As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist

 

As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.75 stars

Julie never wanted to be a mom but she technically became a biological mom when she donated her eggs to her brother and his wife. Sadly, Brian and Esther were killed in a car accident when their twins, Lucy and Mikey, were just four years old. Brian and Esther left guardianship of these precious souls to Aunt Julie.

Julie's whole family questions her ability to raise these children from day 1. They offer unsolicited advice and some even go so far as to flat out tell her she has no business doing this. A knock on her door could change everything for this new little family.

Brian and Esther also used a sperm donor to create these children. Grant is the knock at the door and Julie can't be sure of his immediate motives. Is he her to fight her for custody or is he sincere in what he says about "doing his part" with Lucy and Mikey?

I found this book a bit difficult to get into. As the story went on, it did pick up a bit but by then I was losing so much of the real story that it fell kinda flat for me. I was hoping for so much more based on the synopsis. For a good bit, it just felt like the same thing was being repeated, especially in regards to the behavior of the kids. I understand that a buildup had to occur, but this felt a little dragged out. I did appreciate the overall story, I just wish it would have picked up faster.

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Love & Stilettos by Evelyn Lindell

 

Love & Stilettos by Evelyn Lindell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At the tender young age of 28, Mia finds herself a widow and living with her grandmother in Kentucky. She's decided to enroll in school and obtain a job. Things seem to be progressing well in her life, despite the drama that she's endured lately.

Mitch is a firefighter, living the dream. Women flock to him because of his great looks and physique. He's taken by Lacey though and the rock on her finger proves it.

Mia and Mitch were the best of friends when they were younger. Every June, Mia travelled to KY to visit her grandmother and she and Mitch would hang out for the month. One June, Mia didn't return and instead married Xavier.

Through a series of challenging events, Mitch and Mia may find their way to each other again but not without some road blocks and some fires that need to be put out.

I found this book to be enjoyable, even if it was a bit predictable. Granny is by far my favorite character in this book. She deserves a book of her own. I loved her wit! Mia is a bit of a pushover, despite people thinking that she is a stronger person. I think maybe Mitch could bring out some stronger in her but it would need more character development. Overall, a good book to curl up with on a stormy afternoon!

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Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt

 

Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a must-read for all ages!!!

Amaleigha's 3rd grade class has been learning about Ukraine and they each get a pen pal to correspond with throughout the school year. Vova is Amaleigha's pen pal. They write back and forth as much as they can asking questions about life in their respective country, what their home looks like, number of siblings, what they do for fun, etc. They both learn a lot about each other. Amaleigha's teacher is showing them things in class that the people in Ukraine do for fun as well as foods they eat too. It's a true cultural experience.

One day, letters arrive from Ukraine and many students are upset to read about the unrest happening there amongst their new friends' families. The students rally together to send some help to their new friends.

EVERYONE should read this book, regardless of age. It's a great way to explain what is happening to the younger generation and the older generation could take some cues in terms of ways to reach out and help. Pen pals can be such a valuable resource!

This is a great book that should be in every home or school!

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Liz's Road Trip by Bernadette Marie

 

Liz's Road Trip by Bernadette Marie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The relationship that Liz has with her Gran is one that most people would love to have. Gran raised Liz since age 10 when her mom died. Now, Gran has passed and it's in her wishes that Liz go on a trip to Florida to settle things there. Little did Liz know, the Gran she knew wasn't the same person that her friends knew.

A call from WATTS one day started changing everything. Mark Watts becomes a new friend for Liz and she soon finds out that Mark lives in her grandmother's 7 million dollar home in Florida. With so many questions that have been unanswered, Liz takes this trip to meet up with Mark and others who knew her Gran. Life will forever be different after this trip. As Gran would say though, "Live with no regrets!"

This book is full of raw emotion. One minute I was crying, the next I was laughing, then I was ready to throw the book and hit something! LOL A very enjoyable read!

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Granting Katelyn (Sweet Valley Series) by S.E. Reichert

 

Granting Katelyn by S.E. Reichert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Sullivan sisters are a fabulous family that seems like a lot of fun. In book two of this series, we learn more about Katelyn and get to catch up on what Ellie's been up to.

