Book ~ "Arranged" (2012) Catherine McKenzie

From Goodreads ~ Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, good friends and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share it with, however, she just can't seem to get it right.

After yet another relationship ends, Anne comes across a business card for what she thinks is a dating service and she pockets it just in case. When her best friend, Sarah, announces she's engaged, Anne can't help feeling envious. On an impulse, she decides to give the service a try because maybe she could use a little assistance in finding the right man. But Anne soon discovers the company isn't a dating service; it's an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. She initially rejects the idea, but the more she thinks about it - and the company's success rate - the more it appeals to her. After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world, so why wouldn't it work for her?

A few months later, Anne is travelling to a Mexican resort, where in one short weekend she will meet and marry Jack. And against all odds, it seems to be working out - until Anne learns that Jack, and the company that arranged their marriage, are not what they seem at all.

Yet another of Anne's relationships has ended.  When her best friend, Sarah, gets engaged, Anne, who is in her early thirties, wants what Sarah has.  She had found a business card on the street for a matchmaking agency and she eventually calls them.  That's when she discovered that it's not a matchmaking agency but an agency that arranges marriages.  It costs $10,000 and there is a quite a rigorous process including an intensive questionnaire, counselling sessions before and after the marriage and a marriage/honeymoon in Mexico.

Anne signs up and is matched with Jack, another writer.  They feel a connection and go ahead with the marriage.  Things are going well between them until Anne discovers something about Jack.

I liked the writing style and thought it was well-paced.  It is written in first person perspective in Anne's voice.  As a head's up, there is swearing and adult activity.

I thought this was an interesting premise ... an arranged marriage between two professionals who wouldn't normally do it for religious or cultural reasons.  I can't imagine being brave enough to do it.  Everything happens really quickly but I was buying it.  I liked Anne and Jack and thought they were good together and was cheering for them.  I liked Jack's sense of humour, which was at times a tad sarcastic.  I also liked William, Anne's boss, and his interactions with Anne ... they were funny together.  Anne had a lot of support with her friend, Sarah, and her brother and sister-in-law, Gilbert and Cathy.

I would recommend this book, especially if you are looking for something different in a chick lit.

Book ~ "The Money Code: Improve Your Entire Financial Life Right Now" (2013) Joe John Duran

From Goodreads ~ Does it seem like there is never enough money to do everything you want?

Do you want to feel confident about the financial decisions you make?

Have you ever felt frustrated talking about money with your loved ones?

You are not alone. Unfortunately, most of us were never taught how to think and communicate about money. The Money Code is a modern tale of one person's journey to uncover the five secrets to living his one best financial life. Through his voyage, you will learn how to:

• Prevent bad decisions about money
• Identify your Money Mind - Fear, Happiness or Commitment - and how it affects every financial decision you make
• Use a custom checklist to improve your entire financial life
• Clearly discuss decisions about money with the ones you love
• Finally take control of your financial life

This book is meant to help you understand yourself and those around you as well as provide you with a road map for making sound financial decisions.  The Money Code does this by using a fictional character named Jack.  After he and his wife split up, Jack's sister suggests he get in touch with The Alchemist, who will change how he makes decisions about money.

The Alchemist urges Jack to log onto his website and complete exercises (the chapters are set up as if Jack is actually on the website) to learn the five money secrets:

1. Your life will be filled with tough choices
2. Your entire life is determined by how you make decisions
3. Your biases will affect every decisions you make.  There are three Money Minds ... (1) Help protect us from pain (Fear),  (2) Help us do the things that make us happy (Happiness) and (3) Help us look after the people we love (Commitment).  I did the Money Mind test and have a Happiness Money Mind (I've learned over the years not to be so impulsive when making decisions and take a step back to think about it) followed closely by a Fear Money Mind
4. You will be distracted by things that really don't matter
5. You must have a good process to make good decisions

Since I work in the financial services industry, I like checking out books like this to see how others explain things.  This took an interesting approach by having "Jack" go through the exercises with us instead of having the author just tell us what we should be doing. Also, there are stories throughout the book to help us relate to the different situations.  I liked the writing style and found it explained things wells and wasn't too high level.  It's a quick read.

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Book ~ "The Weight-Loss Prescription: A Doctor's Plan for Permanent Weight Reduction and Better Health for Life" (2013) Ali Zentner

From Goodreads ~ Obesity specialist Dr. Ali Zentner has written the ultimate prescription for permanent weight loss and better health. Her revolutionary plan lets you customize your diet and ultimately change your lifestyle to help you conquer the weight-loss battle. The program helps you diagnose your patterns of eating behaviour and gives you strategies to change the way you look at food once and for all. Whether you are an emotional eater, a fast-food junkie, or a calorie drinker, The Weight-Loss Prescription will get you started on a new path to a healthy life.

Using her medical science background and experience working with thousands of overweight and obese patients to achieve their weight-loss goals, Zentner helps you identify your overeating pattern and shows you steps to modify your diet for dramatic, long-term change. Unlike other one-size-fits-all diet books, The Weight-Loss Prescription will help you customize a diet plan specific to your weight-loss goals. Filled with inspiring success stories, tools, strategies, and recipes, The Weight-Loss Prescription will motivate you to embrace a revolutionary lifestyle change.

