Review: Young Widows Club by: Alexandra Coutts

Title: Young Widows Club
Author: Alexandra Coutts
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Pages: 203
Fromat: e-book ARC
Source: NetGalley

Description:

First came love, then came marriage, and then...

For seventeen-year-old Tam, running off to marry her musician boyfriend is the ideal escape from her claustrophobic high-school life on the island, and the ultimate rebellion against her father and stepmother. But when Tam becomes a widow just weeks later, the shell-shocked teen is forced to find her way forward by going back to the life she thought she’d moved beyond—even as her struggle to deal with her grief is forcing her to reinvent herself and reach out to others in ways she never imagined.

My Thoughts: 

Tam has lost her husband and she's only 17.  From the moment her husband Noah died she has been trying to figure out what to do next or find her way in the world.  After a bunch of disastrous situations she decides to get on the straight and narrow and figure out where to go from being a widow.

I loved the rawness of this book and reading about all Tam's ups and downs and how she was going to get past it all.  I really think this book is great for widows who make mistakes and learn from them!

Read More

Review: My Second Life by: Faye Birdie

Title: My Second Life
Author: Faye Birdie
Publisher:  Usborne Publishing
Pages: 278
Format: e-book ARC
Source: NetGalley

Description:

The first time I was born, I was Emma. 

I was beautiful. I had everything to live for. 

But I died.

Now I have been born a second time, and my previous life haunts me. Because in it I think I did something very wrong. I must find out what I did to Catherine. I must uncover the truth about Emma...

Intriguing, compelling, heartbreaking. 

What if your past life could shatter your future? 

My Thoughts: 

In this book we follow Ana who was born previously as Emma and has memories of being Emma when her grandmother ends up in the hospital for a procedure she stumbles across a woman there in the hospital and recognizes her Frances Wells she doesn't understand her connection until she looks deeper into the past and what happened to someone named Catherine.  What she finds is a darker situation then she knew about!

This book had so many levels and it really made you think about it and wonder what would happen if someone had a previous life and what happened to the previous one you lived.  What if you thought something bad happened at your hands?  How would you handle it?

I really enjoyed this story it was quick and gripping and dragged you way deep inside and made you wonder about how so many things.  I loved reading about Ana/Emma and seeing what her story really was! 

Read More

Review - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by: Judy Blume

Title: Marbles: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret

Author: Judy Blume

Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Pages: 192

Format: Paperback

Source: Personal purchase

Description:

If anyone tried to determine the most common rite of passage for preteen girls in North America, a girl's first reading of Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret would rank near the top of the list. Adolescents are often so relieved to discover that someone understands their body-angst that they miss one of the book's deeper explorations: a young person's relationship with God. Margaret has a very private relationship with God, and it's only after she moves to New Jersey and hangs out with a new friend that she discovers that it might be weird to talk to God without a priest or a rabbi to mediate. Margaret just wants to fit in! Who is God, and where is He when she needs Him?

My thoughts:

Even though I never got around to reading any of her work, Judy Blume has been a very familiar name to me. My American friends kept nagging me about not having read this book. I came across it last June when I was in the States; I bought it and finished it in about and hour and a half on the plane ride back home.

I've always enjoyed "coming of age" stories. Even my favorites are mostly of this genre: Little Women, Jane Eyre, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Catcher in the Rye... Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret tells the story of Margaret who comes of age while questioning life, family, friends and, of course, God.

Margaret has to move from the lively, busy New York to their new home in New Jersey and therefore has to get used to her new neighborhood, new school and new life. First of all, moving to New Jersey means she won't be able to spend as much time with her grandmother as she would like to, as she's used to. Judy Blume doesn't go over-the-top like most YA authors, which is something I really liked about her. Margaret, for example, gains a circle of friends like most kids do, and just like them, questions the choices her family makes as well as talking to God about things she cannot tell anybody else.

The only thing about Margaret that may not be considered "ordinary" is the way her parents haven't taught her about God or religion. Her mom is Jewish, her father is Christian. When they decided to marry, their families threw a fit, which is the reason why they wanted Margaret to make up her own mind when it comes to religion. Margaret realized she's missing something when she has to choose between the Christian and the Jewish gyms. While continuing her conversations with God at night, she starts gathering information about the two religions.

