Her Only Wish Book Review

 I was excited to get to read the next book in this series after having the chance to read the first.  The cover was again set in beautiful Pinecraft but it showed a different character so I was excited to find out who this book was going to follow.  I love all of the books that I have read by Shelley Shepard Gray especially the first book in the Season in Pinecraft series.

 

Return to Pinecraft, Florida, for a Sweet Amish Romance

Sheltered yet adventurous, Betsy Detweiler is on a mission to get out of Kentucky and experience new things in life. She's got a list--a life list. What better place to start than with her friends in beautiful Pinecraft, Florida?

From the moment Betsy walks into the Snow Bird Golf Course to sign up for lessons, August Troyer is mesmerized. Betsy is a mass of contradictions--beautiful yet awkward, outgoing yet unsure, joyful yet hesitant. She's like no one he's ever met before, and as the only child of missionary parents, he's met a lot of people.

As Betsy and August embark on a month of enjoying life to the fullest, they'll encounter several reasons to back off and play it safe. But playing it safe has its own consequences. This tender romance reminds us that life--and love--requires a fair amount of risk.

I was excited to see Betsy return in this book to have another vacation from her small town in Kentucky to stay with her friend Mary Margaret in Pinecraft. Betsy is working on changing her life because she has lived with lifelong medical problems. Betsy has set up a life list of things that she wants to accomplish. She has decided that the first thing that she going to try is learning to play golf.  She has no athletic ability but has decided that she has decided she is determined to learn.  Betsy meets August Troyer who works at the golf course. She was set that during the month in Pinecraft she is going to finish her list but what she learns is even more valuable because she makes many lifelong friends. Betsy is learning a lot along the way but in addition to her list, she is learning more about herself then she ever thought as well as to be independent.  I hope that you check out this book and enjoy it as much as I did but I do highly suggest starting with the first book in the series first.  This was a great follow up book to tell Betsy's story.  I can't even wait to read the next book in the series to follow our last friend through her life changing process.

**I was provided a copy of the book for my review but the review was not required to be positive.

 

Her Heart's Desires Book Review

 I was excited to read another great series by Shelley Shepard Gray.  I thought it looked like a great book just from the lovely cover and I love everything that I have read by this author. I was excited to start another series following different characters in each book as many of her series do. My favorite is to start at the beginning of the series like this which is the first book in the A Season in Pinecraft series.  I have enjoyed reading other Amish fiction that were also set in Pinecraft so I was excited to read this new series.

 

 

 

Mary Margaret Miller needs an escape from her small Amish community. She boards a bus, all alone, for a vacation in Pinecraft, Florida. Meeting Betsy and Lilly on the way, she’s amazed to find two kindred spirits. They become fast friends and determine to have the best two weeks of their lives. For Mary, it starts when she meets Jayson Raber, a handsome and charming carpenter.

Jayson is taken with Mary from the get-go, but he has responsibilities back home in Kentucky—including a girl he’s supposed to marry. And when someone from Mary’s past shows up in Pinecraft, it seems like her perfect vacation is ruined. But that’s nothing compared to what’s coming when she realizes what Jayson has been hiding …

Mary Margaret wants to go on a vacation and get away from her normal life in her small Amish community. She is traveling to Pinecraft, Florida to enjoy the warm weather and a break from her normal life. During the trip, there is a weather delay and she gets to meet Betsy and Lilly during the trip and delay where they have to stay overnight in a hotel. They decide that night that they are all going to change their lives by living their best life while on vacation and leaving their pasts behind them. MAry Margaret meets Jayson while he is in Pinecraft and they become quick friends even though they haven't known each other for very long. Jayson is struggling with the life that he needs to live at home and his responsibility to his sister.  I though that the fight that they have when Mary Margaret discovers the truth.  The end is a surprise and I hope that you read all the way to the end and figure out what is going to happen.  I hope that you enjoy this book and check it out for yourself. The characters were fun and I was really interested to see who would be featured in the next book in the series. Stay turned and you will also find out!!

**I was provided a copy of this book for my review but no positive review was required.

 

Second Time Around Book Review

 I thought that this cover and title sounded very intriguing even before I got to the summary of the book.  I have also read a bunch of different books by this author and I have enjoyed them all.  I can't relate to having an empty nest yet but but I totally think that being overwhelmed by the move and construction is something that I can totally relate to. I tend to prefer the books when I can find something I sympathize with or relate to in the main character. Mallory Farrell was starting over in a new life with what her grandmother left her in her will.

 

 

 

When empty nester Mallory Farrell inherits her grandmother's run-down tourist shop in Seaport, Oregon, it seems the only sensible thing to do is to sell it. But when her former secret crush, Grayson Matthews, wants to buy the property in order to complete his plans to redevelop the funky town's business district into a soulless, cookie-cutter outdoor mall, Mallory digs in her heels and decides to renovate the property herself.

With a lot of hard work and a little bit of help, Mallory makes incredible progress turning the store into an eclectic home décor shop called Romancing the Home--all while trying to ignore the depressing and decrepit apartment she's living in on the second floor. When the shop catches the eye of a popular renovation TV show producer, Mallory is thrilled--until it becomes clear that her apartment is to be part of the segment as well.

She's tempted to abandon her dreams and the town under a cloud of shame. But perhaps there's more to Grayson than meets the eye. Can he swallow his pride, change his plans, and help Mallory romance her own home--and possibly her life?