Yes, this is is another book about weight loss.  But the key here is first determining which of the six eating personalities you are.  After that, there is a chapter dedicated to each personality which describes each eating personality and what to do about.

1. The emotional eater - if I have a bad day, a slice of pizza will fix it!
2. The calorie drinker
3. The fast-food junkie
4. The all-or-nothing dieter - This is sooooooo me!  I'm either on track or I'm not (and when I'm off track, I'm waaaaaay off track!) ... there is no in-between or balance for me.  I need to accept that it's okay to fall off track but I need to minimize the fall and get back on track almost immediately.
5. The portion distorter
6. The sitting duck

After that she gives helpful tips such as being happy and positive with the here and now, keeping a food diary (when I'm on track, I use Fitday), meal makeovers, the importance of breakfast, eating out, special situations (parties, holidays and vacations), what to do when you get derailed, and staying on track.

At the end, there are some meal suggestions along with lots recipes.

I've read lots of weight loss books over the years and I enjoyed this one.  I liked the writing style ... it wasn't boring or at a high level.  With the information provided, there are stories of her clients to make it more real.  Plus I liked that the focus was with the eating personalities ... I could definitely relate to the all-or-nothing dieter section.

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Book ~ "A Taste of Heaven" (2013) Meg Tilly

From Goodreads ~ Madison Stokes leads a pretty average life: average mom and dad, average looks, average grades well, maybe her little sister is MUCH brattier than average but nothing out of the ordinary.

All that changes when quiet, secretive Alyssa Hawkins moves to town. When Madison takes Alyssa under her wing, the two girls quickly bond over chocolate-chip cookies and become best friends. Amazingly, Alyssa doesn't even mind Madison's bratty sister!

But there are some things Alyssa still won't share. Why won't she talk about her family? And why is she so reluctant to have Madison over to her house? She's harbouring a secret that could put their treasured friendship in jeopardy and when Madison finds out by accident, Alyssa makes Madison promise not to tell anyone, not even Madison's parents.

But should Madison tell them anyway? When is it all right to tell a little white lie and when should you come clean with the truth?

Madison is ten when Alyssa (also ten) moves to town and they become best friends right away.  They always hang out at Madison's house which to Alyssa is "a taste of heaven".  When Madison pushes Alyssa to hang out at her place for a change, Madison soon learns why Alyssa likes hanging out with Madison's family.  Madison discovers Alyssa's secret home life and pinky swears not to tell anyone.

I'm not sure who the target audience is with this book but I really enjoyed it, even though Madison and Alyssa are only ten.   I liked the characters, both the adults and kids.  I liked the writing style and didn't find it immature.  I think it would be suitable reading for age 10 right up to adults, though there is mild swearing once or twice.

If this is indicative of Meg Tilly's books, I look forward to reading more.

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Book ~ "Cowboy with a Cause" (2012) Carla Cassidy

From Goodreads ~ "I'd apologize for kissing you, but I'm not all that sorry."

Dancer Melanie Brooks had escaped small-town Oklahoma, giving up the country for Broadway's bright lights. Yet after her mother's funeral called her back, her own health issues forced her to stay. Now her tenant, too-hot-for-his-own-good Adam Benson, is giving her a reason to dance again. But has a killer set his sights on her too? 

Adam knows a little something about fresh starts. As for his beautiful neighbor, he doesn't see a wheelchair—he sees a woman who understands. But as the heat grows between them, he can't avoid the feeling that more than her big-city past haunts her—and that danger has been lurking, waiting to strike….

This is romance meets murder mystery.

The romance is between Melanie and Adam.  In high school, Melanie made it clear that once she graduated she was heading to New York to be a dancer ... and that's exactly what she did.  Years later she came home to care for her dying mother and ending up staying as she lost her dreams of being a dancer when an accident puts her in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.  Needless to say, she's very bitter.

Adam has had some tragedy ... his sister has died and his brother is in jail for murder.  Adam's brother, Nick, has recently gotten married and is living on their ranch with his new wife and child.  Adam wants to give them some space so looks for somewhere else to live ... Melanie needs to rent the top part of her house (she needs the money to pay the taxes so she won't lose the house).  As they live together, the sparks fly.  Adam is resistant because he feels he needs to get his life in order and Melanie is resistant because she feels she's not a whole woman since she's not in a wheelchair.

Two woman have been murdered in the last six months and it seems that Melanie is next on the list.  There are a few suspects on the list which keeps you wondering.

It's a quick read ... I liked the characters.  I found Melanie too negative, though.  She has a hot guy obviously interested in her but she runs hot and cold because she thinks he deserves better since she feels she can never be a whole woman since she's in a wheelchair.  Really!?  She's lucky Adam was as patient as he was.

When I was reading this book, it seemed like it was part of a series (though it works as a stand alone too).  I've since discovered that it is ... it's part of the Cowboy Cafe series.

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge in exchange for my honest review.

