The Perfect Rom-Com

 Bryony wants to be published. She meets Jack, an agent who has a proposition for her, to ghost-write for Amelia Benedict.  The more she writes, the more she hones her craft. She has a novel of her own she wants published under her own name, but no one will touch it. It's too long and it doesn't really say anything.  She takes Jack's offer on the basis that he will find her a publisher for her book. 

Amelia is hard to like, caught up in herself, and publishes her novels because her uncle owns the publishing house.  She has a tour bus to rival any band.  Because of Bryony's contract, she has to tour with Amelia for two weeks.  It's the hardest two weeks of Bryony's professional career.  

While this book is not the Perfect Rom-Com, it is a great read.  Melissa Ferguson has written a unique story that really hits the readers in all of the feels.  The relationship between Bryony and Jack kind of sneaks up on the readers and takes them completely by surprise.  This is not a typical rom-com, but it is a good novel for romance lovers. The funniest part of the novel is Amelia's come-uppance.  It is humorously gratifying.  

This is a four-star book.  

Thomas Nelson provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

Midnight on the Scottish Shore

When I first started reading this book, I really liked Cilla. She was smart, savvy, and she knew how things were coming down.  She did have a bit of selfishness in looking for a way of escape for herself first. As the plot moved on, she became rather superficial and silly, to a degree.  Usually I like the protagonists in Sarah Sundin's novels, but I found it hard to like Cilla.  Lachlan, on the other hand, was completely likable and personable.  

Normally Sarah's books strike a chord with me and they are easy to get into.  This one just didn't hit the mark for me.  Lachlan didn't trust Cilla at first and it took a while for her to build trust with Lachlan.  She was guarded by two WRENS and an army officer while living in a lighthouse. She is utilized as a spy feeding false information to the Germans.  

The setting is one of the saving graces of the book.  It's a rugged, seashore area that would have been susceptible to German attacks but because of the armaments, stayed relatively safe.  

This is a three-star book, simply because of Cilla's flibberty-gibbet personality. 

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

The Nature of Love

This is the final book in the three-book series Love in the Spotlight.  Chris Gamble is the last of his friends to find a partner. He works at a nature preserve and sometimes takes in wounded animals to rehab and then either release or rehome. Erykah Kennedy has found a wounded dog and brought it to Chris to check over.  The puppy only needed to be cleaned up and fed.  Erykah took the dog home, but she needed to have a place for the puppy to go during the day while she was at work.  Chris offered to keep the puppy at work with him and allow him to have the activity he needs instead of being cooped up in a condo all day.  Chris and Erykah became friends through the days of handing the puppy back and forth.  They were about to go to dinner when the local police come to the door to tell Erykah that her sister and husband had been killed in a car crash. She was named the guardian for her two nieces.

Chris helps Erykah bring the girls from Kentucky to Colorado.  In the process Erykah meets Chris's friends, Tuck and Piper. Back in Colorado, Chris allows Erykah to move into his basement and helps her with her nieces. Throughout the whole process they become closer and closer. 

Toni Shiloh has taken a tough life situation and handled it with care and aplomb.  She openly discusses the grief in losing close family members and the grief that children experience. It's a beautiful novel that takes on difficult life situations and opens the readers' minds to be not so judgmental.  

Strong Four Star Book 

Bethany House Publishers provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely.

An Overdue Match

 This was a quirky book that had a few laughs, a few tears, and a couple of misadventures.  The premise is that Evangeline, a librarian, was playing match-maker based on the check out history of various patrons.  While this backfired spectacularly, she had to rethink her original plans.  The spanner thrown into the works was Tai, the cousin of Evangeline's coworker, Hayley.  Tai was set up with Evangeline as a joke, but it didn't turn out to be the joke Hayley thought it would be.  

Sarah Monzon writes entertaining novels that engage the reader from the beginning to the end.  The small-town atmosphere that Sarah has built only adds to the enchantment of the story.  The people in Evangeline's life either love and support her as she is, or they make butts of themselves in the way they treat her--especially her ex, Brett. This is a book I'd love to read again.  Sarah has delved into the world of alopecia and the perceived stigma people have toward the disease.  She really brought light to a condition that people truly don't understand but look down upon it just the same.  I appreciated her treatment of the situation in Evangeline's life.

This is a strong Four Star Book.

Bethany House Publishers provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.   

Heart of the Glen

This is an interesting book that fulfills the reader's desire for a compelling story.  Saoirse is basically homeless but finds a friend in Aileen McCready.  For a few days, Aileen hid Saoirse from her brother, Owen.    When he found her, he offered to let her stay until she could find another job.  When Owen is injured in a fight with a man who tries to steal his sheep, Saoirse learned his weaving and works hard to fulfill the orders he has for his tweed.  

This is a seriously rewarding novel to read. The townspeople readily accept Saoirse and she slowly works her way into Owen's good graces.  Jennifer Deibel writes with a true talent for the craft.  I love reading her books and this one just added an extra oomph to my reading.  My only criticism is that the bad guys never get caught or even pursued for the most part of the book. Other than that, it's a really good book.  The romance in the book is not overt or smarmy.  It's a day to day look at the life of someone down on her luck who happens to land on her feet.   

