Review: Secretly Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter

Secretly Smitten by Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter

Sequel to Smitten

Thomas Nelson / 2013

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Summer, fall, winter, spring—Smitten, Vermont, is the place for love . . . and mystery!

There’s a secret in Grandma Rose’s attic—a forgotten set of dog tags belonging to her first love. But David Hutchins was killed in action and never returned to Smitten. How did the dog tags end up in the attic?

The mystery intrigues Rose’s three granddaughters—Tess, Clare, and Zoe—and they decide to investigate, though their mother, Anna, warns against meddling. But as the seasons turn and the mystery unravels, the three young women and their mother encounter some intriguing mystery men of their own. Has a sixty-year-old puzzle sparked something new for this close-knit family of women?

Join popular romance novelists—and real-life BFFs—Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter for four delightful intertwined tales of mystery and sweet intrigue.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Secretly Smitten brought us back to the town of Smitten, Vermont. Having read Smitten last year, I was looking forward to finding out more about the town and townspeople. 

The book is divided up into four novellas written by four different authors (Colleen Coble, Kristin Billerbeck, Diann Hunt, and Denise Hunter). Even though each one is about a different character, they all blended well together, and it seemed like one story.

My favorite novella was the last one, Love Blooms. It seemed the most realistic and I liked how it didn't seem like an "instant" romance.

My least favorite was the second novella, Make Me a Match. It just seemed unbelievable how quickly things progressed and there just wasn't much to the story.

I liked the little bit of mystery surrounding what had happened to Grandma Rose's first love. While there wasn't a lot of surprises, it still made the overall story more interesting. :)

Overall, a good read. I'm not usually a fan of strictly romance novels, which is what I'd say Secretly Smitten is, but it made for a nice change. If there are future books set in Smitten, Vermont, I do plan on reading them. 

If you are a fan of romance novels then I think you might enjoy Secretly Smitten. I don't think you have to read Smitten first to enjoy this one -  it's good on its own.

*I received a complimentary ARC copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks!

The "gals" are celebrating the release of Secretly Smitten with a fun Live Webcast on February 5th. They'll be debuting the *NEW* animated Smitten trailer, giving away tons of prizes, dishing on the book and their friendship. They'll also be wrapping up the Secretly Smitten blog tour, answering audience questions and testing your trivia skills. Don't miss the fun and bring your friends. Click here to RSVP and set up a reminder.

Review: Beside Two River by Rita Gerlach

Beside Two River by Rita Gerlach

Abingdon Press / 2012

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

A tale of love won and love lost, and the faith to find it again. 

From the banks of the Potomac to the misty moors of England, Darcy follows a path where the secrets of the past slowly rise to the surface in this dramatic saga that began in Before the Scarlet Dawn. She meets Ethan Brennan, an aspiring English horse breeder, who embraces her independent spirit and marvels at the simplicity of her faith. Ethan and Darcy fall in love, but are kept apart by a promise to another and a sworn oath to a dying woman whose long-hidden secret threatens Darcy’s and Ethan’s lives.

My rating:

My thoughts:

After reading Before the Scarlet Dawn (book one) earlier this year, I was a little nervous about reading Beside Two Rivers. While I really enjoyed book one, the ending was SO sad and I didn't know if I could take a repeat of that in this book. While there were some sad moments, overall I was happy with Beside Two Rivers and found it enjoyable to read.

A negative I had with Beside Two Rivers was that sometimes it was hard to follow the story and I found myself getting slightly confused as to what was going on. I really liked the characters and was glad to finally see some closure happen in their lives. I also liked the forgiveness aspect of the story.

Overall I think Beside Two Rivers was a good read with some sad and happy moments. While I don't think it's entirely necessary to read the first book before this one, if you do you'll more fully understand what had happened years ago.

*I received this book for free for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click yes on Amazon. Thank you. :)

Check out the complete blog tour over at Pump Up Your Book!

Review & Giveaway: Shadows of Suspicion by Ashley Dawn

Shadows of Suspicion by Ashley Dawn

Shadows series: Book Two

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Revenge is the agenda...

"Find my sister."

