Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” —Groucho Marx

Monday, January 20, 2014

Jubilee's Journey by Bette Lee Crosby--A Review


 Happy Birthday to my great friend in Colorado, Cherie!!   Love you girlfriend!

Today's review is of one of my favorite author's books.   I love Betty Lee Crosby's work.   Let me begin by saying, Jubilee's Journey did not disappoint. Look at those blue eyes on the cover.   My 2 and a half year old granddaughter has those same blue eyes, but she is a blondie with curls.

Progressing to the SYNOPSIS from GoodReads:

When tragedy strikes a West Virginia coal mining family, two children start out on a trek that they hope will lead them to a new life. Before a day passes, the children are separated and the boy is caught up in a robbery not of his making. If his sister can find him, she may be able to save him. The problem is she’s only seven years old, and who’s going to believe a kid?

Jubilee’s Journey is Book Two in the Wyattsville Series. This story of discovering lost family and finding love reconnects readers with Ethan Allen and the other heart-warming characters of the bestselling novel SPARE CHANGE


From My Perspective:

January may well be my favorite month of the year to read.  I have scheduled myself to read the books written by favorite authors,,,,Janet Evanovich, Sarah Jio, Debbie Macomber, Shelly Green, Shauna Allen, and Bette Lee Crosby.  I love these women and their ideas and stories.   So blessed by the pen put to paper.

Bette is a master at creating characters.  Some characters as Paul and Jubilee, were innocents.   Others were totally villainous, as was Hurt McAdams.   Most were lovable, and a mix between good and bad, as was Ethan Allen and his grandmother, Olivia Westerly Doyle.  And Crosby's stories have always been endearing.   Paul had such love for his little sister, Jubilee.   With the loss of both parents, Paul was left to care for her.   He accepted that responsibility whole heartedly.    Thus the journey from their mountain home to Wyattsville in search of their Aunt Anita.

As fortune would have it, their simple plan goes awry and Paul and Jubilee became separated once they arrived in Wyattsville.   Jubilee found safety in a boy called Ethan Allen and went with him when Paul did not return.   Paul unfortunately, went to the hospital .   The mystery revolved around finding Aunt Anita...would she accept responsibility for both children?   Did she want them?  Would Paul survive his injuries  and remember enough to save him from a jail term?

Here were two kids leaning one upon the other, so alone in this world and desperate to remain together and yet there were three homes ready to open up their doors to them.   It was a beautifully written story and so very heart warming.  

 5 WINKS 



Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.  I purchased this book.

Friday, January 17, 2014

The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio--a Review

I finished Sarah Jio's The Last Camellia in the wee hours of the morning today-- Which would automatically land it a 5 Wink rating.   I love Sarah Jio's writing and this was no exception.

Sarah takes the past and blends it with the present and somehow out of all the buried truths, she makes a magnificent story that holds the reader spellbound.    I have nothing against camellias, from the cover shot, they are lovely.   In this book we learn a lot about the camellia.   I always enjoy learning something from the books I read.

Sarah alternates chapters past and present.   The past are labeled Flora chapters and the present Addison.   Her characters are brilliant.  Flora leaves New York for England in an effort to find her place in the world and help her parents out of their financial problems with the family bakery.   Her story started in the 1940's.
Addison's Story begins some  sixty years later.   Addison is a garden designer and her husband's family owns Livingston Manor, where Flora's story took place.   Addison came to the manor because she was running away from her past.    These women were strong and human; bold and intelligent.   Each faced her own fears whether it was head on or trying to escape it.    Eventually, they each realized the words inscribed in the front of The Years by Virginia Wolfe were accurate:  "the truth of the matter is that we always know the right thing to do.  The hard part is doing it."   Each woman grew to the point they could and did do the right thing.

Tinged with a sixty year old mystery, the four Livingston children, a faithful and dedicated husband and a couple of scoundrels, one from each time period, this was one of Sarah's best reads yet

And as I stated earlier, it earned the 5 Wink rating.   304 pages read in one day...or specifically through the night!

Synopsis from Goodreads:

A romantic and suspenseful tale about two women whose destiny is bound across the years.

On the eve of World War II, the last surviving specimen of a camellia plant known as the Middlebury Pink lies secreted away on an English country estate. Flora, an amateur American botanist, is contracted by an international ring of flower thieves to infiltrate the household and acquire the coveted bloom. Her search is at once brightened by new love and threatened by her discovery of a series of ghastly crimes.

More than half a century later, garden designer Addison takes up residence at the manor, now owned by the family of her husband, Rex. The couple’s shared passion for mysteries is fueled by the enchanting camellia orchard and an old gardener’s notebook. Yet its pages hint at dark acts ingeniously concealed. If the danger that Flora once faced remains very much alive, will Addison share her fate?


Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I did purchase my personal copy of The Last Camellia.  


Monday, January 13, 2014

Help For the Haunted by John Searles--A Review


Wow it is a bright and sunny day here in the midwest.   Can't help but love the fresh clean air and my dogs are loving it, just sunning themselves.    I however, have sinus congestion going on and feel sort of punk.

I finished reading Help For the Haunted last night.   It was very different from what I expected and a bit different from my usual reading.

Synopsis from Goodreads:

It begins with a call in the middle of snowy February evening. Lying in her bed, young Sylvie Mason overhears her parents on the phone across the hall. This is not the first late-night call they have received, since her mother and father have an uncommon occupation, helping "haunted souls" find peace. And yet, something in Sylvie senses that this call is different than the rest, especially when they are lured to the old church on the outskirts of town. Once there, her parents disappear, one after the other, behind the church's red door, leaving Sylvie alone in the car. Not long after, she drifts off to sleep only to wake to the sound of gunfire.

Nearly a year later, we meet Sylvie again struggling with the loss of her parents, and living in the care of her older sister, who may be to blame for what happened the previous winter.

As the story moves back and forth in time, through the years leading up to the crime and the months following, the ever inquisitive and tender-hearted Sylvie pursues the mystery, moving closer to the knowledge of what occurred that night, as she comes to terms with her family's past and uncovers secrets that have haunted them for years.

From My Perspective:

This was a first read from Author, John Searles.   I had no idea what to expext.   However, this book does not disappoint.  It is gripping, suspenseful, filled with horrifying events and episodes as young Sylvie Mason tries her best to discover what went wrong in her family.   Sylvie was a character who wanted to please everyone, her parents, her sister, her counselor, the police detective, and anyone else who entered her life.  I wonder what would have happened if she just once pleased herself?

Searles developed great characters who were strong and believable and very human, including the ever present flaws that we find in one another.  He had great control over the plotline and the book held my attention through out, with me trying to determine who did the crime.   It was a tremendous mystery thriller and I had not determined who the guilty culprit was until he revealed it through the written word.  Now normally, I am pretty astute in solving the crimes in the books, but I think authors are getting better at withholding information that would enable the reader to figure it out.  I like to be stumped right along with the main character.

I'm giving this read a 4 WINK review as the only thing I was confused by was alternating chapters of past memories and current day exchanges.   I wish chapters could be labeled, (past) or (present).    This was a very entertaining and haunting read.


Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like.  I did However, purchase a copy of Help for the Haunted for myself.











Friday, January 10, 2014

Takedown Twenty by Janet Evanovich--A Review

 In this twentieth edition of the Stephanie Plum series, Janet Evanovich is back with her hilarious bounty hunter and the entire enterage!

SYNOPSIS from Good Reads:

New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum knows better than to mess with family. But when powerful mobster Salvatore “Uncle Sunny” Sunucchi goes on the lam in Trenton, it’s up to Stephanie to find him. Uncle Sunny is charged with murder for running over a guy (twice), and nobody wants to turn him in—not his poker buddies, not his bimbo girlfriend, not his two right-hand men, Shorty and Moe. Even Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, has skin in the game, because—just Stephanie’s luck—the godfather is his actual godfather. And while Morelli understands that the law is the law, his old-world grandmother, Bella, is doing everything she can to throw Stephanie off the trail.

It’s not just Uncle Sunny giving Stephanie the run-around. Security specialist Ranger needs her help to solve the bizarre death of a top client’s mother, a woman who happened to play bingo with Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur. Before Stephanie knows it, she’s working side by side with Ranger and Grandma at the senior center, trying to catch a killer on the loose—and the bingo balls are not rolling in their favor.

With bullet holes in her car, henchmen on her tail, and a giraffe named Kevin running wild in the streets of Trenton, Stephanie will have to up her game for the ultimate takedown.

From My Perspective:

I can not resist Stephanie Plum!  I can be content to wait a month or two after the book is released, but I know I am going to buy a copy and read at my leisure.   Only Janet Evanovich can come up with the humorous plots and situations that our Stephanie finds herself in.   In this edition, Sunny's henchmen marvel at their incompetence when it comes down to "ridding" themselves of the pain in the ___, Stephanie Plum.   And Stephanie tries her hand at being a butcher's assistant??????   And there is a giraffe running around on the loose in Trenton New Jersey.    Really?

Well Takedown Twenty is funny, clever and Stephanie is the all American girl, just trying to get her bills paid.  She has a tough job and a hilarious Assistant, Lula.   She works for the pervert, Uncle Vinny, and she is the object of affections for two male contenders, the handsome Italian cop, Joe Morelli and the Hotter than hot, Ranger, owner of a Security company.