One of my friends told me I just like books with happy endings and my friend is not wrong.  This is the best kind of book to fit that bill.  

Four Strong Stars. 

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

The Seaside Homecoming

 

Julie Klassen has hooked me in since I read her book "The Lady of Milkweed Manor."  She thinks her plots through and builds them up to a classical crescendo.  Sometimes when I read a book like this, I know the outcome because the plot is so predictable.  Julie has crafted a plot that keeps the reader engaged and interested throughout.

The Seaside Homecoming is first and foremost a story of redemption and forgiveness.  Claire Summers has been disowned by her family because of an impulsive decision she made two years prior.  For two years she lived with her great-aunt and took care of her until she passed away.  She returns to the town where her mother and sisters are living and takes a position at a different boarding house. 

The characters in this book are varied and for the most part likable.  There are a few hoity-toities who live to make people's lives miserable.  When the villain of the story shows up in the book, Claire has made peace with her situation and is making inroads to a peaceful resolution with her mother.  Finding out that the whole debacle she's in is caused by money and that's all she was deemed good for, she makes her best decision and sends him away.  

There are two love stories that develop throughout the book that are completely satisfying.  This is one of the best books I've read so far this year.  Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and a Boarding House by the Sea.  

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.

Cloaked in Beauty

 Karen Witemeyer is one of my favorite historical authors.  Cloaked in Beauty is a book based on the fairy tale of Little Red Riding Hood. 

From the very beginning, the reader knows who the heroine and the villain are.  The plot of the book seems a bit overdone.  The young girl's life is in danger, so she is spirited away to live with her grandmother until she is at an age where she can handle her own affairs. The "woodcutter" of this story is a Pinkerton agent who has been hired to guard her on her passage home.  Once he has delivered her to her mother, she ends up in the clutches of her evil uncle who wants all the money her father had left her. His greed overshadows his own good sense. 

Now that I've exposed the weaknesses of the book, there are many aspects of the novel that are well thought out and well-written.  She has used the characters well and developed them to their fullest.  They played their part in the novel and had a great performance.  The settings were well developed and quite believable. The plot has been done before, but it was still readable and enjoyable.  

Four Stars. 

Bethany House Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

A Year of Flowers

 This is a collection of four novellas that all combine to tell a singular story about three friends who used to work in the same flower shop. After a fire they all moved in separate directions.  Rose, the owner of the flower shop, writes each of the girls a letter telling them to come home, that all is forgiven.  Each girl has had time to gel her hopes and dreams and make them a reality.  Jaime is working for the most elite wedding planning service in New York, Tessa has bought a one acre lot to grow flowers to supply to florists, and Claire finally has enough money to buy a flower shop.  Each girl has issues to overcome even after getting their dream.  Each girl has to respond to Rose's request to come home. Each girl is afraid of what Rose has to say.   

Suzanne Woods Fisher has written a thoughtful book that includes a lot of floral lore and legend. Each chapter is prefaced with a flower quote or observation.  Some of them I wish she hadn't included, but overall it was an entertaining read that didn't take a lot of time to read.

Four Stars 

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.   

Some Like it Scot

 

Katie Campbell is a travel writer/blogger/videographer who makes her name on her misadventures.  She is in Scotland for an Edwardian Experience and her first experience is to fall into the banister that had just been replaced and break it. That is the beginning of the book that will hold the reader's attention throughout the whole book. 

Pepper Basham writes with a touch of humor and adventure.  Even though Katie's grandfather was a Campbell and there was a slight reference to a feud, but Katie is accepted readily in the community.  Graeme MacKerrow and his family begin to love Katie and enjoy the energy she brings to the community.  

There is one fly in the ointment for Katie during this Edwardian Experience and that she has been nominated for a prestigious award, but her competition is also attending the Experience and does everything in his power to discredit her so that he can win.  She doesn't care who wins, but she's going to do her best work, regardless. 

There is one thing missing from the book that would have made it better and that would have been a glossary of the Scottish words used throughout the book.  That would have made the book much easier to understand. 

Serious Four Star Book 

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor

 

Synopsis from Amazon: As the beloved stepdaughter of the Earl of Castleton, Lady Mariah Lyons cherishes her home at Plumford Manor, but her idyllic world will be threatened when the estate passes to Cyril Lightbourne, a childhood friend she hasn't seen or heard from in years. Once, Mariah dreamed their friendship would kindle into something more, but that was before she heard Cyril was courting the cruelhearted Lady Pearl. Now Mariah is willing to welcome him as a friend and pray he will be the heir her stepfather needs, but she'll keep her heart locked safely away from anyone with such poor taste.

Cyril Lightbourne has long avoided returning to Plumford Manor, yet he reluctantly arrives in time for Christmas. When his friendship with Lady Mariah reignites, he finds himself caught between his affection for her and her family's misunderstanding of his attachment to Lady Pearl. Then, more trouble arrives in the form of a Danish lord on a mission to win Mariah's hand by Christmas. 

