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Book Review: If Ever I Would Leave You

September 19, 2016 / / 0 Comments

If I Would Ever Leave You

If Ever I Would Leave You – Susan May Warren – Montana Rescue #0.5 – Published October 2016

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Synopsis

If you harbored a devastating secret, had given your solemn promise of silence… what would make you to break it?

Ian Shaw can have anything he wants…

…except the woman he loves. After all, Sierra Rose is his amazing assistant, a woman who helps him hold his empire together, leaving him free to pursue his adventurous hobbies—his only distraction from his excruciating past… until now. But what if she is the one who can finally free him from his regrets?

Sierra Rose harbors a terrible secret…

…the fact that Ian’s favorite niece and ward, Esme, just might elope with her less-than-awesome boyfriend. Sierra’s made a promise to Esme—but her first loyalty belongs to her boss Ian, the man she’s admired for years. But letting herself fall in love with him risks the best job she’s ever had.

When tragedy strikes, sparks ignite…

…because Esme has vanished. Ian fears the worst–has she run away with her boyfriend? Or, has something more sinister happened in the wilds of Glacier National Park? It’s a race against time, with Sierra and Ian caught in the crossfire of secrets, regrets and what-ifs.

My thoughts

I actually read the first book in this series, Wild Montana Skies, before reading this prequel. As I was reading Wild Montana Skies I kept wanting more of Ian and Sierra. I loved their dynamic, the many challenges they face and the complexity of their story. So I was very happy to find, upon taking a closer look at the synopsis, that If Ever I Would Leave You was actually Ian and Sierra’s story (or at least part of it).

If Ever I Would Leave You takes place roughly three years before the start of Wild Montana Skies. Sierra is Ian’s assistant, helping him run his businesses and ranch and generally organising his daily life. Ian is starting to fall for his capable and beautiful assistant, but he’s not sure how to take their relationship of boss and employee to something more. But then Ian’s life explodes when his niece Esme disappears into the Montana wilderness with her boyfriend.

Just like in Wild Montana Skies there is a good combination of drama, tense action and, of course, romance. There is also a bit of the hero physically rescuing his girl (danger-filled first scene for example). But don’t worry, while Sierra sometimes comes across a little damsel-in-distress-y, I found her to be very relatable as a character. She is clever, good at her job, determined, caring and faithful. Her backstory is one of an unusual upbringing and a broken heart. She has scars from the past she doesn’t want to talk about and she certainly doesn’t want to risk her job or her heart by revealing her growing feelings for Ian.

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Book Review: Wild Montana Skies

September 17, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Wild Montana Skies

Wild Montana Skies – Susan May Warren – Montana Rescue #1 – Revell – Published 18 October 2016

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Synopsis

Search and rescue pilot Kacey Fairing is home on leave in Mercy Falls, Montana, twelve years after she joined the military to escape the mistakes of her past. With a job waiting for her as the new lead pilot of Peak Rescue in Glacier National Park, Kacey hopes to reconnect with the now-teenage daughter she sees only between deployments. What she doesn’t realize is that someone else is also back in town. 

Ben King has been building his country music career since the day Kacey shut him out of her life. Now all of that’s on hold when his injured father calls him home to help run Peak Rescue until he’s fully recovered. It doesn’t take long, though, to discover his father’s ulterior motives as Kacey Fairing walks into the house and back into his heart. 
With Mercy Falls in a state of emergency due to flash floods, Kacey and Ben are forced to work together to save lives. But when floodwaters turn personal, can they put aside the past to save their future?

My thoughts

This book has enough action, adventure, mystery, romance and plenty of family tangles and drama to keep any reader glued to the page. There are also a whole host of new characters to fall in love with and a rugged mountain setting that perfectly offsets the dangerous conditions the characters face.

I really enjoyed reading Wild Montana Skies, not quite as much as I loved the all-consuming Christiansen series, but I think it is a great start to what will be a thrilling series. And the romance promises to be just as exciting as the rescues.

Kacey is returning home to Mercy Falls after another stint on duty in the army but this time she’s shaken and a little broken over what transpired while deployed overseas. In Mercy Falls her thirteen-year-old daughter is waiting for her, along with a new job as helicopter pilot for the Mercy Falls search and rescue team. Ben King, too, is on his way home to Mercy Falls, a crumbling music career in his rear-view mirror. Ben just wants to help his ailing father regain his feet before hightailing it back to Nashville. Neither Ben nor Kacey expect to see the other or to dredge up the past and all the hurts and misunderstandings that go with it.

