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

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

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

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

10Nov2016

2016 Book #105 – The Rebel of Clan Kincaid by Lily Blackwood

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

Title: The Rebel of Clan Kincaid
Author: Lily Blackwood
Date finished: 11/8/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: December 6, 2016
Pages in book: 320
Stand alone or series: Highland Warrior 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:

LOVE IS A BATTLEFIELD
Since childhood, Magnus has been led to believe he is the Laird Alwyn’s bastard, and raised to hate the Clan Kincaid. But when he learns he is without a doubt the son of the murdered Laird Kincaid, his life as he has always known it is shattered. Now, hiding his knowledge and his fury, he returns to Burnbryde Castle, awaiting the chance to strike against the man whose treachery robbed him of his legacy. His first act of rebellion: to steal a kiss from the redheaded beauty who’s betrothed to the Alwyn’s eldest son and heir.
Since her arrival at Burnbryde, Tara Iverach has been confined to a tower to guard her virtue before she marries. But after a surprise embrace with a lean, bare-chested Highlander who claims to be the Alwyn’s oldest son, she can’t contain her excitement over her good fate. Unfortunately, he is the wrong eldest son, and she is set to marry his cruel and lecherous half brother, Hugh. Can Magnus conquer his rivals and claim his Kincaid destiny before the woman who’s captured his heart becomes his sworn enemy’s bride?

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 picks up right where the first book in the series left off, right after Niall discovered that Elspeth’s friend Magnus is not really the Alwyn’s bastard but his lost brother, Faelan. After the “battle” that left both their parents dead, the three brothers were split up, with the hope that at least one could survive to carry on the Clan Kincaid. Magnus had no idea who he really was though and is now full of anger and hatred at the life that was taken from him. He continues on with his life as normal in the the Alwyn clan, looking for a way to extract his revenge. The Alwyn has aligned himself with the Earl of Buchan, a son of the king. Buchan’s ward, Tara Iverach, has been living in a priory for the last five years but now is betrothed to the Alwyn’s son, Hugh. Hugh is quite the despicable human being though and Tara is so desperate to escape her fate that she asks for Magnus’ help. But with a battle with Buchan and the Alwyn versus the Kincaid quickly approaching, can Magnus extract his revenge and also keep Tara safe?
Overall I really liked this book. I was so psyched at the end of the first book when we found out that Magnus is in fact Niall’s brother, it was a great plot twist. I’m dying to find out if the third brother is still alive and where he’s been all these years. And I’m glad some justice was finally served – the Alwyn and Buchan are total asshats and I loved the sense of justice that’s instilled at the end of the book. And I just loved Tara’s character, she was so strong and brave. There are a few deaths in the book and some of the mentality of the characters can be a bit brutal, but that is fairly expected of a book about the Highlands. There was one question that kind of bugged me after the book ended that I didn’t feel was really resolved: Why would Tara’s parents have left the Buchan named as ward for her and her sister when he was so obviously a selfish asshat? Other than that, this was a great book and a great continuation of the series/story line. I can’t wait for book #3 so I can find out about the youngest son. I would recommend this one as well as The Beast of Clan Kincaid.

The bottom line: I liked this book a lot, I was hooked after the first book in the series, I can’t wait to find out what happened to the third brother! Good story line for this one too, little dark since a bunch of people die but still really good.

Link to author website

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

5Nov2016

2016 Book #104 – The Legendary Lord by Valerie Bowman

Posted in Book reviews, Historical Romance by rebeccabook17

Title: The Legendary Lord
Author: Valerie Bowman
Date finished: 11/3/16
Genre: Historical romance
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: November 1, 2016
Pages in book: 320
Stand alone or series: Playful Brides series #6
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 MAKING OF A LEGEND…
When Christian Forester, Viscount Berkeley, flees the stuffy ballrooms of London for his Scottish hunting lodge, the last thing he expects to find ensconced before his fire is an incredibly beautiful woman. But the plight of lovely young Sarah Highgate, who has run away from an unwanted betrothal, inspires an eminently practical exchange. He’ll safeguard her reputation with the ton while she advises him how to best attract a proper bride…
As the undisputed belle of the season, Sarah has enchanted plenty of suitors. Still, she isn’t interested in marriage, especially not to the pompous bore her father has chosen for her. But her hasty escape seems reckless now that she’s estranged from her family and has no one to count on besides Christian. Turning the luckless lord into such a catch has another unplanned consequence for Sarah: Has he run away with her heart?
The Legendary Lord is the sixth installment of Valerie Bowman’s Regency-set Playful Brides series.