Katelyn is restless and feels the need to travel again. When an opportunity comes up for her to go and help an injured horse, she's all in. She might be the only one who is though! The set-up came through a third party mutual friend so when Katelyn shows up at Grant Tennyson's farm to help rehabilitate his prize-winning thoroughbred, he's wondering where she came from. Grant is also not wanting her help and will do what he can to get her to leave.

Katelyn is full of sass and vinegar and finds a way into Grant's horse barn, as well as into his heart. She's not afraid to put him or anyone else in their place and she will prove that she's the right person for this job.

There is a lot of raw emotion in this story and it's one that goes by fairly quickly. My favorite character has to be the butler in this story though! I loved Katelyn and Grant but the butler stole my heart!

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Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom and Milagros Darling

 

Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

This is a bit longer than the typical Lois Wickstrom book and is geared more towards ages 7 and up.

In this story, Xenia is living with her mom and brother. Xenia's mom is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico. Her American father died while serving in Iraq before he was able to marry Xenia's mom. Both Xenia and her brother are legal US citizens.

Having fear for being deported, Xenia's mom rarely allows the kids to play outside. They also are expected to make great grades but not so good that it would bring unwanted attention to them. When a science fair project arises with a pretty cool reward, Xenia has to be careful with how she presents her project. Before she can turn it in however, her mom is arrested and sent back to Mexico. Xenia and her brother are living with a local lady from a church group and have to try to find a way to spend as much time as they can with their mom.

This book focuses on a great many issues that arise in our country today. This book is sad, yet encouraging. It is written in a way that could explain some of these issues to a youngster, while incorporating some aspects of fantasy to keep it on a lighter note. I also picked up on a few new spanish terms throughout this book.


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Mr Lucky (Trentbridge Tales Book 1) by Lee Wood

 

Mr Lucky by Lee Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Life has a way of changing very quickly. One moment, everything is on the up and up. Family life is great, job is showing the prospect of a promotion, life if grand. That is, until it isn't.

Detective James Sheldon was living the life as one might say. His wife and best friend Miriam took their two children to go visit with her parents. Expecting them to show up at any time, James was taken aback when there was a knock on the door and bad news to follow. That bad news put James in a place where he eventually found himself at the bottom of the barrel and living on the streets pandering for spare change.

But again, life has a way of quickly changing. A kind soul persuades James to go buy a lottery ticket. He seriously could have eaten a decent meal with the money but decided to take the advice and bought the ticket instead. Life changed again in just a short amount of time when he checked his numbers and they all matched. He was the lucky recipient of the largest lottery ever, $168 million!!

Now his life is in danger because of a devious man trying to ruin his life. How will James handle his newfound wealth and this lunatic?

This book started out a little rough for me but by the middle of it, it was gaining speed and I ended up really enjoying the story. The beginning had a lot of details that I felt were unnecessary at first but eventually came around to being important. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series!

On a side note, I guess I could say I'm lucky as I was reading this. My kindle shut off just as I read the last word!!

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A Forever Kind of Thing by Carrie Thomas and Melinda Harris

 

A Forever Kind of Thing by Melinda Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"'You're a unicorn,' I breathed, as I took her face in my hands. 'Rare and magnificient. And I'd set the world on fire just to get a taste of that magic.'"

Mina is tired of all the bullies. She can't help her looks or her wardrobe, not to mention that she's fortunate to have had a meal today. Life is rough in this small town where she is called all sorts of names. She's never really had a friend until 5th grade and that's when she met the "new kid" Wes.

He came in and sat down next to her. She tried to warn him away but he wasn't having it. He was more into her than anyone else and she couldn't understand it, even after he told her that he lived in New Haven.

Both kids dealt with their share of tragedy but they dealt with it together. That is, until the day that Wes just up and left with not so much as a goodbye. Mina was devastated and thought life would end for her. In a way, her life as she knew it did end and nothing would ever be the same again.

