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Saturday, August 9, 2014

My favorite reads of 2014

My favorite reads of 2014
      
1) My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade
2) The Wings of the Nightengales trilogy
3) Here To Stay by Melissa Tagg
4) A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson
5) The Dream Dress by Janice Thompson
6) Princess a Ever After by Rachel Hauck
7) Always a Baker series by Sandie Bricker
8) Undetected by Dee Henderson
9) Seriously Smitten by Diann Hunt, Colleen Coble, Kristen Billerbeck, and Denise Hunter
10) Full Steam Ahead by Karen Witemeyer
11) A Match Made in Texas by Carol Cox, Karen Witemeyer, Regina Jennings and Mary Connealy 
12) Sweet Potato Pie by Jennifer Rogers Spinola 


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 















 
 

The Wings of the Nightengales Trilogy by Sarah Sundin

This week I finished an AMAZING trilogy set during WW2 about a group of flight nurses. I love anything World War Two and this series was right up my alley for sure.



Lt. Mellie Blake is looking forward to beginning her training as a flight nurse. She is not looking forward to writing a letter to a man she's never met--even if it is anonymous and part of a morale-building program. Lt. Tom MacGilliver, an officer stationed in North Africa, welcomes the idea of an anonymous correspondence--he's been trying to escape his infamous name for years.

As their letters crisscross the Atlantic, Tom and Mellie develop a unique friendship despite not knowing the other's true identity. When both are transferred to Algeria, the two are poised to meet face-to-face for the first time. Will they overcome their fears and reveal who they are, or will their future be held hostage by their pasts?


My Review: 
With Every Letter is the first book and story was it was my favorite. I loved the character Mellie and watching her grow in the Lord and how to be and have friends. I loved the little twists and cool details that Sarah wove in. So much fun! The letter writing aspect was very cool as well. 



Lt. Georgiana Taylor has everything she could want. A comfortable boyfriend back home, a loving family, and a challenging job as a flight nurse. But in July 1943, Georgie’s cozy life gets decidedly more complicated when she meets pharmacist Sgt. John Hutchinson.

Hutch resents the lack of respect he gets as a noncommissioned serviceman and hates how the war keeps him from his fiancĂ©e. While Georgie and Hutch share a love of the starry night skies over Sicily, their lives back home are falling apart. Can they weather the hurt and betrayal? Or will the pressures of war destroy the fragile connection they’ve made?


My Review:
I loved this book even though it had a twist I didn't like at all! The twist had to happen for the storyline but it made me sad. Even so this story was excellent and will still be a favorite. Georgie is one of my favorite characters ever. I love her personality and her loyalty. She's so much fun! There's also an adorable little girl in the story named Lucia that will absolutely steal your heart. And we can't forget Hutch. What a great male lead. All in all, fantastic story!!

 

Flight nurse Lt. Kay Jobson collects hearts wherever she flies, but C-47 pilot Lt. Roger Cooper is immune to her charms. Throughout Italy and southern France, as she evacuates the wounded and he delivers paratroopers and supplies, every beat of their hearts draws them where they don't want to go.

My Review:
This is a great finale to the Wings of the Nightengales series. I loved learning about Kay and finally understanding what had happened to her in her past. Roger was a fun character to get to know and I loved watching them find their way. The story had some very exciting points and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next. I do wish we'd had a little more story to what happened to Vera and Alice but other than that this story was pretty much perfect.

Sarah Sundin writes awesome WW2 fiction and I highly recommend both of her trilogies and can't wait for the next one that starts next year. Sarah, please write quicker!!! :)  

Friday, August 1, 2014

Here To Stay by Melissa Tagg

Here to Stay by Melissa Tagg

Blake Hunziker has played nomad for five years and landed in his fair share of trouble too. But now he's finally returning to his hometown--the Lake Michigan tourist town of Whisper Shore. Counting on a not-so-warm welcome, he's surprised at not only a positive reception but also a job offer. Determined to settle down and prove himself responsible, he agrees to the catch that comes with the job offer--coordinating the annual Christmas festival--even though he has no idea how he'll pull it off.

Autumn Kingsley, inn owner and experienced organizer of the Christmas festival, has always dreamed of traveling the world. Now she has a job opportunity in Paris and a surprise potential investor coming to town who just might take on her family's inn and finally leave her free to go. The only problem is that she has just two weeks to whip the inn into shape.

