It Happened At The Fair by Deeanne Gist

May 23, 2013

My Review

I loved this book from the moment I started it until the moment I finished it. I fell in love with the characters and the authors way of telling the story. I loved how I felt like I was there and how I could understand what the characters were feeling. I really wanted everything to work out for Cullen because he really had so much to lose if it didn’t work out for him. I have always been interested in this time period and I really loved this book and can’t wait to check out more by her soon!

About The Book

A transporting historical novel about a promising young inventor, his struggle with loss, and the attractive teacher who changes his life, all set against the razzle-dazzle of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Gambling everything, including the family farm, Cullen McNamara travels to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair with his most recent invention. But the noise in the Fair’s Machinery Palace makes it impossible to communicate with potential buyers. In an act of desperation, he hires Della Wentworth, a teacher of the deaf, to tutor him in the art of lip-reading.

The young teacher is reluctant to participate, and Cullen has trouble keeping his mind on his lessons while intently watching her lips. Like the newly invented Ferris Wheel, he is caught in a whirl between his girl back home, his dreams as an inventor, and his unexpected attraction to his new tutor. Can he keep his feet on the ground, or will he be carried away?

About The Author

Deeanne Gist—known to her family, friends, and fans as Dee—has rocketed up bestseller lists and captured readers everywhere with her very fun, very original historicals. She has received numerous RITA nominations, two consecutive Christy Awards, and rave reviews. Deeanne has a background in education and journalism and a degree from Texas A&M. She has written for “People,” “Parents,” and “Parenting.” She lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband and has four grown children. She has a very active online community on her website at IWantHerBook.com.

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ICE Blue by Susan Rae

May 23, 2013

I didn’t read the first book in the series so I found that I was a little lost with some parts of the book but I still loved this book. I am going to go back and read the first book and then I am sure this book will make more sense to me. I really did enjoy this book though. I liked the characters and I felt like they really could be alive and they also seemed like people I would get along with. I love the authors writing and I can’t wait to check out more books by her in the future. This is also a book that once I started reading it I couldn’t put it down. From the start I had to know how it was going to end. It needs to be at the top of your list if you love suspense books.

About The Book

Romantic Suspense~Date Published: 3/15/13

When lives are on the line, sometimes the wrong thing is the right thing to do.

Born into a Chicago cop family, Angela DeLuca gets her rush from saving lives while her brothers get theirs from catching the bad guys. A tough beauty with a heart perhaps too big, she champions the underdog because, as the youngest of six siblings, she often felt like one.

ICE Special Agent Troy Deavers became a cop to prove he wasn’t like his father—a southern politician who brought his family down with greed and corruption. He doesn’t suffer victims well. At first intrigued by Angela’s passion, he soon fears that the fire in Angela’s heart will be her undoing.

What happens when Troy falls in love with the lovely but infuriating Angela, the Chicago paramedic who insists on protecting a young witness and her unborn baby—a witness who could break his case wide open?

You met the DeLuca family in heartbeats, now come to know them even better in ICE blue.

About The Author

I write, basically, because I just can’t help myself. I can’t resist the challenge of taking the intriguing characters and storylines that pop into my head and fleshing them out into compelling manuscripts. Romantic suspense is a natural to me, because it allows me to combine a sexy, passionate love story with a gritty suspense tale—in my opinion, the best of both worlds. It also lets me express my appreciation for the outdoors in the settings which I recreate on the page.

Freefall, my second novel, takes place in Wisconsin’s Kettle Moraine Forest and beautiful Door County. ICE blue returns to the busy streets of Chicago and the shores of Lake Michigan to continue the story of the DeLuca family which began in my award winning first novel, heartbeats. I am currently working on the third book in the DeLuca series, TRUE blue, due out in 2014, where it seems my characters must take a trip to Montana’s majestic Glacier National Park.

When I’m not sketching characters or working out plot problems, you might find me on the golf course working on my handicap. I also enjoy traveling around the country seeking out new settings for my novels with my husband and my empty nest puppies, Ginger and Nikute. To read more about my novels and the writing life, please visit my website/blog at http://www.susanrae.com.

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed in this review are 100% mine.

Excerpt

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“The Face of the Earth” by Deborah Raney

May 23, 2013

“The Face of the Earth” by Deborah Raney is an amazing book. From the moment I started reading the book I couldn’t put it down. I loved everything about the authors writing. I also had to find out how the book ended because while I was reading the book I couldn’t figure out was going to happen like I can with some of the books that I read. In this book you follow along with Mitchell as he looks for his wife who just disappears one day. I loved it because I spent the whole book wondering if anything would happen between Mitch and his wife’s best friend Shelley. The author does a great job at making me understand how the characters are feeling and making you feel as if you are there with them.

