Monthly Archives: January 2017

Coming Soon…..….

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…. On a Bookshelf near you!

In February I hope to read….

abby

Publication Date: February 14, 2017
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing

Goodreads:  Twenty-year-old Abigail Turner has only known her mother, Claire—who died shortly after she was born—through letters, videos, postcards, and journals. Abby’s father, Josh, has raised his precious daughter himself, but his overprotectiveness has become stifling. Abby longs to forge out on her own and see the world after a childhood trapped indoors: she suffers from bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which means a case of the sniffles can rapidly escalate into life-threatening pneumonia.

But when Abby’s doctor declares her healthy—for now—her grandmother Millie whisks her away to Europe to visit the Christmas markets that her mother cherished and chronicled in her travel journals. Despite her father’s objections, Abby and Millie embark on a journey of discovery in which Abby will learn secrets that force her to reevaluate her image of her mother and come to a more mature understanding of a parent-child bond that transcends death.

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Steena Holmes offers a tender and heartfelt exploration of parental love and a daughter’s longing for connection in the poignant next chapter following Saving Abby.

What is coming soon …. to a bookshelf near you?

Let me know – I am always looking for a good read!

On Second Thought

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onAuthor: Kristan Higgins
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Source:  Little Bird Publicity

 

Goodreads:  Following in the footsteps of her critically acclaimed novel If You Only Knew , multi-bestselling author Kristan Higgins returns with a pitch-perfect look at the affection—and the acrimony—that binds sisters together 

Ainsley O’Leary is so ready to get married—she’s even found the engagement ring her boyfriend has stashed away. What she doesn’t anticipate is for Eric to blindside her with a tactless breakup he chronicles in a blog…which (of course) goes viral. Devastated and humiliated, Ainsley turns to her half sister, Kate, who’s already struggling after the sudden loss of her new husband.

Kate has always been so poised, so self-assured, but Nathan’s death shatters everything she thought she knew—including her husband—and sometimes the people who step up aren’t the ones you expect. With seven years and a murky blended-family dynamic between them, Ainsley and Kate have never been overly close, but their shared sorrow dovetails their faltering worlds into one.

Despite the lifetime of history between them, the sisters must learn to put their differences aside and open their hearts to the inevitable imperfection of family—and the possibility of one day finding love again.

Ope’s Opinion:   I really do like Kristan HIggins stories and style of writing.  This particular one had too much detail for me.  At times, there was so much detail, I lost the story line.

This sisters relationship was amazing! I have a sister and she is one I turn to and care about her opinion.  I also have two adult daughters that I hope have the same kind of relationship.

These two strong, independent women are the kind of examples I really enjoy reading about.  They supported each other through the difficult times.

I will be reading another Kristan Higgins.  She is one of my “go-to” authors.

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More Than Friends

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moreAuthor: Barbara Delinsky
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Romance
Source:  Purchased

 

Goodreads:  More Than Friends is a moving, unforgettable story of friendship, love, and forgiveness a classic from New York Times bestselling author Barbara Delinsky.

The Maxwells and the Popes have been friends forever. The women were college roommates, their husbands are partners in the same law firm, their kids have grown up next door to each other, and the two families share both vacations and holidays.

All is beautiful and serene in their “perfect” shared suburban Eden until a tragic accident forces these very close friends and neighbors to look more deeply beneath the surface. And when their idyllic lives are unexpectedly shattered by a moment that can never be erased or forgotten, their faith in one another and in themselves is put to the supreme test.

Ope’s Opinion:  When I started this book I felt like I had read it before.  I kept reading to see if I had.  At the end, I was still not sure.

My daughter Kristin of Kritters Ramblings suggested I read the first book I put on my Goodreads  each month.  So this is the one that came up.  It is definitely a dated book – there were no cell phones, no emails, and many other little things that let me know how old this book really is!!

The cheating happened in the beginning of the book.  It felt like it happened haphazardly.  There was no build up of attraction between the two.  The rest of the book was the consequences of their actions.

