Romance Book

The Good Luck Sister by Jill Shalvis

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

The Good Luck Sister by Jill Shalvis was a sweet story.  I read this book in a few days because I had to know how it all worked out.  I have read several books by this author and I have liked them all, so it wasn’t a shock that I liked this book as well.  I loved that this had a dog into it because I am such a huge animal lover.  It also makes the gook easier for me to relate too.  I fell in love with Dylan right from the start.  I also loved watching as they both grew throughout the book.  At times I did find this book was predicable but that is what happens for me because I have so many books in this genre.  I felt bad for Dylan because of how hard his childhood had to have been.  I had a rough childhood, so I felt like I was able to relate to him and that made him come alive while I was reading this book.  I know that anyone who love chick lit will love this book just as much as I did.

About The Book

After a difficult few years, Tilly Adams is ready for life to start going right. Though she has a case of first-day nerves teaching art at the local community college, she knows it isn’t anything a few snuggles from her rescue puppy won’t cure. Until she sees Dylan Scott again, her one-time BFF and first love sitting in the front row. Dylan knows he should’ve left well enough alone, but when he sees Tilly living her dream, he can’t help but make contact. Ten years ago, he left Wildstone and everything in it behind, including Tilly. He had his reasons, but now he wants her back in his life, anyway he can get her. When Tilly agrees to design the logo for Dylan’s new helicopter touring company, it’s business only . . . until she finds herself falling into his arms once again. Can she possibly open her heart back up to the only man who’s ever broken it? But soon they’re both realizing the truth—love always deserves a second chance.

About The Author

New York Times bestselling author Jill Shalvis lives in a small town in the Sierras full of quirky characters. Any resemblance to the quirky characters in her books is, um, mostly coincidental. Look for Jill’s bestselling, award-winning books wherever romances are sold and visit her website, http://www.jillshalvis.com, for a complete book list and daily blog detailing her city-girl-living-in-the-mountains adventures.

Connect with Jill

Website: http://jillshalvis.com/

Facebook: @JillShalvis

Twitter: @JillShalvis

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jillshalvis/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/jillshalvis/

Tumblr: http://jillshalvis.tumblr.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22370.Jill_Shalvis?from_search=true

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Chapter 1

Chapter 1

 

“I’ve finished my free trial of adulthood and am no longer interested, so please cancel my subscription.” From The Mixed Up Files of Tilly’s journal.

 

 

Tilly Adams sat in the vet’s office staring at the doctor in shock. “Say that again?”

Dr. Janet Lyons smiled. “I think Leo faked being sick. Probably so you’d stay home from work today.”

Tilly looked down at Leo. “You do know he’s a dog, right?”

All six pounds of him smiled up at her. About a month ago, she found him on a street corner hiding beneath a bus bench; wet, dirty, cold, hungry and matted. He’d been Dobby meets Gremlin meets neglected, abused Care Bear. Tilly had looked around for an adult, and then had to remind herself that at twenty-five years old, she was legal herself. So then she’d searched for an adultier adult, but she’d been the only one in sight.

So she’d scooped the little guy up and had brought him to the SPCA, who’d said he was about five weeks old, a possible Maltipoo, which meant he came by his care bear look naturally. He was malnutritioned and suffering from mange. They’d said they’d do what they could, and Tilly had turned to go. That had been when she’d seen all the eyes on her from an endless row of cages … and she’d realized her care bear would soon be sitting in one too. Then she’d heard herself offer to foster him until they found him a forever home.

They’d found him one too. Tilly had signed the adoption papers last weekend in spite of the fact that just that morning he’d escaped his crate, eaten her favorite sneakers, destroyed her favorite pillow, and then yakked up the stuffing from the pillow.

He was a destructo of the highest magnitude, and something else too. He had no idea how small he was. He went after her sister Quinn’s twenty-plus pound cat and her neighbor’s hundred pound black lab with the same fierce, fearless gusto. Turned out, the little guy had a bad case of small-man syndrome, which was how he’d earned his name.

Leo, short for Napoleon.

And now on top of Leo’s impressive chewing skills, his escape artist skills, and his ability to get up on her bed and yet still not understand why stepping in his own poop was annoying, he had a new skill.

