Courting Mr. Emerson Book Review

I was excited to read this book but I was out of time before my scheduled surgery.  I was super sad to not get this review up because of the surgery but I wanted to make sure that I got it done.  Courting Mr. Emerson by Melody Carlson was an interesting cover that I needed to know what it was about.  I started reading but I couldn't put the review up until the medicine wore off.

When the fun-loving and spontaneous artist Willow West meets buttoned-up, retired English teacher George Emerson, it's not exactly love at first sight. Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause--and finds herself falling for him in the process.

A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around--which to him seems like all too often. He's not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them.  But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The question is, will his change of heart be too late for Willow?  With her signature heart and touches of humor, fan favorite Melody Carlson pens a story of two delightfully eccentric characters who get a second chance at life and love.

I have never read anything by the author but the cover seemed interesting and the description so I was interested in finding out more about it  It was an great book with great character development.  George was instantly someone that you wanted to succeed because he was a great  character with a lot of quirks.  It went quickly to Willow who was a great artist who was trying to raise her grandson.  When her daughter comes back into the picture, the only person who seems to get everyone to get along is George.  It was a great to see them all getting along but it quickly changed when George stopped coming around.  You have to pick up the book to find out why there were the changes but all their lives change with the remodel of the historic home.  I thought it was interesting story except there was a strange push to include God into the story in places that I didn't think it totally fit.  Overall, I still enjoyed the book and would love to hear more books by the author.  Hope you enjoy the book for yourself.

Menu Plan Monday 4/1

Monday- Chicken fries, Chicken Wrap and Homemade Fries
Tuesday- Marinated Chicken with White Rice
Wednesday- Pasta (maybe Chicken Parm)
Thursday- Pork Chops and Mac and Cheese
Friday- Leftovers
Saturday- Fried Rice and Egg Rolls
Sunday- ??

Last week was according to plan for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday but Friday we opted to do leftovers instead of Chicken tacos.  We did Pizza Hut on Saturday after soccer practice.  On Sunday, I was in charge of dinner while the boys went to soccer practice so I made Roast Beef Sandwiches, Baked Potato Soup and Cheesy Ranch bread for my husband and myself and my son wanted pasta.  Super easy and end to a busy week but feeling better and hoping to make a few things to restock food around the house this week so that we have some tasty treats.  Hope you have a tasty week!!

The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse Book Review

I love Alexander McCall Smith and all of his books and got a chance to see him at the local college when he came to visit.  Thanks Ann for sending them from oversees when the first two books came out.  This book isn't part of either of those series but I was excited to see what it was about.  The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse: A Novel by Alexander McCall Smith is a great stand alone novel.

From the beloved and best-selling author of the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series comes a heartwarming tale of hope and friendship set amid the turmoil of World War II.

Val Eliot, a young woman working on an English farm during the war, meets Mike, a U.S. Air Force pilot stationed nearby. When Val rescues a Border Collie named Peter Woodhouse, who is being mistreated by his owner, she realizes the dog would actually be safer with Mike. And so Peter Woodhouse finds a new home on the air force base, and Val finds herself falling in love. Peter Woodhouse becomes Dog First Class, a canine mascot on the base who boldly accompanies the officers on their missions, and Val becomes Mike’s fiancée. But then a disaster jeopardizes the future of them all, and Peter Woodhouse brings Ubi, a German corporal, into their orbit, sparking a friendship that comes with great risk but carries with it the richest of rewards.

Infused with Alexander McCall Smith’s renowned charm and warmth, The Good Pilot Peter Woodhouse is an uplifting story of love and the power of friendship to bring sworn enemies together.

I thought it was a great book and it was a hard book to put down.  There were so many things going on with the war and different characters.  The book went back and forth between the different characters.  I was particularly taken with Val Eliot who was a local woman who started working at a farm.   She is living with her aunt over the post office and another distant relative, Willy.  Willy saves Peter Woodhouse the dog from the man that he is working for because he beat the dog.  The dog is moved all over the place to make sure that he doesn't end up with the farmer.  There are tons of crazy things going on because of the war.  I hope that you check out this book and all the other books by this great author.  They are all a little different and

The Noel Stranger Book Review

I didn't know anything about the book except that I liked the author when I saw this on the new release shelf.  The amazing thing is that it was the second book in the series and I have missed the first in the series (I think).  The Noel Stranger (The Noel Collection) by Richard Paul Evans was still a stand alone book and I had no trouble reading it without reading the first book in the series.

Maggie Walther feels like her world is imploding. Publicly humiliated after her husband, a local councilman, is arrested for bigamy, and her subsequent divorce, she has isolated herself from the world. When her only friend insists that Maggie climb out of her hole, and embrace the season to get her out of her funk, Maggie decides to put up a Christmas tree and heads off to buy one—albeit reluctantly. She is immediately taken by Andrew, the kind, handsome man who owns the Christmas tree lot and delivers her tree. She soon learns that Andrew is single and new to her city and, like her, is also starting his life anew.

As their friendship develops, Maggie slowly begins to trust again—something she never thought possible. Then, just when she thinks she has finally found happiness, she discovers a dark secret from Andrew’s past. Is there more to this stranger’s truth than meets the eye? This powerful new holiday novel from Richard Paul Evans, the “King of Christmas fiction” (The New York Times), explores the true power of the season, redemption, and the freedom that comes from forgiveness.