While Judy Blume has Margaret explore, she doesn't take a side, doesn't tell the reader what she thinks is right or wrong. She handles everything completely from Margaret's point of view, her innocent eyes and her curiosity about life itself. So, kudos!

Read More

Review - Stella Descending by: Linn Ullmann

Title: Stella Descending

Author: Linn Ullmann

Publisher: Pİcador USA

Pages: 256

Format: Paperback

Source: Received from Turkish publisher for review

Description:

On a warm night in Oslo, Martin draws Stella into one of the risky games that have defined their ten years together: a balancing act on the edge of their rooftop, seven storeys up. Amid the shouts of horrified onlookers, Stella stumbles, falling for a moment into Martin's arms before plummeting to her death. Did he try to save her?

This is the question that begins Linn Ullmann's transfixing tale of Stella: a jealous wife, compliant mistress, treasured friend, angelic nurse, unloved daughter, devoted mother, and - finally - a woman possessed of a secret now forever lost to the living.

My thoughts:

Here's what's up: Stella and Martin are a couple who go up to the roof at the beginning of the book for an unknown reason. And Stella falls; both metaphorically and literally. Eye witnesses think they got into a fight which ended with the fall, however, most of them have seen them embrace at one point. Of course, the question in everyone's and the police's mind is, did Martin push Stella?

I must point out that Stella Descending reminded me of Marquez's Chronicles of a Death Foretold not from due to subject-matter but due to structure. In Chronicles of a Death Foretold, we know from the beginning that Santiago Nasar will end up dying, just like we know that Stella died and how she died. And just like Marquez, Ullman too unfolds the details later thoughout the book and everything comes together in the end. It would be wrong to say you "definitely" understand what the hell was going on because it will not be something you anticipated from the beginning; your guesses will likely be very, very wrong in the end. 

The story is told from different character's points of view: Martin, Stella's lover and the person who was with her on the roof; Amanda, Stella's daughter from her first husband; Alex, the old man who's in love with Stella and Corinne, the detective who's looking into Stella's death. In between, there are parts where Stella is telling us things and also parts that include the eye witness accounts. And in some chapters, we see parts of the video that Stella and Martin have filmed for their insurance company. Maybe because she's the one who ends up dead, I felt sympathetic toward Stella from the beginning and I blamed Martin for her demise. I can even say that I was SURE he pushed her off the roof. I did not like Martin at all because until his relationship started with Stella he was such an über-playboy, he didn't like Amanda at all and he thinks Bee, Stella and his daughter, is a monster. Of course, as the book went on, I realized that almost all the characters are rather crazy.

If you're looking for a dark novel that will keep you guessing while putting forth the dirty minds of humans, then this might be the right read for you.

Read More

Review: A Ghostly Murder by: Tonya Kappes

Title: A Ghostly Murder
Author: Tonya Kappes
Publisher: Witness Impulse
Series: Ghostly Southern Mysteries #4
Pages: 336
Format: Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Bk Tour & Publisher

Description:

Emma Lee Raines knows there's only one cure for a bad case of murder!

I told you I was sick, reads the heastone abouve Mamie Sue Preston's grave. She was the richest woman in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, and also the biggest hypochondriac. Ironic, considering someone killed her-proprietor of the Eternal Slumber Funeral HOme, know all this? Because Mamie Sue's ghost told her, that's how! And she's offering big bucks to find the perp.

The catch is, Mamie Sue was buried by the Raines family's archrival, Burns Funeral Home. Would the Burneses stoop to framing Emma Lee's granny? With an enterprising maid, a penny-pinching pastor, and a slimy Lexington lawyer all making a killing off Mamie Sue's estate, Emma Lee needs a teammate-like her dreamboat boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross. Because ith millions at stake, snooping around is definitely bad for Emma Lee's health.

My Thoughts:

OMG what a good book I usually don't do those letters things in the beginning but I didn't know what else to say other than I loved this book and seeing Emma Lee out on her own standing up and taking over with Eternal Slumbers making more decisions and just generally really coming into her own with this book.  As always Emma's got ghosts visiting her who have something in common it's up to Emma to figure out what the something is.  This book had so much going on mystery, hidden secrets, really bad guys you name it!!  Can't wait to see what Ms. Kappes comes up with next!!