This is an angsty teenage romance novel of lost first loves. There are times it was a little much for this mom raising teenagers but overall I really did enjoy this story. The challenges that Mina and Wes are pretty real life for many people, at least the first part of life. My favorite part of this book is the mention of my current hometown. I'm not sure I've ever read a book that mentions it. The locations mentioned within are fictional but it was still pretty cool to see it mentioned.

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The Guardsman (The Olympic Peninsula Series Book 2) by Cat Treadgold

 

The Guardsman by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Liam Ryan was presumably dead after being involved in an explosion in Israel. His twin sister, Ali, has been looking for him ever since. Ali and her husband Joe hire a private investigator to seek him out since Ali senses he's still alive. The PI lets them know that he's pretty sure he found him but just in case, a family member should go scope him out.

Theresa is the one chosen to go. While she's not blood kin to Liam, she is Ali's sister-in-law. Theresa lays an eye on Liam and immediately knows who he is. Once Liam moves back to the States and into a cottage on Ali and Joe's property, he finds himself playing protector to Theresa. He's not a fan of people with money, especially the way that Theresa flaunts it around, but sometimes the heart will override all other emotions.

Another stellar read by Cat Treadgold! I do recommend reading this series in order since they build on each other. It would be super helpful to know the progression of the relationships in order of them happening. I look forward to reading the remainder of this family's stories!!

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The Silent Woodsman (The Olympic Peninsula Series Book 1) by Cat Treadgold

 

The Silent Woodsman by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ali Ryan is on a quest to find out what has happened to her twin brother, Liam. She's heard that he was involved in an explosion while in Israel but she keeps hearing his voice (twin telepathy). In an effort to "hear" him better, she goes exploring in the Hoh Rain forest. She's marked her path well but then the weather starts to get dicey and she finds herself standing on the porch of a cabin.

Joe Bob Blade is on vocal rest after having a surgery for the nodes on his vocal chords. He's hoping that by hiding out at the cabin in the woods that he'll get the rest he needs without his adoring fans finding him. Next thing he knows, a "wood nymph" appears on his doorstep and he has to rethink his thoughts on his girlfriend and duet partner, Rina.

This is a fun, romantic read that will have you cheering for different character depending on the situation. There were a few areas where the story dragged but they were short-lived. A great little story that will continue with another O'Connell family member! I'm looking forward to Theresa's story but I think I'm most intrigued by David's story.

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Dead Keen (Things Unseen Book 2) by Anise Eden

 

Dead Keen by Anise Eden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another great read by Anise Eden!! I don't want to say much about this one in case you haven't read the first book yet. It would be super helpful to read it first to get the background on Con and Neve.

Con is finally getting to go home to Ireland after being away for five years. It will be a difficult journey home but he has Neve at his side. Con's purpose in going back to Ireland is to help his brother out with a potential life altering medical issue. At the same time, he will have to deal with his parents and their psychosocial issues within the family.

Neve has resources that can help Con out but at what price? Can they make a difference in the lives of those at stake?

Again, another read that I highly recommend!!

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Dead Sound (Things Unseen Book 1) by Anise Eden

 

Dead Sound by Anise Eden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, this is a good one!!!

A social worker is stabbed while on duty at the hospital and is coming back for her first day of work. No one thinks she's ready but Neve has had it with sitting at home and playing Scrabble all day. As soon as she walks into her unit, mass chaos starts taking place and Neve is shaken to her core. Maybe she should go home?

Amos is in the ER...again. Dr. Con is prepared to see him for his endocrine issues and Neve is ready to help him with restarting the program that they came up with that was supposedly successful. Amos admits to Neve that he's the leader of the group that surrounded her a few hours earlier and all of a sudden, everything changes again. Amos begs Neve to read his book and then come back and talk to him. However, Amos ends up having a medical emergency and isn't able to have visitors for awhile.

I'll stop there because I don't want to give anything about this book away. It's gonna grip you in the first page and have you holding on until the end. There is a little bit of romance, but it's all very classy. There's mention of angels being seen. There's a lot of suspense and tense moments to keep you on the edge of your seat.

I highly recommend this riveting read!

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Firewall by Jessica Mehring

 

Firewall by Jessica Mehring
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a read!! This one is going to grab you within the first page and hold you in until you finish it. Just plan to clear your schedule for this one!

