tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-23155497575561035152024-03-05T08:51:42.491+00:00The Sweet BookshelfThe libraries have become my candy storeMARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.comBlogger663125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-686623381993589752014-06-16T09:33:00.000+01:002014-06-16T09:33:59.066+01:00Review:: The Homecoming by Robyn Carr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZRlJiz4bI1KJwmn1rEipQayd5AX0Z-Y5haKYl8aP25y1WVHW4QO6CHHlyaE8UH0k2nXBV_3RavkbMGy4t0kTpijy8Mdn2WliNY-UpKASnG3ju8zAq_h7xsyOhZP80vlGQQF3_1FVKYlR/s1600/the+homecoming+by+robyn+carr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzZRlJiz4bI1KJwmn1rEipQayd5AX0Z-Y5haKYl8aP25y1WVHW4QO6CHHlyaE8UH0k2nXBV_3RavkbMGy4t0kTpijy8Mdn2WliNY-UpKASnG3ju8zAq_h7xsyOhZP80vlGQQF3_1FVKYlR/s1600/the+homecoming+by+robyn+carr.jpg" height="400" width="252" /></a></div>
<strong>Title:</strong> The Homecoming {Thunder Point #6}<br />
<strong>Author</strong>: Robyn Carr<br />
<strong>Publisher:</strong> Harlequin MIRA<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 400<br />
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At the age of nineteen, Seth Sileski had everything. A superb athlete and scholar, handsome and popular, he was the pride of Thunder Point. Destined for greatness, he lost it all in a terrible accident that put an end to his professional football career when it had barely begun. The people in his hometown have never forgotten what might have been. <br />
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Seth has come to terms with the turns his life has taken. But now he's been presented with an opportunity to return home and show his father—and the people of Thunder Point—he's become a better, humbler version of his former self. <br />
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Winning over his father isn't the only challenge. Seth must also find a way to convince his childhood neighbor and best friend, Iris McKinley, to forgive him for breaking her heart. With his homecoming, will Seth be able to convince the town, his family and especially Iris that he's finally ready to be the man who will make them all proud?<br />
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<strong>Review::</strong><br />
I'm a huge Robyn Carr fan and I'll read whatever she writes. I've loved this new Thunder Point series. The town is a perfect distraction. I'm also a big fan of second chance stories. This one was a win win for me. <br />
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Seth and Iris were both very relatable. I think we all have had our lives turn out different that we'd originally thought. I'm sure most of us have had that crush that went on far too long and ate up much of our hearts and thoughts. Seth and Iris just worked. I was rooting for them the whole time.<br />
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One reason I love Robyn Carr stories is that she brings in so many other character's they aren't minor either. They add depth to the story and give us a bigger picture. Thunder Point is a character. Not just a setting. Which is why I keep coming back. <br />
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*contains adult contentMARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-18313404249320566802014-06-16T07:00:00.000+01:002014-06-16T07:00:00.730+01:00Review:: Taken With You by Shannon Stacey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtMDe9QKLB6jJL34TH4AkWUKwt5HCENkqG2lkh-6agFDo4iwoqyMbiW3ZbkiQtcM4U4ABB_LSRg6IP5Ortj6j3HuQafGroOdBKAvvc7avg02d7XKlq05Q7MZfVXGhlgJV8_suDLGgxnjw/s1600/taken+with+you.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtMDe9QKLB6jJL34TH4AkWUKwt5HCENkqG2lkh-6agFDo4iwoqyMbiW3ZbkiQtcM4U4ABB_LSRg6IP5Ortj6j3HuQafGroOdBKAvvc7avg02d7XKlq05Q7MZfVXGhlgJV8_suDLGgxnjw/s1600/taken+with+you.jpg" height="400" width="252" /></a></div>
<strong>Title:</strong> Taken With You<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Shannon Stacey<br />
<strong>Publisher:</strong> Carina Press<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 336<br />
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<span id="freeText10796578167902954617">Hailey Genest has seen most of her friends marry and have babies, and she's happy for them, but it was a lot easier before she hit forty. She's spent her entire life in Whitford, Maine, and if she hasn't found her Prince Charming by now, she has to accept she's probably not going to. When a new friend suggests they go on an adventure and embrace being single, Hailey agrees.<br /><br />Surviving in the woods is game warden Matt Barnett's idea of a relaxing vacation. But when he meets two women in need of help, he leads them back to safety - a task that proves more fun than expected, thanks to a certain hot blonde. He can't resist pushing her buttons, even though she's made it clear that the rugged, outdoorsy type just isn't for her.<br /><br />Hailey is glad to see the back of her tempting-tour-guide-slash-pain-in-the-ass. When he shows up in her life again, she's determined to avoid him, no matter how good he looks in his uniform. But that's easier said than done in Whitford, especially when he's renting the house right next door...</span><br />
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<strong>Review::</strong><br />
There is something about the Kowalski family saga that I can't get enough of. I love the town and I feel connected to it. It makes jumping into a new novel easy and comfortable. Which is why I just knew I'd love this one just as much as the others. <br />
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This story is about the town librarian--she's not a Kowalski. I've been dying to reader her story for the past few books now and I knew it would be good. The leading man on the scene is Matt--he's a game warden. That means he is out in the woods a lot. I can't tell you how much I like that!<br />
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This books had great characters, a great pace, and is every bit as good as any of the other Kowalski books. I was looking for something to hit the spot and Shannon Stacey never disappoints. She was my first romance novel and I'm still coming back for more. This is a book I will be re-reading for sure. <br />
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*this book has adult contentMARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-87840445373917908092014-01-31T20:23:00.001+00:002014-01-31T20:23:33.405+00:00When Books Become Movies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifySLAbRLPofTVrRgdcc2nVWT8R5R6rM82D2iT_rcuUxtJ1ZHqiH_A358irD6NcK90JMCVn203fFnVYCYVoOtqf8AEeGil_ktf-XDfgQL5T5BBWJTZFyZlkcpJMk6BVMp_hTKctC-j7hsz/s1600/book+movie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifySLAbRLPofTVrRgdcc2nVWT8R5R6rM82D2iT_rcuUxtJ1ZHqiH_A358irD6NcK90JMCVn203fFnVYCYVoOtqf8AEeGil_ktf-XDfgQL5T5BBWJTZFyZlkcpJMk6BVMp_hTKctC-j7hsz/s1600/book+movie.jpg" /></a></div>
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Years ago whenever I would read a really good book I would just wish I could see it on the big screen. I wanted to see my favourite characters come to life. Not just in my head but actually be real. It would become something tangible. I could revisit the story whenever I wanted and instead of having to read the whole book I could just spend 2 hrs and get my fill. It would be bliss right?<br />
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I've never been a person to get upset when the movie isn't exactly like the book. I have always felt that the film is just another chapter in a story I love. It just adds a dimension to it. But as of late I am wishing for those days when books stayed books {with the exception of Harry Potter}. Where I could just picture everything in my head and leave it at that. My favourite characters would look just how I pictured and the story wouldn't be compromised in any way. I've seen too many books ruined by their film. It's a tragedy. What's wrong with just staying a book?<br />
<br />
Last night I watched <em>Saving Mr. Banks</em>. That's the movie about the author of <em>Mary Poppins</em>. Oh my gosh did I love it. I was laughing, crying, happy, heartbroken and satisfied. I felt all the feels. I understood a little more about the story than ever before. I just loved it more than I can really say. It made me wish every story had a film that showed us the backstory instead of the written story. Know what I mean? <br />
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Sometimes books make awesome movies. Sometimes those movies make me upset that Hollywood got it so wrong. Sometimes the backstory just pulls everything together for me and it makes me love these two worlds so much. It is what it is. When books become movies anything can happen. I think that's why we want to see them on the big screen. We're hoping for a film to get it right.MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-60954333035401716492014-01-28T12:44:00.003+00:002014-01-28T12:44:31.218+00:00Review:: Love a Little Sideways by Shannon Stacey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnsRxVambw1_PEXm4Qyr6khakAIZc65-zRClMJtRUXEpNxpKtK5J7aW_is1OspjMcohmOg1c4vwGPWjQ8jtbuAfqCxSGRZb2vQPvZGERT2NHELa16wgQf9a8Dq4ieSXAkt9A1iXfWsshe/s1600/love+a+little+sideways.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnsRxVambw1_PEXm4Qyr6khakAIZc65-zRClMJtRUXEpNxpKtK5J7aW_is1OspjMcohmOg1c4vwGPWjQ8jtbuAfqCxSGRZb2vQPvZGERT2NHELa16wgQf9a8Dq4ieSXAkt9A1iXfWsshe/s1600/love+a+little+sideways.jpg" height="400" width="252" /></a></div>
<strong>Title:</strong> Love a Little Sideways<br />
<strong>Author:</strong> Shannon Stacey<br />
<strong>Publisher:</strong> Carina Press<br />
<strong>Pages:</strong> 384<br />
<strong>Format:</strong> Kindle<br />
<strong>Source</strong>: received for review/NetGalley<br />
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<span id="freeText7678787978530225100">Liz Kowalski is heading home to Whitford, Maine—this time for good. Eager for her family, a fresh start and some fun, she doesn't count on being rescued by the chief of police her very first night back in town. Drew is everything she's not looking for…so why is she still so attracted to him? <br /><br />After a brief, forbidden rendezvous at her brother's wedding, Drew Miller expects Liz to return to New Mexico and stay there. He's searching for someone to settle down with, not a casual fling with his best friend's sister. But when they're stuck together on the annual Kowalski camping trip, things start going a little sideways. Keeping their hands off each other proves just as impossible as keeping their secret from becoming public knowledge. <br /><br />Amid family, mud and melted marshmallow, Liz and Drew try to fight what's growing between them. But a little time alone, a lot of chemistry and too many opinions might be just what it takes to bring together two people so determined not to fall in love.</span><br />
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<strong>Review::</strong><br />
The first romance novel I ever read was <em><a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2011/08/review-your-to-keep-by-shannon-stacey.html" target="_blank">Yours to Keep</a></em> by Shannon Stacey. I was hooked on the genre, the author and the Kowalski family. I have loved every book since. This one is no different. These stories are a familiar place for me. When I can just sit back, relax and let my mind go to a place where it can finally rest. They are always pure brain candy for me and I love it that way. <br />
