Secret Santa Anthology

Secret Santa is an anthology of four very different Christmas stories.

"Mister Christmas" by Fern Michaels

This was my first book by Fern so i wasn't sure what the book would be like. The book to me started out a little confusing but once the main character Claire O'Brien arrived in Ireland the story started to make more sense. Claire O'Brien the main character is forced to spend the holidays abroad with one of her clients instead of her family. When she arrives in London she finds that her client is not sick at all and is wanting to set her up with his nephew. What will happen? I guess you will just have to read the book to find out. I very much liked the way the story was written. I do think that Fern could have even made it a book by itself.

"The Yellow Rose of Christmas" by Marie Bostwick

Marie's book starts out with Miss Velvet who has always been a great friend, neighbor and towns folk. One thing she has never been is lucky in the romance department. However things seem to change when someone starts leaving her clues all over town. Who will her secret admirer be?

I think the author did a great job of having you go through the process with Velvet. You really felt happy for her when she got the notes from her admirer and sad for her when you knew something bad was going to happen. In the end I was surprised with the way that she took the book but was very happy with how she ended it. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

Though Miss Velvet Tudmore wrote off romance years ago, rumor has it she has a secret admirer. And when her surprise suitor promises to reveal himself at the annual Christmas ball in Too Much, Texas, Velvet starts to wonder: is it ever too late to find love?


"Nightmare on Elf Street" by Laura Levine

This book was okay. Wasn't one of my favorites. I felt this was more mystery than a christmas romance. Not sure if I would have included it in this book.


"Room at the Inn" by Cindy Myers

This by far was my favorite book. Barb and her husband are stuck in the middle of no where when they get caught in a blizzard on the way to visit her friend. Luckily the town sheriff talks one of the locals into letting Barb and a few other families to stay in her cottages until the roads clear. Will Barb embrace this new surrounding that has been presented to her or will she stay stuck in her cottage until the snow gets plowed away.

I really liked the way this book was written. The author makes you feel as a reader that you are there experiencing what Barb is going through. It was also interesting to see the change in Barb and her husbands relationship as the story went on. It was very nice to see how she made Barb likable at the end and how she connected with the other people who were stuck in the cabins. I would be interested in reading more from this author based on this book in the anthology.

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon by RaeAnne Thayne

Christmas in Snowflake Canyon

Summary:

Genevieve Beaumont the Mayor of Snowflake Canyon's daughter has always gotten the best of everything whether it be clothes, guys, homes you name it. However, things change when her dad takes away her cash flow and trust fund forcing her to come back to the one place she never thought she would have to step foot in to sell her Grandma's Pearls house.

Dylan Caine a wounded veteran has come back to Snowflake Canyon to escape to his house on top of the mountain and to have little interaction as necessary. Things change for him one night when he steps in to help Genevieve kick butt against the ADA district attorney who won't stop playing annoying Christmas songs on the music players. This lands these two unlikely people having complete a 100 hours of community service with the local Wound Warrior Organization.

This Christmas season breaking law won't just bring happiness and joy to the wounded veterans and their families but also the start of something more for Genevieve and Dylan.

My Review:

This was my first book by RaeAnne Thayne so other than romance story set in the christmas season I wasn't sure how much I was going to like the book. I ended up really loving this book. I liked how RaeAnne added humor, love, pain and new beginnings all into one book. I started this book and never wanted to put it down at night. If it wasn't for having to go to work during this week I would have finished this book alot faster. I am very interested to see what she has in store for the next book in the series and I defiantly want to go back and read the rest of this series to read about the other characters in the book. This book had me laughing, smiling and at times feeling sad for the characters when something bad was happening.

I would defiantly recommend this book to my friends and family. To unknown visitors to my blog if you like to laugh, smile and at times cry this book is defiantly a book you should try.

Now on to the next Christmas book!

