Review of Ever after by Jude Deveraux

Summary

Ever since Hallie could remember her life has always revolved around one thing, her step sister Shelly. However, that all changes when she is given the opportunity to inherit a house in Nantucket and a new job. But with all new and exciting things comes challenges and for Hallie that challenge that comes in the form of her newest patient James Taggert. Will Hallie be able to make her stamp in this new place and new house or will her past catch up with her? 

James Taggert has always had everything and anything a child could ever want when he was younger so when he is given the opportunity to give back by joining the army he jumps at the chance. Things continue to go well for him in his career until while serving overseas his jeep is hit by an IED and all of his comrades are killed and he is badly injured. After not really completely healing from his war injury he is involved accident while skiing and sent to Nantucket to recuperate. James is against this and believes he will back on a plane to Colorado to recover until he meets Hallie and her no bullshit attitude arrive. Will James be able to open his heart and let Hallie in to help him heal? Can James make Hallie believe that someone can love her over his step sister? 

My Review:

I received an ARC of Ever After by the publisher Penguin in exchange for an honest non biased review.

This is the 3rd book that I have read in this series by Jude.  As was done in previous books in this series, Jude did a great job of developing both the characters and the background of this book. She really had you understand both Hallie and James back story so that you understand why their personalities were the way they were.

Another key aspect of this book that I thought was very interesting was when she got into PTSD and how it affects veterans and those around them. It really makes you think as a reader how it not only affects the veterans but also the family members and if untreated can result in bad things. PTSD however was not the only aspect that Jude dove into with this book. She also touched upon over bearing mothers and non existent fathers and how the way they treat their children when they are younger can affect how they turn out.

All in all I was very impressed with this book and I am interested to see who Jude has be the main characters in her next book in this series. I can definitely see this series going on for a long time as there a characters that were brought up in this book that can be used in future ones.

I would encourage readers that like romance and drama stories to read this book. I think this book touches on all these aspects and much more.

Review of A Love Like Ours by Becky Wade

Summary

Jake Porter has always only loved one person his whole life, Lyndie James. As children they did everything today up until the day Lyndie and her family had to move from Texas to California. Jake moved on with his life by graduating from high school and joining the marines. However, things took an ugly turn years later when Jake was involved with an accident when he is away on tour that leaves a couple of his fellow marines dead and Jake badly scarred on the face. After arriving home to his brothers ranch Jake finds solace in being alone and training horses. That is until he hears Lyndie James is back in town....

Lyndie James returns to Holley, Texas with two things on her mind. Finding a job working with Thoroughbreds and finding love. Things begin to start looking up for her as she finds a job on the Porters ranch training horses wither childhood best friend. However, Jake is no longer the boy that she remembers but rather a man with secrets and scars.

Will Lyndie be able to work her way in to Jakes heart? Can Jake get beyond his past and the fears he has to open himself up to love? 

My Review:

I received and ARC of this book from Bethany House Publishers for a honest, non biased review. This is the second book that I have read of Becky's and I was worried that I was not going to like it. However, that was not the case. I really enjoyed learning about another of the Porter men and see his love for Lyndie grow from the beginning of the book to the end. 

Becky does a great job of bringing in well developed characters and setting a great scene. As a reader you get to really know the characters and feel like you really know them. An item that I also enjoy about Becky's books are these four items: Family, Faith, Friends and romance. She is able to weave those items through out the book which makes it that stronger of a book. 

Another great aspect of this book was the incorporation of Lyndie's sister Mollie! I really enjoyed seeing the closeness that Lyndie and her sister had. It showed that family really is one of the most important things in life that can either keep a family together or tear them apart. 

I guess if I had to find one item in this book that I did not care for was that they really didn't have an ending to Amber and Will's story. I got really hooked on that couple as well so I wanted to see what happened with them. I really felt like that story could have had more added or even in its own book.

I recommend this book to readers of all ages and those that like stories that have laughter, sadness and love! Below are a couple of my favorite quotes: 

"Lyndie saw the perfect symmetry of it then. If she and Jake were irrevocably linked together then of course God had intended them equally for the good of the other. Her for him. Him for her."

"A bleak and unholy light inhabited Jake's eyes. It was more than enough to cause an old lady to have a heart attack, a young girl to run from him in fear, and a thirty-year-old with a dreamer's heart to want to love him so much and so relentlessly that he'd have no choice but to come back to life."

Review of To Win Her Favor by Tamera Alexander

Summary

Maggie Linden has always had three constant things in her life, horses, her home and her father. So when the threat of her losing one of those she agrees to her fathers request, which is to marry Irish born Cullen McGrath. In return for the marriage her father agrees to let her race thoroughbred.

Cullen McGrath used to have it all, a wife and a child. Sadly because of terrible his mistake his brother made back home he was forced to leave with his family to come to america. Little did he know that they would not make it through the journey as they would fall ill. With no family to speak of Cullen tries to find a home so that he can build a new life. However, quickly he finds that no one will give him the time or the chance until he meets Maggie Linden's father. In exchange for marrying his daughter, Mr. Linden agrees to sell his land to Cullen.

Will Cullen and Maggie learn to work together to build a family and a home? Can two people from two different backgrounds learn to love each other?

My Review:

I received an ARC of the book "To Win Her Favor from Tamera and her publishing company in return for an honest unbiased review. I think that Tamera did a  great job of setting the scene of the book. By setting a great scene it allowed you to feel like you are living in the same period with the characters. In addition, she did a great job of developing both of the main characters in the beginning thus allowing you to understand them better once you got further in the story. It was also interesting to see how the characters changed from the beginning to the end. They truly had evolved from beginning to end.

Another part of the story that I found interesting and actually kept me wanting to read the book and finish it was the story that they had with the end of slavery and how even though they were free they were still be targeted. I think she did a good job of keeping it interesting but also staying true to the time and making it as realistic as possible.

I think all in all it was a great historical fictional romance story that I would recommend to all readers. I think it incorporates romance, history and family.

Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Special Interview by Melissa Tagg with Donovan McNabb's Mom & Giveaway

Hi Everyone -

Check out this great interview that Melissa Tagg did with retired NFL quarterback Donovan McNabb's mom Wilma. Also enter for a chance on her website to win a great prize. Following the link below to get to this interview: 

Melissa Tagg interview with Wilma McNabb