Book ~ "GPS Your Best Life" (2012) Charmaine Hammond and Debra Kasowski

From Goodreads ~ Obstacles and roadblocks can detour us on the way to success, or even prevent us from getting there at all. GPS Your Best Life helps you determine exactly where you are now, and through practical strategies and assessments, helps you clarify what you want in your personal and career life. GPS Your Best Life will help you map your destination and put you on the road to personal fulfillment, happiness, and success.

Bestselling author and transformational speaker Charmaine Hammond teams up with fellow speaker and founder/CEO of the Millionaire Woman Club, Debra Kasowski, to bring you a unique method for getting clear and achieving what you want in your life, your career, your relationships.

GPS Your Best Life gives you simple, practical strategies, accompanied by down to earth assessment tools. This book will put you behind the wheel to guide you from figuring out what revs your engine and what’s blocking your view, and following your unique road map to your desired destination while learning to navigate the obstacles and road blocks along the way.

There are lots of books out there to help you figure out your goals and how reach them.  This one does the same but with a twist ... it puts you in the driver's seat and let's you "GPS your best life".

The first step is to do the GPS checkup questionnaire which helps you get clear about your values, attitudes and wants, as well as give you ideas for where to focus your energies at the start of your journey.  You score yourself using 1, 2, or 3 ... 1 means you are ready to go, 2 means it's an area of strength but something you still need to work on and 3 means it's an area you need to improve.  I scored mostly ones in the attitudes/mindset section and relationships section ... less in the personal growth section.

From there, the book takes you down to path to achieve your goals, what to do when you hit roadblocks and potholes, and staying on track.

There are stories throughout the book to help you relate to the lessons.



I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review. 

Book ~ "Hating Heidi Foster" (2012) Jeffrey Blount

From Goodreads ~ Mae McBride and Heidi Foster were the very best of friends. Tied at the hip from early elementary school, their relationship was the stuff of storybooks, legendary even, in the minds of their high school classmates.

Unshakable.

That is, until Mae's father died while saving Heidi's life. When Mae finds out, she blames Heidi. She blames her father for putting Heidi ahead of her. She blames her friends for taking Heidi’s side. She begins to unravel amid that blame and her uncontrollable and atypical anger.

At the same time Heidi is beset by guilt, falls into depression and stops eating properly; wasting away physically and emotionally while waiting for Mae to let her back into the friendship she misses so dearly.

Mae, consumed by her hatred of Heidi, the confusion regarding her father’s motives, the perceived desertion of her friends and her mother’s grief, loses more and more of herself.

What could possibly bring these two old friends back to each other? A miracle?

Hating Heidi Foster, is a young adult novel about the place of honor true friendships hold in our lives. It is about suffering and loss and the ethics of grief. It is about a deep and painful conflict, the bright light of selflessness and sacrifice and the love that rights the ship and carries us safely to port.

When the story begins, fourteen-year-old Mae McBride's father has just died in a fire saving Mae's best friend, Heidi.  As such, Mae can't help but feel anger and hatred towards Heidi.  In Mae's mind, it's Heidi's fault that her father is dead ... her father died choosing Heidi over his wife and daughter.

Book ~ "Dinner at Deadman's" (2012) CJ West

From Goodreads ~ Lorado Martin has loved junk since his grandparents took him bottle digging in the backwoods of New England when he was a boy. The search for antiques and collectibles led him to a unique hobby: digging through the estates of the newly deceased, arranging the sale of goods for the heirs, and keeping the leftovers for himself. 

To make a living he builds and maintains housing for recovering addicts and along the way he's employed a number of his clients. The men wrestle with the siren call of drugs and teach Lorado about the difficult struggle to stay clean one day at a time. 

When these two worlds come together, Lorado learns that not every elderly person dies of natural causes and that some estates are sold to benefit a killer. His latest project hits close to home. A woman he's known since childhood haunts him from a fresh grave. Her grandson, an affable addict who has fallen off the wagon, stands to inherit a considerable sum whether he deserves it or not.

Lorado is a big man ... 320 pounds.  He lives with his girlfriend of 17 years, Roxie, and their teenage son, Jake, and his 100 pound dog, Beta.  His house, basement and storage unit are filled with junk, which drives Roxie crazy.

One of the ways he makes his living is organizing estate sales for heirs (he gets 30% of all sales).  That's what he's doing when the book starts ... Mary Newbury has just died. He also rebuilds and maintains housing for recovering addicts and hires some of of them.  One of his hires is Mrs. Newbury's grandson, Newb.

There is a lot going on in this book.  When a series of mysterious things happen to him (he gets poisoned, a brick smashes the window of his car, his son gets beat up), Lorado assumes it is the local drug dealer getting even with him for something he didn't do.  Plus he's got to deal with local punks breaking into one of the sites he is renovating and stealing his supplies to get money for drugs.  And finally he starts to suspect that Newb might have murdered his grandmother for drug money (he was her only beneficiary).  There is always something going on and it goes in lots of different directions (but it all makes sense).

This is the first book I've read by this author and I really enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style ... it was fast paced and kept me interested.  It is a bit sarcastic at times which was fun.  The actions and language is mature most of the time.

