Books I Love

Lullaby Road by James Anderson

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Blogging For Books 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.

Lullaby Road by James Anderson was a very interesting book.  I loved that this book takes place in the same state that I live in because it seems like books never take place here.  There is one book before this one and I am for sure going to go back and read that now.  You don’t have to read the first one in order to understand what is going on in this one so if the first book doesn’t interest you then you don’t have to worry about reading it.  This book wasn’t one that kept me on the edge of my seat, but it did hold my attention and made me want to keep reading until I finished the book.  I enjoyed this authors writing and he did a great job of making me feel and understand why the characters did what they did.  I can’t think of anything bad to say about this book because I just really enjoyed the entire thing.

About The Book

Ben Jones, protagonist of the glowingly reviewed Never-Open Desert Diner, returns in a devastatingly powerful literary crime novel about parenthood, loss, and the desert in winter.

Winter has come to Highway 117, a remote road through the Utah desert trafficked only by oddballs, fugitives, and those looking to escape the world. So when local truck driver Ben Jones finds an abandoned, mute Hispanic child at a lonely gas station along his route, far from any semblance of proper civilization, he knows something has gone terribly awry. With the help of his eccentric neighbors, Ben sets out to help the kid and learn the truth. In the process he makes new friends and loses old ones, finds himself in mortal danger, and uncovers buried secrets far more painful than he could have imagined.

About The Author

James Anderson was born in Seattle, Washington and raised in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. He received his undergraduate degree in American Studies from Reed College in Portland, Oregon, and his Masters Degree in Creative Writing from Pine Manor College in Boston Massachusetts.

Undergraduate thesis: Word-man/Poet: The Poetry and Poetics of Lew Welch
Masters thesis: The Never-Entered Kingdom: Beyond Linguistics in the Rendering of the Literary Child in Adult Fiction

His first publication in a national magazine, a poem entitled Running It Down, occurred at age nineteen, in Poetry Northwest. The poem was later anthologized. His poems, short fiction, essays, reviews and interviews have appeared in Northwest Review, New Letters, The Bloomsbury Review, Solstice Magazine and many others.

In 1974, while still an undergraduate, Anderson founded Breitenbush Books, a book publisher specializing in literature and general interest trade titles. From 1974 to 1991 Anderson served as publisher and executive editor. Breitenbush received many awards for its books, including three Western States Book Awards, juried by Robert Penn Warren, Elizabeth Hardwick, N. Scott Momaday, Jonathan Galassi, Jorie Graham, Denise Levertov, William Kittredge and others. Notable authors published include Mary Barnard, Bruce Berger, Clyde Rice, Naomi Shihab Nye, Michael Simms, William Greenway, John Stoltenberg, Sam Hamill and Gary Miranda.

From 1995 to 2002 Anderson co-produced documentary films, including Tara’s Daughters, narrated by Susan Sarandon. The film, which won Best Documentary at the New York Film Festival, chronicled the plight of Tibetan women refugees as carriers of Tibetan culture in the diaspora.

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About That Kiss 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.

About That Kiss by Jill Shalvis was a sweet romance novel that I was sad when it ended.  I loved these characters, and this is one of the few books that I wish was longer because I hated to see it end.  I was left feeling like my friends had died which is crazy when you stop and think about it.  I have read several other books by this author and I am pretty sure that I have loved them all, so I wasn’t shocked that I loved this one as well.  This was definitely pretty typical romance book and if I am being honest that is what I loved about this book.  I am not always the biggest fan of these types of books but right now this is the best type of book for me because I have so much going on I don’t have the time to read books that you have to stop and think a ton about.  I think that this book would be perfect for anyone who loves chick lit books.

About The Book

When love drives you crazy . . .

When sexy Joe Malone never calls after their explosive kiss, Kylie shoves him out of her mind. Until she needs a favor, and it’s a doozy. Something precious to her has been stolen and there’s only one person with unique finder-and-fixer skills that can help—Joe. It means swallowing her pride and somehow trying to avoid the temptation to throttle him—or seduce him.

the best thing to do . . .