I loved Mariah's child-like joy in her approach to life.  She interacts with the villagers and writes plays for the children to act out based on a play she wrote as a child.  Cyril also helped her write the play and create the set for the play.  

Mariah's stepfather has invited Cyril and another suitor to pursue Mariah.  Cyril understands her while Soren Glyndekrone has a stodgier outlook on life. Soren wants to marry Mariah and then mold her into his perfect mate while Mariah's sister Louise is already the woman who fits Soren's ideal.  

Roseanne M White writes with such grace and joie de vivre in her novels--this one especially. I've enjoyed everything I've read by her and this one is no exception.  It is a quick read with a light-hearted air and deserves every star.  

Four Stars. 

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Color of Home

From Amazon's synopsis: Audrey Needham, Bay Area interior designer to the rich and pretentious, is down to her last nerve. Her boss is impossible to please, her future is in jeopardy, and her great-aunt Daisy needs support as her husband descends into Alzheimer's.

When Daisy enlists Audrey's help preparing for a move to assisted living, Audrey risks her career to return to the idyllic small town of Charity Falls, Oregon, the summer stomping grounds of her childhood. But Charity Falls was also the place that broke her heart when her father was killed in a tragic fire at the Sugar Pine Inn thirteen years ago.

Despite Audrey's intent to avoid emotional entanglement, the pull of home is hard to resist. Something should be done about the deteriorating inn. A local girl with an incarcerated father needs a friend. And handsome local do-gooder Cade Carter is coloring Audrey all shades of uncertain.

For the most part, this book was enjoyable and brought out some of it was quite necessary for the times we live in.  Caring for our aging relatives made it feel quite rewarding, especially for someone who has cared for an ailing relative.  The primary characters were not the ones I loved most, but some of the secondary characters made the book what it is.  The only thing I have against the book is that the ending was totally unsatisfying.  It seemed to be wrapped up and tied with a knot in just a short, few paragraphs. Kit Tosello has written a fairly good book that will keep the reader engaged.  Four Stars

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

The Blooming of Delphinium

From Amazon's synopsis: As far as hidden talents go, Delphinium Hayes is blessed with one of the more unique ones. With the slightest passing whiff, she knows someone's most admirable or weediest characteristic. This peculiar perception never fails to give her an advantage in life--until she meets two men who turn her world upside down.

Mason McCormack has agreed to help her with a group of seniors who have taken over her flower shop as their hangout. But his assistance is not without its price, and Delphinium agrees to compensate him with beautiful bouquets that seem to possess a bit of dating magic.

Elliot Sturgis, director of The Gardens Assisted Living Facility, is determined to discover why a group of his residents keeps sneaking over to Delphinium's shop to play poker in the walk-in refrigerator. He soon finds himself as enchanted by Delphinium as everyone else. But his devotion to following the rules and maintaining order does not endear him to the shop's owner.

There are some other characters who play a part in the warp and woof of the fabric of this novel.  One, in particular, throws a monkey wrench into the works and creates such havoc that the main players think they will never recover.  I truly enjoyed this book by Holly Varni.  She puts together an interesting plot with a lot of entertainment to keep the reader engaged.  

Five Stars, Two Thumbs Up, and the fragrance of love. 

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

So Into You

From Amazon's synopsis:  Artist Britt Branch has a successful online channel where she teaches a variety of art lessons. Obsessed with the 1970s, she has a style all her own. But she also has a huge problem--severe social anxiety. She lives with her mom, and while she pays her own bills, she wonders if she'll ever have the courage to move out and move on. When her best friend announces she's getting married, Britt decides it's time to make a change.

Gorgeous Hunter Pickett has always skated by on his model looks, applying very little effort to anything except sports, and even that was iffy at times. The third son of extremely wealthy and successful parents, he dealt with being the black sheep of the family by drinking and using drugs. By his third year of sobriety, he's still dealing with aimlessness. Late one night he catches Britt's channel and ends up watching her videos. He's not interested in art . . . at first. And when he sends her an online message, he's surprised she responds. Before long they are chatting every day, and once they start meeting in person, a spark-filled friendship begins.

Kathleen Fuller has written a book full of contemporary problems.  While she does follow the romance novel formula, it fits the plot so well that it doesn't feel formulaic.  The secrets all of the main characters are holding blow up the relationships in an explosive fashion.  The only thing I didn't like was how the conflicts were resolved.  It seemed too easy to me.  Still So Into You is a good read.

Four Strong Stars

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

With this Ring

 

From the Amazon synopsis: Dakota thought she had left her dreams of happily-ever-after behind, along with the pain of a broken engagement to her high school sweetheart, Hudson. Now, as the proud owner of Fairytale Bridal Shop in the picturesque town of Flowering Grove, she's built a life and a business on helping brides find their perfect dress for their own fairytale weddings. But running a small business is not for the faint of heart, and when her ex-fiancé unexpectedly returns to town with a mission—to put a stop to his sister's wedding—Dakota’s problems go from bad to worse.

Hudson Garrity should be living his dream. After selling his software company, he’s single, handsome, and rich, but an unexpected call from his baby sister has him flying down to his hometown, determined to protect Layla from yet another big mistake. Though he’s single-minded in his effort to derail the nuptials, he instead finds himself thrown into family chaos and roped into helping his sister with her plans . . . bringing him once more into contact with Dakota Jamison, the one who got away.

