Category Archives: Book Opinion

Whiskey in a Teacup

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Author: Reese Witherspoon
Publisher: Touchstone
Genre: Non-Fiction Memoir
Source:  Received at Book Event

Goodreads:  Academy award–winning actress, producer, and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon invites you into her world, where she infuses the southern style, parties, and traditions she loves with contemporary flair and charm.

Reese Witherspoon’s grandmother Dorothea always said that a combination of beauty and strength made southern women “whiskey in a teacup.” We may be delicate and ornamental on the outside, she said, but inside we’re strong and fiery.

Reese’s southern heritage informs her whole life, and she loves sharing the joys of southern living with practically everyone she meets. She takes the South wherever she goes with bluegrass, big holiday parties, and plenty of Dorothea’s fried chicken. It’s reflected in how she entertains, decorates her home, and makes holidays special for her kids—not to mention how she talks, dances, and does her hair (in these pages, you will learn Reese’s fail-proof, only slightly insane hot-roller technique). Reese loves sharing Dorothea’s most delicious recipes as well as her favorite southern traditions, from midnight barn parties to backyard bridal showers, magical Christmas mornings to rollicking honky-tonks.

It’s easy to bring a little bit of Reese’s world into your home, no matter where you live. After all, there’s a southern side to every place in the world, right?

Ope’s Opinion: I rarely read non-fiction, but this one caught my eye.  Reese Witherspoon is such a leader in promoting women, she has a book club and I think she is a great role model for young women. 

I enjoyed the tidbits her mother and grandmother gave to her.  Her book club picks are interesting.  The recipes were fun to read about, but not ones I think I would use on a regular basis.

 

 

When the Lights Go Out

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Author: Mary Kubica
Publisher: Park Row
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

Goodreads: A woman is forced to question her own identity in this riveting and emotionally charged thriller by the blockbuster bestselling author of The Good Girl, Mary Kubica

Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life after years of caring for her ailing mother. She rents a new apartment and applies for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that causes her to doubt everything she’s ever known.

Finding herself suddenly at the center of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by grief and a relentless lack of sleep. As days pass and the insomnia worsens, it plays with Jessie’s mind. Her judgment is blurred, her thoughts are hampered by fatigue. Jessie begins to see things until she can no longer tell the difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined.

Meanwhile, twenty years earlier and two hundred and fifty miles away, another woman’s split-second decision may hold the key to Jessie’s secret past. Has Jessie’s whole life been a lie or have her delusions gotten the best of her?

Ope’s Opinion: This one took me a long time to get into.  It moved very slowly.  Jessie and Eden tell the story in alternating voices.  At first I wasn’t sure how they were connected, then it became obvious.  I liked Eden’s voice a little more, her story was straight forward.  Jessie seemed to be out there somewhere, and I just didn’t follow her as well.

Now, the ending…. not sure what to do with that.  It frustrated me.

Seasons of Wonder

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Author: RaeAnne Thayne
Publisher: HQN Books
Genre: Holiday Romance
Source: Claire at Little Bird Publicity

 

Goodreads:  He’s giving her children a season of wonder…

Dani Capelli seized a chance to start over in a small town with her daughters. Now, facing her first Christmas in Haven Point, she wonders if leaving New York was a mistake. Dani loves working alongside veterinarian Dr. Morales, but her two children aren’t adjusting to small-town life. And then there’s Dr. Morales’s son, Ruben—Dani’s next-door neighbor. Gorgeous, muscled and dependable, the deputy sheriff is everything she secretly craves and can’t bear to risk loving…and losing.

Ruben never pictured himself falling for a big-city woman like Dani. But beneath her prickly facade, she’s caring and softhearted and she needs all the love and protection he can give. When Dani’s teenage daughter starts acting out, Ruben draws on family traditions to show the girls just how magical a Haven Point Christmas can be. But can he convince Dani that she’s found a home for the holidays—and forever—in his arm.

Ope’s Opinion:  This is a perfect read to get you in the holiday mood.  It is a  wonderfully predictable romance.  It is easy to pick up when you have to put it down during the holiday interruptions.  You will want to get right back to it. Being in Haven Point during the holidays is a wonderful place to escape to for a little while.  

You can read this one without having read the other Haven Point books.  You will not feel lost or like you are missing something.  If you really enjoy this one, go back and read the others, it is worth your time.

 

The Language of Sisters

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Author: Amy Hatvany / Amy Yurk
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Genre: Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  A poignant novel about going home again—and how the most complex relationships can yield the most rewarding surprises.

