Category Archives: Book Opinion

Echo Lake

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Author:  Carla Neggers
Publisher: MIRA
Genre: Contemporary Fiction          echo
Source: Emer Flounders

 

 

 

Goodreads:  In snowy Swift River Valley, unexpected romance is just around the corner…

Heather Sloan has landed her dream job—the renovation of Vic Scarlatti’s stately 1912 country home overlooking the icy waters of Echo Lake in Knights Bridge, Massachusetts. It’s the perfect project for the family business, but for once, Heather is in charge.

Diplomatic Security Service agent Brody Hancock left Knights Bridge at eighteen, a few steps ahead of arrest and the wrath of Heather’s older brothers. Though Brody had never planned to return, Vic, a retired diplomat and friend, needs his help.

Staying at Vic’s guest house makes it impossible to avoid running into a Sloan at every turn—especially Heather. Seeing her again has affected Brody more than he wants to admit. But Heather is wary of Brody’s sudden interest in her, and she suspects there’s more to his homecoming than he’s letting on…

Set against the scenic backdrop of a New England winter, Echo Lake is a captivating tale of family, friends and the possibility of new love.

Ope’s Opinion: This is a quick, easy romantic read with a little mystery in it.  This is the fourth book in the Swift River Valley series. It is the first one I read.  I did not feel lost.  The author did a good job of introducing each character and letting you know how they are related to others.  I did feel like I might want to go back and read the other characters stories.

The first half of the book felt very repetitive.  I think I was told several times that Brody had a pumpkin incident with the Sloan brothers.  I never did hear that whole story.

The second half of the book was great!  I loved how strong and independent Heather Sloan was.  I liked that she fell in love, but continued with her life and her dreams.  She didn’t get swallowed up by Brody.

The story was predictable, but had a lot of fun along the way.  There was an adorable pup, a lot of Sloan brothers and Brody’s friends that all add a lot of enjoyable characters to Brody and Heathers story.

I would read Carla Neggers again.

Rating: Three Chairs – I like the book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.
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Brava, Valentine

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Author: Adriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harpers Collins Publishing          brava
Genre:  Women’s Fictions
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  Adriana Trigiani’s bestselling novels are beloved by millions of readers around the world. From the Big Stone Gap series to Lucia, Lucia, each is a sumptuous treat as Trigiani tells hilarious and romantic stories that we want to return to again and again.

Very Valentine, an instant New York Times bestseller, introduced the contemporary family saga of the Roncalli and Angelini families, artisans of handcrafted wedding shoes in Greenwich Village since 1903.

As Brava, Valentine begins, snow falls like glitter over Tuscany at the wedding of her grandmother, Teodora, and longtime love, Dominic. Valentine’s dreams are dashed when Gram announces that Alfred, “the prince,” Valentine’s only brother and nemesis, has been named her partner at Angelini Shoes. Devastated, Valentine falls into the arms of Gianluca, a sexy Tuscan tanner who made his romantic intentions known on the Isle of Capri. Despite their passion for one another and Gianluca’s heartfelt letters, a long-distance relationship seems impossible.

As Valentine turns away from romance and devotes herself to her work, mentor and pattern cutter June Lawton guides her through her power struggle with Alfred, while best friend and confidante Gabriel Biondi moves into 166 Perry Street, transforming her home and point of view. Savvy financier Bret Fitzpatrick, Valentine’s first love and former fiancée who still carries a torch for her, encourages Valentine to exploit her full potential as a designer and a business woman with a plan that will bring her singular creations to the world.

A once-in-a-lifetime business opportunity takes Valentine from the winding streets of Greenwich Village to the sun-kissed cobblestones of Buenos Aires, where she finds a long-buried secret hidden deep within a family scandal. Once unearthed, the truth rocks the Roncallis and Valentine is determined to hold her family together. More so, she longs to create one of her own, but is torn between a past love that nurtured her, and a new one that promises to sustain her.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the second book in the trilogy of the Roncalli and Angelini family.  The second book has wonderful descriptions so you can see what she is writing, but not as much as the first book.  I feel like the first book gave me all the background to set me up for this book.

Watching Valentine take over at the family company was very interesting.  There were a lot of challenges at the Angelini Shoe Company.  Valentine enjoyed the challenges at work, but wanted more in her life.  Her relationships are explored in this book. Her love interest is not the one I would have picked for her.