For Hudson, coming home means revisiting his painful childhood, repairing a strained relationship with his sister, and coming face-to-face with the woman he never stopped loving. For Dakota, it means confronting the tender memories she buried deep within her heart. As Layla’s wedding date draws close, the two reunited lovers begin to question if what went wrong between them really happened the way they remembered it at all. 

This book by Amy Clipston is one of her better offerings in the contemporary romance genre.  There are conflict resolution, interpersonal relationships, and familial relationships.  The more she writes in this genre, the better she seems to get.  This book was hard to put down, it is that engaging. 

Four Stars

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Meddling with Mistletoe

From the Amazon description: Whitney Garrett is preparing to enter culinary school in the spring, but first she has to sell enough homemade pies at the local Christmas markets to pay her tuition. When her oven breaks, Whitney asks Marie Sloan, proprietor of the Red Door Inn, if she can use the inn's kitchen to keep up with her orders. Marie agrees, with a catch: Whitney has to watch the three Sloan children and cook breakfasts for the Red Door in return.

The inn is busy with holiday guests--including Aretha Franklin Sloan's perpetually single nephew Daniel and Ruby, a businesswoman in town to purchase Aretha's antiques store. Intent on making a Christmas match for the two, Aretha enlists Whitney's help in her schemes. But the deeper Whitney gets, the more she realizes that Ruby is definitely not the right woman for Daniel--and the more she thinks that she just might be his perfect match.
 

This book is such a fun read, from the oven mishaps to Aretha's scheming to Whitney's and Daniel's budding friendship that blossoms into romance.  Liz Johnson knows how to inject humor and sass into her novels and truly made this an enjoyable read. 

Four Strong Stars

Revell Publishing provided the e-copy of this novel that I read.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Christmas in Chestnut Ridge

From Amazon's recap of the book:  

In the enchanting mountain town of Chestnut Ridge, where tree farms blanket the hillsides and the promise of a white Christmas is ever-present, a heartwarming holiday romance is about to blossom. When Sheila's best friend convinces her to help decorate a tree in the annual Christmas Tree Stroll fundraiser, she embarks on an unexpected journey of self-discovery, all wrapped in the cozy embrace of a tight-knit community. As she immerses herself in the joy of twinkling lights, hot cocoa, and the camaraderie of the townsfolk, Sheila's world begins to transform, and she finds the sense of belonging she never knew she needed.

Meanwhile, Tucker, the town's reliable fire captain, is gathering volunteers to help a family with four young children who have just lost their home to a devastating fire weeks before Christmas. Sheila offers her helping hand, and as the town rallies to support the family in their time of need, sparks of love begin to flicker between her and Tucker.

I enjoyed this novel--there were a lot of moving parts to the plot that kept the reader engaged and involved in the developments.  Nancy Naigle usually writes more substantial novels, but this one is just light enough for the season she is writing about.  It does follow the romance formula to a degree, but not in a hard-and-fast way.  This is a romance that creeps up slowly on the reader.  The other things happening in the book seem to take front and center stage, and when the romance shows up, it is a welcome addition to the plot. 

Definitely a four-star book. 

St Martin's Press provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Hope Like Wildflowers

 

From Amazon's product description

An Appalachian Girl Seeks a Place to Belong
 
Return to the mountains of 1910s Appalachia with beloved author Pepper Basham to discover Kizzie McAdams's story.

Kizzie McAdams spent her childhood longing to see beyond the mountains of home, but when her job as a servant in a landowner’s house results in an unplanned pregnancy, her world tips into uncertainty and heartbreak. Disowned by her father, she seeks comfort in the arms of the man who promises to take care of her, but his support is conditional and inconsistent. She finds acceptance in the home of a nearby family who not only offer Kizzie friendship but point her to a deeper understanding of God’s love.

Despite her change of heart, her status as a social outcast brings with it continued threats and alienation so she flees her past in hopes of starting over in a nearby town. But her new world carries many of the same prejudices as the old. It also brings the unexpected friendship of businessman Noah Lewis, a man who lives with the same desire as Kizzie for helping the marginalized.

Unfortunately, Kizzie and Noah’s attempts to help those in need pit them against Noah’s elder brother, a powerful mill owner who holds control of the family finances. Is Kizzie and Noah’s growing romance strong enough to battle family power, social expectations, and Kizzie’s past to capture their happy ending? And when Kizzie’s first love returns to claim her, which future will she choose? 

Pepper Basham has a way with pen and paper that wakes a reader up and gives the reader something to think about.  This book is no different.  She takes on a social problem and works it through the warp and woof of her novel, giving it a depth that a lot of novels don't have.  

This is a strong four star read. 

Barbour Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Christmas Tree Farm

From Amazon's description

 When Madison McDowell returns from several years teaching overseas, she has high hopes of picking up where she left off at her family's Christmas tree farm in Oregon. But between damage from a recent wildfire and the neglect due to her sister Addie's unwillingness to invest, the farm is in sad shape. In fact, Addie is intent on selling the property. And to top it off, her former high school flame, the now-widowed Gavin Thompson, has plans to break Madison's heart again by turning his neighboring property into a dusty, noisy dirt bike track for his daughter.