The story jumped directly into the middle of the big life decision where Mallory was dealing with her grandmothers estate and traveling back to the small town she spent summers at as a child.  I thought it was really interesting to see how Mallory avoided dealing with Grayson based on their history together when she was a child. But she quickly decides to give up her career and house and move to the small town because she has decided that this was exactly what her empty nest life needed.  I am not sure what decision others would make in her place but I thought it was a great story. Mallory has to move all of the stuff out of the shop and quickly finds a great buyer to take all of the things in the shop and starts making big strides to renovate the shop to turn it into the home decor shop that she has envisioned.  All of the fun parts of the story where Mallory is connecting to others in the small town and making her new life is the best part of the story.  The only part that is hard to understand is that she so set on doing things herself and being miserable because things aren't going well.  Although I am sure we can all relate to wanting it to be independent, it is a great improved story when she starts to trust and rely on others. I hope that you check out this book for yourself and enjoy it as much as I did. It was a great story with great characters.

 

**I was provided a copy of the book for my review but I was not required to provide a positive review. 

A Quilt for Christmas Book Review

 I was excited to get a chance to read another Melody Carson Christmas book. A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carlson was a great book to add to my Christmas reading pile. I have enjoyed a few of her books in the past and certainly can't turn down a good Christmas book or movie.  My favorite type of book to read because it really has the spirit of the season to get my in the mood for the holiday. I look forward to reading these great piece of the holiday spirit.

 

Christmas should be celebrated with family. But for Vera Swanson, that's not an option this year. Widowed and recently relocated, she is lonely in her condo-for-one—until little Fiona Albright knocks on her door needing help. With her mother seriously ill and her father out of town, Fiona enlists Vera's help, and when she finds out her new neighbor is a quilter, she has a special request—a Christmas quilt for Mama. 

Vera will have to get a ragtag group of women together in order to fulfill the request. Between free-spirited artist Tasha, chatty empty nester Beverly, retired therapist Eleanor, and herself, Vera has hopes that Christmas for the Albright family will be merry, after all—and she may find herself a new family of friends along the way. 

Bestselling and award-winning author Melody Carlson invites you to cuddle up this holiday season with this cozy story of giving, forgiving, and a little bit of romance.

I started off the story thinking that it was going to be sad and was a little worried but as always, there is a quick pick up of hope. I was instantly won over by Fiona Albright who was an adorable little girl that was coming to a neighbor that she didn't even know to ask for help for her mom.  Vera Swanson stepped up to take care of three neighbor children that she didn't even know because their mother was in the hospital and their father was working out of town.  Vera was brought back alive from the short few days with Fiona by starting a project to make her mom a Christmas quilt.  Vera put herself out into the neighborhood and gets to know some people who are interested in learning how to quilt and might be able to help her finish this big project by Christmas in order to bless this family who was new to the area.  It was a fast read that was an emotional story that had you hoping for all of the characters in the story. There were all the members of the Albright family, Vera Swanson and the Quilting ladies and their families.  It was a great mix of characters and all of the interactions brought more information to the surface.  The characters in the quilting group were all very different and they brought out qualities so that you could learn about everyone while making the Christmas quilt but you have to pick up the book for yourself to find out what happens. As with many shorter stories, I sometimes get to the end and wish there was a little more but that might be true with many books. I hope that you check out this book by Melody Carlson and a bunch of her other Christmas stories.

* I was given a copy of this book for my review but all opinions here are honest and my own.

Sunburst Book Review

I have loved all of the books by Susan May Warren that I have read so I was excited to read this one. Sunburst: Book 2 Sky King Ranch by Susan May Warren is the second book in the series and I was so excited to find out what brother this book was going to be about. After reading about Dodge in the first book, I was excited to read about the next brother. The cover looks amazing and seemed like it would be another good flying book. I was ready to get to know all the ins and outs of this interesting family even though the cover clearly isn't set in Alaska.

When former Navy SEAL and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.

Noemi Sutton was attempting to return a young girl to her family in Boko Haram territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage, along with several others.

And while Ranger Kingston may be able to get the hostages away from their captors, he'll need Noemi's help if he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.

Her solution? Pose as husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on a traditional Nigerian wedding--binding Noemi to a man destined to break her heart. Worse, she's discovered the real reason she was kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the cross fire. Including her so-called new husband. She'll need to figure out a way to leave the man she loves if she wants to save his life.

This book is about Ranger who is one of the Kingston triplets.  It follows his career as a NAVY Seal. The amazing background story starts to pull you in and make you really want the best for this life long bachelor.  Ranger goes on a mission to save his brother in Nigeria and ends up saving the women that he had fallen for. Noemi Sutton was a mystery women that Ranger met at a hotel while in Seal training.  I was so excited as they got to know each other again even if it was while running away from terrorists who were trying to kill them.  It made it really hard to put down the book to do anything because there was always something happening from trying to get through a check point to getting married in traditional Nigerian wedding.  Through it all, I was hoping for Ranger and Noemi end up together but you have to pick up the book to find out what adventures they have and how it ended.  I thought it was a great story with even better characters. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series.  I know that you will enjoy it as much as I have.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from Revell and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

Sunrise Book Review

 I have enjoyed all of the books by Susan May Warren and I was excited to get to start a new series.  The first book in the series was Sunrise by Susan May Warren. The cover alone looked really fun with the snow covered mountain and the plane.  This is the first book in the Sky King Ranch where you get to know the wonderful Alaska wilderness and the great Ranch where the story is set.