He’d faked being sick.

Proud of himself, Leo smiled up at her. Smiled. An hour ago he’d been coughing and limping and acting all sorts of odd. Now he just kept smiling up at her while sending her meaningful glances at the open dog biscuit bin between her and the doctor.

Dr. Lyons laughed and gave him one.

“Dogs can’t fake sick,” Tilly said while Leo inhaled the biscuit whole before licking the floor to make sure he got all the crumbs. “Can they?”

Dr. Lyons scooped him up and gave him a kiss on his adorable snout. “Yours did.”
Tilly sighed. It was too early for this. She’d had a crazy late night. Not hanging at Whiskey River, the local bar and grill. Not at a club with friends. Not working on her designs for he upcoming graphic art showing.

Nope, she’d been on a serious stress bender — a marathon of Game Of Thrones. She hadn’t fallen asleep until after two and her alarm had interrupted her in the middle of a really great dream starring Jon Snow.

Dr. Lyons handed Leo over. He immediately snuggled into the crook of Tilly’s neck and dammit, her cold heart melted on the spot and she hugged him close. “You’re sure he’s okay? He was coughing. And then he limped funny. And then he wouldn’t eat.”

“But he hasn’t coughed once that I’ve seen. And he’s not limping either. And you said all his food vanished while you took a quick shower.”

“Yes,” Tilly said.

Dr. Lyons waited for her to catch up.

Tilly sighed. “He really did fake me out

Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan was an interesting book.  While I was reading this book, I wanted to go to England because I was interested because of this author writing.  I loved following along as Ella went through her year and how she grew and changed as the book progressed.  I am not going to give any spoilers because the ending of this book did surprise me which doesn’t usually happen with this genre of books.  When I first started reading this book I wasn’t that into it because I was so sure that I knew how it was going to end but once I realized that I was wrong I didn’t put it down until I knew how it was going to end.  I think that is one of the reasons that I fell in love with this book because I wasn’t able to figure out what was going to happen even if I did figure out some of the events before they happened.  I know if you love this genre of books that you will love this book as much as I do.

About The Book

American Ella Durran has had the same plan for her life since she was thirteen: Study at Oxford. At 24, she’s finally made it to England on a Rhodes Scholarship when she’s offered an unbelievable position in a rising political star’s presidential campaign. With the promise that she’ll work remotely and return to DC at the end of her Oxford year, she’s free to enjoy her Once in a Lifetime Experience. That is, until a smart-mouthed local who is too quick with his tongue and his car ruins her shirt and her first day. When Ella discovers that her English literature course will be taught by none other than that same local, Jamie Davenport, she thinks for the first time that Oxford might not be all she’s envisioned. But a late-night drink reveals a connection she wasn’t anticipating finding and what begins as a casual fling soon develops into something much more when Ella learns Jamie has a life-changing secret. Immediately, Ella is faced with a seemingly impossible decision: turn her back on the man she’s falling in love with to follow her political dreams or be there for him during a trial neither are truly prepared for. As the end of her year in Oxford rapidly approaches, Ella must decide if the dreams she’s always wanted are the same ones she’s now yearning for.

About The Author

Julia Whelan is a screenwriter, lifelong actor, and award-winning audiobook narrator. She graduated with a degree in English and creative writing from Middlebury College and Oxford University. While she was in England, her flirtation with tea blossomed into a full-blown love affair, culminating in her eventual certification as a tea master.

Connect with Julia

Website

Facebook: @justjuliawhelan

Twitter: @justjuliawhelan

Instagram: @justjuliawhelan

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

Billionaire Bachelor: Michael by Eve Black

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from the author in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Billionaire Bachelor: Michael by Eve Black was a good book.  This is one of those books that I knew was going to happen without knowing what was going to happen.  With that being said I really did enjoy this book and I read it from start to finish in about a day and a half.  I think this might be the first book I have read by this author I am sure I will pick up more books by her in the future because I did enjoy the authors writing.  I liked Helene right from the start of the book.  I felt her, and I could be friends in the real world because we had quite a few things in common.  I wasn’t the biggest fan of Michael and I can’t really tell you why, but I just didn’t like him and that never changed as I was read the book.  I know that you will love this book if you are a huge fan of chick-lit books.