Rick Reiley's words were what drove Luke to search mercilessly for Kerry. He is in a race against time to find her and will have to face more than a criminal mastermind to get close to her. He is prepared to give his life for her, but what about his heart?

"...I would like you to meet....My wife."

Those words from her enigmatic rescuer threw Kerry more than anything else that had happened to her in the last few days...and that was saying a lot! Kerry's simple life is turned upside down when she is kidnapped and dragged to the middle of nowhere by a madman. She trusts Luke with her life, but can she trust him with her heart?

As Luke fights to keep Kerry safe, the chemistry ignites and the danger gets closer.

Will God protect them while Luke tries to sort out his heart....and capture Kerry's?

My rating:

My thoughts:

Shadows of Suspicion was a good read. I had read book one in this series, Shadows From the Past, in late 2011, so I couldn't remember all of the details, but I think this book did an okay job of reminding me what had happened.

I loved both of the main characters - Luke (there was so much mystery to him and I just loved learning about him and his past) and Kerry (I liked how strong she was). Of course, I also liked Kerry's brothers - Rick, Jordan, and JJ.

I will say, the way the book was set up (multiple POV's) took some getting used to and there were some grammatical/punctuation errors that were hard for me to ignore (and normally that sort of stuff doesn't bother me).

All that said, I still really liked most of the story and loved the romance and suspense! I look forward to reading the next book in this series for many reasons, one being how some things didn't seem "finished" and I'm hoping the next book will answer some of that.

*I received a complimentary eBook copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Much thanks! :)

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Review: Lily by Diane T. Ashley and Aaron McCarver

Lily by Diane T. Ashley and Aaron McCarver

Series: Song of the River - Book One

Barbour Books / 2012

Find on: Amazon, Christianbook, Goodreads

About the book:

Cruise down the Mississippi with Natchez belle Lily Anderson. Needing to provide for herself and her sisters, Lily is desperately trying to make a go of a riverboat venture with co-owner Blake Matthews. But they fail to find anything to agree upon. Blake is enamored of the feisty Lily. Attempts to woo her may be lost to the devious Jean Luc Champney. Will the siren song of the river evolve into a serenade or a somber lament?

My rating:

My thoughts:

Lily was a good read that, while I did find it interesting throughout, didn't really "hold" my attention consistently. I liked the setting and the fact that a good portion of the book took place on the steamship, Hattie Belle.

I really liked the characters, which I found kind of surprising because I didn't think that was going to happen at first. My favorites were Blake, Tamar, Jensen, and Lily. I don't know what to think about Camellia yet... so I'm looking forward to Camellia, the next book in the series, which will be about her.

I thought the ending to Lily was great and if the whole book would have been that gripping/good I would have given this book 4+ stars.

A few things of interest in Lily to me was that there were some moments when the Underground Railroad was mentioned, forgiveness was a major theme, and I liked how Lily stuck to her convictions regarding certain things.

Overall, I liked Lily and I'm glad I took the time to read it because it was an enjoyable read. If you enjoy historical novels, I think you might also like the book.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks!

Review: The Stars Shine Bright by Sibella Giorello

The Stars Shine Bright by Sibella Giorello

Raleigh Harmon Series: Book 5

Thomas Nelson / 2012

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads, Christianbook

About the book:

After the FBI suspends her for bending its rules, Special Agent Raleigh Harmon is looking for a chance to redeem her career and re-start her life. 

Sent undercover to a thoroughbred horse track, Raleigh takes on a double life to find out who's fixing the races. But when horses start dying and then her own life is threatened, Raleigh realizes something bigger-and more sinister-is ruining Emerald Downs. 

Yet she's never felt more alone.

Her one contact with the FBI is Special Agent Jack Stephanson, a guy who seems to jump from antagonistic to genuine friend depending on the time of day. And she can't turn to her family for support. They're off-limits while she's undercover, and her mother isn't speaking to her anyway, having been confined to a mental hospital following a psychotic breakdown. Adding insult to her isolation, Raleigh's fiance wants them to begin their life together-now-precisely when she's been ordered not to be herself. 