Fifteen Minutes by Karen Kingsbury

Fifteen Minutes by Karen Kingsbury

Zack Dylan has three things he loves in his life: God, his family, and Reese. To save his families farm he goes to goes to audition for Fifteen Minutes a popular singing tv show. He tells his family that he will stay the same person he is and will be able to save his family farm. However, his grandfather and girlfriend Reese are not so sure that Zack will be able to stay the same person because of the pressures of hollywood. Elsewhere Karen introduces readers to Kelly & Chandra two judges for fifteen minutes whose lives are not what they seem. Kelly used to be a famous actress on a beloved primetime tv show and a beloved wife/mother. However things have changed for her and she is not sure who she really is anymore and is disconnected from her family. Chandra on the other hand is the first winner of fifteen minutes and a woman who may seem like she has everything in the world but inside she is lonely. This book takes you on a journey of four people who are in different times in their lives trying to find out who they really are and what God has planned for them. As a reader you will have mixed emotions as you are reading because their is love, happiness, faith and family all in this book.

Having read Karen's books in the past I feel like I know what kind of author she is by how she writes. She writes books that are both intriguing and also spiritual. I find that each books she writes has similarities to past books but that each one is written differently and has its own story even if it is part of a series. The reason i did not give this book a full fives stars is because I did not like way it ended. I did not feel that the stories that were going on in the book were really resolved. i don't know if this is because she plans to write more about them but if not I felt like as a reader you were left hanging. Other than that the book was very well written and the characters were very well developed. I felt like I knew who they were because of her description. Can't wait to read another one of her books!

Review of Wild Child

Wild Child by Molly O'Keefe

***Book courtesy of Netgalley


This was my first book that I read of Molly O'Keefe's. I had always heard great things about her books from other authors and reader friends so I thought I would give her a try when I saw an ARC copy of "Wild Child" pop up on Netgalley. There was parts of the book that I really liked and parts that i really didn't like. I think that Molly did a good job of introducing you to the town and the characters and giving you a small back story on them. In addition I also really liked how she really made you feel that you were there in the town. She did this by telling by example telling you about the local cafe and bar and how it looked so you could see it for yourself in your mind as you were reading the book. The books theme/outline seemed to be centered around a reality show of a town trying to win a contest that would help them survive the hard economic times. In addition it also involved a romance between the mayor Jackson and the celebrity wild child Monica. Lastly it described the stories of two families torn apart by tragedies and  heartache and what it takes to bring people back together.

As for a couple things that I didn't care for in the book. I didn't like that she had two stories going on in one book. I was good with Monica and Jackson's story and the way that she developed that part of the book. However,  I didn't like how she introduced Shelby's character and a romance she had a with Dean. It always seemed to be brought up in weird areas of the book and in a couple paragraphs when I felt she could have almost spent a whole chapters on just their portion of the story. In my opinion i felt there was also an excessive amount of sex scenes and at times made the story feel disjointed and took a way from the actual story which I liked. Don't get me wrong there were defiantly times that they made sense in the book but other times it just felt like a filler...


Although my review may sound harsh I am interested in reading more of Molly's books just not another one in this series if she adds on.  I think this book I would recommend to readers that like more of the reality show type setting as that is what the book reminded me of.

Take Me Home for Christmas by Brenda Novak

Take Me Home for Christmas  Review


This was my first book that I read in the Whiskey Creek series and the second book by Brenda Novak so I'm still learning what type of author she is. Having not read any of the previous books in this series I liked that before you read the book she introduced you to the characters in the first couple pages with a short description. This allowed me to get to know names of characters I would be reading.

Now to the story I really liked this book because it involved a little bit of mystery with the romance which I thought fit well together. I though she so did a good job of giving the readers a back story on the characters so you know what brought them to who they are today. In addition I liked that although you knew there was something between the two main characters Sophia and Ted she built up to their story and allowed you to learn more about Sophia and her past instead of getting right to the romance. Lastly I also liked how she incorporated Sophia`s daughter Alexa and showed what she went through with her dad`s actions of swindling money out of investors.

I am quite interested to go back now and read the other books and to see how they compare. Lastly very excited to see what kind if story she writes for Eve who was a part of this book. All in all very happy with this book and have found Another author to add to my book shelf.

This book was given to me as ARC by the author. All my opinions are my own.

