Book Review: Untethered by Marcia Lynn McClure - 5 Stars

Title: Untethered
Author: Marcia Lynn McClure
Series: Stand Alone
Publisher: Distractions Ink
Released: June 2012
Source: Purchased
Genre: Clean Historical Romance
Website: http://distractionsink.com/

Book Summary:

A man tethered by pain and guilt borne of past tragedy,
A young woman with the soul of a guardian angel,
And an unspeakable evil about to be unleashed.

As Cricket lay in the soft comfort of her bed, continuing to let her mind nest on thoughts of how truly wonderfully attractive Texas Ranger Thibodaux was, she giggled, thinking that looking at him was more refreshing than swimming naked on a summer Sunday afternoon. He was a tall drink of water—far taller than most of the other men in town—and his shoulders were as broad as the state of Texas itself. Sky-blue eyes, bronze skin, square jaw, and dark hair—and that smile! In truth, Cricket had only seen Heathro Thibodaux smile three or four times, but each incidence was something she’d never forget. His smile was bright and white, and the gold tooth he owned on the upper-right incisor of his smile only embellished the richness of it.

That one tooth. Cricket’s smile faded as she thought of it. Oh, no doubt the flash only added to the splendor of his smile. Yet it also served as a reminder to anyone who had ever read or heard of what had happened in Texas one year before. No doubt it was a powerful remembrance to Heathro Thibodaux himself—a visual indication of true barbarity, pain, and loss.

In that moment, Cricket wondered—when Heathro looked in the mirror each morning and saw that tooth, did he think of eight dead girls buried in the bottom of a bleak and barren canyon? Did he think of the eight dead girls that he, for no fault of his own, had been unable to save?

Marcia never disappoints me.  If you're a long time follower of this blog you already know I absolutely love her books.  I read them knowing what I am going to get and she always delivers.

I loved Cricket's do-gooder innocence matched to the tortured cynicism of Heathro.  Marcia has once again created an incredible cast of lovable characters.

I love getting to know Marcia better through the the parts of herself she puts into everyone of her novels.  The author's notes at the end are always the icing on the cake.

If you've not read a Marcia Lynn McClure book before start with Visions of Ransom Lake or Shackles of Honor or A Crimson Frost.  For those who like me have read and enjoyed all of her books this one is of course a must read.

Rating: 5 Stars - I loved it.

Content: Clean - passionate kissing and a couple of the mildest of expletives.

Source: Purchased

Book Review: The Cinderella Project by Stan Crowe

Title: The Cinderella Project
Author: Stan Crowe
Publisher: Breezy Reads
Released: August 30, 2012
Series: Stand Alone
Website: http://www.breezyreads.com/

Book Summary:

Committed to saving his marriage before it starts, doctoral student Nick Cairn embarks on a project aimed at finding the secrets of everlasting love. But when Moire DeLanthe, a smart and sassy research assistant, enters the picture, his Happily Ever After is put to the ultimate test.

I really enjoyed an author interview Stan Crowe did so I requested a review copy of this book.

The Cinderella Project is a cute, clean romance that made me smile.  Nick is a grad student trying to use science to figure out the secrets to love.  He is fully committed to making his relationship with his fiance Ella last forever.  While I had to admire his commitment to his relationship with Ella I found myself thinking some relationships just aren't meant to be.

I enjoyed being inside Nick's head as he struggled to figure out the path he should take. I loved the humor Moire brought to the story and she was by far my favorite character in the story. The storyline was somewhat predictable but this is a Cinderella Story so predictability is a good thing.

For those who enjoy clean adult romance give this one a try.

Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book

Content: Clean

Source: Review copy from publisher

Book Review: Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

Title: Best of Me
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Series: None
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Released: October 11, 2011
Website: http://nicholassparks.com/

Book Summary:

THE BEST OF ME is the heart-rending story of two small-town former high school sweethearts from opposite sides of the tracks. Now middle-aged, they've taken wildly divergent paths, but neither has lived the life they imagined . . . and neither can forget the passionate first love that forever altered their world. When they are both called back to their hometown for the funeral of the mentor who once gave them shelter, they will be forced to confront the choices each has made, and ask whether love can truly rewrite the past.