About “The Face of the Earth” by Deborah Raney

When Mitchell Brannon’s beloved wife of twenty years kisses him goodbye one autumn morning, he has little idea that his life is about to change forever. Mitch returns from work early that evening, surprised Jill’s car isn’t inthe garage. Her conference in Kansas City is only a few hours’ drive from their little town ofSylvia, Missouri. But her voice on the answering machine makes him smile. “Hey, babe, I’m just now checking out of the hotel, but I’ll stop and pick up something for dinner. Love you.”

Mitch sets the table with their best china and lights some candles, looking forward to their first weekend as empty nesters.

But at eight o’clock, the candles have burned to stubs and Jill still hasn’t shown up. Mitch tries her cell phone only to get her voice mail over and over again. Their two college kids haven’t heard from their mom either.
At midnight, Mitch’s irritation turns to dread. And later, when the police and Missouri Highway Patrol have turned up nothing, the Kansas City hotel calls to say they’ve found property belonging to Jill in a hotel maid’s possession.

Mitch enlists the help of their next-door neighbor, Jill’s best friend, Shelley, and together they search for clues to Jill’s disappearance. As days turn into weeks and weeks into months, Mitch and Shelley’s friendship grows ever closer–and decidedly complicated with Jill as the tie that binds them together. Just when Shelley decides to finally reveal her feelings for Mitch, a clue to Jill’s whereabouts is uncovered. But every lead seems to be a dead end, and Mitch wonders how he can honor thevows he made to a woman who has seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth.

About The Author

Deborah Raney is theaward-winning author ofseveral novels, including “A Nest of Sparrows” and theRITA award winning “Beneath a Southern Sky” and its sequel, “After theRains”. Deborah’s first novel, “A Vow to Cherish”, was theinspiration for World Wide Pictures’ highly acclaimed film of the same title, which in December 2004 aired on prime time network TV forthe second time. Deb’s novella, “Playing by Heart”, was a National Readers Choice Award winner and a 2004 Christy Award finalist. Her novel for Howard/Simon & Schuster, “Yesterday’s Embers”, appeared on the ECPA Christian fiction bestseller list. Known for her sensitive portrayal of family struggles and relationships, Deb has also written nonfiction books and articles and often speaks at women’s retreats and writers’ conferences around the country. She and her husband, illustrator/author Ken Raney, have four children and make their home in Kansas.

Find out more at DeborahRaney.com

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“Pastors’ Wives” by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen

May 18, 2013

In Pastors’ Wives by Lisa Takeuchi Cullen you follow 3 women as their lives join together when they are all members of a mega-church called Greenleaf. I had a hard time with this book and I am not sure why. I loved the writing in the book and all the characters but it just wasn’t for me I guess. I did love how the the author had the chapters broken down into the different ladies talking. I am for sure going to check out other books by her because she is a great author this book just wasn’t my personal favorite.

About The Book

What’s it like when the man you married is already married to God? asks Pastors’ Wives, an often surprising yet always emotionally true first novel set in a world most of us know only from the outside.

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen’s debut novel Pastors’Wives follows three women whose lives converge and intertwine at a Southern evangelical megachurch. Ruthie follows her Wall Street husband from New York to Magnolia, a fictional suburb of Atlanta, when he hears a calling to serve at a megachurch called Greenleaf. Reeling from the death of her mother, Ruthie suffers a crisis of faith—in God, in her marriage, and in herself. Candace is Greenleaf’s “First Lady,” a force of nature who’ll stop at nothing to protect her church and her superstar husband. Ginger, married to Candace’s son, struggles to play dutiful wife and mother while burying her calamitous past. All their roads collide in one chaotic event that exposes their true selves. Inspired by Cullen’s reporting as a staff writer for Time magazine,Pastors’ Wives is a dramatic portrayal of the private lives of pastors’ wives, caught between the demands of faith, marriage, duty, and love.

About The Author

Lisa Takeuchi Cullen was a longtime staff writer for TIME magazine. She now develops TV pilots for production companies and recently sold her first pilot for “The Ordained” to CBS. Born in Japan, Cullen lives in New Jersey with family.

Find out more about Lisa at http://lisacullen.com.

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my review. The opinions expressed here are 100% my own.

“The Cat That God Sent” and “The Dog That Talked To God” by Jim Kraus

May 16, 2013

As everyone is aware I love animals so when I saw the chance to review “The Cat That God Sent” and “The Dog That Talked To God” by Jim Kraus I jumped. Look below for the reviews of both of these books and I know if you are animal lovers like I am you will love these books.

The Cat That God Sent Review

This was one of the cutest books I think I have ever read. I am a total cat person so from the moment I started this book I was hooked. I can totally see the parts where the cat is “talking” happening and I often wonder if my own cats don’t think the same things when they look and interact with me. You follow along with Jake during this book as he arrives at his new assignment and everything that goes on with him and Petey the cat. I don’t want to say much more because I don’t want to give anything away but this is heart warming story that I know everyone will love if you are an animal lover.

