The Dance

Posted on by
1

Author: Dan Walsh / Gary Smalley
Publisher: Revell
Genre: Christian Fiction
Source: Purchased

 

 

Goodreads:  Jim Anderson is a successful businessman, and his wife, Marilyn, is the perfect wife. And why wouldn’t she be? He gives her everything she needs. That’s why Jim never expected to come home one day and find Marilyn gone.
After 27 years of marriage, Marilyn has had enough of feeling unloved and neglected. She wants to experience some measure of happiness before she’s too old to enjoy it, even signing up for dance lessons, something Jim would never do. What will it take for Jim to finally become the man Marilyn needs him to be?

Combining the literary talents of bestselling author Dan Walsh and the relationship expertise of bestselling author Gary Smalley, The Dance is the first novel in The Restoration Series. Readers will get caught up in these flawed but sincere members of the Anderson family as they rediscover genuine love and start a transformation that ultimately affects all of them.

Ope’s Opinion: Let me just say first that I really do enjoy Christian Fiction.  This one was not very positive and a little bit too preachy for my taste.  It was kind of sad too.

The ending came a little too easy, too fast and wrapped up too neatly.  It didn’t really show the work that I think would be needed to repair this marriage.  Since this is the first in a series, it will be interesting to see where the next book goes.

 

No Darker Place

Posted on by
Reply

Author: Debra Webb
Publisher: Mira Books
Genre: Mystery
Source:  Won From Shelf Awareness

 

 

Goodreads:  They want revenge. They need each other.

Detective Bobbie Gentry has one objective: to stop the serial killer who robbed her of her husband, her child and her life. Nick Shade understands Bobbie’s painand her desire for vengeance. He’s on a mission of his own, and the murderer known as the Storyteller is next on his list. Nick knows that the best way to find his target is to stick close to Bobbie. But as she becomes more and more reckless in her attempts to lure the Storyteller out of hiding, he has to make a choice. Will he protect her from herself even if it means passing up the chance to take out one more monster? As for Bobbie, she’s forced to decide just how much she can trust this stranger who knows so much about her. And both of them are about to learn whether or not two broken people can save each other.

Ope’s Opinion:  I think for most mystery readers this may be a 4 or 5 chair.  I am more of a who-done-it reader, so this had a bit more graphic details of what happened at the murder scene to the victims then I prefer.  The intensity was there through the whole book, the story felt realistic and the characters were ones you really cared about.

The beginning was a little hard to understand – I felt like I walked into a part two of a series, but this was part one -( I should have read the prequel ).  From page one the relationships were already developed and it was written as if I already knew the relationships between people.  After a couple of chapters I understood who was who.

Although this is a series, I felt it ended well and wrapped things up for this book.  Some of the relationships were left open, but I felt satisfied with the ending.

Any Day Now

Posted on by
1

 

Author: Robyn Carr
Publisher: Mira Books
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Little Bird Publicity

 

Goodreads:  The highly anticipated sequel to #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr’s What We Find transports readers back to Sullivan’s Crossing. The rustic campground at the crossroads of the Colorado and Continental Divide trails welcomes everyone—whether you’re looking for a relaxing weekend getaway or a whole new lease on life. It’s a wonderful place where good people face their challenges with humor, strength and love.

For Sierra Jones, Sullivan’s Crossing is meant to be a brief stopover. She’s put her troubled past behind her but the path forward isn’t yet clear. A visit with her big brother Cal and his new bride, Maggie, seems to be the best option to help her get back on her feet.

Not wanting to burden or depend on anyone, Sierra is surprised to find the Crossing offers so much more than a place to rest her head. Cal and Maggie welcome her into their busy lives and she quickly finds herself bonding with Sully, the quirky campground owner who is the father figure she’s always wanted. But when her past catches up with her, it’s a special man and an adorable puppy who give her the strength to face the truth and fight for a brighter future. In Sullivan’s Crossing Sierra learns to cherish the family you are given and the family you choose.

