One Summer Book Review

I moved straight from the first book on to the second book in the series and I had trouble putting it down.  One Summer: A Shelter Bay Novel by JoAnn Ross was the second book in the Shelter Bay series.  I was excited to see which town residents I got to meet in this book.

When former U.S. Marine photojournalist Gabriel St. James arrives in Shelter Bay to help out a fellow Marine, the last thing he expects is to meet a woman like Charity. A veterinarian with a past that would have defeated a less resilient woman, Charity still possesses a heart as generous as her name. She's known men like Gabe before-but with a shared attraction impossible to deny, Charity and Gabe agree to a simple affair with no expectations. But as summer unfolds, and Gabe finds reasons to extend his stay in Shelter Bay, he and Charity realize that there's nothing simple about falling in love, and nothing easy about the choices of the heart.

I was excited to meet the new military hero with Gabriel St. James who was a photographer who came to town to photograph the wedding of a close friend.  He was leading a solitary life and taking pictures across the country after earning many awards from his military pictures.  Charity is the local veterinarian and she is immediately attracted to this quiet photographer.  Charity takes the time to talk to him at the wedding and she learns very little before leaving for an animal emergency.  Although Gabe shows up the next day with an injured dog that he saved when he was leaving town because his owner threw it out of the car and then it got dragged along under the car.  There is a lot that goes on this book including running a camp for foster kids, adopting animals and more.  I know that you have to pick it up for yourself to find out what happens. I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the Shelter Bay series.  I think that you will enjoy it as much as I have.

The Homecoming Book Review

I was excited to start my next library find from a series that I started from one of my quarantine books.  The Homecoming: A Shelter Bay Novel by JoAnn Ross is the first book in the Shelter Bay series.  I was excited to get to see more of this small town that I met in another book later in the series....luckily I think that this series goes in most any order without too many problems.

Former Navy SEAL Sax Douchett returns to his home town and is hailed as a local hero. But starting over is difficult when he unearths a long- buried secret that reunites him with a past he's never forgotten. She's Sheriff Kara Conway, a girl who's always held a special place in his heart. But as he cautiously reconnects with Kara and bonds with her young son, another long-held secret in Shelter Bar threatens their second chance at a life together...

I was excited to get to the beginning of the series and see where this book series started. Sax was a local hero because he was a former Navy Seal who saved a lot of people but he was coming home feeling bad about all the people he lost.  He is starting over in the small town where he grew up.  He reunites with someone that he never forgot but she was his friend's girlfriend, Kara.  Now Kara has come back to raise her son in the small town where she grew up after loosing her husband.  She wants to lead a quiet life and likes the routine that she has gotten into but then things change.  There is a foot found on the beach, someone else is shot and there is a break in attempt.  Kara realizes that there is more to life then safety and decides to live for today and make her best life.  You have to pick up the book and find out what happens.  I promise you will be as surprised as I was at the turns that this book takes!!  I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the great Shelter Bay series.

Bluestone & Vine Book Review

I read the other book in this series and I was looking for the next one at the library.  I reserved Bluestone & Vine (Blue Hollow Falls) by Donna Kauffman at the library.  I was super happy when the library opened because I got a bunch of books on reserve.

Pippa MacMillan is a legend on the Irish folk music scene. But when her voice requires a time-out, she’s left wondering how—and where—to find happiness in the silence . . .

Seeking answers, Pippa leaves Ireland in favor of a small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. Turns out lovely Blue Hollow Falls is the perfect place to heal—and solitary Seth Brogan is the surprisingly perfect host. After all, Seth is beginning again too: turning his renovated stone barn and beautiful hillside into a vineyard is the start of a whole new life for the former Special Forces soldier. Only Mother Nature keeps thwarting both their plans, leaving Pippa snowbound with unsettling thoughts about how life can take unexpected turns . . .

To Pippa’s surprise, she might actually fall for small-town living. She might even fall for Seth, whose quiet strength is a balm for her world-weary soul. But when the music starts once more, will she follow her fortune back to Ireland, or surrender to the call of her heart?

