2016 Book #114 – My Girl by Jack Jordan

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction, Thriller by rebeccabook17

Title: My Girl
Author: Jack Jordan
Date finished: 11/28/16
Genre: Fiction, thriller
Publisher: JJP
Publication Date: July 4, 2016
Pages in book: 226
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

Paige Dawson: the mother of a murdered child and wife to a dead man. She has nothing left to live for… until she finds her husband’s handgun hidden in their house. Why did Ryan need a gun? What did he know about their daughter’s death? Desperate for the truth, Paige begins to unearth her husband’s secrets. But she has no idea who she is up against, or that her life isn’t hers to gamble – she belongs to me. From the bestselling author of Anything for Her, Jack Jordan’s My Girl is the new chilling thriller that you won’t want to miss.

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book is about Paige Dawson, a woman who has been broken by the hands life has dealt her: her only child murdered and her husband’s suicide. Paige spends all her time in a drug and alcohol induced fog, not wanting to face reality in any way. She has multiple people who care for her though and who want her to get better, including her father, brother, and her husband’s parents. Paige starts having odd things happen to her, little things that at first she blamed on her drinking. But when every picture of her family has her husband’s face cut out of it, she starts to wonder if someone else has been in her house or if she’s truly just going mad. After the police have to get involved on two of her more recent drinking stints (including her driving into her husband’s gravestone and trying to kidnap a young girl in the department store), Paige is forced to get better or go to jail. Its around this time that Paige discovers she has alcoholic hepatitis, and if going to jail wasn’t enough of a motivation then keeping herself from dying is and Paige moves in with her brother for a few days while she transitions into being sober. And its there that Paige discovers a long held family secret that could destroy her.
Overall I really did like this book. Once I started it was impossible to put down, so it was good that it ended up being a quick read. Paige reminded me a lot of the main protagonist in The Girl on the Train, though the story lines weren’t exactly similar. This book did get pretty dark and scary so I’d just like to forewarn the reader of that. There is a great twist in the story though that I didn’t see coming and while it was definitely creepy enough to turn my stomach it was also surprising enough that I gasped. This is a great thriller/scary read and I would definitely recommend reading it!

The bottom line: This was an awesome psychological suspense read, the only reason it didn’t get a higher score is it was just a little too dark/creepy/scary for me. There is some sick stuff that goes on in here. If you’re looking for a good thriller though I would most definitely recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

29Nov2016

2016 Book #113 – Mistletoe, Mischief, and the Marquis by Amelia Grey

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: Mistletoe, Mischief and the Marquis
Author: Amelia Grey
Date finished: 11/27/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: November 29, 2016
Pages in book: 87
Stand alone or series: Heirs’ Club of Scoundrels series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

The Marquis of Wythebury, is expecting an ordinary Christmastide at Hurst—until he is set upon by a beautiful miss who takes him to task for not allowing his young nephews to play outside. In his mind, a five and seven year old needn’t get chilled in the snow; better to plop them in front of the fire with a book. Few people have ever been brave enough to challenge him over anything, much less the rearing of his wards. The cheeky Miss Prim has no such compunction. No matter how fetching he finds her, he can’t give in to his attraction…for she is the sister of his best friend.
Growing up the middle child of five rambunctious girls, Lillian Prim doesn’t understand why two young boys visiting Hurst don’t know how to play until she meets their dashing guardian. The Marquis of Wythebury is commanding and intensely serious-minded. To her surprise, she’s captivated by him. It’s all she can do not to give into her feminine fantasies about her kissing him. Lillian has no intention of falling in love with the Marquis, but she will create Christmastide mischief and teach the boys and the handsome Marquis how to play, in Mistletoe, Mischief, and the Marquis, by New York Times bestselling author Amelia Grey.

My rating: 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This short story is about Lillian Prim and Seth, the Marquis of Wythebury. Lillian is the sister of Louisa from book #1 in the series, The Duke in My Bed. They are brought together to celebrate Christmas with Lillian’s sister and members of the Heirs’ Club. Seth’s sister and brother-in-law recently died of a fever and left Seth as guardian for two young boys. In the days leading up to Christmas, Lillian helps watch over the boys and tries to tell Seth that he’s being to strict with them and not letting them be young boys. Seth thinks that Lillian is a little to loose with her stricture and also a little too free with her opinions.
Overall I liked this short story it was sweet and had a good Holiday vibe to it. It was obviously a short story being only 87 pages so there was not a lot of detail to it but it was still a Holiday-spirited, romantic read. I would recommend it, especially for people who’ve read and enjoyed other books in this series.