Maggie is falling apart after her marriage fell apart.  She is upset about all of the people in the town knowing what happened as well as the violation that her husband had another family in another town.  She stops going to work and leaving the house because she is embarrassed and upset.  Her friend takes over all her work and tries to pull her out of her funk by making her come out and get coffee and decorate her house for Christmas.  She goes to the Christmas tree lot and meets Andrew.  Maggie immediately feels a pull for the world and learning more about Andrew after he volunteers to deliver her tree when he sees it won't fit on the small car she is driving.  It was great to watch her finally get back out there and start her life with the help of Andrew but the crazy part of this comes when she learns more about her mysterious man.  Make sure you pick up the book and find out what happens.  I think that you might need some tissues while reading because there is a lot that comes up in the second half of the book when you think that this is just a happy Christmas book.  I should know better then that because this author always pulls on the heart strings and I thought it was the beginning and bringing Maggie back to life but I was wrong.  Pick it up and find out what happens for yourself and I promise you won't be disappointed.

As the Tide Comes In Book Review

I got this book on my reserve shelf and I was excited to see what it was about.  As the Tide Comes In: A Novel by Cindy Woodsmall and Erin Woodsmall was a great book at the top of the pile and I was excited to see that it wasn't a part of another series.  I love finding more books to read and this one was a great one.

When an unthinkable loss sends Tara Abbott's life spiraling out of control, she journeys from North Carolina to Georgia's St. Simons Island. Although confused and scared, she hopes to find answers about her past - her life before the years of foster care and raising her two half-brothers as a young adult. Will she find steady ground on the island, surrounded by an eccentric-but-kindhearted group of older women called The Glynn Girls and a determined firefighter? Or will the truth splinter what's left of her identity into pieces?

Tara Abbott lived in foster homes and grew up to make friends that were like her family.  She has made a life with her jobs and rock climbing community.  She travels to see her half brothers grandmother who tells her that she is dying.  The grandmother wants Tara to take over raising "her boys" at the age of 18 because there is no one else to raise them.  She was hesitant to step into the roll but quickly changes her mind when she realizes how kind they are and how tough foster care living was for her childhood.  It was an amazing story of love of a family that had you quickly start pulling for Tara.  She gets into an accident and then looses everything in her life as well as her grip on reality.  She takes a trip to Georgia and meets local women and becomes part of the small town.  You have to pick up the book to find out what happens when she confuses a house there with her house at home and looses time so things get a little crazy.  I hope that you check out this book because it was an amazing story and I know that you will like it as much as I did.  It makes you appreciate your family and life after reading this story.

Why Not Tonight Book Review

I picked up this book of the new release section.  I was excited to read the next book in the series that I enjoyed the first two a lot.  Why Not Tonight (Happily Inc) by Susan Mallery is the third book in the Happily Inc series.  Because it was a hard backed book, it got put down in the pile because I didn't want to carry it but then I got started and stayed up all night reading it.  It was hard to put down.

Natalie Kaleta will do anything for the artists at her gallery, including risk life, limb and the effect of humidity on her naturally curly hair. Braving a downpour to check on reclusive Ronan Mitchell, Natalie gets stranded by a mudslide at his mountain home, where the brooding glass artist reveals his playful side, sending her inconvenient crush from under-the-radar to over-the-top.

After a secret tore apart his family and made him question his sense of self, Ronan fled his hometown for Happily Inc, but the sunny small town can’t fix his damaged heart. He won’t give in to his attraction for beautiful, perpetually cheerful Natalie. She’s untouched by darkness—or so he thinks.

Natalie knows that when a heart goes through the flame, it comes out stronger. Life may not be a fairy tale, but sometimes dreams do come true. Why not this one? Why not tonight?

Another amazing book in this series that has everyone wanting to move to the cute small town of Happily Inc.  Natalie is working in the art gallery as an office assistant to make ends meet while she is working on her art work.  As part of her job, she is worried about the artists in the office.  Ronan hadn't checked in during the last five days.  She was worried and went to his house while there was a big storm starting.  It was a crazy storm where the roads ended up being closed for days and she was trapped up the mountain at Ronan's house.  The close proximity and the amazing art room brought about a friendship that they didn't have previously.  It was great to see the friendship grow and Natalie bring out the best in Ronan.  She works hard to bring Ronan back to his brothers and he started working more because of the changes.  There are lots of changes in the book but you have to pick up the book to find out what happens.  It is a great book and you can enjoy this series as much as I have.  I was super excited when I picked up this book that I saw that there was another one that I was able to reserve at the library so stay tuned for another book soon.

Menu Plan Monday 3/25

Monday- Chicken fries, Chicken Wraps with homemade fries
Tuesday- Grilled Chicken with white rice
Wednesday- Spaghetti
Thursday- Simple Fried Rice with peas and egg rolls
Friday-Chicken Tacos with white rice
Saturday- Take Out Pizza
Sunday-Leftovers

This week is going to be a busy one because I have surgery on Tuesday and physical therapy twice this week to get my shoulder moving after the surgery.  I think that it is going to be an easy week for me because there isn't much more that I can do but I know that I have to have everything planned for everyone else to fill in the slack.

Last week we had mostly the plan make it on the table with a little shift.  Monday we had Chicken Wraps and my son had Chicken fries with homemade fries.  Tuesday was Simple Fried Rice with peas using more of my fresh chicken broth (I still had one cup left) with egg rolls.  Wednesday was Spaghetti with meatballs.  Thursday I made Chicken and Rice Casserole from scratch with the last cup of chicken broth instead of water so that I didn't have to add chicken bouillon to the homemade cream soup.  I made lasagna with the ricotta that I bought on sale and put two in the freezer.  I made a small one and took the last small one out of the freezer so that we would have the fresh ones in the freezer.  We made a whole chicken with a pan of sausage stuffing from the freezer and my husband made mashed potatoes on Saturday so we were stuffed.  Friday was supposed to be leftovers so we moved that to Sunday which was great after a long week and busy weekend.