Through The Smoke by Brenda Novak

Through the Smoke by Brenda Novak

Through the Smoke opens with Truman Drudridge rushing back after his wife sends him a letter saying she is pregnant. However, when he wakes up after he confronts his wife he finds out that she is dead and his castle was started on fire. Elsewhere Rachel McTavish has always been the coal miners/bookseller's daughter and after her fathers death the person who is keeping her family together. However things change after her mother passes and she is left to be the person holding the secrets of her family and what part they have in the fire. Truman wants to find his wife killer and solve who started the fire. What he doesn't expect is that he might fall in love with a common villager. 

Having never read a Brenda Novak book before I was excited and a little nervous to read the book because I was not sure what to expect. I found that the book was very well written and the characters were very well developed. Having not read many historical romances I did not have a lot to compare this book to but I felt that she wrote it very good. She stayed true to what the times would be like and what royals and villagers would think of a romance of a royal and a commoner....If you love mystery, romance, and history then this defiantly a book that you should read. In addition if you want a book that keeps you on your toes and don't want to put it down because you want to find out what happens then you should defiantly grab this book off the bookshelf. I am very interested to read her Whiskey Creek series and other books from this author. 

If I were to give it a rating I would give it 5/5 stars!! 

Link to Brenda's website to check out her other books: 

http://www.brendanovak.com

Christmas on 4th Street by Susan Mallery

Christmas on 4th Streets brings readers back to Fool's Gold and to Noelle a character that was mentioned in the Fool's Gold Stories this past summer.. Noelle recently opened a new store "The Christmas Attice" in Fool's Gold that centers on Christmas and other holidays and is something very different from other stores in town. In addition to Noelle you also meet three new characters Gabriel and Mr and Mrs Boylan. Gabriel is Gideon's twin brother and also is in the military. This book has family, friends, love, joy and at times a little sadness. 

Being the 12.5 book in the Fool's Gold series you as a reader sometimes worry is it going to be as a good as the last one or is this just an okay christmas book. I found that again Susan out did her self with this book. I liked the way that she brought more family dynamics into this book along with the love story. I liked to see how Gabriel and Gideon interacted with not only the woman in their lives but also their parents. I think this added piece was really a nice add. As always I think the love story was well written and the characters were very well developed. Can't wait to see what Susan has in store for her next three books in Summer 2014!

Book Giveaway - Read for more Details

Calling all my romance reader friends! I will be hosting a giveaway in preparation for Susan Mallery's new book Christmas on 4th Street coming out on Sept. 24. For anyone that pre-orders the book or buys it the week it is released will be entered to win one of the previous fools gold books or another Susan Mallery book of your choice. Comment if you are interested in taking part! 

Midnight Lies

Midnight Lies

(ARC received from Netgalley and Ballantine Books)

Quick Synopsis: 

Midnight Lies does not take place in the town of Midnight right away but rather starts you out in Atlanta at the apartment of a woman named Charlene who is the ex of one of the main characters that readers will read about in this book. Her storyline starts by her trying to lure her ex husband Quinn back to in to her life by inviting him over to get a necklace that belongs to family. However, things don't go as planned for Charlene as she ends up dead and the murder looks to be blamed on Quinn.

As the book continues on you learn about Sam who turns out to be Quinn's new girlfriend and one of the main characters in the book who links this story to the town of midnight. For readers who read the first story in this series it will make sense who she is. Sam tries and is able to help clear him of the charges but ultimately is not able to find the person who murdered his ex and Quinn pushes her away. By pushing her away Sam ultimately moves back to Midnight hoping to escape her past but ultimately everything ends up following her there including Quinn. Will Sam be able to move on from Quinn when he is living in the same town as her?

My Review:

Having really liked the first book in the series Midnight Secrets I was very excited to see this book pop up on Netgalley and requested to read it right away. Initially when I started this book and you were first introduced to Charlene I was unsure of how she was connected to midnight and where was this story ultimately going. However, after getting into the first couple chapters I was hooked. I felt like this book was well written and very thought out. It has the right mix of romance and mystery/suspense. In the beginning I was lost but once you got in more you really felt at times that you were standing right next to Sam going through everything that she was going through. It was also very nice how she incorporated the other two sisters in the story and how she keeps their stories going on even if they are not the main characters. 

