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Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated My Daughter's Legacy (Cousins of the Dove #3) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I love these two authors and their work, and I was excited to see where this book went. And honestly, while I loved that these authors came together and created a captivating story, I was a little lost in some of the areas of the story, so I'll definitely be going back to read the first two in the series.
That said, these characters, both present day, and historical, are beautifully chiseled. Told between two points of view, the authors take the reader on a whirlwind ride through history and contemporary times. I loved visiting Richmond during the Civil War. Historical eras are my favorite! Nicole and Therese quickly swept me into the heart of the story and I felt both of their emotions like they were my own!
Despite not reading book 1 and 2 and occasionally struggling to follow the story line, this conclusional book is definitely worth 4 stars. The writing styles of these two authors are beautiful, and mysterious and historical elements are awesome. This book is filled with emotions, thought provoking story lines, family legacies, and Godly messages of faith, trust and hope. I definitely suggest you get this book if you've read the first two! It will steal you away to another place in time and keep you up long into the night.<a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/13819-revision-v1/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
That said, these characters, both present day, and historical, are beautifully chiseled. Told between two points of view, the authors take the reader on a whirlwind ride through history and contemporary times. I loved visiting Richmond during the Civil War. Historical eras are my favorite! Nicole and Therese quickly swept me into the heart of the story and I felt both of their emotions like they were my own!
Despite not reading book 1 and 2 and occasionally struggling to follow the story line, this conclusional book is definitely worth 4 stars. The writing styles of these two authors are beautiful, and mysterious and historical elements are awesome. This book is filled with emotions, thought provoking story lines, family legacies, and Godly messages of faith, trust and hope. I definitely suggest you get this book if you've read the first two! It will steal you away to another place in time and keep you up long into the night.<a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/13819-revision-v1/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated Serafina and the Black Cloak in Books
Feb 27, 2019
I will confess that it's been quite some time since I read a middle grade/young adult book, but perusing my children's family night book fair, I came across this book. I read the back of it and noticed one thing. Biltmore. Living in North Carolina, a few hours away from the Biltmore, I thought it would be the perfect dive back into the wonderful world of innocence and fun. I wasn't wrong!
Serafina and The Black Cloak is a wonderful start to Mr. Beatty's Serafina series. I read this in two sittings and loved every minute of this read! Serafina's character is wonderful and I loved following her along the halls of the Biltmore Estate. The story is filled with just the right amount of kid-friendly mystery and is perfect for those curious minds that love to seek out clues and solve the puzzle.
Serafina's search for answers on the disappearances within the walls of the magnificently built estate, and the lovely story line, Mr. Beatty has just become my favorite author for books like this. I am already looking forward to reading book 2, Serafina and the Twisted Staff. If it's anything like this book, it will be just as captivating and filled with tremendous doses of 5 star worthy moments! Fantastically done, Mr. Beatty. Fantastically done. <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-serafina-and-the-black-cloak-by-robert-beatty/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Serafina and The Black Cloak is a wonderful start to Mr. Beatty's Serafina series. I read this in two sittings and loved every minute of this read! Serafina's character is wonderful and I loved following her along the halls of the Biltmore Estate. The story is filled with just the right amount of kid-friendly mystery and is perfect for those curious minds that love to seek out clues and solve the puzzle.
Serafina's search for answers on the disappearances within the walls of the magnificently built estate, and the lovely story line, Mr. Beatty has just become my favorite author for books like this. I am already looking forward to reading book 2, Serafina and the Twisted Staff. If it's anything like this book, it will be just as captivating and filled with tremendous doses of 5 star worthy moments! Fantastically done, Mr. Beatty. Fantastically done. <a href="http://cafinatedreads.com/review-serafina-and-the-black-cloak-by-robert-beatty/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Cafinated Reads</a>
Molly J (Cover To Cover Cafe) (106 KP) rated His Risk (The Amish of Hart County #4) in Books
Feb 27, 2019
Amazing! Another amazing novel and addition to the Amish of Hart County series. To date, I think this is her best one yet in the series, though I did love all of them. Ms. Gray, whose talent has always intrigued me, wrote a novel that pulled me instantly to the center of the story with Calvin and his life. I fell head over heels instantly with him and loved following his risky story.
When Ms. Gray introduced me to Alice, yet another character to fall in love with, I knew this book would be one I would be up long into the night reading. I was right. Seeing Alice with the kinner in her class, then watching her fight her feelings for Calvin, really tugged at my heart through the story!
This is definitely a 5 star worthy novel in this series. The ups, downs, twists, and turns that Ms. Gray add to this absolutely inspirational novel of risking all for love, is wonderful and keeps the reader hooked. I can't wait for the next and final book in the series to get back to Hart County and see what Ms. Gray gives us next. Hats off and twenty thumbs up to a talented author on this one!
