by Debbie Macomber
The story begins with a group of widows getting together to offer each other support to get through the hardest holiday for them, Valentine's Day. Between sipping champagne and dancing on bubble wrap, they begin to talk about all the things they wished they'd done. Together they decide to each create a list of twenty wishes.
This novel follows the lives of these women and how they make their wishes come true, often in unexpected ways. Some of the wishes are easy, some take a lot of work. And others take them far out of their comfort zone.
You would think with so many stories being told, the novel itself would be choppy. But as these friends interact with each other and work towards fulfilling their wish lists, one scene flows effortlessly into another.
This is a wonderful, slice of life book, filled with heart ache and loneliness, laughter and tears. But most of all it's filled with hope. I think we could all use a list of twenty wishes in our lives.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
10. The PMS Outlaws
by Sharyn McCrumb
I have to admit, this isn't my usual reading fare, it was the title that attracted me. However, it was the writing and the story that kept me reading.
At first glance, it's the story of Elizabeth MacPherson, a woman who needs to come to terms with the disappearance of her husband. She has sunk so far into denial and depression that she checks herself into Cherry Hill Psychiatric Hospital.
But skillfully woven into Elizabeth's story is the story of her cousin Bill, a lawyer, who's been given the responsibility of finding a new home for his law practice; the story of A.P. Hill, Bill's law partner, who's desperately trying to unravel the reasons behind her old college chum's sudden transition from top notch lawyer to fugitive from justice; and the story of the PMS Outlaws, two women bent on exacting an unusual revenge on men with a wandering eye.
This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
I have to admit, this isn't my usual reading fare, it was the title that attracted me. However, it was the writing and the story that kept me reading.
At first glance, it's the story of Elizabeth MacPherson, a woman who needs to come to terms with the disappearance of her husband. She has sunk so far into denial and depression that she checks herself into Cherry Hill Psychiatric Hospital.
But skillfully woven into Elizabeth's story is the story of her cousin Bill, a lawyer, who's been given the responsibility of finding a new home for his law practice; the story of A.P. Hill, Bill's law partner, who's desperately trying to unravel the reasons behind her old college chum's sudden transition from top notch lawyer to fugitive from justice; and the story of the PMS Outlaws, two women bent on exacting an unusual revenge on men with a wandering eye.
This was an excellent book and I highly recommend it.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
9. A Natural Father
by Sarah Mayberry
Lucy Basso is pregnant, single, and trying to expand her produce delivery business. As if that weren't complicated enough, she's attracted to the son of her produce supplier. So naturally, while trying to fight her attraction to him, she ends up with him as her business partner. She keeps him at arms length until he finally convinces her that he's not going to abandon her. They have one steamy night together and then he appears to do just that.
The characters were really interesting. Both Lucy and Dom have abandonment issues - hers because of her father who desserted his family when she was young, and his because of a wife who left him. They seem to work on these issues together until Dom suddenly decides he can't give Lucy what she deserves - without consulting her first.
They spend a miserable few weeks apart, but he's there when Lucy goes into labour, just when she needs him most.
Lucy Basso is pregnant, single, and trying to expand her produce delivery business. As if that weren't complicated enough, she's attracted to the son of her produce supplier. So naturally, while trying to fight her attraction to him, she ends up with him as her business partner. She keeps him at arms length until he finally convinces her that he's not going to abandon her. They have one steamy night together and then he appears to do just that.
The characters were really interesting. Both Lucy and Dom have abandonment issues - hers because of her father who desserted his family when she was young, and his because of a wife who left him. They seem to work on these issues together until Dom suddenly decides he can't give Lucy what she deserves - without consulting her first.
They spend a miserable few weeks apart, but he's there when Lucy goes into labour, just when she needs him most.
8. Montana Creeds: Tyler
by Linda Lael Miller
Lily Kenyon has returned home, with her daughter Tess, to take care of her father while he's recouperating from a heart attack. It's a quirk of fate that brings Tyler Creed home at the same time, the boy who broke her heart years ago. It doesn't take them long to realize the connection between them is still sizzling. But before they can be together, they both have to deal with demons from their past, including a waitress from Tyler's past who may, or may not, have had his son; an ex-mother-in-law who's threatening to take Lily's daughter away from her; and a crazy drunk who demolishes Tyler's cabin with a semi.
This was a book passed on to me by a friend, who regularly passes bags of books on to me. I think there's method to her madness - she doesn't have a lot of room to keep them herself and she knows I'm a pack rat. So by passing them on to me she knows where to come if she ever wants to re-read them. :-)
Anyway, the worst part of this book was realizing it was the third of a series. Now I won't be satisfied as until I find the other two!
