with food,education and medicine. Jennie is making a big difference in childrens lives.

Now someone wants to stop the showing. They broke into the gallery and destroyed her work. They also spray painted death threats if she goes ahead with the showing. Now someone is following her and got on the train with her.

The Justice Agency is hired to protect Jennie and the gallery. Ethan used to date Jennie and wanted a future with her. Jennie dumped him hard and than ran away from his life. Ethan is worried about falling for Jennie again. His family is worried about that too. They all recongize her as his Jennie from the past. They all are willing to risk thier lives to protect her and to help her.

This is a Love Inspired novel. So it is a clean read. Also it does mention God,prayer and forgiveness but is not preachy just leaves you feeling good.

I was given this book by the author. This is a honest review of a good book. I look forward to reading more books by Susan in the future.

There is also a bonus story in the book called Hunter and Hope by lenora Worth It is a very short story about second chances too.

Published June 5th 2012 by Love Inspired 288 pages ISBN: 037367516X


discription below taken off of Goodreads.com

Photographer Jennie Buchanan unknowingly captures a drug-cartel meeting on film. And now she has become a killer's next target. Even worse, her only protection from the danger that threatens her life is the man who threatens her heart. Dodging bullets almost seems safer than facing the feelings stirred up by seeing former FBI agent and ex-boyfriend Ethan Justice again. Ethan vows to safeguard Jennie from the deadly men on her trail. And for a second chance at Jennie's love, he's willing to risk anything to expose the truth—about the drug smugglers, the past and the future together he still wants.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Do Over by Shannon Guymon

5 STARS

I was surprised at how much I liked Do Over. I laughed and wanted to tell someone about what I had read. Even thought
about getting some boots to wear.

I love the characters. Iris is beautiful on the inside and on the outside. She was hurt so bad by her husband. Iris is at a
place where she hates men. She has moved from Washington state to Alpine, UT. She is making changes in her live to get over the hurt. She buys biker boots and leather jacket, hair cut and dye red on the ends. Iris is taking a break from men right now.

Trey has been hurt by girl friends. His last one decided to marry a different guy. He is staying away from women. He works in construction and rides a motorcycle.

Trey's sister-in-law Sophie and her 3 friends meet at least once a month for lunch. Sophie is worried about how unhappy Trey is. All his friends do is take him golfing. She wants to set him up with the perfect woman. She knows one who just started working at her hair salon.

Maggie thinks thats a great idea to find Trey the perfect woman and she knows who it is. Her husband Luke's cousin Iris who is moving to town in a week.

Allison likes the idea of Trey being happy and she can get over feeling guilty for dumping him and choseing her husband over Trey.

Jacie the fourth women decides lets have a bet about which women Trey will choose. Thier is only one rule that they will support who ever Trey picks. It is for his sake that they are doing it.

Before anyone can introduce Trey to thier pick Trey meets Iris in the freezer section of the grocery store and have an encounter over ice cream.

It starts out with drama of Iris's wedding reception and a journey to find happiness. With lots of laughter along the way. Some times I was saying I can't believe they did that.

Now I have a new author that I want to go and read her other books soon.

I was given this ebook to read and asked in exchange to give honest review from Netgalley.

Publisher: Cedar Fort, Inc. (February 12, 2013) 192 pages ISBN-10: 1462111548

Description below taken off Netgalley.com

Who wouldn't be tired of dating after falling for the wrong woman over and over again? Trey has decided to take a much-needed break from the fairer sex, until Iris tumbles into his life. Their romance will either be a disaster waiting to happen or the best fairy tale since Sleeping Beauty. This final installment of the Alpine series will have you giving love another chance.

Saturday, February 9, 2013

A Buried Tale (Twisted Cedars Mysteries) by C.J.Carmichael

5 STARS

I was given this ebook today and it sounded so good I started reading it right away. Only put it down to answer the phone. If I had
the next book in the series I would start it right away. At different points I was guessing at different things. So some of guesses were bound to be right. This mystery keeps you guessing the whole book.

The characters draw you into thier lives making you want to know more about them. Some of them at different times I did not like to much. The more you learn about them the more you like most of them.