The bottom line: I liked this, it was a nice short story. This was a quick read and was great for getting the reader into the holiday spirit. I would recommend, especially for fans of the series.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

29Nov2016

Mistletoe, Mischief and the Marquis BLOG TOUR!!!

Posted in Blog tour, For the love of books by rebeccabook17

Mistletoe, Mischief and the Marquis by Amelia Grey was released today, Tuesday (November 29th) and to celebrate I am participating in a Blog Tour for the book! If you haven’t already seen it, you can find my review of the book here. See below for more information about the book, an excerpt, and a short author bio. This was a very good read, I would definitely recommend checking it out! It is a short story so its not full of details but it is a great novella for the series.

SUMMARY

The Marquis of Wythebury, is expecting an ordinary Christmastide at Hurst—until he is set upon by a beautiful miss who takes him to task for not allowing his young nephews to play outside. In his mind, a five and seven year old needn’t get chilled in the snow; better to plop them in front of the fire with a book. Few people have ever been brave enough to challenge him over anything, much less the rearing of his wards. The cheeky Miss Prim has no such compunction. No matter how fetching he finds her, he can’t give in to his attraction…for she is the sister of his best friend.
Growing up the middle child of five rambunctious girls, Lillian Prim doesn’t understand why two young boys visiting Hurst don’t know how to play until she meets their dashing guardian. The Marquis of Wythebury is commanding and intensely serious-minded. To her surprise, she’s captivated by him. It’s all she can do not to give into her feminine fantasies about her kissing him. Lillian has no intention of falling in love with the Marquis, but she will create Christmastide mischief and teach the boys and the handsome Marquis how to play, in Mistletoe, Mischief, and the Marquis, by New York Times bestselling author Amelia Grey.

EXCERPT

51wzq0b351l She retraced her steps down the dimly lit corridor. When she rounded the corner that went into the sitting room at the top of the stairs, she stopped. The Marquis leaned casually against one of the chairs. There were no lamps burning in the sitting area, just light from corridor that bridged one section of the house to the other, but she could see well enough to know he was staring at her. And, she’d swear to anyone that he was looking like he wanted to kiss her.

“My lord, what are you doing here?”

He straightened from the chair and stood before her. “I could ask you the same question.”

“I went to check on Fallon. I hope you don’t mind. I wanted to make sure he didn’t have a—“ She stopped and bit down on her bottom lip.

“You have a habit of not finishing your sentences, Lillian.”

“With you, I’m always afraid I will say something I’ll regret.”

He huffed a grunt. “You? Regret something you’ve said to me? I don’t believe that could happen.”

At times, he could make her smile without trying. “I might have regretted it if I’d told you what I wanted to this afternoon.”

“So you have no remorse for calling me a worrywart, and there’s something worse you could have said. Now, you have me curious. What is it you might regret?”

“You don’t want to know,” she said and started to walk past him, but he sidestepped and blocked her way.

“Oh, but I do.”

“If you insist.” She lifted her chin and said, “I was going to tell you that you are smothering the boys with your rigorous studies and your overly-cautious regimen of their play time. You will end up hurting them more than you help them if you continue.”

“Ah—smothering them, am I?” he said in a tone that held a tinge of humor. “And what exactly is it that you were doing when you came to check on Fallon tonight?”

“I only wanted to make sure he was all right. It’s not that I was particularly worried about him being sick once I knew his stomach was the problem and not a chill from his wet feet.”

“So you came up to look in on him because you weren’t worried. That makes no sense, Lillian.”

“You worry enough for both of us.”

He moved closer to her and lowered his voice even softer when he said, “You gave him a kiss.”

She gasped as he heart jumped up to her throat. “You saw me?”

He nodded. “I decided to pass on the card games tonight and check on him, too because I was worried and wanted to make sure he hadn’t turned sick again. I didn’t want to disturb your time with him so I waited here for you. Why did you kiss him?”

She nervously moistened her lips. “I don’t know other than it seemed the right thing to do. I know it was very forward of me and I shouldn’t have.”