 

Pilot Dodge Kingston has always been the heir to Sky King Ranch. But after a terrible family fight, he left to become a pararescue jumper. A decade later, he's headed home to the destiny that awaits him. 

That's not all that's waiting for Dodge. His childhood best friend and former flame, Echo Yazzie, is a true Alaskan--a homesteader, dogsledder, and research guide for the DNR. Most of all, she's living a life Dodge knows could get her killed. One of these days she's going to get lost in the woods again, and his worst fear is that he won't be there to find her.
 
When one of Echo's fellow researchers goes missing, Echo sets out to find her, despite a blizzard, a rogue grizzly haunting the woods, and the biting cold. Plus, there's more than just the regular dangers of the Alaskan forests stalking her . . .

Will Dodge be able to find her in time? And if he does, is there still room for him in her heart?

I thought this was a great start to the series.  The book started right in the middle of the action and had you pulling for Dodge right away. Dodge was in the military after a family fight and left home for 10 years.  He only returned after he got a call that his father had an accident.  It was a tough choice to come home but he even decided that he would stay until his father got better and help run the family business.  Of course after returning home, we meet Echo who is the reason Dodge left home.  Echo lives in the wilderness of Alaska training sled dogs and taking care of her father. The beauty of Alaska is wonderful and it makes you feel like you are in the cold and snowy winter. You have to read the book for yourself to find out what happens but I promise that you will love this fast moving story where there is always something going on. It made me want to pick up the next book in the series immediately.  I hope that you check out this book and all the others in the series and enjoy them.

*I received a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own and not positive reviews were required.

The Sweet Life Book Review

 I was excited to check out this new series by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I thought from the picture on the cover that it would be a light summer read so I was surprised by the beginning of the book.  It was about the break up of a relationship that was headed towards marriage and about getting over the death of a loved one.  This was a lot deeper then an ice cream cone on the cover suggested. I think that the lighter ice cream cover suggests a lot more because of the name of the Cape Cod Creamery.

Dawn Dixon can hardly believe she's on a groomless honeymoon on beautiful Cape Cod...with her mother. Sure, Marnie Dixon is good company, but Dawn was supposed to be here with Kevin, the love of her life (or so she thought). 

Marnie Dixon needs some time away from the absolute realness of life as much as her jilted daughter does, and she's not about to let her only child suffer alone - even if Marnie herself had been doing precisely that for the past month. Given the circumstances, maybe it was inevitable that Marnie would do something as rash as buy a run-down ice-cream shop in the town's tightly regulated historic district. After all, everything's better with ice cream. 

Her exasperated daughter knows that she's the one who will have to clean up this mess. Even when her mother's impulsive real estate purchase brings Kevin back into her life, Dawn doesn't get her hopes up. Everyone knows that broken romances stay broken...don't they?  Welcome to a summer of sweet surprises on Cape Cod - a place where dreams just might come true. 

I thought it was an interesting book that started out with a deep sadness.  It was hard to get started on the book because it was sad because Dawn lost her father and broke up with her fiance. Marnie lost her husband and got breast cancer. I knew that starting off on such a negative note meant that anything had to get better.  Both women decide to go on a vacation together (which happens to be the honeymoon that Dawn was supposed to go on). There is a lot of hurt and sadness and they spend most of their time apart doing things that make them both feel better like laying on the beach or walking around the small town they are staying in. Both Marnie and Dawn are on the very slow road to healing and the small Cape Cod town is helping them to do that. Although this isn't a light and uplifting book, it is still a book of hope and rebuilding after something bad happens in your life.  I know that many people use books as an escape from the things that are going on in our lives and if a heavy book is not what you are looking for, I totally understand.  However, I promise that you will want to keep on going to find out what happens in the lives of all those involved in the Cape Cod Creamery.  Marnie and Dawn bring a lot of people into their lives through this story and they all make the story great.  I know that there are a few surprises worth sticking around to find out.  I hope that you check out the book and see for yourself.

**I got a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own. No positive comments were required.

A Season on the Wind Book Review

I picked this book because I love the author and have loved everything that she has written.  When I finally started it, I realized that it wasn't exactly what I expected.  Although I know that Suzanne Woods Fisher does a lot of different books, this book was about birds.  I wasn't very interested in reading about birds but I knew that if I hung it, it would be a great story with great characters. Season on the Wind by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a stand alone book about an Amish town and the people who live there.

Ben Zook had only two loves in his life: books and birds. In a stroke of good fortune, he'd stumbled onto a way to cobble together those two loves into a career, writing books about rare birds. He was as free as a bird--until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney Ridge. Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires a local field guide, Micah Weaver, and boards at Micah's farm, planning to "bag the bird" and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him. But he neglected to plan for Micah's sister, Penny.

One long-ago summer, Penny had introduced Ben to birding, even sharing with him a hidden eagle aerie. That was when she knew true love. She'd always hoped he would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to her. The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny. Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher welcomes her readers to the Amish community at Stoney Ridge in this engaging story of discovering just who the rare birds are in life. 

Whether interested in birds or just in the Amish culture, I hope that you check out this book and enjoy it for yourself. There was lots of interesting information about birds and bird watching. There was even more great characters in the wonderful small town in Stoney Ridge. Ben Zook is immediately the center of all of the attention when Penny recognizes him as former Amish. I couldn't wait to find out why he stood out so much in her memory. I was excited to read the rest of this adventure and you should check it out for yourself.