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Liz might just be one of my favourite Kowalski's. She left her life behind to start over and be closer to her family. She doesn't really know what she wants to do but she's okay not knowing right now. I just identify with her. I'm thirty-four and I still have no clue! She is likeable and down to earth. Drew is calm, cool and the Chief of Police. Yowza! Who doesn't love a man in uniform. These best friend of the brother stories always get me. I love couples that have a history and something to fall back on. None of this insta love stuff here. I like roots. <br />
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The setting of this one mainly takes place on a camping trip which I love! There needs to be more camping trips you guys. Seriously. This is where all the good stuff happens when there are no electronics or daily life to get in the way. I was picturing all the places something a little smexy could happen. <br />
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You can never go wrong with author Shannon Stacey. She is a master romance novelist and she knows exactly how to get me relaxed and get my heart pumping! I'll always be a fan. I want more of the Kowalski Family Saga!MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-49228575427966051232014-01-23T14:45:00.002+00:002014-01-23T15:04:06.594+00:00How To Be a Writer's Friend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwir1h7vgqPzYWgfI1rqj3sjsabdrIvtacncBrTiB2k1q9SVTCkMp06faa6wdu4Ag84vmIriPWPaMBzRjJDq6bDhM673cPnNcoottoXirNZrTU91AzwUol82k3S1kQno7IGqi7l0_pdUn/s1600/writing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwir1h7vgqPzYWgfI1rqj3sjsabdrIvtacncBrTiB2k1q9SVTCkMp06faa6wdu4Ag84vmIriPWPaMBzRjJDq6bDhM673cPnNcoottoXirNZrTU91AzwUol82k3S1kQno7IGqi7l0_pdUn/s1600/writing.jpg" height="298" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have had a few friends ask me to read their manuscripts lately. Which is so exciting and nerve wracking all at once. For both of us. I can only imagine the time and energy it takes to write a novel. Then to ask someone to actually read it must be agony! I'm always a little torn inside when asked if I will read a friends manuscript. Am I going to like it? What if I don't? What will this do to our friendship? <br />
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Here are some tips to get you through it::<br />
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01. Read it immediately. If you can't get to it right away then tell your friend you won't be able to read it until _____. They are anxiously awaiting your thoughts. The longer you wait tells your friend you don't care about them. Which isn't true but it is how they feel. You might check in after a few days and say, " I haven't started yet. I didn't want you to worry or to think I didn't like it." Or maybe you could say," I've read the first few chapters and I'm really impressed! I'll let you know when I'm finished." Just keep the writer informed. More than likely they are on pins and needles wondering what you thought. <br />
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02. Once you've finished the story, sit down with your loved one and PRAISE THE STORY! You must have seen something worthwhile in the story. Start with that. I know you want to get to the stuff that didn't work but if you can't start with the good stuff then your loved one might not be responsive to your feedback. Be specific and sincere in your praise. I personally give ten things that I love about the book. Start there.<br />
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Good examples:<br />
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"The dialogue between x and y is so realistic!" <br />
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"The opening was gripping." <br />
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"I really like Character X." <br />
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"This is the most amazing book I've ever read!" <br />
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Bad examples:<br />
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"You're really good at punctuation." Double lame. A writer isn't even thinking about punctuation at this point.<br />
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"I really liked it except for the middle part." <br />
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03. After sincerely praising at least ten things give some constructive feedback. If this is your first time reading their manuscript I wouldn't give any more than three specific things. Why? You are probably not an industry professional. Am I right? Book bloggers don't count. It is best not to take the voice of authority here. The last thing you'd want to do is discourage them from writing anymore. S/he might not be able to absorb more than those three things at this time. <br />
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Good examples:<br />
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"I loved Y. I wouldn't mind seeing more of him. Especially in the second half."<br />
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"X seemed to lie a lot which made it hard for me to like her." <br />
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Bad examples:<br />
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"It didn't make sense. You should redo it all."<br />
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"This part was really boring. Cut it all." <br />
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04. Some of you might not agree with my three things rule. But, I think it's a good rule. Especially for the first read of a manuscript. If your loved one is asking for more constructive feedback {are you being pressed? really pressed?!) then you can do so. But remember that unsolicited advice always sounds like criticism. <br />
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The more you work with your loved one the more you will know exactly what they are looking for from you. You will build a trust between the two of you that you can eventually just let them have it in whatever shape or form you think/feel it. <br />
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05. Continue to give encouragement! Writing is a tough business and hard work. Keep your loved one going with all the love and encouragement you can give them!<br />
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Good examples:<br />
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"You can do it!" <br />
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"How's the story going?" <br />
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"Can I take the kids for a few hours next week so you can have some quiet writing time?" <br />
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"I'm so proud of all your hard work! It's going to pay off someday."<br />
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Do you have any tips of your own? Head on over to <a href="http://beenwriting101.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/when-people-beta-read-my-books.html" target="_blank">Author Jolene Perry's blog</a>. She's weighing in on the same topic. MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-46336654198020195202014-01-15T12:19:00.001+00:002014-01-15T12:19:08.584+00:00Confessions {7}<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIj7cSCNKu_JylfED0JP04RDoNW4IdQDxO9L3CNnOe0fb9-_oulj-449hrOz2OBRqTaBQ0xJCPgIyexIhl30DylbZ7FqoPKBl6gsK6JOtvBGNRPodSau0fAPnqkGl21IKyr8hTXd7pyMXK/s1600/bookfession.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIj7cSCNKu_JylfED0JP04RDoNW4IdQDxO9L3CNnOe0fb9-_oulj-449hrOz2OBRqTaBQ0xJCPgIyexIhl30DylbZ7FqoPKBl6gsK6JOtvBGNRPodSau0fAPnqkGl21IKyr8hTXd7pyMXK/s1600/bookfession.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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01. I haven't been blogging much. Oh, I've been reading. I've just not been blogging if you couldn't tell. There's a reason for it and I might {<em>might!}</em> blog on it. It will be a doozy that's for sure. You won't want to miss it. I just can't quit this blog here for good because I love it. Even if nobody is reading anymore. <br />
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02. I've been sucked into the hole that is historical romance and I can't get out. I just want to read everything. Well, good that is. I'm not into the whole bodice ripper thing. But I want more books like <a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2013/09/review-blackmoore-by-julianne-donaldson.html" target="_blank"><em>Blackmoore</em> </a>by Julianne Donaldson. There is just something about that time period that has me. <br />
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03. I'm addicted to audiobooks right now and would actually prefer to read that way. If only I could afford to do that! They are just so easy to listen to while I do the dishes, walk into town or any of daily chores. I can't seem to focus just sitting and reading right now. <br />
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04. I'm in dire need of an amazing book. You know the kind that you can't sleep/eat/pee whatever because you are so into this amazing book? I need that. I'm stuck in mediocre book hell. Got any recs? <br />
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05. I'm writing. It's not going so well. It's harder than it looks. MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-4601677369157704442014-01-12T20:51:00.000+00:002014-01-12T20:51:34.212+00:00Audiobook Review:: Moonlight Masquerade by Jude Deveraux<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUGwdSNCGpa7dH-olTkUIVLLCoHPQCaW431GuEPMqUalVaC13nmMyU9zikIUyEbuw23NK2TGXN_7kM9YsJoVwYdxzGfHh8aaREB-Gc5C3ncEM_0KWPpgtYVbkS2-E0SJvvrpzm6w8AtwP/s1600/moonlight+masquerade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUGwdSNCGpa7dH-olTkUIVLLCoHPQCaW431GuEPMqUalVaC13nmMyU9zikIUyEbuw23NK2TGXN_7kM9YsJoVwYdxzGfHh8aaREB-Gc5C3ncEM_0KWPpgtYVbkS2-E0SJvvrpzm6w8AtwP/s1600/moonlight+masquerade.jpg" height="400" width="243" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> Moonlight Masquerade</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Jude Deveraux</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Simon Audio</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Format:</strong> Audiobook</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Length:</strong> 9:24:37</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Narrator:</strong> Gabra Zackman </span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span id="freeText10726920254871512512"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Jude Deveraux's bestselling trilogy of Edilean, the small Virginia town where the surprising destinies of three college friends wait to be discovered, continues with this enchanting new novel. <br /><br />After being abruptly jilted, Sophie Kincaid flees to the place her friend Kim Aldredge calls heaven on earth. But Sophie's first taste of Edilean is far from heavenly: after her car breaks down on a country road, she is nearly run over by a speeding sports car. A small act of revenge brings some satisfaction, and word quickly spreads that a gorgeous newcomer gave the driver, the notoriously bitter Dr. Reede Aldredge, a dressing down! But it isn't the first time the fiery artist has gone too far for payback; a secret possession she carries with her could shatter her ex-boyfriend's future. Reede Aldredge has secrets, too, including a desire to get closer to the beauty who is turning his dark world upside down. Under the night skies, their masquerade is magic;but will it turn to dust by the light of day?</span></span><br />
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<strong>Review:</strong><br />
I have really enjoyed the Edilean books. I've always loved small town's and all the possibilities that can come from that. I love how quaint Edilean is and the mix of people there. It sets the stage for a great story. <br />