*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Blog Tours/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
When Ms. Gray introduced me to Alice, yet another character to fall in love with, I knew this book would be one I would be up long into the night reading. I was right. Seeing Alice with the kinner in her class, then watching her fight her feelings for Calvin, really tugged at my heart through the story!
This is definitely a 5 star worthy novel in this series. The ups, downs, twists, and turns that Ms. Gray add to this absolutely inspirational novel of risking all for love, is wonderful and keeps the reader hooked. I can't wait for the next and final book in the series to get back to Hart County and see what Ms. Gray gives us next. Hats off and twenty thumbs up to a talented author on this one!
*Cafinated Reads received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Blog Tours/Publisher and was under no obligation to post a review, positive or negative.*
Lenard (726 KP) rated Gloria Bell (2019) in Movies
Mar 27, 2019
Julianne Moore (1 more)
Supporting cast
Dance Your Cares Away
Contains spoilers, click to show
Dancing is an art form. It is freedom. It can be both joyful or sadness. Dance is a metaphor for the ups and downs, ins and outs of life. Gloria loves to dance and goes out dancing whenever she gets the chance. Her job in insurance is mundane and joyless. Her children are both grown. Her daughter is a yoga instructor in a relationship with a Swedish big wave surfer, the symbol of YOLOism. Her son is raising a son alone while his millenial wife discovers herself or finds inner peace or some granola truism. Her ex-husband is out of her life amd played by hangdog Brad Garrett. The nights out dancing are a way to live for her. One night she meets a hot-blooded recent divorcee who ignites a untapped passion in her. He reads Latin American poetry and owns an amusement park with automatic paintball guns. Something doesn't feel completely right with this man though. His thirtyish daughters constantly call him, abandoning her in key spots. The relationship drains her and she refuses to dance. Until she realizes the truth and then avenges herself with his gifted gun. Kind of ironic that he is cheating with her and he gets angry when she ignores him while with her immediate family. In the end, she dances at her friend's daughter's wedding and finds her own inner joy.
Debbiereadsbook (1440 KP) rated Mr January (Calendar Men #1) in Books
Feb 28, 2018
really great, cute read
Independent reviewer for Divine Magazine, I was gifted my copy of this book.
I've read a few of Bailey's shifter books before, they tend to be short and sweet, so this one came out of left field and surprised me! And I've no idea WHY it surprised, just that I'm left feeling that and ya'll know I gotta share!
It's sweet, it's funny, (some proper laugh out loud moments!) it is emotional and it's sexy. And I really enjoyed it!
Albert is a geek and proud of it, and there are a few geeky jokes, and some not so funny comments, but they get shot down, right quick! Gregg is a model helping with a charity calendar and Albert has no illusions that he could ever land a guy such as Gregg, but Albert pushing all of Gregg's buttons, and some he didn't know he had so it's a matter of Gregg chasing Albert.
There is an on-going issues (I've already read book 2 when writing this review) with the photo shoot, and I don't know if it will ever get done, based on these two I've read, it might well be December before it gets done!
A thoroughly enjoyable read, some 180 pages,that fit in well on my list between two heavier reads, hence the hang over tag. I look forward to reading more of this series!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I've read a few of Bailey's shifter books before, they tend to be short and sweet, so this one came out of left field and surprised me! And I've no idea WHY it surprised, just that I'm left feeling that and ya'll know I gotta share!
It's sweet, it's funny, (some proper laugh out loud moments!) it is emotional and it's sexy. And I really enjoyed it!
Albert is a geek and proud of it, and there are a few geeky jokes, and some not so funny comments, but they get shot down, right quick! Gregg is a model helping with a charity calendar and Albert has no illusions that he could ever land a guy such as Gregg, but Albert pushing all of Gregg's buttons, and some he didn't know he had so it's a matter of Gregg chasing Albert.
There is an on-going issues (I've already read book 2 when writing this review) with the photo shoot, and I don't know if it will ever get done, based on these two I've read, it might well be December before it gets done!
A thoroughly enjoyable read, some 180 pages,that fit in well on my list between two heavier reads, hence the hang over tag. I look forward to reading more of this series!
4 solid stars
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Cyn Armistead (14 KP) rated Hard Magic (Paranormal Scene Investigations #1) in Books
Mar 1, 2018
I suppose it must be obvious to anyone who reads my reviews that I enjoy Laura Anne Gilman's writing. I've only read every one of her Retrievers series as well as every one of her short stories sold via <a href="http://fictionwise.com/">Fictionwise</a>; (including some that I'd already read in various anthologies, but I didn't want to miss anything). I've been waiting anxiously for <i>Hard Magic</i>, the first in the new Paranormal Scene Investigations series, and it did not disappoint me in the least.
If you've read the Retrievers books, you'll recognize the main character, Bonnie Torres, immediately as Wren Valere's neighbor. If you haven't read that series, don't worry - they aren't required to enjoy this book.