I'm a sucker for Nicholas Sparks. I've read EVERYTHING he has written and enjoyed all of it. I think he is a great writer. However if you haven't read a Nicholas Sparks book don't start with this one, it's not his best. Try A Walk to Remember, The Notebook or The Last Song as an introduction to his work. If you've read his books and enjoy them then read this one too.

Since I've read all of his books I was totally prepared for the emotional manipulation and classic Nicholas Sparks life is not always the happily ever after we may think it should be ending. Good thing I was prepared because he dished it out in droves in this one.  I thought Dawson Cole was a great character but I wasn't as taken with Amanda.  I'm a happily ever after ending person and the ending of this one was not the happily ever after I would have liked to have seen.  I saw it coming but still wish things could have somehow gone differently.

Sidenote: Prior to starting this one I had just finished reading Anna and the French Kiss. As Anna described the books her father writes I couldn't help but think of Nicholas Sparks.

Rating: 4 Stars - Great Book

Content: Language, violence, implied sex and other mature content that wasn't overly graphic however this is definitely a book for "adults".

Source: Library

Book Review: The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Series: Book 1 of 4
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: March 16, 2010
Website: http://www.kimberlyderting.com/


Book Summary:

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world... and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer... and becoming his prey herself.

This was a creepy, suspenseful, romantic read.  A great mix of mystery, romance and fantasy.

Most of the book is told from Violet's point of view.  Violet hears "echoes" of both the dead and of those who've killed others.  For the most part this unique ability usually finds her digging up the bones of dead animals but occasional she stumbles across something much more horrifying.  No one knows of her ability except for her family and childhood friend Jay.

I loved watching Violet's relationship with Jay develop into something more than just friendship.  I'm a succor for the "best friend turned more than friend" kind of relationships.

Most of the story is told from Violet's perspective but there are short snippets thrown in that are written from the mind of a serial killer, that's that creepy part.

For those who scare easily you might not want to read this while home alone at night.  I don't scare easily and enjoy an occasional suspenseful, creepy book so I thoroughly enjoyed this one.  I'll definitely be reading the sequels.

Rating: 4.5 Stars - Highly Recommend

Content: Some language including 1 F word. No sex but some passionate making out. Creepy & suspenseful.

Source: Download from Audible.com

Also by Kimberly Derting

Book Review: Die for Me by Amy Plum

Title: Die for Me
Author: Amy Plum
Series: Revenants Book #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Released: May 10, 2011
Website: http://www.amyplumbooks.com/


Book Summary:

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

I don't think I've ever read a Zombie book before. Prior to Die for Me if you asked me I'd probably say I don't like Zombies. This book definitely changed that opinion. Similar to the way Twilight changed my opinion on vampires Die for Me changed the way I see Zombies. Called Revenants, a term I had never heard prior to reading this book, these zombies are a far cry from the gruesome creatures I picture when you say the word zombie.

I loved everything about this book. From the characters and story-line to the action and romance, this book seemed as if it were written just for me. Although this book follows the typical young adult paranormal romance story-line it was completely unique in many ways and left me wanting for nothing except to get my hands on the sequel as soon as possible.

Die for Me is a beautifully written book that I won't soon forget. The sequel Until I Die is definitely on the top of my want ("need now") list.

Content: I can't remember anything that was objectionable in this book (maybe I was too engrossed in the story to notice).

Rating: 5 Stars - I loved it.

Source: Audible.com Download



The sequel Until I Diewill be released on May 3, 2012.

Book Review: The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Title: The Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Series: Book 1 of 3
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Released: September 27, 2011

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Fabulous story! Seriously this is just the kind of book I love to read.  Given the choice of what to read I gravitate towards young adult paranormal/fantasy.  The Daughter of Smoke and Bone was right up my alley. Despite some content I wish hadn't been there (see my note below), I couldn't help but love this story.  It's original and I love the way Laini writes.  One of my favorite recent reads.

Although The Daughter of Smoke and Bone wrapped up with a cliffhanger like ending it left me feeling satisfied.  Looking forward to the yet to be named sequel that will come out a year from now.  In the meantime I'm going to start on Laini's Dreamdark series hoping it will be half as good as this one.