About The Book

Title: Billionaire Bachelor: Michael

Author: Eve Black

Series: Diamond Bridal Agency #2

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Release Date: April 18th, 2018

Format: Digital

Michael 

Born into money, Michael Donovan has never known a moment of need or true want…until his father gives him an ultimatum; marry or lose his company. Tired of the clingy women in the elite social circles, and just plain done with one-night stands, he hires an exclusive bridal agency to find him a wife—any wife, he ain’t picky, as long as she’s willing to live by a hands-off policy.

He’s ready to settle down into a life of domestic boredom…until he meets his new bride.

Helene

Tired of living in her famous mother’s shadow, Helene Collins is ready to give up on her own happily ever after until she sees an interesting ad. Her mother’s name gets her through the door of the Diamond Bridal Agency, but it is up to her to make sure she doesn’t mess up the chance of a lifetime. Everything starts falling into place…until she meets her husband-to-be. He’s gorgeous, charming, and oh so sexy…so why does he need to marry her? And why does he keep breaking his own rules?

This is a sexy, smart, and fun contemporary romance novella.

About The Author

Eve Black is a lover of all things sexy, naughty, dirty, filthy, and chocolate.

She loves to write all the sexy scenes she wishes were in the books she reads. And so she writes sexy books!

When Eve isn’t writing, she is reading, and when she isn’t reading, she’s drinking tea and coloring in her adult coloring books.

Connect with Eve: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

High Cotton by Debby Mayne

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse/publisher in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

High Cotton by Debby Mayne was a sweet book.  One thing I want to say right off the top is that some of the characters have weird names.  Well that isn’t to say that people don’t actually get named these names, but they aren’t used around here. Other than that, one thing I really enjoyed this book.  I fell in love with Shay right from the start.  I also enjoyed this book because of how true the subject matter is to most people and their own families. I always love books that I feel like I can relate to and this one was one where I could have been Shay because my own family is just as crazy if not crazier than her family.  This moved at just the right pace for me, so I didn’t get bored like I do with some books in this genre.  This was all round a great book and I sure most people would enjoy this book just as much as I did.

Have you read this book and if so how did you feel about it?

About The Book

Some families are filled with so much love they can’t help but drive each other crazy 

Shay Henke has mixed feelings about going to her family’s next reunion. On the one hand, she’ll get to see everyone in her mama’s family—folks she loves unconditionally. On the other hand, she knows there’ll be more drama than you can shake a stick at.

The days leading up to the event bring one surprise after another. First Shay must deal with her sister-in-law’s deep, dark secret. Then she has to contend with the childish ways of her business-mogul twin cousins. And when her high school crush wants to be her date to the reunion . . . well, it may have been a dream come true for Shay’s teen self, but the woman she’s become doesn’t know what to make of this.

Shay’s contentment is challenged, and she’s determined to shake things up a bit. But will she find the excitement she’s looking for, or will Shay realize she prefers her quiet and predictable life? One thing is certain: Life in the Bucklin family is never boring.

About The Author

Debby Mayne has published more than 30 books and novellas, 400 print short stories and articles, more than 1,000 web articles, and a slew of devotions for women. She has also worked as managing editor of a national health magazine, product information writer for HSN, a creative writing instructor for Long Ridge Writers Group, and a copy editor and proofreader for several book publishers. For the past eight years, she has judged the Writers Digest Annual Competition, Short-Short Contest, and Self-Published Book Competition. Three of Debby’s books have been top ten favorites by the Heartsong Presents book club. Love Finds You in Treasure Island, Florida received 4-1/2 stars from Romantic Times Magazine, and was named a Top Pick for the month of July 2009.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

Welcome To Moonlight Harbor by Sheila Roberts

 

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Welcome To Moonlight Harbor by Sheila Roberts was a good book.  I loved just about everything of this book and I can’t wait to read more books by this author in the future.  I fell in love with Jenna right from the start and I loved watching her grow and change as the book went on.  I did feel bad for her daughter because I can’t even imagine how hard it had to be for her.  This book was really well written, and it is one of those books that came to life for me and by the end of the book I felt like the characters were real people. I think anyone who loves chick lit will love this book just as much as I did.