 ** I was given a copy of this book for my review but all opinions here are my own and a positive review was not required.

A Christmas in the Alps Book Review

 The cover looked amazing and I knew that I had enjoyed the author before so I was excited to read A Christmas in the Alps: A Christmas Novella by Melody Carlson. I love a good Christmas story and one set in the Alps sounded like the perfect first Christmas book of the season. I like being surprised by a book so I took a quick look at the summary to see if it would be something that sounded interesting and promptly forgot what it was about. I was excited to pick up the book and find out if it lived up the cover.

After a time of heartache and loss, Simone Winthrop discovers a tantalizing letter from her French great-grandmother, which seems to suggest that she is heir to a family treasure. Ever practical, Simone assumes the claim is baseless, but her best friend encourages her to find out for sure. Despite her deep-rooted fear of flying, Simone boards a jet to travel to Paris at Christmastime to uncover the truth.

During the long flight, Simone meets the charming Kyle Larsson, who's on his way to France to become an apprentice clockmaker. Though they abruptly part ways, an unexpected rendezvous in the French Alps at Simone's family's clock factory may lead to the discovery of the family treasure . . . and so much more.

For anyone who is wearying of staying home, Melody Carlson invites you to spend Christmas with her in the beautiful French Alps this year. So pull on your mittens, tie your scarf tight, and prepare yourself for a magical mountain holiday.

Simone Winthrop is going through her great grandmothers house after her passing and trying to get all of her things in order but it was so hard since everything seem to hold memories.  Her friend helped her go through some of the things and found a letter that was addressed to Simone but it was sealed and they were both very confused on why that would be in boxes of old things. It was a letter telling Simone that she had to go to France to the small town where her great grandmother grew up and find a treasure. The biggest problem is that Simone is too scared to fly.  Her friend doesn't give her a chance to back out by getting her new clothes, new luggage and going so far as to book the tickets. Simone is under way on the great journey when she meets Kyle in the seat next to her.  He does an amazing job of helping her calm down and make it through the plane ride.  Although there is a layover in Iceland and it turns out that he is getting on a plane to Norway while she is getting back on the plane to France.  Simone gives Kyle her information and hopes to hear from him again.  Simone makes it to France and you really need to pick up the book to find out if she talks to Kyle again and what the treasure is that she finds in her grandmother's hometown. I know I had my ideas what it was going to be from the beginning but I was ready to read and find out.  I hope that you check out this book for yourself to follow the adventure and enjoy this wonderful Christmas story of family and coming back after great loss. I thought it was a great book and I can't wait for the next Christmas story from this fun author!!

**I was provided a copy of the book to review but all opinions here are my own and I was not required to post a positive review.

Beyond the Tides Book Review

 I knew the author sounded familiar when I saw this interesting cover and was immediately drawn in to find out what the book was about.  I didn't look her up until after completing the book that I have previously read The Red Door Inn and A Dazzle of Diamonds both written by her.  Beyond the Tides (Prince Edward Island Shores) by Liz Johnson is the first book in a new series about Prince Edward Island and growing up with the island life. I couldn't wait to get started and find out more about it.

 

 

When Meg Whitaker's father decides to sell the family's lobster-fishing business to her high school nemesis, she sets out to prove she should inherit it instead. Though she's never had any interest in running the small fleet--or even getting on a boat due to her persistent seasickness--she can't stand to see Oliver Ross take over. Not when he ruined her dreams for a science scholarship and an Ivy League education ten years ago.

Oliver isn't proud of what he did back then. Angry and broken by his father walking out on his family, he lashed out at Meg--an innocent bystander. But owning a respected fishing fleet on Prince Edward Island is the opportunity of a lifetime, and he's not about to walk away just because Meg wants him to.

Meg's father has the perfect solution: Oliver and Meg must work the business together, and at the end of the season, he'll decide who gets it. Along the way, they may discover that their stories are more similar than they thought . . . and their dreams aren't what they expected.

I thought this was great book with wonderful characters that made it really hard to put it down.  I started reading it before bed one night just to see what it was about and ended up staying up half the night to see what was going to happen next.  From the relationship between father and daughter and the relationship with the boating community, this book made you wonder what was going to happen next for these characters. I was immediately taken with Meg Whitaker and felt everything she felt through the story. She gave up her dreams to move home when her mother got sick and gave up even more when her father decided to walk away from the business.  She decided that she couldn't let her father sell the company that she has known all her life that was her family legacy.  She quit her job as the high school teacher in the community to go to work on the fishing boat.  The biggest hurdle was that she got seasick so just setting foot in the boat was hard to handle but the worst part is that the person she hated the most was the person that she had to work with every day.  Not only that, if she gave up the family business then he would be the one that got to buy it.  Meg was determined not to let her bitter rival, Oliver Ross, take away her family company. Oliver was equally relatable because he was a nice guy who had a tough time growing up with his father leaving when he was young and his brother leaving more in the past 10 years to pursue his hockey career playing in the NHL. Both had left and never looked back to the small Canadian town of Prince Edward Island.  Oliver's whole life has been working on the boat and he wasn't willing to give it up without a fight even if that meant that he would have to work along side the person that was his biggest regret.  I don't want to ruin the story but there are amazing twists and turns with the great characters of Meg's mom and dad and Oliver's mom and younger brother as well as all the other people in the small town. I know that you will want to pick up this book and be transported to the small ocean town and learn all about what the lobster business means to both Oliver and Meg and everyone else in the small town.