“I thought it was a sweet comforting gesture.”

“You’re not upset with me?”

“I appreciate all kindness shown to my nephews.”

His light green gaze swept up and down her face so gently all she wanted to do was say, “kiss me.” She lowered her lashes so he couldn’t see her hunger for him and murmured, “I wish you hadn’t waited.”

“Why?”

Because she didn’t want to be alone with him. She didn’t want to think about how despite her efforts, she had fallen in love with him and wanted to be caught up in his arms and swept away by his stirring kisses and caresses.

AUTHOR Q&A

Favorite Holiday Memory (can be Christmas, Hanukah, Thanksgiving, etc.)
The smell of a pound cake baking in the oven
Favorite Holiday Food/Recipe
All Sugared Up Spicy Pecans
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
2 teaspoons warm water
3 cups pecans
Put everything but the pecans in a 1 gallon pot and bring to a soft boil over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes and then turn off heat. Add pecans. Stir and continue to coat the pecans until the mixture starts drying and clinging to pan. Empty onto a clean counter top and spread and separate the pecans. After the sugar mixture cools and forms a coating on the nuts you can put them in a Mason jar or candy dish to serve later or my favorite–immediately start eating them.
Favorite Holiday Movie
Miracle on 34th Street
Favorite Holiday Book
The Duke and Miss Christmas
Favorite Holiday Song
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Favorite Gift Received/Given
My parents gave me a ring with a tiny diamond in it when I was 16. My very first ring.
What’s on your wish list this year?
A bracelet that will hold some charms I’ve collected over the years
New Year’s Resolution
To lose the five pounds I didn’t lose last year
Favorite Winter Activity
Taking a walk when the air is cold but the sunshine is warm

AUTHOR BIO

amelia-grey-author-pic New York Times and USA Today bestselling author AMELIA GREY read her first romance book when she was thirteen and she’s been a devoted reader of love stories ever since. Her awards include the Booksellers Best, Aspen Gold, and the Golden Quill. Writing as Gloria Dale Skinner, she won the coveted Romantic Times Award for Love and Laughter and the prestigious Maggie Award. Her books have sold to many countries in Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, Russia, and most recently to Japan. Several of her books have also been featured in Doubleday and Rhapsody Book Clubs. Amelia is the author of more than twenty-five books. She’s been happily married to her high school sweetheart for over thirty-five years and she lives on the beautiful gulf coast of Northwest Florida.
Author Links
Website: http://www.ameliagrey.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmeliaGreyBooks
Buy Links
Amazon: http://smarturl.it/agreykindle
B&N: http://smarturl.it/agreynook
iBooks: http://smarturl.it/agreyibooks

26Nov2016

2016 Book #112 – Class of ’59 by John A. Heldt

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: Class of ’59
Author: John A. Heldt
Date finished: 11/24/16
Genre: Fiction, Time travel
Publisher: Self-published
Publication Date: September 1, 2016
Pages in book: 293
Stand alone or series: #4 in American Journey series
Where I got the book from: Author/publisher NOTE: I received this book for free from the author/publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

When Mary Beth McIntire settles into a vacation house on June 2, 2017, she anticipates a quiet morning with coffee. Then she hears a noise, peers out a window, and spots a man in 1950s attire standing in the backyard. She panics when the trespasser sees her and enters the house though a door to the basement. She questions her sanity when she cannot find him.
In the same house on March 21, 1959, Mark Ryan finds a letter. Written by the mansion’s original owner in 1900, the letter describes a basement chamber, mysterious crystals, and a formula for time travel. Driven by curiosity, Mark tests the formula twice. On his second trip to 2017, he encounters a beautiful stranger. He meets the woman in the window.
Within hours, Mary Beth and Mark share their secret with her sister and his brother and begin a journey that takes them from the present day to the age of sock hops, drive-ins, and jukeboxes. In CLASS OF ’59, the fourth book in the American Journey series, four young adults find love, danger, and adventure as they navigate the corridors of time and experience Southern California in its storied prime.