About The Book

Title: WELCOME TO MOONLIGHT HARBOR
Author: Sheila Roberts
Publisher: Harlequin MIRA
Pages: 400
Genre: Women’s Fiction

Once-happily married Jenna Jones is about to turn forty, and this year for her birthday – lucky her – she’s getting a divorce. She’s barely able to support herself and her teenage daughter, but now her deadbeat artist ex is hitting her up for spousal support…and then spending it on his “other” woman.

Still, Jenna is determined follow her mother’s philosophy – every storm brings a rainbow. And when she gets a very unexpected gift from her great Aunt Edie, things seem to be taking a turn for the better. Aging aunt Edie is finding it difficult to keep up her business running The Driftwood Inn, so she invites Jenna to come live with her and run the place. It looks like Jenna’s financial problems are solved!

Or not. The town is a little more run-down than Jenna remembered, but that’s nothing compared to the ramshackle state of The Driftwood Inn. Aunt Edie is confident they can return it to its former glory, though Jenna feels like she’s jumped from the proverbial frying pan into the beach fire.

But who knows? With the help of her new friends and a couple of handsome citizens, perhaps that rainbow is on the horizon after all. Because, no matter what, life is always good at the beach.

About The Author

Sheila Roberts lives on the water in the Pacific Northwest. Her books have been printed in several different languages and have been chosen for book clubs such as Doubleday as well as for Readers Digest Condensed books. Her best-selling novel ON STRIKE FOR CHRISTMAS was made into a movie and appeared on the Lifetime Movie Network, and her novel THE NINE LIVES OF CHRISTMAS was made into a movie for the Hallmark Channel.

When she’s not making public appearances or playing with her friends, she can be found writing about those things near and dear to women’s hearts: family, friends, and chocolate.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

WEBSITE | TWITTER | FACEBOOK

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1

To Do:

Clean office

Dentist at noon

Drop Sabrina off at Mom’s

Meet everyone at Casa Roja at 6

Or just tell them I’ve got bubonic plague and cancel 

            The four women seated at a corner booth in the Mexican restaurant were getting increasingly noisier with each new round of drinks. Cinco de Mayo had come and gone, but these ladies still had something to celebrate, as they were all dressed in slinky tops over skinny jeans and body-con dresses, killer shoes, and wearing boas. There were four of them, all pretty, all still in their thirties. Except the guest of honor, who was wearing a black dress, a sombrero and a frown. She was turning forty.

It was going to take a while for her to get as jovial as the others (like about a million years) considering what she’d just gotten for her birthday. A divorce.

“Here’s to being free of rotten scum-sucking, cheating husbands,” toasted Celeste, sister of the guest of honor. She was thirty-five, single, and always in a party mood.

The birthday girl, Jenna Jones, formerly Jenna Petit, took another sip of her mojito. She could get completely sloshed if she wanted. She wasn’t driving and she didn’t have to worry about setting a good example for her daughter, Sabrina, who was spending the night with Grandma. Later, if they could still work their cell phones, the gang would be calling Uber and getting driven home and poured into their houses or, in the case of sister Celeste, apartments, so there was no need to worry about driving drunk. But Jenna wasn’t a big drinker, even when she was in a party mood, and tonight she was as far from that as a woman could get.

What was there to party about when you were getting divorced and turning (ick!) forty? Still, that mojito was going down pretty easily. And she was inhaling the chips and salsa. At the rate she was going she’d be getting five extra pounds for her birthday as well as a divorce.

“Just think, you can make a whole new start,” said her best friend Brittany. Brittany was happily married with three kids. What did she know about new starts? Still, she was trying to put a positive spin on things.

“And who knows? Maybe the second time around you’ll meet a business tycoon” said Jenna’s other bestie, Vanita.

“Or someone who works at Amazon and owns lots of stock,” put in Celeste.

“I’d take the stock in a heartbeat,” Jenna said, “but I’m so over men.” She’d given up on love. Maybe, judging from the chewed fingernails and grown-out highlights in her hair, she’d given up on herself, too. She felt shipwrecked. What was the point of building a rescue fire? The next ship to come along would probably also flounder.