I do, however, recommend hunting down the short story "Illumination," which is referred to several times during the novel. It's in the anthology [b:Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy|3395318|Unusual Suspects Stories of Mystery & Fantasy|Dana Stabenow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1243223215s/3395318.jpg|3435306]. It isn't strictly required, but I think it would help.
If you've ever enjoyed CSI or any similar show, I think you'll really enjoy <i>Hard Magic</i> even more than others will. Bonnie and her coworkers are trying to reinvent all of the forensic science that those shows take for granted from scratch, from a magical perspective. It's fascinating to me, and I would have been happier with more geeking.
I'm really looking forward to book two!
If you've read the Retrievers books, you'll recognize the main character, Bonnie Torres, immediately as Wren Valere's neighbor. If you haven't read that series, don't worry - they aren't required to enjoy this book.
I do, however, recommend hunting down the short story "Illumination," which is referred to several times during the novel. It's in the anthology [b:Unusual Suspects: Stories of Mystery & Fantasy|3395318|Unusual Suspects Stories of Mystery & Fantasy|Dana Stabenow|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1243223215s/3395318.jpg|3435306]. It isn't strictly required, but I think it would help.
If you've ever enjoyed CSI or any similar show, I think you'll really enjoy <i>Hard Magic</i> even more than others will. Bonnie and her coworkers are trying to reinvent all of the forensic science that those shows take for granted from scratch, from a magical perspective. It's fascinating to me, and I would have been happier with more geeking.
I'm really looking forward to book two!
Hazel (1853 KP) rated Second Chances in Books
Dec 17, 2018
<i>I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.</i>
<i>Second Chances</i> is a short story by Leigh-Ann Singh about two people who have had rather difficult pasts. Firstly there is Emily Watson who moves to Bay Brook to become the new editor of the <i>Bay Brook Times</i>. She has moved there from New York thus escaping from a bad relationship. The second person is Richard Cambridge whose family owns the newspaper. He initially appears to be a cold-hearted person until it is revealed he has recently lost his wife in a tragic accident.
The tale focuses on Emily and Richard’s relationship, which starts off on shaky ground but improves over time. During the story both characters turn to God to help them with their troubles and begin to find peace with the help of the Saviour. It is not a particularly religious book as the main emphasis is on pointing out that both characters receive the opportunity to have a second chance at life: Richard moving on from the past and returning to the present; and Emily being given the chance at new relationships and becoming “the woman God intended her to be”.
Admittedly <i>Second Chances</i> is very poorly written and ideally ought to have had a lot of editing before publication however the overall storyline is good. It is a shame that more was not done with it.
<i>Second Chances</i> is a short story by Leigh-Ann Singh about two people who have had rather difficult pasts. Firstly there is Emily Watson who moves to Bay Brook to become the new editor of the <i>Bay Brook Times</i>. She has moved there from New York thus escaping from a bad relationship. The second person is Richard Cambridge whose family owns the newspaper. He initially appears to be a cold-hearted person until it is revealed he has recently lost his wife in a tragic accident.
The tale focuses on Emily and Richard’s relationship, which starts off on shaky ground but improves over time. During the story both characters turn to God to help them with their troubles and begin to find peace with the help of the Saviour. It is not a particularly religious book as the main emphasis is on pointing out that both characters receive the opportunity to have a second chance at life: Richard moving on from the past and returning to the present; and Emily being given the chance at new relationships and becoming “the woman God intended her to be”.
Admittedly <i>Second Chances</i> is very poorly written and ideally ought to have had a lot of editing before publication however the overall storyline is good. It is a shame that more was not done with it.
David Gemmell is/was one of my favourite authors.
However, he passed away in 2006 while finishing the final novel in his <i>Troy</i> trilogy (<i>Fall of Kings</i>), which was then finished by his second wife Stella.
<i>The City</i> is her first fully solo outing. Following recent trends, this definitely weighs in on the 'epic' side of the fantasy scales: think 'A Game of Thrones', where one novel is the size of three what I would term 'normal' reads. Indeed, the novel itself is split into various sections: personally I feel that it could have been split into two or maybe three separate books rather than under the one cover.
<i>The City</i> of the title (which is never actually named) is ancient and bloated, locked in an endless war with its enemies. Built over centuries, it reminded me somewhat of a passage in one of Pratchett's Discworld books (I forget which, and referring to Ankh-Morpork), something along the lines of:
'the main thing Ankh-Morpork is built on is Ankh-Morpork'.
That could be a pretty fair description of The City as well!
I also found some sections to be slow-moving, and while I never lost interest in the story, it also never really grabbed me, seeming to lack that certain something to turns a good story into a great story.
Would I read more by Stella Gemmell? At the moment, I'm undecided.