My rating: 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Mary Beth McIntire, a recent college graduate preparing to head to medical school, and her sister Piper, a recent high school graduate. Mary Beth has been through some trauma lately as her long-time sweetheart and fiancee was shot and killed in front of her during a convenience store robbery. Mary Beth has been trying to recover ever since then, so after Piper graduates from high school their parents take them on a vacation to California to stay in a friend’s house, the house of Mr. Geoffrey Bell. Readers of this series would know Geoffrey from previous books, as the tunnel under his house has been used in multiple time-travel adventures. Mary Beth encounters Mark Ryan as he discovers this exact use of the tunnel, and after reconciling the fact that they now have access to a time travel tunnel Mark, Mary Beth, Piper, and Mark’s brother Ben (a senior in high school) decide to have a few fun adventures. With Mary Beth and Piper being from the year 2017 and Mark and Ben from 1959 though, they all certainly never expected to develop deep, long-lasting attachments to each other. But after a month spent in each other’s company that is exactly what happens and the two couples must face this and decide what to do about it. And when their lives come to be in danger from mobsters who’ve figured out their secret, will they even be able to make it out of the past alive?
Overall I liked this book. I have found each book in this series interesting and I love the creative process of creating a time travel tunnel and all that entails. This book didn’t end up being my favorite in the series, mostly because I felt like the ending was a little to convenient and was just a little rushed compared to the rest of the story, it didn’t fit right for me. This didn’t take away from my enjoyment of the book, just left me a little unsettled still at the end. I love that in each book the reader learns about a different era/region. It is fun to hear what the different characters in each book decide to do with this opportunity. This would be a great read for those interested in time travel and for anyone looking for a light-hearted adventure.

The bottom line: I overall like the series and the time travel aspect in general is very interesting. This wasn’t my favorite of the series but was still a good read. I would recommend, especially if you’ve enjoyed the other books in the series.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

24Nov2016

2016 Book #111 – The Duke of Pleasure by Elizabeth Hoyt

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Historical Romance, Maiden Lane series by rebeccabook17

Title: The Duke of Pleasure
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Date finished: 11/23/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: November 29, 2016
Pages in book: 336
Stand alone or series: #11 in the Maiden Lane series
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

IN THE ARMS OF DANGER
Bold. Brave. Brutally handsome. Hugh Fitzroy, the Duke of Kyle, is the king’s secret weapon. Sent to defeat the notorious Lords of Chaos, he is ambushed in a London alley-and rescued by an unlikely ally: a masked stranger with the unmistakable curves of a woman.
IN THE HEAT OF DESIRE
Cocky. Clever. Courageously independent. Alf has survived on the perilous streets of St. Giles by disguising her sex. By day she is a boy, dealing in information and secrets. By night she’s the notorious Ghost of St. Giles, a masked vigilante. But as she saves Hugh from assassins, she finds herself succumbing to temptation . . .
ONE KISS WILL CHANGE THEIR LIVES FOREVER
When Hugh hires Alf to investigate the Lords of Chaos, her worlds collide. Once Hugh realizes that the boy and the Ghost are the same, will Alf find the courage to become the woman she needs to be-before the Lords of Chaos destroy them both?

My rating: 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story (finally!) of Alf. Alf has been a supporting character for a good portion of this series, when we’re first introduced to her character its as the young boy who is an information collector/seller in St. Giles. Alf was abandoned at a young age and so in order to protect herself, she’s disguised herself as a young boy for a very long time. She’s also recently started training to replace the most recent Ghost of St. Giles, since all the other ones we’ve learned of have settled down and retired and started families. So Alf takes on a new job as an informant for the Duke of Kyle, who she seems to have a bit of a crush on. And when the Duke of Kyle (Hugh) discovers that Alf is not only a girl, but also the Ghost of St. Giles who kissed him so passionately recently. And when Hugh realizes that he needs Alf’s help on an upcoming reconnaissance mission at a ball, he asks her to uncover the woman she really is deep down. As Hugh sees more of the facets that make up Alf though, he can’t resist falling in love with her.
Overall I really liked this book a lot. It was a bit unusual since the heroine starts out the story attracted to the hero but the hero thinks she’s a boy. And Alf is from the streets and it shows not only in her language but also in her thought process and her personality. I think that was one of the things I ended liking most about this book though was Alf and how full of life she was. And it was really great to read her story after hearing so much about her in the other books in the series. Readers be warned there are some steamy scenes in this book, this one definitely is a sexy read! But there was also some great character development and some really deep emotions in this book. Alf’s character develops from a cocky lad to a young lady in love (who is also still cocky). And I think the book had a great overall message, that sometimes you need to put your faith in love and have hope.