 

**I was given a copy of the book for my review but all opinions here are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.

A Lighthouse Point Book Review

 I was excited to read the next book in the Three Sisters Island, At Lighthouse Point (Three Sisters Island) by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I love this author so I was excited to see that there was a new book to read.  I didn't even knew that it was in the series that I had already read but I was excited to get started to find out what the sisters had been up to.  I was a little disappointed at the beginning because there was a lot of whiny behavior but I knew that if I hung in there it would lead to a resolution.  I wasn't disappointed.

 

Blaine Grayson returns to Three Sisters Island with a grand plan--to take Camp Kicking Moose to the next level. Her dream starts to unravel when she discovers Moose Manor's kitchen has been badly remodeled by her sister, Cam, who doesn't know how to cook. Added to that blow is the cold shoulder given by her best friend, Artie Lotosky, now a doctor to the unbridged Maine islands.
 
As old wounds are opened, Blaine starts to wonder if she made a mistake by coming home. Little by little, she must let go of one dream to discover a new one, opening her heart to a purpose and a future she had never imagined. Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the coast of Maine for a story that reminds you to release what doesn't matter and cling to what does: faith, family, and friendships.

I was excited to see Blaine again because I enjoyed meeting her in the previous book.  Blaine went oversees after having a bad experience in her school.  She started over in Paris and decided that she was chasing her dream but she found out that her depression followed her there.  She was in a very dark place and was saved by a new friend who she brought back to meet her family.  Blaine was trying to make a new life after working through her problems.  She went through the program at Cordon Bleu Cooking school and came back to the small island and her family.  Although that wasn't without it's issues.  The family was trying their best to get along but two sisters were pregnant, her best friend was mad at her and her father and grandfather were at odds.  It was a crazy time in the household and the camp was looking to maybe not open because there weren't permits for the things that they fixed.  All of the family needs to pull together or everyone is going to have issues.  You have to pick up the book and find out what happens and who saves the day this time.  After finishing reading this book, I realized that I don't think that I have read the first book in the series!  I guess I will have to look at the library and see if they have the first book to read so that I finish the series.

 

**I received a copy of the book to read for my review but all opinions here are my own and I was not required to 

The Bounty Book Review

I went through the list of the new releases at the library and was excited to see the next installment of the Fox and O'Hare series which I have really enjoyed.  I reserved it and waited a long time while it went through all of the people that were way more on top of things and reserved it earlier. I was so excited when The Bounty: A Novel (7) (A Fox and O'Hare Novel) by Janet Evanovich finally came on to my reserve shelf so that I would get to read this fun book.  It has all the fun of the Castle television series with the drama of FBI versus criminal.

 

FBI agent Kate O’Hare and charming criminal Nick Fox race against time to uncover a buried train filled with Nazi gold in this thrilling adventure in the “romantic and gripping” (Good Housekeeping) Fox and O’Hare series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich. Straight as an arrow special agent Kate O’Hare and international criminal Nick Fox have brought down some of the biggest bad guys out there. But now they face their most dangerous foe yet—a vast, shadowy international organization known only as the Brotherhood. Directly descended from the Vatican Bank priests who served Hitler during World War II, the Brotherhood is on a frantic search for a lost train loaded with $30 billion in Nazi gold, untouched for over seventy-five years somewhere in the mountains of Eastern Europe.

Kate and Nick know that there is only one man who can find the fortune and bring down the Brotherhood—the same man who taught Nick everything he knows—his father, Quentin. As the stakes get higher, they must also rely on Kate’s own father, Jake, who shares his daughter’s grit and stubbornness. Too bad they can never agree on anything. From a remote monastery in the Swiss Alps to the lawless desert of the Western Sahara, Kate, Nick, and the two men who made them who they are today must crisscross the world in a desperate scramble to stop their deadliest foe in the biggest adventure of their lives.

The book was off to a fast start with Kate and Nick on loan to the Vatican to try to help them increase their security and find the flaws.  However they didn't believe that they were going to be broken into so they didn't take the advice very seriously.  When they were broken into and it just so happened to be Nick's father that was the robber, they immediately decided that it was an inside job.  Although they ere surprised when he stole a map instead of the highest priced item the ring they were expecting.  Nick froze when he saw who was breaking in and then decided that he and Kate were on the job to find his father.  It was a fun story from there because there was so much action and adventure.  Every time I read these books I think about how great they would be as a TV show or movie because there is so much going on.  It reminded me of a Indiana Jones movie where they were hunting for buried Nazi gold and they needed all of the other people to help them find it.  Nick and Kate followed the clues with the help of their fathers.  It was a great story and made it hard to put down because you wanted to find out what was going to happen next. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of this great series.  I am amazed that there are 7 books in this series already.  I hope that you start at the beginning and follow the great journey through Kate and Nick's relationship to see how they got to where they are in this book!  I know I enjoyed all of them and I hope that you will too.

The Vineyard at Painted Moon

 I reserved this book because I saw it on the new release section and I love this author.  The Vineyard at Painted Moon: A Novel by Susan Mallery seemed like an interesting book even though I knew nothing about it.  From the cover, it looked like it was going to be a book about some foreign country but I was pleased to find out that it was set in Washington State and talking about local wine making in the US.  I hope that you check out this book for yourself because you will immediately be taken on a vacation to wine country.

 

Step into the vineyard with Susan Mallery’s most irresistible novel yet, as one woman searches for the perfect blend of love, family and wine.