The main character, Tyler, has a lot of emotional baggage and this is dealt with skillfully and logically. He and his estranged brothers went through hell growing up and he needs to face this before he can move on. Lily, too, has some emotional baggage to deal with before she can let go of the past and realize she's a small town girl at heart.
Lily Kenyon has returned home, with her daughter Tess, to take care of her father while he's recouperating from a heart attack. It's a quirk of fate that brings Tyler Creed home at the same time, the boy who broke her heart years ago. It doesn't take them long to realize the connection between them is still sizzling. But before they can be together, they both have to deal with demons from their past, including a waitress from Tyler's past who may, or may not, have had his son; an ex-mother-in-law who's threatening to take Lily's daughter away from her; and a crazy drunk who demolishes Tyler's cabin with a semi.
This was a book passed on to me by a friend, who regularly passes bags of books on to me. I think there's method to her madness - she doesn't have a lot of room to keep them herself and she knows I'm a pack rat. So by passing them on to me she knows where to come if she ever wants to re-read them. :-)
Anyway, the worst part of this book was realizing it was the third of a series. Now I won't be satisfied as until I find the other two!
The main character, Tyler, has a lot of emotional baggage and this is dealt with skillfully and logically. He and his estranged brothers went through hell growing up and he needs to face this before he can move on. Lily, too, has some emotional baggage to deal with before she can let go of the past and realize she's a small town girl at heart.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
7. Stetsons, Spring & Wedding Rings
by Jillian Hart, Judith Stacy, & Stacey Kayne
Rocky Mountain Courtship
A delightful tale of a young cowboy who mistakes a woman looking for a job as a maid for a mail-order bride. He's already in love with her when his real mail-order bride arrives, he just needs to convince her of it. I really enjoyed this story and the character of Clara, the maid. However, some of the phrases used by Joseph, the cowboy, seemed a little . . . juvenile. It was a little jarring in an otherwise great story.
Courting Miss Perfect
Things just seem to go from bad to worse for Brynn O'Keefe. Having suffered a humiliating incident in Virginia, she goes on a book tour with her Aunt, only to have her Aunt fall ill, forcing Brynn to have to continue the book tour on her own. As if that weren't enough, a Pinkerton agent accuses her of being a jewel thief. This was a fast paced, well done story and I loved the character of Brynn. My only complaint was that it wasn't longer.
Courted by the Cowboy
Constance Pauley is rescued from a fire by a handsome stranger who, unbeknownst to her, arranges for her medical care in a distant city. Two years later, her burns healed, she's ready to start a new life as a school teacher. It's by chance she's reunited with her benefactor, but they both have issues to overcome before they can share a life together. I loved the characters of Connie and Kyle. They're both damaged in spirit and yet they still persevere.
Rocky Mountain Courtship
A delightful tale of a young cowboy who mistakes a woman looking for a job as a maid for a mail-order bride. He's already in love with her when his real mail-order bride arrives, he just needs to convince her of it. I really enjoyed this story and the character of Clara, the maid. However, some of the phrases used by Joseph, the cowboy, seemed a little . . . juvenile. It was a little jarring in an otherwise great story.
Courting Miss Perfect
Things just seem to go from bad to worse for Brynn O'Keefe. Having suffered a humiliating incident in Virginia, she goes on a book tour with her Aunt, only to have her Aunt fall ill, forcing Brynn to have to continue the book tour on her own. As if that weren't enough, a Pinkerton agent accuses her of being a jewel thief. This was a fast paced, well done story and I loved the character of Brynn. My only complaint was that it wasn't longer.
Courted by the Cowboy
Constance Pauley is rescued from a fire by a handsome stranger who, unbeknownst to her, arranges for her medical care in a distant city. Two years later, her burns healed, she's ready to start a new life as a school teacher. It's by chance she's reunited with her benefactor, but they both have issues to overcome before they can share a life together. I loved the characters of Connie and Kyle. They're both damaged in spirit and yet they still persevere.
Monday, January 18, 2010
6. Alaskan Renegade
by Kate Bridges
Nurse Victoria Windhaven and medical student Cooper Sullivan are on a mission to bring much needed medical services into the wildness of the Alaskan goldrush. It's only natural that they need a bodyguard, but what isn't natural is that the bodyguard turns out to be Brant McQuaid, a man from Victoria's past.