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this one, this probably ended up being one of my favorite books in the series. This was definitely an unconventional story though, Alf isn’t your classic romance heroine but she was entirely refreshing and fun. This was a great read and I would definitely recommend.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

24Nov2016

2016 Book #110 – The Danger of Desire by Sabrina Jeffries

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: The Danger of Desire
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
Date finished: 11/20/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: Novemeber 22, 2016
Pages in book: 416
Stand alone or series: Sinful Suitors series #3
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

To root out the card cheat responsible for her brother’s death, Miss Delia Trevor spends her evenings dancing her way through high society balls, and her late nights disguised as a young man gambling her way through London’s gaming hells. Then one night, handsome Warren Corry, the Marquess of Knightford, a notorious member of St. George’s Club, recognizes her. When he threatens to reveal her secret, she’s determined to keep him from ruining her plans, even if it means playing a cat-and-mouse game with the enigmatic rakehell.
Warren knows the danger of her game, and he refuses to watch her lose everything while gaining justice for her late brother. But when she starts to delve beneath his carefully crafted façade, can he keep her at arm’s length while still protecting her? Or will their hot desires explode into a love that transcends the secrets of their pasts?

My rating: 3.75 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Delia Trevor, an eligible maiden whose brother recently died and left her with a crippling debt and a mortgaged estate. Her aunt is trying to marry her off and secure a place for Delia in society. Her Aunt is also trying to find a husband for Delia’s brother’s widow. Delia’s good friend Clarissa notices that Delia has been acting odd lately and wonders if a fortune hunter is trying to blackmail her. So Clarissa enlists the help of her cousin, the marquess of Knightford (Warren) to look into the matter. Warren is a self-confirmed bachelor who is determined not to marry, mostly because he’s sure that no woman should have to put up with his fear of the dark and his need to stay awake all night. Delia intrigues him though and when he notices that she is indeed acting strangely as Clarissa claimed, he is determined to find the underlying cause. Turns out Delia’s brother was cheated in a card game and now she’s determined to find whoever it was that they may soon lose their house to.
Overall I really liked this book. Delia’s character was very entertaining and I loved how vulnerable and charming Warren was. There were some references to Clarissa’s story too, which I would love to read. This book does read as a stand alone story technically but I feel like reading Clarissa’s story would have added more context to some of the things that happened in the beginning of the book. And I have a feeling that Brilliana’s story is going to be next in the series, and I’d love to read that one as well. I haven’t read much by this author previously but I am excited to read more by her. I thought she did a great job of creating tension and emotion between the main characters. I like this story a lot and I would recommend reading it.

The bottom line: This was a good book, I just loved Delia’s character. I can’t wait to read more in the series!

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

21Nov2016

2016 Book #109 – Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

Posted in Book Clubs, Book reviews, Fiction, Historical fiction, Terryville - Fiction Lovers by rebeccabook17

Title: Sarah’s Key
Author: Tatiana de Rosnay
Date finished: 11/17/16
Genre: Historical fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: September 2008
Pages in book: 293
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Terryville Public Library

Blurb from the cover:

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family’s apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France’s past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl’s ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d’Hiv’, to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah’s past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

My rating: 4.0 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I read this book for the Terryville Library’s Fiction Lover’s Book Discussion group discussion for this month (November). This book alternates between telling two stories, that of Sarah from her viewpoint in July of 1942 when she and her parents are arrested by the French police for being Jews, and that of Julia from her viewpoint in the same city in 2002 when she is assigned by her editor to write an article about the tragic events of July 1942. While we hear about Sarah’s story, we also learn of what Julia is uncovering in her research. Julia actually ends up having a fairly close connection in her life to Sarah and it was really interesting to see how the stories were interwoven. This was a tough read as it deals with some horrible subjects and delves deep into some very dark periods of time for humanity as a whole. It was terrible to read about what Sarah had experienced at “the camp” because even though she’s a fictional character, those kinds of things happened to real people. And not just a handful but so, so many. I think it is something that is important for people to realize truly happened though and I would encourage people to read it even if it is difficult. Event with the tough subject matter, I really liked this one and it was an engaging read. I would definitely recommend!