Book ~ "Five Years to Live" (2012) Frank Zaccari

From Goodreads ~ It is the phone call every person lives in fear of receiving. There has been an accident and your loved one is paralyzed. A spinal cord injury is the single most devastating and life altering event.

Based on a true story, Michael and Donna were young, successful, in love and planning their life together. That life was radically changed by a tragic car accident. Now a wheelchair user as a quadriplegic, with limited movement, constant infections and multiple surgeries, doctors projected Michael's best case life expectancy to be five years.

See how this young man battles through his injury and spends his five years making a lasting impact on hundreds of people. It will make you realize what can be accomplished when a person does not let circumstances dictate their life.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it.

It is 1985 and life is perfect for Donna and Michael, who are in the twenties ... they come from close loving families, they are in love and working in jobs they enjoy.  When Michael gets a job offer closer to his family (he's the youngest of five kids in an Italian family), he can't refuse it and this prompts he and Donna to make plans for their future ... marriage and children.

But before he can accept the job offer, Michael gets in an serious car accident and all his plans change.  After months of operations and rehab, it's clear that Michael is never going to walk again and the doctors give him just five years to live.  The author's own family survived this situation after his brother was paralyzed in an car accident.

This is the story of Michael's will to live and make the most of his life.

I enjoyed the writing style ... it kept me wanting to read more.  I liked the characters ... even before Michael's accident, it was obvious how close he was to his family.  Throughout the book, you can't help but cheer Michael on.

I recommend this book and look forward to reading others by this author.

Book ~ "Winter's Magic" (2012) Cynthia Gail

From Goodreads ~ Owner of La Bella Vita, a five-star day spa nestled in the affluent suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, Beth Sergeant knows her elite clientele first hand. She attended their private schools. She was even engaged, although briefly, to one of their most recognized bachelors. But she never fit in to their social-elite world.

After losing his parents to a car accident at a young age, Nick Chester was raised by his grandfather, the wealthiest man in Nashville. When he chooses to socialize, he has a never-ending list of exclusive events and beautiful women vying for his attention. Yet he never lets himself forget that everyone has an agenda.

Beth can’t resist Nick’s charm and accepts an invitation to dinner, despite her deep-seated insecurities. She proves she’s nothing like other women Nick's dated and learns to trust him in return. But just as the last of their resistance crumbles and true love is within reach, challenges from Nick's past threaten to destroy everything and force Beth to reveal her most guarded secret.

Rich boy meets girl, rich boy and girl fall in love within a couple weeks, a catastrophe occurs which break up the rich boy and girl, but in the end true love reigns.

I don't usually read contemporary romance novels but I've been reading heavier stuff lately so it was a nice change.  I enjoyed the writing style and it was a quick read.  I liked the characters and could feel the spark between them.

I didn't think the catastrophe was as big of a deal as it was ... but we needed some tension, right?

I'd recommend this book if you are looking for a romance with a happy ending.

Book ~ "No Time for Love" (2012) JB Miller

From Goodreads ~ Chatham Ross has no time – for anything, least of all love. She manages her three kid’s demanding schedules, exercises at crazy hours to preserve her less than perfect figure and writes catchy advertising jingles to pay for the mortgage. To the outside world, she seems to have it all - except for a husband. Who has time for that? Besides, hers died unexpectedly five years ago and she’s still not over it.

A chance occurrence with a particular jingle finds Chatham on a bi-coastal roller coaster that she can’t seem to put the breaks on. Will the man who has always secretly loved her finally have his chance to ride along? Or will the very handsome foreigner on the other side of the country claim her wounded heart? At some point she has to choose which path is for her - or has it been there all along?

Chatham has a lot on her plate ... she's a widow raising three young kids.  She and her partner, Tom, run an advertising agency. Between working and dropping the kids off at school and picking them up again and getting coerced into volunteer duties at the school, there's not a lot of time for Chatham.

On a whim, she joins a gym and is attracted to Palio, the cutie at the reception desk.  He also feels a spark for  her.  Palio, unbeknownst to Chatham, is actually the owner of the gym ... and a member of a rich Italian family from New York.

Trip, her husband's best friend, is in love with Chatham and has been waiting years for the right moment to let her know.  Needless to say, he's not pleased when it looks like Palio might be moving in on Chatham.

Palio wants to buy a painting for his dad from Georgina, an Italian vixen in New York with ties to the Mob who is trying to entice Palio into marrying her.

For various reasons, everyone ends up in New York ... and so begins a series of misunderstandings and coincidences.

I enjoyed the writing style ... it flowed well.  The language at times was mature but I was okay with that.  The ending wraps up pretty quickly with a couple of speedy immediate "I love you" pairings which I must say I found a bit too convenient.  Considering they were in New York, I found it odd they all kept running into the same cabbie ... but he was key to keeping some of the parts of the story together.

This is the first novel by this author and I'll keep an eye out for others by her.