“No, you’re over man,” Brittany corrected. “You can’t give up on the whole species because of one loser. You don’t want to go through the rest of your life celibate.” She shuddered as if celibacy was akin to leprosy.

“Anyway, there’s some good ones out there somewhere,” said Vanita, who, at thirty-six, was still single and looking. “They’re just hiding,” she added with a guffaw, and took another drink of her Margarita.

“That’s for sure,” Celeste agreed, who was also looking now that This-is-it Relationship Number Three had died. With her green eyes, platinum hair, pouty lips and perfect body, it probably wouldn’t take her long to find a replacement. “Men. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t …” Her brows furrowed. “Live with ‘em.”

Jenna hadn’t been able to live with hers, that was for sure, not once she learned Mr. Sensitive Artist had another muse on the side – a redhead who painted murals and was equally sensitive. And had big boobs. That had nothing to do with why they were together, Damien had insisted. They were soul mates.

Funny, he’d said the same thing to Jenna once. It looked like some souls could have as many mates as they wanted.

Damien Petit, handsome, charming… rat. When they first got together Jenna had thought he was brilliant. They’d met at a club in the U District. He’d been the darling of the University of Washington Art Department. He’d looked like a work of art, himself, with brooding eyes and the perfectly chiseled features of a marble statue. She’d been going to school to become a massage therapist. She, who had never gotten beyond painting tiles and decorating cakes, had been in awe. A real artist. His medium was un-recyclable detritus. Junk.

Too bad she hadn’t seen the symbolism in that back when they first got together. All she’d seen was his creativity.

She was seeing that in full bloom now. Damien had certainly found a creative way to support himself and his new woman – on spousal support from Jenna.

Seriously? She’d barely be able to support herself and Sabrina once the dust settled.

Nonetheless, the court had deemed that she had been the main support of the family and poor, struggling artist Damien needed transitional help while he readied himself to get out there in the big, bad world and earn money on his own. Her reward for being the responsible one in the marriage was to support the irresponsible one. So now, he was living in the basement of his parent’s house, cozy as a cockroach with the new woman, and Jenna was footing the bill for their art supplies. Was this fair? Was this right? Was this any way to start off her fortieth year?

Her sister nudged her. “Hey, smile. We’re having fun here.”

Jenna forced a smile. “Fun.”

“You can’t keep brooding about the junk jerk.”

“I’m not,” Jenna lied.

“Yeah, you are. I can see it in your eyes.”

“I know it’s not fair you have to pay him money,” put in Brittany, “but that’s how things work today. You know, women’s rights and all. If men can pay us spousal support we can pay them, too.”

“Since when does women’s rights give your ex the right to skip off like a fifteen-year old with his new bimbo and you pay for the fun?” Jenna demanded.

It was sick and wrong. She’d carried him for years, working as a massage therapist while he dabbled away, selling a piece of art here and there. They’d lived on her salary supplemented by an annual check at Christmas from his folks, who wanted to encourage him to pursue his dream of artistic success, and grocery care packages from her mom, who worked as a checker at the local Safeway. And the grandparents, God bless them, had always given her a nice, fat check for her birthday. Shocking how quickly those fat checks always shrank. Damien drank up money like a thirsty plant, investing it in his art … and certain substances to help him with his creative process.

Maybe everyone shouldn’t have helped them so much. Maybe they should have let Damien become a starving artist, literally. Then he might have grown up and manned up and gotten a job.

They’d had more than one discussion about that. “And when,” he’d demanded, “am I supposed to do my art?”

“Evenings? Weekends?”

He’d looked heavenward and shaken his head. “As if you can just turn on creativity like a faucet.”

One of Jenna’s clients was an aspiring writer with a family, who worked thirty hours a week. She managed to turn on the faucet every Saturday morning.

There was obviously something wrong with Damien’s pipes. “I need time to think, time for things to come together.”

Something had come together all right. With Aurora Ansel, whose mother had obviously watched one too many Disney movies.

Jenna probably should have packed it in long before Aurora came slinking along, admitted what she’d known after only a couple of years into the marriage that it had been a mistake. But after she’d gotten pregnant she’d wanted desperately to make things work, so she’d kept her head down and kept ploughing forward through rough waters.

