Embracing Life

I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced copy of this book, Lady Admired, by Jane Charles. I absolutely LOVED this book. The only reason I put it down from time to time was because my kids need a mother. ;) This was a a great way to wrap up the Tenacious Trent series.  Rose Trent, a young widow, is the  Dowager Countess of Bentley.  She finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime, although it didn't quite start out that way. Kidnapped by a Scot after he found out who she was, she was taken back to Laird Aiden MacGregor's manor.   Aiden MacGregor is a handsome yet firm family man who for once, acted before thinking.  After sending a random letter to Rose's stepsons, he begins to regret his rash decision to kidnap Rose.  He knows that in doing so, he has signed his own death warrant, as kidnapping will result with him swinging from the gallows. As Rose becomes enamoured of his family... and of Aiden, she also finds her true self. ...

Title: Bound to Die: A Cozy Mystery Author: Mak K. Han This was a fun cozy mystery, in which is I hope there will be many more! The first chapter set the tone for the book - it had humor and just a little bit of paranormal mystery. However, most the the real mystery centers around the killing of a grumpy man in Strawberry Shores. The main character, Laura, has a cool psychic ability. She and her two friends, Alex and Emily, are drawn into solving the case, yet the killer knows they are on to him/her. There was just the right amount of mystery, romance, and danger in this cozy mystery. I recommend this book for anyone, including YA readers. *I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.   (less)

Julie Johnstone 's newest novel, My Enchanting Hoyden , was just released last week. As usual, this is another one of her books that is just a delight to read!  Jemma is a woman who has been duped by her first love. Intent on not wanting to ever make that mistake again, her goal is to earn enough money to be independent and have her own bakery, just like her mother. That's not easy when her grandfather has different plans. Lord Hawthorne, otherwise known as Philip, has a debt to fulfill and marriage to a wealthy woman is his only way out. But he feels he is too much of a gentleman to win a lady's heart, and is intent on changing his reputation to gain a wealthy wife. As the two of them work together, Jemma to foil her grandfather's plan, and Philip to turn himself into a rogue to be wanted by the ladies of the ton, the reader roots for the two of them to acknowledge their feelings for each other! This is a really great story. The characters are very likeable f...

Jane Charles' new book, Between the Lines , was just released. The book centers around Gabe and Ellen,  and the Baxter School of the Arts.  It's told from both Gabe and Ellen's first person perspectives, which is great because the reader is able to see both sides of the story as it develops.  Gabe is a teacher at the Baxter School of the Arts. Ellen is a reporter who feels that there is a story that needs to be told about Baxter. Both of them are dead set with keeping their secrets to themselves, but as their relationship grows, it becomes harder for them to not trust each other. I really liked this book, even though it's not what I normally read. Ellen is trying to keep her past a secret, but as she falls for Gabe, she begins to trust him and share her secrets. Gabe continues to protect the school and it's secrets, but not because they are bad. It's his job to protect the students he cares about. As Ellen gets closer to the truth, she begins to under...

Mark your calendar - tomorrow is the release of the newest Sabrina Jeffries' book! The Art of Sinning is the delightful first novel in her new series, called the Sinful Suitors. This book does not disappoint!   Jeremy Keane, an artist not wanting to be tied down to his father's business back in America, meets Lady Yvette Barlow, a woman who has taken it upon herself to solve a family mystery.  Jeremy wants to use Yvette as his muse, but she won't agree unless he helps her. Yvette's brother won't agree to the arrangement, so the two of them concoct a plan to work together - she will be his muse, and he will help her find the woman she is looking for. As a reader, I am never bored with a Sabrina Jeffries' story. The two main characters are great together - lots of chemistry in both conversation and in the bedroom. They are very witty, which makes them more likeable characters, in my own opinion. The secondary characters are great too, and you want to read m...

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of Sue Ann Jaffarian's new book, A Body to Spare. I have to say, this was my favorite Odelia Grey book yet! The twists and turns were great! The story begins with a body found in Odelia's trunk at the car wash.  Again, Odelia's luck as the corpse magnet has not run out.  As the mystery begins to unfold, Odelia gets help from old and new friends. Out of the blue, she receives a surprise phone call, and that was one of my favorite parts! I can't say anymore about it because it would spoil the surprise for you, but I was so excited when the caller announced their name.   As usual, there was a lot of action, with poor Odelia trying to clear her name, deal with a friend moving away, and bodies piling up. Ms. Jaffarian does a fantastic job, keeping the story funny and action-packed at the same time. You don't want to put this one down. The book will be released in November, so I highly recommend you put it on your to be ...

