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 

Review of From the Start by Melissa Tagg

From the Start by Melissa Tagg 

Summary:

Every girl dreams of living happily ever after with their prince. Kate Walker is no different all she has ever wanted was true love and to write meaningful stories. However, things don't go as planned as Kate is single and writing T.V. romance screen plays. Life, however, has other plans for her when she gets a call after a devastating tornado reacts havoc on her little town of Maple Valley.  So she drops everything and rushes home to be there for her family and friends and hopes it will give her guidance on what she should do next.

Colton Greene has only ever planned on one thing continuing in his life and that was football. However, things change when he is permanently sideline in the NFL after a career ending injury. Lost and not sure what to do he accepts a call from a college friend to help clean up the small town destroyed by a Tornado.

Fate has brought Kate and Colton together to help rebuild a town and their hearts. Will Kate be able to open her heart to love or will she remain closed off to everyone. Can Colton get past his career ending and find out what he should do with his life?

My Review

I received this ARC book from Bethany House Publishers for an honest unbiased review.

This is the first book that I have read of Melissa Tagg's. I think Melissa did a great job of building the back story of the two main characters, Kate and Colton. By doing this it allowed the me, the reader to understand their personalities better which was helpful once you got further in the story. In addition, to doing a great job of building a great back story for both characters she did a great job of setting the scene of the book. Melissa made you feel that you were part of the small town of Maple Valley.

I also really enjoyed reading this story because it had a great pace. It didn't feel like the story was too short or too long. Melissa also did a great job of throwing in the love, romance and heartbreak aspects in this book which I think ultimately makes a great romance if you have all of these in a book.

Lastly, I think Melissa did a great job of incorporating faith and God in the book. It never felt like what she was writing was not believable or unreachable. It truly felt like something that could happen to me or someone else I know. It really added to the story rather than hindering it which I have seen in the past.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy reading books about love, romance, and faith. You will not be disappointed and it will leave you wanting to read more stories about the characters in the book.

Review of The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery

Summary

Nicole Lord has always been the loving wife and mother who owned her own business and had great group of friends that she could always count on. However, that all changes when her husband up and quits his job to purse his dream of writing a screen play. Now the pressure of supporting the whole family on her income and taking care of their child is all put on Nicole. Will Nicole's marriage be able to survive this change?

Shannon Rigg has always put her life in the following order: work, family then love life. However, that all changes when she gets to thinking what if she could have more. So she joins a dating website in hopes of finding more than a one night stand. Little does she know that she just might her own prince charming. However, with all good things there is a catch and that is her dream guy has two kids. Will Shannon be able to connect with his kids? Is forever in the cards for Shannon and her new boyfriend?

Pam Eiland has everything that a woman could ask for a loving husband, beautiful kids, a gorgeous home and adorable dog. However, Pam feels unsettled and that something is missing. She wonders is there more out there for her to experience or is this all she will ever have??

Can all three women find their happy ending? Sometimes they say the best family out there are our bestfriends who always have your back.


My Review:

This is the first story in the Mischief Bay series by Susan Mallery. To be honest after reading a couple chapters I was a little worried that I was not going to like the book. I think that Susan did a great job of developing the characters and setting the scene, however, I felt initially there were too many stories going on at once. It was hard to keep track of who was who and what story belonged to what because they seemed to be all intertwined. I think that once I got 1/4 of the way in I felt more comfortable deciphering whose story belonged to what character.

In regards to setting of the location and scenery of the book I think Susan did a great job of making you feel like you were part of the town.

Lastly, I think Susan did a great job of creating a emotionally gripping book. She did a great job of showing realistic emotions and responses to the problems that the characters were having. It is always nice when the authors do this because it helps the reader connect to the book if it is more realistic.

I would recommend this book to both fiction and romance readers. It has love, friendship, family and heartbreak. I am very interested to see where Susan takes this series.

Review of Lone Star Survivor by Colleen Thompson

Summary Courtesy of Goodreads:

"A soldier's memories are more dangerous than anything he's encountered in the line of duty..

"Killed in action" a year ago, US Army captain Ian Rayford shocks everyone when he stumbles half-dead onto his family's Texas ranch. Suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Ian can barely remember his relatives. His former fiancée, a psychologist specializing in PTSD, arrives to help Ian recover. But not everyone wants her to unearth the dangerous secrets he's carrying.

Now engaged to another man, Dr. Andrea Warrington fights her feelings for Ian even as she helps him remember how much they once loved each other. Yet the closer Ian gets to his past, the more someone else has to ensure the treacherous truth stays buried."

My Review: 

Being a fan of both mystery and romance I thought that this romantic suspense by Colleen Thompson would be a great first read of the Harlequin Romantic Suspense series. Colleen did a great job of setting the scene and really grabbing the attention of the reader from the start with how she introduced Ian in to the book. In addition, I really liked that she made the story realistic and true to what a veteran/prisoner of war would be like after they return to the U.S. 

The other part of the book that I really enjoyed of course was the romance in the story and how she had it start out as friendship and build to something more by the end. By building up the romance from the beginning to the end she kept you hooked as a romance reader because you wanted to see how Ian and Andrea's story ended up. 

