Review: The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin

I am going to be horribly superficial for a minute. The first thing that caught my eye with this book was the cover. I am a sucker for a beautiful cover and this book has exactly that.

I didn’t even read what the book was about, all I knew was that it had a stunning cover that clearly said ‘historical fiction’ and so I made a snap decision and said yes to reviewing it.

This book is written by Melanie Benjamin, who has written other best selling novels such as, The Aviator’s Wife and The Swans of Fifth Avenue. Knowing that she was an experienced writer only strengthened my excitement to start reading this book. Continue reading “Review: The Girls in the Picture by Melanie Benjamin”

Review: The Best of Us (Sullivan’s Crossing #4) by Robyn Carr

I’ve only recently discovered Robyn Carr but she has written an impressive amount of novels in her career. I have seen her books randomly, usually at airport bookstores or in the supermarket book displays.

Like many of her fans, I love a good romance and often a well written romance is such a refreshing break from real life when you get home and dinner still needs to be made and the baby is crying and your husband is late from work. Those are the times that a good romance are especially welcoming which is why I think I see her books (as well as others) at the supermarket checkout stand or end-cap display.

People want to believe in romance and something thats different from the day to day. This last month I’ve been slowly but surely making my way though a lengthy, heavy novel (Fire and Blood) and to e honest, I desperately needed a break from the carnage that is Westerosi history!

I intentionally scheduled this book on my review calendar for this reason—I should have been done with Fire and Blood before Christmas so I could start this one and I knew I would need a break—something relaxing and romantic. I’m not done with Fire and Blood yet, but I took a break from the tedious history and welcomed in the new year with this wonderfully written novel about romance that would warm my heart. Continue reading “Review: The Best of Us (Sullivan’s Crossing #4) by Robyn Carr”

Review: One Day in December by Josie Silver

One of my absolute favorite holiday movie is Love Actually. I watch it every year and it never gets old no matter how cheesy and unrealistic is it.

My favorite couple David (Hugh Grant) and Natalie (Martine McCutcheon) followed closely by Juliet (Kira Knightly) and Mark (Andrew Lincoln). So when I saw this book so heavily compared to Love Actually and the Juliet/Mark couple, I was eager to read it.

It was my December Book of the Month pick and truth be told I almost passed on all the books for December on BOTM but, I saw so many excellent reviews about this one and decided at the last minute…..why not?

Laurie is pretty sure love at first sight doesn’t exist anywhere but the movies. But then, through a misted-up bus window one snowy December day, she sees a man who she knows instantly is the one. Their eyes meet, there’s a moment of pure magic…and then her bus drives away. Continue reading “Review: One Day in December by Josie Silver”

Review: The Man She Married by Cathy Lamb

I always love meeting new to me authors in roundabout ways. Earlier this year I happened to be invited to book blogger week over at Tall Poppy Writers and found an outstanding community of authors who are dedicated to interacting with their audiences.

I have read and reviewed a number of authors from this group, but at the time I didn’t know they were part of this amazing community…..in fact I only just discovered the group a few weeks ago as I mentioned, and I had been reading a number of Poppy Writers for years!

Anyway, so I participated in their book blogger week met a number of new to me authors, one of which was Cathy Lamb, who also happens to live in the Portland, OR area which is about 45 min north of where I live. Small world!

She asked if I would be interested in reading her latest book, The Man She Married, and I was happy to do so. I didn’t really know much about the book or the author, but I was at least willing to support a fellow Oregonian by reading the book…..but was I in store for something that was not only interesting, but also different that I hadn’t been expecting. Continue reading “Review: The Man She Married by Cathy Lamb”

Review: True Places by Sonja Yoerg

I have been long impressed with Yoerg’s novels and when she has a new one come up, I am always happy to review it! One of the things that I love about Yoerg’s books is that they are standalone novels and the character arcs are wrapped up in the book rather than stretching it out to multiple novels.

She writes strong and impactful stories that leave readers satisfied with a resolved story that will stand out in the readers minds. This latest book is no different—a strong and memorable plot the left me wanting more yet left me feeling satisfied by the resolution.

A girl emerges from the woods, starved, ill, and alone…and collapses.

Suzanne Blakemore hurtles along the Blue Ridge Parkway, away from her overscheduled and completely normal life, and encounters the girl. As Suzanne rushes her to the hospital, she never imagines how the encounter will change her—a change she both fears and desperately needs. Continue reading “Review: True Places by Sonja Yoerg”