Book ~ "Leaves" (2012) Michael Baron

From Goodreads ~ Welcome to Oldham, CT, a small town rich in Colonial heritage while being utterly contemporary. Situated along the Connecticut River Valley, Oldham bursts with color every fall, as the leaves on its trees evolve into an unmatched palette of scarlet, orange, purple, yellow, and bronze. For more than three decades, the Gold family has been a central part of Oldham in the fall, its Sugar Maple Inn a destination for "leaf-peepers" from all over the country, and its annual Halloween party a stirring way to punctuate the town’s most active month.

But this year, more than just the leaves are changing. With the death of their parents, the Gold siblings, Maria, Maxwell, Deborah, Corrina, and Tyler, have decided to sell the Sugar Maple Inn, and this year’s Halloween party will be the last. As October begins, the Golds contend with the finality that faces them, and the implications it has for a family that has always been so close. For some, it means embracing new challenges and new love. For others, it means taking on unimagined roles. And for others, it means considering the inconceivable. Complicating it all is a series of "hauntings" that touch each of the Gold siblings, a series of benign interventions that will remain a mystery until October draws to a close.

Filled with romance, tension, and unforgettable family drama, Leaves is the first in a series of novels about a world and a family that readers will want to make their own.

This is the first book by this author that I've read and I really enjoyed it.

After their mother dies in the summer (their father died a couple years earlier), the Gold brothers and sisters decide to sell the inn in a small town their parents had started many years ago.  A chain has bought it and will take over right after Halloween.  It had been their parents' tradition to throw a Halloween party for the locals and this will be the last one.

We meet the Golds about a month before the party:

• Maria is married to Doug.  Their daughter, Olivia, has just left for college.  While Doug is embracing being an emptynester, Maria must find something to fill her time and returns to her love of music.
• Maxwell is married to Annie and they have a two-year-old son, Joey.  While Maxwell is considering running for mayor of their small town, it's obvious to him that Annie is unhappy but she won't talk about it.
• Deborah has been the chef at the inn (it was her one and only job) and now must figure out what she wants to do with her life.  She meets and falls in love with Sage and he helps her make some decisions.
• Corrina is married to Gardner, a busy lawyer, and stepmother to his 16-year-old son, Ryan, who is not a happy teenager.
• Tyler is a nature photographer who is still heartbroken because Patrice broke up with him last year.  Things became better for him when he and Patrice find each other again.

As it gets closer to the night of the party, strange things happen to each of them, reminding them of good times as a family in the past.  But will this be enough to keep them together once the inn is sold?

I liked the writing style and it kept me wanting to read more.  The chapter headings are dates along with a countdown to the date of party.

I liked most of the characters.  I found them to be believable.  I didn't like Corrina, though.  I know she had a lot going on with a workaholic husband and a 16-year-old stepson who she had no parental say over but I found her too nasty and bossy.  She needed to chill a bit.

The ending leaves you wanting more ... there will be a sequel to this book and I look forward to checking it out and see what happens to the Golds.

Book ~ "The Disappearance of Grace" (2012) Vincent Zandri

 From Goodreads ~ Now you see her. Now you don’t.

Captain Nick Angel has finally made a separate peace with the war in Afghanistan. Since having been ordered to bomb a Tajik village which resulted in the death of a little boy of no more than two, he’s been suffering from temporary bouts of blindness. Knowing the he needs time to rest and recover from his post traumatic stress, the US Army decides to send him to Venice along with his fiancee, the artist, Grace Blunt. Together they try and recapture their former life together. But when Grace suddenly goes missing, Nick not only finds himself suddenly alone and sightless in the ancient city of water, but also the number one suspect in her disappearance.

A novel that projects Hitchcockian suspense onto a backdrop of love and war, The Disappearance of Grace is a rich, literary thriller of fear, loss, love, and revenge. From the war in the Afghan mountains to the canals of romantic Venice, this is a story that proves 20/20 eyesight might not always be so perfect and seeing is not always believing.

While fighting in Afghanistan, Nick orders the attack on a small village.  The killing a young boy in the village leaves him with temporary blindness that comes and goes.  To recover, the Army sends him to Venice for a month to be reunited with his fiancee, Grace, who he hasn't seen in a year.

While Nick and Grace are at an outdoor cafe, Grace disappears. Did she abandon Nick?  Was she kidnapped and, if so, by who?  The police suspect that Grace has had enough and left Nick.  So with intermittent blindness, Nick does what he can to find her on his own.  In the meantime, he is getting phone calls where the caller just says, "I see."


I found the writing style a bit more stilted than I'm used to so it took me a while to get used to it.  After that, I was fine with it.  The chapters were short and snappy (sometimes just a page) which I like.

The author did a good job with Nick's character.  I could feel Nick's pain and regret in killing the young boy and his desperation in finding Grace.  Despite his intermittent blindness, he never gives up.

Book ~ "Dead on Ice" (2012) Lauren Carr

From Goodreads ~ Dead on Ice is the first installment of Lauren Carr’s new series (Lovers in Crime) featuring Hancock County Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Thornton and Pennsylvania State Police homicide detective Cameron Gates.