I got to read this book right after getting the whole pile of books from the library.   I was excited to get to start back on this series and it wasn't a disappointment.  Pippa is in the small town because she changed houses with Seth's sister but instead of going to her house, she went to the small town in the Blue Ridge Mountains where Seth lives.  Pippa is trying to get rest from fame and recovery from a life changing surgery while she enjoys some time in the small town.  She realizes that it is a lot like her hometown and she enjoys getting to know all of the people in the town.  Most of all she likes getting to know Seth.  Seth runs the local winery and is starting out his business to try to expand to do wedding and other events.  He has been very busy in business and not interested in starting any relationship.  Both Pippa and Seth feel a pull towards each other that they fight for a long time because they know that there is no future.  You have to pick up the book to find out what happens with these two who are trying so hard to stay apart.  I hope that you check this out for yourself.  I hope you start at the beginning of the series and enjoy it like I have!!  I can't wait for the library to get the next one in!

Menu Plan Monday 6/22

Spaghetti and Penne with garlic bread
Grilled Chicken with rice and Corn on the Cob
Chicken with Potatoes
Homemade Pizza (Pepperoni and Buffalo Chicken)
Chicken tacos or Enchiladas with corn bread
Meatball Subs with tater tots
Chicken Fries or Chicken Wraps with homemade fries

Last week was a quick change to Cheese Ravioli on request with sausage sauce for my husband and fried zucchini while my son had Penne with garlic butter.  Tuesday was Grilled Chicken with rice. Wednesday was Tacos and corn bread.  We changed from the Trader Joe's Tacos that I was planning on because I went a little crazy and bought a family pack of ground beef at Wegman's for $30 so we have ground beef back at least through July.  Thursday was our first trip to the pool where our family had to reserve a lane to social distance from others and we were really glad to come home to pizza dough ready for pizza so we had Pepperoni Pizza, Taco Pizza, Cheese Pizza, White Chicken Pizza, White Pizza, and Pepperoni Knuckles.  We had so much that we had friends over to enjoy it with us and we still had leftovers!  Friday was House Autry Fried Chicken with mac and cheese.  Saturday was Fried Rice, Pot Stickers and Edamame. Sunday was my son's favorite dinner with Chicken fries and homemade fries for him and Chicken Wraps for us. 

Another week that we got most of the meals on the table as planned with the last minute change in the tacos.  Looking forward to doing it again this week and planning towards July.  I have to make my plan for grocery shopping and go out this week to get the things that we need for the upcoming month.  I think that we have lots but we are running out of cheese and milk so I know that store needs to happen soon.  I should have my list together in the next few days so here is hoping that I stay somewhere close to our monthly budget.

Only You Book Review

I picked this off my shelf of unread books only to find out that it was a historic book but I went ahead with reading it.   Only You (Only Series) by Elizabeth Lowell was the next book that was in my pile of paper back book.  I realized that it was also in the middle of the series but might as well try it since I would know after this one if I should look for the rest of the series or not.

Made desperate by poverty and loss, Evelyn Starr Johnson sees a golden opportunity to win back her lost status by recovering the treasure map stolen from her murdered foster parents. And with nothing left to wager but her innocence, the beautiful card shark stares coolly at their killers across the poker table - then stacks the deck and deals the winning hand to a handsome, unsuspecting stranger.
When the exquisite temptress he won at a card game runs off with rest of his winnings, sharpshooter Matt ′Reno′ Moran vows to hunt her down-never dreaming it is his destiny to join forces with the thieving female on a dangerous search for hidden gold. But, come hell or high water, Reno is determined to reclaim everything that is rightfully his - including the tempestuous woman who calls herself ′Evening Star′, who Reno dares not love, but desires with all his soul.

I thought this was a really interesting book even though it started off a little harder for me to follow because of the different time that it was set in.  Evelyn Starr, calling herself Evening Star, is in the gambling area to win back things that were stolen from her "family."  She was taking care of two older people who were fostering her.  They were murdered by men and they stole a map and ring from them while she was hiding.  She plays them in cards with the skills learned from her foster parents and then a stranger comes in to play during the last hand.  She ends up getting him to shoot the theives and runs away with the map and ring.  Reno is the man who hunts her down to reclaim his prizes from the card game.  It is crazy to watch all of the things that happen next which seems like they couldn't live up to the action at the beginning of the story but there was so much more action in their trip across the wilderness.  After I got into the story, it was hard to put it down because I wanted to know what was going to happen next.  I hope that you check out this book and the rest of the series.  I think that you will enjoy this different look at the past and exploring the wildness of the United States.

