Books I Love

The Ringmaster’s Wife by Kristy Cambron

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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.

The Ringmasters Wife by Kristy Cambron was a fun book. I like that this book took place in two different locations up until the characters meet, and then you get to follow them both. I enjoyed this book because I fell in love with the characters right from the start. At times I did get bored, and when that did happen, I just book the down and came back to it later. I liked all the characters in this book and the premise of this book. If you aren’t a huge fan of historical novels than I don’t know that you would like this one but I did enjoy it. I am not a huge fan of the circus, so I didn’t like the book because of that but it was well written, and I am going to check out other books by this author in the future.

The Ringmaster's Wife by Kristy Cambron

About The Book

An ounce of courage. A split-second leap of faith. Together, they propel two young women to chase a new life—one that’s reimagined from what they might have become.

In turn-of-the-century America, a young girl dreams of a world that stretches beyond the confines of a quiet life on the family farm. With little more than her wit and a cigar box of treasures to call her own, Mable steps away from all she knows, seeking the limitless marvels of the Chicago World’s Fair. There, a chance encounter triggers her destiny—a life with a famed showman by the name of John Ringling.

A quarter of a century later, Lady Rosamund Easling of Yorkshire, England, boards a ship to America as a last adventure before her life is planned out for her. There, the twenties are roaring, and the rich and famous gather at opulent, Gatsby-esque parties in the grandest ballrooms the country has to offer. The Jazz Age has arrived, and with it, the golden era of the American circus, whose queen is none other than the enigmatic Mable Ringling.

When Rosamund’s path crosses with Mable’s and the Ringlings’ glittering world, she makes the life-altering decision to leave behind a comfortable future of estates and propriety, instead choosing the nomadic life of a trick rider in the Ringling Brothers’ circus.

A novel that is at once captivating, deeply poignant, and swirling with exquisite historical details of a bygone world, The Ringmaster’s Wife will escort readers into the center ring, with its bright lights, exotic animals, and a dazzling performance that can only be described as the greatest show on earth!

Kristy Cambron

About The Author

Kristy Cambron fancies life as a vintage-inspired storyteller. Her second novel, A Sparrow in Terezin, was named Library Journal Reviews’ “Pick of the Month (Christian Fiction)” for February 2015.

Cambron is an art/design manager at TheGROVEstory.com storytelling ministry. She holds a degree in art history from Indiana University and has nearly 15 years of experience in instructional design and communications for a Fortune-100 company. She lives in Indiana with her husband and three football-loving sons, where she can probably be bribed with a coconut mocha latte and a good Christian fiction read.

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Murder Mezzo Forte by Donn Taylor

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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.

Murder Mezzo Forte by Donn Taylor wasn’t my favorite. I had a hard time getting into the story and staying interested in this book. I don’t usually have problems reading mystery books because they are my favorite type of book to read, but I struggled with this book. There are just times when you don’t like the characters, and this was one of those times for me. It is well written, and the author does a great job of making me feel like I am there with the characters but I didn’t enjoy them and at times I was just bored with this book. I know that this book will be right for some people, but it just wasn’t the right fit for me.

Murder Mezzo Forte by Donn Taylor

About The Book

He is a reclusive history professor with musical hallucinations, she a headstrong professor of religion, a converted Wiccan. Earlier, they solved a campus murder, but now police say they formed two-thirds of an illicit love triangle with a newly-murdered female colleague and they’re probably guilty of her murder. A leak of the alleged scandal to the college administration threatens their jobs. Their desperate attempt to prove themselves innocent of the triangle and the murder plunges them into a tangle of unsavory corporate relationships among college trustees. And it puts their lives in danger from a mysterious criminal organization that seems to have tentacles everywhere.

Can this ill-matched pair’s stumbling efforts succeed against the entrenched forces of the police, the college’s incompetent administration, and that powerful but unseen criminal organization? If not, they may end up unemployed, in prison, or suffering a fate much worse . . .

Donn Taylor portraits 12/7/07

About The Author

I’m working now as a novelist and poet, also teaching at writers’ groups and conferences. In a prior incarnation I served in two wars with the U.S. Army. Afterwards, I taught English literature at two liberal arts colleges. The World’s Perfect Woman consented to honor me in marriage, and we enjoyed six decades together until the Lord needed another alto for His heavenly choir. I live in the woods near Houston, TX, writing fiction, poetry, and essays on current topics.

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Lowcountry Stranger by Ashley Farley

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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.

Lowcountry Stranger by Ashley Farley was a great book. This is the second book in the series, but you don’t have to read the first book to understand what is going on in this book. You can click here to check out my review of the first book “Her Sister’s Shoes by Ashley Farley.” I enjoy reading books by this author and like I said I enjoyed this book. I love the family that is in this book, and I feel like I can relate to them and the things that they have gone through in their lives. I loved everything about this book, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series because I love catching up with all of the characters in this series. I look at these characters like they are actual people because the author does a great job of making them seem like real people. I think that just about anyone would love this book, and I recommend this book to everyone.