The bottom line: This was a tough book for me, subject matter like this is painful and really gets under your skin. I think that makes it doubly important though for us to experience it and realize that while this is a fiction novel, this actually happened to so many people. I think this is an important book for everyone to read, I would definitely recommend reading it.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

15Nov2016

2016 Book #108 – Candy Cane Christmas by Laura Trentham

Posted in Book reviews, Contemporary romance by rebeccabook17

Title: Candy Cane Christmas
Author: Laura Trentham
Date finished: 11/14/16
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: October 25, 2016
Pages in book: 67
Stand alone or series: Cottonbloom series short story
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

A very Cottonbloom Christmas!
Jeremy Whitehurst has tried to leave his bad-boy behavior and tarnished image behind in Alabama for a fresh start in Cottonbloom, Louisiana. Unfortunately, trouble has dogged him across state lines. Stepping up and protecting a young woman from her abusive boyfriend earned him a beat-down and got him fired. Although the thanks in the girl’s dark eyes made it all worth it, he recognizes she’s just a different kind of trouble. A trouble he’s not sure he can stay away from.
One rebellious summer dented Kayla Redmond’s carefree innocence. Now her focus is on completing her associate’s degree for bookkeeping, and no one is going to derail her plans. Unfortunately, her job at Fournette Brothers Designs puts her in the path of the one man who has seen her at her worst, yet his blue eyes don’t judge her. He sees beyond the brokenness inside of her and rouses her wild side once more. But, that’s what got her in trouble in the first place.
Christmas is coming and Kayla’s ready to forgive herself and take a chance. But the holiday has only ever brought heartache to Jeremy. No Christmas miracle kept his mother clean or out of jail. Will one reckless night and some time spent in the back of a cop car be the best present Jeremy’s ever been given?

My rating: 3.5 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. I recently read Laura Trentham’s Till I Kissed You and I really enjoyed it so when I saw this short story on NetGalley I was glad to have the opportunity to read it. Not only because I got the chance to hear Jeremy’s story but also because I’m really starting to get into the holiday spirit and have been looking for books to nudge me in the right direction. While this story was indeed quite short, I still think it was a good addition to the series and a good story to read. It is hard to create a very developed plot when you only have about 70 pages to get from beginning to end but I thought that the author did a good job of developing the relationship between the characters and also giving both characters good background stories. Kayla and Jeremy make a sweet couple and after what both have been through already in life, its heart-warming to see that they’re both still willing to take a chance on love. This was a good read for a short story and I would recommend, especially if you’re reading the other books in the series.

The bottom line: This was acute short story but it was definitely that, short. It was a good addition to the series though and I’m still interested to read more by this author.

Link to author website

Click on the cover to go to the book’s Amazon page

14Nov2016

2016 Book #107 – Picture Perfect Wedding by Lynnette Austin

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Contemporary romance, Magnolia Brides by rebeccabook17

Title: Picture Perfect Wedding
Author: Lynnette Austin
Date finished: 11/13/16
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablance
Publication Date: November 1, 2016
Pages in book: 416
Stand alone or series: Magnolia Brides series #3
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

One mistake can change everything…forever
Beck Elliot and Tansy Calhoun were inseparable-until Tansy left Misty Bottoms, Georgia, promising to come back after she finished school. Beck stayed behind to save the family business, dreaming of the day when Tansy would return. Instead, his trust and his heart were broken when she inexplicably married another man and bore his child.
Five years later, Tansy comes home, a sadder and wiser woman. Despite his anger, Beck finds it hard to avoid her and her adorable little daughter-especially with all the busybodies of Misty Bottoms going out of their way to throw him and Tansy together, hoping a lingering spark will reignite their enduring flame…