Rating: 5 Stars - I loved it.

Source: Received a review copy from publisher but I downloaded it from Audible.com.

Content: Not a clean read but neither was it overly explicit or graphic. The book started off with Karou in an art class drawing nudes, remorseful over having given up her virginity to the male model. I wasn't sure about the book at that point but it definitely went up from there. There was language throughout the first half of the book but I didn't notice as much during the second half of the book, probably because the character that swore the most was no longer a part of the storyline. There was implied sex but without details. Recommended only for older teens and adult.

Book Review: The Haunting of Autumn Lake by Marcia Lynn McClure

Title: The Haunting of Autumn Lake
Author: Marcia Lynn McClure
Release Date: October 26, 2011
Publisher: Distractions Ink
Tags: Clean Romance

Autumn Lake stopped cold in her tracks. She puffed a breath of summoning courage as she gazed at the old covered bridge before her. Ever since she was a child and Sawyer had read to her the fascinating yet thoroughly haunting story of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Mr. Washington Irving, Autumn had secreted a fear of bridges. Each time she was meant to cross a bridge (especially the old covered bridge on the far side of the orchards), she expected the ghostly headless horseman to appear and attempt to decapitate her. Oh, certainly the tale of the Specter did nothing to soothe her either, for it was said that this was to be a year of the Specter. As the story went, the local phantom, the Specter, only appeared once every ten years—but this was to be the year of the Specter, and Autumn did not like crossing bridges even when it was not a year of the Specter.
Gulping down her fear, however, Autumn glanced behind her, assuring herself that there was no headless horseman riding up behind her intent on stealing her head.
“He wouldn’t want a woman’s head anyway,” she mumbled to herself, even as rising fear caused her heart to pound in her chest. “And besides,” she said, looking back to the old bridge, “I’m eighteen years old…nineteen in less than a month. Surely I can cross the bridge without runnin’.”
Pulling her sketchbook to her chest and tightly folding her arms across it, she spoke aloud to the cattails. “Wish me luck, my darlings…for I do prefer to keep my head attached to the rest of me.”
As Autumn stepped onto the bridge, the roof blocked the warm sunshine, making the space inside the bridge dark and gloomy. Yet she’d expected this. What else would one expect of a covered bridge? After all, its very purpose was protection from the elements, and that included the heat of the summer sun. Naturally, Autumn preferred to think of its purpose as being made for something else—the seclusion necessary for the romance of lovers’ trysts.
She sighed with disenchantment for a moment—disappointment at never having had a lover of her own. She thought how different it would be to cross the old bridge if her arm were linked to that of a strong and handsome lover. Still, she had no lover, and the fact remained that she must indeed cross the bridge.

No surprise that I loved this story. I'm a huge Marcia Lynn McClure fan and love to escape into her clean romances. If you have not read a Marcia Lynn McClure book before I highly recommend you give her books a try. But don't start with this one. The Haunting of Autumn Lake is the sequel to her beloved book The Visions of Ransom Lake. You must read that book first to appreciate this one.

Marcia Lynn McClure's favorite season is Fall. Her love of all things autumn shows in this book. From pumpkins and apples to fall colors and ghost stories, this book was perfect for making me appreciate the beauty of this season. In the author's notes in the back there are even recipes for some of her fall favorites.

Handsome Ransom and Vaden are no longer newlyweds but are just as in love as the day they married. Their only daughter Autumn is of age but how can she ever find a man as wonderful as her father? Filled with old fashioned values, a hero who will do whatever is necessary to protect a woman's virtue and plenty of kissing and romance this book is perfect for anyone who like me loves good old-fashioned love stories.

Rating: 5 Stars - I loved it!

Content: Clean

Source: From author for review

This book is currently available only through the authors website: http://distractionsink.com/, but will be available from amazon.com and other booksellers soon.