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I prefer to listen to Jude Deveraux books rather than read them. I just love her books on audio. They help me do my chores and the stories are just compelling and enjoyable on audio rather than reading. If you are wanting to try some audiobooks I would highly suggest Jude Deveraux. <br />
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This story is about Kim. She's on the run (sort of) and needs a job and a place to stay. She calls her old college roommates and heads there. She's sacrificed so much in her life for her little sister and now it is time to think about her for once. Edilean takes her in. Kim and the local Dr have a little something going on yet the Dr needs to keep his real identity a secret. The whole town is in on it. Which makes for some pretty fun situations. <br />
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There is also some mystery, danger and intrigue here. I love how the romance isn't the only thing going on. We have a mystery to solve. Something dangerous is around the corner. It brings another dimension.<br />
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This book was fun, flirty, and had me rooting for Kim and Reede the whole way. I'm still a huge fan of Jude Dveraux, just more than ever now! I know other reviews aren't impressed with this book but I liked it. I didn't hve any issues with it whatsoever. It was enjoyable and I really wanted even more. I want more Edilean books! <br />
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*some sexual contentMARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-68674529590257412562013-12-07T23:40:00.003+00:002013-12-07T23:40:33.769+00:00Review:: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNSh-jIG_zKCzjMnqFh2TQLjoeGYx4gUEXiTwNTtDJADxSn-hey__S63NsO1h0pF4Gm1_-oMN6OfMUA18oHUlIZiOYXAbDqIsnowD0YykmGDALZbf9gGZCEjRxBmpOkdww0n4rgI-lt65/s1600/racing+savannah.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrNSh-jIG_zKCzjMnqFh2TQLjoeGYx4gUEXiTwNTtDJADxSn-hey__S63NsO1h0pF4Gm1_-oMN6OfMUA18oHUlIZiOYXAbDqIsnowD0YykmGDALZbf9gGZCEjRxBmpOkdww0n4rgI-lt65/s400/racing+savannah.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> Racing Savannah</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Miranda Kenneally</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Sourcebooks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 304</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Format:</strong> ARC Kindle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Source:</strong> Provided by Publisher/NetGalley</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span id="freeText6327912286026062405"><span style="font-family: inherit;">They’re from two different worlds.<br /><br />He lives in the estate house, and she spends most of her time in the stables helping her father train horses. In fact, Savannah has always been much more comfortable around horses than boys. Especially boys like Jack Goodwin—cocky, popular and completely out of her league. She knows the rules: no mixing between the staff and the Goodwin family. But Jack has no such boundaries.<br /><br />With her dream of becoming a horse jockey, Savannah isn’t exactly one to follow the rules either. She’s not going to let someone tell her a girl isn’t tough enough to race. Sure, it’s dangerous. Then again, so is dating Jack…</span></span><br />
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<strong>Review::</strong><br />
I've been waiting for this book forever. I just knew this was more my kind of thing than the author's previous sporty books. I just love books about horse farms and all of that. <br />
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I really like Savannah. She is hard working, realistic and fun. I think she exemplifies most of us in one way or another. I didn't grow up with money or nice things. I didn't think about college until much later because I didn't know how to pay for it. She loves horses and has a talent with them. She's a good girl who falls for a guy she thinks is out of her league. Jack is a multi-millionaire. Being groomed to take over the family business of breeding and racing horses and he's Savannah's boss. Dun dun dun!!!!! <br />
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This is a fun book with some heavy issues. I enjoyed this one the best out of her other books. One big reason is that while sex is implied, it isn't described. This is a book I can recommend to teens and their mothers. I love that. It makes it extra special. Read it. I know you'll love it.<br />
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MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-26684071273669275552013-10-25T09:52:00.001+01:002013-10-25T09:52:13.943+01:00Review:: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy by Helen Fielding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6wNbLkCpQ1AwB70zcnLY_i46G2X8ViTrAElYZQwwb45CwNvdZz9TwUIWwzFLkjX4A3SH0CHyx49MhPgkCHDbYpAVvqXI8cpJIUFjzSb9R7EPpdrQOg9kO2UFXN0MRiTdH9Du3YEFfiQz/s1600/bridget+jones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd6wNbLkCpQ1AwB70zcnLY_i46G2X8ViTrAElYZQwwb45CwNvdZz9TwUIWwzFLkjX4A3SH0CHyx49MhPgkCHDbYpAVvqXI8cpJIUFjzSb9R7EPpdrQOg9kO2UFXN0MRiTdH9Du3YEFfiQz/s400/bridget+jones.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Helen Fielding</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Random House Audiobooks</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Narrator:</strong> Samantha Bond</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Length:</strong> 11 hrs 21 min</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Format:</strong> Audiobook provided by </span><a href="http://www.audible.co.uk/pd/Fiction/Bridget-Jones-Mad-About-the-Boy-Audiobook/B00FORE0UU/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1382688927&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Audible</span></a><span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span id="freeText11940835978884979643"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Bridget Jones is back!<br /><br />Great comic writers are as rare as hen's teeth. And Helen is one of a very select band who have created a character of whom the very thought makes you smile. <em>Bridget Jones' Diary</em>, charting the life of a 30-something singleton in London in the 1990s was a huge international bestseller, published in 40 countries and selling over 15 million copies worldwide. Its sequel, <em>Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason</em>, published soon after was also a major international bestseller. Both were made into films starring Renée Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth.<br /><br />Set in the present, the new novel will explore a different phase in Bridget's life with an entirely new scenario. As Helen Fielding has said: "If people laugh as much reading it as I am while writing it then we'll all be very happy."</span></span><br />
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<span><strong>Review::</strong></span><br />
<span>Narrators are super important. They can ruin a perfectly good book. Or in this case they can actually MAKE the book. Narrator Samantha Bond is the perfect Bridget Jones. She is such a fantastic narrator that upon finishing the book I went to see what else she has narrated. I need them all! She is my favorite narrator of all time. The story came to life in a way I could have only enjoyed as an audio. I'm so glad I listed to this one instead of read it. It made all the difference. I found myself smiling wide as I was walking down the street and even laughing out loud as I was waiting to cross the street. When people looked, I just had to tell them what I was listening to! </span><br />
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<span>Time has moved on from Bridget's 30 something dating days. She married Mark Darcy {yum!} and they have two kids. Mark sadly passed away {boo!} and Bridget is back in the single game. It's hilarious! Oh so funny. The situations that Bridget gets herself into made me laugh so hard because I've done it too! Bridget Jones is like every other woman out there. Only we don't realize it. The diary style is really fun and it was really easy listening. </span><br />
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<span> If you haven't read Bridget Jones yet then you are really missing out! This is such a fun book and I only wish it wasn't over. </span><br />
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MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-51996402161690963522013-10-23T10:45:00.004+01:002013-10-23T10:45:56.685+01:00Review:: The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgug5eA6230ufixTgzch3pKmF7GcxXG_J46fkL5UAgZaRnq7p04YRvRQpWidy7pjBjsJ3Cze5J6r5mUyyTahLNp1aU9XnFEX9vPhSwQmsQkhV2LvpdmKyIjUv-734s63hWAC2H1BgscUO6v/s1600/kiss+of+a+stranger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgug5eA6230ufixTgzch3pKmF7GcxXG_J46fkL5UAgZaRnq7p04YRvRQpWidy7pjBjsJ3Cze5J6r5mUyyTahLNp1aU9XnFEX9vPhSwQmsQkhV2LvpdmKyIjUv-734s63hWAC2H1BgscUO6v/s400/kiss+of+a+stranger.jpg" width="268" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> The Kiss of a Stranger</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author</strong>: Sarah M. Eden</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Covenant Communications</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 252</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Format:</strong> Kindle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span id="freeText6596518051297523760"><span style="font-family: inherit;">When Crispin, Lord Cavratt, thoroughly and scandalously kisses a serving woman in the garden of a country inn, he assumes the encounter will be of no consequence. But he couldn't be more mistaken--the maid is not only a lady of birth, she's the niece of a very large, exceptionally angry gentlemen, who claims Crispin has compromised his niece beyond redemption. The dismayed young lord has no choice but to marry Miss Catherine Thorndale, who lacks both money and refinement and assumes all men are as vicious as her guardian uncle.<br /><br />Trapped between an unwanted marriage and a hasty annulment, which would leave his reputation tainted and Catherine's utterly ruined, Crispin begins guiding his wife's transformation from a socially petrified country girl to a lady of society. Their unfolding relationship reveals encouraging surprises for both of them, and privately each of them wonders if theirs may become a true marriage of the heart. But their hopes are dashed when forces conspire to split asunder what fate has granted. As a battle of wits escalates into a life-threatening confrontation, will it be possible for Crispin and Catherine to live happily ever after?</span></span><br />
<span></span><br />
<span><strong>Review::</strong></span><br />
<span>I've been eyeing Sarah Eden's books for awhile now and just haven't bitten the bullet and tried one out. They are a little pricey for the size of book you get and wasn't sure if it was worth it. When my sister called to say she'd read one and loved it that was all I needed to know. I snagged this one on sale too! Win win! </span><br />
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<span>I'm in love with this time period. I'm also in love with stories about rich Lord's. Lord Cavratt has a lot going for him! Except for his name. I just can't get behind a name like Crispin {nickname Crispy....}. I kept changing it in my mind to Christopher or Cameron. Then just Lord Cavratt. </span><br />