The only thing that I did not like was one particular storyline she put in the book she at times talked a little about it and at the end gives you very little information on what the status is. I know she did it for a reason because it will lead you into the next book about Sabrina but I felt she could have maybe gone into it a little bit more.

I am very interested to see what the next book holds as it will be about Sabrina the last Wilde sister and her partner from back in Florida. I will be interested to see how she leads you into the book and where the story ultimately takes you. If I had to read this book I would give it a 4 out of 5. 

Tempting Fate

Tempting Fate by Jane Green

Book Description by Goodreads:

When Gabby first met Elliott she knew he was the man for her. In twenty years of marriage she has never doubted her love for him - even when he refused to give her the one thing she still wants most of all. But now their two daughters are growing up Gabby feels that time and her youth are slipping away. For the first time in her life she is restless. And then she meets Matt . . .

Intoxicated by the way this young, handsome and successful man makes her feel, Gabby is momentarily blind to what she stands to lose on this dangerous path. And in one reckless moment she destroys all that she holds dear.

Consumed by regret, Gabby does everything she can to repair the home she has broken. But are some betrayals too great to forgive?

This is my second read of a Jane Green book so I wasn't sure what to expect. I am not a huge fan of books where there is infidelity in marriage but all the reviews said that once you got farther into the book the story really grabs your attention and you want to see how the book will end. The book involves a handful of characters. The main character Gabby, her husband Elliot, her to kids, and a couple of friends. I have to be honest after reading the first couple chapters I really did not like the character Gabby and didn't want to continue reading the story. But once I got through half of the book the story became more interesting and real to life. I though Jane did a really good job of describing how the fallout is for a family when one of them cheats. It was interesting to also read the twist that Jane buts in the book that you did not see coming. This book kept me interest and I finished it with in a couple hours which doesn't happen very often. I would recommend that reader who like romance and books that have a really good gut wrenching story read this book. I would also recommend what others to do which is continue to read even if you aren't sure what you think after the first couple characters as the book gets better.

A Simple Change to a Simple Life

A Simple Change by Judith Miller

Book Description Courtesy of Goodreads:

Judith Miller's Novels Offer a Fascinating Look inside the Amana Colonies
Joining the communal society of the Amana Colonies isn't what Jancey Rhoder planned for her future, but when unforeseen circumstances force her family  to make some difficult decisions, she chooses to give up her teaching position in a Kansas City orphanage and move with her parents to Iowa. 
Her besotted suitor, Nathan Woodward, isn't at all happy about the move and is determined to get Jancey to change her mind. And Jancey herself isn't sure what she's gotten herself into when the simple life of the Amana Colonies means she'll be assigned a job and may have to give up teaching for good. Will Nathan woo her back to the city, or will she be forever changed by the mysterious events and new relationships that await her in the quiet villages of the Amana Colonies--and decide to make this unique place her forever home?


This was the first book that I have read by Judith Miller. With this being the second book in the series I was a little worried that I was going to be lost with not knowing what happened in the first book. However, that didn't happen because this book could stand alone in the series because even though the first books characters were in this one you would not need to know it The main character Jancey has always lived in the modern time in Kansas City splitting her time between the orphanage and spending time with her family and suitor Nathan Woodward. However, that all changes when her parents tell her that they are going back to the simple life in the Amana Colonies to live out their rest of their lives. Jancey is shocked and doesn't want to leave her children at the Orphanage but she doesn't want to miss the last couple months/year with her mother. So she leaves everything behind to move there with her parents.

As you continue to read the book you will find that Judith Miller does a fantastic job of describing how the people in the Amana Colonies live and how it is different from what the modern people in Kansas City lived. I really liked in addition how she showed the struggles that Jancey faced well trying to fit in to the colonies.  Lastly I really liked to the romance story she had included between Jancey and Ritt who is one of the colonies citizens and her relationship between Nathan and her. I felt like I was in the 1880's and experiencing what Jancey and her family were going through.

Having been my first read by Judith's I really liked it and I am very interesting to read other books in this series and by this author. I would not only recommend this book to Christian readers but also by readers who love history and romance as it has all three of those genres in them.

