I’m always just a little apprehensive when someone asks me to do a book review. If it’s an author I already like, no problem. But otherwise, it makes my tummy just a little uneasy when I open the book and start into those first few pages. I’m so afraid of being disappointed. Especially when the offer of review started as, “My friend wrote a book and I loved it…” Well, of course you did. They’re your friend; you’re going to like their stuff. You’ll get […]
I love Stephanie Black’s mysteries. Her dark and twisty book, Fool Me Twice, is one of my all-time favorites. Like that book, Cold As Ice is LDS suspense. While religion does not play a big part in the story, it is mentioned occasionally and LDS beliefs on repentance and forgiveness are part of the motivating forces behind some of the characters’ actions. However, it’s not at all preachy and I doubt non-LDS readers would be offended by it. I wasn’t immediately captivated by Abigail’s personality. […]
I’m embarrassed to admit how long this one has been sitting on my night stand. I got it from a clearance stack at a local regional bookstore (so you might have trouble finding a copy, unless you want to buy the ebook). When I did get to it, I just about broke a rib laughing so hard! Clay and Jill are such opposites—he a serious mountain man and loner; she a society, looks-are-everything newscaster. Told from Jill’s point of view, this story is hilariously funny […]
Freefall is the first book in the Saint Squad series. The Saint Squad is a Navy SEAL team where most of the members belong to the LDS (Mormon) church. Not all of the team members are LDS but they are all good guys. Each book in this series focuses on a different member of the team and a suspenseful mission. And there’s usually a romantic adventure, as well. I bought this one when it first came out but it sat in my To Read pile […]
I’m not really sure which genre to put this one in. It definitely has a historical setting, just after the American Civil War and the assassination of President Lincoln. It also has mystery and suspense, as Isabelle and her friends chase after the elusive Jewel of Zeus. There’s some romance—just a little, but it’s definitely a plot point. But there are some fantasy elements, as well, with the mystical happenings surrounding that missing jewel… But however you classify it, it was pretty good. This is […]
I love my friend, Julie Bellon. I really do. I met Julie when we lived in the same neighborhood, and really got to know her when she tended my youngest daughter, when I had to go back to work after my divorce. I absolutely trusted her with my child, and that’s saying a lot about what I think of Julie’s character. Julie and I have a lot in common. I’m from the U.S.; she’s Canadian. I have a respectable number of children (4); she has […]
I read Rules of Engagement by Stephanie Fowers yesterday in just a few hours. It’s cute and fun. This book gives you a humorous look into college life while exploring the non-existent love lives of Samantha and her roommates. I enjoyed Samantha’s feisty character and personality. I laughed aloud at many of her antics—such as getting stuck in a window, sneaking into a boy’s apartment to steal a cross-stitched quote, and trying to avoid a stalker. It took me back to my college days. I […]
Stephanie Black is one twisted sister! Fool Me Twice is her second novel published by Covenant. I loved her first one, The Believer, but I love, love, love this one! I cannot believe the twists and turns in this book. This is an LDS suspense thriller. There are some religious elements to it but no one gets baptized in the end. I found that very believable. It’s not preachy and Stephanie doesn’t beat us over the head with the Book of Mormon stick. If you’re […]
Secrets in Zarahemla was a stretch book for me because it’s a romance and “traditional” romance is not my favorite genre. Okay, here are my issue with romances. I just don’t believe them. I don’t believe people fall in love at first sight. I don’t believe a strong relationship can develop in a matter of days. I don’t believe all the fainting and sighing and does-he-love-me-or-not junk. Since this is the currency of romance, I spend most of my reading time rolling my eyes and […]
This was the “stretch” book for a reading challenge because I really don’t care for romance novels. I think the reason I dislike them so much is because when I was 16, my aunt gave me 4 LARGE paper grocery bags filled with romance novels. I think I read at least 100 of them that summer—more than enough to last a lifetime. So, even though some of my best friends are romance novelists, when anyone mentions reading one of those kind of books, my eyes […]