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. Also make sure to check out my Blog Tour post on this book here. This book is about a Miss Sarah Highgate, daughter of an Earl, and a Mister Christian Berkeley, a viscount. Sarah has been raised to be obedient but she somehow retains a rebellious nature, and so when her parents arrange for her to marry the Marquess of Branford, Sarah runs away. Aiming for her father’s hunting lodge in Scotland, she gets lost but makes it to a neighboring lodge (Christian’s) before a big now storm hits. Stuck together for a few days during the storm, Sarah and Christian develop a comfortable friendship (tinged with their underlying passion) over the course of these few days. Christian promises to keep Sarah’s secret and in return Sarah gives Christian a few tips on how to court women of the ton so he can find a wife. Upon returning to London, Sarah resolves to marry Branford and Christian becomes the most sought out/eligible bachelor of the season. Only problem is that Sarah can’t stop thinking about Christian, and Christian can’t stop wishing all the women he had interested in him were Sarah instead.
Overall I enjoyed this book. It was a quick read for me and was a sweet story. This was the sixth book in the series and I would be interested to read some of the other books in the series, especially since many of those characters were mentioned in this story. The story line for this book was sweet and reminded me a bit of those back-in-the-day romantic comedy movies I used to watch. Unfortunately there were a few holes in the story for me, the main one being how the ending was resolved. Without giving too much away Christian basically pulls a dick move without talking to Sarah and basically forces her hand. I didn’t care for that, I thought it was a little heavy-handed. Also there were a couple passionate scenes later on in the book and for me they kind of came out of nowhere. I hadn’t felt like there was lot of overwhelming passion from the characters before that point. I still really liked the book and the story, it was just a couple parts felt off for me. Very sweet story though and a quick read, I would recommend!

The bottom line: I really enjoyed this book, it was a sweet story and I liked the characters and the characters that made an appearance from the other books in the series.

Link to author website

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

5Nov2016

2016 Book #103 – Melody’s Key by Dallas Coryell

Posted in Book reviews, Contemporary romance by rebeccabook17

Title: Melody’s Key
Author: Dallas Coryell
Date finished: 11/1/16
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Publication Date: June 17, 2016
Pages in book: 338
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
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:

“His eyes settled on her…piercing green embers of flame that revealed the ferocity of his pain and passion, yet still shrouded him under veils of ever deepening mystery that made every ounce of her ache to unravel him.” Tegan Lockwood’s dreams were dead, sacrificed on the noble altar of duty before they ever had a chance to live. Her entire existence was disappearing into the abyss of apathy as she labored her days away keeping her family’s struggling business alive. There would be no emotion, no color, no beauty in her life. That is, until a mysterious visitor begins to draw her out of the darkness of her past towards something that will challenge the boundaries of her world, and unlock the most deeply held secrets of her heart.

My rating: 3.0 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 tells the story of Tegan Lockwood, a young woman who is still recovering from traumatic wounds inflicted on her by her last boyfriend years ago. She grew up working in her family’s home, always feeling looked down on by the other people who lived in the town, who were for the most part wealthy estate owners. Tegan’s family can’t afford to lose her as a worker, never mind the costs of getting her to the US, so when Tegan is offered a scholarship to Columbia for winning an art contest, she postpones fulfilling her own dreams to help her family keep their house. And then Mason Keane takes up residence in their guest house for the summer, and Tegan has no time or patience for a spoiled celebrity pop star who is allegedly there to recover from all his sex-ing and drugs. But then she meets him, and he’s nothing like she expected. There’s something vulnerable about him, something that makes her think he’s hurting inside as much as she is. And the more time they spend together over the summer, the closer they become and the more Tegan begins to crave being near him. But she wonders what will happen at the end of the summer when Mason has to go back to the US. And when Tegan learns that her family’s livelihood is being threatened, can she trust Mason to help her?
Overall I liked this book. Tegan and Mason were such a cute couple, I was smiling through most of the book because they were just too damned cute together. And the plot line had a lot of potential, there were a couple things that personally I didn’t care for but overall I really liked the story. I don’t usually go for stories with flowery/sappy wording but in this story line it was definitely romantic and if that’s what you’re into then this is definitely a must read. Tegan and Mason are both songwriters so there are many poems/songs interspersed through the story. I also liked the back story that was inter-woven about Tegan’s ancestors and letters that Tegan had found in the attic. It was a tragic story but was a great piece to further engage the reader. For me there were pieces that dragged on a bit and alternatively I thought the ending went almost too quickly. There were also a couple holes in the story, like what was going on with Simon? And did Cale go to jail like he deserved? I’m guessing no. Other than those couple small things though this was a sweet love story. I would recommend, especially if you’re looking for writing with a lot of emotion/feeling.