I enjoyed Valentines travels in this book.  I wanted to go with her!! – at times I felt like I was with her thanks for Trigiani’s writing.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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New Uses for Old Boyfriends

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Author: Beth Kendrick
Publisher: NAL Trade
Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction                 new uses
Source: Booksparks

 

 

 

Goodreads:  After growing up in privilege and marrying into money, Lila Alders has gotten used to the good life. But when her happily-ever-after implodes, Lila must return to Black Dog Bay, the tiny seaside town where she grew up. She’s desperate for a safe haven, but everything has changed over the past ten years. Her family’s fortune is gone—and her mother is in total denial. It’s up to Lila to take care of everything…but she can barely take care of herself.

The former golden girl of Black Dog Bay struggles to reinvent herself by opening a vintage clothing boutique. But even as Lila finds new purpose for outdated dresses and tries to reunite with her ex, she realizes that sometimes it’s too late for old dreams. She’s lost everything she thought she needed but found something—someone—she desperately wants. A boy she hardly noticed has grown up into a man she can’t forget…and a second chance has never felt so much like first love.

Ope’s Opinion:  It was fun to revisit Black Dog Bay.  Lila’s story was a fun, fresh read.  I couldn’t believe how fast I read it. I am a slow reader and I went through this book in no time.  

I really liked Lila and Daphne’s relationship.  They are what I think  a typical mother – daughter is really like.  They love each other, support each other, but don’t always agree or get along.  I enjoyed seeing an adult child and a mother relationship.  All the women (and there are a lot of them) in the book are strong independent people, good examples.

I like how Lila’s male relationships ended up.  I don’t want to spoil it, but it did have a few curves along the way to keep it interesting and it was very positive.

I would read another Beth Kendrick.  She writes such easy fun reads.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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Very Valentine

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Author:  Adriana Trigiani
Publisher: Harper
Genre:  Women’s Fiction              very
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  Meet the Roncalli and Angelini families, a vibrant cast of colorful characters who navigate tricky family dynamics with hilarity and brio, from magical Manhattan to the picturesque hills of bella Italia. Very Valentine is the first novel in a trilogy and is sure to be the new favorite of Trigiani’s millions of fans around the world.

In this luscious, contemporary family saga, the Angelini Shoe Company, makers of exquisite wedding shoes sincFour e 1903, is one of the last family-owned businesses in Greenwich Village. The company is on the verge of financial collapse. It falls to thirty-three-year-old Valentine Roncalli, the talented and determined apprentice to her grandmother, the master artisan Teodora Angelini, to bring the family’s old-world craftsmanship into the twenty-first century and save the company from ruin.

While juggling a budding romance with dashing chef Roman Falconi, her duty to her family, and a design challenge presented by a prestigious department store, Valentine returns to Italy with her grandmother to learn new techniques and seek one-of-a-kind materials for building a pair of glorious shoes to beat their rivals. There, in Tuscany, Naples, and on the Isle of Capri, a family secret is revealed as Valentine discovers her artistic voice and much more, turning her life and the family business upside down in ways she never expected. Very Valentine is a sumptuous treat, a journey of dreams fulfilled, a celebration of love and loss filled with Trigiani’s trademark heart and humor.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is the first of a trilogy of the Roncalli and Angelini families.  Adriana Trigiani writes with such detail, I feel like I can see exactly what she is writing about.  Throughout the whole book I felt like I was right in the middle of this family.  It was fun to feel like I was a part of it, but looking from the outside.

If you love details and a lot of description, you will really enjoy this book.  There were times when I got lost in the description and forgot where I was in the story.

I am anxious to see where Adriana Trigiani takes the family in the next book.

Rating:  Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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Things Remembered

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Author:  Georgia Bockoven
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks      things
Genre:  Women’s Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  To face the future, a woman must let go of the past. . . .

Returning to her childhood home in the golden hills of Northern California means regret and pain for Karla Esterbrook. Yet she can’t refuse when her ailing grandmother, Anna, asks her to help settle her affairs. After all, Anna raised Karla and her younger sisters after their parents’ death twenty years before. But from the beginning a powerful clash of wills separated Karla and her grandmother, leaving them both bitter and angry.

Little does Karla know that a very determined Anna will do everything in her power to bridge the chasm between them. But can the wounds of the past truly be healed? For Karla, opening her heart could lead to more hurt—or perhaps to reconciliation . . . and a love the likes of which she has never known. 