With just days left before the season ends, Raleigh races to stop the killing and find out who's behind the track's trouble, all the while trying to determine if Jack is friend or foe, and whether marrying her fiance will make things better-or worse.

Raleigh is walking through the darkest night she's faced, searching for a place where the stars shine bright.

My rating:

My thoughts:

I was pleasantly surprised by The Stars Shine Bright and how much I liked it. This is the first book I've read by Sibella Giorello, so I didn't know whether or not I'd like it and if my not having read the earlier "Raleigh Harmon" novels would affect my enjoyment of this book. For the most part, I don't think it did. There were a few things that I think if I would have read the earlier books I wouldn't have found as confusing, but mostly things were explained very well.

The characters were nice and I particularly liked Jack. The story was good throughout with a little suspense sprinkled throughout - more so towards the end. The Stars Shine Bright did, at times, seem a little long - I don't know how to explain this well, but sometimes it seemed like the story should be almost done, but there were still a lot of pages left. I will say, though, I don't think I was ever bored while reading this book, but it wouldn't have been hard to put down either (until the end, then it was great).

I liked how the main character, Raleigh, was working undercover - it was interesting to read and neat to see some of the things she did (especially regarding the lie detector test).

Overall, The Stars Shine Bright was a good book that I enjoyed reading. I hope there will be another book in this series because the ending didn't seem finished and I'd like to see what happens next in Raleigh's life.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click "yes" on Amazon. Thanks! :)

~♥~

Novelist Sibella Giorello is celebrating the release of the latest book in her praiseworthy Raleigh Harmon series by giving away a Kindle Fire! 

Find out what the reviewers are saying here!

One grand prize winner will receive:

• A brand new Kindle Fire
• The entire 5-book Raleigh Harmon series.

Hurry, the giveaway ends on 8/25/12. The winner will be announced on 8/27/12 on Sibella's blog!

Just click one of the icons below to enter. Tell your friends about Sibella's giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.

Review: Swipe by Evan Angler

Swipe by Evan Angler
Young Adult / Thomas Nelson
Series: Swipe - Book One
Amazon / Goodreads

About the book:

Everyone gets the Mark. It gives all the benefits of citizenship. Yet if getting the Mark is such a good thing, then why does it feel so wrong?

Set in a future North America that is struggling to recover after famine and global war, Swipe follows the lives of three kids caught in the middle of a conflict they didn’t even know existed. United under a charismatic leader, every citizen of the American Union is required to get the Mark on their 13th birthday in order to gain the benefits of citizenship.

The Mark is a tattoo that must be swiped by special scanners for everything from employment to transportation to shopping. It’s almost Logan Langly’s 13th birthday and he knows he should be excited about getting the Mark, but he hasn’t been able to shake the feeling he’s being watched. Not since his sister went to get her Mark five years ago . . . and never came back.

When Logan and his friends discover the truth behind the Mark, will they ever be able to go back to being normal teenagers? Find out in the first book of this exciting series that is Left Behind meets Matched for middle-grade readers.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Swipe was a great action read that I think is fantastic for younger readers, but that some adults will also enjoy (I did!).

Some of the things in Swipe were very plausible, which made for a more realistic/believable story. While the beginning of the book was good, I enjoyed the second half much more that the first.

There are a few things in this book that, while I didn't have a problem with them, others might, so I thought I'd mention them: some name calling (but the names were really silly, like tightwad, miser, and piker to name a few) and a few kids punched each other, fought, etc. As I said, none of that bothered me.

There were a couple things in Swipe I didn't see coming, but they were nice surprises and made the book more interesting to read.

All in all, a good book that I recommend more for younger readers, but if you enjoy middle grade/young adult books, you'll probably like this one as well. The ending was great and leaves me wanting to read Evan's next book, Sneak, which releases this fall.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Was my review helpful? If so, please click yes on Amazon. Thank you!