Their families have a long history of not getting along, but when Blake comes to Autumn for help with the festival, she actually agrees...in exchange for his help with the repairs to her inn. They may have struck a simple deal, but complications are quick to pile on when the guy who's had enough of running away and the woman who can't wait to leave join forces.



My review

 This is an amazing story of redemption and overcoming tragedies and the rough stuff of life. Blake and Autumn are real people with real hurts to overcome and face and the way Melissa weaves their stories makes for a great read. I love how everything comes together in the end. If you enjoyed Made to Last, then this is a MUST read!!

A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson

A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson

Cassia Pappas has found herself in a nearly impossible situation. She wants to spend her time immersed in her new job at a Galveston Island floral shop, arranging blooms and brightening occasions with her lovely creations. But her huge Greek family–especially her father–has other ideas. They’ve all relocated to Galveston to open up a new family restaurant location on the Strand– directly across the street from the Rossis’ popular pizza place–and they want Cassia’s full participation.
To make matters worse, as Cassia is trying to develop a strong professional relationship with Galveston’s premier wedding coordinator, Bella Neeley, her own father is intent on stealing all of the Rossi family’s faithful customers. Not exactly the best way to get into Bella’s good graces!
Still, at least Alex, that hot delivery guy from the nursery, is always hanging around the flower shop . . .
Fan favorite Janice Thompson gives readers one more romp with Bella, Galveston, and the bustling wedding biz in the final installment of her popular series. Anyone who loves quirky families, loads of laughter, and tender romance will find themselves hooked.





My review
Another fabulous read from Janice! In this book we meet Casia Pappas and the rest of her zany Greek family. This was a fun read with all the characters we've grown to love from the Rossi family to Brock Benson. When the Pappas family opens their Greek food restaurant across the street from Parma John's you know a feud is bound to start between the Italians and the Greeks. What you don't expect is the hilarity as some of the families unite in friendship and conspire to end the feud between Uncle Laz and Babbas (Casia's father). Loved this book!

I received a complimentary copy of this book to review. I was asked to give my honest opinion of the book - which I have done.

The Hesitant Heiress


The Hesitant Heiress (Everstone Chronicles #1)




After being unjustly expelled from the Boston Conservatory of Music, Amaryllis Brigham sees her dreams of founding a music academy disappearing before her very eyes. Now the only way to achieve her goal comes with high stakes for someone set on avoiding men as much as possible: marry within the year to inherit her grandmother’s fortune. Amaryllis reluctantly takes part in her aunt’s society, intent on getting to the west coast on her own… and without a husband.

Despite her own misgivings, she soon finds herself falling in love with the most unlikely of men, Nathan Everstone, whose father not only had a part in her expulsion, but whose ominous presence has haunted her dreams for a decade since her mother’s tragic death. Nathan turns out to be much more than he seems and everything she never knew she wanted. But just as everything Amaryllis has recently hoped for comes to fruition, it all falls apart when she finds that the real culprit who has been managing her life isn't who she thought at all.


My review
This was an interesting story. I didn't love it, but I certainly liked it. I do look forward to reading the stories of the other characters in the story when their books are released. For some reason, the beginning just didn't draw me in totally, but the end is very good the way Dawn wraps everything up with a couple of twists and turns. The last couple of chapters were my favorite part!

If you like historical fiction, I'd give this one a try. :)

"I was given an Advance Reader Copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review."

Sweet Summertime!

So it's been a busy summer-spending time with my hubby and baby girl and reading, reading, reading, reading. I've read some awesome books this summer. My favorite read this summer has been Janice Thompson's "A Bouquet of Love." I also read some great mysteries in the Love Inspired Suspense line especially "Memory of A Murder" by Ramona Richards and "Storm Warning" by Linda Hall. I'm currently reading a trilogy by Jennifer Rogers Spinola, that I'm really enjoying.

My baby girl is 14 months old! She's growing way to fast for this mommy! She's working on walking, just needs a little more balance, she's cutting several teeth and continuing to improve since her surgery last fall. God is good!

Well that's all for now. I will start posting book reviews very soon. Thanks for reading!

Friday, June 6, 2014

A New Day

So I've been thinking about starting a blog on and on for awhile now. So I'm taking the leap. Here you'll find book reviews, music I'm listening to, stories from my life whatever crosses my mind. So here we go!!!