fbpx

Browsed by
Tag: What I’m reading

Book Review: Coraline

Book Review: Coraline

Coraline

by Neil Gaiman

How have I missed this book? I really enjoy the movie, but for some reason, I’ve never investigated the book.

And that’s a bummer because it’s such a fun read! The story moves fast and the characters are wonderful. I liked the side characters much better in the book than I did in the movie. The story strikes exactly the right tone between whimsical and creepy and it’s a very quick read.

My rating: 5 stars

Have you read Coraline? What did you think of it? Do you prefer the book or the movie?

Book Review: The Sergeant’s Daughter

Book Review: The Sergeant’s Daughter

The Sergeant’s Daughter

by Teressa Shelton

Critiquing a memoir is always tricky, especially one that includes allegations of abuse. I think Teressa was treated very unfairly, I am deeply sorry that this happens to anyone, and I really admire her for surviving what had to have been horrific.

I read this entire book in one day and it’s not a short story. The writing style is engaging and the story is so engrossing, and yes, disturbing at times. It doesn’t get too graphic, but there are definitely some heartbreaking moments and I got very invested in the fate of each sister.

I probably won’t read it again, but it was definitely worth reading once.

My rating: 4 stars

Book Review: The Outsider

Book Review: The Outsider

This book … eh.

I have tried and tried and tried to read Stephen King. The Outsider is my latest attempt to get into the thrills and chills promised by his name.

But I can’t do it. I abandon every single one at about the 30 percent mark and go to Wikipedia to read the plot summary. So I guess that means I’m interested enough to find out what happens, but not interested enough to invest the time reading the other 70 percent of the book.

The plot was compelling – how can DNA evidence put a man in two places at the same time – and becomes especially relevant when one of the timelines includes a horrendous crime. (Warning: not for the faint of heart.) But I couldn’t get into it. I know Stephen King is a master at building suspense, but honestly, I just got bored. The climax wasn’t even very scary, but I was reading it on Wikipedia at nine in the morning, not breathlessly turning pages to learn the resolution after I’d spent all night reading.

This isn’t the first scary book I’ve tried to read this year, only to get bored and either start skimming or give up entirely. The horror genre just isn’t for me, even during spooky season.

My rating: 2.5 stars

Book Review – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Book Review – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

I was on the library waiting list for two months for this book and finally got it on Friday. It’s 442 pages in small font, but I read the whole thing in one weekend. Literally could not put it down.

My review: 5 stars

If you like fantasy and great storytelling, this book is for you. It’s fabulous! V.E. Schwab winds the story over three hundred years and across the entire world and makes it look effortless. The writing is superb, the prose is the kind that wiggles down inside you and makes your heart ache because of the beauty. You want to immerse yourself in the pages, get lost, and never come back.

This is one I will be buying for my own collection and will reread many times over. Well done, Ms. Schwab!

What I’m Reading + Family Pic (August 4)

What I’m Reading + Family Pic (August 4)

Today is my parent’s 51 year wedding anniversary. Fifty-one years, can you believe it? I am so blessed to have them! They are wonderful examples of love, faith, and integrity and I treasure every moment and memory I have with them.

Happy anniversary, Mom & Dad! Here they are being all cute with the rest of my family. Six kids, five in-laws, and 19 grandkids later.

If you clicked on the link in my newsletter, you’re here for the extras. Here’s what I’m reading this week. I’m linking them here because I’m still trying to work out the balance between giving you enough information about the books vs. overwhelming you with text in my newsletter. Note, that as an Amazon affiliate, I earn a small percentage of sales from shares on this blog.

Match Made in Ireland

by Michele Brouder

Get three sweet romances in one box set.

A Match Made in Ireland: Have you ever wanted to press the escape button on your life?

Her Fake Irish Husband:  It’s a marriage of convenience for three months. But will it turn into something more?

Her Irish Inheritance: Two broken hearts and one dilapidated property that might just bring them together.

Get the Escape to Ireland box set here

 

Camping with the Billionaire

by Amberlee Day

He was her college crush—and then her stepsister’s boyfriend.

Now that they’re both older and wiser, will the stars align to give their budding feelings a chance?

Amid the backdrop of the Ozark Mountains, Maya and Parker come together for a common purpose—giving kids a memorable summer camp. The surprise event on the camp itinerary: Love.

But grumpy neighbors want to shut down the camp and the past doesn’t stay buried. Will Maya and Parker give their love a chance, or will it go up in smoke?

Get Camping with the Billionaire here

 

His Beauty

by Layla Holt

He’s the kind of man she knows to stay away from—Rich, arrogant, self-obsessed and sexy.

In other words, a carbon copy of her ex. The one who took one look at her scarred face and broke their engagement.

Luckily, there’s no chance that her boss Lance Cohan would be interested in someone like her. Men take one look at her face and take off in the opposite direction.

Then why is Lance drawn to her? Why does he find her laugh cute and why does he want to protect her from harm? Why can’t he stop dreaming about her? And why, when she’s in his arms, does he feel as if his wandering spirit has finally reached home?

Get His Beauty here

Happy Reading!

What’s on my Kindle – Liz Isaacson, Sarah Gay, and Rachelle J. Christensen!

What’s on my Kindle – Liz Isaacson, Sarah Gay, and Rachelle J. Christensen!

 New releases from my favorite sweet romance Authors

Courting the Cowboy

by Liz Isaacson

May Sotheby is the heiress to the ritziest restaurant in Grape Seed Falls. In business for over a hundred years, her father wants the restaurant in Texas Hill Country to stay in the family for generations to come, so he lays down some hard news for May: She has one year to find a husband or the restaurant where she’s worked since a teen will go to her already-married sister.