Summer Affair Book Review

I picked up another book from my shelf with the libraries not open and this one was the fifth book in the series.  I can't believe that I did it but I started with the fifth book in the series.  Can you believe what the lack of library books was doing to me?  This was also a historical fiction book which isn't usually my genre but I really like the author so I decided to jump right into A Summer Affair (Calhoun Chronicles) by Susan Wiggs (2010-02-01)

A gifted but troubled physician, Blue Calhoun runs a thriving medical practice from his Nob Hill mansion in San Francisco while raising his son alone after an unthinkable tragedy. Then one day a female fugitive with a gunshot wound appears in Blue's surgery. Even though she holds a pistol aimed at his heart, the desperation in her eyes awakens Blue's compassion. Reluctantly he is drawn to her fragile beauty, her nerves of steel and the mystery surrounding her circumstances.

Isabel Fish-Wooten has spent most of her life on the run, but everything changes when she forces a stranger to save her life. Yet her rescue comes with an unexpected price. As Isabel recovers from her wounds, she finds herself touched by this remarkable man and yearns to reach out to him and his rebellious son.

From danger-filled back alleys to the glittering ballrooms of high society, Isabel and Blue confront the violence and corruption that threatens their newfound passion. Theirs is an unforgettable quest to discover a rare and special love, and the precious gift of a second chance at happiness.

Some historical books, you can still imagine yourself being there or being set in the place.  This book was not that because it was a very different period of history with a lot of violence and it was very different.  This is the book that you pick up to escape what you are currently doing because it transports you to a different place and time.  Blue Calhoun was a doctor who was spending all this time working to save people, whether in his daily practice or in his nightly volunteer work.  Blue's main goal was to help everyone which was not a popular belief back then because only the rich were supposed to get good medical care.  One night, Blue stumbles upon someone being taken somewhere to be killed and he pays for their release.  That person wakes up in the carriage and escapes to only later end up at his house looking for medical help.  Isabel Fish-Wooten has come to the area to try to make a better life for herself and ends up shot and holding a doctor at gun point for help.  You have to pick up the book to see what happens but I know that this book is one that is hard to put down.  I hope that you check out this book if you like historical fiction.  It was way more interesting then I was expecting!!

Seeds of Trust Book Review

I picked up another book of my book shelf that I didn't read before.  I don't even know where I got all these books but I picked out Seeds of Trust (Harlequin Heartwarming Romance) (Larger Print) by Cynthia Reese.  It was an author that I hadn't read before but I was ready to find out what it was about.

When Becca Reynolds heads for rural Georgia to investigate a suspected crop insurance scam, she's concerned about her career, not her heart.  Chief among the suspects is handsome Ryan MacIntosh, who isn't telling everything he knows. Could his involvement possibly be deeper than his devotion to his grandmother and the small farm that's been in the family for generations?  Becca can't be sure, even though she and Ryan have shared the most intimate of conversations—at least online. She's certain he's the charming stranger with whom she's exchanged countless emails…and fallen in love. But she can't admit the truth any more than Ryan can—nor predict what it will cost them in the end.

Becca Reynolds was working for her father's company and she has to investigate for a crop insurance company.  She worked previously in another job and she had a lot of problems so she came home to work in a safer job.  She had a case which went badly so she was looking to redeem herself with her newest suspected crop insurance fraud case.  She goes to the small farming community and meets lots of farmers with an invasive plant that is killing their crops.  The main suspect is Ryan MacIntosh who seems to be holding back and not telling her the truth.  Once she realizes that she keeps coming back because she trusts Ryan, she realizes that she is in trouble when it comes to this case and her new career choice.  Ryan seems a lot like a new friend that she has made online but she isn't really sure.  You have to pick up the book so pick up the book and find out what happens with the crops, the relationships and the court case.  I think that you will be surprised how things work out because there are a lot of twists and turns and just a little mystery.  I was impressed with this book and I hope that you check out this book for yourself.