Read More

Review: A Ghostly Demise by: Tonya Kappes

Title: A Ghostly Demise
Author: Tonya Kappes
Publisher: Witness Impulse
Series: Ghostly Southern Mystery #3
Pages: 275
Format: Paperback
Source: Great Escapes Bk Tour & Publisher

Description:

The prodigal father returns—but this ghost is no holy spirit

When she runs into her friend’s deadbeat dad at the local deli, undertaker Emma Lee Raines can’t wait to tell Mary Anna Hardy that he’s back in Sleepy Hollow, Kentucky, after five long years. Cephus Hardy may have been the town drunk, but he didn’t disappear on an epic bender like everyone thought: He was murdered. And he’s heard that Emma Lee’s been helping lost souls move on to that great big party in the sky.

Why do ghosts always bother Emma Lee at the worst times? Her granny’s mayoral campaign is in high gear, a carnival is taking over the town square, and her hunky boyfriend, Sheriff Jack Henry Ross, is stuck wrestling runaway goats. Besides, Cephus has no clue whodunit…unless it was one of Mrs. Hardy’s not-so-secret admirers. All roads lead Emma Lee to that carnival—and a killer who isn’t clowning around.

My Thoughts:

This book follows Emma Lee Raines who runs a funeral home Eternal Slumbers with her sister and for a while now Emma Lee has been seeing ghosts that have been murdered and need her help getting justice.  In this one we meet Mary Anna Hardy's father Cephus Hardy who died but while he was alive her was a gambler and drunk and no one knows what happened to him.  While investigating his dead Emma stumbles upon another ghost a friend of hers from school who gets murdered and the three figure out together what happened.

I love this series so much it's full of everything southern charm, humor, mystery and much more.  I love the relationship Emma Lee has with her Granny and how that adds to the story.  Can't wait to see what is next in this series!

Next book is:

Read More

Review - Marbles by: Ellen Forney

Title: Marbles: Mania, Depression, Michelangelo and Me

Author: Ellen Forney

Publisher: Avery

Pages: 256

Format: Paperback

Source: Personal purchase

Description:

Cartoonist Ellen Forney explores the relationship between “crazy” and “creative” in this graphic memoir of her bipolar disorder, woven with stories of famous bipolar artists and writers.

Shortly before her thirtieth birthday, Forney was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Flagrantly manic and terrified that medications would cause her to lose creativity, she began a years-long struggle to find mental stability while retaining her passions and creativity.

Searching to make sense of the popular concept of the crazy artist, she finds inspiration from the lives and work of other artists and writers who suffered from mood disorders, including Vincent van Gogh, Georgia O’Keeffe, William Styron, and Sylvia Plath. She also researches the clinical aspects of bipolar disorder, including the strengths and limitations of various treatments and medications, and what studies tell us about the conundrum of attempting to “cure” an otherwise brilliant mind.

Darkly funny and intensely personal, Forney’s memoir provides a visceral glimpse into the effects of a mood disorder on an artist’s work, as she shares her own story through bold black-and-white images and evocative prose.

My thoughts:

Did you know that Sylvia Plath, Vincent Van Gogh, Virginia Woolf, Mary Shelley, Tennessee Williams, Michelangelo Leo Tolstoy, Anne Sexton and Emily Dickinson all suffered from bipolar disorder? I found out about this in Ellen Forney's Marbles, in which she explores how living with bipolar disorder has affected her artistic side.

Ellen Forney handles a tough disorder in a fun way in Marbles. Normally, I prefer novels to comic books, but after I was done with the book, I realized it wouldn't be as affective if it was in a different format. Forney has put forward very honestly her own private life, her disorder and how it affected her job, her artistic spirit, what kind of medication she used and their effects as well. Her drawings, on the other hand, are in-your-face descriptions of mind fogs, exhaustion and/or hyper moods.

Ellen Forney really does deserve a standing ovation for her courage. It must not have been easy to revisit the darkest parts of your life and put them out there honestly for the entire world to see. She doesn't only include the good things either; her mistakes and her outbursts are in there as well.

Marbles does handle bipolar disorder in a fun way while not leaving the dark side out. 