Lastly, the part that I think Colleen wrote the best was the suspense in the book. I felt it was interesting and realistic which is sometimes where mystery authors can go overboard and lose the realness of a story. Lastly, my favorite part of the book was all the twist and turns she had. For being such a small book she did a great job of creating a well rounded story that I did not want to end. I would have to say that this is one of my favorite mystery/romance/suspense that I have read so far in the past two years. 

Can't wait to read more of Colleen's books! 

Review of This Heart of Mine - Brenda Novak

This Heart of Mine 

Summary

Phoenix Fuller has had the most difficult life that any one person could have. She was born the child of a hoarder & part of a family that wasn't very supportive. If that hadn't been the worst part of her life she was wrongly accused of second degree murder of high school classmate and sentenced to jail time and forced to give her baby son to his father. Fast forward many years later and Phoenix is finally released and ready to start her life and get to spend time with her son. 

Riley Stinson's life has not always been what he thought it was going to be but he wouldn't change the years he had with son Jacob for anything. However, now Phoenix his high school fling is released and wanting to be in their son's life even though he doesn't want her to be. But as he gets to spend more time with her and see what his son see's in her he feels that he might have been mistaken. 

Will Riley and Phoenix learn to work together for their son? Can time really heal all wounds? Can love maybe find its way back into both of their lives?

My Review

I am an avid reader of Brenda Novak's contemporary and historical romance books so when I was given the opportunity to read her new novel I jumped at the chance. I think Brenda does a great job of really developing the characters and giving you the background on them so you can really feel like you know them. I really connected with these characters too because I felt they were two people that could have known when I was in high school. 

Brenda also did a great job of making the storyline realistic. She didn't sugar coat what life was going to be like for Phoenix once she was out of jail, especially in a small little town. In addition, she also showed the type of struggles that Phoenix would have with her son and baby's father. 

Lastly, I liked that just like the previous books of the Whiskey Creek's series I was able to catch up on previous characters to see what they were up to. 

I am very excited to see what Brenda has in store for the next novel and I was very happy with how she chose to write Riley and Phoenix's love story! Thanks Brenda for giving me the opportunity to Advance Read this Book I loved it!

Review of Teardrop Lane by Emily March

Teardrop Lane

by Emily March

Rose Anderson has always concentrated on her career and making plans for the future. She as come to the conclusion that her future may not including find the man she is to marry or having kids. However, that all changes when her path crosses with Hunt Cicero in the emergency room one snowy night.

Hunt Cicero has gone through the most difficult time in the last year that most people never experience in their whole life. From his sister getting cancer & passing away to his nephews/nieces taking part in is his life more. Due to these changes in his life he is forced to leave the island he has always been accustom to that he finds artistic inspiration, to a town called Eternity Springs. However, there is positives on Hunt's horizons for instance when he meets Rose in the emergency room with his nephew.

Can Hunt open his heart to let Rose in or will he remain closed off like he has done so many times before in the past. Can Rose allow her self to trust again or will she close herself off like she with her last fiancé.


My Review:

This was by far the best that I have read of Emily March's. As she has done with the previous books I though she did a great job of developing the back story and making you feel like you were really in the small town of Eternity Springs.

My favorite part in the book came when she had the relationships continue to grow between Hunt and Rose as well as their connections with Hunts nephews and nieces. I think she really showed how the children would ultimately react to the loss they endured. Out of all the characters that we were introduced to in the book my favorite by far was Rose. I really felt like Rose was someone that I could almost be friends with in real life.

Lastly, I connected with the art that I read about of Cicero's. Just from the way it was described it sounded absolutely beautiful and something that I might possibly buy in real life.

Can't wait to read more books in this series.

Review of Dreamweaver Trail by Emily March

Dreamweaver Trail 
by Emily March 


Summary:

Gabi Romano is on journey to find out what she really wants to do for the rest of her life and takes another job dog sitting in the beautiful Caribbean. Little does Gabi know that right next door to her dog sitters house is a dreamy "caretaker by the name of Flynn Brogan. Much to Gabi's surprise she starts to have feelings for Flynn. Little does Gabi know that Flynn will have many surprises in store for her both good and bad. 

Flynn Brogan left the hustle and bustle of his old life in hopes that he would find peace and quiet on the Caribbean island. However, things don't go as planned when Flynn meets Gabi  and starts falling for her. Things don't go smoothly though for the two as their lives are put in danger when they are attacked by pirates. 

Will Flynn and Gabi find their way back to each other? Can Gabi open up her heart and trust again after her friend betrays her? Can Flynn tell Gabi the whole truth about his past? 


My Review: 

This is the second story that I have read in the Eternity Springs series by Emily March. I found that this book was vastly different from the first one that I read. I think that the reason that it was so different is because Emily went in more deeply about the two characters being attacked and the aftermath of it. In addition, I felt it took a little longer to get to he main point of story. Some one would say that it was the right time in the book to have their the story really begin but i felt that it could have happened earlier.

I really did like how well written Flynn and Gabi's characters were. I really felt like I was there in the book feeling everything that they felt. I think she also did a great job of describing the scenery of both the Caribbean Island and Eternity Springs.

In addition, I really like how she ended the book as it made you want to read the next book in the series. I would say the reason that I gave it 4 out of 5 starts would be because it took longer to get to what the real meaning of the book and those main characters. I am very interested to see where she takes these characters in the future.

I think this book is a great read for both the romance and fiction readers.