With the odds stacked against her, Madison decides there's only one thing to do: double down on her dreams. It will take a ton of hard work--and some help from an unlikely ally--to save the farm she so dearly loves. But it may take a miracle to restore her relationship with her sister.

It seems that many Melody Carlson novels and Rom-Com movies have one thing in common.  Someone is about to lose a farm and there's a hunky neighbor ready to save the day or at least lend an ear.  The same is true with this offering.  It's a fully enjoyable read that will fill an afternoon when the reader needs a break from the cares of daily life.  

Four Stars  

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

The Paris Gown

From the Amazon description of the book: 

Paris, 1955

Three friends—Claire, Gina, and Margot—who parted as very young women with their whole lives ahead of them, reunite in Paris years later, determined to start life anew.

Parisian Claire has been working hard to become a Michelin-starred chef one day, but ever since the heady time she spent in the company of socialites Gina and Margot, her dream has been to own a Dior gown. This seemed like a far-off fantasy, until the eccentric and wealthy Madame Vaughn, who lives above Claire’s family brasserie, abruptly leaves Paris, asking Claire to mind her apartment. More bafflingly, Madame Vaughn also makes Claire a very special gift: a stunning Dior gown.

Meanwhile Gina, a cool American blue blood, lands on Claire’s doorstep nursing a broken heart and a broken engagement after her father lost all of the family money in a risky business venture. A journalist aspiring to be a novelist, Gina has returned to Paris in the hopes of pursuing her dream. But when her father begs her to attend the United States Embassy ball in the hopes of persuading Hal Sanders, her former fiancé, to invest in her father’s new business venture, she is torn. She wants to help her father, but seeing Hal again will be exquisitely painful. And what on earth is she going to wear?

Warm-hearted Claire insists Gina wear the Dior gown to the ball, and after some hesitation, Gina accepts. At Dior for Gina’s fitting, who should assist them but Margot, the friend they thought had gone back to Australia to be married. But Margot is living in Paris and working at Dior under an assumed name, and clearly, she is not happy to have been found.

Is their close friendship at an end? Or will the wonder and delight of the Dior gown bring these young women back together?

Gorgeous, perfectly fitted, lustrous and luxurious, the Dior gown has the power to change lives—as these three remarkable women are about to discover…

Christine Wells has written a riveting novel that describes the lasting nature of friendship and how friends will give anything for friends.  Her characters are crisp and the settings are quaint.  There are faults and foibles to uncover, characters who will anger the reader, characters who will endear themselves to the reader, and overall this is a book worth reading.  

Four Strong Stars.

William Morrow provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

The Booklover's Library

This book seems to be a sequel to another book with the same kind of plot, but the two books were written by different authors.  In The Booklover's Library, Emma has to find a job even though she is barred from working because she has a child.  Her widowhood means nothing in this situation.  She tells the manageress of the subscription library that she does have a child, but she's running out of money and needs the work.  Because she and her father ran a bookshop, she is hired because she knows how to recommend books to the patrons.  

After her training, she is allowed to help B-list subscribers and has to move her way up to working with A-list subscribers.  She does an excellent job of working with the patrons and learning their idiosyncrasies.  Mr. Beard says he does not like mysteries, but that's all he'll read.  Mrs. Chatsworth comes in and talks incessantly but will read a wide variety of books. 

There is a mystery within the library where books are being mis-shelved.  No one knows who is making the mistakes but one of the assistants insists that it is one of the workers not paying attention.  Because this novel takes place during World War II, there are a lot of reasons for the books being out of place that wander through my mind. I laughed out loud when I found out the true cause.  I love that Madeline Martin worked that into her plot.  There is a bit of romance in the book, but it is not the over-arching topic.  The best part of the plot is the relationship between Emma and her daughter, Olivia.  Emma had a hard time allowing Olivia to go to the country for her own safety.  Olivia had just as hard a time leaving home and leaving Emma, to the point she ran away from where she was staying to go back to Emma.  

This is a five-star book with two thumbs up and a homemade jumper a size too small. 

Harlequin Trade Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

Bitter and Sweet

 

I found this book difficult to read at first, but the further I got into it, the more I liked it.   Revolving around three main characters, it takes place in a fictional area of South Carolina, but reads like it should be in Louisiana or Florida swamp lands.  

Sabrina and Mariah have been called back to help their grandma after their grandpa had a stroke.  Grandma needs help finishing the refurbishing of Tabby's Meats and Sweets restaurant.  Both girls have experience and their own unique set of skills to bring to the table. The thing is they both have a rather contentious relationship.  Sabrina doesn't understand the animosity Mariah has toward her and Mariah doesn't quite have a full grasp on it herself.  As the two girls work together to get the restaurant off the ground, they both delve into their history and find out who they really are.  