Read More

Review - The Woman in White by: Wilkie Collins

Title: The Woman in White

Author: Wilkie Collins

Publisher: Penguin Classics

Pages: 672

Format: Paperback

Source: Turkish copy received from publisher

Description:

'In one moment, every drop of blood in my body was brought to a stop... There, as if it had that moment sprung out of the earth, stood the figure of a solitary Woman, dressed from head to foot in white'

The Woman in White famously opens with Walter Hartright's eerie encounter on a moonlit London road. Engaged as a drawing master to the beautiful Laura Fairlie, Walter becomes embroiled in the sinister intrigues of Sir Percival Glyde and his 'charming' friend Count Fosco, who has a taste for white mice, vanilla bonbons, and poison. Pursuing questions of identity and insanity along the paths and corridors of English country houses and the madhouse, The Woman in White is the first and most influential of the Victorian genre that combined Gothic horror with psychological realism.

Matthew Sweet's introduction explores the phenomenon of Victorian 'sensation' fiction, and discusses Wilkie Collins's biographical and societal influences. Included in this edition are appendices on theatrical adaptations of the novel and its serialisation history.

My thoughts:

156 years ago, English readers read a part of Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities" in his weekly magazine. Afterwards, they were petrified by a hand that lightly touched Walter's shoulder: the hand in question belonged to Anne Catherick, The Woman in White herself. With The Woman in White, readers were introduced to Wilkie Collins, who'd remain best friends with Charles Dickens until death.

I've always enjoyed gothic literature, however, it took me a while to get to The Woman in White. I can clearly say this much: it's one of the best of the genre that I've ever read. Because Anne Catherick's story is told through the points of view of different people who witness certain events, I thought the story would unfold slowly because just like any other human being, even though it's about someone else, everyone's story revolves mainly around themselves. However, I'd read half way through the book without even realizing it!

And now I really do understand how the book has been on must-read lists for 150+ years. I don't know much about Wilkie Collins, but reading the book has definitely spiked my interest. I feel like he's someone who knows what readers want, what makes them tick and wonder. Collins leaves some things hanging in the air, hides important clues in the details and makes the reader go crazy with curiosity from beginning to end. Because humans are the same beings since the dawn of time, I most certainly believe that this is a book that will be read and enjoyed 'till the earth explodes.

Read More

Review: Musseled Out by: Barbara Ross

Title: Musseled Out
Author: Barbara Ross
Publisher: Kensington
Series: A Maine Clambake Mystery #3
Pages: 304
Format: e-book ARC
Source: NetGalley

Description:

The busy summer tourist season is winding down in Busman's Harbor, Maine, but Julia Snowden senses trouble simmering for the Snowden Family Clambake Company. Shifty David Thwing - the "Mussel King" of upscale seafood restaurants - is sniffing around town for a new location. But serving iffy clams turns out to be the least of his troubles....

When Thwing is found sleeping with the fishes beneath a local lobsterman's boat, the police quickly finger Julia's brother-in-law, Sonny, as the one who cooked up the crime. Sure, everyone knows Sonny despised the Mussel King...but Julia believes he's innocent. Proving it won't be easy, though. It seems there's a lot more than murder on the menu, and Julia needs to act fast...

My Thoughts:

This book follows Julia Snowden and her family as they try to figure out what happened when David Thwing winds up dead under a lobsterman's boat and Sonny keeps showing up on the police radar it's up to Julia to figure out what is going on?  Add this to the mystery behind where Chris Julia's boyfriend was the previous summer and there is a lot of investigating going on.

I love this series as it takes place in Maine and brings us to the lobster, clams and more.  I love the family relationship and how Julia really goes beyond with trying to find out what is going on and she generally cares about the residents in Busman's Harbor.  Definitely worth checking out!!

Read More

Editorial: Update on Paula and kids

Dear everyone,

Hello, I am sorry that I have not been on as much as I could have been and need to explain why.  Back in June I my birth family found me through the Post Adoption Unit of the State of New Hampshire.  It was a happy occasion, and I was thrilled to find family I didn’t know I had.  So when it came time for us to move, I decided to stay with my sister, and I had asked them for help with the move.  It was great int he beginning but that lasted about two days.  After that I had to hear how bad my family was, my mother in law should be thrown in a home, my husband didn’t care about me or his kids because he was trying to sell the house in CT, and worse, it went as far as my youngest child being called an ungrateful bastard because he opened a door.