Mackenzie Dienes seems to have it all—a beautiful home, close friends and a successful career as an elite winemaker with the family winery. There’s just one problem—it’s not her family, it’s her husband’s. In fact, everything in her life is tied to him—his mother is the closest thing to a mom that she’s ever had, their home is on the family compound, his sister is her best friend. So when she and her husband admit their marriage is over, her pain goes beyond heartbreak. She’s on the brink of losing everything. Her job, her home, her friends and, worst of all, her family.

Staying is an option. She can continue to work at the winery, be friends with her mother-in-law, hug her nieces and nephews—but as an employee, nothing more. Or she can surrender every piece of her heart in order to build a legacy of her own. If she can dare to let go of the life she thought she wanted, she might discover something even more beautiful waiting for her beneath a painted moon.

I was very happy to get this book and get a chance to read it.  Mackenzie Dienes is working in a career she loves as a winemaker at a family winery.  She loves taking care of the grapes and working with her husband's family to make the best wine that she can.  The winery has won many awards because of all of Mackenzie's hard work.  She has no family of her own and was immediately taken in by her husband's family with his mom taking over as her motherly figure.  She is also best friends with his sisters and they all live on the family property in separate houses. They find out that they are no longer happy in their marriage and decide to get divorced.  In the divorce, she is set to loose everything including her husband, her friends, her job and her home.  It is a hard blow to her that she figures out that she needs to make a new life for herself to be happy on her own but you have to pick up the book to find out what happens. It is amazing to watch the entire transformation and see how Mackenzie changes her life.  You will love this book as much as I did when you read the great story of overcoming what is many huge obstacles to make her own life. I was even more happy when I realized that I knew Bruno from another series which I didn't realize until he revealed his past. I hope that you check out this fun book and enjoy it for yourself.

Huckleberry Lake Book Review

 I hope that you check out this next installment of Mystic Creek series, Huckleberry Lake (Mystic Creek) by Catherine Anderson. It is the 6th and final book in the series. I was looking forward to seeing who we got to learn more about when I picked up this book.  I was so excited to see Erin De Laney and Wyatt Fitzgerald who I enjoyed getting to know in the last book.

 

Erin De Laney came to Mystic Creek hoping that the slower pace might rekindle her enthusiasm for law enforcement. Instead she feels as frustrated as she did in the city and when her disillusionment with the job increases, she takes a position on her uncle's ranch. Her life has enough complications without her attraction to handsome, deaf cowboy, Wyatt Fitzgerald, the foreman on the ranch. Wyatt has sworn off dating, and Erin fears that nothing she does will ever change his mind. Yet while working with an abused horse under Wyatt's guidance, Erin comes to better understand herself. She also learns that love can heal almost anything. Wyatt yearns to take Erin into his arms, but he's hesitant to pursue a romantic relationship. When their work sends them out alone together into a wilderness area, Wyatt is even more determined to hold Erin at arm's length. But out of their time alone together on the mountain blossoms a chance for a once-in-a-lifetime love if only he's willing to give her his heart and make her his.

I enjoyed getting to know Erin and Wyatt in the last book and was excited to see them in this book.  I was a little disappointed at the beginning of the book because I thought it was a change from where the last book left off.  Erin and Wyatt were sort fighting a relationship but it was still a friendship so it was a little switch in my mind to where this book started.  I know most people aren't reading the books back to back so they might not feel the same way or they might have seen something differently in the last book that I missed. I enjoyed watching their friendship grow again in this book and see all the challenges that both go through in this book. I love that this series normally covers two different couples and this book was no exception because we got to know Wyatt's brother who was fun to get to know and his love interest.  I think that the book quickly got back on track and I was much happier as the book went on but I don't want to ruin anything so I think that you should pick up this book and read for yourself. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of this series.  I enjoyed it a lot and was so happy to get to have one more time to visit this small town.

Spring Forward Book Review

 I was excited to get back to this series since it was due back to the library soon and I had three books to read through. Spring Forward (Mystic Creek) by Catherine Anderson was the 4th book in the series. I had other books that were due back to the library that I needed to read first so this second half of the series was put on hold for a little bit.  I was excited to see who we were going to be meet in the small town of Mystic Creek now.

 

When a favorite customer on his delivery route needs a favor, Tanner Richards agrees to help without a second thought. The last thing he expects is to face off against the man’s spitfire granddaughter.
 
Crystal Malloy is near her breaking point. Her beloved grandfather constantly skirts the rules at the retirement center where he’s recovering from surgery. She’s caring for his escape artist dog, even if it means abandoning her salon customers, and she has no time for a romantic attraction to the handsome new stranger. 
 
After Tanner’s reassigned to Mystic Creek, Crystal can no longer ignore how much she misjudged the man’s good intentions. She has known too much sorrow to easily open her heart, but she can’t deny that Tanner and his children could gift her with a happiness beyond compare—if only she can forgive herself for the past and accept that she’s deserving of such a love.