Spunky Cameron Gates is tasked with solving the murder of Cherry Pickens, a legendary star of pornographic films, whose body turns up in an abandoned freezer. The case has a personal connection to her lover, Joshua Thornton, because the freezer was located in his cousin’s basement. It doesn’t take long for their investigation to reveal that the risqué star’s roots were buried in their rural Ohio Valley community, something that Cherry had kept off her show business bio. She should have kept her hometown off her road map, too—because when this starlet came running home from the mob, it proved to be a fatal homecoming.

This is the first book I've read by Lauren Carr and I really enjoyed it.  It is the first in the Cameron Gates/Joshua Thornton (Lovers in Crime) series and the third one to feature Joshua ... I'd like to go back and read the first two with Joshua.

Cameron is a cop and Joshua is a prosecuting attorney.  Joshua is a widower with five children (just teenager Donny is living at home) and a dog named Admiral and Cameron is a widow with a big cat that looks like a skunk named Irving.

This book begins with the discovery of the body a famous porn star named Cherry Pickens in the freezer in the basement of a recently deceased lawyer whose house blows up while it was being cleaned up for an estate sale.  Cherry  disappeared from Hollywood in the summer of 1985 and was really a local girl named Cheryl Smith.

What a start, eh?!

Cameron and Joshua start investigating the murder and it leads them back to the unsolved murder of a sweet girl named Angie Sullivan in 1977.  No one is really sad to discover that Cheryl is dead because everyone assumed she killed Angie ... but did she?  And if she didn't, who did?

There are lots of characters ... don't let that scare you because there is a summary of who everyone is at the beginning of the book if you need it (I didn't).

I enjoyed the writing style and the characters.  It was interesting and fast paced.  Just when I thought I had it figured out, a twist would come along and I'd be wrong ... or was I?

One thing I did find annoying was Irving, Cameron's cat. I love kitties but I found it hard to believe that she would take this cat almost everywhere she went.  What cop would take a cat to their office or a  crime scene?  Plus he's very domineering and isn't a fan of Joshua's and lets him know it.

Book ~ "Dangerous Deception" (2012) Cindy McDonald

From Goodreads ~ Old age ain't for sissies!

Vic Deveaux’s glory days as a winning jockey have ended, but he refuses to accept that pile of horse hockey! 

When the West family asks Vic to take an easier position at their Thoroughbred farm, Westwood, he becomes enraged and teams up with two greedy stable hands in a scheme to kidnap the youngest son, Shane. 

Things turn ugly when Vic discovers that his new-found friends have murder on their minds. Suddenly Vic finds himself between a rock and a hard place. He has betrayed his good friend, Eric West, but will he participate in his son’s murder as well? 

Not content to sit at home and wait for her men to bring her brother home, Kate West convinces homicide detective, Carl Lugowski, to check out a hunch at an old abandoned mansion. Soon they’re trapped in a hornet’s nest of a notorious biker gang. 

Oh yeah, Vic’s deception has placed the West family in more danger than they know what to do with!

This story happens over two days.  Shane has a problem with Martin, one of his father's ranch hands ... he's abusive to the animals, is lazy and drinks on the job.  When Shane calls him on it, things get violent and Martin is fired.  But now Martin is mad.  He talks two of the older ranch hands into helping him kidnap Shane for a $500,000 ransom.  But little do they know that Martin doesn't plan on letting Shane go and plans on killing him.  One of the ranch hands pulled into the scheme is Vic, the ranch owner's longtime friend, who thought he was getting demoted because he's old.  The abandoned mansion where Shane is held is also the gathering place for a biker gang who show up to party.  The elderly daughter of the long dead owner of the mansion secretly still lives in the mansion because she has no where else to go.

It sounded like an intriguing story but for some reason it just missed the mark for me.

I could feel the love in the West family ... they did care and would do anything for each other, even putting themselves in danger.

I found there were so many people in the beginning and I had a hard time keeping everyone straight.  Once the story got going, though, I became less confused.

I wish Vic had had a bit more trust and respect for Eric.  Considering how long they'd been friends, I wish Vic had given Eric more of a chance rather than jumping to conclusions.  I did appreciate, though, that Vic realized his mistake and tried to make it right.

Book ~ "On Toby's Terms" (2011) Charmaine Hammond

From Goodreads ~ On Toby's Terms is an endearing story of a beguiling creature who teaches his owners that in spite of their trying to teach him how to be the dog they wanted, it was Toby who laid out the terms of being the dog he needed to be. 

When Charmaine and her husband adopted Toby, a five-and-a-half-year-old Chesapeake Bay retriever, they figured he might need some adjusting time but they certainly didn't count on what he'd do in the meantime. Turns out that Toby was a holy terror, beset by severe anxiety and destructive behavior that would take a miracle to curb: he routinely opened and emptied the hall closet, turned on water taps, knocked over the water cooler, pulled and ate things from the bookshelves, and spent his days rampaging through the house, knocking down everything in his path. Oddest of all was his penchant for locking himself in the bathroom, and then push the lid of the toilet tank onto the floor, smashing it to pieces. After a particularly disastrous encounter with the knife-block in the kitchen (and when the couple discovered Toby's blood and paw prints on the phone) Charmaine decided Toby needed professional help. Little did she know what they would discover about this dog.