However, he passed away in 2006 while finishing the final novel in his <i>Troy</i> trilogy (<i>Fall of Kings</i>), which was then finished by his second wife Stella.
<i>The City</i> is her first fully solo outing. Following recent trends, this definitely weighs in on the 'epic' side of the fantasy scales: think 'A Game of Thrones', where one novel is the size of three what I would term 'normal' reads. Indeed, the novel itself is split into various sections: personally I feel that it could have been split into two or maybe three separate books rather than under the one cover.
<i>The City</i> of the title (which is never actually named) is ancient and bloated, locked in an endless war with its enemies. Built over centuries, it reminded me somewhat of a passage in one of Pratchett's Discworld books (I forget which, and referring to Ankh-Morpork), something along the lines of:
'the main thing Ankh-Morpork is built on is Ankh-Morpork'.
That could be a pretty fair description of The City as well!
I also found some sections to be slow-moving, and while I never lost interest in the story, it also never really grabbed me, seeming to lack that certain something to turns a good story into a great story.
Would I read more by Stella Gemmell? At the moment, I'm undecided.
Merissa (12897 KP) rated A Life, Forward: A Rowan Slone Novel in Books
Dec 17, 2018
I received this book from YA Reads as part of the blog tour in return for a fair and honest review.
The second in the series sees Mike off at university and Rowan trying to finish her last year of school. She is still living with the Andersons and is trying to ignore her family as best she can. She is doing a pretty good job of it too until she hears her father is back in town and then it all goes belly up. Trina reappears and makes herself a nuisance as usual, and as usual, it appears that only Rowan and her friend Jess, can see what she's up to. Everyone else is taken in and fooled by her deceptions.
This book is just as raw as the first one although the circumstances are now slightly different. You will still feel for Rowan as she tries to do the right thing and make her house of cards as stable as possible. I was very pleased with the outcome of her relationship with Mike although I won't say more than that to ensure I don't spoil it for anyone one. Rowan certainly grows in this book and I was pleased to see her making plans for herself and looking to the future.
This series is one that is raw, gritty and full of pain. It is also an exceedingly good read that will draw you in and make you feel the main female's emotions.
The second in the series sees Mike off at university and Rowan trying to finish her last year of school. She is still living with the Andersons and is trying to ignore her family as best she can. She is doing a pretty good job of it too until she hears her father is back in town and then it all goes belly up. Trina reappears and makes herself a nuisance as usual, and as usual, it appears that only Rowan and her friend Jess, can see what she's up to. Everyone else is taken in and fooled by her deceptions.
This book is just as raw as the first one although the circumstances are now slightly different. You will still feel for Rowan as she tries to do the right thing and make her house of cards as stable as possible. I was very pleased with the outcome of her relationship with Mike although I won't say more than that to ensure I don't spoil it for anyone one. Rowan certainly grows in this book and I was pleased to see her making plans for herself and looking to the future.
This series is one that is raw, gritty and full of pain. It is also an exceedingly good read that will draw you in and make you feel the main female's emotions.
Phil Leader (619 KP) rated Ghosts of Winter (Grey Areas #2) in Books
Nov 13, 2019
Following his flight from Gable, Iowa after getting inadvertently involved in a drug war, Barrett Grayson is determined to stay on the run from the FBI. However some bad news from home makes him re-evaluate his actions. Back in Gable the fallout from the fateful night of Chum's party continues with the local police and DEA determined to track down the missing drugs and the cartel prepared to stop at nothing to get hold of them instead. Meanwhile Claire can't shake thoughts of 'Henry Fields' from her head.
The first book in this sage was good; this second is even better. Carl is a very talented author who can move seamlessly between emotional and romantic to crime drama without missing a beat. As with the first book, despite a large cast of characters each one is depicted with incredible realism.
The thrust of the saga is that black and white don't exist, that everyone has shades of grey and has to make decisions which may be compromising or morally questionable, and that is brought into sharp relief here with what would normally be 'good guys' and 'bad guys' both blurring a lot of lines and meeting in the middle.
Despite being the second in a sequence of four books this does have its own plot which moves to a satisfying conclusion but obviously leaves all the main players in place for the next book. Anyone who picks this up and reads it will not be disappointed.
The first book in this sage was good; this second is even better. Carl is a very talented author who can move seamlessly between emotional and romantic to crime drama without missing a beat. As with the first book, despite a large cast of characters each one is depicted with incredible realism.
The thrust of the saga is that black and white don't exist, that everyone has shades of grey and has to make decisions which may be compromising or morally questionable, and that is brought into sharp relief here with what would normally be 'good guys' and 'bad guys' both blurring a lot of lines and meeting in the middle.
Despite being the second in a sequence of four books this does have its own plot which moves to a satisfying conclusion but obviously leaves all the main players in place for the next book. Anyone who picks this up and reads it will not be disappointed.