Book Review: The Trove of the Passion Room by Marcia Lynn McClure

The Trove of the Passion Room is not simply a story. Nor is it only a fable, a legend or mere nonsensical superstition. It exists. There is a trove hidden in The Passion Room…a trove that has never before in its fullness been found—for it is hidden by the spell of passion that lingers within the room itself. The passion inspired of the room cannot be denied. It cannot be controlled or resisted. And as the influence of The Passion Room cannot be evaded, neither can the trove be revealed without absolute and consummate surrender to...” She paused as her eyes widened. “What?” she breathed. “No way!”

About 8 pm last night a wonderful surprise was awaiting me. An email from Marcia that contained a Kindle version of The Trove of the Passion Room. Despite being caught up in the middle of two other books I just had to start this one! And is always the case once I start a Marcia Lynn McClure book I have a hard time putting it down! Sleep was sacrificed and cleaning and errands had to wait so I could read this.

The Trove of the Passion Room is classic Marcia Lynn McClure. I was not disappointed. Everything I love about Marcia and her books was within the pages of this fabulous contemporary story. There is predictability to Marcia's books but honestly I would be disappointed if there wasn't. I open her books knowing just what to expect and have never once been let down.

As the title suggests this book had plenty of passion. Marcia is known for her clean books that have nothing but passionate kissing. She can write the "chaste" side of desire and passion without any sex better than anyone. I'm certain The Trove has at least double if not triple the amount of passionate kissing as any of her other books.

The author notes at the back are something I treasure. I love getting a glimpse into Marcia's writing & life.

From Marcia:

"I LOVED writing The Trove of the Passion Room! I think it's one of my very, very favorite contemporary stories! The story is so close to my heart! And the hero is...how can I say this...INCREDIBLE! I know you want details...but I'm not sure what would best wet your whistle! Let's just say this for now...it's entitled The Trove of THE PASSION ROOM...will that do?"

Content: I consider Marcia's books to be clean reads (although this one does have some of the mildest of language and of course lots of kissing)

Rating: 5 Stars - I LOVED IT!

Source: Kindle Ebook

Book Review: Language of Souls by Lena Goldfinch

Actions speak louder than words...

Solena, a young healer with a generous heart, is desperate to heal her dying grandfather. When she ventures into a hostile territory to find a rare herb, she finds out just how much she’s risked when she’s captured by the enemy and accused of being a spy.

As a soldier, Rundan has struggled all his life to please his father, a ruthless army commander, but when he’s ordered to take the beautiful trespasser to the royal courts, where she’ll be summarily tried and executed, he’s plagued by the most inconvenient desire to protect her at all costs.

Though terrified and anxious to escape, Solena is confused by the handsome young soldier who cruelly captures her and then displays uncommon kindness. When he risks his own life to save her, she discovers she may have risked more than her life… she may have lost her heart.

I normally do not read many ebooks. Author Lena Goldfinch approached me to read her "short-but-sweet" ebook a couple months ago. I enjoy sweet romance stories and since this one was only 70 pages I agreed to read and review it.

Lena managed to write a satisfying, well told story in just 70 pages. It was nice to be able to sit down and read an entertaining clean story in one sitting. A little romance, a little adventure, a little fantasy, a little historical fiction all mixed together to make a heart warming story that was worth my time to read.





Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Author

Blog Tour: Book Review - Depth of Deceit by Betty Briggs

How does an intelligent woman find herself mired in a web of deception, abuse, and danger? In Depth of Deceit, author Betty Briggs pulls her readers into the life of Stephanie Saunders, a lovely young attorney with a big heart, keen mind, and a trust in others that nearly proves disastrous. Her handsome and wealthy boyfriend strikes her as perfect, but is he too good to be true? Her boss hovers around her like a protector and friend, but is he? Stephanie’s work focuses on defending the indigent, and one client earns her trust and friendship, but why is he showing up at the oddest places? It seems that she can trust only the horses she trains and loves, magnificent beasts who remind her of life’s purposes and meaning. In a dramatic turn of events, Stephanie must make a decision that will affect her life forever. While fans of the author’s earlier novels will be thrilled to discover a familiar character, this novel stands alone in plot and dramatic impact.

Given the title of this book I was on alert from page one and had trouble trusting any of the characters assuming they were all deceiving the main character Stephanie. I was pulled in to a web of lies and deceit in this well told mystery. Although I guessed from the start who could be trusted, the book kept me turning the pages to the end to figure out just how deep the deceit went and how all the pieces of the puzzle fit together.