Now she and Damien were through and it still didn’t look like clear sailing ahead. Sigh.

“Game time,” Celeste announced. We are going to see who can wish the worst fate on the scum-sucking cheater. I have a prize for the winner.” She dug in her capacious Michael Kors purse and pulled out a Seattle Chocolates chocolate bar and everyone, including the birthday girl let out an “ooh.”

“Okay, I’ll go first,” Brittany said. “May he fall in a dumpster looking for junk and not be able to climb out.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Jenna said, and did.

“Oh, that’s lame,” scoffed Vanita.

“So, you think you can do better?” Brittany challenged.

“Absolutely,” she said, flipping her long, black hair. “May he wind up in the Museum of Bad Art.”

“There is such a thing?” Jenna asked.

“Oh, yeah.” Vanita grinned.

“Ha!” Celeste crowed. “That would serve him right.”

Jenna shook her head. “That will never be happen. To be fair, he is good.”

“Good at being a cheating scum sucker,” Celeste said and took a drink.

Vanita tried again. “Okay, then, how about this one? May a thousand camels spit on his work.”

“Or a thousand first-graders,” added Celeste, who taught first grade.

“How about this one? May the ghost of Van Gogh haunt him and cut off his ear,” Brittany offered.

Vanita made a face and set down the chip she was about to bite into. “Eeew.”

“Eew is right,” Jenna agreed. “But I’m feeling bloodthirsty tonight so I’ll drink to that. I think that one’s your winner,” she said to her sister.

Celeste shook her head. “Oh, no. I can do better than that.”

“Go for it,” urged Brittany.

Celeste’s smile turned wicked. “May his ‘paint brush’ shrivel and fall off.”

“And to think you teach children,” Jenna said, rolling her eyes.

Nonetheless, the double entendre had them all laughing uproariously.

“Okay, I win the chocolate,” Celeste said.

“You haven’t given Jenna a chance,” pointed out Brittany.

“Go ahead, try and beat that,” Celeste said, waving the chocolate bar in front of Jenna.

“I can’t. It’s yours.”

Their waiter, a cute twenty-something Latino, came over. “Are you ladies ready for another drink?”

“We’d better eat,” Jenna said. Her mojito was going to her head.

Celeste overrode her. “We’ve got plenty of night left. Bring us more drinks,” she told the waiter. “And more chips.” She held up the empty bowl.

“Anything you ladies want,” he said, and smiled at Jenna.

Celeste nudged her as he walked away. “Did you hear that? Anything you want.”

“Not in the market,” Jenna said firmly, shaking her head and making the sombrero wobble. Tonight she hated men.

But, she decided, she did like mojitos, and her second one went down just fine.

So did the third. Olé.

 

Saturday morning, she woke up with gremlins sandblasting her brain and her mouth tasting like she’d feasted on cat litter instead of enchiladas. She rolled out of bed and staggered to the bathroom where she tried to silence the gremlins with aspirin and a huge glass of water. Then she made the mistake of looking in the mirror.

Ugh. Who was that woman with the ratty, long, blond-gone hair? Her bloodshot eyes were more red than blue and the circles under them made her look a decade older than what she’d just turned. Well, she felt a decade older than what she’d just turned.

A shower would help. Maybe.

Or maybe not. She still didn’t look so hot, even after she’d blown out her hair and put on some make-up. But oh, well. At least the gremlins had taken a lunch break.

She got in her ten-year-old Toyota (thank God they made those cars to run forever – this one would have to) and drove to her mother’s house to pick up her daughter.

She found her mother stretched out on the couch with a romance novel. Unlike her daughter, she looked rested, refreshed, and ready for a new day. In her early sixties, she was still an attractive woman, slender with a youthful face and the gray hairs well hidden under a sandy brown that was only slightly lighter than her original color.

“Hello, birthday girl,” Mom greeted her. “Did you have fun last night?”

As the night wore on she’d been distracted from her misery. That probably counted as fun, so she said, “Yes.”

“Looks like you could use some coffee,” Mom said, and led her into the kitchen.

“How’s my baby?” Jenna asked.

“She’s good. She just got in the shower. We stayed up late last night.”

Jenna settled at the kitchen table. “What did she think of your taste in movies?”

