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MaryAnn (14 KP) rated Miles from Where We Started in Books
Mar 5, 2019
These no-longer-newlyweds want out of this road trip—and their marriage. Too bad they can’t find the off ramp.
Weeks away from their one-year wedding anniversary, Mallory and Connor Duncan can’t even agree on how to end their marriage. But when a last-minute crisis lands them on a three-thousand-mile road trip together, Mallory wonders if their story may not be over after all.
The trip begins to unravel before the key is even in the ignition, and an at-risk, trouble-seeking missile of an eleven-year-old is unexpectedly launched into their travel plans. Close quarters get even tighter, and the couple believes this whole experience will spell disaster.
Their first year of marriage hasn’t been the arm-in-arm togetherness they expected. How can they find a new beginning when the road ends?
My Thoughts: What happens when you put a couple on the brink of divorce, a foster teen and a micro camper on a road trip? A very interesting novel! This is a story of hope, faith, and commitment. As you read this story you learn how important it is to keep your commitments. When we make our promises they are not meant to be broken, broken promises hurt and in this story emphasizes this. Broken promises can break people, by breaking their spirit as we read with the youth at the teen center and with the foster teen. This is a story of standing with and holding on no matter what the circumstances may be... in sickness and in health.
The characters are wonderful, I truly loved Judah, he was the comic relief in the storyline. Well written and fun to read I think this is a great book for everyone.
Weeks away from their one-year wedding anniversary, Mallory and Connor Duncan can’t even agree on how to end their marriage. But when a last-minute crisis lands them on a three-thousand-mile road trip together, Mallory wonders if their story may not be over after all.
The trip begins to unravel before the key is even in the ignition, and an at-risk, trouble-seeking missile of an eleven-year-old is unexpectedly launched into their travel plans. Close quarters get even tighter, and the couple believes this whole experience will spell disaster.
Their first year of marriage hasn’t been the arm-in-arm togetherness they expected. How can they find a new beginning when the road ends?
My Thoughts: What happens when you put a couple on the brink of divorce, a foster teen and a micro camper on a road trip? A very interesting novel! This is a story of hope, faith, and commitment. As you read this story you learn how important it is to keep your commitments. When we make our promises they are not meant to be broken, broken promises hurt and in this story emphasizes this. Broken promises can break people, by breaking their spirit as we read with the youth at the teen center and with the foster teen. This is a story of standing with and holding on no matter what the circumstances may be... in sickness and in health.
The characters are wonderful, I truly loved Judah, he was the comic relief in the storyline. Well written and fun to read I think this is a great book for everyone.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2336 KP) rated With a Kiss I Die in Books
Apr 19, 2019
This Book, By Any Other Name, Would be as Addicting
Edwina “Sully” Sullivan is using the slow winter months for the Cliffside Theater to work on grant proposals to help them build their own theater building. Meanwhile, Dimitri, the theater’s resident director, is working on a struggling adaptation of Romeo and Juliet down in Boston. When Sully gets a chance to go down and help for a few days, she figures this is a great time to schmooze with the people who will be awarding the grant. However, a murder after what was supposed to be a celebratory party turns Sully’s focus to other things. When people who knows start vanishing, can she figure out what is really going on?
I had forgotten just how much I loved these characters until I picked up this second in the series. The main characters are strong, and their relationships feel real. They also have multiple connections to the characters who are part of the mystery, which gives us multiple reasons to care. The book starts out focusing on the disaster of the play, but it is layering in information related to the mystery, so when the murder does happen, we are off and running quickly. I got so pulled into this book that I finished it in two days instead of my average three. In fact, I had to know what was going on, so I ignored other plans to finish it. The climax is very satisfying. I appreciated how Sully used her background as a cop to investigate and worked with the police to figure things out, a nice change from other cozies I read. I’m already hoping we get to visit with Sully and the rest of the gang again soon.
I had forgotten just how much I loved these characters until I picked up this second in the series. The main characters are strong, and their relationships feel real. They also have multiple connections to the characters who are part of the mystery, which gives us multiple reasons to care. The book starts out focusing on the disaster of the play, but it is layering in information related to the mystery, so when the murder does happen, we are off and running quickly. I got so pulled into this book that I finished it in two days instead of my average three. In fact, I had to know what was going on, so I ignored other plans to finish it. The climax is very satisfying. I appreciated how Sully used her background as a cop to investigate and worked with the police to figure things out, a nice change from other cozies I read. I’m already hoping we get to visit with Sully and the rest of the gang again soon.
Kristin (149 KP) rated 'Till the Last Petal Falls (Once Upon a Reality #1) in Books
Dec 7, 2018
Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
"Never settle for a fairytale."