Ope’s Opinion:   Even though Sierra is the main focus of this story, you read about Cal, Maggie, Sully and the other cast of characters in Sullivan’s Crossing. If you have not read What We Found – go get that one first.  You certainly can read Any Day Now as a stand alone, but it is so much better with all the back story from the first one.

Since Sierra is a little protective of herself in her relationships, I like how it took her a  while for her to open up to Conrad.  It was a natural build of their relationship  – it did not feel rushed.

The ending was one you expected and were happy for it.  It brought everything to a nice finish.  I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Don’t Let Go

Posted on by
2

Author: Sharla Lovelace
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source:  Jennifer Otey

Goodreads:  Noah Ryan and Jules Doucette had spent every moment of their lives together, first as childhood best friends and later as young lovers. The two had their future all planned out—until one unspeakable decision tore them apart.

Twenty-six years later, Jules is living her life by someone else’s plan. She’s running her mother’s store, living in her mother’s house, following her mother’s rules, and keeping the secrets her mother made her bury.

Then Noah comes home, and any sense of order and structure flies out the window. Noah’s return does more than just stir up old memories—it also forces Jules to see her life in a whole new way and uncover secrets even she didn’t know were hidden. But can the power of first love triumph over years of pain and lies?

Ope’s Opinion:   Oh, this book is excellent!!  Even if Romance isn’t your genre, but you like family drama, mother / daughter relationships and characters that will pull at your heart – then you need to read this one.  

Every time you think you know where the story is going, it takes a turn.  When you think that is all the unexpected events, Sharla throws in another one.  It kept me reading and took my breath away a few times.

For the romance lovers – there are a few scenes you will like – that I could have lived without.  There was also some language that could offend some people.  Even with that said, I thought this book was an awesome read.

After You

Posted on by
1

Author: Jojo Moyes
Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books
Genre: Fiction
Source: Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads: “You’re going to feel uncomfortable in your new world for a bit. But I hope you feel a bit exhilarated too. Live boldly. Push yourself. Don’t settle. Just live well. Just live. Love, Will.”

How do you move on after losing the person you loved? How do you build a life worth living?

Louisa Clark is no longer just an ordinary girl living an ordinary life. After the transformative six months spent with Will Traynor, she is struggling without him. When an extraordinary accident forces Lou to return home to her family, she can’t help but feel she’s right back where she started.

Her body heals, but Lou herself knows that she needs to be kick-started back to life. Which is how she ends up in a church basement with the members of the Moving On support group, who share insights, laughter, frustrations, and terrible cookies. They will also lead her to the strong, capable Sam Fielding—the paramedic, whose business is life and death, and the one man who might be able to understand her. Then a figure from Will’s past appears and hijacks all her plans, propelling her into a very different future…

For Lou Clark, life after Will Traynor means learning to fall in love again, with all the risks that brings. But here Jojo Moyes gives us two families, as real as our own, whose joys and sorrows will touch you deeply, and where both changes and surprises await.

Ope’s Opinion: Some times it is fun to read where a character went from the authors perspective, some times it is more fun to let them go where you envisioned.  In this case, it was a toss up.  The movie and book of Me Before You were perfect and complete in a way, even though you didn’t know what Lou did after Will.

I did really appreciate that Jojo Moyes kept Lou’s voice as it was in the previous book.  Obviously she had changed since knowing Will, but you could tell Lou was still there under the grief and struggle to move on.

 

Crossing Oceans

Posted on by
Reply

Author: Gina Holmes
Publisher: Tyndale House Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction
Source:  Purchased

Goodreads:  Jenny Lucas swore she’d never go home again. But being told you’re dying has a way of changing things. Years after she left, she and her five-year-old daughter, Isabella, must return to her sleepy North Carolina town to face the ghosts she left behind. They welcome her in the form of her oxygen tank-toting grandmother, her stoic and distant father, and David, Isabella’s dad . . . Who doesn’t yet know he has a daughter. As Jenny navigates the rough and unknown waters of her new reality, the unforgettable story that unfolds is a testament to the power of love and its ability to change everything–to heal old hurts, bring new beginnings . . . Even overcome the impossible. A stunning debut about love and loss from a talented new voice.