Ten years ago, Nicole Hunter left her troubled home behind her, unable to cope with the demands of a life with her disabled sister, Jenny. Though her search for happiness—both in career and in love—has fallen short of her dreams, Nicole pretends that all is well. Then a shattering event turns her world upside down, and suddenly, she is back in her hometown, caring for her pregnant sister and trying to heal her embattled relationship with her mother.

Reunited with her family and forced to confront the guilt that haunts her, Nicole finally has the chance to be the sister she always wished she’d been. And when she is faced with the most difficult choice of her life, Nicole rediscovers the beauty of sisterhood—and receives a special gift that will change her life forever.

Ope’s Opinion:  This was an easy choice to read because I really enjoy sister stories  and I really like Amy Hatvany’s way of writing.  This is a very heartfelt story of a child without a diagnosis – just a disability – which makes it even more relatable.  You can imagine yourself in either sisters position. 

This was a wonderful book to read, but the subject was not easy.  All the difficulties and situations in the family were hard to deal with.  Amy Hatvany’s writing made me feel it all.
I enjoy a book that challenges me and my thinking of how things are or should be.

This is not my favorite Amy Hatvany book and I still really liked it, so that tells you what a good author she is.

 

 

Blue Ridge Sunrise

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Author: Denise Hunter
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source: Purchased

Goodreads:  Former free spirit Zoe Collins swore she’d never again set foot in Copper Creek or speak to the man who broke her heart. But return she must when her beloved Granny dies, leaving the family legacy to Zoe—a peach orchard nestled at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

When Zoe returns home with her daughter and boyfriend Kyle, she finds that she’s the only person in town who doesn’t expect her to give up the life she’s established far away from Copper Creek. Everyone believes she was born to run the orchard, but how can she make it her home after so many years?

Cruz Huntley never quite got over his first love, Zoe Collins, the little sister of his best friend Brady. Not when she cheated on him during their “break,” not when she took off to parts unknown with good-for-nothing Kyle Jenkins, and not even now—five years later.

As life-changing decisions and a history with Cruz hang over Zoe’s head, tensions rise between her and Kyle. Even as she comes to terms with the shifting relationships in her life, Zoe still isn’t sure if she can remain in Copper Creek with her new responsibilities . . . and her first love.

Ope’s Opinion: This story was very well written and would be a five chair for me, except a character in the book tried to solve a crime when the local police couldn’t.  It just didn’t fit in with the rest of the book. It was only two chapters – the rest of the story was amazing.  I would still recommend reading it.

This is part of a series.  I have the second one on my shelf ( will read it soon ) and my daughter received the third one for review, so I will read that too.   Denise Hunter is one of the best Christian fiction writers I have read.

The Wedding Sisters

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Author: Jamie Brenner
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Chic Lit
Source: From a Free Library

 

Goodreads:  Meryl Becker is living a mother’s dream. The oldest of her three beautiful daughters, Meg, is engaged to a wonderful man from one of the country’s most prominent families. Of course, Meryl wants to give Meg the perfect wedding. Who wouldn’t? But when her two younger daughters, Amy and Jo, also become engaged to celebrated bachelors, Meryl has to admit that three weddings is more than she and her husband, Hugh, can realistically afford.

The solution? A triple wedding! At first, it’s a tough sell to the girls, and juggling three sets of future in-laws is a logistical nightmare. But when Hugh loses his teaching job, and Meryl’s aging mother suddenly moves in with them, a triple wedding is the only way to get all three sisters down the aisle. When the grand plan becomes public, the onslaught of media attention adds to Meryl’s mounting pressure. Suddenly, appearances are everything – and she will do whatever it takes to keep the wedding on track. As money gets tight, her mother starts acting nutty, and her own thirty year marriage starts to unravel.

In the weeks leading up to the nuptials, secrets are revealed, passions ignite, and surprising revelations show Meryl and her daughters the true meaning of love, marriage and family. Jamie Brenner’s The Wedding Sisters invites readers to the most unpredictable wedding of the year.

Ope’s Opinion: This one is very difficult for me to review.  I absolutely did not like the language in this book – it was over the top and repetitive.  It was hard to relate to – they were whining about having three weddings to pay for and everyone had more then enough money for all of the weddings.  The detailed descriptions of the sex scenes added nothing to the story.

The synopsis and the cover were great!  The sister and parent relationships were enjoyable to read about, but those were not enough for me want to pass this book on.  I was very interested in reading Jamie Brenner’s book The Husband Hour, but now I am concerned it will contain the same language and descriptive sex, so I am rethinking.