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<span>I love this kind of plot where two people are forced into a marriage. Possibly incredibly scary to the character's at the time. To me it is so terribly romantic. What will happen? I just really like the idea that people can be forced into a situation but still make it. It is like destiny really is in control. Fate takes a hand. It has been awhile since I've read a book that has done it this well. All the details just really work so well. </span><br />
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<span>Catherine has had a rough couple of years living with her uncle and Lord Cavratt puts her in a...situation...that then leads to their quicky marriage. She ends up feeling safer than she has is years. She and Lord Cavratt have some decisions to make. Annulment maybe? Or maybe fall in love instead?</span><br />
<span></span><br />
<span>What I'm trying to say is that this is a really romantic book and I just loved it. I re-read all my favourite parts before I could close the book. I then wanted to read ALL the books by Sarah Eden. You won't be disappointed. I just want to live inside this book!!</span>MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-3430841413217532402013-10-05T09:35:00.002+01:002013-10-05T09:35:14.026+01:00Mini Review: Wild Cards by Simone Elkeles<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1NWwzhbXGhmOAok_HEg1RIFmS_J56qRDk-3Uc_QsGkHp6GsVxwlOuV9OC5pR9k1YANWwnEH1r_P96IYgUycxy5QmT5UwpkTW8tVYNXmF8V4bY17WbMOHqmLtpJbUBgWSWTzxNbcbwM9x/s1600/wild+cards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy1NWwzhbXGhmOAok_HEg1RIFmS_J56qRDk-3Uc_QsGkHp6GsVxwlOuV9OC5pR9k1YANWwnEH1r_P96IYgUycxy5QmT5UwpkTW8tVYNXmF8V4bY17WbMOHqmLtpJbUBgWSWTzxNbcbwM9x/s400/wild+cards.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> Wild Cards</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Simone Elkeles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Walker Books for Young Readers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 288</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span id="freeText736468368839434888"><span style="font-family: inherit;">After getting kicked out of boarding school, bad boy Derek Fitzpatrick has no choice but to live with his ditzy stepmother while his military dad is deployed. Things quickly go from bad to worse when he finds out she plans to move them back to her childhood home in Illinois. Derek’s counting the days before he can be on his own, and the last thing he needs is to get involved with someone else’s family drama.<br /><br />Ashtyn Parker knows one thing for certain--people you care about leave without a backward glance. A football scholarship would finally give her the chance to leave. So she pours everything into winning a state championship, until her boyfriend and star quarterback betrays them all by joining their rival team. Ashtyn needs a new game plan, but it requires trusting Derek—someone she barely knows, someone born to break the rules. Is she willing to put her heart on the line to try and win it all?</span></span><br />
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<strong>Review::</strong><br />
I'm a huge Simone Elkeles fan. She writes one heck of a great teen romance. I've been waiting for something new forever. <em>Wild Cards</em> didn't disappoint. <br />
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At first I thought this had a lot of similarities to <em><a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2011/12/review-catching-jordan-by-miranda.html" target="_blank">Catching Jordan</a></em> by Miranda Kenneally. You all know how much we loved that. Girl plays football, someone on team has a dad who plays in the NFL, hot boy plays football too, etc... But, really that is where the similarities end. They are very different stories. The only thing I didn't like was how <em>hot and girly</em> Ashtyn was. I mean, in the interests of reality a girl who plays football would probably be more of a tomboy or at least a little bit more muscle. Ashtyn was skinny and girly. Not that they can't be...but it just didn't fit in my mind. I know I'm being stereotypical but the stereotype is there for a reason! I couldn't wrap my head around it. <br />
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I really loved this book. I read it in one sitting. I just devoured it. I loved Derek and Ashtyn's stories and how they came together. If you love Simone Elkeles then you know. She's just good! She'll do you right. Wild Cards is worth it. MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-4191652552798632222013-09-18T08:52:00.002+01:002013-09-18T20:46:48.207+01:00Review: Blackmoore by Julianne Donaldson<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJzGiDvijdwKwnPAm6M5JPkI3vsEUgwK0ITopyGIYQVO0L_CoW9XRn5nfGiaIjGaYZeu2HvNeV6rdxAL5ieHAkR5v91xsIOfoG1E9mUOyDqJWDydkNs0XYhfLdG9Ns5MB-93PD7pI8Vm8/s1600/blackmoore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJzGiDvijdwKwnPAm6M5JPkI3vsEUgwK0ITopyGIYQVO0L_CoW9XRn5nfGiaIjGaYZeu2HvNeV6rdxAL5ieHAkR5v91xsIOfoG1E9mUOyDqJWDydkNs0XYhfLdG9Ns5MB-93PD7pI8Vm8/s400/blackmoore.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> Blackmoore</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Julianne Donaldson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Shadow Mountain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 320</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span id="freeText9991099451243083793"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Kate Worthington knows her heart and she knows she will never marry. Her plan is to travel to India instead—if only to find peace for her restless spirit and to escape the family she abhors. But Kate’s meddlesome mother has other plans. She makes a bargain with Kate: India, yes, but only after Kate has secured—and rejected—three marriage proposals.<br /><br />Kate journeys to the stately manor of Blackmoore determined to fulfill her end of the bargain and enlists the help of her dearest childhood friend, Henry Delafield. But when it comes to matters of love, bargains are meaningless and plans are changeable. There on the wild lands of Blackmoore, Kate must face the truth that has kept her heart captive. Will the proposal she is determined to reject actually be the one thing that will set her heart free?<br /><br />Set in Northern England in 1820, <em>Blackmoore</em> is a Regency romance that tells the story of a young woman struggling to learn how to follow her heart. It is <em>Wuthering Heights</em> meets <em>Little Women</em> with a delicious must-read twist.</span></span><br />
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<strong>Review:</strong><br />
I loved<a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2013/09/review-edenbrooke-by-julianne-donaldson.html" target="_blank"> <em>Edenbrooke</em></a> so much that I knew I needed to read <em>Blackmoore</em> immediately. I was not disappointed. Not in the least. I loved it so much I re-read it immediately after I finished--unable to continue on to<em> anything</em> else in my life. I needed this story again. <br />
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This story is dark and sad. Yet, is filled with hope and the romance is smouldering. There were moments between Kate and Henry that literally look my breath away. Moments that brought tears to my eyes, more like sobs, and moments that made me scream out, "why?!!" I felt it all. I was so invested in the story and the character's that I literally could not stop reading. I tried to set the book down and I just couldn't. I didn't want to. My heart needed to know what happened next. <br />
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Kate is such a complex character and she has all these hidden secrets that make up why she is the way she is. Her love is so steadfast and she is selfless. I'm in awe of her character and was full of hope for her the whole book. <br />
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Henry Delafield is my kind of man. He is the stuff my dreams are made of. No question. There were moments between he and Kate that actually had me holding my breath. There were moments where my whole body got tingly and my chest felt like it was going to explode. He is a dreamboat and oh so kind. I can't get enough of Henry. <br />
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I'm telling you that I've not read a book I liked this much in so long. I've been stuck in a mediocre reading rut for so long. It is as if <em>Blackmoore</em> has thrown me a life vest and I'm hanging on for dear life. I'm entertaining the idea of reading it a third time this week. I don't want to move on from this story. I just can't. I'm not ready. I'm putting it on my all time favourites list. It deserves the spot. If author Julianne Donaldson had any more books, I would buy them all without even knowing what they were about. I totally trust her as an author. <br />
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<strong>Quote:</strong><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"Kate," he whispered, stepping closer to me, "you are not like your mother. You are a different creature from your sisters. The depths of your soul are fathomless. You are brave and loyal and true. You have such a good heart." he held my hand close to his chest and covered it with his other hand. "It is only afraid. But I would take such good care of it, love, if you would give it to me." He bent his head and pressed his lips to my fingers."</span> MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-7571280165577855662013-09-16T08:10:00.001+01:002013-09-16T21:37:22.990+01:00Review:: Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> Edenbrooke</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Julianne Donaldson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Shadow Mountain</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 264</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span id="freeText7031259542802903003"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Marianne Daventry will do anything to escape the boredom of Bath and the amorous attentions of an unwanted suitor. So when an invitation arrives from her twin sister, Cecily, to join her at a sprawling country estate, she jumps at the chance. Thinking she’ll be able to relax and enjoy her beloved English countryside while her sister snags the handsome heir of Edenbrooke, Marianne finds that even the best laid plans can go awry.<br /><br />From a terrifying run-in with a highwayman to a seemingly harmless flirtation, Marianne finds herself embroiled in an unexpected adventure filled with enough romance and intrigue to keep her mind racing. Will she be able to rein in her traitorous heart, or will a mysterious stranger sweep her off her feet? Fate had something other than a relaxing summer in mind when it sent Marianne to Edenbrooke.</span></span><br />
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<strong>Review::</strong><br />
I've had this book on my TBR pile forever. I knew it would be my kind of thing. I don't even know why I didn't read it sooner because I kept going back to it and almost reading it several times. Then my sister called this weekend. She told me she read the same book 3 times this week. It must be good! She told me I had to stop everything and read <em>Edenbrooke</em>. So, I did.<br />
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I'm going to tell you that I couldn't have stopped reading if my house was on fire. I would have been reading while I was walking out the door. There were so many moments when my whole body was getting warm and tingly. I felt like my heart was going to jump out of my chest! GAH! The romantic tension is unreal. I felt all of the things. This is romance done right. Amen. It is finally here. Loveable character's, interesting plot, fun and romantic. Not to mention the writing is ace. <br />