295 pages of eye-rolling, gun toting, adventure and some light romance.   Add in a crusty old Grandma threatening to give Stephanie the evil eye and entertainment spent viewing dead bodies at the funeral home, and you have the provocative adventures of one Miss Stephanie Plum.    Delightful entertainment at its best!!
 WINKS!!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.  I did purchase Takedown Twenty.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

A Stroke of Luck by Desiree Deorto--A Review

As I write this review, Iowa is in the deep freeze.   My pipes are frozen, my hands are cold and my brother brought me some heat lamps to combat the wind chills and temperatures!!    Grr, I hate winter.

So if you are in the same mess we are in, please grab a copy of Desiree DeOrto's, A Stroke of Luck.     It is guaranteed to THAW your pipes!

SYNOPSIS from GOODREADS:

When you work in an all-night diner, you never know who will walk in the door.

Katie Jones doesn't believe in love at first sight. After divorcing her abusive husband, she doesn't believe in love at all. But when Jacob Richmond walked into Bud's Diner, her disbelief was put to the test.

Jacob came to Kansas to find inspiration. He was searching for the subject that would be the muse for his next masterpiece. He wasn't expecting to find himself completely consumed by a waitress who had more baggage than he thought possible.

When love at first sight just doesn't cut it, your burning desire can't be controlled. Sometimes you need just a little luck to put it all together.

He was searching for inspiration....
She was searching for an escape...
But with a Stroke Of Luck, anything can happen.

From MY Perspective:

First of all, this is a new adult read.   That means adults only should be reading this sexually explicit read.  And it is also a short story, approximately 65 pages or so.   The story begins with a stranger entering the diner where Katie works and the animal magnetism they feel for one another, (that's another term for lust).    Katie had never experienced this kind of attraction....not for her ex or anyone since her ex.   But Jacob Richmond was different and she wanted what she wanted.  He wanted what he wanted.   Thus began the hot and delicious familiarity scenes.

And here enters the problem.   Jacob is married.   Katie is scarred, both physically and emotionally.   There's the realization this relationship won't ever work.   And it's over, until Bud, the owner of the restaurant escorts Katie to an art showing where it is all about her.

The characters are endearing, but I don't get too cozy with instant-love.   I could appreciate how hard Jacob had to work to attempt to win Katie back after his deception.   I enjoyed the fast pace of the story, but wished we had delved a little deeper into personalities and storyline.   This could have been written into a much deeper tale.   But overall, the read was enjoyable.

3 Winks!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.  I purchased this copy from Kindle/Amazon.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Coming Soon....

....to a blog near you!  

JUBILEE’S JOURNEY BLOG TOUR JANUARY 2014



My review will be posted on January 20th,   Meanwhile, please visit the author's website at: 
http://betteleecrosby.com/jubilees-journey-blog-tour-january-2014/  for additional information on reviews for tour stops!  Enjoy!!

Monday, January 6, 2014

Wounded Wings by Shauna Allen--A Review

Good Morning Peeps!!   I have a review for you today that I could not be happier with.   Well,  not the review necessarily, but the tremendous book that brought it forth.

GoodReads Sybopsis:

Wounded.
Judged harshest by his own heart after the greatest of sins, Elijah Smith imposes the most brutal of punishments upon himself. He is now a fallen angel, cast down by his own hand—lost, suffering, caught between two worlds, and searching for redemption.

Scars.
Scarred emotionally and physically, Naomi Evans has always put her happiness aside to repay her debt to the one who saved her. Never quite fitting into her friendly little town after being abandoned as a child, she’s not sure love will ever find her aching heart.

Redemption.
New Destiny, Arizona will never be the same. Two strangers have rolled into town, shaking Heaven and Earth. One, a handsome loner is temporarily stranded and biding his time, quietly bestowing random acts of kindness on total strangers until he can be on his way. The second, an undercover Cupid named Michael, is determined to bring healing and true love. 
His assignment? A fallen brother and his equally wounded soulmate.
Will Naomi be able to see past both their scars? Can Elijah ever forgive himself?
Is such redemption possible?

From My Perspective:

Wounded Wings by Shauna Allen was the first book I read in 2014.   It is the third book in the Cupid Chronicles series.    However, any of the three books may be read as a stand alone.   Book one was Inked By an Angel and book two was The Halo Effect, both of which I loved.  But as much as I loved the first two books, this, my first read of 2014, moved my heart and soul.    I fell hard for our fallen hero protagonist, Elijah.   I absolutely adored his awkwardness and cluelessness.   I could just see Naomi's raised eyebrows at some of the things he said and did.
And the cast would not have been complete, except for Michael, the angel working in the Love Detail and so close to an angelic promotion.    These characters were very much alive to me as I read their story.