By the end of the book, I found myself drawn in and consumed by the plot.  Rhonda McKnight writes in such a way that women of all colors find themselves in her stories and find points of common interest with the characters.  I have to imagine that Rhonda is as beautiful a woman as she writes her characters to be.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a jar cake to tickle your taste buds.  

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

Before We Were Us

 

Denise Hunter likes writing about the east coast small towns and while this is a departure from the North Carolina area of the Appalachian Trail, it is just as engaging as her novels taking place in those areas. The crux of the plot of this book is when Lauren gets amnesia the day Jonah was going to propose to her.  She falls off a ladder in the barn that she is converting to a wedding venue and hits her head, giving herself a concussion and amnesia.  She only loses four months, but it's the four months of her relationship with Jonah.  She remembers the early stages of "I don't like you," but has forgotten the stages where he grew on her to the point that she fell in love with him.  

The way Denise handled the amnesia is a breath of fresh air compared to how other authors I've read have handled it.  I appreciated how she didn't try to "fix" everything but allowed it to flow organically, as real life would. 

I really appreciate the way that Denise brought about the love story between Lauren and Jonah.  His love never waned and he worked to rekindle the emotions within Lauren.  

This is a five star book, with two thumbs up, and a magical barn wedding venue. 

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

Finding You

Darcy is on her way to work to give a presentation after a doctor's appointment when her car refuses to start.  Carter is in the same parking lot and tries to help Darcy get her car going to no avail.  He calls a tow truck for her and takes her to work.  He's intrigued by her and would like to know her better.  His sister, whom he lives with, encourages him in that endeavor. When Darcy's car is fixed, he calls her to let her know and somehow gathers the courage to ask her to accompany him for dinner.  

Both Darcy and Carter are holding secrets from each other, but little do they know it's the same secret.  Only Carter's secret is a bit more convoluted than Darcy's.  And it makes all the difference in the world to their relationship.  

Amy Clipston is known most for her Amish fiction and her writing here is the same kind of sweetness that she puts into her Amish works.  I didn't find the plot to be as compelling as some of her other works.  It is a fast read, so that is a point in its favor.  I just felt overwhelmed by the "secrets" as they seemed to pervade the whole plot and the relationship between Darcy and Carter.  Finding You is a good book for a lazy afternoon.  Three and a half stars, rounded up to four.  

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

The Summer of Yes

Kelsey wakes up in the hospital after having been hit by a car that ran up onto the sidewalk where she was walking back to work after a break.  Soon after she wakes up, another woman is placed in her hospital room--making constant demands. After Kelsey is recovered enough to be released, she comes back to visit her roommate and to make a proposal to get the roommate out into the world again. After a conversation with her mother, Kelsey realizes that she says No to nearly everything.  Her mother thinks her accident was a disruptor meant to show Kelsey a better way to live, so she decides to say Yes to things she wouldn't normally do.  

Her roommate is Georgina Tate, a beauty products mogul worth a ton of money, but her health is failing and she seems to like her reclusiveness. When Kelsey asks Georgina if she had regrets, Georgina doesn't answer her but a sad look crosses her face and quickly disappears.  Still Kelsey sees the look and convinces Georgina to join her on her "Summer of Yes" adventure.  The adventure allows Georgina to reconnect with family and Kelsey to find out what she really wants out of life.  

This book is a quick read because the action encourages the reader to keep on going.  It's the kind of book that needs to be read before summer actually starts because it will encourage readers to enjoin their own Summer of Yes and to take on new adventures, to pay attention to life's disruptions, and to find themselves for who they truly are. 

This is one of the best books by Courtney Walsh that I have read.  Kelsey is as irrepressible as Georgina is recalcitrant. Their personalities clash at every turn, but mutual respect is earned and a friendship is ultimately formed.  This is a five-star book with two thumbs up and a road trip in a 1965 Mustang. 

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

A Run at Love

I grew up near Oaklawn Park in Arkansas, like three blocks away from the back side of the racetrack.  There was a small rental house across the street from me where jockeys lived on a short term basis.  The racing season in Arkansas lasted from January to April, and people followed the races from city to city--some were connected to specific horses, some were just roadies that followed the races and bet on the horses.  One thing racing season always did was create unmovable traffic.  

Piper owns a horse, Dream, that she wants to run in the Kentucky Derby, but first he has to qualify.  Piper gets caught in a media storm that isn't all good and does more harm than good to her farm,  Toni Shiloh has taken the racing culture and incorporated it into A Run at Love, the second novel in the Love in the Spotlight Series.  There is some awesome horse racing information as well as a sweet love story that started when Piper and Tucker Hale were just elementary school children.  Tucker is now Piper's trainer for Dream and travels with her from race to race.  She has included some significant information about horses and the risks as well as the rewards from racing. 

As with any good book, there has to be some tension to keep the reader engaged, and Toni uses the darker side of racing to provide that tension: doping the horses, equine flu, and other maladies that make the horses not perform as well as they should. 

While there was some predictability and a bit of formulaic romance, the book is a solid read.  Four Stars. 