Frustrated with the cowboy-only dating scene in Grape Seed Falls and needing to find a beau fast, she joins an online dating website, TexasFaithful, hoping to find her soul mate without having to relocate–or deal with cowboy hats and boots. She has no idea that Kurt Pemberton, foreman at Grape Seed Ranch, is the man she starts communicating with.

Kurt can’t get off the ranch much, so TexasFaithful is ideal for him to meet potential women without wasting time. As he nears fifty, he finds his patience for finding the right woman waning, and the Christian dating website fixes all that.

When he learns May is the beautiful woman he’s been corresponding with, he couldn’t be happier. May, however, is scared off by the close proximity of Kurt, the big white cowboy hat, and the expectations of her family. If she’d known she was courting the cowboy all this time, she might not have done it. Will May be able to follow her heart so she can keep Kurt and her restaurant?

Get Courting the Cowboy here

The Spark of a Kiss

by Sarah Gay

Julia, a witty and independent public defense attorney, doesn’t need a man—but she does need to secure a boyfriend by her twenty-eighth birthday to keep her mother from setting her up, if only for that day. She has her eyes set on February, the gorgeous firefighter from the benefit calendar on her wall. Unfortunately, when Julia meets Dax, AKA February, and sparks fly, she learns he’s a self-proclaimed bachelor.

Dax, a Park City firefighter, is living his childhood dream of being a local hero. Masking his abandonment issues with surface romantic relationships, he finds himself conflicted when he meets Julia and sparks fly, but she won’t date him. His determination solidifies when he finds that Julia has a stalker. How do you protect and care for someone who wants to go at life alone? Dax is determined to figure it out, and that may mean a trip to Brazil to come to terms with his past.

Get The Spark of a Kiss here

The Princess Bride of Riodan

by Rachelle J. Christensen

When a mysterious man offers to help Elise redecorate the old Bed & Breakfast, she gladly hands him a wallpaper steamer. After she discovers his true identity, she doesn’t know whether to curtsy or run and hide. Unfortunately, hiding isn’t an option because her heart is already tangled up with the handsome prince. At the same time, Elise’s old crush from high school wants a relationship and she’s forced to decide whether to chase after a fairy tale ending or stay grounded in reality.

Get The Princess Bride of Riodan here

What’s on my Kindle – Kimberly Krey, Lucy McConnell, and Cami Checketts!

What’s on my Kindle – Kimberly Krey, Lucy McConnell, and Cami Checketts!

New releases from my favorite sweet romance Authors

 

The Snapshot Bride

by Kimberly Krey

Love is in the air in Cobble Creek—for everyone but Anthony Marino. Month after month the owner of Tony’s Diner watches happy couples stroll through that bell-chiming door, and he can’t help but wonder if it will ever be him. The winds shift drastically in his favor when Kira Moretti rings that very same bell. During a childhood visit to Cobble Creek, the outgoing girl pegged him with his first kiss. When she sets those brown eyes on him years later, he’s pleased to find the feelings are still there. But is Kira here to stay, or does she—like the other women in Anthony’s past—have her eyes set on a different life?

It’s no surprise that Kira Moretti has an imperfect past that soiled the family name. So when Grandpa Moretti leaves his Cobble Creek photography studio to her in his will, Kira’s determined to prove herself worthy. Cobble Creek is just as charming as she remembered, and even better—so is the handsome guy from Tony’s Diner. Chemistry between them sparks fast, and soon Kira’s certain she’s right where she needs to be. But when someone from her past shows, offering long-sought redemption, Kira has to make a choice. Stay with the man she’s just fallen in love with, or take the offer and risk losing him forever.

Get The Snapshot Bride here

Dating the Rogue Cowboy

by Lucy McConnell

Oakley Price made a promise to her angel parents that she would see younger sister’s dream of becoming a barrel racer come true. When Bri is thrown into a fence and almost trampled by a high-spirited horse, Oakley’s doubts and fear of being alone threaten to shut down their rodeo season before it begins. She doesn’t have the knowledge or the experience to coach Bri; but, she knows who does—the helpful but shy cowboy from work, Will Dumont.

William Dumont spent his growing-up years in the saddle. He ran away from the Lime Peak Ranch at age 18 and has created a life for himself in the Silicon Slopes far away from rodeo, the Lime Peak Ranch, and his family. However, he wouldn’t mind spending time with the woman who walks by his desk every day. There’s just something special about Oakley. Which is why, despite all his misgivings, he agrees to coach Oakley’s little sister. But, William can’t hide from the Dumont legacy—not in the rodeo circuit—and soon his family becomes tangled in the complicated and delicate strands of his and Oakley’s potential relationship.

In order to keep Oakley in his life, William will have to figure out what kind of a man he wants to be—a runaway or a rogue cowboy.

Get Dating the Rogue Cowboy here

The Protective Warrior

by Cami Checketts

Ally, daughter of the Duke of Gunthry, has spent her life terrified of her father and dreams of the day when she can escape his tyrannical rule. When her mum helps her escape to the beautiful island of Kauai, Ally thinks she’s found paradise and maybe more with the handsome River who keeps crossing her path. But there are unexpected enemies lurking in the shadows. And no matter how tough River seems, no one can withstand the army her father will send when he discovers her location.

River Duncan is part of an elite security task force of ex-Navy SEALS. Little does he know his first assignment might prove irresistible to resist and protect. When he finds himself falling for the fun-loving Ally he plans to resign his position so they can join forces in their common goal of fighting human trafficking. River has never underestimated the enemy before, but is he fully prepared to protect and love Alexandria Gunthry?

Will River’s protection and Ally’s love be enough to conquer a lifetime of fear and responsibilities? Or will they be forced to give up on their dreams in the face of her sadistic and powerful father?

Get The Protective Warrior Here