Category Archives: Book Opinion

When We Were Worthy

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Author: Marybeth Mayhew Whalen
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Genre: Fiction
Source:  Ashley at Lake Union Publishing

Goodreads:  A win brought them together, but loss may tear them apart.

When the sound of sirens cuts through a cool fall night, the small town of Worthy, Georgia, hurtles from triumph to tragedy. Just hours before, they’d watched the Wildcats score a winning touchdown. Now, they’re faced with the deaths of three cheerleaders—their promising lives cut short in a fatal crash. And the boy in the other car—the only one to survive—is believed to be at fault. As rumors begin to fly and accusations spin, allegiances form and long-kept secrets emerge.

At the center of the whirlwind are four women, each grappling with loss, regret, shame, and lies: Marglyn, a grieving mother; Darcy, whose son had been behind the wheel; Ava, a substitute teacher with a scandalous secret; and Leah, a cheerleader who should have been in the car with her friends, but wasn’t. If the truth comes out, will it bring redemption—or will it be their downfall?

Ope’s Opinion:  If you remember and enjoyed the show Friday Nights Lights, you will really enjoy this book.  It is set in  a small town, surrounding football and cheerleaders, where everyone knows everyone else – or do they?  The secrets come out slowly throughout the book.

This story shows how hard it is to be a teen trying to make decisions that will effect you later in life.  Being the parents isn’t easier either.

I have another Marybeth Mayhew Whalen on my shelf.  This book made me want to move it up on TBR list.

 

Pretty, Nasty, Lovely

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Author: Rosalind Noonan
Publisher: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Genre: Thriller
Source:  Purchased

 

Goodreads:  Sisterhood has a price . . .

Pledging to Theta Pi at Merriwether University seemed to offer Emma Danelski a passport to friendship, fun, and popularity. But the excitement of pledge training quickly fades, as does the warmth of her so-called sisters. What’s left is a stifling society filled with petty rules, bullying, and manipulation. Most haunting are the choices Emma makes in the wake of another sorority sister’s suicide . . .

It doesn’t matter that no one else needs to know what Emma did, or how vastly different life at Theta House is from the glossy image it projects. Emma knows. And now, with her loyalties tested, she must decide which secrets are worth keeping and how far she’ll go to protect them–and herself . . .

Ope’s Opinion:  Rosalind Noonan can weave the best stories.  She wove a good story again this time, but it was not one of my favorite books from her.  The subject was hard to read and I didn’t love the characters. 

When the story moved from past to present it was confusing some times.  I wasn’t sure what order events happened in.  There were also so many other side stories going on that took away from Lydia’s story.

Throughout this whole book I felt like I was being told the story, but I never felt a part of it.  I will read Rosalind Noonan again.

Sunshine Beach

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Author: Wendy Wax
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

Goodreads:  There’s nothing that a fresh coat of paint and a few glasses of wine can’t fix…
 
After losing their life savings in a Ponzi scheme, Maddie, Avery, and Nikki have banded together to make the most of what they have left, using their determination, ingenuity, guts, and a large dose of elbow grease. It’s Maddie’s daughter Kyra who stumbles across a once glorious beachfront hotel that has fallen into disrepair. The opportunity to renovate this seaside jewel is too good to pass up—especially when they come up with the idea of shooting their own independent television show about the restoration. What could possibly go wrong?

Everything. With the cameras rolling, Maddie’s second-chance romance with her all-too-famous new boyfriend gets complicated, Avery struggles with grief over the loss of her mother, and Nikki’s reluctance to commit to the man who loves her could leave her to face the biggest challenge of her life. Even the hotel seems to be against them, when their renovation uncovers a decades-old unsolved murder which just might bring their lives tumbling down all over again…

Ope’s Opinion: This is the fourth in the Ten Beach Road Series.  You can read this one alone, but the previous books give a lot of background that makes the book so much better.

If you like HGTV and women’s friendships – you will really like this series of books.  Seeing all of them work together again was fun!  It was also good to see their other relationships progress.

There are at least two more books in the series, so we hope to get some closure in those books to all the open endings in this book.

Odd Child Out

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Author: Gilly Macmillan
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Mystery
Source:  William Morrow Paperbacks

 

 

Goodreads:  How well do you know the people you love…?

Best friends Noah Sandler and Abdi Mahad have always been inseparable.  But when Noah is found floating unconscious in Bristol’s Feeder Canal, Abdi can’t–or won’t–tell anyone what happened.

Just back from a mandatory leave following his last case, Detective Jim Clemo is now assigned to look into this unfortunate accident.  But tragedy strikes and what looked like the simple case of a prank gone wrong soon ignites into a public battle.  Noah is British.  Abdi is a Somali refugee.   And social tensions have been rising rapidly in Bristol.  Against this background of fear and fury two families fight for their sons and for the truth.  Neither of them know how far they will have to go, what demons they will have to face, what pain they will have to suffer.