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

It's All Relative

 Helena has to go to a remote island off the coast of Florida to attend her mother's wedding.  The man she is marrying has three children and Helena is her mother's only child.  Helena feels threatened by Amelia, the fiancé's oldest, who has everything in hand and seems to be nearly perfect in every way.  Helena enlists her best friend, Landon, to go with her to the wedding only to find out that Amelia is his "one that got away."  

The book goes from one misadventure to the next and Helena lives up to her fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants reputation throughout the whole book.  It seems to be a bone of contention with her mother and with Amelia.  

Rachel Magee has written a book that has laughs and angst and will keep the reader engaged and enjoying every minute.  The characters are a bit over the top and just a bit too much at times, but they learn from each other and find their true selves in the meantime.  This is a book I would read again.  There's everything from a capsized sailboat to Double Fudge with Chocolate Chunks ice cream and more twists and turns than a mountain highway.  It's All Relative is unpredictability at its finest. Four Strong Stars 

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

Cole and Laila are Just Friends

 Cole is a chef at a restaurant/bar owned by his grandfather who is on his last legs.  When the time comes for the will to be read, Cole finds out the restaurant has been sold out from underneath him.  He is devastated beyond just the normal grief of losing his grandfather.  Cole gets an invitation to be a sous chef at a new upscale restaurant in Manhattan.  Cole and Laila go to Manhattan with their newly married friends Seb and Brynn.  They take the time to explore and experience all that the city has to offer.  When the job offer comes in, Laila goes back to Colorado.  She refuses to be a stumbling block to Cole's career.  She will be able to find a job when she gets back home.  After Laila leaves, Cole's mother returns to Adelaide necessitating Cole's return as well.  

Cole and Laila have been friends since childhood and Laila has loved Cole almost since then.  One of my favorite parts of the book is their "first date" in Manhattan--the amount of thought Cole puts into the date, the sheer enjoyment Laila gets from it, and the realization that neither is willing to hold the other back.  

There were parts where the plot seemed to drag a bit for me, but overall, this is an excellent book with yummy characters and incredible settings.  It is part of a series, but it stands alone quite well, and that makes it worth reading.  Bethany Turner is an author I truly enjoy reading and this is why.  

Four Strong Stars.

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

With Each Tomorrow

With Each Tomorrow is the second book in the Jewels of Kalispell series.  I truly enjoyed the first book of the series and I generally love books by these authors, but this one was a miss for me.  Tracie Peterson has been writing since the dawn of time, almost, and I have loved everything I've read by Kimberley Woodhouse.  

For the most part, I couldn't get past Eleanor's behavior and entitlement.  She bullied her way around situations that would have been better handled with a touch of kindness instead.  She held onto her attitude throughout most of the book.  That the authors would write in a character who was drawn to her baffles me.  Carter Brunswick seems to gather great pleasure in poking the bear known as Eleanor, to the point that he tells her he'd never marry her, and she wasn't good enough for him. 

This is one of the hardest novels I've read and tried to get through.  I couldn't appreciate the plot and most of the characters, but the one saving grace was the setting.  I've been through Glacier National Park and it is breath-takingly beautiful.  I wish that the setting had played a bigger role in the plot.  I've read other books based around national parks that are far more enjoyable.  I count this as only one miss in a history of hits.  It happens.  But this is my opinion, someone else may truly enjoy the book and all that it offers. 

Three Stars. 

Bethany House Publishers provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

 

Mistletoe Season

Thomas Nelson Publishing has collected three extremely talented authors to write this collection of Christmas stories.  The one by Pepper Basham actually adds to a series she's been writing. Each of the novels in the series can stand alone, as well as this story, but they do create a cohesive story when the reader takes them all in.  

Pepper's contribution to the book is about a prince who is trying to turn over a new leaf in his formerly profligate life. He's come to the States to live with his sister and her husband.  His father gave him a list of things to do while he was in the US:  get a job to learn a trade, and get involved with a charitable organization.  He added a third item to the list--to find out who he truly is and what his purpose is in life. 

Kathleen Fuller is more notably known for her Amish fiction, but she's departed from that to write a contemporary novella.  The story she has supplied is a story of middle-aged adults finding love for the first time. It's a sweet story that has some twists and turns with surprises turning the narrative around in a most satisfying way.  

Sheila Roberts' tale kind of gives the reader an inside look at an author's life, and she also includes a cast of characters every reader can relate to--the author, the school bully who hasn't outgrown her tactics, the brother who is engaged to the bully and oblivious to the bully's ways, the author's and her brother's parents who are also blind to the bully's tactics, and then there is the hunky guy next door. 

This group of stories is readable any time of year, but would be especially fun during the Christmas season.  Definitely four strong stars. 

Thomas Nelson Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own. 

 

A Choice Considered

 I generally enjoy Tracie Peterson's books, but this one left me wanting a bit more.  Melody McGregor lives in the railroad tent village in Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Her Da, Clancy McGregor, has been off work because of a back injury.  What she doesn't know is that her father has been hiding a more grave illness.  She knows the railroad will soon be moving to the next stop but she wants to settle down.  Her father says he will allow this as long as she chooses a husband before the railroad moves.  What he really wants is for her to find a husband before he dies.  He decides to set her up on a series of blind dates that were disastrous from the very outset.  The man he really wants her to marry is someone else entirely.  