If you are looking for a super fun mystery read, I highly recommend Sue Ann Jaffarian 's Odelia Grey series.  Odelia is a plus-size paralegal living in California who finds herself attracting more dead bodies than she knows what to do with!  Hell on Wheels is book 9 in the series. This time, tragedy strikes a friend, and Odelia and her husband, Greg, quickly are tangled up in a new case. Did you know there was a sport called quad rugby? It was very interesting to read about. After witnessing a murder on court, Odelia and Greg work together with friends to clear a friend's name. As the body count rises, so does the humor. Ms. Jaffarian's witty dialogue make the book a success.  And Odelia's boss, Mike Steele, has a mystery of his own.  (It's also nice to see how that story pans out! Finally some happiness for Mike!)   While you may have an inkling on who the murderer is, this isn't one where you can predict early on who the prime suspect i...

I just finished reading Deb Marlowe 's newest book, The Leading Lady (Book two in the Half Moon House Series).  I have to say, this is a great series, and a great book! Lord Truitt is a man who is desperately trying to recover his honor, after it was ruined by Lord Marstoke.  Miss Callie Grant, who is first introduced to us in the book by passionately standing up for a friend, has hidden her true identity but finds she must work with Tru (and pretend to be his wife)!  Of course, Hestia Wright plays an important role. I loved seeing the snippets of her journal at the start of each chapter, allowing us an more in-depth look at her. An author who can merge two stories like that together shows a lot of strength, and Ms. Marlowe pulls it off! This isn't just a romance book, but it's filled with mystery and intrigue, designed to keep the reader on her toes.  You find yourself immediately drawn into the story. The characters are strongly developed.  Ms. Marlow...

Synopsis:   A mother’s work is never done. Not while Sunny has a ghost of a chance. Her sister and brother-in-law, Honey and Bert, are good people, no worries. Sunny’s twins will have a loving home with them in Mossy Creek, a warm-hearted small town in the mountains of Georgia. But Sunny, a San Francisco voiceover artist before the accident that killed her and her husband, has bad memories of Honey and Bert’s unpredictable, autistic son, Jeremy. Will he harm her babies? Sunny’s not leaving until she’s certain they’re safe. My Review: This was a short, but very sweet read. Not what I would normally pick up, but I am a big fan of Sabrina Jeffries. Sunny, mother of twins, passed away in an accident. But she cannot let go of her children until she knows they are safe. Her memories of her autistic nephew, Jeremy, are from years before, and she is afraid for what the future will bring as her sister and brother-in-law take on her twins to raise. Jeremy was so unpred...

Today is release day for author Julie Johnstone's newest book: M y Seductive Innocent, A Once Upon A Rogue Novel Book 2 .  I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy before today in exchange for an honest review.   Book description: Miss Sophia Vane, a hoyden of the first order, makes an unlikely match when she weds Nathaniel Ellison, the rich and wary Duke of Scarsdale. What starts with an unexpected friendship soon blooms into a fiery passion. But a betrayal plunges Sophia into the thorny world of London Society and entangles her in a labyrinth of manipulation and jealousy that will test the strength of her marriage. Behind her husband’s sudden icy facade, Sophia believes dwells the caring, passionate man she loves. To break through the barriers and reclaim their happiness, they must do more than simply cast away their pride. They must fight for their very lives. My review: Wow! This book was amazing!  The excitement begins at the beginning of...

It's here! The final book in Sabrina Jeffries' Duke's Men series. It's the one I've been waiting for: Dominic and Jane. Years ago, Dominic ended his engagement with Jane because he couldn't give her the life he thought she deserved.  After years of waiting, Jane finally becomes engaged to another man, yet needs Dom to help her in the quest to find her missing cousin.  As the two begin their search, they find that neither of them has quite gotten over the other one. However, Jane refuses to give him to "Dom the Almighty". And Dom still believes that he saved Jane from a horrible life by not marrying her. Will these two ever work it out? As usual, Ms. Jeffries writes a terrific story! The scenes between Dom and Jane are entertaining, amusing, and hot.  You can feel the fiery passion they both try to hide.  Dom's interactions with his siblings are great too. My favorite scene is the "insipid kiss" scene. The passion between them build...