My sister was a druggie, stealing anything that wasn’t nailed down it seemed.  Stole money from me and my kids to the point we don’t know how we are going to get through the rest of this month, stole about 5 grand of our belongings, and the worst part was how she did it. She claimed at 8:45 Saturday night that she had an overdue power bill that was $300, that the lights would be shut off at ten if we didn’t give her that money to go 50 miles away to Hanover NH to pay the bill.  I smelled bull* and immediately said no.  We got kicked out onto the street for that.  After enduring a home with no phones, no internet, no cable no nothing.  After enduring constant comments for me to open a joint checking account with my birthmother, after enduring her claiming I was lying to her when we found our own apartment, and she didn’t help us.

So this is part of why I’m not on right now, we’re fighting with the bank to get our money back, and fighting with them to return our stuff.

I feel so awful I put my family through that hell, and I know its not my fault but.

If anyone feels like donating towards our therapy for PTSD for me and the kids and to help replace what we lost that would be greatly appreciated you don't know how much we lost so much when we had to leave.

https://www.gofundme.com/jffrvs 

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

Read More

Interview: Kari Lee Townsend Author of Perish In The Palm

What genre do you write?

I actually write in several genres. I write mysteries and teen super hero stories under Kari Lee Townsend, and I write romance and women's fiction under Kari Lee Harmon. It keeps me from getting bored ;)

How did you come to write mysteries and teen super heroes?

I started writing romance novels because that was what I liked to read. And since I have four children, I came up with the idea for my teen super hero series because my kids are obsessed with their technology gadgets, and I told them if they weren't careful they might turn into one of their gadgets someday. The progression into cozy mysteries came when I realized they weren't that different than the romantic comedies I was writing with their small towns, quirky characters, romance and humor. The main difference was I now had a mystery to solve. And finally my venture into women's fiction came about after I grew older and started reading about a lot of things either myself or my friends were going through. I really liked the emotion of the stories and how real they were. I could relate on many levels and hoped to do the same for my readers.

Who is your favorite character to write about?

Hands down my favorite character to write about is Granny Gert. She's Sunny Meadows grandmother, and she is actually based on my own grandmother Gertrude. My grandmother was a hoot and had the same snow white hair and snappy brown eyes. She wore old aprons, had the same pumpkin cookie jar with a foil-covered plated for a lid, and she also his money around the house. Including her in my stories is my way of immortalizing her. I'm sure she's smiling down from above as we speak :) 

Who inspires your books?

My parents are awesome. My dad made me believe I could do anything I wanted to, and my mother encouraged me to follow my dreams. Then there's my husband of twenty-six years who totally supports whatever I want to do without complaint. And lastly I want to make my kids proud and show them that if you want something badly enough, there's always a way to achieve it.

What do you do when your not writing?

Did I mention I have four kids. Haha. What don't I do? I have very little free time that doesn't revolve around my children and their many activities and sporting events. When I do have free time, I love to travel, I love wine tasting, and I love photography.

If you were stuck on a deserted island what three things would you take?

A good book, a pad of paper, and a pen. As long as I could find a way to read and write, I would survive with my imagination as my entertainment. Hey, with my crazy life, a little solitude isn't necessarily a bad thing :) Thanks so much for having me. It's been fun. To find out more about me and all of my books, check out my website at www.karileetownsend.com 

Read More

Review: The Diva Steals A Chocolate Kiss by: Krista Davis

Title: The Diva Steals A Chocolate Kiss
Author: Krista Davis
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Series: A Domestic Diva Mystery #9
Pages: 304
Format: Nook e-book
Source: Purchase

Description:

Domestic Diva Sophie Winston is in charge of the sweetest event in Old Town this summer. Amore Chocolates is celebrating its fiftieth anniversary with a chocolate tasting at the mansion of the company’s CEO, Joe Merano—and Sophie is running the show. With cookies, candy, and five kinds of chocolate cake, it’s a chocolate lover’s dream! But when Joe goes missing, the celebration becomes bittersweet. And when Sophie discovers the body of a competing chocolatier in the guesthouse, the event turns downright deadly.

As if that wasn’t enough, Sophie’s been receiving daily boxes of sweet treats. After ruling out her new beau and her exes, Sophie wonders if someone’s trying to send her a message—and if she’s next on a chocoholic’s hit list…

My Thoughts:

This book brings us back to Old Town for a summer anniversary of Amore Chocolates as they celebrate 50 years and this anniversary has no shortage of adventures.  In this book Sophie is helping Joe Merano and his family with their anniversary.  When not long into the festivities Joe goes missing and everyone wonders where Joe is and Sophie is hired to find the missing CEO of Amore Chocolates!