I received this ARC from Bethany House Publishers and Netgalley.

ARC of The Secret Keeper by Beverly Lewis

The Secret Keeper is the 4th book in the Home to Hickory Hollow series. The story starts out with Jenny Burns making her way to Hickory Hollow to start her life as an Amishwoman. Having always felt like she was a plain woman and never really belonged in current society she feels right at home in Rebecca Lapps house. Rebecca and Samuel Lapp who were in the first Hickory Hollow series are reintroduced again as Jenny's mentors as she strives to one day belong to the church and one day become Amish. However, things don't come as easy to Jenny as she thought she would and she soon wonders if this is what she really is meant for her. Also introduced into this story is Marni Lapp who is the person that convinced Jenny to come. Lastly, Katie and Daniel come back in a few chapters of the book which is interesting to see as the Shunning was one of the first books that I read of Beverly's.  As you read the book Beverly introduces laughter, love, family and heartbreak. Keep your attention from start to finish.


Having only read four of Beverly Lewis books before and reading only this book from the Return to Hickory Hollow series I wasn't sure what to expect as I read the first couple chapters. I found that Beverly really shaped the characters well and you really felt that you were taking part of the amish life as she made you feel like you were in the kitchen with Jenny and Rebecca baking. I am also a hopeless romantic so I loved that she also introduced two love stories into this book that you got to see grow through out this book. It was interesting also to see where Beverly had taken Katie's character. I am very interested in reading the first three books in this series and very excited to read Beverly's future releases.

I received this ARC of The Secret Keeper courtesy of Netgalley and Bethany House!

Baby & Bump and the HOT OBGYN

This is my second book that I have read of Brooke Moss and I absolutely loved it. Lexie Baump is a Thirty old single woman who owns her own business and now is pregnant. Her cousin tells her that she needs to go to good OBGYN and not the family one anymore. Agreeing she sets up an appointment with Dr. Fletcher Haybee who comes recommended from her cousin. In walks Fletcher to the appointment and Lexie feels an instant connection but so does Marisol her hot friend/co-owner of her catering business. Knowing it wouldn't be correct to date her doctor she tells her best friend to go for it not realizing that Fletcher feels something too. As the book goes on you see Lexie's relationship with her mother break and strengthen and also her love for Fletcher growing. In addition you also get to see the relationship between Lexie and her friends especially Marisol who is dating Fletcher and how it changes throughout the book.

I really liked this book because I felt the story line was very well written and the characters were very well developed. In addition I also liked the comedy that she brought into the story. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!!

Once is Never Enough by Mira Lyn Kelly

I received this book courtesy of First Reads and Harlequin.

Nichole has always been on the end of its not you, its me in relationships. So now her goal is to enjoy her single life and have fun. That all changes when she goes to her friends party and runs in a man with beautiful blue eyes who makes her forget everything. Garrett Carter is ready to get back into the swing of the things after having his head stuck in a book for the last couple years. He just didn't realize it would be at his friends welcome back party a beautiful read head with beautiful brown eyes. Not until the next morning do they realize that they do know each other because they both know Maeve, his sister, her best friend. They try to deny their feelings but their attraction becomes even stronger and sometimes you just have to give into your feelings.

The was my first Harlequin Kiss series book and I thought that it was very good. I liked the way that Mira progressed the story and how you really felt like you knew the main characters by the end of the book. The only part I found unrealistic was how the sister reacted to Nichole and Garrett being together. Other than that I really liked the book and would recommend it to other romance readers.

Bones of the Lost (#16 in series) by Kathy Reichs

Back Story on the series/book:

After watching the first season of Bones when it came on TV I was hooked to the story lines and when I found out that it was based off of a book series by Kathy Reich's I had to read the whole series. I have all of the books but only have read the first and the 10th book so I don't have the full background like I should which made it a little difficult to catch on to a couple of the side story lines that were brought up in this book.