Because the truth hurts.

Ope’s Opinion:  This entire book takes place in about five days, so it seemed to move slow at some points for me.  As it moved along there was a lot of back story added.  Each chapter was told from a different point of view – there is no title or anything that tells you who is talking.  You have to start reading and figure out who is speaking.  That was  part of what  made this a three instead of a four chair for me.

This is the second book of Macmillan’s with Detective Jim Clemo.  I have not read the first one – you don’t need to in order to enjoy this one.  There is obviously some things about the detective that you don’t know, but it doesn’t effect the story all that much.

The ending fell flat for me.  It made me understand what happened, but didn’t really give me much satisfaction.

Coming Soon….

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…. On a Bookshelf near you!

In October I hope to read….

Publication Date:  October 1, 2017
Publisher:  HQN Books

Goodreads: 

A touching modern fairy tale that won’t let go of your heart, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fool’s Gold romances!  

Mathias Mitchell’s easy smile hides a world of hurt. After the worst kind of family betrayal, he moves to Happily Inc., California—the wedding destination town supplies a steady stream of bridesmaids, perfect for his “no promises, no pain” lifestyle. Yet he can’t stop watching for his beautiful, elusive neighbor on the animal preserve behind their homes.

Gamekeeper Carol Lund knows she’s not special enough to attract an alpha male like Mathias, so his offer to help her adopt a herd for her lonely giraffe is surprising—and his determined seduction, even more so. But just as she finally welcomes him into her bed, his careless actions crush her heart. Will she give him a second chance to prove she’ll always come first in his heart?

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

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

Sugar Pine Trail

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

Goodreads:  An unlikely attraction brings comfort, joy and unforgettable romance this holiday season!

Librarian Julia Winston is ready to ditch the quiet existence she’s been living. She’s made a list of new things to experience, but falling for Jamie Caine, her sexy military pilot neighbor, isn’t one of them. Julia’s looking to conquer life, not become the heartbreaker’s latest conquest. But when two young brothers wind up in Julia’s care for the holidays, she’ll take any help she can get—even Jamie’s.

Happy to step in, Jamie reveals a side of himself that’s much harder to resist. Not only is he fantastic with kids, he provides the strength Julia needs to tackle her list. She knows their temporary family can’t last beyond the holidays, but the closer she gets to Jamie, the more she wonders if things could be this merry and bright forever…

Ope’s Opinion: Buy, Borrow, ebook – read this one however you choose.  This is the best RaeAnne Thayne I have read ( and I have read quiet a few ). 

To get ready for the holidays – grab a blanket, a beverage ( hot tea, wine, whatever ) and Sugar Pine Trail.  It will get you in the mood for the coming holidays.

As always, with RaeAnne Thayne the romance is in this book, but there is so much more.  The story of the two boys is priceless and will pull at your heartstrings.

The ending is happy and sad at the same time.  So worth your time to read this one.

 

Sweetbriar Cottage

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Author: Denise Hunter
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  When Noah and Josephine Mitchell discover their divorce was never actually finalized, their lives are turned upside down.

Following his divorce, Noah gave up his dream job, settling at a remote horse ranch in the Blue Ridge Mountains of northern Georgia, putting much-needed distance between himself and the former love of his life. But then Noah gets a letter from the IRS claiming he and Josephine are still married. When he confronts Josephine for the first time in months, they discover that she missed the final step in filing the paperwork and they are, in fact, still married.

Josephine is no happier about the news than Noah. Maybe the failed marriage—and okay, the botched divorce—was her fault, but her heart was shattered right alongside his, more than he would ever believe. The sooner they put this marriage behind them, the better for both of their sakes.

But when Josephine delivers the final paperwork to his ranch, the two become stranded in his cottage during the worst spring snowstorm in a decade. Being trapped with Josephine is a test of Noah’s endurance. He wrestles with resentment and an unmistakable pull to his wife—still beautiful, still brave, and still more intriguing than any woman he’s ever known.

As they find themselves confronted with each other and their shared past, old wounds surface and tempers flare. But when they are forced out into the storm, they must rely on each other in a way they never have before. Josephine finally opens up about her tragic past, and Noah realizes she’s never been loved unconditionally by anyone—including him. Will Noah accept the challenge to pursue Josephine’s heart? And can she finally find the courage to trust Noah?

Ope’s Opinion:  Denise Hunter writes some of the best Christian Fiction I have ever read.  She has real characters with flaws.  She is not preachy, but you know God is the center of the lives of the people in her books.

This book has a really good story line.  It is interesting to see marriage with difficulties and see people trying to figure out if it is worth fighting through it or give it up.  The only reason this book is a three and not a four  for me is the middle of the book drug on a little too long.  At that point you knew where the story was going, but it just seemed to stall too long.