My rating: 3.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Beck Elliot and Tansy Calhoun (Forbes), whose story has been introduced in the previous two books in the series. What we know before this book begins is that Tansy and Beck were high school sweethearts but Tansy had gone to college and subsequently got pregnant and married another man even though her and Beck were engaged. Beck’s heart broke into a million pieces and he hasn’t been the same since. After her divorce though, Tansy decides to move back to Misty Bottoms with daughter Gracie and open her own business, a bakery. Beck says that he’s been over Tansy for years but when he keeps running into her all over town, he can’t keep denying that he doesn’t have deeper feelings for Tansy. Tansy and Beck decide to give everything another shot and try to start over, but can they really let go of all the hurts and regrets from the past and move forward?
Overall I liked this book. I’ve been waiting for this one to come out since I grew interested in the story from the tidbits mentioned in the other two books in the series. I think I may have built up the possible story line too much in my mind though since it didn’t end up as I expected. I did enjoy the book and the story line, it was sweet and romantic but to be honest I thought Beck was just too harsh in the beginning to like as a character. And the plot was a little choppy for me, there were sub plots introduced that I thought could have been made to fit better and it just didn’t flow as well as the other two had. I loved the characters though, Gracie was just such a sweet little girl and I loved how amazing her relationship with Beck was. I liked the book but this one wasn’t my favorite, I would still recommend trying it though, especially if you’re reading the first 2 in the series.

The bottom line: This was an ok book for me, it wasn’t one of my favorites but I am still glad I got to read it. Tansy and Beck had a nice story but I hate that they had to waste so much time being mad at each other. I would recommend it though.

Link to author website

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12Nov2016

2016 Book #106 – When a Laird Finds a Lass by Lecia Cornwall

Posted in Book reviews, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: When a Laird Finds a Lass
Author: Lecia Cornwall
Date finished: 11/11/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: Swerve
Publication Date: November 1, 2016
Pages in book: 283
Stand alone or series: Highland Fairy Tales series #2
Where I got the book from: NetGalley NOTE: I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way affected my opinion of the book, or the content of my review.

Blurb from the cover:

She is his greatest enemy and his only salvation.
Malcolm MacDonald, a lawyer in Edinburgh, unexpectedly inherits his father’s title of Laird of Dunbronach, forcing him to return to a place he hasn’t seen since he was a small child. To gain the trust of a wary clan, Malcolm must act upon their insistence that he cast aside his English betrothed and marry a Highlander.
However, they have one condition—no lasses of the barbaric clan MacLeod.
When he finds an unconscious woman in the sea, he brings her back to his clan but not before doing the one thing that could save her life—hiding her all too telling MacLeod plaid. When she wakes with no memory of who she is, Malcolm vows to keep the little he knows about her identity a secret. As new dangers threaten his clan, the mysterious lass teaches Malcolm some very important lessons about how to be a Highlander and a laird.
But secrets never stay secret for long, and when she finds her plaid, her memory returns and she flees. Malcolm is forced to make a difficult choice to win her back, facing his darkest fears and his worst enemy for a chance at true love.

My rating: 4.25 stars out of a scale of 5

My review: I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest and fair review. This book tells the story of Malcolm MacDonald and Marcail MacLeod. Marcail thinks herself in love with a young fan in her clan but when she learns how fickle love can truly be, she makes a rash decision that ends with her nearly drowning in the ocean. She washes up on the shores of the MacDonald clan’s land with no memory of who she is, and the clan’s new laird finds her half-dead on the beach. Malcolm was a lawyer from Edinburgh and doesn’t really fit into the Highland clan. But he is determined to do his best for everyone and restore the clan’s financial health before returning to Edinburgh to resume his normal life. But Marcail’s arrival changes things, as Malcolm finds himself wanting things he never though of before, and finds himself starting to believe in magic. But while Marcail doesn’t remember who she is, Malcolm at least knows she’s a MacLeod, the enemy of the MacDonald’s. Can he convince her to stay? Is she even really free to do so? Or is someone waiting for her at home?
faroese_stamp_585_the_seal_woman Overall I liked this book a lot. I thought Malcolm’s character progression was very well done. I started the book thinking there was no way he’d end up a convincingly rugged Highlander but he in fact did. And his relationship with Marcail was very sweet and romantic. I thought the magical interwoven pieces were especially interesting, I had never even heard of a selkie before reading this book but it made the book that much more interesting to learn about it. I thought the story line for this book was well-paced and interesting throughout and had a great cast of characters. The MacLeods are a great base for a family series and I’m hoping for more books about the other daughters in the family.

The bottom line: I liked this book a lot, it was a good story and I liked the magical fairy tale back story. I like this series as a whole so far and I’m interested to learn more about the other sisters. I would love to have a documented list though so I could keep track of which ones share which mothers and the order they were born in!

Link to author website

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