EMBATTLED MINDS ~ J.M. MADDEN

I'm definitely looking forward to this book, after having read and loved the first two books:

MRS. LINCOLN'S DRESSMAKER

I thought that this book dragged on a bit for me.  I found the beginning of the book interesting and then it fell on it's face after the death of Mr. Lincoln.  It is funny how until I read a book like this I forget how much history I have forgotten and I feel like I'm back in high school with all the historical facts.

The beginning of the book wherein Elizabeth described being a slave, purchasing her freedom and becoming a dressmaker were interesting.  The development of her relationship to Mrs. Lincoln and being her dressmaker and confidant was even interesting, but after the death of Mr. Lincoln, the story started declining for me and I found my mind wondering instead of concentrating on the book.
I've heard great things about this author, but for me, this particular book was just okay.

3 stars

COME TO ME QUIETLY ~ A.L. JACKSON

http://aljacksonbooks.blogspot.com/

This is a "must read" author and I couldn't be happier that she has another book coming out!

APRIL 2013 ~ BOOKS READ

 

 

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from the author.  I jumped at the chance because I love her writing style.

 

This was the story of Louise Palmer.  Having had a very insecure childhood and having found stability in Clay, her husband, she is happy to live the rest of her life in Westfield, NJ among her friends.  A letter from Florida upturns Louise's life and she fights it tooth and nail, scheming the entire time.  This is a book of love, friendship and new beginnings.  It is written in Bette Lee Crosby's usual Southern Flair and tugged at my heartstrings.

 

I really enjoyed this book.  Bette Lee Crosby is another of my "must read" authors.

 

4.5 stars

 

 

In the second Mickey Bolitar book we see more action, adventure and friendships forming.  We are treated to some details and learn more about the characters.  The narrator for this series (I listed to the audio book) is outstanding and made listening very enjoyable for me.

The adventures for Mickey continue.  We are still left with questions and these books remind me a polished and, more mature and up-to-date Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys books that I so enjoyed reading.  The character development is great.  I'm kind of hoping that Coben brings Win or Esperenza into this series because that would just make it that much better.

Mickey continues to find out more about the Abeona Shelter and he and his friends search for the truth about a death and what is going on.  The recurring characters are wonderful and the story just makes you want to find out more.  There was a little bit of healing with Mickey's relationship with Myron and I hope that in future books we will get to delve more into their relationship.  When things start to get bad for Mickey and his friends, Mickey thinks of their safety.

I love this series and am anxious for the next book.

4.5 stars

CURRENTLY READING

and an ARC  (coming out April 15th) of

MARCH BOOK REVIEWS

 

 

I've loved the Clara Claus books so far. What a departure from her usual genre. I'm excited to read this book when it is released.

Having finally read this YA Novella, I must say I was intrigued. I think Alexandra's writing is fabulous and the story unfolded seamlessly. I love the idea of fan participation and I think that is what sold me on 5 stars vs. 4.5. It is sometimes difficult to review/judge something that is written that is short, but there was so much content in the Novella, you actually could bond with the characters.

I am anxiously awaiting the next part of this book to see what happens between Honore and Lorine. How the changes that are happening to Lorine will affect her going forward and what will become of the two of them. I am still waiting to figure out the twins angle and will be waiting for the next installment.

Hopefully we will find out more about Josh, Lorine's mother and Rick.

Alexandra, thanks for making your dreams a brilliant reading reality.

 

 

 

 

This was a short story I got from Netgalley.  It is the first time I have been disappointed by a  Slaughter book.  I think that there was just not enough time to bond with the characters.  I'm sure it didn't help that I went in thinking it would be as good as her Grant County/Will Trent series.

 

It is the story of Pam and her ex-husband John.  Pam was walked all over in life by John and John, who was used to getting his way.  John is now dying and he asks Pam to come out and see him.  It is a quick read and you do get to find out what, if anything, John leave her and how Pam deals with his death.

 

3 stars

 

 

 

I keep saying I am going to give up on the Alex Cross series and I am always drawn back to it.  The reason why is because when Patterson writes books like this one, I can't wait for the next one to come out.
This book has a lot going on.  There are all different kinds of killings going on and Alex Cross is right there in the middle of it all.  He is going in different directions and has been considering adopting Ava into his family.  Ava has not adjust well after being with Alex and Bree and Nana Momma, but the Cross family is hoping that will change if they just show her some love.
The different plots in this book make for interesting reading and as always you love to hate the characters.  I thought that Ron Judice story was so well played and the shocks that came toward the end of the book were fantastic.  I'm hoping the next book will play off of this book.  I love Sampson and was glad he had some great moments in this book.  The Plastic Surgeon and Bergman also had a very interesting storyline with some twists that were unexpected.
 