Tanner Richards is living a life all about his family.  His wife is gone and he is raising his two children alone.  His mother is there to help but he feels like he puts too much on her and she isn't getting a chance to have her own life. Tanner left his accounting practice to move to a smaller town to have a better life for his kids.  He now works a delivery person and becomes friends with a lot of people along his route.  Although one of those friendships gets him into trouble.  He is asked to deliver a package to a friend who has left his home on Tanner's route to delivery to the Retirement Home that he is living in while recovering from surgery which is in a different town.  Tanner decided that he is going to do it and then ends up loosing his route and having to work longer hours. Tanner meets the granddaughter of his friend, Crystal Malloy, and is immediately drawn to her.  She is dealing with a lot trying to keep her business afloat and make sure that her grandfather is well taken care.  At the same time she is caring for her grandfather's difficult dog who keeps escaping.  The characters and the story are really good and make me want to keep reading to find out what happens.  I think that you will be surprised by all the ups and down in this book.  There were surprises around every turn of the page. I hope that you check out this book and the others in the Mystic Creek Series. 

Superb and Sexy Book Review

 I was excited and sad to get to the third installment of the Sky High series because I knew which character it was going to be about but I also knew it was the last one.  Superb and Sexy (Sky High Air) by Jill Shalvis is the book that lets us get to know Brody, the last member of the Sky High company.

 

Buckle Up. It's Going To Be Quite A Ride.

Despite his brooding bad-boy attitude, Brody's luxury charter airline, Sky High, provides the perfect escape route whenever things get complicated. And lately, things have become very complicated, thanks to the insanely passionate, or perhaps just insane, kiss he shared with Sky High's gorgeous, wisecracking concierge, Maddie. He's tried to keep his distance, but now Maddie desperately needs help, and it's triggering alpha-male urges Brody didn't even know he had--especially after he finds out that Maddie and her twin sister Leena are in big-time trouble. To save Leena, Maddie and Brody must pose as husband and wife. Good plan, except it's hard to tell if the heat in bed is acting or something too good to be true. . .

Brody and Maddie have both been in all of the books in the series because they both work at Sky High but this book lets you get to know them both better.  I was glad to get all of the history for both of them because understanding where the character comes from is always helpful in this goal.  Brody always seems grumpy and brooding while trying to keep his distance from Maddie who works as the concierge for all the rich clients. Maddie is attracted to Brody but always fighting with him so avoids him when she can.  Then this book has Maddie recovering from the gun shot wound in the last book that Brody blames himself for her injury.  Maddie has been out of work for 6 weeks and Brody goes to find out what is going on.  He gets turned away twice and then decides to break in to the back door because Maddie looked like she was upset so having a bad boy past comes in handy. Once he is inside the house, he realizes the truth.... Maddie has a twin sister and although they are alike in many ways, Brody can tell the difference in their expressions.  He is there to help both of them and ready to do anything that they need but neither of the sisters will tell him what is wrong.  Leena disappears and then Maddie finally lets Brody help but you have to pick up the book to find out what happens along the way. I hope that you check out and enjoy this last installment of the Sky High series with the fun loving pilots.  I know that I really enjoyed this series and read through them very quickly.  They were all hard to put down and fun to read.

Smart and Sexy Book Review

 I had a bunch of books that I grabbed at the library when it was closing it's doors again but I wasn't sure what I was getting because I started throwing books in the bag as fast as I could because there was a limit on the time spent in the library. One of the books that went into my bag was Smart and Sexy (Sky High Air) by Jill Shalvis and the third book in the series.  I reserved the second book in the series so that I could read the series of three books together but I was running out of time because they were all due back to the library and I still hadn't read them....oops!!

 

A widowed ex-model in search of hidden money hijacks a sexy pilot in this romantic suspense series opener by the New York Times bestselling author.

Noah Fisher has worked for months to make Sky High the most prestigious charter airline in California. He's long overdue for a break—something involving ski slopes, cold beers, and hot ski bunny babes. The itinerary doesn’t include being hijacked by Bailey Sinclair, gorgeous widow of one of Sky High's wealthiest (ex-)clients. But here he is, crammed in a cockpit with a scared, stubborn, unbelievably sexy former model who could get him in serious trouble . . .

Noah Fisher was working hard as a pilot but was involved in a plane crash.  He was taking a break to recover and ready to head to ski and relax.  Of course nothing goes according to plan when he is hijacked by one of his clients, Bailey Sinclair. He has often had thoughts about her but she was married at the time so Noah kept his distance.  She has recently lost her husband and obviously going through something.  Noah was willing to help her in any way that he could even though she was holding him at gun point...well, pen point but he didn't know. Bailey is running away from people who are trying to chase her because of the mistakes that her husband made.  She has to find the money that he has hidden to pay back the people that her husband stole from so that she could stay alive.  Noah helps to fly her to the different resorts that she is trying to find the money that her husband has stolen.  She is escaping everyone and is pulled to Noah.  Bailey and Noah go through a lot together and they are pulled together by the chase and Noah is working to protect Bailey the best that he can.  There are tons of chases and challenges and I hope that you enjoy the ups and downs of this fun book. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the Sky High series. Super fun series with the fun group of friends that came together to start the Sky High company and spend their lives flying.

Strong and Sexy Book Review

I was excited to reserve the middle book in this series from the library and get it in so that I could read through the whole series together. Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis is crazy priced on Amazon but luckily the library had it for free.  Another great reason to love the library!!

 

A pilot and a zoologist tackle inescapable danger—and passion—in this romantic suspense novel by the New York Times bestselling author of Smart and Sexy.

Shayne Mahoney is the laid-back, easygoing rebel in his family. But running Sky High Air—a charter airline catering to the rich and famous—is a dream come true, especially with in-flight specials like kissing his client’s beautiful, brainy daughter in a cozy coat closet. But before Shayne can say “Fasten Your Seat Belts,” Dani claims to witness a murder, gets stalked in her own apartment, and, as an added bonus, gets them both shot at by a mystery sniper. Normally Shayne would be strapping on his parachute and jumping out of the plane by now, but with Dani’s delicious body clinging to his, letting go is the last thing he's willing to do . . .