Review & Giveaway: Illusion by Frank Peretti

Illusion by Frank Peretti

Howard Books ~ 2012

Amazon / Goodreads

About the book:

Dane and Mandy, a popular magic act for forty years, are tragically separated by a car wreck that claims Mandy’s life—or so everyone thinks. Even as Dane mourns and tries to rebuild his life without her, Mandy, supposedly dead, awakes in the present as the nineteen-year-old she was in 1970. Distraught and disoriented in what to her is the future, she is confined to a mental ward until she discovers a magical ability to pass invisibly through time and space to escape. Alone in a strange world, she uses her mysterious powers to eke out a living, performing magic on the streets and in a quaint coffee shop.

Hoping to discover an exciting new talent, Dane ventures into the coffee shop and is transfixed by the magic he sees, illusions that even he, a seasoned professional, cannot explain. But more than anything, he is emotionally devastated by this teenager who has never met him, doesn’t know him, is certainly not in love with him, but is in every respect identical to the young beauty he first met and married some forty years earlier.

They begin a furtive relationship as mentor and protégée, but even as Dane tries to sort out who she really is and she tries to understand why she is drawn to him, they are watched by secretive interests who not only possess the answers to Mandy’s powers and misplacement in time but also the roguish ability to decide what will become of her.

Frank Peretti has crafted a rich, rewarding story of love and life, loss and restoration, full of twists and mystery. Exceptionally well written, Illusion will soon prove another Peretti classic.

My rating:

My thoughts:


Since Illusion is only the second book I've read by Frank Peretti - the first being House which he co-wrote with Ted Dekker - I'm not that familiar with his writing, although many of his books I plan on reading.

I found the story to be very interesting and while a few things were confusing, it was still enjoyable! I think Mandy's character was really funny at times - especially when talking about computers, cell phones, etc.

There are a lot of magic tricks and illusions in Illusion and I found most of them interesting! Without giving away part of the story, I will say that what one character did in this story I didn't expect - it was a real sacrifice and made my opinion of him rise!

I probably would have given this 4 stars, except "Oh, My ***" and other similar things were said multiple times - didn't like that.

There were a few times I found myself not that into the story - it was interesting throughout, but I could set it down easily and not be anxiously awaiting to continue. That said, there were times that it was super suspenseful and I loved that part of the story!

Overall, Illusion was a great read that I enjoyed - I plan on reading more of Frank Peretti's novels in the future.

*I received this book for free for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

Book Giveaway!





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Review: Lily by B.J. Bassett

Lily by B.J. Bassett

iUniverse ~ 2011

Amazon / Goodreads

About the book:

California, 1900-Nestled in the foothills of the northern California coast, the town of Laurel Springs is home to high-spirited Lily Blair, the daughter of Rev. William Blair. Lily delights in being spoiled by her grandmother and father, and even though she lost her mother to childbirth, she glories in life itself and continuously pushes the bounds of propriety.

Having her every whim indulged as a child leads to a tough road as an adult. Lily falls in love with James Conti and wants to marry him, but James heads off to fight in the Great War, leaving Lily alone and heartbroken. When her father wants to send her off to boarding school, Lily makes yet another rash decision and marries a man she does not love.

In the ensuing years, Lily endures hardship and loss, a sharp detour from the pampered existence she once enjoyed. Yet as Lily struggles to cope with these unexpected changes, she discovers just how powerful God's love and forgiveness can be. But will it be enough to get her through the darkest days yet to come?

Full of vivid historical detail, Lily is an emotional coming-of-age story that celebrates the strength of the human spirit.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Lily was a good novel that I enjoyed reading- although there were a few things I didn't like.

Because Lily Blain was so spoiled and self-centered, she was kind of annoying to read about and definitely not my favorite character - that would probably be James Conti.

There are a few curse words in Lily, including d*** and b****. Also, God's name was used at least once in a way that didn't seem to be talking to or about God, just saying His name - I really don't like when novels use God's name irreverently.

I liked the story, though, and found it to be interesting to read. Especially seeing all of the things Lily did to get her way and how some of them backfired. Some of the things Lily did I did not expect (I won't name them because I don't want to spoil the novel it you decide to read it).

While I wish there would have been a few more chapters (some things didn't seem finished), I am happy with the ending and how things turned out. Lily is a good novel that, aside from a few things, I enjoyed reading.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions express are my own.*