Looking forward to reading the next book in this series.
5 stars





Let me start by saying that I absolutely love Lisa Kleypas. This is the first book of hers that I have read that just is not up to the par that I expect from her. I was a bit disappointed and am having trouble giving the book a star rating. There were some redeeming qualities in the book, but the "magic" in this book just wasn't believable enough for me. I am not sure the foray into the paranormal works in this series. There just wasn't enough of Justine in previous books to warrant it for me.

This is Justine's story. The premise of the book starts off wonderful, but again, I found that parts of it just were not jiving for me. I also thought that there was not enough interaction with the rest of the characters from Friday Harbor. Jason Black was a love/hate relationship and I thought that there was something missing. I am still trying to figure out why he "borrowed" the Triodecad because it wasn't originally to have a longevity spell cast. I assumed it was so he could find a soul. I am totally lost with this part of the book. I absolutely detested Marigold and just felt like she wasn't mother material. I did enjoy the lighthouse scenes and getting to know Sage and Rosemary and exploring what they meant to Justine. The ending was done well so I will have to keep reading this series. The next book comes out in either September 2013 or 2014. I'm not sure because everywhere I look it seems there is a conflict of the date.

For me this book was a 3.5 star rating and I am hopeful that the next book will be back to the Kleypas style I love.



I read this book on the recommendation of others and then talked a few others into doing a Buddy Read with me.

When I first started reading it I had absolutely no idea what to expect, so I went back and read the synopsis of what the book was about once again. I went back to reading and realized I still felt like I was reading the book and all the thoughts about the book were floating above me (I don't know how else to explain it). All I knew for sure was I wanted to keep reading it and find out what was going on. It was frustrating at times because I felt like more questions were popping up and I wasn't getting any answers, but looking back, I realized that this is what made the book compelling to read.

This book is about loss, love and second chances and this author has just made my "MUST READ" list of authors.

5 stars and some applause from me.



This is the story of Anne Morrow Lindbergh, wife of the famous Charles Lindbergh and daughter to the Ambassador of Mexico (when the book opens).

I found that the beginning of this book dragged a bit for me. It was a bit school girlish. About the time of the kidnapping, the book picked up for me. I am not a fan of weak women who have no mind of their own.

I did enjoy learning more details of the "Crime of the Century" when the Lindburg's child was taken and after that Charles was off charting new things and his view on Germany and Hitler didn't meld with mine.

Anne seemed to always be along for the rides and never really stood up to Charles. I think a big turning point for me was when Anne miscarried and had to do it alone. To think that Charles was probably with one of his mistresses, turns my stomach. I found him to be a recluse and to not really have a kind word to say. I can't imagine in modern day times that a woman would accept this behavior. For some reason, I didn't realize that Charles had 7 other children with other women.

I loved that Anne finally found her inner strength and stood up to Charles, began to live her life and enjoy it. She kept things to herself, especially her affair.

Lastly, I thought that the story of Dwight and also Con was left a bit unfinished as there was so much of them in the beginning of the story and by the end, you could barely remember them.

Overall, I found the book well written, but it tended to drag until the midpoint of the book for me. I would definitey try another book by this author.

3 stars

FEBRUARY 2013 BOOK REVIEWS

After a slow start, the book picked up for me and I was anxious to see the outcome.

The characters were wonderful. I really enjoyed Faith, Pru, Honor & Jack. Faith's father was very sweet. I could have done without Lorena, but Levi was the bad boy you love to hate.

This is the story of Faith who is jilted at the alter by a man she thought she would spend the rest of her life with.

The family dynamic was a little crazy and Goggy reminded me a bit of Grandma Mazur.

Can you fall in love after you have been left at the alter by a man you thought was the love of your life? Can you ever come home? In Faith's case, yes you can. A kiss in high school while on break with her boyfriend can change the course of events your life takes.

I love these kind of books, but since it started a little slow I have given it 4 stars. I need half stars since this book was a 4.5 star book.

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How much of your life would you give up to help try to prove someone's innocence? This is a story about Megan and her quest to prove her brother is not guilty of a crime he has been sent to death row for.

About halfway through the book I was thought I had figured out the killer but the book continued to play out for me. The killer definitely had 2 totally different personalities.

Thankfully this is a trilogy because way too much was left up in the air and I am having a hard time deciding on a star rating.

The end was definitley fast-paced and a bit scary for me to read at night.

4 stars




What can I say other than I love books about our military.

This book was rock solid for me. I enjoyed that the characters were war vets and opened their our investigative service called Lost and Found (LNF). The characters all have flaws but are dealing with them in their own way.

Of the three men who founded the agency, Duncan, Chad & John, I was surprised that the book centered around John Palmer. I kind of expected it would be about Duncan. All the same, I loved the book.