The story takes place in Charlotte, NC and in Afghanistan. Temperance gets a call from the FBI when a girl is killed and there is no clue to who she is and what ultimately killed her. Having been a huge help in the past with the FBI's cases Agent Slidell brings her on the case to help discover who the missing girl and what happened to her. Through out the book you learn more about who the girl is and what landed her in to the situation that ultimately got her killed. Elsewhere in the book Temperance helps her ex's friend's son with proving that he is not guilty for what the US government is charging him with. When she takes part in it she find her self half way across the world in the desert looking at bones and getting time to spend with her daughter that is over seas. As you read the book you find it starts out in NC and then moves overseas and the ultimately back in NC.

My Review:

Although there is a lot of medical terms in the book and at times can make the chapters drag on a little I found this book to be very interesting and it kept me reading until the very end. I was very happy with the end that she ultimately had an was very surprised to find out who the girl was and also who killed her. I never saw the twist that she brought in. The end will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I am a huge fan of the books that I have read of Kathy's and will have to go back when I have time and read up on the things that I missed. If you haven't read the series prior to this book the only pieces that you will not understand are when she brings up about a guy names Ryan and her past with her daughter. Although they play a part in the book it is not the whole story and you will be fine with out reading prior books.

I received this copy of Bones of the Lost courtesy of Netgalley & Random House UK, Cornerstone to give an Honest Review.

Just My Luck by Kelley Vitollo

** Goodreads Book Description  

Betsy Harris has always known Jace Macnamara was off-limits. Not only is he a close friend, he also happens to be her boss—making him doubly forbidden. Betsy’s too timid to ever admit her crush, nor ‘fess up to the fact that she’s secretly drowning in her mother’s medical bills.

Jace just found out he needs a wife and needs one now. His childhood home—the last reminder he has of his deceased parents—can only become his if he gets married, but Jace, ever the playboy, never dreamed of settling down for real. Neither Betsy nor Jace wants to ruin their friendship when their fake marriage inevitably ends, so they vow to keep things light, professional, easy. But as Betsy comes out of her shell, Jace begins to see his “wife” for the beautiful, caring woman she is. Can he risk their past for a future together?

My Review

Betsy Harris always knew that Jace Macnamara was a great boss and a close friend but felt like she would never know what he would be like as a boyfriend or husband. Well that all changes when Jace is forced to ask his her to be his wife so that he can keep the only home that he has ever known. Jace always knew that Betsy had a crush on him but he never expected to see her as anything more but that all changes when their true feelings start show as they continue their "fake" marriage. Jace and Betsy soon find out that there is more to a person than what meets the eye as they continue to get to know each other better.

This book is filled with laughs, tears and even a little heartbreak at times. I think it was a great read and a very quick read. I would say the reason I gave it four stars instead of five would be that the story has been done before in the aspect of two friends start out in a fake relationship/marriage and fall in love. Again it was a great read and I would like to read the other two books in this series to learn more about the other two couples love stories.

If you are looking for an easy read and a book to make you laugh and smile than this is the right book for you.


To learn more about the author and see the other books she has written check out her website: http://www.kelleyvitollo.com

*** I was luck to receive a free copy of this book from Netgalley!!

Three Little Words by Susan Mallery

Isabel Beebe left Fool’s Gold to follow her dream of being in the fashion business. Now she is back to help her parents with their store and get it ready to be sold to a new owner. Little does she know that the man she loved when she was 14 would come back in to her life...

Ford Hendrix never thought he would step into Fools gold again after Maeve Beebe broke off their engagement and he joined the military. But now with his business open and running in Fool’s Gold now is the perfect time to come back to his hometown and reconnect with his family and friends. However, he never imagined that the girl who wrote him letters for ten years would also come back in to his life.

Together Isabel and Ford start a “fake relationship” to get his mother Denise off his back about getting married but neither of them realize that their just might be something there that might just be more than friendship.

Being the last in the three book series for this summer you never want the book to end because then you remember that you have to wait until September and Christmas time before you can read more books in this great series.

As it has been with the past couple three book series that past couple summers this book, the third in this series was my favorite.  I really liked how Susan built up their relationship from the beginning to the end.  What I thought was different from the rest of the books that I read in the series was the letters that started out the book. It was an unexpected great add to the book. In addition I really like the story of Kent and Consuelo budding love story that you got to see through out the book.  Lastly, I liked how the last two Hendrix boys got their girls in the same book!