Shayne Mahoney was known as a laid back pilot that was easy going and out for a good time. He is working on starting his charter airline business with his best friends and focused mostly on business.  He is hosting a party and ends up in the coat closet, kissing a girl under the mistletoe.  He finds out that she is the daughter of a wealthy client so he tries to distance himself but she quickly reappears claiming to witness a murder. He is worried about her after checking the parking lot to find nothing out of the ordinary and then tries to help her.  It ends up turning into a crazy roller coaster ride for both of them with people shooting at them and apartment break ins and the same dead body showing up again.  I know that you won't be disappointed if you pick up this interesting murder mystery and figure out who did it!!  I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the Sky High series about these fun pilots. I know that you will enjoy all of the action and adventure that there is in these books.

Nobody But You Book Review

 I was enjoying the series and was excited to start Nobody But You (Cedar Ridge, 3) by Jill Shalvis.  It is the third book in the series and I had to read it quickly because I totally forgot to review the book.  I guess I returned it to the library before making a note of it.  Luckily I remembered to go looking for the third book in this series since I didn't see it on my list.

 

Sometimes You Can Go Home Again . . .
After an overseas mission goes wrong, Army Special Forces officer Jacob Kincaid knows where he must go to make things right: back home to the tiny town of Cedar Ridge, Colorado. All he needs to scrub away his painful past is fresh mountain air, a lakeside cabin, and quiet solitude. But what he discovers is a gorgeous woman living on a boat at his dock.

Sophie Marren has nowhere else to go. She's broke, intermittently seasick, and fighting a serious attraction to the brooding, dishy, I'm-too-sexy-for-myself guy who's now claiming her dock. Something about Jacob's dark intensity makes her want to tease-and tempt-him beyond measure. Neither one wants to give any ground . . . until they realize the only true home they have is with each other.

This was super amusing and a great read.  After meeting the whole family, it was great to meet the member that we haven't met yet because he was away with the Army.  I wasn't sure which family member we were going to meet when I started the book and I was surprised that it was Hudson's twin, Jacob Kincaid. Jacob has left home after high school graduation and joined the Army.  He thought that he was going to be leaving with his brother and because he didn't leave with him, they hadn't spoken in years.  It was sad to read the family drama with these twins separated because they are both stubborn and didn't want to admit that they were wrong.  You have to pick up the book to find out what happens between these brothers and if they can get over old wounds. The book also followed Sophie Marren who is trying her hardest to get over a failed marriage and all she walked away with was the boat that her husband treasured the most.  She decided that she would take the only thing that he loved but the horrible part is that now she has to live on the boat because she has no other money to find some where to live.  There is no where to dock the boat and she spends her time being seasick and working as many jobs as she can to make ends meet.  Sophie is instantly a character that you want to find out what is going to happen to because it seems like everything in her life is going wrong so make sure you pick it up to find the next thing in her life that goes wrong!!  I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series.  I know that you enjoy it as much as I have but sad because this was the end of the series that I saw so I still have hope that there will be others in this great series.

My Kind of Wonderful Book Review

I was enjoying the new series and got to read straight through the Cedar Ridge series because I got them all out of the library.  The first book and the last book were on the shelf before the library closed so I was grateful to get them. I just had to reserve this one which was the middle of the series.  My Kind of Wonderful (Cedar Ridge, 2) by Jill Shalvis is the second book in the three part series.

 

UNEXPECTED AND UNDENIABLE . . .
Bailey Moore has an agenda: skiing in the Rockies, exploring castles in Europe, ballroom dancing in Argentina. Now that she has a second lease on life, she's determined not to miss a thing. What she doesn't realize is that item #1 comes with a six-foot-one ski god hot enough to melt a polar ice cap. She doesn't want to miss out on him either, but Hudson Kincaid isn't the type of guy to love and let go. And as gorgeous as Cedar Ridge is, she's not planning to stick around.

As head of ski patrol at his family's resort, Hud thinks he's seen it all. But never has he run into someone like Bailey. She might look delicate, but her attitude is all firecracker. And her infectious joy touches something deep within him that he's been missing far too long. Now he'll just have to convince Bailey to take a chance on her biggest adventure yet . . . something rare and all kinds of wonderful.

I thought that this was a great book to follow Hudson Kincaid and get us back to the family that we are just getting to know in the last book. Hudson was a little bit of a mystery after the last book so I was eager to get to know what was going on with him. But I was immediately drawn to Bailey Moore, who has decided to live her fullest life. With a long list of things that she wants to do now that she has gotten the all clear on her health, Bailey is set that she is going to live life to the fullest . However, Bailey meets Hudson at the ski resort where she has signed up to do a mural and her definition of what that might be changes.  The two of them have to work together and they feel themselves being drawn together.  Bailey feels that she wants to travel the word and find out what she has been missing while spending years in the hospital. Although neither of them is looking for a relationship, they decide that they should enjoy their lives together while they have the chance. Neither is willing to say that they have changed because they both want the other person to be happy. I know that I enjoyed the ups and downs and you have to pick up the book to find out more about all of the different family members and things going on with the whole family. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series.  I know that you will enjoy it as much as I have. Another book where it is super hard not to read the preview at the back of the book for the next book in the series.