Years prior, Shannon was stalked and the man, Michael, is serving time in jail. In the beginning of the book you can tell it is going to be mysterious as a few incidents happen to Shannon. Shannon works at LNF and has a crush on John. As John comes to Shannon's aide and appoints himself her protector, the story begins.

If it hadn't been for a friend (thanks Darcy), I never would have picked this book up, so I hope that word of mouth helps this book to be read.

A MUST READ BOOK

5 stars
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I wasn't prepared to enjoy this book as much as I did. It was recommended by a friend and I am so thankful because I might never have picked it up.

From the start of the books, even as early as the Acknowledgements where the author thanks our military for giving part of themselves to serve out country to the end, I was taken by the book.

This is the story of 3 wounded Iraq war vets who come home shattered and torn and bond while in the hospital. Although I am not a fan of novellas or short stories this one tugged at my heartstrings.

I would recommend this book to anyone and I, personally, have a soft spot for anyone in the military or who has ever served in the military and am active in the American Legion sending care packages (One Box One Soldier) to those who so willing serve to protect us.

A MUST READ BOOK

5 stars.
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This is just a fun series to read. I am enjoying how it is all coming together. I love the Witch and Wizard aspect to it and the road to get to the end of the journey has been filled with surprises and sadness. There were some new characters introduced in this book. Some that you love to hate and some that melt your heart.

I am looking forward to more advertures with Whit and Wisty to see what they are going to do now that it appears the New Order has been defeated and The One Who Is The One is no longer in power.

4 stars

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The Wanderer by Robyn Carr





I was really hoping that this series would be as good as her Virgin River series. I wanted to read this book so badly.

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised and loved the book. There was a bit of set up, but overall, the premise of the series is great. There were a few things that I though were left hanging, but I think with any new series, it is hard to cover everything.

This was a typical Robyn Carr book and I got everything I expected out of it.

It is the story of Cooper who comes to town after his friend, Ben dies. Cooper is a wanderer, hence the title, and he arrives in Oregon and find that Ben has left him a letter. Cooper does not get much direction from the letter, but he tries to do what Ben would have done.

There are great character and character development. There are the characters you fall in love with, Mac, the Sheriff, Landon, the highschool quarterback, Sarah, Landon's sister, Gina, who basically runs the dinner, Lou, who basically runs Mac and Rawley, the surley guy. There are also characters that you love to hate....but I'm not saying who he/she/they are.

There is a lot of great in this book and I am anxiously awaiting the next book in this series. Job well done!


4.5 stars

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I listened to this book on audio and loved the sound effects. I was getting a little bored wtih the Alex Cross series, but found this book had a lot to offer and was old school Patterson.

Alex is called out on Christmas Eve to a case and it turns into something much bigger than he imagined. There is a lot of close calls and a few different storylines thrown in

Definitely getting back on track with the series.

4 stars.

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I was a bit disappointed with this book. Each child was a chapter in the book and althought I like Hattie in some ways, I didn't care for her in other ways.

This is the story of Hattie, her husband August and her family. I enjoyed some of the stories more than others and just felt a bit dissatisfied with some. I thought that what happened to the children was left up in the air and after all the detail in the book, it just ended abruptly. There were lots of times I felt confused with the story and where it was going.

3 stars

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Another homerun for me from Nora Roberts.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this book, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Her writing style keeps getting better with each book.

There were so many characters in this book that I disliked which made me root for the ones I did like even more.

The book revolving around a witness who years later shows back up and is willing to put everything on the line for love drew me in hook, line and sinker.

There were so many times that Brooks had to tell Abigail things to make her understand his point and I found that very endearing.

I was totally surprised at the turn of events with Ty and absolutely adored Sunny. I was almost in tears when Brooks brought the new puppy to his mother. Oh, there were so many good moments and the funniest was the part when Abigail had to go to bed with Brooks to verify his penis was adequate and he told her she was lucky he always test well.

Loved the book - 5 stars

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The Cinderella Search

This is the story of Lissa and her father who are trying to buy back the Inn that her grandfather lost in a pinocle game. The entire community pitches in in an attempt to buy back the Inn.

The story within the story is Steve Jackson who comes to town, has strange and funny things happen to him and wants to look for a Cinderella who fits a shoe.

Cute and fun, quite a bit different from the fairytale version, but with some similarities.

An enjoyable read - 3.5 stars

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I am really enjoying this series and I think it is a lot of fun to read. Whit and Wisty make the series and The One Who Is The One is crazy. It makes me want to read the next book in the series since these books are always cliffhangers.

The adventures of Whit and Wisty are unique and I love the fantasy aspect of it. Wisty and Whit are trying to discover what powers they have, but no one tells them what they are put gives them gentle hints. It is kind of a save the world book for young adults.

4 stars