The Dog That Talked To God Review

I really enjoyed this book. In this book you are following along with Mary Fassler as she is dealing with the loss of her family. She adopts Rufus who is a Miniature Schnauzer. She gets him when she needs him the most and he talks to her and God. I really enjoyed this book but I did’t like it as much as the cat book but I know that is just because I am such a cat person and not a huge dog person. The dog helps her heal and “move on” with her life. I know that animals can help you heal just like Rufus helped Mary heal. If you love sweet stories and dogs I know this book is for you.

About The Books

The Cat That God Sent

Meet Petey, your not-so-average cat-on a mission from God

Disillusioned young pastor, Jake Wilkerson, has just arrived at his new assignment in the small rural church of Coudersport, Pennsylvania. Also new on the scene is Petey, acat of unknown origins and breed-but of great perception.

As Jake sets about doing the business of ministry, Petey’s continued interference brings chaos to thecommunity of curiously off and eccentric people-residents like the faith-avoiding veterinarian Sally Grainger and Tassy, a young runaway with a secret. An expert at hiding his fears, Jake wonders if all this-and the cat to boot-is more than he can handle. What is Petey’s real “mission”? Perhaps something larger than Jake—or even Petey—can possibly know.

The Dog That Talked To God

Recently widowed Mary Fassler buys a Miniature Schnauzer, Rufus, and her world is turned sideways inthe midst of her grief. It seems that Rufus speaks. And not just to her. He also talks to God. When Rufus begins sharing advice that could result in major changes, Mary gets the feeling the pooch might not be steering her in the right direction. Or, is she just afraid to takethe leap and discover something she desperately needs? Only Rufus…and God…knows.

About The Author

Jim Kraus grew up in Western Pennsylvania and has spentthe last twenty years as a vice president of a major Christian publishing house. He has written more than twenty books and novels, includingthe best-selling The Dog ThatTalked to God. He and his family live outside of Chicago with a sweet miniature Schnauzer and an ill-tempered Siberian cat named (of course) Petey. www.jimkraus.com

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The Cat That God Sent

The Dog That Talked To God

Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn Series by Evangeline Kelley

May 10, 2013

This review is a little different I was sent two books in the Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn Series by Evangeline Kelley to review so there will be two review in this post. I really did enjoy both of these books and I am sure you will enjoy them as well!

Seaside Harmony Review

I really enjoyed this book and can’t wait to read the third book in the series. In this book they mainly focus on Caroline and her getting her sisters on board with buying the Misty Harbor Inn that their mother took them to when they were children. It was also their mothers dream to one day own it and run a bed and breakfast there with her daughters. The author does a great job of making you feel as though you are there with the characters and you also can understand where each of the sisters is coming from. I wasn’t a huge fan of the ending of this book but there are still 2 other books so it can still get better and I am sure it does.

Sunflower Summer Review

This book mainly follows Gracie around when she comes back in the summer in time to open up the Inn for the summer with her sisters. I saw so much of myself in Gracie and I feel I could relate to her the most. I feel like I am repeating myself from the review of the first book so I am just going to say that I loved this book and I really can’t wait for the 3rd book to come out in August so that I can read it as well!

About The Books

Seaside Harmony

Three sisters, a charming inn, hints of mystery and romance, and a gorgeous seaside setting. Summer reading at its finest!

When Caroline Marris joins her sisters, Gracie Gold and Sam Carter for a Nantucket Island getaway, she has no idea how it will change her life. The sisters stumble upon Misty Harbor Inn, the place their late mother loved so much, and Caroline talks her sisters into buying the beautiful but dilapidated inn. But can free-spirited Caroline stay focused enough to make opening the inn a reality? Hand-drawn old postcards draw the sisters into the mystery of Hannah Montague, the young widow of the original owner. Can the sisters uncover the fate of this woman who disappeared in 1880? As Caroline and her sisters work together to make their mom’s dream a reality, they bond in ways they never expected.

Sunflower Summer

Misty Harbor Inn officially opens, and Gracie Gold, the middle Marris sister, wrestles with an overwhelming decision. As the sisters learn the day-to-day workings of running an inn, Gracie counsels its first guests, newlyweds whose honeymoon seems to be ending before it begins. Meanwhile, Sam’s discovery of a clue in a secret room sheds unflattering light on Hannah Montague, who vanished from the house more than one hundred years ago. And as Gracie and Caroline welcome guests to the inn, they are delighted to see how God uses it — and them — to deepen relationships and transform lives.

About The Author

Evangeline Kelley is the pen name for the writing team of Patti Berg, Pam Andrews & Barbara Hanson, and Camy Tang, the four authors who collaborated to create Postcards from Misty Harbor Inn. Each of them has published novels individually, but this is their first series together.

Find out more about Evangeline at http://amzn.to/10d3FZM.