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Author Archives: opesopinions
Keeper by Surprise
Author: Laurie Larsen
Publisher: Random Moon Books
Genre: Romance
Source: Purchased
Goodreads: College life provides the reprieve Keith Hanson dreamed of while growing up in his father’s strict household. Now, he concentrates on keeping his grades up (just enough to get Dad off his back), and loving his girlfriend Carly. He never knew life could be this good. Until a terrible accident leaves his parents killed, and Keith named as guardian over his three siblings. Although only 20, he’s the one now who has to earn money to support the family and take care of the kids. Including the discipline, something his teenage sister Dana is totally lacking.
Brand new social worker Lisa Carle has a lot to prove to her boss about her ability to do a good job. But it’s hard to focus on professionalism when she’s falling in love with the client. Can the two of them help each other? And will their budding relationship survive screaming twins, a teenage runaway and an unethical boss?
Ope’s Opinion: I enjoyed this book. It showed the struggle that Keith had stepping up to be a parent before he was prepared to be. The reason and the way the social services were called into this family situation did not seem very realistic to me.
Just a bit too descriptive of sexual thoughts and activity. I didn’t enjoy reading that part – some was at the beginning of the book – which made me almost stop reading it all together. It also ended up not being all the important in the story.
It was a predictable romance with the ending you would expect.
What You Wish For
Author: Kerry Reichs
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Chick lit
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings
Goodreads: If what you wish for is a delightfully bittersweet novel filled with endearing, eccentric characters and situations in the vein of Jennifer Weiner, Jane Green, Marian Keyes, and Meg Cabot, then Kerry Reichs’s What You Wish For is the answer to your prayers. The daughter of forensic crime fiction superstar Kathy Reichs (bestselling creator of the Temperence Brennan mystery series, the basis for TV’s Bones), Kerry Reichs’s writing talent is ingrained in her DNA, as she’s already demonstrated with her previous books, Leaving Unknown and The Best Day of Someone Else’s Life. Her third novel, What You Wish For, is a tender, loving, funny, and unforgettable tale of five “modern” families, each one following a very different road to happiness, and yet another bravura example of Kerry Reichs’s phenomenal storytelling abilities.
Ope’s Opinion: There are a lot of characters you are introduced to at the beginning of the book. It took me a little while to get attached to each one and figure out where their story lines were headed. The more I read, the more invested I was in their quest for a child or to be understood why they didn’t want a child.
I did not see how all the story lines were going to intersect at the beginning of the book. It was interesting to see how the author wove each of their lives together. The ending was all you wanted it to be, it let you know where everyone was. The ending made the rest of the book for me.
The Wedding Chapel
Author: Rachel Hauck
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings
Goodreads: An old, forgotten chapel holds the key to love and forgiveness.
Retired hall-of-fame football coach Jimmy Westbrook never imagined anything would come of his labor of love—building a wedding chapel for Collette Greer, the woman he fell in love with in 1949. But now a realtor wants the land the chapel sits on, and he sees no reason to hang onto the past.
Photographer Taylor Branson is trying to make a life for herself in New York. Leaving her hometown of Heart’s Bend, Tennessee, she put a lot of things behind her, including her family’s string of failed marriages. When she falls head-over-heels for Jack Gillingham, a top ad man, their whirlwind romance and elopement leave her with doubts. Jack, while genuine in his love for Taylor, can never seem to find the right way to show her he really cares.
When a post-mortem letter from Taylor’s Granny Peg shows up, along with an old photo, she is driven to uncover family secrets and the secret to her own happiness, starting with an assignment to photograph an unknown, obscure wedding chapel back in Heart’s Bend.
Taylor begins a mission to convince Jimmy that the chapel is worth saving—and that forgiveness and healing might happen within the chapel’s walls . . . for both of them.
Ope’s Opinion: I really enjoy Christian Fiction and this one was above and beyond the average! Rachel Hauck is one of the authors that I go to for a good read. She has characters in this book that are real, with flaws and real world difficulties. The characters don’t always handle things the best way, which feels so real. It shows God’s forgiveness – which we all need.
This ended as you would expect, but the journey to get there was what made the read worthwhile.
Return to Virgin River
Author: Robyn Carr
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Romance
Source: Katie at Little Bird Publicity
Goodreads: #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr returns to the beloved town of Virgin River with a brand-new story about fresh starts, new friends and the magic of Christmas.
Kaylee Sloan’s home in Southern California is full of wonderful memories of the woman who raised her. But the memories are prolonging her grief over her mother’s recent death. A successful author, Kaylee hoped she could pour herself into her work. Instead she has terrible writer’s block and a looming deadline.