Although I would classify some of the subject matter in this book as "adult" in nature, I would still consider it to be a clean read with nothing graphic, no language, no sex scene.

There were a couple plot points I had trouble buying... such as a lawyer not knowing how to use the Internet to do a background check... but those implausibilities didn't deter me from enjoying the storyline. I enjoyed the ending of this book. So many books end too quickly. There were still 50 pages left to wrap everything up after the book hit the climax which left plenty of time to answer all the questions I had and left me satisfied with the story. I'll definitely be adding another one of Betty Briggs' books to my to read list.


Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Author for Review

Thanks to Tristi Pinkston for asking me to be part of this blog tour:

Book Review: Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

When an unexpected inheritance enables Ari to transfer to an elite Manhattan prep school, she makes a wealthy new friend, Leigh. Leigh introduces Ari to the glamorous side of New York--and to her gorgeous cousin, Blake. Ari doesn't think she stands a chance, but amazingly, Blake asks her out. As their romance heats up, they find themselves involved in an intense, consuming relationship. Ari's family worries that she is losing touch with the important things in life, like family, hard work, and planning for the future.


When misfortune befalls Blake's family, he pulls away, and Ari's world drains of color. As she struggles to get over the breakup, Ari must finally ask herself: were their feelings true love . . . or something else?

Lorraine Zago Rosenthal's debut Other Words for Love had me completely engrossed in the story and I stayed up to finish it.

The summary makes this seem like it's all about Ari & Blake's relationship but they don't even meet until nearly the middle of the book.  There are so many relationships explored in this book, relationships between parents, friends, and siblings in addition to the expected relationship with a first boyfriend.  This book tackled an unbelievable number of subjects in a short amount of time: parental expectations, depression, teen pregnancy, first love, death, loss, teen sex, STDs, friendship... all surprisingly well fleshed out.

There was a large cast of supporting characters who were all well developed.  Ari's parents, sister, brother in law and friend Summer as well as Blake's cousin, brother & father were all characters who I loved or loathed. 

This book was set in the 80s and it made me laugh to see it on someones historical fiction challenge list - was the 80s really that long ago?  Other than a few references to some cultural aspects of the 80s it could have just as easily been set today.

I would hesitate to recommend this book to "young" adults.  I freely admit to being conservative and believing in no sexual relations outside of marriage. I have a hard time suggesting teenagers read books that portray teen sex as ok.  At least in this one there was talk of concern over the consequences: pregnancy, STDS, etc.  Even as an adult reader there was a scene in this book that made me blush, although I admit it doesn't take much to make me blush. That said this was very well written and I'll read Lorraine's next book.



Content: This is not a clean read and there is quite a bit of content that parents and conservative readers should be aware of including strong language and sex.  Rather than go into detail here please check out the Parental Book Reviews websiter for a through detailing of content. 

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Publisher for Review

Book Review: How Sweet It Is by Sophie Gunn

Single mom Lizzie Bea Carpenter learned long ago that no white knight was coming to save her. A hardworking waitress at the local diner, she's raising her daughter to be like the independent women in her "Enemy Club"—high school rivals turned best friends, promising to always tell each other the whole truth and nothing but!


Yet part of Lizzie wishes she did have a man's help, just for small stuff, like fixing up the house. Her fairy godmother must have been listening, because Dante "Tay" Giovanni soon appears. He's sexy, kind, and offering assistance—no strings attached.


Slowly, steadily, Lizzie's heart opens. But the grip of the past is fierce, and nothing in life is ever really free. Tay has his own tragedies to overcome, but if he can, he'll fix more than Lizzie's home. He'll show her just how sweet it is to be loved by him.

What woman wouldn't want her wish to come true,?  Lizzie is a single mom whose house is falling apart...literally: the paint is cracking, the porch is sagging, the gate is hanging off it's hinge.  She wishes for a handyman who would just stop in an fix things for her.  Welcome Tay, a handsome, do good, boy scout type who is just passing through town.  As Tay tries to help Lizzie fix up her house, Lizzie tries to save Tay from his troubled past.