I enjoyed reading A Choice Considered for the most part, but it fell a little flat--it was overly sweet, predictable, with not a lot of activity in the plot.  It is clear from the beginning who Melody's husband will be, who the bad guy is, and while the bad guy is easily discerned before he shows his true colors, his actions are tame compared to other books I've read. Even though I didn't care for this book as much as others, I will continue to read Tracie's books.  She is usually a good author.  This one was just a miss for me.   

Three Stars

Bethany House provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

Love on a Whim

I first became acquainted with Suzanne Woods Fisher through her Amish fiction, but I have come to love her contemporary fiction possibly even more than her Amish books. The Cape Cod Creamery series is fun to read and takes the reader on a whirlwind of emotions. 

Brynn, a civil engineer, was at a conference in Las Vegas when she meets TD, who is attending the same conference.  He talks her into skipping the rest of the day's meetings and really seeing some of the sights within driving distance.  They spent the day talking and getting to know each other, and then on a whim, get married before going back to the hotel.  The next morning, Brynn panics and leaves TD asleep while she flies back home.  She calls her friend, Dawn, who convinces her to come to Cape Cod to figure things out.  Dawn is a fixer and she loves nothing more than fixing people's lives, but she can't jump in and fix Brynn because a wedding is due to happen in a week and she needs to get the ice cream prepared. At the last minute, the baker opts out making the wedding cake, the bride's mother wants individual mini cakes for each guest at the wedding. Brynn volunteers to bake the cakes, but every time she turns around, the bride's mother wants to change something else.  

In Love on a Whim, Suzanne hits on hurts of various kinds, healing, forgiveness, generosity, and people who aren't afraid to take advantage of others just for the sake of it.  Even though it is a rather light read, it has its depth that brings the readers into contemplation of their own lives.  

Four Strong Stars

Revell publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.  

 

Into the Starlight

 Into the Starlight is the third and final book in the Sweetwater Crossing series.  Joanna has come back home after being in Europe for a year.  She is heartbroken in more than one sense: she's been widowed, she has returned home after both of her parents died, and she has lost her capacity to play the piano for long periods of time.  To top it all off, she's pregnant.  The day she arrives back home, Burke Finley and his "aunt" Della have come to Sweetwater Crossing to get some answers.  Della was supposed to marry Burke's uncle, Clive Finley, and he disappeared without a trace.  

There is a fairly large cast of characters roaming through this novel, making up the warp and woof of the town.  It is not hard to keep track of the characters because they have shown up in other books in this series.  

There is a bit of mystery and a couple of romances brewing in this final offering from Sweetwater Crossing. The mystery surrounds Clive's disappearance and who the last people were who saw him.  The pastor finds a fondness for Della and Burke quickly finds himself falling for Joanna.  The love of the three sisters is something I could only wish for my own children. 

Amanda Cabot has a realism in her characters that evoke feelings of comradery and friendship.  Even though her characters live in a bygone era, they are real in the sense of having faults and foibles as well as qualities of genuineness.  I would love to have those sisters as friends.

The only thing that I didn't like in the book is that some of the issues were tied up too neatly as a vehicle to pull the series together.  

A Strong Four Star Book.  

Revell Publishing provided the copy I read for this review.  

Another Beauty and the Beast Rendition

 

So this book is another look at the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, but Rachel Fordham has done a masterful job in bringing all the bits and pieces of the tale to life.  She put the characters in the early 1900s, so while it is historical, it is also a bit more modern.  

Sadie West has been working at the feather duster factory in Monticello, Iowa, when she is turned out of her boarding house for someone who will pay more.  She finds an abandoned factory to shelter in, and bathes in a freezing cold creek, but it is the only water available to her.  She is found out and then given a position at the Taylor mansion to help clean it up and get it ready to sell.  This is in addition to her job at the duster factory.  She is sending money home to pay for her father's doctor bills after he had an accident on the farm.  She is also paying the mortgage on the farm so that her family doesn't lose their home. 

Otis Taylor is the only remaining Taylor alive and comes back to Monticello to settle his brother's estate.  He'd been sent away because he was scarred and disfigured and his father didn't want to look at him.  Otis has quite a chip on his shoulder for the way his family treated him, but he eventually finds that his chip is too heavy to carry. 

Alta is one of the lesser characters but she plays an important part in the movement of the plot.  She so wants to be the one that Otis courts when he returns to town.  She's a little bit of a gold digger and a bit entitled, and plays the parts well.  When she finds that Sadie has been working for Otis for a while, she throws a temper tantrum worthy of a two year old.  

Beyond Ivy Walls has everything a reader could desire--a little bit of romance, a little bit of mystery, hard decisions, and a coming to terms with circumstances. I love the Beauty and the Beast type stories I've read and other than one written by Robin McKinley, this is the best one I've read.  Robin's is an extremely well-done rendition of the tale, while Rachel's is a more modern retelling.  It is still a five star book with two thumbs up and a beast who cares about family troubles.  

Thomas Nelson Fiction provided the copy I read for this review.  All opinions expressed are solely my own.