Ope’s Opinion:  Be sure to have some tissues near by before you start this book.  It will surely make you cry and warm your heart at the same time.  The mother’s love in this book is like no other love.

This is the best kind of Christian Fiction – the characters are definitely centered on God, but they have real lives and no one is preaching at you.  If you have never Christian Fiction before and aren’t sure about it – pick this one up.

Now I want to go read my other book by Gina Holmes that is on my book shelf.

Coming Soon…..

Posted on by
Reply

…. On a Bookshelf near you!

In April I hope to read….

slightly-south

Publication Date: April 25, 2017
Publisher:  Gallery Books

Goodreads:  Caroline Murphy swore she’d never set foot back in the small Southern town of Peachtree Bluff; she was a New York girl born and bred and the worst day of her life was when, in the wake of her father’s death, her mother selfishly forced her to move—during her senior year of high school, no less—back to that hick-infested rat trap where she’d spent her childhood summers. But now that her marriage to a New York high society heir has fallen apart in a very public, very embarrassing fashion, a pregnant Caroline decides to escape the gossipmongers with her nine-year-old daughter and head home to her mother, Ansley.

Ansley has always put her three daughters first, especially when she found out that her late husband, despite what he had always promised, left her with next to nothing. Now the proud owner of a charming waterfront design business and finally standing on her own two feet, Ansley welcomes Caroline and her brood back with open arms. But when her second daughter Sloane, whose military husband is overseas, and youngest daughter and successful actress Emerson join the fray, Ansley begins to feel like the piece of herself she had finally found might be slipping from her grasp. Even more discomfiting, when someone from her past reappears in Ansley’s life, the secret she’s harbored from her daughters their entire lives might finally be forced into the open.

Exploring the powerful bonds between sisters and mothers and daughters, this engaging novel is filled with Southern charm, emotional drama, and plenty of heart.

any-day

Publication Date: April 18, 2017
Publisher: Mira Books

Goodreads:  Any Day Now is the highly anticipated sequel to #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr’s What We Find. Readers fell in love with Sullivan’s Crossing and the characters who settled there and will be delighted to spend time with their favorite people again. The rustic campground at the crossroads of the Colorado and Continental Divide Trails welcomes everyone—whether you’re looking for a weekend getaway or a new lease on life.

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

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

Starlight on Willow Lake

Posted on by
Reply

starlight

Author: Susan Wiggs
Publisher: MIRA
Genre:  Romance
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

Goodreads:  1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs sweeps readers away to a sun-drenched summer on the shores of Willow Lake in a stunning tale of the delicate ties that bind a family together… and the secrets that tear them apart…

When caregiver Faith McCallum arrives at the enchanted, lakeside estate of Avalon’s renowned Bellamy family, she’s intent on rebuilding her shattered life and giving her two daughters a chance at a better future. But she faces a formidable challenge in the form of her stubborn and difficult new employer, Alice Bellamy. While Faith proves a worthy match for her sharp-tongued client, she often finds herself at a loss for words in the presence of Mason Bellamy—Alice’s charismatic son, who clearly longs to escape the family mansion and return to his fast-paced, exciting life in Manhattan…and his beautiful, jet-setting fiancée.

The last place Mason wants to be is a remote town in the Catskills, far from his life in the city, and Faith McCallum is supposed to be the key to his escape. Hiring the gentle-hearted yet strong-willed caregiver as a live-in nurse gives his mother companionship and Mason the freedom to return to his no-attachments routine. For Faith, it means stability for her daughters and a much-needed new home. When Faith makes a chilling discovery about Alice’s accident, Mason is forced to reconsider his desire to keep everyone, including his mother, at a distance. Now he finds himself wondering if the supercharged life he’s created for himself is what he truly wants…and whether exploring his past might lead to a new life—and lasting love—on the tranquil shores of Willow Lake.

Ope’s Opinion:  Oh, this book had me from beginning to end.  I enjoyed the whole story, all the characters, even the minor ones.  It was well written and kept a great pace throughout the book.  Even though this is part of a series ( I have not read it all ), it could stand alone.