No, Joe didn’t call after the kiss. He’s the fun time guy, not the forever guy. And Kylie, after all she’s been through, deserves a good man who will stay. But everything about Kylie makes it damned hard to focus, and though his brain knows what he has to do, his heart isn’t getting the memo.

… is enjoy the ride.

As Kylie and Joe go on the scavenger hunt of their lives, they discover surprising things about each other. Now, the best way for them to get over “that kiss” might just be to replace it with a hundred more.

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.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

The Twofer Murder by Lauren Carr

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from iRead Book Tours 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 Twofer Murder by Lauren Carr was another great book.  I have reviewed several other books by this author, and I have liked all of them.   I always worry as I read more and more books because I figure at some point I will find a book that I don’t like so I still fear that the book I am reading is the one that doesn’t like.  I love how all of her books intertwine so that you always basically know who everyone is and how they are all related to each other.  I am a huge fan of Mac and his dog Gnarly, so I always love when they are in the book as well.  This book didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat, but I also wasn’t able to figure out how it ended so I always enjoy books like that.  I loved just about everything about this book, and I can’t wait to read the next installment in this series.

About The Book

Book Title: Twofer Murder by Lauren Carr
Category: Adult fiction, 400 pages
Genre: Mystery
Publisher: Acorn Book Services
Release date: November 17, 2017
Tour dates: Dec 4 to Jan 19, 2018
Content Rating: PG + M (Please be aware that TWOFER MURDER is a murder mystery. There are depictions of murder and some violence–though easy on the gore contents. No f-words but there may be some mild profanity, and mild religious expletives such as “damn”, “hell” and “Oh God!”. Some depictions of brief sexual content (kissing). No drug use or underage drinking among the protagonists.)

Twofer murder? What’s a twofer murder?

Twofer Murder is a treat for fans of best-selling author Lauren Carr’s fast-paced mysteries! Lauren’s latest novel contains the main characters from her three successful series: Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose mysteries. The guys go away for a fishing weekend only to get caught up in the murder of a journalist investigating fraud at a timber company. Meanwhile, the ladies are spending the weekend in the presidential suite at a posh resort where Jessica Faraday is to accept a lifetime achievement award for her late grandmother at a murder mystery writers conference. But before they have time to get their facials, they get wrapped up in their own real mystery when an up and coming author ends up dead!

Lauren Carr’s Twofer Murder is a 2-for-1-making it a must-read for any mystery fan!

To read more reviews, please visit Lauren Carr’s page on iRead Book Tours.

About The Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday, Lovers in Crime, and Thorny Rose Mysteries-over twenty titles across three fast-paced mystery series filled with twists and turns!

Book reviewers and readers alike rave about how Lauren Carr’s seamlessly crosses genres to include mystery, suspense, romance, and humor.

Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She lives with her husband, and three dogs on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with the author: Website ~ Twitter ~ Facebook ~ Instagram

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret

Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren

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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.

Keturah by Lisa T. Bergren was a sweet story.  I love that the author made the main character’s strong independent women because it isn’t commonly done in books that happen during the 1700’s.  This is the first book that I have read by this author, and I can’t wait to read others especially more in this series.  I think I loved Verity the most and I hope that she will be one of the main characters in the next book.  Since this book is a historical fiction novel, I did get bored from time to time because I always have a hard time staying interested when books take place this much is the past.  I spent the entire book rooting for Keturah to come out on top.  If you love reading historical fiction books that have a strong female lead than I know you will like this book as much as I did.

About The Book

In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father’s estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

Although it flies against all the conventions, they’re determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, conventions are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined-and that’s just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this harsh and unfamiliar world.

Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.

To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?

About The Author

Lisa T. Bergren has published more than 40 books with more than 3 million books sold combined. She’s the author of the Christy Award-winning “Waterfall,” RITA®-finalist “Firestorm,” bestselling “God Gave Us You,” and popular historical series like Homeward, Grand Tour, and more. She’s also a recipient of the RT Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three teen-and-older children.