Determined to escape distractions and avoid the holiday season, Kaylee borrows a cabin in Virgin River. She knows the isolation will help her writing, and as she drives north through the mountains and the majestic redwoods, she immediately feels inspired. Until she arrives at a building that has just gone up in flames. Devastated, she heads to Jack’s Bar to plan her next steps. The local watering hole is the heart of the town, and once she crosses the threshold, she’s surprised to be embraced by people who are more than willing to help a friend—or a stranger—in need.
Kaylee’s world is expanding in ways she never dreamed possible. And when she rescues a kitten followed by a dog with a litter of puppies, she finds her heart opening up to the animals who need her. And then there’s the dog trainer who knows exactly how to help her. As the holidays approach, Kaylee’s dread turns to wonder. Because there’s no better place to spend Christmas than Virgin River.
Ope’s Opinion: What an awesome story. It is the beginning of my Christmas reading and this is the perfect one to start off the season. The mother / daughter relationship feels close to mine. Although it had sad parts, it was a positive uplifting story.
This is part of a long series I have been reading since it started, it was great to see where all the characters are now. You certainly could read this one alone. This book is more romance than some of her books. I enjoyed that the romance was slow and sweet. The ending was what you wanted and expected.
The Lost Husband
Author: Katherine Center
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Genre: Fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings
Goodreads: “Dear Libby, It occurs to me that you and your two children have been living with your mother for — Dear Lord! — two whole years, and I’m writing to see if you’d like to be rescued.” The letter comes out of the blue, and just in time for Libby Moran, who, after the sudden death of her husband, Danny, went to stay with her hypercritical mother. Now her crazy Aunt Jean has offered Libby an escape, a job and a place to live on her farm in the Texas Hill Country. Before she can talk herself out of it, Libby is packing the minivan, grabbing the kids, and hitting the road.
Life on Aunt Jean’s goat farm is both more wonderful and more mysterious than Libby could have imagined. Beyond the animals and the strenuous work, there is quiet, deep, country quiet. But there is also a shaggy, gruff (though purportedly handsome, under all that hair) farm manager with a tragic home life, a formerly famous feed-store clerk who claims she can contact Danny “on the other side,” and the eccentric aunt Libby never really knew but who turns out to be exactly what she’s been looking for. And despite everything she’s lost, Libby soon realizes how much more she’s found. Libby hasn’t just traded one kind of crazy for another; she may actually have found the place to bring her little family, and herself, back to life.
Ope’s Opinion: Let me just state upfront that I am a Katherine Center fan, which lead me to read her back list – this being one of them. I had such high expectations that this one just couldn’t live up to. If it had been my first Katherine Center book, I may have liked it more ( that is kind of sad ).
I thought the whole story was slow moving and meandered down a path, where it got lost once in a while. The characters were likable, her aunt was quirky, and O’Connor was a bit strange, but all were interesting to read about.
All that being said, I will continue to read Katherine Centers books.
The Last Flight
Author: Julie Clark
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Genre: Thriller
Source: Krstin at Kritters Ramblings
Goodreads: THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER!
THE INSTANT USA TODAY BESTSELLER!
Two women. Two Flights. One last chance to disappear.
Claire Cook has a perfect life. Married to the scion of a political dynasty, with a Manhattan townhouse and a staff of ten, her surroundings are elegant, her days flawlessly choreographed, and her future auspicious. But behind closed doors, nothing is quite as it seems. That perfect husband has a temper that burns as bright as his promising political career, and he’s not above using his staff to track Claire’s every move, making sure she’s living up to his impossible standards. But what he doesn’t know is that Claire has worked for months on a plan to vanish.
A chance meeting in an airport bar brings her together with a woman whose circumstances seem equally dire. Together they make a last-minute decision to switch tickets ― Claire taking Eva’s flight to Oakland, and Eva traveling to Puerto Rico as Claire. They believe the swap will give each of them the head start they need to begin again somewhere far away. But when the flight to Puerto Rico goes down, Claire realizes it’s no longer a head start but a new life. Cut off, out of options, with the news of her death about to explode in the media, Claire will assume Eva’s identity, and along with it, the secrets Eva fought so hard to keep hidden.
The Last Flight is the story of two women―both alone, both scared―and one agonizing decision that will change the trajectory of both of their lives.
Ope’s Opinion: I am not sure I have the words to explain how great this book is. It made me hold my breath and feel the tension these characters were feeling. Just start reading…. you won’t want to stop.
