Category: Genre

The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger

Title: The Singles Game
Author: Lauren Weisberger
Pub. Date: 12-Jul-2016
Rating: 4 Stars

When I was offered a copy of this book I jumped on it, for two reasons, I loved The Devil Wears Prada and the book meets task one on the 2017 Book Riot’s challenge. The theme of this book is buyer beware because sometimes you get more than you bargained for.

That is exactly what happened to Charlotte “Charlie” Silver. After a devastating injury Charlie is not hearing the words she wants to from her coach. She is a driven young woman and being told she may not be able to play tennis on the same level again does not sit well with her. Therefore, she fires her longtime coach and hires Todd Feltner, a no nonsense coach, with a reputation of being ruthless on his players and expecting the same from them. Continue reading “The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger”

The Angel Alejandro by Alistair Cross

Title: The Angel Alejandro
Author: Alistair Cross
Pub Date: 25-Jan-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

At the core, The Angel Alejandro by Alistair Cross is about greed and lust and its effects when all restraints are removed. A true good versus evil story. The book is rather long (521 pages) and took longer than I thought to read. The reason for the slow read was not the speed of the plot, but I found myself totally absorbed in the story and wanted to go slower and savor all the details.

Alejandro is an angel that has been pulled into this world when Madison O’Riley fell from the roof of her home. He saved her life, yet he cannot remember who he is and strange things happen around him. He hears voices calling for help in his mind and when he responds to one such voice his powers are revealed to the entire world. There is an immediate media frenzy and everyone seems to want a piece of him, including another new comer in town, Gremory Jones. Continue reading “The Angel Alejandro by Alistair Cross”

Come Sundown by Nora Roberts

Title: Come Sundown
Author: Nora Roberts
Pub. Date: 30-May-2017
Rating: 4 Stars

Come Sundown is the story of the Bodine family and is part romance and part thriller. The story opens twenty-five years ago when Alice, the prodigal daughter, who ran off to California to become a movie star, is returning home. Just miles from her family home she is abducted by a stranger known only as “Sir”.

Skip forward to the present and Bodine Longbow, she is the fourth generation, now runs the Bodine resort which sits on a sprawling thirty thousand acre ranch in Montana. Vacationers and honeymooners alike come to the resort to experience the cowboy life and Bodine runs the show seamlessly with the help of a large staff. Continue reading “Come Sundown by Nora Roberts”

Fatal Option by Chris Beakey

Title: Fatal Option
Author: Chris Beakey
Pub. Date: 21-Feb-2017
Rating: 4.5

Fatal Option is about choices and consequences. How seemingly random decisions by various people can align into the perfect storm. This is exactly what happened to the Porters.

Stephen is still mourning his wife’s death and after an evening of drowning his sorrows in a bottle he receives a panicked call from his daughter. She was supposed to be spending the night at a friend’s house just a short distance from their home. However, she has lied and instead gone to a teacher’s home. Now she is scared and wants to leave, but her car has died and with a snowstorm raging outside she calls her father to rescue her. Continue reading “Fatal Option by Chris Beakey”

The Postman’s Fiancee by Denis Theriault

Title: The Postman’s Fiancee
Author: Denis Theriault
Pub Date: 6-Jun-2017
Rating: 4.5 Stars

The Postman’s Fiancée by Denis Theriault, is reminiscent of the movie While You Were Sleeping. In this story, Tania, a waitress in Montreal, falls in loves with one of her customers a postman by the name of Bilodo.  Unbeknownst to Tania, Bilodo has already fallen for his haiku pen pal in Guadeloupe, a young woman he has never meet.

As fate would have it, Bilodo loses his memory after an accident in which Tania saves his life. Seeing an opportunity, Tania decides that she will tell Bilodo they are engaged. She moves him into her apartment and fabricates a web of lies that she will never be able to extract herself from. Bilodo’s physician believes that his memory will eventually return. What will Tania do then? Continue reading “The Postman’s Fiancee by Denis Theriault”

The Beaumonts: The Kentucky Bourbon Series by Bobby Collins and Jimmy Star

Title: The Beaumonts: The Kentucky Bourbon Series
Authors: Bobby Collins & Jimmy Star
Pub Date: 5-Jan-2017
Rating: 3.5 Stars

The Beaumonts: The Kentucky Bourbon Series is the story of two rival Bourbon distilling families, the Beaumonts and the Taylors.  The families just became linked when Rickey Beaumont marries Donna Taylor. No one in either family even knew they were dating. Therefore, when Rickey and Donna arrive at the Beaumont estate it is quite a surprise.  Despite the shock, the Beaumont family welcomes Donna with open arms, the only exception being Cliff, Rickey’s older brother.