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Steena Holmes

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Today I wanted to give a shout out to an amazing author that has blown me away not only in her stories but also in person. Steena Holmes is a women’s fiction writer who has the heart of gold. Her books are captivating and the way she writes makes it so easy and a  pleasure to read.

steena

When I first met Steena in person her face lit up with joy when she noticed me. I was in shock that a little blogger like me would get such a heartfelt reaction. Her enthusiasm is infectious and it traveled with me through the rest of the day.

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Thanks to this amazing author and Lake Union Publishing, I get to sit with this incredible book and see what Abby has in store for the next chapter of her life. If you haven’t already read my review on Saving Abby, you can go see where Abby started or pre-order Abby’s Journey here.

Pretty Little World

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pretty

Author: Elizabeth LaBan and Melissa DePino
Publisher: Lake Union
Genre: Fiction
Source: Little Bird Publicity

 

Goodreads:  On a cozy street in Philadelphia, three neighboring families have become the best of friends. They can’t imagine life without one another—until one family outgrows their tiny row house. In a bid to stay together, a crazy idea is born: What if they tear down the walls between their homes and live together under one roof? And so an experiment begins.

Celia and Mark now have the space they need. But is this really what Celia’s increasingly distant husband wants? Stephanie embraces the idea of one big, happy family, but has she considered how it may exacerbate the stark differences between her and her husband, Chris? While Hope always wanted a larger family with Leo, will caring for all the children really satisfy that need?

Behind closed doors, they strive to preserve the closeness they treasure. But when boundaries are blurred, they are forced to question their choices…and reimagine the true meaning of family.

Ope’s Opinion:  I started out reading this with a little skepticism.  The thought of three families living together seemed a little odd to me. As I read, I bought into the idea.  The families seem to really meet each others needs.  The authors had convinced me this was going to work.  Then too much intimate details of their sex lives was written into the story – this added nothing to the characters or to the story line.  At that point, I was frustrated.  I did finish the book.  The ending left me up in the air.

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This Just In….

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From William Morrow Paperbacks

almost

Publication Date:  July 11, 2017
Publisher:  William Morrow

Goodreads:  With empathy, grace, humor, and piercing insight, the author of gods in Alabama pens a powerful, emotionally resonant novel of the South that confronts the truth about privilege, family, and the distinctions between perception and reality—the stories we tell ourselves about our origins and who we really are.

Superheroes have always been Leia Birch Briggs’ weakness. One tequila-soaked night at a comics convention, the usually level-headed graphic novelist is swept off her barstool by a handsome and anonymous Batman.

It turns out the caped crusader has left her with more than just a nice, fuzzy memory. She’s having a baby boy—an unexpected but not unhappy development in the thirty-eight year-old’s life. But before Leia can break the news of her impending single-motherhood (including the fact that her baby is biracial) to her conventional Southern family, her step-sister Rachel’s marriage implodes. Worse, she learns her beloved ninety-year-old grandmother, Birchie, is losing her mind, and she’s been hiding her dementia with the help of Wattie, her best friend since girlhood.

Leia returns to Alabama to put her grandmother’s affairs in order, clean out the big Victorian that has been in the Birch family for generations, and tell her family that she’s pregnant. Yet just when Leia thinks she’s got it all under control, she learns that illness is not the only thing Birchie’s been hiding. Tucked in the attic is a dangerous secret with roots that reach all the way back to the Civil War. Its exposure threatens the family’s freedom and future, and it will change everything about how Leia sees herself and her sister, her son and his missing father, and the world she thinks she knows.

Thank you William Morrow for sending this book!

The Magnolia Story

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magnolia

Author: Chip and Joanna Gaines
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Biography
Source: Gift from my daughter Jennifer

Goodreads:  Are you ready to see your fixer upper?