I did begin to wonder about halfway through if the book was really going to be long enough to cover all the things that needed to be addressed but thankfully, it was all fully covered! I'm used to books with this kind of plot having many more pages but this was a welcomed site to cover so much in a short period.

Veronica is the cream of the crop when it comes to IT security. She's also one of the few women in the field. Things look a little shady one day and a coworker comes to ask her about checking into one of the servers. Next thing, there's a fire alarm and everything goes crazy.

Angus is a firefighter who is working his tail off for a promotion to Chief. He gets a call from his sister Cara one that day her best friend Veronica might need a security detail and could he go and help. Being the hero Angus is, he jumps right up and becomes security that Veronica needs. Little did they both know exactly what they were getting into.

I loved this book, even with a bit of a surprise twist and would highly recommend it!

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Back to the 80s by S.E. Reichert and Kerrie Flanagan

 

Back to the 80's by S.E. Reichert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

I feel like I've taken a walk back through time with this novel! I had so much fun reading about Blaine's store with all her retro clothing, clothes, music, and more! It's the kind of store I'd visit and spend hours in just remembering the "good ole days" of my childhood.

Blaine inherited this awesome store from her mother and she's super proud of all her accomplishments with it. One day, JT, the hairstylist next door in the strip mall, comes to deliver some bad news though. The mall has been bought and is scheduled for demolition. Everyone must be out and there's not much time.

Blaine, not one to back down from a challenge, makes a point to be present when the land developer crew walks through for a final inspection. Eric is in awe of her store but is really gunning for that title of partner in the family business. After meeting Blaine, Eric isn't so sure about these plans now. Then Blaine issues a bet that Eric can't pass up.

This is a fun read that transported me back in time, even if just for a few hours. I loved all the references to the time honored traditions of the 80's and even had a few great memories myself reliving this fun era of time.

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Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend by Terri Sabol

 

Oscar and Emmy Gain a Friend: A Story About Trap-Neuter-Return by Terri Sabol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a sweet story that is also educational. Oscar and Emmy are the house cats and they start to see a black cat come up to the door of the house they live in. Oscar and Emmy's owners start to set out food for Shadow, the new cat. The parents of the home teach their children about house pets vs feral cats and what they need to do. The children learn about Trap-Neuter-Release and then have an opportunity to continue to see Shadow after her procedure.

A great learning tool for youngsters to teach proper pet responsibility.

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Lilly Tames Her Worries by Carole Heaney

 

Lilly Tames Her Worries by Carole Heaney
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sweet Lilly smells an awful smell one day. She soon realizes that it's her favorite bunny rabbit that goes everywhere with her. When her sister grabs her attention and they need to run out the door to catch the bus, Lilly realizes that HunnyBunny is not with her. She panics and isn't quite sure what to do. School is hard that day because she isn't feeling well. The school nurse teaches her about her amygdala and ways to calm herself down using the square breathing method. As other situations present throughtout the day, Lilly is able to build on her newfound strength and confidence to help her survive these other situations.

This is a super cute book that has excellent ideas for youngsters (and us older folk too!) in dealing with stress and anxiety. It would be a great book to have in any library and to share with those you love!

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I Am An Outer Space Alien (I am an Alien) by Lois Wickstrom

 

I Am An Outer Space Alien by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another great read by Lois Wickstrom!! She hasn't disappointed me yet, nor do I think she will. The illustrations in this book are so well done it's like they are popping off the page too! Young readers will love this story about Shirley, who is know known as Shirl, and how she doesn't feel like she fits in on Earth. She'd rather talk to aliens on her radio than play sports or eat creamed spinach like people on Earth do. Super cute read!!

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Shadowed Obsession (Shadow Defense Security Series Book 1) by Mavery Ellscott

 

Shadowed Obsession: An Action-Packed Romantic Suspense Thriller by Mavery Ellscott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my kind of book right here!!! Give me a Navy SEAL or any other military character and a psychological maniac on the loose and weave some words together and you've got me hooked!!!