I don’t think there would be anything that I would change in this book other than maybe divulging a little more about Ford’s past.  By reading the letters you were able to read about Isabel’s past but not Fords. I felt there could have been a little more added. As usual her writing and characters were spectacular and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for Noelle’s story that will take place in the Christmas book.

If I were to give it a rating I would say 5 stars!!!

Thanks Susan and Jenel for letting me part of this awesome Cheerleading team and to read this book before it hits in two weeks! 

Is There Really True Love Out There.....

True Love- by Jude Deveraux 

I was lucky to receive an ARC of True Love by Jude Deveraux from Netgalley. I have always been a fan of Jude’s books having read a couple of her books in the Edilean series. The story starts out with Jared Montgomery a famous architect back in New York also known as Jared Kingsley talking to his grandfather about his Aunt Addy leaving the house to a girl he hasn't seen since he was 14. However not until you read a couple pages do you realize that Caleb also known to Natucketers as Captain Caleb is a ghost who had been living in Jared’s Aunt Adelide's house for the past two hundred and some years. I was a little unsure how the book was going to read with a ghost as it could either be good or bad. However I found that I liked the way that Jude brought Caleb’s ghost into the story in as a supporting character to Jared and Alix's story. 

In addition to the storyline of Jared and his granddad Caleb you also meet Alixandra Madsen a soon to be graduate of architectural school that Addy left her house to for a year. Alix planned on passing up the opportunity until she gets dumped by her fiancé Eric and decides that the house would be a good place for her to work on her final project. Not until she gets there does she realize that she will be living next to the famous Jared Montgomery and hopes she can learn from him on how to be a better architect. Their relationship starts out as colleagues and friends but slowly develops into something more when they realize that they have same love of designing buildings. You will find out more of Jared and Alix's past and how they come together to design and build a beautiful chapel.

I thought it was interesting how Jude brought in reincarnation into the story also. I have never seen an author bring that into a story before so I found it interesting. For instance it was cool how she described how Victoria was Valentina in her past life. In addition I really liked how she ended the book, as it was not an ending that I saw coming. 

In the end I really liked the book and would recommend it to readers who like historical and contemporary romance fiction. I can’t wait to see what Jude comes out with for her next book. I could even see her adding another book on to this one and making it a series, as there are more stories to be told such as Lexie and Toby’s. 

To Have and to Hold - Tracie Peterson & Judith Miller

Audrey Cunningham was making a good living being a house maid to a wealthy family in Atlanta and wants nothing to do with returning to her father Boyd's old home on Bridal Veil Island. After being on Bridal Veil Island for a couple months she comes to find out that their money troubles are worse than she expected and that she not only needs to find a job and fast but that they might need to find a new home. However, things take a turn for the good when Mr. Morley her old boss comes in town with a proposition for Audrey's father that he thinks would be a win/win situation for all parties. Mr. Morley wants to build a resort on Bridal Island that his wealthy friends and investors can come to.

Things are going as Audrey expected until Marshall Graham shows up and turns her world upside down and her father starts looking ill. She worries that he is encouraging her father to fall of his sober wagon and start drinking again now that Marshall is the new foreman on the job. However, Audrey soon find outs that Marshall is nothing like she thought and starts feeling bad for the way she treated him. She unfortunately doesn't get to truly explain her self because things start going bad on the work site when ghosts start making their presence and explosion set their work back by months. In addition her father and Aunt Thora's health takes a turn downward.

Without try to divulge the whole story by my description this book is not only a story of romance but also of mystery. You keep on trying to figure out who is behind the whole sabotage and are somewhat surprised by who the ring leader turns out to be.


Have read other books by Tracie Peterson I knew that I liked her writing but wasn't sure if I would like the portion of history that she was writing about. However, it turns out that I really liked it and had a hard time trying to put the book down. I am interesting to read the second book in this series and to read more by these two authors. I would recommend this book to romance fans and would defiantly recommend this to other christian readers.