These famous words are now synonymous with the dynamic husband-and-wife team Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV s Fixer Upper. As this question fills the airwaves with anticipation, their legions of fans continue to multiply and ask a different series of questions, like Who are these people?What s the secret to their success? And is Chip actually that funny in real life? By renovating homes in Waco, Texas, and changing lives in such a winsome and engaging way, Chip and Joanna have become more than just the stars of Fixer Upper, they have become America s new best friends.

The Magnolia Story is the first book from Chip and Joanna, offering their fans a detailed look at their life together. From the very first renovation project they ever tackled together, to the project that nearly cost them everything; from the childhood memories that shaped them, to the twists and turns that led them to the life they share on the farm today.

They both attended Baylor University in Waco. However, their paths did not cross until Chip checked his car into the local Firestone tire shop where Joanna worked behind the counter. Even back then Chip was a serial entrepreneur who, among other things, ran a lawn care company, sold fireworks, and flipped houses. Soon they were married and living in their first fixer upper. Four children and countless renovations later, Joanna garners the attention of a television producer who notices her work on a blog one day.

In The Magnolia Story fans will finally get to join the Gaines behind the scenes and discover: The time Chip ran to the grocery store and forgot to take their new, sleeping baby Joanna s agonizing decision to close her dream business to focus on raising their children When Chip buys a houseboat, sight-unseen, and it turns out to be a leaky wreck Joanna s breakthrough moment of discovering the secret to creating a beautiful home Harrowing stories of the financial ups and downs as an entrepreneurial couple Memories and photos from Chip and Jo s wedding The significance of the word magnolia and why it permeates everything they do The way the couple pays the popularity of Fixer Upper forward, sharing the success with others, and bolstering the city of Waco along the way

And yet there is still one lingering question for fans of the show: Is Chip really that funny? Oh yeah, says Joanna. He was, and still is, my first fixer upper. “

Ope’s Opinion: I am not usually a biography reader, but this one was a great one.  Reading their story from both their perspectives was enjoyable.  You could actually hear their voices as you read it.

This was a Christmas gift from my daughter Jennifer.   I want to thank her for thinking of me when she bought this gift.  It was a wonderful read about real people with real lives.  It seems from the book that the tv show has not changed them.

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This Just In…..

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the-other-widow

Published:  April 26, 2016
Publisher:  William Morrow

Goodreads:  The author of The Pocket Wife explores the dark side of love, marriage, and infidelity in this sizzling novel of psychological suspense.

Everybody’s luck runs out. This time it could be theirs . . .

It isn’t safe. That’s what Joe tells her when he ends their affair—moments before their car skids off an icy road in a blinding snowstorm and hits a tree. Desperate to keep her life intact—her job, her husband, and her precious daughter, Lily—Dorrie will do everything she can to protect herself, even if it means walking away from the wreckage. Dorrie has always been a good actress, pretending to be someone else: the dutiful daughter, the satisfied wife, the woman who can handle anything. Now she’s going to put on the most challenging performance of her life. But details about the accident leave her feeling uneasy and afraid. Why didn’t Joe’s airbag work? Why was his car door open before the EMTs arrived? And now suddenly someone is calling her from her dead lover’s burner phone. . . .

Joe’s death has left his wife in free fall as well. Karen knew Joe was cheating—she found some suspicious e-mails. Trying to cope with grief is devastating enough without the constant fear that has overtaken her—this feeling she can’t shake that someone is watching her. And with Joe gone and the kids grown, she’s vulnerable . . . and on her own.

Insurance investigator Maggie Devlin is suspicious of the latest claim that’s landed on her desk—a man dying on an icy road shortly after buying a lucrative life insurance policy. Maggie doesn’t believe in coincidences. The former cop knows that things—and people—are never what they seem to be.

As the fates of these three women become more tightly entwined, layers of lies and deception begin to peel away, pushing them dangerously to the edge . . . closer to each other . . . to a terrifying truth . . . to a shocking end.

Thank you William Morrow for sending this book!