Keira O'Ryan is a PR rep and she loves her job. She's works with various entertainers so when a stalker shows up after her, it's not completely surprising. Not to mention that college ex-boyfriend who got really creepy. After receiving a series of photos on her phone, she starts to become even more alarmed.

Cade Hartford and a few of his retired military buddies run a security firm. He's recently moved in next door to Keira and senses that something is up with her. When she comes to him confessing the pictures and the strange happenings going on, Cade knows that he has to jump in and do something to be a great neighbor.

There are many things I want to say about this book but I'm not going to say much as to not ruin anything about it. Just know that if you're into a good psychological thriller, look no further than this book! It kept my attention all afternoon and I read it in one setting. The writing is very well done and the there are a few twists and turns that try to throw the reader off track (as well as the detectives). I did have it figured out pretty early but a few times I questioned whether I was right or not due to the the twists and turns. It wasn't quite as I suspected though! Buckle up and enjoy this read! I've already downloaded the prequel to this book and I look forward to reading it and future books by this author soon!!

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Leaving No Traces (A Commissario Scala Mystery in Rome) by P.J. Mann

 

Leaving No Traces by P. J. Mann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

If ever there was a need for a detective, I could only hope they'd be as dedicated and determined as Detective Scala!!

He's at it again, trying to sort out who is behind the disappearance of a woman last seen in a service station buying cigarrettes. All they have so far is her car and a lot of questions.

As Detective Scala digs into the case, he learns that his victim is involved in a couple of affairs. This makes his suspect list even longer than he originally thought. Also, everyone he interviews comes across as cagey and hiding information.

However, after a bunch of twists, turns, and adventures, along with a mandatory vacation, Detective Scala is able to cuff the appropiate people involved in this case.

Another very well written and entertaining mystery by P.J. Mann!

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Complicated Choices by Risa Nyman

 

Complicated Choices by Risa Nyman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Imagine having the weight of the world on your shoulders your senior year of high school. Responsibilities include keeping grades up, picking the right college, cleaning house, taking care of your baby brother, and taking care of your mother. That's Claire's situtation and she wasn't given a lot of choices as she entered into what should have been the best year of her life.

Claire's parents divorced a few years back and her mom went on a business trip earlier in the year. A few weeks after she returned home, she found out she was pregnant. She refused to tell Claire who the dad was and even left that spot empty on Harry's birth certificate. Everything changed when she got pregnant and Claire had to start picking up the pieces.

Claire's friends come to her aid but they have limited resources, especially when Uncle Pat starts to stick his nose into everything. Claire will stop at nothing to keep her little brother and mom together with her. Her senior year is nothing like she expected but she is also learning valuable lessons along the way.

This book was a challenging read for me. Maybe it's because I had to grow up fast and have "adult" responsibilites at a young age. Claire's story really resonated with me though. I found myself becoming angry at all the people around her who were letting her deal with all of this alone when some of them could have stepped up and helped her. Claire became so much stronger through this experience and learned to love, forgive, and plan a future that she wanted, not what others expected of her.

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The Anchor Knot (The Knot Series Book 2) by DonnaLee Overly

 

The Anchor Knot:securing the knot of truth (Knot, #6 by DonnaLee Overly
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'll start off by saying that I was not aware that this was a book deep in a series when I picked it up. This can be read as a stand alone but for me, I'm going to go back and read the previous books to understand more of the back story.

This book is full of emotion...some that came to me a bit unexpected. There is also, as with any book with a political figure, lots of lies, secrets, grief and more. I appreciated that this was a clean romance novel with a sweet story of two people who are broken and needing each other.

I look forward to reading the previous books in this series and "catching up" on the characters!

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The Secrets they Hide (A Commissario Scala Mystery in Rome) by P.J. Mann

 

The Secrets they Hide by P.J. Mann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my first read by this author and I'm looking forward to reading more by her! This is the second book in a series but was easily read as a standalone. I'm going to go back and read the first book in this series though!

This book held me from the beginning and didn't let up until the end. It's a riveting police procedural featuring a setting in Rome. What could be more interesting than a murder in a place known for their love? Just when you think you might have "whodunit" figured out, more plot twists and turns come up that will have you on the edge of your seat until the end.

Very enjoyable read!

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