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This romance is of the clean variety and oh so much more romantic than the smutty stuff. I'm telling you, this is how it's done! I love how author Julianne Donaldson was true to the details in the Regency time period but she used a language we could understand. It was magic. <br />
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I'm in love with this book and I am literally unable to move on from this story. I need to read it again. I <em>have</em> to read it again. Then when I'm finished I will read <em><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15795628-blackmoore?ac=1" target="_blank">Blackmoore</a></em>, her next book! MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-14355974017465382482013-09-13T10:46:00.001+01:002013-09-13T10:46:33.139+01:00Happy Roald Dahl Day! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Happy Roald Dahl Day! My mother used to read me Matilda and it is still one of my favourites. Roald Dahl brings magic to children's book like no one else. How are you celebrating? <br />
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"And above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places. Those who don't believe in magic will never find it." <br />
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"So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall." <br />
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"A person who has good thoughts cannot ever be ugly. You can have a wonky nose and a crooked mouth and a double chin and stick-out teeth, but if you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely." <br />
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"It doesn't matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you." <br />
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"I have a passion for teaching kids to become readers, to become comfortable with a book, not daunted. Books shouldn't be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage." <br />
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"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams."<br />
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"Matilda said, "Never do anything by halves if you want to get away with it. Be outrageous. Go the whole hog. Make sure everything you do is so completely crazy it's unbelievable..."<br />
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"The books transported her into new worlds and introduced her to amazing people who lived exciting lives. She went on olden-day sailing ships with Joseph Conrad. She went to Africa with Ernest Hemingway and to India with Rudyard Kipling. She travelled all over the world while sitting in her little room in an English village." <br />
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"I began to realize how important it was to be an enthusiast in life. He taught me that if you are interested in something, no matter what it is, go at it at full speed ahead. Embrace it with both arms, hug it, love it and above all become passionate about it. Lukewarm is no good. Hot is no good either. White hot and passionate is the only thing to be" <br />
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"I want an Oompa-Loompa!' screamed Veruca."<br />
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MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-86991420051316289732013-08-26T08:30:00.000+01:002013-08-26T08:30:03.809+01:00Mini Review:: The Hero by Robyn Carr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> The Hero {Thunder Point #3}</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Robyn Carr</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Harlequin MIRA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 384</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is around the next bend, but she is pretty certain it can't be worse than what they've left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads her to Thunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help someone in need.<br /><br />As the widowed father of a vulnerable young boy, Spencer Lawson knows something about needing friendship. But he's not looking for anything else. Instead, he's thrown his energy into his new role as Thunder Point's high school football coach. Tough and demanding to his team, off the field he's gentle and kind...just the kind of man who could heal Devon's wounded heart.<br /><br />Devon thought she wanted to hide from the world. But in Thunder Point, you find bravery where you least expect it...and sometimes, you find a hero.</span><br />
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<strong>Mini Review::</strong><br />
Author Robyn Carr is on my auto buy list. Always will be. I trust her as a romance writer. She is one of the best! I thought I loved her Virgin River series more than anything but her new Thunder Point series is totally my favourite! There is just something about life at the beach that speaks to me. <br />
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I love how these books show real people, real problems and real love. I also love how we are getting several people's story within one book. It is as if we are catching glimpses into the whole town. I get emotionally invested with everyone's stories. They are real to me. Is that weird? The writing is just so good it is as if they are. <br />
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If I could, I'd live in thunder Point! I'm so glad that I have several books to look forward to!! This is a series that I don't want to end any time soon. MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-89452502328369448492013-08-22T09:16:00.002+01:002013-08-22T11:49:50.838+01:00{Movie Review} The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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More than 5 yrs ago my sister Becca kept recommending that I read <em>City of Bones</em> by Cassandra Clare. She gives the best book recommendations! I picked it up and I only made it a chapter before I set it down. I did that 3 more times. I couldn't get into it.<br />
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I will literally never forget the day when I kept reading past that first chapter. Sebastian was an infant. He was just sleeping, eating, and pooping. I went to bed and decided to give <em><a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2011/07/review-city-of-bones-by-cassandra-clare.html"><span style="color: #f1c232;">City of Bones</span></a></em> another try so Becca would stop hounding me. I read past the first chapter and kept reading. By midnight I'd finished the book and then grabbed the next book on my kindle. By morning I'd finished <em><a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2011/07/review-city-of-ashes-by-cassandra-clare.html"><span style="color: #f1c232;">City of Ashes</span></a></em>. I took a nap and then read <em><a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2011/07/review-city-of-glass-by-cassandra-clare.html"><span style="color: #f1c232;">City of Glass</span></a></em>. Three books in 24 hrs. A personal best. The story had my imagination going crazy! It was all so unique. <br />
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Last night I went with some friends to the cinema to see <em>The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones</em>. This has been a highly anticipated movie for most of us. I'm pleased to say I loved it. They did a good job interpreting the book. While different in many ways they stayed true to the story. The demons were scary, the institute looked exactly like I imagined, and cast did a great job. It was really good. <br />
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Jace isn't who I pictured but I do think Jamie Campbell did a great job. He is just too skinny for my taste. Looks like a goblin. They gave away the ending but whatever....I suppose it translates better on screen this way. But, you miss the element of surprise like you have when reading the book! I enjoyed it though.<br />
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I'm not a book snob in any way, but I do think it would be easier to understand if you read the book first. The shadowhunter world is one that has a lot of detail. I wouldn't want anyone to miss out. Read the book. Then email me and tell me how shocked you are! Then watch the film. You won't be disappointed. <br />
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Have you seen it? What did you think? <br />
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MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-65920676434760683952013-07-31T14:07:00.003+01:002013-07-31T14:07:49.629+01:00A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Authors:</strong> Josi Kilpack, Annette Lyon, Heather Justesen, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Aubrey Mace</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Mirror Press</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 260</span><br />
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<span id="freeText866725388149871708"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to A Timeless Romance Anthology: Spring Vacation Collection. Readers will love this collection of six sweet contemporary romance novellas, centered on a Spring Vacation, all with one thing in common: Romance.<br /><br />In Moonlight Kiss, a delightful story by Josi S. Kilpack, Sarah is looking forward to the company retreat, namely because she’ll finally meet Clint—the man she’s been Instant Messaging for a few months. As a single mom, Sarah gets out . . . well, never. So adding vacation days onto the retreat so she can spend time with Clint is daring, yet exciting. She just hopes that the suave on-line Clint will live up to the man she hopes to share her heart with.<br /><br />In Annette Lyon’s charming novella, Chasing Tess, Tess had been patiently waiting through three years of law school for James to pop the question. The night has finally arrived—at his graduation party. But his big announcement turns out to be completely unexpected . . . and devastating. Tess flees the party, promising herself she’ll never let herself waste time on James again. But as she makes a desperate cross-country drive, James makes his own plans on how to win her back.<br /><br />Dancing at the Flea Market is a sweet romance by Heather Justesen. Mara, fresh out of the cold North Dakota tundra, spends her spring break in Texas with close friend, Anna. When the two women run into Carter, an impatient man with a painful past, it takes hearing Mara’s stunning voice at the local Karaoke club to thaw his heart. But as Mara gets to know Carter, she has to decide if the distance between their lives and homes is worth trying to bridge.<br /><br />In Sarah M. Eden’s captivating novella, The Best Laid Plans, Madison gives up a vacation to Cancún with her office friends to return home and babysit her mother, who is in another sketchy relationship. The only problem with returning home is running into Derek, her ex-boyfriend who she decided to break up with before he could break up with her—Madison believes in always being one step ahead. When Derek teams up with Madison to investigate whether her mother is dating the right guy, Madison has a hard time ignoring what her heart is telling her about giving Derek another chance.<br /><br />Picture Perfect, an exciting story by Heather B. Moore, follows Gemma who has never done anything out of the ordinary, until her boyfriend Randy starts to ignore her. But even cutting and dyeing her hair doesn’t get his attention. She decides to join her old high school friends for spring vacation, only to be faced with Drew, her best friend who suddenly seems interested in her as more than a friend. Gemma must determine if her heart is on the rebound or if it’s finally met its true match.<br /><br />In Aubrey Mace’s enchanting romance, The Science of Sentiment, Rosie will do anything to forget Kevin, his completely perfect kisses, and the fact that he dumped her. When she arrives at her grandfather’s mountain cabin for a spring getaway, she discovers her worst nightmare—Kevin has been invited to stay the weekend too. Since there is only room for one in such a small space, Rosie is determined to kick Kevin out. But Kevin has other plans . . . which might include a reminder of why he’s the perfect kisser.</span></span><br />