The bottom line: This was a good book and it was definitely romantic. Lots of flowery language, if you like romantic/poetic language then this is definitely for you.

Link to author website

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

30Oct2016

2016 Book #102 – Faithful by Alice Hoffman

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: Faithful
Author: Alice Hoffman
Date finished: 10/29/16
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publication Date: November 1, 2016
Pages in book: 272
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:

Growing up on Long Island, Shelby Richmond is an ordinary girl until one night an extraordinary tragedy changes her fate. Her best friend’s future is destroyed in an accident, while Shelby walks away with the burden of guilt.
What happens when a life is turned inside out? When love is something so distant it may as well be a star in the sky? Faithful is the story of a survivor, filled with emotion—from dark suffering to true happiness—a moving portrait of a young woman finding her way in the modern world. A fan of Chinese food, dogs, bookstores, and men she should stay away from, Shelby has to fight her way back to her own future. In New York City she finds a circle of lost and found souls—including an angel who’s been watching over her ever since that fateful icy night.
Here is a character you will fall in love with, so believable and real and endearing, that she captures both the ache of loneliness and the joy of finding yourself at last. For anyone who’s ever been a hurt teenager, for every mother of a daughter who has lost her way, Faithful is a roadmap.
Alice Hoffman’s “trademark alchemy” (USA TODAY) and her ability to write about the “delicate balance between the everyday world and the extraordinary” (WBUR) make this an unforgettable story. With beautifully crafted prose, Alice Hoffman spins hope from heartbreak in this profoundly moving novel.

My rating: 4.5 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. This book is about a girl named Shelby Richmond. The book begins when Shelby has just graduated from high school and follows her life over the next few years. Shelby was driving the car when she and her best friend Helene were involved in an accident and although Helene survived she was irreparably damaged and is now living in a hospital bed at her parents’ house. Shelby blames herself and falls into a deep and violent depression, never wanting to leave her parents’ basement and wishing only to escape from the world. Eventually though she moves to New York City with her boyfriend/drug dealer Ben Kink. From here her life twists down some unexpected paths and somehow she ends up with a comfortable life even though she still feels like she doesn’t deserve happiness.
Overall I just loved this book. I have to be honest though, this one was a hard story for me to get into at first. When the book starts Shelby is so lost in her own grief that it is hard to see past her prickly character. But as the story evolves, the reader becomes connected to Shelby in a deep and intense way. Shelby feels so deeply and is so wounded but as her story progresses and she begins to heal, we fall in love with Shelby and the human being cracking through the shell of her former self. Shelby is so lucky in that there are so many people who care for her, somehow she is able to take her broken life and make something wonderful out of it. I loved her continual dog-napping activities and I loved her relationship with Marvelle and her kids. Shelby may have been a damaged individual but she loved fiercely and was unceasingly loyal. The progression of her character through the story really was just astounding and Hoffman does such a great job of creating a well-rounded character who is nothing if not a survivor. Be warned, this will rip your heart out of your chest, chew it up, and give you back the pieces when its done. I cried the last 1/3 of the book, but it was such a powerful and wonderful story, it was so worth the read! I would definitely recommend this one.

The bottom line: I just loved this book, Shelby as a character was so engaging and it was great to see her character evolve through the story. This was an extremely moving story, definitely keep a box of tissues handy for this one!

Link to author website

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

25Oct2016

2016 Book #101 – Christmas Joy by Nancy Naigle

Posted in 2016, Blog tour, Book reviews, Contemporary romance, Pop Sugar Reading Challenge 2016 checklist, Reading Challenges by rebeccabook17

Title: Christmas Joy
Author: Nancy Naigle
Date finished: 10/24/16
Genre: Contemporary romance, holiday
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Pages in book: 352
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:

Joy Holbrook might be all work and no play, but that changes when her Aunt Ruby takes a fall that lands her in a rehabilitation center before the holidays. Joy takes a leave of absence from her job as a market researcher to run the family farm, even though the timing may hinder her chance at garnering the promotion of her dreams.
Ben Andrews isn’t your average accountant. He also happens to be the handiest man in Crystal Falls. He’s helped his elderly neighbor, Ruby Johnson, decorate for the annual Christmas Home Tour―and win―the last several years. He’s not about to let some drop-in niece break their winning streak.
Ruby seems overly concerned about Joy being able to handle Molly. Under the impression she’s referring Molly the bunny that is one of the menagerie of animals, Joy’s not worried at all until the next morning when a little girl named Molly shows up. For the sake of her aunt, Joy is forced to partner with Ben while Ruby is on the mend to help with preparation for the Christmas tour and, in the process finds her career-focused heart dreaming of a family.
Will the magic of Christmas help her to open her heart and find her everlasting joy?

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 will count towards my “PopSugar 2016 Checklist” reading challenge, marking off the “a book with a protagonist who has your occupation” square, since the male lead in the story is an accountant just like me! This book is about Joy Holbrook, a woman with an exciting career in marketing with a firm in D.C. She is up for a promotion and has been working extremely hard towards this goal. When she gets a call about her Aunt Ruby being in the hospital, she drops everything and drives the 5 hours home to Crystal Falls to make sure she’s ok. While her aunt is in a rehab center for her broken ankle, Joy (eventually) accepts the help of Ben Andrews in getting Ruby’s house set up for a big Christmas event taking place in a few week’s time. Joy was able to get some time off work to take care of things in Crystal Falls, and between getting the house ready, taking care of Ruby’s vast variety of animals (its pretty much a literal zoo there on the farm) and watching after Molly (a young girl Ruby helps to take care of) Joy’s days are jam-packed and surprisingly joyful. Joy finds herself happier than she can remember being in some time, which makes her begin to wonder if she could leave the life of the city behind and be happy in this small town?
Overall I liked this book. The description of the festival and of the community that made up the small town of Crystal Falls was heart-warming and really helped to get me into the holiday spirit. It was a little cheesier than I usually go for but cheesy is sometimes exactly what you’re looking for! I thought this was very similar to how I feel while I’m watching one of those Hallmark Christmas movies, and I honestly hope it gets picked up as one because I would love to see it! This was definitely a light read and some of the conversations seemed a bit forced but it was a sweet read that is sure to get you dreaming of a white Christmas. And the lessons that the reader can take away from the book are ones that are most important this time of year: to work a little less, spend more time with family, and to appreciate the moments we’re given with our loved ones.

The bottom line: I thought this was a good read, definitely a little cheesy but also heart-warming and cheerful. This is a great one to get you into the Christmas spirit!

Link to author website

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

20Oct2016

2016 Book #100 – To Love and To Cherish by Lauren Layne

Posted in Book reviews, Book series, Contemporary romance, Wedding Belles by rebeccabook17

Title: To Love and To Cherish
Author: Lauren Layne
Date finished: 10/19/16
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: Pocket Books
Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Pages in book: 320
Stand alone or series: #3 in the Wedding Belles 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:

Sex and the City meets The Wedding Planner in The Wedding Belles, a contemporary and witty romance series about three high-powered New York City women who can plan any wedding—but their own.
Alexis Morgan has spent the past eight years devoted to turning her tiny start-up into Manhattan’s premiere wedding planning company, The Wedding Belles. Now that her business is thriving, it’s time to turn towards her much neglected personal life, and Alexis approaches her relationships like she does everything else: with a plan. Not a part of that plan is Logan Harris, the silent partner in the Belles, and the one person who’s been there for her since the very beginning. But Alexis needs someone fun, and Logan’s all business, all the time—except when a late night at the office ends with an unexpected kiss that leaves the usually cool and together Alexis reeling.
Logan has lusted after Alexis since the day he walked into the tiny Harlem apartment that used to double as her office. But the ambitious wedding planner has always been untouchable…until now. Alexis has made it clear that she’s on the dating market—and equally clear that he’s not in the running. But when Alexis finds herself in need of a date for her sister’s last minute wedding in Florida, Logan knows it’s the perfect time to show Alexis that there’s more to him than numbers and spreadsheets—and beneath the pinstripes and glasses lies a hot-blooded heartthrob. As Florida’s sultry days turn into even hotter nights, Logan’s out to convince Alexis that the fling of a lifetime could just maybe turn into forever…