Dougal Lachlan I thought was cold and selfesh at first. He admits that in high school he was embrassed by who his parents were and what they did. He even admits he was wrong to look down on his mom. The hardest was knowing he did not come back for his mom's funeral. Dougal knows he was wrong but he came back to his hometown because he was worried about his sister and because of a email that told about a murder close to where he grew up.

Jamie Lachlan was planning her marriage to a great guy Kyle Quinpool. Kyle had twins,a boy Chester and a girl Cory age 9. She took care of her mom when she was dying and planned the funeral by herself since her brother did not come home for it.

Charlotte was a librarian in a small town. She loves books and is dating the Sheriff. Charlotte is all alone in the town after her parents died and her sister left her ex-husband and twins. I like Charlotte and can understand her character more than the others.

I love that the murders were happening in towns that I had visited in the past on vacations. Brought happy memories for me thinking about those different vacations. from Redwoods,ocean over to Pendalton. Beautiful state.

I really want to find out what happens next in Twisted Cedars. What changes are going to happen to the characters. Yes I plan to read the next book.

I was given this ebook by the author and asked to review it when I finshed.

Publication Date:October 25, 2012 234 pages ASIN: B009XIGY4Q

Book discription below taken off Amazon.com

Justice is overdue in the coastal town of Twisted Cedars where two unsolved mysteries lay buried in the past.

Over thirty years ago a series of murders targeting Oregon librarians was never solved. Now someone with inside knowledge is feeding clues to true crime writer Dougal Lachlan, promising him the best story of his career. Pursuing the leads means returning to Twisted Cedars, where his sister Jamie is about to marry a man he deeply dislikes.

Local Twisted Cedars librarian Charlotte Hammond prefers her mysteries--and her romances--between the covers of a good book, especially since the disappearance of her older sister, Daisy, eight years ago. But then the dark and tortured soul who is Dougal Lachlan walks into the Twisted Cedars Library asking for her help.

Before long Charlotte realizes there is no safe zone. Not even in libraries...and especially not in Twisted Cedars.

The Marriage Campaign by Karen Templeton

4 STARS

Its book 3 in Summer Sisters

Three cousins have inheirited thier grandmothers inn. They used to spend thier summers together at her house when they were growing up. They had lost contact for years. Now they are enjoying each other again.

Blythe has helped her cousin decorate the inn she is opening. She is also helping too plan thier double wedding. Her 11 year old cousin Quinn best friend is Jack and lives just a few houses from her. Blythe sees something in Jack that reminded her of herself as a teenager full of anger. Blythe made some really bad choices trying to get her parents to notice her. She does not want Jack to go down the same path as her.

Blythe was asked to help decorate Jack's room. It has stayed the same since his mom decorated it when he was six. With race car bed and all. Jack's mom died a few years ago and right after his dad won his first race as Maryland congressman. He was gone so much of the time. His grandparents moved into his house to help take care of him. Blythe tries to tell his dad that she is concerned about Wes. He asks her if she sees something he does not to please help his son.

Right after that Blythe is taking her cousin Quinn home from Jack's and tells Blythe that she is worried about Jack. How he looses his temper for no reason. That she is his only friend now. Quinn wants Blythe to tell Jack's dad but not her mom. Quinn is afraid her mom won't let them be friends anymore.

Blythe tries to share her past with Jack and let him know some of the stuff she did wrong to help him as she shows him that he is important. Jack sees how his dad is looking at Blythe and that makes him mad too.

This book is dealing with tough issues and thier is not a fast fix. But as they open up and see that they are not alone and can help each other out. It makes me think I hope I did not mess my own kids up too bad. Because no one is a perfect parent or grandparent.
Bad things happen to good people and everyone needs to cope in thier own way. Sharing can help.

I liked the relationships that the cousins are working with eath other and not letting past mistakes keep them apart now. It is always fun to see characters that I have read about show up in other books.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review when done by Netgalley.

Published January 22nd 2013 by Harlequin 224pages ISBN:0373657242

Description below taken off Netgalley.com

HE'S THE MAN WITH A PLAN
Maid of honor at her cousins' double wedding is as close as Blythe Broussard plans to get to tying the knot again. But Wes Phillips refuses to take "I won't" for an answer. The widowed Maryland congressman is passionately campaigning for a date with the once-burned D.C. designer. And Wes's eleven-year-old son just joined the race.