When Victoria last knew Brant he was a bounty-hunter who was engaged to her older sister. She still felt the betrayal of the child she'd been but is forced to set aside her feelings when Cooper is kidnapped and she and Brant are the only ones who can save him.
Lots of action, lots of history and a strong cast of characters. It was a sneak attack book - one of those books that you're halfway through before you even realize it, it's such a fast read. Another definite keeper.
Nurse Victoria Windhaven and medical student Cooper Sullivan are on a mission to bring much needed medical services into the wildness of the Alaskan goldrush. It's only natural that they need a bodyguard, but what isn't natural is that the bodyguard turns out to be Brant McQuaid, a man from Victoria's past.
When Victoria last knew Brant he was a bounty-hunter who was engaged to her older sister. She still felt the betrayal of the child she'd been but is forced to set aside her feelings when Cooper is kidnapped and she and Brant are the only ones who can save him.
Lots of action, lots of history and a strong cast of characters. It was a sneak attack book - one of those books that you're halfway through before you even realize it, it's such a fast read. Another definite keeper.
5. Baby Bling
by Elle James
Yasabel Sanchez has worked for, and loved, shipping tycoon Jackson Champion for five years. When Jackson's fiance breaks off their engagement, he turns to his ever reliable assistant for comfort. The comfort turns into a night of steamy sex and even though Jackson left right afterwards for two months, he sees no reason to accept Yasabel's resignation. Things are made even more complicated when it's discovered that someone is trying to use Jackson's company to smuggle in supplies for terrorists. Even if he can't see how much he cares for Yasabel, someone else can and she becomes a target as his enemy seeks to hurt him through her. When she's kidnapped the race is on to find her before the madman who has her blows her, and the rest of Houston, up. But Yasabel has an even greater reason to live. She just needs to find the courage to share that reason with Jackson.
This was fast paced and exciting, with just the right amount of steaminess to it. I loved the way Yasabel stood up for herself in a difficult situation and I admired the way Jackson finally faced his fears. Definitely a keeper.
Yasabel Sanchez has worked for, and loved, shipping tycoon Jackson Champion for five years. When Jackson's fiance breaks off their engagement, he turns to his ever reliable assistant for comfort. The comfort turns into a night of steamy sex and even though Jackson left right afterwards for two months, he sees no reason to accept Yasabel's resignation. Things are made even more complicated when it's discovered that someone is trying to use Jackson's company to smuggle in supplies for terrorists. Even if he can't see how much he cares for Yasabel, someone else can and she becomes a target as his enemy seeks to hurt him through her. When she's kidnapped the race is on to find her before the madman who has her blows her, and the rest of Houston, up. But Yasabel has an even greater reason to live. She just needs to find the courage to share that reason with Jackson.
This was fast paced and exciting, with just the right amount of steaminess to it. I loved the way Yasabel stood up for herself in a difficult situation and I admired the way Jackson finally faced his fears. Definitely a keeper.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
4. Divine Fantasy
by Melanie Jackson
Joyous Jones, who starts out using her pen name of Audrey Atheneum, can't take another second of the holiday spirit she's surrounded with. She flees from Bavaria to a remote island in Fiji, hoping to reinvent herself.
There she meets Ambrose Bierce, who died in Mexico in 1914. Together they face zombies, gouls, a gollum and an 18 foot crocodile. And that's just for starters. It's enough to make any woman question the wisdom of starting a relationship with this man, let alone a woman who has a malformed heart that can't handle stress.
Though it was not quite what I expected when I started reading, I really enjoyed this book. It's refreshing to read about an immortal who isn't a vampire. Although it is part of an ongoing series, each book in the series can stand alone which, as I've said many times before, is the mark of a well done series.
I loved the main character and how "Audrey" became "Joyous". Though she started out by running away to reinvent herself, all she really needed to do was discover the person she was meant to be.
Joyous Jones, who starts out using her pen name of Audrey Atheneum, can't take another second of the holiday spirit she's surrounded with. She flees from Bavaria to a remote island in Fiji, hoping to reinvent herself.
There she meets Ambrose Bierce, who died in Mexico in 1914. Together they face zombies, gouls, a gollum and an 18 foot crocodile. And that's just for starters. It's enough to make any woman question the wisdom of starting a relationship with this man, let alone a woman who has a malformed heart that can't handle stress.
Though it was not quite what I expected when I started reading, I really enjoyed this book. It's refreshing to read about an immortal who isn't a vampire. Although it is part of an ongoing series, each book in the series can stand alone which, as I've said many times before, is the mark of a well done series.
I loved the main character and how "Audrey" became "Joyous". Though she started out by running away to reinvent herself, all she really needed to do was discover the person she was meant to be.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
First Three!
I'm thinking I might have underestimated my reading speed when I figured I could manange 52 books (one a week) for the reading challenge. We're one day short of the end of the first week and I've already got 3 under my belt.
They're all by the same author, Michele Bardsley, and all three from her Broken Heart series. If you've never read any of her Broken Heart books, then all I can say is: Get thee hence to a bookstore!
In a nutshell, Broken Heart is a small (fictional)town in Oklahoma that's been slowly dying - people moving out, businesses folding. Then in the space of one night everything changed when 11 single parents were killed by a rampaging vampire and turned into the undead.
Each book in the series tells a different story. Although the characters overlap and the location is the same, each story is able to stand on its own. This, to my mind, is just one of the things that makes this series great.
We have everything from vampires to werewolves, dragons to zombies. There's mystery, adventure, romance, and hot steaminess galore. :-)
If you'd like to see the whole list and read some excerpts, go HERE.
1. Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home is the story of paranormal investigator Libby Monroe who follows a trail of bizarre sightings straight to Broken Heart and into the arms of a sexy vampire. She's hit the mother lode of the paranormal, only she's not able to leave to tell anyone about it. Not that there's any rush to, especially once a dying dragon passes her powers to her.
2. Over My Dead Body is the tale of Simone Sweet, a single mother who sought refuge from her dark past in Broken Heart. She runs the town's garage, working nights because she's a vampire. Braddock Hayes was part of Libby's paranormal team and has secrets in his own past. They need to learn to trust each other enough to share their secrets if they're to have a future together.
3. Come Hell or High Water is the story of Phoebe Allen. She's lived in Broken Heart all her life and has gone from waitressing at the Sass Cafe to running the place. Oh, and she's a vampire who makes the mistake of having sex with sexy half demon/half fairy Conner. Why is it a mistake? Because when vampires have sex, it binds them to their partner for 100 years.
They're all by the same author, Michele Bardsley, and all three from her Broken Heart series. If you've never read any of her Broken Heart books, then all I can say is: Get thee hence to a bookstore!
In a nutshell, Broken Heart is a small (fictional)town in Oklahoma that's been slowly dying - people moving out, businesses folding. Then in the space of one night everything changed when 11 single parents were killed by a rampaging vampire and turned into the undead.
Each book in the series tells a different story. Although the characters overlap and the location is the same, each story is able to stand on its own. This, to my mind, is just one of the things that makes this series great.
We have everything from vampires to werewolves, dragons to zombies. There's mystery, adventure, romance, and hot steaminess galore. :-)
If you'd like to see the whole list and read some excerpts, go HERE.
1. Wait till Your Vampire Gets Home is the story of paranormal investigator Libby Monroe who follows a trail of bizarre sightings straight to Broken Heart and into the arms of a sexy vampire. She's hit the mother lode of the paranormal, only she's not able to leave to tell anyone about it. Not that there's any rush to, especially once a dying dragon passes her powers to her.
2. Over My Dead Body is the tale of Simone Sweet, a single mother who sought refuge from her dark past in Broken Heart. She runs the town's garage, working nights because she's a vampire. Braddock Hayes was part of Libby's paranormal team and has secrets in his own past. They need to learn to trust each other enough to share their secrets if they're to have a future together.
3. Come Hell or High Water is the story of Phoebe Allen. She's lived in Broken Heart all her life and has gone from waitressing at the Sass Cafe to running the place. Oh, and she's a vampire who makes the mistake of having sex with sexy half demon/half fairy Conner. Why is it a mistake? Because when vampires have sex, it binds them to their partner for 100 years.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Happy New Year
Happy New Year!
Lost Wanderer came up with a reading challenge. I've pledged to read a minimum of 52 books this year and I decided that what better place to keep track of them all than here?
And in case you follow the link and are wondering where I am . . . I'm the first person who commented on the post. That's my real name and me hiding behind my old camera.
Anyway, stay tuned for my progress, I've already started and will be having the first book post of the new year up soon.
Lost Wanderer came up with a reading challenge. I've pledged to read a minimum of 52 books this year and I decided that what better place to keep track of them all than here?
And in case you follow the link and are wondering where I am . . . I'm the first person who commented on the post. That's my real name and me hiding behind my old camera.
Anyway, stay tuned for my progress, I've already started and will be having the first book post of the new year up soon.
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