4 Cheese Stars for "To Have and To Hold" a must read for Tracie Peterson fans.

Charmed- a Romance Novel

***Description from Goodreads.
***I do not own Photo, Photo by Erica Ridley/Intrepid Reads Publishing Group

Daisy le Fey is good at a lot of things. Math, science, accidentally turning people into pumpkins... Unfortunately, she's not good at the one thing hiring managers look for when filling open positions for magical beings: Magic.

When she jeopardizes her apprenticeship by getting involved with sexy mortal Trevor Masterson, it's one disaster too many. In order to stay out of purgatory, she's going to have to ditch the human—and her one chance at true love


My Review: 

Daisy wanted nothing more than to be normal just like everyone else. Well her normal being having her  fairy wings and magic. She accepts and apprenticeship as a Tooth fairy with Vivian who is the top tooth fairy in all of Nether-Netherland... However, things don't go so smoothly on her first assignment when instead of retrieving eight year old Angus's tooth she meets Trevor Materson who is more like 27 years old adult with all teeth intact. 

Meanwhile, Trevor thought all he would find on his anthropology dig was artifact's and fossils not a beautiful blond bombshell dropping into his tents a couple of nights before he is supposed to head home. At first thinking she might be crazy because she keeps asking about a tooth he gives her a rock thinking it will make her disappear forever. However, once she gets pulled into court for tricking the Tooth Fairy system Daisy makes it her mission to find not only the tooth but also find out why Trevor tricked her.

However, things from that moment on get alot less normal and a lot more magically weird. His teaching assistant is turned into a pumpkin, a frog teleports him to Nether-Netherland and that's just in the first couple chapters. 

I have to be honest this isn't my favorite romance book that I have ever read but it kept my attention and interest after i reached the middle of the book. I initially didn't really get what I was reading until I got through the first couple chapters. I think the characters were well written, however, I think there was too many in the first couple chapters to remember and at some parts I think there were parts that could have been cut from the book because the lack of their importance. After I hit the middle of the book it had me hooked and kept me reading until I finished. I think with this being the first in a series the author was trying to get as much information as she could in a book so that you can understand the places and the characters but it can at sometimes feel overwhelming. I can't guarantee that I will read the next book in this series but will defiantly try another book by this author. 

I would give this book 3 cheese stars! Good story but hard to get into in the beginning. 


For other Erica Ridley books check out her website: http://www.ericaridley.com

Susan Mallery's Two of a Kind

Book Description from Goodreads: 


Felicia Swift never dreamed she'd hear a deep, sexy voice from her past in tiny Fool's Gold, California. The last time Gideon Boylan whispered in her ear was half a world away...on the morning after the hottest night of her life. Her freaky smarts have limited her close friendships, and romance, but she came to Fool's Gold looking for ordinary. Gorgeous, brooding Gideon is anything but that. 

Black Ops taught Gideon that love could be deadly. Now he pretends to fit in while keeping everyone at arm's length. Felicia wants more than he can give-a home, family, love-but she has a lot to learn about men...and Gideon needs to be the man to teach her. 

As these two misfits discover that passion isn't the only thing they have in common, they just might figure out that two of a kind should never be split apart.

My Review 

Having read the 10.5 books in this series prior to Two of a Kind I kind of knew what to expect when reading Susan's new book. Once again she did not disappoint. The story is about two new characters that came to Fool's gold in the last two books. Felicia one of the main characters moved to Fool's Gold to help Justice and his friends set up their "Bodyguard School" and found that this town was just what she needed in her life. However, long be hold she hears a sexy voice on the radio that sounds alot like the man she hooked up with years ago. 

Gideon moved to Fool's Gold to escape his past so he bought up two radio stations and thought he could make a new start. However, long be hold the one woman who he never could forget show's up in town and is there to stay. They try to ignore each other except until Felicia gets offered the job of taking over the festivals in fools gold and needs advice from the one man who really knows her. As the story continues you get to see their relationship blossom and go through rough patches along with interesting curve balls thrown at them.

I feel like this book was another step up from what I have read of Susan's books. It seems with every book that she writes it gets better and better. Her back stories on the two main characters always seem to become more intriguing and really grab your attention. There were defiantly twists and turns in the books that I did not see coming but defiantly a needed add to the book. I am very interested to see where she will go with Isabel and Fords story in Three Little Words!