I liked that the characters in this book were flawed.  They faced real problems and tried to make what they felt were the best choices, sometimes sacrificing their own wants and needs for others.  The book held my attention but had some plot points where disbelief had to be suspended to buy into the story.

I'm not a huge romance reader but I did like this book, except for the few pages I had to skip because I don't read sex scenes.  Thankfully this book wasn't full of them and was more sweet than steamy.


Content: I typically don't read "romance" unless it is Young Adult or clean stuff like Marcia Lynn McClures. I had been told this book was sweet without any graphic sex. There was sex, the book wasn't full of it and what there was wasn't describe in tons of detail but I had to skip portions of 3 or 4 pages throughout the book because it was too detailed for me. Also had some language.

Rating: 3 Stars

Source: From Publisher for Review

Book Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

I really enjoyed Falling Under. I was hooked from the first chapter and wanted to know just what Haden really was. It took quite a while for the revelation to be made and by then I was glued to the book.  A great cast of characters and constant twists and turns made this a very entertaining book that kept me guessing until the end. Wrapped up nicely with plenty of room for a sequel.

This book is darker and more edgy than what I usually read. It is not a clean read and I would not let my teenager read it. There were just too many comments about sex and desire. Plus there was more language than I'm comfortable with.

Falling Under will be released on March 1, 2011.


Content: language including 2 uses of the F word and plenty of innuendo, sexual tension, desire and talk of sex although no actual sex scene - my teenager won't be reading this one anytime soon.


Rating: 4 Stars

Source: ARC Tour

Blog Tour: Book Review: The Peasant Queen by Cheri Chesley

After running away from home, Krystal is transported to a faraway kingdom where an evil tyrant is bent on taking the crown - and Krystal's hand in marriage. But when she falls in love with the rightful heir to the throne, she must make an impossible choice: sacrifice her one chance at happiness or face the destruction of an entire kingdom.

The Peasant Queen is a light, easy, sweet read.  The story contains a good mix of adventure and romance with a strong heroine and a little magic.  This is a book I really enjoyed and can easily recommend to readers of all ages, especially those who enjoy fairy tales.  I was summarizing the book to my husband who commented it sound a lot like a Disney movie.  Also reminded me a little of The Princess Bride.

Lovers of Shannon Hale's Goose Girls series are sure to enjoy this book.  I wish the ending hadn't wrapped up quite so quickly and there was one other plot point that I felt wasn't adequately explained but still a wonderful story I would recommend.

http://cherichesley.blogspot.com/
http://www.cherichesley.com/


Content: Clean

Rating: 4 Stars

Source: From Author For Review

Blog Tour Part 1: Book Review: Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin

She paced the small confines of her bathroom as she waited the obligatory two minutes for the result. Yet, part of her sensed the truth. Not only did Austin take her self-esteem and plans for happiness, but he also took her get-out-of-this-marriage-free card.


The plus sign glared at Meg from the white plastic frame of the pregnancy test. The test fell from her hands and clattered into the bathtub as Meg’s back slid against the wall until she reached the floor.


“I’m pregnant,” she said into the quiet.


Meg never imagined she'd end up like this. With nowhere else to turn, she's forced to rely on the family she pushed away, the church she abandoned, and an unexpected friendship to help her find her forgotten melody. Meanwhile Matt is still mourning the loss of his wife. But determined to keep things together for his daughter's sake, he decides starting over in a new place might be just what his family needs.


This touching story combines romance with redemption and real conflict to remind you it's never too late to find joy. Kaylee Baldwin's capable hand renders a sincere, heartfelt story of rediscovery and hope. Perfect for romantics of all ages, this book will captivate your heart and rekindle your belief in the magic of music.

I've been so impressed with the LDS Fiction I have read recently.  There are some amazing new LDS authors and Kaylee Baldwin is one of them.  This is a fabulous debut and I certainly hope we see more great things from Kaylee in the near future.

I really enjoy LDS fiction that has flawed characters that struggle with their faith.  Meg's Melody has a great story that explores faith, family relationships, divorce, pregnancy, trials, love and loss without being cheesy or preachy.  I fell in love with the characters in this story and was cheering them on as they overcame the trials they faced.  This was an engaging read that I would highly recommend to any LDS reader or those who enjoy faith based clean romance.