Natasha is up to her tricks trying to find something she is good at and takes it upon herself to enter into the world of chocolates.  In her rush to glory she injures her boyfriends Mars in the process which causes him to leave Natasha and go home with Sophie.  Will Natasha find a way to repair her relationship with Mars or are they doomed for breakup?

In this book we see again Nina, Bernie, Mars, Natasha and all their furry friends as we see what everyone is up to while getting an inside look to the world of chocolates and chocolate companies.  We also got to see various men of Sophie's life between her ex-husband Mars, her ex-boyfriend Wolf, and her current flame Alex.  Alex seems to not be too thrilled with the men in Sophie's life and tries to make sense of Sophie's life and where he fits into it.

This book has everything one has come to love with the Domestic Diva series.  Each chapter with cooking advice kind of like a Dear Abby whether the letter be intended to Sophie or Natasha and we can see the various advices they offer.  I have been such a huge Domestic fan since I read the first one in the series!  Keep up the good work Ms. Davis you have won a place in many cozy hearts!

Read More

Review: A Geek Girl's Guide to Murder by: Julie Anne Lindsey

Title: A Geek Girl's Guide To Murder
Author: Julie Anne Lindsey
Publisher: Carina Press
Series: Geek Girl Mysteries
Format: e-book ARC
Source: Book Tour

Description:

IT manager Mia Connors is up to her tortoiseshell glasses in technical drama when a glitch in the Horseshoe Falls email system disrupts security and sends errant messages to residents of the gated community. The snafu’s timing couldn’t be worse—Renaissance Faire season is in full swing and Mia’s family’s business relies on her presence.

Mia doesn’t have time to hunt down a computer hacker. Her best friend has disappeared, and she finds another of her friends murdered—in her office. When the hunky new head of Horseshoe Falls security identifies Mia as the prime suspect, her anxiety level registers on the Richter scale.

Eager to clear her name, Mia moves into action to locate her missing buddy and find out who killed their friend. But her quick tongue gets her into trouble with more than the new head of security. When Mia begins receiving threats, the killer makes it clear that he's closer than she’d ever imagined.

My Thoughts: 

This book was sent to me for a honest and fair review with Great Escapes Book Tours.  This book follows Mia Connors who is a computer IT geek.  She works at the Horseshoe Falls community doing IT work, but when the security system becomes a mess and countless residents get emails for free promotions, coupons, and all sorts of other things it's up to Mia to find out what is going on.  To make matters worse some residents like the idea of online appointments, and when Mia's friend Baxter is found dead in her chair it up to Mia and the new head of security Jake Archer to get to the bottom of what is going on and who is behind it all.  Can Mia figure it out before her time is up?

I loved this story so much it had adventure, mystery, humor, and family togetherness.  I enjoyed reading about the Rene Fair as well seeing as how Mia is the head of her grandmother's company.  It showed many sides of Mia.  That and reading about her at Comic-Con.  This book had it all.  It was great to watch Mia and Jake stumble all over things to get down to the murderer. Definitely a great book for computer techs or people who enjoy reading about computer geeks.

Read More

Review: Threads of Evidence by: Lea Wait

Title: Threads of Evidence
Author: Lea Wait
Publisher: Kensington
Series: Mainely Needlepoint #2
Pages: 304
Format: e-book ARC
Source: Great Escapes Book Tours

Description:

It's hard to imagine anything bad ever happening in picturesque Haven Harbor, Maine--until a famous face rolls into town and unthreads some very dark secrets. . .

Angie Curtis and the Mainely Needlepointers are all too familiar with the Gardener estate. The crumbling Victorian mansion, known as "Aurora," has been sitting vacant for nearly twenty-five years--and some say it's haunted by the ghost of Jasmine Gardener, the teenage girl who died there in 1970 under mysterious circumstances... 

Harbor Haven is abuzz with excitement when Hollywood actress Skye West decides to buy Aurora and sell off its furnishings. And Angie is intrigued when Skye asks her to appraise the estate's sizable collection of needlepoint pictures. But the more she examines the pieces, the more they seem to point toward Jasmine's murder--and the murderer--and it's up to her to stitch the clues together. . .