Ope’s Opinion: This is my February book off Kristin’s of Kritters Ramblings bookshelf.

If you haven’t read Georgia Bockoven before this would be a great place to start.  This story is very heartwarming.  When you start reading you will immediately have a connection with the characters.  

This story reminds me to enjoy and cherish my time with my girls.  Having traditions and making memories to pass down to the next generation is important. I did have a few tears while reading since I have lost my mom. This story is not morbid or even sad – it is more hopeful.

I will be reading more Georgia Bockoven’s books.

Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on…..

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Best Kept Secret

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Author: Amy Hatvany
Publisher:  Simon & Schuster              best
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source:  Purchased

 

 

Goodreads:  Cadence didn’t sit down one night and decide that downing two bottles of wine was a brilliant idea.

Her drinking snuck up on her – as a way to sleep, to help her relax after a long day, to relieve some of the stress of the painful divorce that left her struggling to make ends meet with her five-year old son, Charlie.

It wasn’t always like this. Just a few years ago, Cadence seemed to have it all,a successful husband, an adorable son, and a promising career as a freelance journalist.But with the demise of her marriage, her carefully constructed life begins to spiral out of control.Suddenly she is all alone trying to juggle the demands of work and motherhood.

Logically, Cadence knows that she is drinking too much, and every day begins with renewed promises to herself that she will stop.But within a few hours, driven by something she doesn’t understand, she is reaching for the bottle – even when it means not playing with her son because she is too tired, or dropping him off at preschool late, again.And even when one calamitous night it means leaving him alone to pick up more wine at the grocery store.It’s only when her ex-husband shows up at her door to take Charlie away that Cadence realizes her best kept secret has been discovered.

Heartbreaking, haunting, and ultimately life-affirming, Best Kept Secretis more than just the story of Cadence,it’s a story of how the secrets we hold closest are the ones that can most tear us apart.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a book with a heavy subject.  It seems on the surface that this book is about alcoholism – and it is.  But is also about any secret that is kept, that could be harmful.  When you share your difficulties they loose their stronghold and you can find others to help.

Amy Hatvany writes in such a way that you feel her words – not just read them. The story is told from Cadence’s point of view.  It flipped back and forth from present to past without any subtitles, but you could figure it out.

Although this may be a hard read, it is worth each moment you spend with these characters.  It will open your eyes to the struggle of addiction and the support needed to become whole again.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.            de9fc-4chairs

Having My Baby

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Author: Theresa Ragan
Publisher:  Createspace                               having my baby
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source:  BEA

 

Goodreads:  “Mr. Baylor,” the officer said, “have you ever met either of these women?”

Derrick’s mind was numb, but somehow he managed to say, “No. Never.”

“You’re making the ladies nervous, and truthfully, you’ve got me wondering too–what is your business with this woman?”

Derrick pried his gaze from the woman’s stomach and raised his eyes to hers. “She’s having my baby.”

Growing up, Jill Garrison never daydreamed about having the perfect wedding. Instead, she dreamt about having a baby. Boy or girl, it didn’t matter. Unfortunately, her fiancé can’t have children. Determined to realize her lifelong dream of having a baby, Jill spends years searching for a company (CryoCorp) that provides high quality donor sperm. Everything is right in Jill’s world until her wedding day when her fiancé leaves her at the altar to be humiliated before friends and family. She doesn’t waste any time moving from New York City to California to start over. And she keeps her appointment with Cryocorp. She may never have the wedding or the husband, but nothing is going to stop her from having a baby. She’s tired of everyone telling her what to do. The baby she’s carrying is hers and hers alone. Nobody can take that away from her.

Or can they?

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a very unlikely scenario, but it was so much fun to read.  You should go into this book with the mind set of just enjoying it, not thinking it could be real.

I think this book should be made into a Hallmark movie.  It is so cute, easy to read and just enjoyable.  The characters are fun to follow.  It is pretty predictable, but that is part of the charm of this book.

The Baylor family is a large one. I would love to read about the rest of them in another book by Theresa Ragan.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.            de9fc-4chairs

Megan’s Hope

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Author:  Steena Holmes
Publisher: Steena Holmes
Genre: Contemporary Woman’s Fiction   megan's hope
Source:  Author

 

 

Goodreads:  What is normal when a kidnapped daughter returns home?
Emma is now home and Jack, the man Emma calls Papa is part of their family. Life should be good, right?
Except Jack is dying and no one is quite ready to say goodbye.