On a side note - Meg's Melody is the perfect title for this book!

Content: Clean

Rating: 5 Stars

Source: From Author For Review

A huge thanks to Kaylee for allowing me to be part of this blog tour.

Tomorrow is the last day of the Meg's Melody Blog Tour. Stop by Kaylee's Site for a list of all participating sites.



Win a Copy of Meg's Melody:
Leave a comment on this post or on any one of the tour blog's post about Meg's Melody and you will be entered into a drawing to win Meg's Melody. You can leave comments on multiple blogs for multiple entries.
You get an additional entry if you become a follower of Kaylee's blog!

Part 2 of this tour stop includes an author interview & another chance for a book giveaway.

Book Review: Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

My name is Meghan Chase.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.


This time, there will be no turning back.

The Iron Fey is nearing the top of my all time favorite series.  Often sequels in a series don't get better but this is not the case with the Iron Fey series.  I loved this book.  I rarely reread books but this is a series I want to reread.  Julie Kagawa wrote an engrossing tale.  I had thought this was a "trilogy" and that the Iron Queen would be the end of the series.  Not so and in this case I'm thrilled because I really do want more of this series.  Up next is the Iron Knight - Ash's story - just wish there wasn't a wait because I want it now!

Bringing me lots of smiles and a few tears this was a well written sequel full of twists and turns.  I don't want to give any spoilers so I'll just say this is an fabulous book I thoroughly enjoyed and I'm sure fans of the first 2 books won't be disappointed.

The Iron Queen will be released on February 1, 2011 by Harlequin Teen.

Rating: 5 Stars - It's not often I give a 5 star rating to a young adult book that has language, sex &/or violence but I'm making an exception for The Iron Queen - I loved it.

Content: Some mild language but it didn't seem to be a prevalent as in the first 2 books. Perhaps the difference is simply that I read this book and listened to the audio of the first 2 books in the series and the language stands out to me more when the narrator shouts it in my ear.  There is another content issue that might concern parents (not graphic) but it would spoil the story if I shared more than that. Ages 16+

Source: ARC Tour

Holiday Book Review: Take A Walk With Me by Marcia Lynn McClure

“Grandma?” Cozy called as she closed the front door behind her. She inhaled a deep breath—bathing in the warm, inviting scent of banana nut bread baking in the oven. “Grandma? Are you in here?”

“Cozy!” her grandma called in a loud whisper. “I’m in the kitchen. Hurry!”
Cozy frowned—her heart leapt as worry consumed her for a moment. Yet, as she hurried to the kitchen to find her grandma kneeling at the window that faced the new neighbors yard, and peering out with a pair of binoculars, she exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Grandma! You’re still spying on him?” she giggled.
“Get down! They’ll see us! Get down!” Dottie ordered in a whisper, waving one hand in a gesture that Cozy should duck.
Giggling with amusement at her grandma’s latest antics, Cozy dropped to her hands and knees and crawled toward the window.
“Who’ll see us?” she asked.
“Here,” Dottie whispered, pausing only long enough to reach for a second set of binoculars sitting on the nearby counter. “These are for you.” She smiled at Cozy—winked as a grin of mischief spread over her face. “And now…may I present the entertainment for this evening…Mr. Buckly hunk of burning love Bryant…and company."
 
This was the perfect book to read on Christmas afternoon.  I started it 3 weeks ago when it was released but have had no time to read since then.  Finishing Take A Walk With Me was first on my list of things to do this afternoon.   
 
I loved this book just as I've loved everything Marcia Lynn McClure has written.  A wonderful holiday romance. Can't wait until this gets turned into a full length book.  Such fun characters in this sweet romance. 
 
I think I need to find recipes for raspberry almonds, mulled cider and orange almond punch!
 