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

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The Runaway Rock Star by Veronica Blade

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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.

The Runaway Rock Star by Veronica Blade was a sweet romance novel.  I feel in love with the Liam right from the start, and because of that, I was able to finish this book pretty fast.  I read this book in two days because I didn’t want to put it down.   I also loved Emma’s daughter because she reminded me so much of my nephew and kids that age always makes me smile.  I loved how hard working Emma was and how she was a great mother.  I knew how this book would end even though I didn’t know the exact way things would happen.  I loved that this book didn’t have over the top sex scenes in it. There weren’t any parts of this book that made me uncomfortable reading it, and I don’t think that it would really offend anyone else either.  If you don’t like super-explicit sex scenes than I know you will enjoy this book.  I loved the setting of this book as well.  I can’t wait to pick up more books by this author in the future.

About The Book

NOTE: As with all Veronica Blade books, this is a sweet, semi-clean romance.

An infamous bad-boy rocker falls for a small-town girl who has no idea who he is. Considering his reputation, that’s probably a good thing.

After his latest escapade splashes across the tabloids, Grammy-winning bad-boy Liam Blackwell questions his own choices. He alters his appearance, hits the road and drives until hunger forces him to stop at The Wagon Wheel. Mesmerized by the pretty bartender, he lingers and, with each passing moment, staying becomes easier to imagine. But he doesn’t do relationships and Emma isn’t a one-night kind of girl. And when this small-town girl learns all about his big city life, wouldn’t she dump him anyway?

When a stranger walks into The Wagon Wheel wearing leather and a sexy grin, Emma Taylor is instantly drawn to him. But raising a child alone is hard enough at twenty-one without adding his kind of trouble into the mix. Though Emma sees more in Liam beyond the bruised knuckles and tattoos, she can’t risk temptation again or allow herself to hope for love, because when he inevitably blows out of town, he’ll just be another guy who broke her heart.

About The Author

Brain candy. Cleansing your reading palate one book at a time.

Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and children. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives — and they are always way hotter.

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Real-Life Romance by Rhonda Stoppe

Real-Life Romance Rhonda Stoppe

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.

Real-Life Romance by Rhonda Stoppe was a sweet book.  I did enjoy all of the stories in this book, and almost all of them left me with a smile on my face.  I also loved that the author gives you points to ponder and things that you should ask yourself and think about.  I love that the author doesn’t quote tons of scriptures while telling the story but she does give you some of the points that you should ponder.  If you are looking for ways to grow as a couple, I think this book could help you.  Since I am single, I just enjoyed the stories, and that is all.  I am one hundred percent, okay being single, so I just pick up these kinds of books to break up some of the other types of books that I read.   If you are looking for something sweet to read I think that this book would be an excellent fit for you.

About The Book

Do you believe in true love?

In a world of broken relationships and hurting people, it can seem like all we ever see is heartache-that marriages are doomed from the start and romance isn’t worth the risk.

But heart-fluttering, long-lasting love is all around us…we just have to look for it!

This collection of beautiful, real-life accounts will bring laughter and tears as you enjoy each story of ordinary people who found extraordinary love. Page after page, you will find inspiration to

-rekindle the romance in your love story

-trust in God’s providence and timing

-faithfully hope for your own happily-ever-after

-celebrate true romance

-believe in life-long love

Don’t let the world define romance for you! See how God is at work in the hearts of His people-knitting together hearts in a love that forever endures.

About The Author

Rhonda Stoppe is the No Regrets Woman. With more than 20 years of experience as a pastor’s wife, mom, mentor, author, and speaker, Rhonda uses humor and honest communication to help women build No Regrets Lives. She and her husband live their real-life romance in northern California, and have four grown children and eight grandchildren.

Find out more about Rhonda at http://www.rhondastoppe.com.

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Digiprove sealCopyright secured by Digiprove © 2018 Margaret Margaret