This novella follows the life of Jack and Emma throughout the past year and if you thought your heart had already broke while reading Finding Emma and Emma’s Secret – get ready.

You’ll need kleenex and lots of it.

Each of the monthly stories found in this novella were available to Steena’s newsletter subscribers as a special bonus but now they are available for everyone. Enjoy!

Ope’s Opinion:  Well, Steena Holmes has done it again!  She had me in tears partly through this novella and really crying at the end.

Mostly what I want to say about this book is READ IT!!!  If you have not read Steena’s books before pick one up and start reading – actually you may want to pick up more then one because once you finish the first one, you will  immediately want the next one.

This is the end of Emma’s story.  It has been a wonderful series.

Rating: Five Chairs – This book is so good it will be passed on and on and on….
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War of the Wives

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Author:  Tamar Cohen
Publisher: MIRA                                war
Genre:  Adult Fiction
Source: Emer Flounders

 

 

Goodreads:  Think marriage means happily ever after? Think again…

Selina and Lottie are complete opposites. Where Selina is poised but prudish, Lottie is quirky and emotional. Selina is the dutiful mother of three children and able manager of their stylish suburban home. Lottie lives with her eccentric teenage daughter in a small city apartment fit to bursting with color and happy chaos. But these women also have one shocking similarity: they’re married to the same man…and they’ve just found out he’s dead.

Selina has been married to Simon Busfield for twenty-eight years, Lottie for seventeen. Neither knew a thing about the other until the day of Simon’s funeral, where the scandalous truth is revealed in front of everyone they know. Another wife, another family… And they’ve only just scratched the surface of Simon’s incredible betrayal.

With dark humor and razor-sharp wit, Cohen expertly unravels a story of deception and betrayal, where two very different families will discover they are entwined in ways that will change them all forever.

Ope’s Opinion:  The synopsis of this book really intrigued me.  I am not a huge fan of British writing or humor, so I was a little hesitant to read this.  The British writing is not overwhelming, but at times I felt like the story rambled on.

The two wives are so different.   As the wives moved through the stages of denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, the book moved through their lives.  It had double meaning – accepting the death of their husband and accepting the fact that the other one existed.  It was an interesting way to look at the situation.

The ending had it’s twists.  It was kind of sad.  The epilogue tried to tie things up.  I am not sure it felt complete to me.

Rating:  Three Chairs – I like this book enough to suggest it to a friend or two.a85cf-3chairs

 

Always on My Mind

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Author:  Susan May Warren
Publisher:  Tyndale House Publishers            always
Genre:  Christian Fiction
Source: Shelf of Kristin of
              Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  After a failed dig in Honduras, aspiring archaeologist Casper Christiansen heads home to Minnesota to face his unresolved feelings for Raina Beaumont, the woman of his dreams. But when he arrives unannounced on her doorstep, he receives the shock of a lifetime: Raina is pregnant with someone else’s baby.

Heartbroken, especially when he discovers the identity of the baby’s father, Casper tables his dreams and determines to be dependable for once, helping his older brother, Darek, prepare the family resort for its grand reopening. Casper longs to be the hero of at least one family story, but a never-ending Deep Haven winter and costly repairs threaten their efforts—and the future of the resort.

Worse, one of Casper’s new jobs constantly brings him into contact with Raina, whom he can’t seem to forget. A tentative friendship begins to heal fresh wounds, but can they possibly overcome past mistakes and current choices to discover a future together?

Ope’s Opinion:  This is my first book off my daughter Kristin of Kritters Ramlbings shelf.  My challenge this year is to read one book a month off her shelf.  Well, this is an awesome way to start the year.  This book was very, very good.

If you have not read Susan May Warren, you should check her books out.  The Christiansen family has been fun to follow.  This is the fourth book.  It is helpful to read the other three, but Susan May Warren does a really good job of catching you up, if this is your first book.

Raina and Casper are the center of this book, but the rest of the family has a lot going on.  It was fun to see all the stories advanced.

I would have given this book five chairs, but I felt like Raina’s and Caspers on and off relationship drug out just a little long for me.  It was obvious they were in love.

I am really looking forward to her next book on the Christiansen family.

Rating: Four Chairs – I like this book so much I know several friends to share it with.
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