I love dogs and reading stories about them!

This is the true story of Toby, a Chesapeake Bay retriever, who was adopted by Charmaine and Christopher when Toby was five years old.  Toby's original owners were an elderly couple.  When the husband died, the wife couldn't handle such an energetic young dog and put him up for adoption.  Though Toby lands in a loving home with Char and Chris, he's still grieving the loss of his owners and adjusting to his new home.  As such, he has severe anxiety issues which causes him to be destructive when left alone.

Book ~ "Notorious Nineteen" (2012) Janet Evanovich

From Goodreads ~ New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum is certain of three truths: People don’t just vanish into thin air. Never anger old people. And don’t do what Tiki tells you to do.

After a slow summer of chasing low-level skips for her cousin Vinnie’s bail bonds agency, Stephanie Plum finally lands an assignment that could put her checkbook back in the black. Geoffrey Cubbin, facing trial for embezzling millions from Trenton’s premier assisted-living facility, has mysteriously vanished from the hospital after an emergency appendectomy. Now it’s on Stephanie to track down the con man. Unfortunately, Cubbin has disappeared without a trace, a witness, or his money-hungry wife. Rumors are stirring that he must have had help with the daring escape ... or that maybe he never made it out of his room alive. Since the hospital staff’s lips seem to be tighter than the security, and it’s hard for Stephanie to blend in to assisted living, Stephanie’s Grandma Mazur goes in undercover. But when a second felon goes missing from the same hospital, Stephanie is forced into working side by side with Trenton’s hottest cop, Joe Morelli, in order to crack the case.

The real problem is, no Cubbin also means no way to pay the rent. Desperate for money—or maybe just desperate—Stephanie accepts a secondary job guarding her secretive and mouthwatering mentor Ranger from a deadly Special Forces adversary. While Stephanie is notorious for finding trouble, she may have found a little more than she bargained for this time around. Then again—a little food poisoning, some threatening notes, and a bridesmaid’s dress with an excess of taffeta never killed anyone  ... or did they? If Stephanie Plum wants to bring in a paycheck, she’ll have to remember: No guts, no glory ...

There are a few storylines going on in this book.  Stephanie is trying to find two skips who disappeared while in the hospital.  Another skip used a tikki to post his bond that supposedly has powers ... Stephanie takes the tikki in hopes of drawing out the guy so she can collect her money.  Ranger and a friend are receiving death threats so Ranger hires Stephanie as back-up (so she becomes the maid of honour in the friend's wedding?).

Stephanie is with Morelli now and he doesn't mind that she's working for Ranger (who she lets touch her inappropriately).  Though he's talking marriage, Morelli's conversations with Stephanie are mostly sleazy.  And Ranger is still talking suggestively to Stephanie and she's still tempted.  Same old, same old.

Evanovich continues to follow her formula:

• Stephanie is lusting after Morelli and Ranger ... check
• Stephanie's mom's nerves are shot so drinks "iced tea" ... check
• Stephanie's dad is surly and rude ... check
• Lulu is eating all the time and gets mad when someone calls her fat ... check
• The people Stephanie has to track down are colourful characters ... check
• Stephanie's cars get blown up ... check
• Stephanie goes home to mooch meals from her parents ... check

I loved the series in the beginning ... the writing was good, the characters had personalities and spunk (not going through the motions are they are now over and over) and the books had substance.

Looking back, the last one I raved about was Lean Mean Thirteen back in June 2007. That's sad :(

Yes, I keep reading them ... they are quick and mindless ... but I stopped buying them a few books ago.

Book ~ "The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap" (2012) Paulette Mahurin

From Goodreads ~ The year 1895 was filled with memorable historical events: the Dreyfus Affair divided France; Booker T. Washington gave his Atlanta address; Richard Olney, United States Secretary of State, expanded the effects of the Monroe Doctrine in settling a boundary dispute between the United Kingdom and Venezuela; and Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted for gross indecency under Britain’s recently passed law that made sex between males a criminal offense. 

When news of Wilde’s conviction went out over telegraphs worldwide, it threw a small Nevada town into chaos. This is the story of what happened when the lives of its citizens were impacted by the news of Oscar Wilde’s imprisonment. It is a chronicle of hatred and prejudice with all its unintended and devastating consequences, and how love and friendship bring strength and healing.

It's 1895 and Mildred Dunlap and her cousin, Edra, live on a farm outside Red River Pass, a small town in Nevada.  Mildred's father, Max, had made some shrewd land purchases and ended up a wealthy man ... that all belongs to Mildred now.  Because of her wealth and masculine appearance, the people in the town talk about her behind her back ... but that doesn't stop them from accepting her financial help when they need it.  But Mildred doesn't care ... she's happy being on the farm with Edra, who hasn't been to town in many years because of a traumatic event in her childhood.