My Thoughts:

This is the second book in the Mainely Needlepoint Series which features Angie Curtis her grandmother Charlotte, and he group of needlepointers, at this point Angie is working on a 6 month trial basis as part of the Mainely Needlepointers.  She gets a call from a fellow needle pointer Sarah to check out the Gardener Estate some one has bought the falling apart estate and is planning to recreate the beauty it once was.  Skye has other motives for purchasing the property,  back in 1970 there was a horrible death of Jasmine Gardener and Skye who was there that night wants to find out what happened to her friend and who killed her?  Will Skye find out who killed her friend before she winds up with Jasmine?

I loved reading this book and spending time with all the people in Maine and seeing what everyone is up to like Angie Curtis helping Skye West find out what happened in 1970 and who killed Jasmine Gardener at the last party of the year and the last one ever held at the Gardener Estate called the Aurora.  Also was great seeing Gram (Charlotte) and the pastor get closer to tying the knot.  Can't wait to see what is next for Angie and all the other Mainely Needlepointers.

Read More

Review: In Your Dreams by: Kristan Higgins

Title: In Your Dreams

Author: Kristan Higgins

Publisher: Harlequin

Series: Blue Heron #4

Pages: 480

Format: iBooks e-book

Source: Purchase

Description:

Emmaline Neal needs a date. Just a date—someone to help her get through her ex-fiancé's wedding without losing her mind. But pickings are slim in Manningsport, New York, population 715. In fact, there's really only one option: local heartthrob Jack Holland. Everyone loves Jack, and he won't get the wrong idea…. After all, Jack Holland would never actually be interested in a woman like Em. Especially not with his beautiful ex-wife creeping around, angling to reunite ever since he rescued a group of teens and became a local hero. 

But when the wedding festivities take an unexpectedly passionate turn, Em figures it was just one crazy night. Jack is too gorgeous, too popular, to ever end up with her. So why is she the one he can talk to about his deep, dark feelings? If Em is going to get her dream man, she'll have to start by believing in him…

My Thoughts:

This book follows all the other in the series Emmaline Neal needs a date for her ex-fiancé's wedding after searching all of Manninsgsport NY she stumbles on Jack Holland the hero of the town after saving some teens who crashed a car into a lake but that's not what Jack is all about.  Jack wants to move on from this hero facade and be a normal man with normal issues.  Of course Jack didn't count on his crazy ex-wife Hadley coming around and trying to win him back after doing unspeakable things to him.  When the opportunity to attend a wedding in Malibu with Emmaline he jumps at the opportunity.

This book was great and heads on the same incredible journey as others in the series.  I am such a huge fan of Kristan Higgins and can't wait to see what she comes up with next!  Love everything between the characters, families, and situations they end up in.  Love it Love it Love it!

Read More

Review: Nikki Blue: Source of Trouble by: Jack Chaucer

Title: Nikki Blue: Source of Trouble

Author: Jack Chaucer

Publisher:  John Cullen

Series: Nikki #2

Format: ARC e-book

Source: NetGalley

Description:

Nicole Janicek has survived being shot, but can she overcome the blues of her early 20s?

Nearly four years after foiling a shooting plot at her high school and saving countless lives, Nikki begins a short-lived internship as a newspaper reporter; gets hired as a flak by an organization whose leadership consists of people labeled troublemakers by the Church of Scientology; confronts the source of her nightmares, Thomas Lee Harvey; puts her long-term relationship with Derek Schobell to the test; learns a disturbing secret from her friend, Adam Upton, and considers a high-risk offer to leave the planet forever.

Can this former teenage hero and trailblazer rescue herself from the consequences of her own decisions? Or does every path in front of her lead to trouble?

My Thoughts:

This book picks up four years after the failed school shooting at Nikki's high school now Nikki is a intern at a local newspaper hoping to become a journalist when she is sent to write a story about a church being built.  Early on Nikki learns that it's not a church being built but rather a bridge that looks like the Star Ship Enterprise.  After Nikki leaves with more questions than answers she gets a phone call one of the members Virgil who tells her information to help boost Nikki's career then in a turn around offers her a job with a nice incentive.  

Even though NIkki doesn't totally buy what they are selling she signs on.  Early on Nikki confronts Thomas "Lee" Harvey which leads NIkki nowhere other than almost breaking a computer with her fist.  She also breaks up with Derek only this time she is sure it's for good.  She also learns a powerful secret from Adam Upton that she wished she didn't know.

Read More