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Book Review: What Light

September 15, 2016 / / 0 Comments

This book cover image released by Razorbill shows "What Light," the latest book by Jay Asher, his first solo work of fiction in nearly a decade. The book is set for release on Oct. 11, 2016. (Razorbill via AP)

What Light – Jay Asher – Razorbill – Published 11 October 2016

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Sierra’s family runs a Christmas tree farm in Oregon—it’s a bucolic setting for a girl to grow up in, except that every year, they pack up and move to California to set up their Christmas tree lot for the season. So Sierra lives two lives: her life in Oregon and her life at Christmas. And leaving one always means missing the other.

Until this particular Christmas, when Sierra meets Caleb, and one life eclipses the other.

By reputation, Caleb is not your perfect guy: years ago, he made an enormous mistake and has been paying for it ever since. But Sierra sees beyond Caleb’s past and becomes determined to help him find forgiveness and, maybe, redemption. As disapproval, misconceptions, and suspicions swirl around them, Caleb and Sierra discover the one thing that transcends all else: true love.

My thoughts

After just finishing a book set during winter, I was primed for another, feel-good wintry Chrismas story which is exactly what I got in What Light. This is a fun, light, romantic story.

Every Christmas Sierra’s family relocates to California for the holidays to sell Christmas trees. It means a whole new set of friends, a new school and a moderately warm Christmas away from her snowy home in Oregon. But this might be their last. Sierra doesn’t want this family tradition to end, nor does she want to say a final goodbye to her friend, Hannah. It’s also why she is reluctant to start anything romantic with the good looking and charming Caleb. But Caleb’s intrigue (and dimples) might be too much to resist, despite the many people who want to warn her away from Caleb and his shadowy past.

At its heart this is a simple romance. Caleb’s past isn’t that big of a deal and he certainly isn’t any sort of bad boy, despite his outcast status in town. The romance between Caleb and Sierra is very sweet and lots of fun, despite a few eye-roll-worthy lines. This book might be a little cheesy, but still very enjoyable.

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Book Review: Can’t Help Falling

September 10, 2016 / / 2 Comments

Can't Help Falling

Can’t Help Falling – Kara Isaac – Howard Books – Published 11 October 2016

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Synopsis

A funny, heartfelt romance about how an antique shop, a wardrobe, and a mysterious tea cup bring two C.S. Lewis fans together in a snowy and picturesque Oxford, England.

Emelia Mason has spent her career finding the dirt on the rich and famous. But deep down past this fearless tabloid-reporter façade, there’s a nerdy Narnia-obsessed girl who still can’t resist climbing into wardrobes to check for the magical land on the other side. When a story she writes produces tragic results, she flees to Oxford, England—home to C.S. Lewis—to try and make amends for the damage she has caused.

Peter Carlisle was on his way to become one of Great Britain’s best rowers—until he injured his shoulder and lost his chance at glory. He’s determined to fight his way back to the top even if it means risking permanent disability to do so. It’s the only way he can find his way past failing the one person who never stopped believing in his Olympic dream.

When Peter and Emelia cross paths on her first night in Oxford, the attraction is instant and they find common ground in their shared love of Narnia. But can the lessons from a fantasyland be enough to hold them together when secrets of the real world threaten to tear them apart? Cobblestone streets, an aristocratic estate, and an antique shop with curious a wardrobe bring the world of Narnia to life in Kara Isaac’s inspiring and romantic story about second chances.

My thoughts

A truly magical story. From the cover and the title to the summary and the fact that I absolutely adored Close To You, I just knew that I was going to love Can’t Help Falling. And I was right, because this book is fantastic.

Emelia longs for a second chance. She has moved to England, left her old life behind and intends to make restitution for her past. But she doesn’t expect it to be so hard and when hiding in an antique wardrobe she happens to meet Peter Carlisle. As they continue to meet, they cannot deny their attraction, but the secrets of Emelia’s past may prevent a future between them.

This book might start with a teacup, an antique shop and a wardrobe, but there is so much more to this story. Can’t Help Falling has a magical quality, much like pushing through the coats at the back of the wardrobe and finding yourself in a magical wood. There are a number of Narnia quotes and references in this book, as to be expected, but even someone who has only seen the movies or has a faint idea of Narnia will understand and love this book. And, of course, the avid Narnia-obsessed reader will adore the way this story is steeped in all things Narnia. Then there is the romance. Beautiful, complicated, meant-to-be, irresistible, sparks-flying romance. It weaves through all the other details to bring together this story of family, second chances, friendship and the rough and tragic sides of life. 

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Book Review: Spare and Found Parts

September 5, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Spare and Found Parts

Spare and Found Parts – Sarah Maria Griffin – Greenwillow Books – Published 4 October 2016

♥♥♥/♥

Synopsis

Nell Crane has always been an outsider. In a city devastated by an epidemic, where survivors are all missing parts—an arm, a leg, an eye—her father is the famed scientist who created the biomechanical limbs everyone now uses. But Nell is the only one whose mechanical piece is on the inside: her heart. Since the childhood operation, she has ticked. Like a clock, like a bomb. As her community rebuilds, everyone is expected to contribute to the society’s good . . . but how can Nell live up to her father’s revolutionary idea when she has none of her own?

Then she finds a mannequin hand while salvaging on the beach—the first boy’s hand she’s ever held—and inspiration strikes. Can Nell build her own companion in a world that fears advanced technology? The deeper she sinks into this plan, the more she learns about her city—and her father, who is hiding secret experiments of his own.

My thoughts

Spare and Found Parts is a steampunk-like sci-fi, set in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic world. It is a strange story, hopeful, intriguing and yet slightly off-putting, inspired by Shelley’s Frankenstein.

Nell lives in a world where computers are a word whispered in fear. Computers caused the sickness that spread through the city, killing many and leaving others missing arms, legs or ears. The city is slowly rebuilding and now tech is used only as body parts in place of those that were lost in the sickness. The idea of tech that can think for itself is terrifying. But not for Nell. She longs to construct a machine that can be brought to life, longs to uncover the meaning behind code and understand what computers could do for her city.

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Book Review: My Hope Next Door

August 23, 2016 / / 0 Comments

My Hope Next Door

My Hope Next Door – Tammy L. Gray – Waterfall Press – Published 13 September 2016

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Synopsis

Former bad girl Katie Stone can feel the weight of her reputation settle over her as she drives home for the first time in years. Feeling deeply guilty about her past mistakes, Katie wants to do the right thing for once. But the small town where she grew up is not nearly as forgiving as she’d hoped. Despite it all, she’s determined to help her parents cope with her mother’s recent illness, and Katie finds a surprise ally in the man next door.

Asher Powell never minded being the son of a small-town pastor until a recent breakup leaves him wounded by lifelong members of his church. He remembers his new neighbor as a mean-spirited high school troublemaker, but he senses that her newfound faith and desire for forgiveness are sincere.

Through an unexpected friendship, two people from different worlds find peace, hope, and a second chance they never dreamed was possible.

My thoughts

My Hope Next Door is a sweet and heartfelt story of second chances, regrets, guilt, mistakes, finding peace and starting again.

Katie never thought she would come home. She left town four years ago after making some of the biggest mistakes of her life. But a new-found faith and her mother’s declining health give her a chance to face her mistakes and maybe find some peace to start over. But she never expected how her next-door neighbour, the paster’s son now all grown up, could make her want to look more deeply at her life, fall in love and maybe even stay.

Katie is a flawed and realistic character. Headstrong, fiery, beautiful, stubborn and deeply troubled by her past. I loved how realistic this book is, especially on the topic of mistakes and the guild one feels. Katie has a big reputation in town, and certainly not a good one, so returning home is hard. I felt her guilt, anger, fear and sorrow pour through the pages. I also thought the way that her pathway to peace and understanding forgiveness was realistic and never rushed.      Continue reading

Book Review: Catching Heat

August 15, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Catching Heat

Catching Heat – Janice Cantore – Cold Case Justice #3 – Tyndale House Publishers – Published 1 September 2016

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Synopsis

Twenty-seven years after the deaths of Detective Abby Hart’s parents, she’s desperate to find the proof that will put the mastermind–the governor’s wife–behind bars. When she joins a newly formed task force and teams up with PI Luke Murphy, Abby is sent to San Luis Obispo to work the cold case of a murdered college student. Realizing their investigation will bring them near the town where Alyssa Rollins grew up, Abby decides to do a little digging of her own into the Triple Seven fire. Luke is eager to help Abby close the books on a case they both have personal stakes in. But as she uncovers long-held secrets, Abby stumbles into an explosive situation, and Luke fears that her obsession may prove deadly. 

My thoughts

Catching Heat is the conclusion to the Cold Case Justice series that readers have been waiting for. Will Abby finally have her answers and find justice for her parents? Well, you’ll just have to read it and find out.

Detective Abby Hart lost her parents in a fire when she was a child. In recent years she has drawn closer to discovering the truth about her parents’ death and the people that caused them. As Abby joins a new cold case investigation team, along with PI Luke Murphy and detective Robert ‘Woody’ Woods, she hopes to have the chance to close her own personal cold case for good.

It is interesting reading a mystery suspense when you already have a good idea of who the bad guy is. There are times this is explicitly stated, times when you think it is confirmed and yet little edges of doubt creep in – could it really be that simple or is there more involved? Also, you don’t know the whys or hows, nor is there any evidence, so it is a lot of fun joining Abby, Luke and their friends and colleagues as they try to find proof and close this case once and for all. As always with this series while the Triple Seven fire case is ongoing, there are plenty of other cases that Abby and Luke are working on, other mysteries to puzzle over as the whole thing crescendos to conclusion.

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Book Review: Overdrive

August 10, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Overdrive

Overdrive – Dawn Ius – Simon Pulse – Published 13 September 2016

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Gone in Sixty Seconds meets Heist Society in this edgy novel about a crack team of teenage criminals on a mission to learn to trust, build a life, and steal a wish list of exotic cars.

Jules Parish has screwed up. After three years of boosting cars, she got caught. She’s too goodto get caught, but she let her (ex)-boyfriend talk her into a questionable job. And now she and her little sister, Emma, will be kicked out of their foster home, left to survive on the unforgiving streets of Las Vegas alone.

Unless.

Eccentric, wealthy Roger Montgomery wants to open up his mansion to Jules and Emma. The only catch? Jules must steal seven of the rarest, most valuable muscle cars in the world…in seven weeks. Even worse, she’s forced to put her trust in three complete strangers to help her do it.

First there’s Chelsea, the gorgeous redhead with a sharp tongue and love for picking locks. Then there’s Mat, who hasn’t met a system he couldn’t hack. And finally there’s the impossibly sexy car thief Nick, whose bad attitude and mysterious past drive Jules crazy.

With nothing in common and everything to lose, can Jules and her amateur crew pull off what could be the biggest car heist in history? Or will things spin out of control faster than a Nevada dust devil?

My thoughts

Any book that claims to be similar to Heist Society is an immediate must read for me, and this book sounded fantastic. While it did not live up to my adoration of Heist Society, Overdrive is an exciting novel of car chases, stakeouts, cool gadgets, family, friendship and romance.

Four teens are brought together in a foster home. But their rich and eccentric foster parent doesn’t plan on providing a roof and food for nothing. He has hand-picked these four teens to help him track down and steal seven of the most famous, elusive muscle cars. The teens have seven weeks to find and boost these cars.

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Book Review: Play On

August 7, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Play on

Play On – Michelle Smith – Lewis Creek #1 – Spencer Hill Contemporary – Published 21 April 2015

♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

In the small town of Lewis Creek, baseball is everything.

Especially for all-star pitcher Austin Braxton, who has a one-way ticket out of town with his scholarship to a top university. All that stands between him and a new start is one final season. But when Austin starts flunking Chemistry, his picture-perfect future is in jeopardy. A failing grade means zero playing time, and zero playing time means no scholarship.

Enter Marisa Marlowe, the new girl in town who gets a job at his momma’s flower shop. Not only is Marisa some home-schooled super-genius, she’s also a baseball fanatic and more than willing to help Austin study. As the two grow closer, there’s something about Marisa that makes Austin want more than just baseball and out of Lewis Creek—he wants a future with her. But Marisa has a past that still haunts her, one that she ran all the way to South Carolina to escape.

As Austin starts to peel back the layers of Marisa’s pain, it forces him to look beyond the facade of himself and everyone he thought he knew in his town. What he sees instead is that in a small town like Lewis Creek, maybe baseball isn’t everything—maybe it is just the thing that ties them all together.

My thoughts

I absolutely love books that combine sweet romance with a story of determination, perseverance through hardship and the strength of family and friendship. Play On combines all this backed with the wonderful setting of small town, Southern USA and baseball.

Austin has just one season left. One season of playing high school baseball as the starting pitcher before heading off to college, one season left of school to keep his grades high enough to keep playing and one season left of soaking in the moments that come with spending time with his best friends before they all leave town and never look back.

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Book Review: Just A Kiss

August 5, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Just A Kiss

Just A Kiss – Denise Hunter – Summer Harbor #3 – Thomas Nelson – Published 6 September 2016

♥♥♥♥♥

Synopsis

Watching the love of his life falling for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all.

But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige.

Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances he’s adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. He has nightmares and mood swings, and his unwavering independence keeps him from accepting help from anyone, including her. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up the money needed to save it.

As the weeks wear on with the two in such close proximity, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into unchartered territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his corded arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in?

My thoughts

Just A Kiss is a wonderful story. I love stories where best friends fall in love and this book reinforces why. Family, friendship, romance, heartache and faith combine in this charming story, and there is no ‘just’ about the kisses in this book!

Riley has been in love with his best friend Paige for all of his adult life. But he never dared risk their friendship, even going so far as to enlist to avoid seeing her with other guys, especially his older brother. But now Riley is returning home from war and he will be living with Paige while he recovers from a bomb blast that cost him his leg. Riley believes, now more than ever, that Paige deserves more than he could give her, but he never counted on Paige’s own feelings, nor how the time they spend in close proximity could draw them together or push them apart.

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