Hannah Kizer is a caterer who spends as much time away from her family as possible.  The black sheep of the family, Hannah, is surprised to get a call from her mother asking her to come home for her step-sister Sarah's wedding. The wedding is one day away... Hannah was never invited. On her way home, she realizes that there is something coming with her. A fairy? That's impossible; they aren't real.  After a disastrous evening, she finds a big clue that leads her to question who she is and where she came from. Family secrets, mystery spells, and a mischievous fairy intent on destroying Sarah's wedding and leaving all the blame on Hannah make for a very interesting read! Cynthia Cooke writes a great story - the characters are fun, the bed scene is hot, and the story line leaves the reader wanting more. Hannah is a bad girl but you can feel how desperately she truly wants to fit in with her family.  The end leads the reader to believe that this is just the start t...

Last month, my local library recommended a book called Carved in Bone by Jefferson Bass.  I wondered what a body farm was, and after I did some internet-searching, I was super-excited to check out this book!  The Body Farm, or more accurately known as the University of Tennessee Anthropological Research Facility in Knoxville , is an actual place. A morbid place to some, but truly is a one of a kind research facility that studies human decomposition for not only anthropological purposes, but also to provide assistance to "the State Medical Examiner System for the District Attorney General's Office, arson investigators, and various state, local, and national law enforcement agencies and county medical examiners for over thirty years" . This book was great! The authors are actually a team: Dr. William Bass, founder of the program at the University of Tennessee, and Jon Jefferson, a journalist.  The main character in the book is Dr. Bill Brockton (basically the li...

I've always loved books. And when I was younger: the scarier, the better. One of the scariest books I've ever read is Halloween Horrors: New Tales of Dark Fantasy and Terror by Alan Ryan. Background - When I was in middle school, I was searching the library's Halloween section one gloomy October day. The cover of this book got me first..... creepy, right? I checked it out and devoured it in a day. I remember sitting in our dimly lit living room on a cloudy afternoon, reading horror after horror story.  They aren't gory.... but truly terrifying. After going away to college, I forgot about the book. Well, not the book, but the title.  It took me years to track it down. I was able to find a used copy on Amazon last year and bought it. I love that I own an old library book. There are thirteen creepy, spooky, and just-plain scary stories in this book.   The one that stands out the most is called "Eyes". It's about a Halloween tragedy involving a s...

If I ever get my act together, I will blog about my experience at the RT Booklovers Convention I went to last weekend. But for now, you get a book review! This book had been on my TBR list since sometime last year, after the Warden had recommended it on her FB page. I liked the author, Darynda Jones, so I was keeping up with her posts as well, but never had time to read the book.  At the convention, I saw Darynda Jones was signing, so I stood in line and bought her book, complete with signature and bookmark! Now honestly I prefer vamps over all other PR books. But this book, about a grim reaper/PI was awesome! The main character, Charley Davidson, was born a grim reaper. She assists her cop uncle with cases, so to keep questions to a minimum, she became a PI who consults for the police department.  With her ability to see dead people (those who haven't crossed over for some reason), she is able to solve murders quickly. Not without about 5+ hits on her life during the f...

I have a health issue that was discovered last summer.  Apparently stress makes it worse. And with my life, stress is abundant.  I've been on a search to de-stress as much as I can.  Unfortunately the kids keep getting sick, and not one of them believes in sleeping through the night (seriously people - you are 3 and 5!) My husband also suffers from a disease called "as soon as my wife cleans/organizies something, I find a way to dirty/clutter it back up again".  I received a free sample of some face cloths recently, and just tried them over the break. Ponds Evening Soothe  towelettes are simply awesome! They are made with white tea and chamomile flower extract.  I had been using a different cleanser at night, which always left my face dry.  These towelettes are quite moisturizing, and leave my skin feeling soft and smooth.  I swear my skin actually looks brighter!  (And they remove make-up, including mascara, which is a plus.) ...

I do laundery every day.  Every.Single.Day.  So when Purex contacted me to see if I wanted to try their new detergent, Purex Complete with Zout, I said of course! Now, along with the bottle of detergent, there was a fact sheet explaining what a great stain remover it is as well.  Last night, that stain removing action was put to the test: We took the kids to IHOP for dinner.  Colin wanted strawberries with his pancakes, so I asked for some on the side.  Now these are the yummy strawberries covered in a thick red (sugary) sauce.  And Colin was wearing his favorite Toy Story shirt, which is yellow.  By the time we left the restaurant, it had shades of strawberry red all over the sleeves and collar.  I was so upset because I assumed the stains would be there forever. After getting home, getting the kids ready for bed, getting the kids to finally fall asleep (all in all, a two hour process), I was able to put the shirt in the wash, and I ad...