Content: a couple mild swear words
 
Rating: 5 Stars
 
Source: From author for review

Holiday Book Review: The Snow Globe by Sheila Roberts

Discover an unforgettable holiday treasure in Sheila Roberts’ heartwarming tale of love and laughter, magic and miracles, friendship and coming home…


On a blustery afternoon, Kylie Gray wanders into an antique shop and buys an enchanting snow globe. “There’s a story behind that snow globe,” the antique dealer tells her. The original owner, he explains, was a German toymaker who lost his wife and son right before Christmas. When the grieving widower received the handcrafted snow globe as a Christmas gift, he saw the image of a beautiful woman beneath the glass—a woman who would come into his life, mend his broken heart and bring him back to the world of the living. For years, the snow globe has passed from generation to generation, somehow always landing in the hands of a person in special need of a Christmas miracle.


Kiley could use a miracle herself. This year, all she wants for Christmas is someone to love. A hopeful shake leads her on an adventure that makes a believer out of her. When Kylie shares the story of the snow globe with her best friends—two women with problems of their own—they don’t believe it. But they’re about to discover that at Christmastime, sometimes the impossible becomes possible and miracles really do come true.

I loved the idea of this book and really liked the beginning of the story. Kylie buying the snow globe and hearing the story behind how the magic began was a great tale. I was really enjoying Kylie's story of finding Craig and his toy shop through the globe. A little over 1/2 of the way through the book Kylie passes the snow globe on to one of her friend Suzanne and Kylie's story abruptly ends. We then have her friend's story which I didn't enjoy as much. The last 30 pages the snow globe gets passed to a 3rd friend, Allison, and we have a rushed story about her.

I wish this whole book had been expanded and just been about Kylie. Either that or the book should have been much longer to fully develop the stories of her friends.

Even though this book left me wanting more it was still an enjoyable holiday read.

Content: Some language and profanity scattered throughout.

Rating: 3.5 Stars

Source: Received a copy for review

Review: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo's empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

I love Nicholas Sparks. I've read everything he's written and couldn't wait for my copy of Safe Haven to arrive.

Safe Haven had a different feel than many of Nicholas Sparks books. It was much less sappy than most of his books. Don't get me wrong... I love sappy but this book was much deeper than many of his other books. It explored life in an abusive relationship and the struggle to escape and start over.

I felt a connection to the characters and never lost interest in the story. The audio narration was well done. The only thing that annoyed me was the whiny voice the narrator used for 5 year old Kristen. Fortunately she didn't have many lines in the book.

This book played out in a predictable manner. Although one thing I have learned from reading Nicholas Sparks is that sometimes he is not predictable and he goes for the heart-break ending. This book did have an unpredictable element to the ending but thankfully it was a touching unpredictable and not a heart-breaking unpredictable.

Content: Just a couple of swear words. One of the characters in this book is psycho, I mean seriously crazy. We hear his demented crazy thought process and the details of some of the things he does are described. There are scenes of physical abuse described and a few sex scenes that aren't overly graphic but are lewd. Although I can't classify this book as clean it wasn't nearly as graphic as it could have been. It was well written and I would recommend it to adults who have read this content warning.

Rating: 4 Stars. I made it through this book in less than 2 days. Some great writing from Nicholas Sparks.

Source: I received an audio version on this book from Hachette.

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

The undead can really screw up your senior year ...

Marrying a vampire definitely doesn’t fit into Jessica Packwood’s senior year “get-a-life” plan. But then a bizarre (and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth—and he’s her long-lost fiancé. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire’s Guide to Dating, Health, and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader sets her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war—and save Lucius’s soul from eternal destruction.

I'm a little hesitant to admit how much I enjoyed this book. But I've got to admit it - this book drew me in and I didn't want to stop listening to it.

Loved the humor! One of my favorite things were the letters Lucius wrote to his uncle with his views on life in America. Think arrogant Romanian blood drinking vampire who comes to live with a Vegan family. Hilarious!

Is this book for you? Hard to say. Some of my friends love it and others hated it. If the description sound appealing and you don't have issues with the content mentioned below I would recommend you overlook the cheesy book title & cover and give Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side a try. Although I think this book was originally written as a stand along and wraps up nicely Beth Fantaskey has written a sequel which will come out in 2011.

Content: This book pushes my personal limits. There is language throughout (no F word) and although there is no sex but has plenty of innuendo.

Rating: 4 Stars