During my Psychology classes in college, we discussed how various characters have psychological issues: popular cartoon characters, the cast of "Winnie the Pooh," and the vast majority of the Disney Princesses. Belle is no exception, and this book explores that idea beautifully, no pun intended.
Jolee answers a Craigslist ad which sounds too good to be true, and she finds herself in the mountains of Aspen, tutoring a shut-in with some very serious issues of his own. As time goes by, she learns for and more about this man, and most of it is not good. However, she sticks by him, hoping to "fix" him with her love.
Sound like a recipe for disaster?
I used to teach a rehabilitation class for men convicted of domestic violence, and this book definitely delves into that dynamic head-first. It's a real eye-opener into the lives of those involved in those situations, from both sides of the coin as well as an outsider's perspective. Comparing it to the story of "Beauty and the Beast" really adds a whole new layer to it, as most of us either grew up with that story/movie or fell in love with it because of our kids/grandkids/etc. It's a crazy thought, but the more you think about it, the more you realize Belle suffered from Stockholm syndrome as well as battered-woman syndrome, and that HEA Disney ending is not the one generally associated with those situations.
Bravo to the author for writing this cross-examination of a beloved children's story and shedding some light on this serious issue while also maintaining a gripping novel.
5 stars
"Never settle for a fairytale."
During my Psychology classes in college, we discussed how various characters have psychological issues: popular cartoon characters, the cast of "Winnie the Pooh," and the vast majority of the Disney Princesses. Belle is no exception, and this book explores that idea beautifully, no pun intended.
Jolee answers a Craigslist ad which sounds too good to be true, and she finds herself in the mountains of Aspen, tutoring a shut-in with some very serious issues of his own. As time goes by, she learns for and more about this man, and most of it is not good. However, she sticks by him, hoping to "fix" him with her love.
Sound like a recipe for disaster?
I used to teach a rehabilitation class for men convicted of domestic violence, and this book definitely delves into that dynamic head-first. It's a real eye-opener into the lives of those involved in those situations, from both sides of the coin as well as an outsider's perspective. Comparing it to the story of "Beauty and the Beast" really adds a whole new layer to it, as most of us either grew up with that story/movie or fell in love with it because of our kids/grandkids/etc. It's a crazy thought, but the more you think about it, the more you realize Belle suffered from Stockholm syndrome as well as battered-woman syndrome, and that HEA Disney ending is not the one generally associated with those situations.
Bravo to the author for writing this cross-examination of a beloved children's story and shedding some light on this serious issue while also maintaining a gripping novel.
5 stars
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2336 KP) rated Here Comes the Body in Books
Feb 26, 2020
Debut You Won’t Want to Refuse
Mia Carina has returned home after her adulterous husband’s mysterious disappearance to work in the family business. Or, I should say, the family’s new business. Her father, reputed mobster Ravello, has recently acquired the Belle View catering hall in the Queens borough of New York City, and Mia is going to help him run it as a 100% real business. Her first week on the job, Mia is in charge of a bachelor party when disaster strikes. Not only does the stripper not jump out of the cake, she’s dead in the cake. With the police showing interest in the new business and especially her father, Mia begins poking around, hoping to figure out what happened. Can she do it?
The mob? New York City? Yes, this is indeed still a cozy. While those are the elements that help make up this different take on the genre, they only help provide the background. The heart of the book is still a great puzzle and charming characters. Mia already knows some of the supporting players in the book, and we can tell right away how much they love each other. The rest of the characters are entertaining, and the suspects are strong. The plot weaves in some interesting directions before we reach the logical and satisfying conclusion. We get some great humor as Mia deals with a return home that isn’t as smooth as she thought it would be. Being a culinary cozy, we get some delicious sounding recipes at the end and a fun party idea. I took advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon to finish this book, and I enjoyed every page of it. I’m already anxious for the sequel. It would be a mistake to refuse this excellent debut.
The mob? New York City? Yes, this is indeed still a cozy. While those are the elements that help make up this different take on the genre, they only help provide the background. The heart of the book is still a great puzzle and charming characters. Mia already knows some of the supporting players in the book, and we can tell right away how much they love each other. The rest of the characters are entertaining, and the suspects are strong. The plot weaves in some interesting directions before we reach the logical and satisfying conclusion. We get some great humor as Mia deals with a return home that isn’t as smooth as she thought it would be. Being a culinary cozy, we get some delicious sounding recipes at the end and a fun party idea. I took advantage of a lazy Sunday afternoon to finish this book, and I enjoyed every page of it. I’m already anxious for the sequel. It would be a mistake to refuse this excellent debut.
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