Parts of the book were predictable ( especially the ending ), but that is part of the charm of the story.  Knowing where it was going didn’t ruin the journey to get there.

de9fc-4chairs

Object of My Affection

Posted on by
Reply

objectsAuthor: Jill Smolinski
Publisher: Touchstone
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Source:  Kristin of Kritters Ramblings

 

 

Goodreads:  In the humorous, heartfelt new novel by the author of The Next Thing on My List, a personal organizer must somehow convince a reclusive artist to give up her hoarding ways and let go of the stuff she’s hung on to for decades.

Lucy Bloom is broke, freshly dumped by her boyfriend, and forced to sell her house to send her nineteen-year-old son to drug rehab. Although she’s lost it all, she’s determined to start over. So when she’s offered a high-paying gig helping clear the clutter from the home of reclusive and eccentric painter Marva Meier Rios, Lucy grabs it. Armed with the organizing expertise she gained while writing her book, Things Are Not People, and fueled by a burning desire to get her life back on track, Lucy rolls up her sleeves to take on the mess that fills every room of Marva’s huge home. Lucy soon learns that the real challenge may be taking on Marva, who seems to love the objects in her home too much to let go of any of them.

While trying to stay on course toward a strict deadline—and with an ex-boyfriend back in the picture, a new romance on the scene, and her son’s rehab not going as planned—Lucy discovers that Marva isn’t just hoarding, she is also hiding a big secret. The two form an unlikely bond, as each learns from the other that there are those things in life we keep, those we need to let go—but it’s not always easy to know the difference.

Ope’s Opinion: This story of two women, their relationships with their sons and their relationships with each other just didn’t draw me in.  I couldn’t really relate all that much to either one of them.   The part I did like is the cleaning up of Marva’s house!  Is it crazy, but that was my favorite part of the book.  I did enjoy the strange and unusual way that Marva and Lucy became friends. 

44727-3chairs

A Simple Favor

Posted on by
Reply

 

a-simple-favorAuthor: Darcey Bell
Publisher: Harper
Genre: Thriller
Source: HarperCollins

Goodreads:  She’s your best friend.
She knows all your secrets.
That’s why she’s so dangerous.
A single mother’s life is turned upside down when her best friend vanishes in this chilling debut thriller in the vein of Gone Girl and The Girl on the Train.

It starts with a simple favor—an ordinary kindness mothers do for one another. When her best friend, Emily, asks Stephanie to pick up her son Nicky after school, she happily says yes. Nicky and her son, Miles, are classmates and best friends, and the five-year-olds love being together—just like she and Emily. A widow and stay-at-home mommy blogger living in woodsy suburban Connecticut, Stephanie was lonely until she met Emily, a sophisticated PR executive whose job in Manhattan demands so much of her time.

But Emily doesn’t come back. She doesn’t answer calls or return texts. Stephanie knows something is terribly wrong—Emily would never leave Nicky, no matter what the police say. Terrified, she reaches out to her blog readers for help. She also reaches out to Emily’s husband, the handsome, reticent Sean, offering emotional support. It’s the least she can do for her best friend. Then, she and Sean receive shocking news. Emily is dead. The nightmare of her disappearance is over.

Or is it? Because soon, Stephanie will begin to see that nothing—not friendship, love, or even an ordinary favor—is as simple as it seems.

A Simple Favor is a remarkable tale of psychological suspense—a clever and twisting free-fall of a ride filled with betrayals and reversals, twists and turns, secrets and revelations, love and loyalty, murder and revenge. Darcey Bell masterfully ratchets up the tension in a taut, unsettling, and completely absorbing story that holds you in its grip until the final page.

Ope’s Opinion:  Instead of being drawn into this story, I felt like I was standing outside of it watching it all happen, which made it much less intense then I expected this book to be.

I am not sure I liked the characters in this story – of course I am not sure I was suppose to!  So in that way maybe the author achieved her goal.

The ending left me…. yea, that is kind of how I feel…

44727-3chairs