Getting reelected isn't as important as winning Blythe's trust and convincing the guarded beauty to take a shot at love...even if her scandalous past threatens to derail Wes's political future. His future with Blythe comes first-if they're both willing to risk their hearts for a second chance that's worth fighting for.

Friday, February 8, 2013

Rapunzel Untangled by Cindy C Bennett

5 Stars

I liked the story and the twists on the old story to make new and different. Though I would have liked another chapter or even a long paragraph more of the ending but I wont say what I want or why I want. But I am not the writer or editor and could not come up with such a good detailed story.
By the title name you probably know the basics of the story. But the finer details are what makes the story. The interaction between characters make you care or hate the characters. The computer,internet,facebook,cell phones and movies on the computer bring it into the modern world.
Gothel was told that she would have a little girl with long blond hair and one day she saw the baby with long blond hair than she ever saw and new what she needed to do.
Rapunzel lived in a tower room with one window on the third floor, she had a bathroom,a room where her computer, small kitchen and exercise room. She never went out of her suite of rooms. The only visitor was her mom Gothel. Rapunzel had a illness that if she got around germs it would kill her. A cook cooked her food but she had never met her did not even know her name. She was 17 and had really long hair and brushed it 72 times each day. Her mom came at 6:00 to visit her everyday.
One day on the computer she found facebook by accident and looking for kids in her town she saw a picture of a boy named Fane. She clicked on friend request. She was not supposed to be on the computer except for homework. Only to read books for schoolwork.
She did her lessons by herself. Rapunzel did not even know her address.
Fane thought the girl on facebook was different and when he heard the name of the house she lived in thought she was joking. Then he believed her and they would chat daily in secret.
I did not want to stop reading the story till the end. The story makes sense in its own way. I have to admit I was rooting for Rapunzel to break the rules her mother made for her.
I will look for more stories by Cindy to read in the future. I was given this ebook to read and asked in return to give honest review by Netgalley.
02/12/2013 PUB Cedar Fort INC. 304 pages ISBN-10: 1462111564

The Irish Duchess by Patricia Rice

4 STARS

The Irish Duchess (Regency Nobles #3)

The Irish Duchess is book 3 in Regency Nobles but the first one I have read. Thier are other characters that are well developed and feel like I missed things by reading this first. But it can stand alone.

Thier were some love scenes in details. Lots of drama,action, with English nobles,Irish rebels,Irish army,Catholic church and Protestant church. Lots of groups that don't like the others differences.

Neville Perceval is a Duke who is trying to get some laws changed in England Parliament with his two friends. Also if he gets his bills passed he could get in office more.

Neville is poor but has a estate and title. He plans to marry for a dowery to help to get his estate in shape. The woman that he is courting is shy and he does not feel much for her.

Fiona is a passionate outgoing, wears boys clothing,climbs ropes of ships, roofs of cottages,midwife and tries to take care of her village. She is worried about 7 orphans after thier mother died in childbirth. The grandmother tries to help take of them. She had little money. The whole village has a hard time making ends meet. But they have a plan. The village had a fair and earned money that they are going to buy looms and have a cottage industry. But the funds are stolen and the person that had it was murdered.

Fiona and Neville have chemistry and get caught kissing at a social event so they agreed to marry. Fiona's dowery will help buy the looms and feed the orphans.

Before the wedding Fiona runs back to Ireland hoping that Neville will follow when she over hears a plan to murder the Duke and make her out as a traitor. Duke follows and gets hit again and knocked out again. When he wakes he does not make sense and hardly talk.

Thier is a lot in this story that keeps your attention. Now I want to go read the other books in this series.
I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review when done by Librarything.

Published November 3rd 2012 by Book View Cafe ASIN B00A1PVHOW
Discription below taken off goodreads.

Duke meets shrew. Taming doesn’t happen.



Neville Perceval, the bankrupt Duke of Anglesey, has been burdened since youth with more responsibility than one man should handle. He has finally accepted that he needs to marry a wealthy, gracious lady who will ease his burdens and smooth his political path.

