The Power of the Matchmaker series will be 12 books, each by a different author, to be released one a month in 2016. Pearl the Matchmaker is the common thread between all the books, and this is her story. Although this is classified as a clean romance with a touch of magical realism, there is, in fact, not much romance in it at all. Rather, it’s a story of broken hearts and how Pearl becomes a matchmaker. At only 60 pages, it is a quick […]
Jennifer Moore is fast becoming one of my favorite regency romance authors—right up there with Sarah M. Eden and Jane Austen. I loved her first two books, Becoming Lady Lockwood and Lady Emma’s Campaign. She has a few others that are still on my to-be-read list. As with the other two books I’ve read, Moore continues to write compelling and realistic characters for her time period, setting them in lush landscapes that add to the story without slowing it down. The main characters from those […]
ALWAYS WILL was a fun, fast read for me. It’s not my favorite by Melanie Jacobson, but it’s in the top 3 (#1 Painting Kisses, #2 The List). I love fun and quirky characters. Hannah, Will, and Hannah’s best friend, Sophie, were great. So were a few of the guys Hannah met online. I found myself laughing out loud (literally) at some of their teasing interchanges. Funny and clever dialog all over the place! For example, this conversation between Hannah and Will: Will: “What is […]
Grandson Approved! I was lucky enough to go to the release party for Mysteries of Cove: Fires of Invention. I took three of my grandsons (ages 8, 7 and 5). Backstage with J. Scott Savage We got to go backstage to meet Mr. Savage. There were several other authors there too, most notably Brandon Mull (the grands love Fablehaven and The Candy Shop War) and James Dashner (they didn’t know who he was but were very impressed that his books have been made into […]
First off, up front, I own almost all of Stephanie Black’s books, in paperback, most of them I’ve bought with my own money. This one she sent me in exchange for a review. Since I’ve fan-girled over her for years, she probably thought that was a pretty good investment on her part. And she was right. When I read Stephanie’s first book, The Believer, I didn’t know her at all. The book had an interesting premise, it was on sale, and I picked it up […]
Shhh! In my real life, I’m known for not liking romance. And really, I don’t love it. At all. But, I have a confession to make. *looks around to make sure no one’s eavesdropping* I sort of, kinda, maybe really like those Lifetime Christmas Romance movies. So when this blog tour popped up in my review radar, I thought I’d give it a read. Also, I have friends who like romance. AND it’s only 99¢ right now for Amazon Kindle. AND I’ve read other romances […]
I don’t usually enjoy ghost stories. They freak me out. But something about the synopsis of The Ghost Host by DelSheree Gladden intrigued me. I’ve never read anything by her before, so I was willing to give it a try. Zara and Holden have both known me since kindergarten, before things got bad, but not before the ghosts. The ghost have always been there. Even now, there’s at least six of them standing around the table, hoping I’ll acknowledge them. I don’t. The Ghost Host […]
Whenever I review a romance here, I always feel the need to add a disclaimer. I don’t like romances. I don’t usually read them by choice. But I have loved every single book that I’ve read by Josi S. Kilpack, and so when she started writing Regency Romances, I knew eventually I’d cave and read them. And you know what? I loved Lord Fenton’s Folly! For me, a good regency romance is all about the characters. We first meet Alice and Lord Fenton while they […]
I totally loved this book! It may very well make my Top 10 of 2015 list. I don’t know if this was based on a fairytale−if it was, it’s not one I’m familiar with. But the rhythm and cadence of the story is very reminiscent of some of my favorite classic fairy tales. Although the concept of a girl whose touch freezes those who get too close makes Disney’s Frozen immediately leap to mind, this is not at all the same story. It reminded me […]
This is the first book that I’ve read by Christine Kersey. I liked it. Courtney is in college and her mother has recently moved out of state, so this is her first time on her own. Her mother has taught her well. But when Courtney witnesses a gang-related murder and is then threatened by the killer, she is at a loss for what to do. Honestly, I would be too. The reader experiences a lot of Courtney’s internal debate as she tries to do what […]
For me to like a contemporary romance, there needs to be a “something.” It’s hard for me to put my finger on what the “something” is but I do know it’s not the romance itself. The best I can do is say it’s got to be either highly character driven and the characters are fun or interesting, or there’s something of depth there. This one has both. While 99% of the book was light and fun, there’s a very serious topic and scene that makes […]
Anne Perry is one of the most prolific writers in our time. She has two Victorian mystery series that together comprise 50 (or more) books. That is amazing! I’ve read half a dozen of the Charlotte and Thomas Pitt series, and I generally don’t like them as well as the William Monk series. But this one… this one was different. It was more of a thoughtful and psychological mystery, than a “found a dead body, now we need to find the killer” story. A female […]
I’m doing the Summer Book Trek Reading Challenge over on NewLDSFiction.com. It’s fun and it’s easy. Here are the details for how to enter and win. While I can’t win (because, seriously, I’m the host) I’m still going to post my reading list and participate in all the other ways. So here is my list: Rose Tinted (Sugar Coated #2) by Shannen Crane Camp Silver Lined (Sugar Coated #3) by Shannen Crane Camp Angel Court Affair, The (Thomas Pitt #30) by Anne Perry The Song […]
This book was recommended by friends who know I love Young Adult dystopian/futuristic stories. While the geek in me loved the tech in this book (there are days when I think I might prefer a world like that), and I could certainly appreciate the references to 70s/80s culture (Rush 2112 was my favorite album in high school), this is going to be a slow read for teens and a lot of parents will not approve. We see the world from the point of view of […]
Isabel Stone as back at it—trying to earn a living as a private detective in a crazy world of vampires, werewolves, and now ghosts! This second book in the series did not disappoint—well, except for the fact that the next book doesn’t come out until 2016. The dialog and characterizations were wonderful. As with book 1, Chasing Daylight, I loved the sassy voice of the main character, Isabel. She had me laughing so many times. This woman is tough as nails, but has a soft […]