I laughed, I cried and then I cried some more.   Shauna Allen outdid herself with this book and I believe it was the best of the three books.   She saved the best for last, but as I read her story, I read her heart and soul and her words blessed me in such a tender way.   She touched my heart and soul with her beautiful story.   Is it fickle to say, this is the best book I have read?   Maybe I was in just such a place that this book could reach me and affect me so greatly.   It is a fast paced read, interesting, clever, funny, poignant, sweet and romantic.

I gave this read 5 Winks and wish I could give it more!   Loved it!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Skeleton's Key by Stacy Green....a review

HAPPY NEW YEAR, 2014 you are welcome!!!
Please be kind to us.
I am starting the year with a bang!   A review of Stacy Green's Skeleton's Key is on tap today!   I found it intriguing and suspenseful!


Synopsis (Goodreads):

Cage Foster can’t catch a break. The discovery of a dusty skeleton in the antebellum home he’s caring for is bad enough. But the unearthing of two fresh bodies, buried during his tenure at Ironwood Plantation, may land Cage on Mississippi’s death row. Even worse, the one person certain of his innocence is a pushy Yankee newcomer, a woman who talks too fast and still believes in the romance of the Old South.

A specialist in historical renovation, Dani Evans intends to restore Ironwood to its former glory while she rebuilds her life after the death of her mother. Death, hidden treasure, and falling in love with a murder suspect were not part of the plan. The lure of the infamous Ironwood treasure cache convinces Dani the skeleton is the key to unraveling the legend, and that the treasure itself is the motive for the murders.

Cage is certain an old grudge is setting him up for murder, but the evidence against him is mounting and time is running out. Dani believes she can find the truth before Cage is arrested, but her search for answers will uncover a descent into madness that should have stayed buried.

From My Perspective:

This was a great read and I enjoyed it immensely!  With each new book authored by Stacy Green, it just gets better and better!This was a wonderful mystery romance read.   Two individuals love an antebellum property called Ironwood.    Cage couldn't afford to buy it, but he was hired to make it livable for the new owner, Dani Evans.   Dani was able to trust Cage immediately but there were strange findings in her new home--a skeleton in the basement, critters in the basement and two dead and freshly buried bodies in the basement, just feet away from the skeleton.   Dani wanted to restore Ironwood to its original glory, but first the mysteries of the basement needed to be solved.    The characters were very well developed and there was an investigator this reader loved to hate.   I also found myself wanting Dani and Cage to fall in love despite the circumstances surrounding them and cloaking them in suspicion.   It was a very well plotted story and maybe I should have figured out who the murderer was, I didn't and that made it all the better read for me.

I gave this a 5 WINK rating!!

Disclaimer:  I read for my pleasure.   I may receive ARC copies for review purposes, but I am not compensated for my reviews .  I like to read and I like to share my reviews.   I post my thoughts without prejudice or bias.  The words are mine and I write reviews based on my humble opinion.  I will admit, I seldom meet a book I don't like. I received a complimentary copy from the author or the author’s representatives in exchange for an honest review.

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

What I read in December

Happy New Year, my Peeps!    I hope 2014 blesses you with all the pleasures reading can bring you.  My goal for 2014 is to read 150 books.   Each year I try to increase my number.   In 2013, my goal was 120 books and I exceded my goal by four books.   Now Good Reads numbers me at 94 and I don't know where the difference is, but 124 is what my recorded #s show.



December 2013 was a very difficult month.   My dear husband passed away on December  8th, unexpectedly.   Twelve days later, we lost my sweet brother, John.   Losses do bring a family together and there has been a lot of love and support given.  I suppose time will heal my wounded heart and my dear books will keep me company. but this was not how I planned to spend the month of December.

Despite the loss of these dear souls, I managed to read the pictured books and to blog about them.   My favorite Christmas read was Debbie Macomber's Angels At the Table.   It was sweet and adorable.

Actually I enjoyed reading all the Christmas stories.   Christmas is a warm and fuzzy time of year and curling up with a good book is just this side of heaven for me.

Dan Walsh's Remembering Christmas was also an excellent read, but my blog for it will be December 1, 2014.   Yep I'm getting ready now for another 25 days of Christmas.

Last but not least, I have read one novel that isn't related to Christmas and that's Stacy Greens, Skeleton Key, a mystery I seriously loved!   You can read my blogged review on January 2nd!

Here's hoping for a seriously improved 2014.  May you all be richly blessed with love, happiness and good fortune!

Beth :)