“She was impressed, naturally. Every girl should have to watch Pretty in Pink and Jane Eyre.”

            “And?” Jenna prompted.

“Okay, so I showed her Grease. It’s a classic.”

“About hoods and ho’s.”

“I don’t know how you can say that about an iconic movie,” Mom said. “Anyway, I explained a few things to her, so it came with a moral.”

“What? You, too, can look like Olivia Newton John?”

Mom shrugged. “Something like that. Now, tell me. What all did you girls do?”

“Not much. We just went out for dinner.”

“Dinner is nice,” Mom said, and set a cup of coffee in front of Jenna. She pulled a bottle of Jenna’s favorite caramel flavored creamer from the fridge and set it on the table and watched while Jenna poured in a generous slosh. “I know this is going to be the beginning of a wonderful new year for you.”

“I have no way to go but up.”

“That’s right. And you know…”

“Every storm brings a rainbow,” Jenna finished with her.

“I firmly believe that.”

And Mom should know. She’d had her share of storms. “I don’t know how you did it,” Jenna said. “Surviving losing dad when we were so young, raising us single-handedly.”

“Hardly single-handedly. I had Gram and Gramps and Grandma and Grandpa Jones, as well. Yes, we each have to fight our own fight, but God always puts someone in our corner to help us.”

“I’m glad you’re in my corner,” Jenna said. “You’re my hero.”

Jenna had been almost five and Celeste a baby when their father had been killed in a car accident. Sudden, no chance for her mom to say good-bye. There was little that Jenna remembered about her father beyond sitting on his shoulders when they milled with the crowd at the Puyallup Fair or stood watching the Seafair parade in downtown Seattle, that and the scrape of his five o’clock shadow when he kissed her goodnight.

What stuck in her mind most was her mom, holding her on her lap, sitting at this very kitchen table and saying to Gram, “He was my everything.”

That read well in books, but maybe in real life it wasn’t good to make a man your everything. Even the good ones left you.

At least her dad hadn’t left voluntarily. Her mom had chosen a good man. So had Gram, whose husband was also gone now. Both women had picked wisely and knew what good looked like.

Too bad Jenna hadn’t listened to them when they tried to warn her about Damien. “Honey, there’s no hurry,” Mom had said.

Yes, there was. She’d wanted to be with him NOW.

“Are you sure he’s what you really want?” Gram had asked. “He seems a little…”

“What?” Jenna had prompted.

“Egotistical,” Gram had ventured.

“He’s confident,” Jenna had replied. “There’s a difference.”

“Yes, there is,” Gram had said. “Are you sure you know what it is?” she’d added, making Jenna scowl.

“I’m just not sure he’s the right man for you,” Mom had worried.

“Of course, he is,” Jenna had insisted, because at twenty-three she knew it all. And Damien had been so glamorous, so exciting. Look how well their names went together – Damien and Jenna, Jenna and Damien. Oh, yes, perfect.

And so it was for a time… until she began to see the flaws. Gram had been right, he was egotistical. Narcissistic. Irresponsible. Those flaws she could live with. Those she did live with. But then came the one flaw she couldn’t accept. Unfaithful.

Not that he’d asked her to accept it. Not that he’d asked her to keep him. Or even to forgive him. “I can’t help how I feel,” he’d said.

That was it. Harsh reality came in like a strong wind and blew away the last of the fantasy.

But, here was Mom, living proof that a woman could survive the loss of her love, could climb out of the rubble after all her dreams collapsed and rebuild. She’d worked hard at a job that kept her on her feet all day and had still managed to make PTA meetings. She’d hosted tea parties when her girls were little and sleepovers when they became teenagers. And, in between all that, she’d managed to make time for herself, starting a book club with some of the neighbors. That book club still met every month. And Mom still found time for sleepovers, now with her granddaughter.

Surely, if her mom could overcome the loss of her man, Jenna could overcome the loss of what she’d thought her man was.

Mom smiled at her and slid a card-sized envelope across the table. “Happy birthday.”

“You already gave me my birthday present,” Jenna said. Mom had given her a motivational book about new beginnings by Muriel Sterling with a fifty-dollar bill tucked inside. Jenna would read the book (once she was ready to face the fact that she did, indeed, have to make a new beginning) and she planned to hoard the fifty like a miser. You could buy a lot of lentils and beans with fifty bucks.