The ending was wonderfully satisfying.

Things You Won’t Say

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Author: Sarah Pekkanen
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

Goodreads:  In this timely and provocative novel, internationally bestselling author Sarah Pekkanen takes us inside a family in crisis and a marriage on the brink after a tragic shooting.

How far would you go to save your family?

Every morning, as her husband Mike straps on his SIG Sauer and pulls on his heavy Magnum boots, Jamie Anderson tenses up. Then comes the call she has always dreaded: There’s been a shooting at police headquarters. Mike isn’t hurt, but his long-time partner is grievously injured. As weeks pass and her husband’s insomnia and disconnectedness mount, Jamie realizes he is an invisible casualty of the attack. Then the phone rings again. Another shooting but this time Mike has pulled the trigger.

But the shooting does more than just alter Jamie’s world. It’s about to change everything for two other women. Christie Simmons, Mike’s flamboyant ex, sees the tragedy as an opportunity for a second chance with Mike. And Jamie’s younger sister, Lou, must face her own losses to help the big sister who raised her. As the press descends and public cries of police brutality swell, Jamie tries desperately to hold together her family, no matter what it takes.

In her characteristic exploration of true-to-life relationships, Sarah Pekkanen has written a complex, compelling, and openhearted novel her best yet.

Ope’s Opinion:  OOH, this story was sooo good!  There are so many things about this book I liked – the sister relationship was so real and deep, the husband / wife relationship had it’s ups and downs ( again real ) and the secondary characters were fully developed and important to the rest of the story.

The only thing I didn’t really get into was Lou’s relationship with the animals at the zoo.  I wasn’t sure what that had to do with all the other things that were going on.  It was a side story that didn’t tie back into the main story.

The ending felt like what would have really happened to a family in this situation.  It was positive, but not sugar sweet and all was not perfect.

The House on Mermaid Point

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Author: Wendy Wax
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

Goodreads:  Maddie, Avery, and Nikki first got to know one another—perhaps all too well—while desperately restoring a beachfront mansion to its former grandeur. Now they’re putting that experience to professional use. But their latest project has presented some challenges they couldn’t have dreamed up in their wildest fantasies—although the house does belong to a man who actually was Maddie’s wildest fantasy once. . . .

Rock-and-roll legend “William the Wild” Hightower may be past his prime, estranged from his family, and creatively blocked, but he’s still worshiped by fans—which is why he guards his privacy on his own island in the Florida Keys. He’s not thrilled about letting this crew turn his piece of paradise into a bed-and-breakfast for a reality show . . . though he is intrigued by Maddie. Hard as that is for her to believe as a newly single woman who can barely manage a dog paddle in the dating pool.

But whether it’s an unexpected flirtation with a bona fide rock star, a strained mother-daughter relationship, or a sudden tragedy, these women are in it together. The only thing that might drive them apart is being trapped on a houseboat with one bathroom. . . .

Ope’s Opinion: This is the third in the series of Ten Beach Road.  If you liked the first two you definitely will like this one too.  Another house, another time of the women working together and their relationships are moving on. 

The show goes on.  The women have to remodel another home in Florida.

At this point there are three more in the series, so more fun to come!  Where will the ladies go next?

The Summer that Made Us

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Author: Robyn Carr
Publisher: Mira Books
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source:  Little Bird Publicity

 

Goodreads:  Mothers and daughters, sisters and cousins–they lived for summers at the lake house until a tragic accident changed everything. The Summer That Made Us is an unforgettable story about a family learning to accept the past, to forgive and to love each other again.

That was then…

For the Hempsteads, two sisters who married two brothers and had three daughters each, summers were idyllic. The women would escape the city the moment school was out to gather at the family house on Lake Waseka. The lake was a magical place, a haven where they were happy and carefree. All of their problems drifted away as the days passed in sun-dappled contentment. Until the summer that changed everything.

This is now…

After an accidental drowning turned the lake house into a site of tragedy and grief, it was closed up. For good. Torn apart, none of the Hempstead women speak of what happened that summer, and relationships between them are uneasy at best to hurtful at worst. But in the face of new challenges, one woman is determined to draw her family together again, and the only way that can happen is to return to the lake and face the truth.

Robyn Carr has crafted a beautifully woven story about the complexities of family dynamics and the value of strong female relationships.

Ope’s Opinion:  This did not feel like most of Robyn Carr’s books.  It was a deeper, heavier read then she usually writes.  There were a lot of issues addressed in this book.  It was a little on the depressing side.

The story was told from several peoples point of views, so that help to see the whole picture and understand the relationships.  There were a lot of “flashbacks” – views into things that brought the characters were they are now.  I enjoyed the present story of sisters coming back to the lake house better then the past story line.

The ending brought everything to a satisfying conclusion.