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 is about Alexis Morgan, owner of the Wedding Belles in NYC (a wedding planning company). I haven’t read the other books in this series yet, but I’m guessing Alexis has been a character involved from the beginning of the series since she is the owner of the company and the previous books in the series are centered around other girls that were working at Wedding Belles. Alexis has known her whole life what she wanted to do, she’s had the vision for what Wedding Belles could be and she’s been working to make that vision a reality pretty much her whole life. Her silent business partner, Logan Harris, wasn’t a part of the dream from the beginning but now she can’t imagine running Wedding Belles without him. Logan has been in love with Alexis since the moment they met and he has been patiently biding his time, waiting for Alexis to open her eyes and really see him. And after 8 years for waiting, Logan’s father calls him home to London to take over the family business, giving Logan the nudge he needs to force his hand with Alexis and stop waiting. But is Alexis too scared to admit that she cares about Logan too?
Overall I liked this book a lot, it was entirely engaging and I didn’t want to put it down. Logan’s character was great if a little unrealistic, I don’t know of any guy that would actually wait for someone for 8 years like that. Alexis was an ok character for me, I actually connected with her on the control issues but overall I found her to be a frustrating character. Logan kept telling her she needed to be brave and I really agreed, I thought that she should have been a little more open to Logan since she obviously loved him and also wanted to be happy. And overall the story line made me a little sad, not only because Alexis and Logan could’ve had a closer relationship sooner but also for Alexis and her sister who were kind of in a relationship limbo for ten years as well. This book overall was great though and I would really like to find time soon to read the other books in the series. Worth the read, I would recommend it!

The bottom line: I thought this was a really sweet book. I did get frustrated with the story line at a couple points but the author really engages the reader with the characters, I didn’t want to put it down! I hope to find time very soon to read more in the series. I would recommend this one!

Link to author website

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

18Oct2016

2016 Book #99 – The Boy Is Back by Meg Cabot

Posted in Book reviews, Fiction, For the love of books, Women's fiction by rebeccabook17

Title: The Boy Is Back
Author: Meg Cabot
Date finished: 10/18/16
Genre: Fiction, women’s fiction
Publisher: William Morrow
Publication Date: October 18, 2016
Pages in book: 368
Stand alone or series: Stand alone
Where I got the book from: Edelweiss NOTE: I received this book for free from Edelweiss 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 this brand new stand alone novel for adult readers, a scandal brings celebrity golfer Reed back home to the small town, the crazy family, and first love he once left behind.
Reed Stewart thought he’d left all his small-town troubles-including a broken heart-behind when he ditched tiny Bloomville, Indiana, a decade ago to get rich on the pro golf circuit. Then one tiny post on the Internet causes all of those troubles to return with a vengeance.
Becky Flowers loves her small-town life, her small-town business, and especially the small-town wedding she’s planning. She hasn’t thought about her no good high school ex, Reed Stewart, in years. Until suddenly-thanks to a news story that goes viral on every gossip site on the Internet- Reed comes bursting back into her lifelike an Indiana summer twister.
Now everything Becky and Reed thought they knew about themselves (and one another) has been turned upside down, and they – and possibly the entire town of Bloomville – will never be the same, all because: The Boy is Back.

My rating: 4.5 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. This book is about Becky Flowers, owner of a moving consultant company in rural Indiana. Becky’s life is going along fine, she’s in her late twenties, owns her own business, and has a devoted boyfriend. If things are going so well though, why can’t she stop thinking about her high school boyfriend Reed Stewart? And even worse, when he comes back to town to help his parents, why can’t she seem to resist being near him?
Reed Stewart hasn’t stepped foot in his hometown in 10 years, ever since his father told him to leave and never come back. All this time though he’s kept tabs on Becky through online and through his family to make sure that things are going well for her, never thinking much of his need to keep track of her. But when he comes home to help his family through a crisis, he must come face to face not only with Becky but also with his lingering feelings for her.
Overall I just loved this book. It was hilarious, I was laughing out loud the whole time I was reading. I really just love Cabot’s sense of humor in this book and the other two similar novels she’s written about Boys.I also really just so much enjoy the epistolary style of writing and I think Cabot specifically does a great job at this, compiling a variety of written mediums to form a well-rounded novel. The cast of characters was endearing and entertaining, especially Becky and Reed. I also really liked Cabot’s use of some specific pop culture items like auto-correct and Facebook. This was a great read and I would definitely recommend!

The bottom line: I loved this book, I couldn’t stop laughing! This is one of my favorite writing styles too, similar to her other books Boy Meets Girl and Every Boy’s Got One. Great read and I would definitely recommend!

Link to author website

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