Thrillers always have twists, some times you can see them coming – not this one! Just when you think you know where the story is going, Clark throws in a curve. So you keep reading to see what is next!
This amazing story, was written really well and had an ending that just made the book perfect! I will be looking for her next book.
Autumn Skies
Author: Denise Hunter
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source: Margaret at Harper Collins
Goodreads: From the bestselling author of The Convenient Groom and A December Bride (now beloved Hallmark Original movies) comes the third and final novel in the Bluebell Inn series!
When a mysterious man turns up at Grace’s family-run inn, it’s instant attraction. But she’s already got a lot on her plate: running the Bluebell Inn, getting Blue Ridge Outfitters off the ground, and coping with a childhood event she’d thought was long past.
A gunshot wound has resurrected the past for secret service agent Wyatt Jennings, and a mandatory leave of absence lands him in Bluebell, North Carolina. There he must try and come to grips with the crisis that altered his life forever.
Grace needs experience for her new outfitters business, so when Wyatt needs a mountain guide, she’s more than happy to step up to the plate. As their journey progresses, Grace soon has an elusive Wyatt opening up, and Wyatt is unwittingly drawn to Grace’s fresh outlook and sense of humor.
There’s no doubt the two have formed a special bond, but will Wyatt’s secrets bring Grace’s world crashing down? Or will those secrets end up healing them both?
Ope’s Opinion: This is the third of the Bluebell Inn series. As usual Denise Hunter writes amazing characters, who are easy to care about. At the start of the story, I was having a little bit of a struggle with Grace and Wyatt’s first hike – for me parts of it just didn’t feel natural.
After they came home from the hike, the rest of the story and their relationship picked up and was fun to read and follow. I always enjoy how Denise brings her characters together, how they respect each other and how the romance is slow and clean.
The end is amazing – some of which you expect and some little surprises. Such a good read!
Don’t Overthink It
Author: Anne Bogel
Publisher: Baker Books
Genre: Nonfiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings
Goodreads: We’ve all been there: stuck in a cycle of what-ifs, plagued by indecision, paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong. Nobody wants to live a life of constant overthinking, but it doesn’t feel like something we can choose to stop doing. It feels like something we’re wired to do, something we just can’t escape. But is it?
Anne Bogel’s answer is no. Not only can you overcome negative thought patterns that are repetitive, unhealthy, and unhelpful, you can replace them with positive thought patterns that will bring more peace, joy, and love into your life. In Don’t Overthink It, you’ll find actionable strategies that can make an immediate and lasting difference in how you deal with questions both small–Should I buy these flowers?–and large–What am I doing with my life? More than a book about making good decisions, Don’t Overthink It offers you a framework for making choices you’ll be comfortable with, using an appropriate amount of energy, freeing you to focus on all the other stuff that matters in life.
Ope’s Opinion: I have the physical book on my shelf, but I ended up listening to this one. Anne’s voice was great for this book. She had examples and thoughts to go along with her ideas of making life easier. Her examples helped plant the ideas in my head.
I will go back to this book again, I am sure. I will ask myself the questions at the end of the chapters again and see how far I have come and what still needs to be worked on along the way. It is a work in progress, so it will be fun to see what comes easy and what I will be going back to again and again.
Thank you, Kristin of Kritters Ramblings for buying this book for me. We share many different books, it is always fun to have my book world opened a little wider.
Out Now
Out today!! Robyn Carr’s
Return to Virgin River!!
Goodreads: Kaylee Sloan’s home in Southern California is full of wonderful memories of the woman who raised her. But the memories are prolonging her grief over her mother’s recent death. A successful author, Kaylee hoped she could pour herself into her work. Instead she has terrible writer’s block and a looming deadline.
Determined to escape distractions and avoid the holiday season, Kaylee borrows a cabin in Virgin River. She knows the isolation will help her writing, and as she drives north through the mountains and the majestic redwoods, she immediately feels inspired. Until she arrives at a building that has just gone up in flames. Devastated, she heads to Jack’s Bar to plan her next steps. The local watering hole is the heart of the town, and once she crosses the threshold, she’s surprised to be embraced by people who are more than willing to help a friend—or a stranger—in need.
Kaylee’s world is expanding in ways she never dreamed possible. And when she rescues a kitten followed by a dog with a litter of puppies, she finds her heart opening up to the animals who need her. And then there’s the dog trainer who knows exactly how to help her. As the holidays approach, Kaylee’s dread turns to wonder. Because there’s no better place to spend Christmas than Virgin River.
If you are a Virgin River reader you need to put this on your TBR list now!
Ope's Opinions 