Fiona MacDermot, the rebellious, untamed cousin of an Irish earl, has the freedom and independence Neville has never known. Like the duke, she needs cash to help starving villagers and orphans. Unfortunately, she’d rather earn a living than have anything to do with useless men, and the politicians she knows all belong at the wrong end of a rope.

But when the duke is nearly beaten to death, and Fiona’s looms are lost to a murdering thief, their lives are entangled in ways that threaten their futures. Lust shouldn’t factor into their destinies, but it does, and now they have to find their dreams together, or die trying

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Fractured Soul by Rachel McClellan

5 STARS

Fractured Soul is the second book of the series. Fractured Lite was the first book and I have not read it. I felt I missed out on some stuff but I loved this book. People warned me that you would not want to put it down, they were right. No one told me that I would need tissue before it was done though.

Fractured Soul was a good fit for this book. This was a clean read. I cared about the characters and wanted everything to workout for the best. I like that Llona and May cared about others. Especially Llona when she saw servants. She made friends of one who served food for her and her room. It paid off. But that was not why she did what she did.

Llona and May had left UT for Lucent Academy. A boarding school back east with others Auras & Fureies like them. Llona left her Uncle behind in Utah and her boyfriend Christian was going to Oregon. Christian was her guardian. They got in trouble because they got to close. Also because Llona killed a teacher in UT. who was really a Vykens. Vykens kill Auras and drink thier blood.

Auras had power of Light. Llona could do a lot with light. Most Auras lived together. Kids went to boarding school where they were safe against Vykens. Llona was raised different. Her father was a guardian and mother a Auras. After they were killed her Uncle raised her they were always on the move. Llona told no one about herself. But May saw that she was different and at same time Llona saw that May was different too. So they became close friends.

Llona faces some hard decisions and trials. Sometimes she makes the wrong choices like everyone else. I could not help rooting for her and her friends. I can't wait for the next book to come out.

I was given this ebook to read and asked to give honest review when I had read it from Netgalley.

Feb.,2012 PUB Cedar Fort Imprint Sweetwater 336 pages ISBN-10: 1462111807

Description below taken off Netgalley

Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her newfound friends and home, but the dark plot that is threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

Final Resort by Dana Mentink

5 STARS

Final Resort had a strong hero,strong female characters,mystery,drama,suspense and some romance.
I kept trying to guess who was the bad guy. One of my guesses was right. I did not want to put the book down till I had finshed. This was also a clean read with a little prayer and faith thrown in.
Ava Stanton was meeting her Uncle Paul at the family ski resort that has been closed for years. Ava is ready to sign the papers. Her father wants her to sell. Her Uncle says he found his treasure that he can save the resort.
Before Paul can say much more a guy on a snowmobile shows up and almost runs him down. Her Uncle Paul shouts to Ava to get away.
The snowmobile rider shoots Paul with a taser gun and wrestles him onto the snowmobile. Ava tries to run after the snowmobile but gets knocked down onto the frozen lake.
Luca Gage is on his family ski resort for a visit why they are thier to think of buying Whisper Mountain Resort if it is put up for sale. Luca remembers the good times he had thier and the beautiful Ava that he had a teenage crush on. He skies down that side of the mountain and sees a dog.
He tries to follow the dog when he hears and sees the snowmobile rider tase Paul and kidnaps him. Sees Ava get knocked onto the thin ice. He texts his sister to send help and tries to rescue Ava.
Luca and his family are treasure hunters. He learns that Paul might have been taken because of him looking for a treasure. He offers to help Ava find the treasure believing that it will lead to ever took her Uncle Paul.
Paul is a charming man who is not honest. He always has quick money making plans but he cheats and steals from everyone so thier are plenty of people who want back at him.
Ava does not want help, but Luca ,his sister & her husband are going to help anyway.
I would love to read more books by Dana in the future especially if they are as good as this one.
I was given this ebook to read in exchange of honest review by Netgalley.
02/05/2013 PUB Harlequin Imprint Harlequin Love Inspired Suspense 224 pages
ISBN-13: 9780373445264