With the news that Oscar Wilde has been in imprisoned for having relations with another man, it is the talk of the town.  Everyone thinks that prison isn't a harsh enough punishment for what he's done.  Mildred is scared of what would happen if they were to discover the true nature of her relationship with Edra.  To protect it, she needs to throw them off.  She decides to make it look like she is making a play for the newly widowed, Charley, hoping he'll turn her away, thus giving the illusion of her being a straight woman.  But it backfires when Charley doesn't turn her away which starts the town gossiping even more.

It was a interesting story, different from what I usually read ... and I enjoyed it.  I liked the writing style ... it was well-paced.  I liked the characters I was supposed to like and didn't like the nasty ones.  I found Edra a bit annoying, though.  She was just too emotional for me.

I'll keep an eye out for future books by this author.

As an animal lover, it really impressed me that this author is giving all profits from this book to the first and only no-kill animal shelter that opened in Ventura County (where she lives), Santa Paula Animal Rescue Center, in the memory of one of her all time best friends and great loves of her life, Tazzie (August 25, 1996 – September 7, 2011), a Rottweiler she had gotten from a shelter.  So she is promoting this book, in hopes someone will pick it, read it, spread the word and furry kids like Tazzie will find their forever homes.

I received a copy of this ebook at no charge from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Book ~ "Sweetest Taboo" (2012) Eva Marquez

From Goodreads ~ Isabel Cruz was fifteen years old when she met Tom Stevens. She was 15 when they started dating and 16 when she lost her virginity to him. By the time she turned 18 and went to college, everything had fallen apart.

This hadn’t been an ordinary love, though. Not a love between two dear friends or even high school sweethearts. This had been the most taboo sort of love there was: a relationship between a student and her teacher. Isabel started her high school career as a normal student but set her sights on Tom Stevens as soon as she met him, and pursued him with an intense – and sometimes reckless – fascination. When he finally approached her after swim practice and told her that he shared her feelings, it was the start of a forbidden and dangerous relationship.

Join Isabel as she makes her way through this dark love story, hiding from teachers, lying to her parents, and defying the authorities to make a life with the man she loves. Watch as she discovers the wonders of love and romance, and the terrible betrayal of jealous friends. And cry with her when she learns the hard truth about life and the people in her world.

Sweetest Taboo is inspired by the true and tragic stories of students who fall in love with their teachers, and live with the hard truths of forbidden romances. In a world full of after-school specials on sexual predators, this touching book seeks a different path, casting both student and teacher in a gentle light, and showing that true love may lie at the base of even the most illicit romance.

This is the story of the forbidden secret love between a student and a high school teacher. 

Quite a premise, eh?

When 15-year-old Isabel sees Mr. Stevens (a married teacher and father of two in his late 30s), she feels an instant attraction.  Then she goes out of her way to entice him ... and succeeds.  They end up "dating" throughout her three years of high school.

I enjoyed the writing style.  It written in first person from Isabel's point of view and I thought the author did a good job getting into Isabel's teenage head.  I didn't find that it dragged and, despite the controversial subject matter, it kept me interested and wanting to know what was going to happen next.  From a writing standpoint, I would recommend it.


I didn't feel this was a romantic love story, though.  I had issue with Tom Stevens.  As the adult, he should have dissuaded Isabel's interest in him even if he felt the spark too.  As time progressed, things get very hot and heavy.  It seemed like all they did when they were together was get naked.  I found his actions and words of love to her icky and creepy and I couldn't decide whether he was genuine or a pervert child molester (since it was Isabel's voice rather than third person, we don't know ... we only have Isabel's perception of the events).  I didn't really fault Isabel, though.  Though she's aware of the consequences of what they were doing and what he had to lose (his job, his family and his freedom), she's 15 and caught up in the romance of it all.

This is being marketed as a contemporary YA romance.  I found it was a bit more mature than that given the subject matter (the scene where she loses her virginity is part of the story).

How do you feel about a high school student dating a married teacher?  Would you read this book given the subject matter?

Book ~ "Christmas Lights" (2007) Christine Pisera Naman

From Goodreads ~ In separate vignettes, we meet Katherine, who is taking care of her ailing husband; Julianna, juggling with construction paper, scissors, and rubber cement in a room full of high-spirited four-year-olds; Adrianna, struggling with the difficulties of marriage; Cassandra, the busy mother of toddlers; Victoria, searching for a love to call her own; Alexandra, a young woman waiting for word from her doctor about an uncertain diagnosis; and Isabella, discovering the gift of motherhood. The lives of all the women come together in a moving conclusion that perfectly captures the heart and soul of the holiday spirit.

Alternately laugh-out-loud funny and poignant, Christmas Lights celebrates the most significant aspects of the season. Small, beautifully designed, and full of festive cheer, it is the ideal gift for anyone longing to rediscover the magic of Christmas.

We meet each of the seven women in a chapter of their own and get to know their unique situation.  The last chapter is where they all come together and we see what their connection is.

There is quite a bit of talk about/with God ... the women are strong in their faith.  Though I'm not religious at all, I didn't find that it was rammed down my throat.

This is a nice quick book to read, especially around the holiday season.  It was just the right length.  I enjoyed it.

I received a copy of this book at no charge in exchange for my honest review.