“This isn’t from me. It’s from your Aunt Edie.”

“Aunt Edie?”

She hadn’t seen her great aunt in years, but she had fond memories of those childhood summer visits with her at Moonlight Harbor – beach combing for agates, baking cookies with Aunt Edie while her parrot Jolly Roger squawked all the silly things Uncle Ralph had taught him, listening to the waves crash as she lay in the old antique bed in the guest room at night with her sister. She remembered digging clams with Uncle Ralph, sitting next to her mother in front of a roaring beach fire, using her arm to shield her face from the heat of the flame as she roasted a hot dog. Those visits had been as golden as the sunsets.

But after getting together with Damien, life had filled with drama and responsibilities, and, after one quick visit, the beach town on the Washington Coast had faded into a memory. Maybe she’d spend that birthday money Mom had given her and go see Aunt Edie.

She pulled the card out of the envelope. All pastel flowers and birds, the outside read For a Lovely Niece. The inside had a sappy poem telling her she was special and wishing her joy in everything she did, and was signed, Love, Aunt Edie. No Uncle Ralph. He’d been gone for several years.

Aunt Edie had stuffed a letter inside the card. The writing was small, like her aunt. But firm, in spite of her age.

Dear Jenna,

            I know you’ve gone through some very hard times, but I also know that like all the women in our family, you are strong and you’ll come through just fine.

            Your grandmother told me you could use a new start and I would like to give it to you. I want you to come to Moonlight Harbor and help me revamp and run The Driftwood Inn. Like me, it’s getting old and it needs some help. I plan to bequeath it to you on my death. The will is already drawn up, signed and witnessed, so I hope you won’t refuse my offer.

            Of course, I know your cousin Winston would love to get his grubby mitts on it, but he won’t. The boy is useless. And besides, you know I’ve always had a soft spot for you in my heart. You’re a good girl who’s always been kind enough to send Christmas cards and homemade fudge for my birthday. Uncle Ralph loved you like a daughter. So do I, and since we never had children of our own you’re the closest thing I have to one. I know your mother and grandmother won’t mind sharing.

            Please say you’ll come.

            Love, Aunt Edie

            Jenna hardly knew what to say. “She wants to leave me the motel.” She had to be misreading.

She checked again. No, there it was, in Aunt Edie’s tight little scrawl.

Mom smiled. “I think this could be your rainbow.”

Not just the rainbow, the pot of gold as well!

His Risk by Shelley Shepard Gray

Book Review Graphic

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

His Risk by Shelley Shepard Gray was a good book but for this first time this wasn’t one of my favorites by this author.  I always knew that this day would probably come that I read a book by her that I didn’t like, and this book is that for me.  I didn’t like this book because it seemed to far-fetched for me. This book was well written I just had a hard time believing that Calvin started out life as Amish and then ended up being an informant.  I just seemed like a huge jump and that made it hard for me to believe.  Other than that, though it was a good book and I really liked Alice throughout the entire book.  I am sure the most people would enjoy this book it just wasn’t a good fit for me.

About The Book

An undercover English DEA agent will do anything to protect the Amish girl he loves.
Calvin Fisher left the Amish community at fourteen and never looked back. Only his brother’s illness can bring him back to Hart County. Now, as Calvin works to make amends, he meets Alice, a local nursery school teacher, and falls hard for her. But he has a secret that could threaten the happiness he’s finally found.
Alice shouldn’t like-or want-Calvin. He’s English, has a questionable past, and an even more questionable job. Still, she can’t help being intrigued. Though Calvin assures Alice that he’s worthy of her, she’s torn between surrendering to her growing feelings and steering clear of him.
When a sudden surge of criminal activity alarms the community and even targets Alice, Calvin fears that his double life has put everyone he loves at risk. As for Alice, she can’t help but wonder if the brave and honorable man she’s lost her heart to is far more dangerous than she could ever imagine.

About The Author

Shelley Shepard Gray is a “New York Times” and “USA Today” bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.
Find out more about Shelley at http://www.shelleyshepardgray.com.
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