Rickey is not so fortune when the time comes to meet Donna’s father, Joe Taylor. Joe is livid and very vocal in expressing his displeasure over the marriage. He views it as the ultimate betrayal by Donna. He sees the Beaumonts as his enemy and declares that as long as Donna is married to one he will have nothing to do with her. Continue reading “The Beaumonts: The Kentucky Bourbon Series by Bobby Collins and Jimmy Star”

All the King’s Soliders by John Anthony Miller

Title: All the King’s Soliders
Author: John Anthony Miller
Pub Date: 17-Feb-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

All the King’s Soldiers is set in 1940 Lisbon shortly after the German invasion of France. There is a large network of spies, of multiple nationalities, in and around Lisbon, given that Portugal has decided to remain neutral.

The story opens with the murder of Taylor Hartridge, a British spy, in a small town just outside of Lisbon. It is thought he was killed for the contents of his safe.  It is believed the safe contained the German invasion plans for Great Britain, a very valuable commodity and definitely one to kill for.  Continue reading “All the King’s Soliders by John Anthony Miller”

The Boundary Stone by Gail Avery Halverson

Title: The Boundary Stone
Author: Gail Avery Halverson
Pub Date: 16-Nov-2016
Rating: 5 Stars

The Boundary Stone by Gail Avery Halverson is the perfect example of why I accept requests for reviews and read authors that are new to me and/or debut authors. More than once I have found, as is the case here, a great story and fell in love with another author that I might have never known about.

Ms. Halverson has done a remarkable job with her debut novel. The plot was well thought out and the scenes were true to the period. The characters are beautifully drawn and her descriptive prose was spot on. I love it when the author describes a scene so well I feel like I am watching through my own eyes. Continue reading “The Boundary Stone by Gail Avery Halverson”

Ten by Kerriann Curtis

Title: Ten
Author: Kerriann Curtis
Pub Date: 3-Jul-2016
Rating: 4 Stars

Ten by Kerriann Curtis is a short collection of poems centered on life in the modern world. I found this group of poems to be thought provoking, entertaining and sometimes even humorous. Poetry should embrace you and I felt these did. Just like an old fashioned hug, the poems themselves were honest and not pretentious in the least.

The collection was made up of short and mostly straight forward yet thoughtful musings. I would even describe the collection as “what you see, is what you get.” No vague literary references that will have you scratching your head for days. Serious literary persons may not find this to their liking, but I consider myself the average reader that wants to enjoy what she reads… and enjoy I did. I actually read most of the poems twice and a couple three times.

I received a free copy from the author in exchange for my honest review.

The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley

Title: The Bedlam Stacks
Author: Natasha Pulley
Pub. Date: 1-Aug-2017
Rating: 5 Stars

The Bedlam Stacks is the first book I have read by Natasha Pulley. It is one of those books that gets under your skin. It is a slow build up and then you reach a point that you must finish reading or die trying. When the end comes you just let out a breath you did not even know you were holding. I know it is only March, but I suspect this book will end up being one of my favorites this year.

The story is about Merrick Tremayne who is currently at home in Cornwall convalescing after a tragic accident that almost cost him his leg. He has been contemplating what jobs a cripple can do and his current prospects don’t look so good. When Merrick starts seeing a garden statue move and a tree explode his brother thinks Merrick might be going mad like their mother. To Merrick’s dismay his brother is now insisting he take a position as a parson or be committed. Fortunately for Merrick, Clem, an old friend, drops by and convinces Merrick that he is well enough to make a journey with him to Peru for the East India Company, Merrick’s employer before his accident. Continue reading “The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley”