Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Review: Not Quite Perfect

For this review, I chose Not Quite Perfect by Catherine Bybee.

I requested ARC copy of the ebook through Netgalley in exchanged for a honest review.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee delivers the fifth heartwarming, flirty novel in the wildly popular Not Quite series.
Mary Kildare knows how to read people. It’s both why she makes a great therapist and why she refuses to trust the average bachelor. Staying fiercely independent has been her primary relationship strategy—until wealthy playboy pilot (and commitment phobe) Glen Fairchild reappears in her life. After a yearlong teasing tug-of-war, Mary and Glen test the waters of attraction, only to find that their physical chemistry runs deeper than flirtation.
At first, a bicoastal romance suits them both—especially since Glen can swoop in and whisk Mary away on one of his company’s planes. But no matter how close they get, they’re still three thousand miles apart. And when Mary’s life is threatened, Glen realizes the one luxury he doesn’t have is time. Can he close the distance between them before it’s too late?

This is #5 in the Not Quite series.  I have only read this book in the series, but I want to read the rest of the books.  This is my first book by Ms Bybee and I want to read her The Weekday Brides series.

Mary is a therapist.  She knows how to read people and she can not trust man who are playboys like Glen Fairchild.  He is a pilot and he is back in her life.  Mary is strong willed and very independent.  She has learned to rely only on herself.  When Mary meets Glen, there is this instant attraction between them, but how can she trust a playboy like him?  They realize there is more than just attraction between the two, but they live on different sides of the US.  Can this work?  Will Glen give up his playboy ways for a life with Mary?  When Mary's life is in danger, Glen drops everything to get to her.

☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa 
Review coming next: Animal Planet Chapter Books Shark.

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company has provided me with a copy of this book for review or I have purchased the book with my own funds.  The opinion I share about the story are mine and have not been influenced by the The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company if received for review.

Review: Christmas Comes to Main Street

For this review, I chose Christmas Comes to Main Street by Olivia Miles.

I requested ARC copy of the ebook through Netgalley in exchanged for a honest review.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:
The mistletoe is out, and the gloves are off . . . 

'Tis the worst season to be single, but Kara Hastings won't let a little Christmas funk spoil the festive season. Sure, running her own bakery is a little harder than she expected, but she can handle it. And she'll prove it to a certain infuriatingly handsome, bossy Big City guy. She may be sugar and spice, but she can kick his butt twice. 

Nate Griffin is in Briar Creek only for the holidays, and he refuses to fall for the whole "small town, candy cane-scented Christmas Wonderland" thing. He's more interested in the fresh-faced cookie chef who always knows exactly how to get under his skin. So when Nate challenges Kara in the town's big holiday contest, it's not just the competition that starts to heat up. If he's not careful, Kara won't just melt his icy resolve against a small-town Christmas . . . she'll melt his heart too.


I have wanted to read a book that is set around Christmas time.  I wanted it to help me get in the mood for Christmas.  This book did help me get ready for Christmas.  

This book is #5 in the Briar Creek series.  I have read book #3 (Hope Springs on Main Street) & #4 (Love Blooms on Main Street).  I loved the town this is set in.  I love the determination that Kara has for her new bakery business.  She is determined to make it as successful as she can.  Nate is in town for the holidays and has no plans to stay, but once he meets Kara, could he change his mind?


☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa 
Review coming next: Not Quite Perfect by Catherine Bybee.

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company has provided me with a copy of this book for review or I have purchased the book with my own funds.  The opinion I share about the story are mine and have not been influenced by the The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company if received for review.

Friday, October 21, 2016

Cover Reveal for Unworthy


unworthyebookupdated
Cover Design: MadHat Books
Release Date: November 7, 2016
 
Synopsis
Bienvenidos a Miami. Welcome to the hottest party scene in the U.S. Behind all the glitter, hard bodies and sexy drinks, the lives of the hard-partying residents of the 305 aren’t all they seem. Cat Ross struggles to make ends meet. If she doesn’t scrounge up enough cash for rent and to pay off her brother’s drug dealers, she’ll be sleeping at a shelter, and her beloved brother, Danny, will be in worse trouble. As Miami’s hottest party promoter, it looks as if Ian Lawrence’s life is fun and games, but partying this hard takes work, and Ian takes business seriously. He wasn’t counting on his former best friend’s little sister, Cat Ross, to come crashing back into his life. She was the one girl who mattered until he messed things up by sleeping with her on her eighteenth birthday, and then running. As Cat and Ian’s relationship reignites, he wants to protect her by keeping her brother away. But it’s not easy for Cat to choose between her last living family member and the man she’s always loved.
 
Goodreads
   
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Giveaway
One of Five ARC's for Unworthy
 
   
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About the Author
Romance author, Lynne Silver, writes the popular Alpha Heroes and Coded for Love series. Before writing romance, she wrote fiction of a different sort, drafting press releases for technology corporations. Washington DC is her home (non) state, where she resides with her husband and two sons.  
Connect with Lynne
Facebook Author Page: http://bit.ly/2dM7rGD
Facebook Reader Group: http://bit.ly/2eibNWM
Goodreads Author Page: http://bit.ly/2ej6jiX
Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/2eeK38r
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Tuesday, October 11, 2016

Review: A Cowboy Christmas Miracle

For this review, I chose A Cowboy Christmas Miracle by Carolyn Brown.

I requested ARC copy of the ebook through Netgalley in exchanged for a honest review.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:
It will take a miracle bigger than the state of Texas for these two feuding families to survive the holidays!

Opposites might attract...
The Brennans and the Gallaghers put aside their one-hundred-year feud every Tuesday for their weekly poker game. This week, the stakes are sky-high. Goaded to recklessness, Declan Brennan bets one thousand dollars that he can woo the next woman to walk into the saloon. A minute later, fiery-haired Betsy Gallagher pushes through the doors. If Declan can tame this wild Gallagher, he'll have earned every penny.

If they don't kill each other first...
Betsy can outshoot anybody in Burnt Boot and loves ranching more than anything-until she falls for Declan. He's fallen for her too. But when she discovers what sparked their courtship, Declan will need a Christmas miracle to save his hide-and his heart.

Praise for The Trouble with Texas Cowboys:
"Humorous, heartwarming, and full of sass and spunk." -RT Book Reviews, 4 stars
"A delightful romance amid hilarious feuding families...What a treat to be back in Burnt Boot!" -Fresh Fiction
"Captivating...filled with love and laughter!" -The Romance Reviews
 



This is Book #4 in the Burnt Boot Texas Series.  I have not read any other books in this series, but I plan to.  I have read the series, Lucky Penny Ranch, and loved it and I knew I would love this book, too.

The other books in this series are:
Book #1- Cowboy Boots for Christmas: Cowboy Not Included.  
Book #2- The Trouble with Texas Cowboys
Book #3- One Texas Cowboy Too Many

This is the modern Romeo and Juliet.  The Brennans and the Gallaghers have been fueding for one hundred years.  Since Betsy and Declan were small, their grandmothers told them all about the feud and not to date anyone from the other family.  Betsy and Declan are so sick of the feud.  At the poker table, the 2 families play against each other and a bet was made...Tanner bet Declan that the next girl that comes into the bar Declan has to get her to fall in love with him or he will lose a thousand dollars.....Guess who that girl was?


☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa 
Review coming next: Christmas Comes to Main Street by Olivia Miles

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company has provided me with a copy of this book for review or I have purchased the book with my own funds.  The opinion I share about the story are mine and have not been influenced by the The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company if received for review.

Review: She's Got a Way

For this review, I chose She's Got a Way by Maggie McGinnis.

I requested ARC copy of the ebook through Netgalley in exchanged for a honest review.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:
LOVE WILL FIND A WAY

Gabriela O’Brien is devoted to the girls at Briarwood Academy—even when their bad behavior earns them an entire summer at a remote campground in Echo Lake, Vermont. When the headmaster assigns Gabi to be their chaperone, how can she refuse? A long, hot summer with neither indoor plumbing nor wireless access might be just what she needs to get her own life in order…right?

Before Briarwood took over Camp Echo, Luke Magellan spent years there helping troubled boys. When four spoiled rich girls and their seemingly uptight den mother show up for the summer, it’s hard to hide his amusement as he watches them tackle the great outdoors. But it’s even tougher to resist the passion he sees in Gabi—especially when he learns about her past, and sees how much she cares about her students. Is this destined to be just a grownup version of a summer-camp romance—or can they find enough in common to build a love for all seasons?

“A new, witty voice in contemporary romance. Maggie McGinnis is gonna make you smile.”—Christie Craig, New York Times bestselling author

She's Got a Way is the third book in Maggie McGinnis' Echo Lake series!

This is the third book in the Echo Lake Series.  I have read Book #1 (Forever This Time) and Book #2 (Heart Like Mine).  I still need to read Book #.5 (Snowflake Wishes).

Gabriela had her vacation all planned.  Days from leaving.  Then, all of a sudden she is told she has to "babysit" 4 of the girls who got into a lot of trouble at a summer camp since she is the housemother.  Luke has been running the summer camp for troubled boys, but now the camp was sold to Briarwood Academy.  He is to get it ready with a list of repairs.  Luke does not have items that these kids and Gabi are used to.

This book had everything I look for.  There was romance, suspense, and comedy.  I was laughing a lot, but I was also on the edge of my seat during a time or two in the book (read it to find out!).

I can not wait to read Ms Maggie McGinnis' Whisper Creek series!!

☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa 
Review coming next: A Cowboy Christmas Miracle by Carolyn Brown.

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company has provided me with a copy of this book for review or I have purchased the book with my own funds.  The opinion I share about the story are mine and have not been influenced by the The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company if received for review.

Q&A with Susan Donovan

I am very excited to share with you all the questions and answers from Susan Donovan, but before we do, I want to introduce you to her.

Susan Donovan grew up in a small town outside of Cincinnati.  Since Susan was young, she wanted to go to a "Big City" and did not care which one.  She went to Northwestern University and received her bachelors and masters degrees in newspaper journalism.  To read more about Susan, go to her website.

Website
Goodreads

Here you go:

Q&A


1. I love series about small town and everyone knowing everyone and their business.  How did you come up with the characters and town in the Bigler, North Carolina series?  Is Bigler, North Carolina written in honor of a small town you visited or lived in?

The town of Bigler, N.C. and its residents are products of my imagination. I love the beauty and history of North Carolina's
western hills, so when I decided to write a trilogy set in that region, my BFF and I looked at each other and said, "Road trip!" We spent a week exploring the small town of Waynesville and surroundings, including the Great Smoky Mountains and Asheville. We interviewed locals, enjoyed a lot of good Southern cooking, and took in the spectacular scenery of the area.

2.  I read that you moved to a small town in New Mexico where it has inspired you to write.  How has moving to a small town helped inspired your writing?


Though I am at home in the city, I was born in a small town and have lived in small towns for much of my life. About eighteen months ago, I moved from Maryland to a town in the northern foothills of New Mexico's Sandia Mountains. It's a different world. I pass through a two-hundred- year-old Spanish land grant village on my way to the post office. Roadrunners run through my yard. Snakes sunbathe in my driveway. A hawk has made his home on the roof of my guest casita.


I would have to say that my recent writing inspiration comes from the peace I feel here in my high-desert surroundings. Every morning I enjoy my coffee on the back patio, where I get to watch the sun rise east of the Sandias. Every evening I get a front-row seat to a dramatic sunset over the Valle Caldera and Jemez Mountains. Life here is uncomplicated and soothing, though I'm close enough to take advantage of all the cultural/creative resources of Albuquerque and Santa Fe, where many of my friends live.

3. In the Bayberry Island, there is a myth about a mermaid statue allegedly grants true love to the pure at heart.  How did you come up with this?  I have put this series on my to be read series.  I can not wait to read all 3 books. 

I came up with the Bayberry idea while on my annual writer's retreat to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. If I recall correctly, I had the first inkling of the idea while sitting on the beachfront deck with my friend and writing partner Celeste Bradley, a glass of wine in my hand, watching the dolphins play in the surf. I wondered -- what if an entire island believed in the existence of mermaids? What if their local economy was built upon a mermaid legend and an annual festival? Are you wondering exactly what kind of wine I was drinking that day? I wish I could remember.


4. What do you prefer to write stand alone books or series?  Why?

I didn't really think about writing a series until 2009, when I began to write the first of my San Francisco Dog Walker books (Ain't Too Proud To Beg, which was followed by The Night She Got Lucky and Not That Kind of Girl.) I love being able to return to familiar characters and an established world, and I think readers enjoy that as well. Both writer and reader can immerse themselves deeply into a place and time -- and get a fuller picture of characters' lives -- with a series.


On the other hand, I've always loved being able to tell a self-contained tale and move on to another character, another love story, and another conflict. So I'd have to say I enjoy both equally.

5. I am disable.  It happened 8 years ago with a back injury then a failed back surgery.  I read your blog and I am so inspired by what you have gone through.  Back 8 years ago when I got hurt,   I wonder why did this happen to me.  You see, I already had a child with a progressive neurological disease.  What was I to learn from being disabled, too?  The time after my surgery was my darkest time.  6 months after my surgery, I got news that I never thought we would get.  I was pregnant with our third child, who has brought so much joy in our lives.  I firmly believe that if I did not get hurt, have surgery, we would not have Ethan.  I was working 60+ hours a week. What would you say to those who are going through the same thing you went through?

I was struck down by a mysterious infection at the end of 2011 and my family members were told my chances of survival were less than ten percent. I did not die, obviously, but after three months in intensive care and twenty surgeries -- including the amputation of my left leg -- my life was forever altered.

I don't possess any special wisdom or strength. All of us must face the unthinkable at some point in our lives, whether through tragedy or illness, and we all must ask ourselves this question: do I keep fighting or do I give up? I chose to keep fighting, and it sounds like you did, too. As you well know, it's a commitment that must be made on a daily basis. All I can say is that this morning I woke up and promised myself that I would find a way to keep going -- and keep writing -- so that's what I'll do.



6. I have wanted to write a book for 2 years now, but life keeps getting in my way.  This school year once all 3 of my kids are in school, I am going to write that book.  What advice would give you for anyone wanting to write a book?

My only advice would be to write something every day and focus on whatever increment works for you on that given day. This could mean writing one scene, or one page, or one paragraph, or even just one sentence. What I've learned over sixteen years of writing novels is that every little bit adds up. Think of it this way: if you write about one page a day for a year, you've completed a first draft of an entire novel! How many people can say they've accomplished that?

I do know that anyone committed to completing a novel needs to carve out a piece of the day for writing and then do whatever he or she can to protect that allotted time. It's difficult when you're raising children, running a household, holding down a fulltime job, and dealing with the inevitable life crises. I know. I've been there. So have many other authors I know. But it can be done. We are proof of that.


Ms Susan Donovan,
Thank you for allowing me the honor to have this Q&A.  I love reading about small towns and series.  I am looking forward to reading more books of yours in the near future.
Happy Reading!
Melissa

Review: Stealing Taffy

For this review, I chose Stealing Taffy by Susan Donovan.

I requested ARC copy of the ebook through Netgalley in exchanged for a honest review.

Here is a brief description from Goodreads:
Ten weeks in a swanky Arizona rehab center has done wonders for Tanyalee Newberry. She’s turning over a new leaf – no more manipulating men, shoplifting, or forgery for her! But when her flight home gets rerouted in bad weather, she ends up sharing a hotel room (and seven hours of mind-numbing sex) with her airplane seatmate, a complicated Northerner who is clearly not who he says he is. Tanyalee sneaks off while he sleeps, leaving a bracelet as a memento of their encounter.

DEA Special Agent Dante Cabrera wakes up alone in a Washington, DC hotel room, bested at his own “love-‘em-and-leave-‘em” game by a sexy Southern belle. A pink and silver charm bracelet engraved with the word “Taffy” is all that’s left of the wildest night he’s had in years. And because his transfer request was denied, it’s back to the hills of Western North Carolina Dante must go. Weeks pass, but Dante can’t forget the taste of sweet Taffy.

When an ongoing investigation leads Dante to a little girl Tanyalee mentors in a community service program, their anonymous hotel hookup gets dragged into the bright light of real life. Is there more to Tanyalee and Dante than a one-night stand? Has Tanyalee unwittingly put herself and the child in danger? Can Dante save them both?


This was my first book I read by Miss Donovan and I loved it!  Tanyalee made some bad decisions and that bit her in the butt.  She has to make amends to those she hurt.  She hates her nickname, Taffy, but when she meets a stranger on a plane she gives him Taffy.  Dante wants to find her, but can not since he does not have her name or where she lives.  Until one night, Tanyalee is in the meeting he attends.  What is a man to do?

It had romance, humor, and a touch of suspense.  Tanyalee was funny and true to life.  We all make mistakes.  Well, maybe not as bad as Tanyalee, but we do make mistakes.

☆☆☆☆☆
I give this book 5 out of 5 stars.
Recommend this book? Yes! Author? Yes!
Read more from this author? Yes!

Happy Reading!
Melissa 
Review coming next: She's Got a Way by Maggie McGinnis

FTC Disclosure: The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company has provided me with a copy of this book for review or I have purchased the book with my own funds.  The opinion I share about the story are mine and have not been influenced by the The Publisher/Author/Book Tour Company if received for review.

Sunday, October 2, 2016

Day 2: Susan Mallery

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Welcome to Day 2!!

Today I have chosen to write about.....

Susan Mallery

Back when I back to reading, I discovered Susan Mallery's books and fell in love with them.  I started reading The Lone Stars Series.   A few other series I have read are The Buchanans, The Bakery Sisters, and The Blackberry Island.  It did not take me long to discover her Fool's Gold Series.  I loved everything about this series.  The town, and the people.  

If you want to find out more about Ms Susan Mallery, here are some links:
Website
Facebook
Goodreads

I need to catch up in the Fool's Gold series.  I need to start the Mischief Bay series.

Happy Reading!
Melissa



Saturday, October 1, 2016

Day 1: Nora Roberts

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Welcome to Day 1.

Today I have chosen to write about.....

Nora Roberts
Goodreads
Website

Back when I started reading again, Nora Roberts was the author I found for the first time.  I started with the Stanislaskis series and could not stop reading until I finished the entire series.  I was hooked on this family.  The love they have for one another was precious.  I have read the Bride Quartet and the Inn Boonsboro series and loved it.  

I need to get back to reading more of Ms Roberts books like the MacGregor series.  I love series!!

Happy Reading!










2016 31 days

Once again, I am taking part of #write31days.  This is my 3rd year on my personal blog and 2nd year here.  Have you heard about the series 31 days?  Here are the previous years: Click HERE.  

Ok, let me tell you about this.  It starts October 1st and goes to October 31st. Each day you write.  It is that simple.  You pick the topic you plan to write about.  

My topic is......

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I will post all of my links on this page.
Happy Reading!
Melissa


Day 1: Nora Roberts
Day 2: Susan Mallery
Day 3: 
Day 4: 
Day 5: 
Day 6: 
Day 7: 
Day 8: 
Day 9: 
Day 10: 
Day 11: 
Day 12:
Day 13: 
Day 14:
Day 15:
Day 16: 
Day 17: 
Day 18: 
Day 19: 
Day 20: 
Day 21: 
Day 22:
Day 23: 
Day 24: 
Day 25: 
Day 26: 
Day 27: 
Day 28: 
Day 29:
Day 30: 
Day 31:

Update

I am working on catching up on several reviews that I have needed to finish up.  My oldest boy made the soccer team and life has been thrown into chaos.  I am also working on my 31 days posts for this month.  I know what my topic is.  I will explain what 31 days is in my next post.  I have 4 review posts to finish up.

Happy Reading!
Melissa