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<span><strong>Mini Review::</strong></span><br />
<span>I'm going to keep this short because the summary is so long. I loved it. I am all about these anthologies. These stories are just enough romance to get you by. Got a road trip? An hour at the beach? Killing time at the doctor's office? These novellas are the perfect length to do any one of those things. You can read one feel satisfied. You can also feel like you are getting somewhere. My favorites were <em>Chasing Tess</em> and <em>The Best Laid Plans</em>. But, they were all so good. I'll be re-reading this one sooner rather than later. </span><br />
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<span>The best part is that there are 3 other seasonal collections to enjoy!! </span>MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-76530928680423026902013-07-26T14:20:00.000+01:002013-07-26T14:29:48.558+01:00Review:: A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Authors:</strong> Melanie Jacobson, Sarah M. Eden, Heather B. Moore, Annette Lyon, Julie Wright and Rachael Anderson</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Mirror Press</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 330</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Six Award-Winning Authors have contributed new stories to <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Timeless Romance Anthology: Summer Wedding Collection</i>. Readers will love this collection of six sweet contemporary romance novellas, centered on a Summer Wedding, all with one thing in common: Romance.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In Melanie Jacobson’s charming novella, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Love Bytes</i>, Bree is the maid-of-honor and Dallen is the best-man. Living across the country from each other, they commiserate over their prospective best friends’ unrealistic wedding demands. While they plan and plot over email and texting, Bree realizes that the best part about the Maui wedding might be meeting Dallen. She just hopes that he’ll feel the same way.</span><br /><br /><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Romeo and Julie-ex</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> is a sweet romance by Julie Wright. “Romeo” turns out to be a two-timing jerk, and when Juliet Moore’s pre-ordered wedding dress arrives from UPS, Juliet curses everything male. In a stubborn streak, she decides to keep the bridal photography appointment—if only because the money isn’t refundable and it was the one thing that her ex-fiance actually paid for. Plus, she has the perfect wedding dress.<span style="color: black; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> When Juliet shows up for the appointment and meets photographer Jack Montague, she might have to take back some of her curses on men.</span></span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In Rachael Anderson’s enchanting novella, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Meltdown Match</i>, Courtney </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">spends each summer in her hometown of Heimel, Alaska, to find inspiration for her next novel. Her writing method has become a pattern—outline a novel in Heimel, then move to the place her novel is set to finish writing it. But when she runs into former high school friend, Mitch Winters, and they both win the Meltdown Match—a traditional dating contest—Courtney discovers that leaving her hometown at the end of the summer might not be so easy this time.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In <i>Golden Sunrise</i>, an engaging romance by Annette Lyon, Natalie takes time out of her crazy schedule to fly to Vegas for her best friend’s wedding. Sierra and Jason, high-school sweethearts, are finally getting married. Fortunately for Natalie, her old high-school flame, Adam, has a work commitment and can’t be there as best man. But when she arrives at the wedding rehearsal—late and ragged—Adam <i>is </i>there. Memories from the past—and all her old feelings—come flooding back. When Adam makes a wild suggestion, Natalie just may take him up on it, even though she knows he’s moved on. A single choice may mean Natalie is taking a shot at reclaiming the past—or that she's putting her heart in harm’s way a second time.</span><br /><br /><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Tide Pools</span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"> is a captivating story by Heather B. Moore. When Lexi makes a quick trip to Hawaii to attend her friend’s wedding, she discovers that the engaged couple, Sydney and Apelu, are still trying to match-make for her. Lexi laughs because not only does their friend David have a serious girlfriend, but he owns a restaurant on the island. Lexi has too many plans that don’t include a long-distance relationship or coming between a guy and his girlfriend. But when Lexi meets David, she has a hard time remembering why all of her plans were so important.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">In Sarah M. Eden’s delightful novella, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">A Regular Bloke from Stanmore,</i><span style="color: red;"> </span>Abby is helping her sister, Caroline, plan her British wedding. That’s right, Caroline is obsessed with all things British and insists on an authentic wedding in . . . Oregon. When they arrive at Sainsbury House reception hall, it has everything Caroline loves, and the host, Matthew Carlton, even has a British accent. Yet Abby isn’t buying the whole good-looking-British man with impeccable manners thing; she’s determined to expose him as a fake. But the more Abby gets to know Matthew, the more she realizes how wrong she really is.</span></span> </div>
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<strong>Mini Review::</strong></div>
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I'm going to make this short since that summary above is so long. I loved it. The first and last novellas by Melanie Jacobson and Sarah Eden are clearly the best. Which is why I'm guessing they are placed that way. I love how clean these little romances are; yet they aren't based on an LDS relationship. They are just good and clean. </div>
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I've been so busy this summer that reading hasn't been making itself a priority yet these little novellas are perfect! I can read one during my son's nap or while we're outside playing. I read one before I go to bed too. They are just enough to wet my appetite. </div>
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Melanie Jacobson is on my auto buy list. I will read anything she writes. I've never read Sarah M Eden but because of her novella I'm so going to read her books. I'm not familiar with a few of the other author's here and I'm intrigued about their books as well. I love that a novella can just wet my appetite and get me to try a new author with no risk. Now, I know I want to invest more of my time into a bigger book of theirs. I loved it so much I grabbed the<em> Spring Vacation Collection</em> immediately after I finished this! </div>
MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-73957855753435528172013-07-24T08:00:00.000+01:002013-07-24T08:00:05.600+01:00Review:: Tomorrow Land by Mari Mancusi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuUHA8bT3E2wSXnoaB1M6_eEtq7TpPGgVs88sGhRIWfXNRAsa5_Ht1CO_x8K0UJVTUyKhsrd-TFeFdTygoKjro9TvSDm65jRL431Tvm4BqBUzng5WMdclDOc_76Z5Y7dxbQNHH7Rj0jg7/s1600/tomorrow+land.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijuUHA8bT3E2wSXnoaB1M6_eEtq7TpPGgVs88sGhRIWfXNRAsa5_Ht1CO_x8K0UJVTUyKhsrd-TFeFdTygoKjro9TvSDm65jRL431Tvm4BqBUzng5WMdclDOc_76Z5Y7dxbQNHH7Rj0jg7/s400/tomorrow+land.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<b>Title: </b>Tomorrow Land<br />
<b>Author:</b> Mari Mancusi<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> NLA Digital<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 281<br />
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<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Can true love survive the end of the world?</em><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Imagine finding your first love, only to be ripped apart by the apocalypse. Peyton Anderson will never forget the day she was forced to make a choice--between her family--and Chris Parker, the boy she'd given her heart. Now, four years later, as she steps from the fallout shelter and into a dead and broken world, he's the only thing on her mind.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">All Chris "Chase" Parker wanted was to take Peyton away and keep her safe from harm. But he waited for hours in the rain on judgment day and she never showed--breaking his heart without ever telling him why.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Now the two of them have been thrown together once again, reluctant chaperones to a group of orphan children in a post-apocalyptic world where the dead still walk...and feed. As they begin their pilgramage to the last human outpost on Earth, can they find a way to let go of old hurts and find the love they lost--all while attempting to save what's left of the human race?</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Christy's Review:</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I’m not a huge fan of zombie thrillers, but I do like dystopian and YA fiction, and like they say, 2 outta three ain't bad! I'm glad I picked this one up. I love all of the details put into this story and into the interpersonal relationships.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The story is told by juxtaposing the past and present and this device works extremely well. Peyton and Chris/Chase were great, well-rounded characters who I came to care for, and that really drove the story.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The happenings in the plot fell a bit on the rote/predictable side, and the pacing was sometimes odd, especially toward the end of the story. Some of the other characters ought to have been developed a bit more and the journey and trials along the way seemed a bit too easy/glassed over. And then, it seemed to end very, very suddenly. Also, with all of the Disney references and Peyton’s goal, I really expected more of a payoff/integration that was given.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">All in all, great, fun read and a much lighter dystopian/zombie book than what most people would expect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Note: There is a lot of talk about teen sex. There aren’t any sex scenes, but the story is originally based in a society where teen sex is a norm, and that is a catalyst for the dystopian segment of the story.</span></div>
MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-91548315115012621682013-07-22T08:00:00.000+01:002013-07-22T08:00:12.349+01:00Mini Review:: Wedding Dress For Sale by Natale Stenzel <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVCpCNWBOacqE77mlNFRB8c_hJRAI3iKm5VVrQ6oqxg7GNfS8ZIzIP5wxZhVEaWdr7f5l5__km6Qxs1pKVwlxgKWyT-4G2XNvD5o8sK5VyxEowFtHVANLvBRVegjzNA3ccnWTFj8oEDqd/s1600/wedding+dress+for+sale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVCpCNWBOacqE77mlNFRB8c_hJRAI3iKm5VVrQ6oqxg7GNfS8ZIzIP5wxZhVEaWdr7f5l5__km6Qxs1pKVwlxgKWyT-4G2XNvD5o8sK5VyxEowFtHVANLvBRVegjzNA3ccnWTFj8oEDqd/s400/wedding+dress+for+sale.jpg" width="250" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> Wedding Dress For Sale</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Natale Stenzel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Entangled Publishing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 286</span><br />
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<span id="freeText8717020952553989695"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Not even the bride could deny a certain punch-line quality to her current situation: hard-nosed divorce attorney dumps her fiancé and her career to take a job selling wedding gowns. <br /><br />Sydney Garfield has always approached relationships rationally—none of this emotional head-over-heels or opposites-attract business. Marrying Jack Kaiser is the smart thing to do—after all, he’ll be the “perfect” husband. But after a life-changing shake-up at work, Sydney abandons logic—and her fiancé—to chase the fairy tale. <br /><br />Real-estate mogul Jack can’t believe the woman he’s head-over-heels for is ditching her hard-won success—and him—to work as a small-town shop clerk. That’s her idea of a fairy tale? Hoping she's merely in need of time, Jack follows Sydney to Smizer Mill, where he invests in the quaint coffee shop next door. Now, he’s got a few new challenges: make a failing coffee shop a success and convince Sydney that theirs is a romance worthy of a true happily ever after.</span></span><br />
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<span><strong>Review::</strong></span><br />
<span>I love wedding stories. There is something about a couple who is already in love that gets me. I mean, I'm already married so it is nice to read about people who are already in committed relationships and that have bumps in the road. I like to see how they overcome problems and fall in love all over again. </span><br />
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<span>Sydney is running scared. But my favourite thing is that Jack is coming for her and he won't leave without her. I think every girl wants to feel like she's worth the fight. Jack made this story for me. This was a quick and easy read. Just enough romance to wet your appetite.</span><br />
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<span>I am looking forward to more. I'm hoping we'll see a story with Drusilla and the Chief of Police!</span><br />
<span></span>MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-42177932448024616632013-07-15T11:33:00.001+01:002013-07-15T11:33:08.083+01:00Review:: Just My Luck by Kelley Vitollo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTxcJfU_ph0jcr8PnNVnPi6us51srazBgWTcjLCRpTd4KnFPCGQ1X2jT8WsdvJv5qIp9SxRVZX4fPOa9O5CULTjTGT7Bjjk8db8c2ftUchVihja74oHMKHa71Lw1n3prDjWqGgLVEa8K8/s1600/just+my+luck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilTxcJfU_ph0jcr8PnNVnPi6us51srazBgWTcjLCRpTd4KnFPCGQ1X2jT8WsdvJv5qIp9SxRVZX4fPOa9O5CULTjTGT7Bjjk8db8c2ftUchVihja74oHMKHa71Lw1n3prDjWqGgLVEa8K8/s400/just+my+luck.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Title:</strong> Just My Luck</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Author:</strong> Kelley Vitollo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Publisher:</strong> Entangled</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><strong>Pages:</strong> 185 </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><em>Her friend. Her boss. Her husband?</em><em></em><br /><br />Betsy Harris has always known Jace Macnamara was off-limits. Not only is he a close friend, he also happens to be her boss—making him doubly forbidden. Betsy’s too timid to ever admit her crush, nor ‘fess up to the fact that she’s secretly drowning in her mother’s medical bills.<br /><br />Jace just found out he needs a wife and needs one now. His childhood home—the last reminder he has of his deceased parents—can only become his if he gets married, but Jace, ever the playboy, never dreamed of settling down for real. Neither Betsy nor Jace wants to ruin their friendship when their fake marriage inevitably ends, so they vow to keep things light, professional, easy. But as Betsy comes out of her shell, Jace begins to see his “wife” for the beautiful, caring woman she is. Can he risk their past for a future together?</span></div>
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I'm such a huge fan of this series. If you haven't read <a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2012/10/romance-week-lucky-break-by-kelley.html" target="_blank"><em>Lucky Break</em></a> or <a href="http://www.thesweetbookshelf.com/2013/01/review-luck-of-draw-by-kelley-vitollo.html" target="_blank"><em>Luck of the Draw</em></a> then you should get on that pronto. I don't want you to miss anything before you read <em>Just My Luck</em>. Although these are companion novels and can be read on their own, you will get such an enjoyable experience if you read them all together. </div>
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From the first book in this series I have loved Jace and Betsy. I guess I kind of feel like a Betsy myself. She stays in the background and wants to not be seen. She is usually looked over in the guy department. She loves long and hard but can't do anything about it. Until now... </div>
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At first I wasn't a fan of Betsy and Jace having a pretend marriage. I wanted Jace to see who Betsy was on his own. No ploy or weird situation needed. But as the story progressed he did just that. It took me by surprise. None of it felt fake or contrived. It just worked. It made me feel like this could actually happen. </div>
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I really love Jace and Betsy together. Gosh, this is my favourite book in the series! They just feel so real. Their conversations feel real. This book was everything I was hoping for and more. I just want more!! I don't want this series to end and I sincerely hope it will go on and on. </div>
</span><br />MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-32298453169505580372013-07-11T09:59:00.000+01:002013-07-11T09:59:36.459+01:00Author Interview:: Elaine Cook <div style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymjOnkZ-aZ5hh4xc6XoEfYUtVmBje9f-8NoZywaRSVUVOPNFhxhUPuRYLhj8RPEyDbIs7n8xT-8rs6XZ8v9KuQtQFwFs3ckT04JNJlidXXMMbZxbEdqnsLpUw4OvtpZ242gXK53u56ATr/s1600/serpents+treasure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymjOnkZ-aZ5hh4xc6XoEfYUtVmBje9f-8NoZywaRSVUVOPNFhxhUPuRYLhj8RPEyDbIs7n8xT-8rs6XZ8v9KuQtQFwFs3ckT04JNJlidXXMMbZxbEdqnsLpUw4OvtpZ242gXK53u56ATr/s320/serpents+treasure.jpg" width="211" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Serpent’s Treasure is your publishing debut novel. How does it feel to now be a published author?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">It is still surreal. It is not everyday that you hear of an author receiving a contract offer four days after the contract was sent to the first publishing company. I had prepared to hunt out an agent. I expected a hundred or two rejections, but when I received the call from the acquisitions editor saying that she couldn't put my manuscript down, I kept thinking, "This is coming from someone who reads thousands of manuscripts a year." Everything regarding this adventure has fallen into place bit by bit. Things have not been perfect on this journey, but compared to what I imagined the publishing expedition would be, it has been simple and conquerable. Perhaps I simply prepared myself to climb mountains, only to find that they were hills. Whatever the reason for the ease of the journey thus far, it is hard for me to believe I am here. When I was young I dreamed that I would be an author, and now I am.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What was the inspiration behind your book?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Now that is a tough question. It is not like there is any one thing that I patterned the story after. I wrote this novel for me and for my children. If anything, they were my inspiration. When I sat down and wrote that first night, my goal was to see if I could still write an enjoyable chapter. It had three characters and a computer. At the time, I didn't know who the protagonists and antagonists were. However, it was the encouragement and positive feedback that I received from that scene, which propelled me forward. After a few more chapters, the characters revealed more of themselves. Soon, I found it was time to write their histories. Who were they? How did they become what they were? This tied hand in hand with writing out the plot and I suddenly realized that the single, stand-alone novel that I intended to write for myself and my children, would be a six-book series.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UFQTu24Xz-7uZToNIgBryCOHs-9D1GXzzvI7Co5zyPP6vcfCEPXHjg64iTylWiSXadTaMC0xY9PDXhBY7T2j8g_okBjc8g0goyBo9MXv2qclpRjYv8peVmRuREjauRpN0X_uU8BUv0WG/s1600/elaine+cook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9UFQTu24Xz-7uZToNIgBryCOHs-9D1GXzzvI7Co5zyPP6vcfCEPXHjg64iTylWiSXadTaMC0xY9PDXhBY7T2j8g_okBjc8g0goyBo9MXv2qclpRjYv8peVmRuREjauRpN0X_uU8BUv0WG/s320/elaine+cook.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What does a typical writing day look like for you?</b><br /><br />I'm not certain there is a typical. My writing was confined to Monday through Saturday, sometimes it was only Monday through Friday. I would write from <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1286832925" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">6:30 am to 9 am</span></span>, most mornings. Then <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1286832926" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">9 pm to midnight</span></span> most evenings. Although, I do remember several evenings that I was up until <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1286832927" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">2 am</span></span> and at least once when I wrote until <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1286832928" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">4 am</span></span>. When I was in the middle of a scene or chapter that was flowing, I simply couldn't stop. I found it was the characters and the story that woke me in the morning, not my alarm clock. I took a few months off from November to January in 2010-11 because of the holidays and there was so many other commitments at the time that drew me away, but as soon as I could I returned to complete what I had started. It took me exactly one year and two weeks to complete the first draft, including the winter hiatus.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>What are some of your favorite books?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I like books and movies where the ending is unpredictable. When I wrote The Ancestral Key, I wanted a book that I would enjoy reading, so the intent is to find the ending entirely unpredictable. You will find as you progress through the series that this will continue to apply. The characters you think you know by the end of Book One will surprise you in Book Two. If you think you know the ending, I promise that you do not. Just as we cannot always predict how friends or family we know will react to certain circumstances, so it is with the characters in Serpent's Treasure. The Ancestral Key is merely the beginning of the adventure, so we have quite a journey still ahead of us.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>I’m dying to know a little about book two. Give us a glimpse?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">In Book Two, you will get to know some of the existing characters in a whole new light. My current title planned for Book Two is Leoni Secrets. Unless this is changed in editing, which did happen to Book One's title, it just might give you a small clue. New characters and places will be introduced as you learn more and more about this clan and the secrets that exist within. More twists, turns, and danger await as the original characters form new alliances, travel closer and closer to the heart of the ancient prophecy, and attempt how they see fit to prevent the destruction of their homeland.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b></b></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Where and when are some of your upcoming events, so we can get our books signed?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have held dozens of pre-release events in multiple states over the last three months. Now that the book is officially released, I expect that the number of events will increase. Events, both public and private, are kept current on my website at <a href="http://www.elainetcook.com/" rel="nofollow" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">www.elainetcook.com</a>. If you want an event brought to your area, please contact me or my marketing team via email links on my website. Events are not typically difficult to arrange. We simply need to know is that someone wants an event in their area for the process to begin. Then the coordinating begins.</span></div>
MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-52122400615393296322013-07-08T08:00:00.000+01:002013-07-08T08:00:10.850+01:00Review:: The Newcomer by Robyn Carr<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCoLxPwsIrsBI2kactsmjG9SlJBCGscaCwrcw9jJfT7BSKnIX3_f4GR0UwlAkbO7o2L_jymlPJZBz6WL1nD4zEcus0CVV6F-MJUWe1hn3jBgwNoTr2KoYLcsg63hWmFooJx9k8agUkPNS/s1600/the+newcomer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCoLxPwsIrsBI2kactsmjG9SlJBCGscaCwrcw9jJfT7BSKnIX3_f4GR0UwlAkbO7o2L_jymlPJZBz6WL1nD4zEcus0CVV6F-MJUWe1hn3jBgwNoTr2KoYLcsg63hWmFooJx9k8agUkPNS/s400/the+newcomer.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
<b>Title:</b> The Newcomer<br />
<b>Author:</b> Robyn Carr<br />
<b>Publisher:</b> Harlequin MIRA<br />
<b>Pages:</b> 368<br />
<b>Format: </b>Kindle<br />
<b>Disclosure: </b>via NetGalley<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Single dad and Thunder Point's deputy sheriff "Mac" McCain has worked hard to keep everyone safe and happy. Now he's found his own happiness with Gina James. The longtime friends have always shared the challenges and rewards of raising their adolescent daughters. With an unexpected romance growing between them, they're feeling like teenagers themselves-suddenly they can't get enough of one another. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">And just when things are really taking off, their lives are suddenly thrown into chaos. When Mac's long-lost-and not missed-ex-wife shows up in town, drama takes on a whole new meaning. They're wondering if their new feelings for each other can withstand the pressure...but they are not going down without a fight. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><b>Review:: </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">I'm crazy over Robyn Carr's new series Thunder Point. It has everything I need for a good romance story. Yet, so much more. She's not just telling one story here. There are several all woven together. Usually with stories like this I'm left hating when it turns away from my favorite couple to talk about a different couple/story but not here. I am invested in every single character and their stories. That is good writing folks! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">The setting takes place just as the cover suggests. On the beach. I love beach towns. They are so quaint and the locals are so chill. It is the same in Thunder Point. I can picture it all and I just want to go there. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;">Mac and Gina have finally got their relationship going when Mac's ex wife shows up after 10 years and starts some trouble. There is a lot going on in this story with all the character's. Everyone has some big news or some huge event happen to them. Yet, they are probably something we've all gone through or can at least sympathize with. It's life. I enjoyed seeing how they all overcame their trials. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #181818;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">If you enjoy adult romance then look no further. Author Robyn Carr is the real deal. This new series is everything I love about romance. <i>The Newcomer</i> is fantastic! I'm just dying for the next book!</span></span>MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-7518969077376376752013-06-10T18:29:00.003+01:002013-06-10T18:29:49.363+01:00Firmoo Eyeglasses! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjp-zytTnmlB-gaBfsL3CErxqWkQ-V0nI9pjVWPIyi70RyF-sRmRBi2_0ybzDgIyQbGd2uPHSmAUrH8UC2Yp5RW-HEwzmCdpNOGUK1VWvp-RiKsZLQ_RKZZ8sSRlw-ByYnf6XuC4do8G9/s1600/firmoo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUjp-zytTnmlB-gaBfsL3CErxqWkQ-V0nI9pjVWPIyi70RyF-sRmRBi2_0ybzDgIyQbGd2uPHSmAUrH8UC2Yp5RW-HEwzmCdpNOGUK1VWvp-RiKsZLQ_RKZZ8sSRlw-ByYnf6XuC4do8G9/s200/firmoo.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="background-color: #ffffee; color: #333333; line-height: 21.993749618530273px;"><a href="http://firmoo.com/">Firmoo.com</a> is the world's most popular online eyeglasses store. Years of expertise in optical industry enable Firmoo.com to offer varieties of prescription eyewear to the consuming public in high quality yet at extremely affordable prices. </span><span style="background-color: #ffffee; color: #333333; line-height: 21.993749618530273px;">Firmoo.com offers their customers the cheapest prices at the fraction of what optical store charges.</span></i></span><br />
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<i style="text-align: left;">*I received a pair of Firmoo sunglasses for free in return for an honest review. And I LOVE 'EM</i><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I used to wear a pair of plastic glasses in high school. I was on the speech and debate team and I felt they gave me an edge. I looked </span>studious<span style="font-family: inherit;">. I don't <i>need</i> glasses but I've always loved them! My inner geek is shining through. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Every year I buy some cheapo sunglasses and they always break. Always. I got some Firmoo sunglasses and I have been converted. Seriously. I've never owned a nicer pair. They came with 2 cases ya'll. Plus a cleaning cloth. They also have UV protection and they look fabulous on me. I feel like Edna from Mr. </span>Incredible<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">I also want </span><a href="http://www.firmoo.com/eyeglasses-p-2126.html" style="font-family: inherit;" target="_blank">these</a><span style="font-family: inherit;">. They are so very Harry Potter.</span></div>
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Now my husband wants Firmoo sunglasses!<br />
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I am super satisfied and I love the quality. I'll never buy cheap sunglasses again. Ever. They don't even compare. </div>
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I love that Firmoo ships internationally. They have SO many deals going on all the time that it is easy to get yourself a pair of glasses or sunglasses for a reasonable price.<br />
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Just do it! Summer has begun! You deserve a new pair.</div>
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MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2315549757556103515.post-5770293277006762072013-06-03T11:09:00.001+01:002013-06-03T11:09:25.222+01:00Review:: Serpent's Treasure by Elaine T. Cook<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwekrRGkzr6oguDhG6IhxAo0sWx62mDD7AhXI3PAGyAEzu595izORwCRDMkWUpwFjn6WdLBXpr98ctaHjwM4h5JxszHMEKddq8KKpm038M4eNRwaNxkpyKvAmGMBK1FVx83cGtT8Mn1Txh/s1600/serpent's+treasure.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwekrRGkzr6oguDhG6IhxAo0sWx62mDD7AhXI3PAGyAEzu595izORwCRDMkWUpwFjn6WdLBXpr98ctaHjwM4h5JxszHMEKddq8KKpm038M4eNRwaNxkpyKvAmGMBK1FVx83cGtT8Mn1Txh/s400/serpent's+treasure.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Serpent's Treasure: The Ancestral Key</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Author: </b>Elaine T. Cook</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Publisher: </b>Tate Publishing</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Pages:</b> 340</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;">A two-thousand-year-old prophecy lingers at the threshold of fulfillment. Sworn to slaughter anyone they suspect could fulfill it, the Leoni family has nearly succeeded in wiping out the family they consider their greatest threat. Meanwhile, Nicolai Cavallo, eccentric heir to the vast Cavallo fortune, has hunted his entire life for his family’s long-lost treasure and is positive his search is paying off when he stumbles across what he believes is the missing key to his encoded map. In Serpent’s Treasure: The Ancestral Key a race against time begins when the computer system designed to help solve Nick’s family riddles is hacked. Elaine T. Cook expertly weaves this thrilling narrative of betrayal and daring. Nick must relocate the system’s unwilling programmer, Juliana Matthews, and convince her to aid him once more. Even so, can she fix the system before the Leonis learn Nick is attempting to fulfill the prophecy or, more importantly, before they discover he has found the key to do so?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Review::</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Wow!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Within the first few chapters of reading this book I thought it was a mix of Romeo and Juliet (without the tragedy) and The Divinci Code.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">By the end of the book I added Indiana Jones adventures to the mix.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">What a fun book to read.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It had everything you want, adventure, romance, and a bit of fantasy mixed in. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Reading this book was a breath of fresh air.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">It’s not a YA book, which was nice because none of the drama and erratic behaviors from characters are present.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">That being said, the book can be enjoyed by young and old.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The characters were well developed and easy to like, or hate in some cases.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The story is also well developed with bits of excitement and adventure tucked in.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">The romance is clean and exciting at the same time. I have been immersed in the world that Elaine T. Cook has presented and I am hooked!</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">I am eagerly awaiting the release of book two.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: inherit; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span>MARY IN SCOTLAND http://www.blogger.com/profile/04390613561715464322noreply@blogger.com1