Lowcountry Stranger by Ashley Farley

About The Book

Family Drama, Southern Style.
There’s a stranger in town. And it’s no coincidence when she shows up uninvited at a Sweeney family wedding. All eyes are drawn to this urchin who seems to have washed in with the tide. Before the night is over, the doe-eyed waif charms young and old with her street smarts and spunky personality. For better or worse, Annie Dawn is here to stay.

The memorable Sweeney sisters from Her Sister’s Shoes have returned with more suspense and family drama to hold you spellbound until the dramatic conclusion. As she approaches the next stage of her life as an empty nester, Jackie is torn between expanding her fledgling design business and spending these last precious months with her boys before they fly the coop. Her own worst enemy, Sam is terrified of making a commitment to Eli Marshall, handsome police officer, true love of her life. Her resolve is tested when a ghost from her past shows up after nearly two decades. Faith nurtures her seven-year-old daughter who is recovering from the trauma of her abusive father. Is the threat in the past, or is there more danger on the horizon? The sisters seek guidance from their mother, Lovie, a true Southern matriarch who shows them how to respond to adversity with grace and dignity.

Things are heating up in the Lowcountry. The Sweeney sisters remind us, once again, that being a part of a family is about more than sharing the same DNA.

Ashley Farley

About The Author

Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

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Wild Within by Christine Hartmann

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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.

Wild Within by Christine Hartmann was a fantastic book. I enjoyed this book right from the start. I saw a lot of myself in Grace, and I felt like I knew her even though she was just a character in the book. Even as I write this, I am not sure what it was about this book that I liked so much other than Grace, but I didn’t want to put it down until I was finished with it. This was a book that I would get upset if I had to put it down and do something other than work. I felt like I was there with Grace as she was hiking the PCT and I could do everything that happened to her to happen to me. At times, I felt the book moved super quick, and it felt like they cut things out that should have been left in. I was confused right at the start when she met Lone Star for the first time, but it wasn’t a deal breaker for me. I can’t wait for the next book in this series to come out. This book is going to be added to my collection of books because it is one I could see myself reading again. I think this is a book that anyone who loves mystery and romance novels will love.

Wild Within

About The Book

Title: WILD WITHIN

Author: Christine Hartmann

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Pages: 274 Genre: Romantic Suspense

A year after a family tragedy, Grace Mori embarks on the journey of a lifetime…

Two thousand, six hundred miles of blistering heat, wilderness, and soul searching—that’s what Grace signed up for when she decided to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. It’s not a voyage for beginners, but with no husband and her family still recovering from her brother’s death, Grace is more alone than ever.

This trail meant something to her brother, and she’ll hike it in his memory, but she can’t do it alone. So with her brother’s gear and a small group, Grace takes the most important first steps of her life.

Grace finds something more than peace and magic on the trail…

When her first day of hiking ends in heat stroke, Grace is rescued by a handsome, red-haired hiker who calls himself Lone Star. Grace has an immediate connection with him, and their brief encounter leaves her fearing her soul mate has slipped through her fingers. Although he vows to keep in touch, Grace doubts she’ll ever see him again.

When fears become reality, the only people Grace can rely on may be killers…

Grace is surprised to find notes left at supply posts along the trail. Lone Star’s eloquent letters keep Grace going, clinging to the hope she’ll find him—and happiness—at the end of her journey. But as the trail becomes more perilous, menace grows within the group. And when Lone Star’s letters mysteriously stop coming, Grace fears the worst.

As tensions flare and a killer emerges, Grace must battle to survive…and reunite with the man she’s sure is her future.

Christine Hartman

About The Author

Christine Hartmann grew up in Ohio and Delaware and loves traveling to exotic, romantic settings. After a college semester in Kathmandu, her first three “real” jobs were all in northern Japan, where she lived for almost 10 years. She currently splits her career between her daytime occupation (improving the quality of veterans’ nursing home care) and her night/weekend avocation (writing romance, romantic suspense, and women’s fiction as well as non-fiction books). Her husband Ron Strickland is a well-known long-distance hiker, trail guide writer, and the founder of the 1,200-mile Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail. Christine loves reading, pilates, bicycling, snorkeling, and health foods that taste like they’re bad for you. You will often find her at a keyboard, a German shepherd at her side, and Ron whispering sweet edits over her shoulder. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America.

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The Average Girl by Angelina Goode

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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 Average Girl by Angelina Goode was a fun chick lit book. This was a great book, and I loved that the premise of the story was different from any other book that I have read lately.  I usually am not a huge fan of this type of book but this author hooked me right from the start, and I didn’t want to put it down until the book was done. I enjoyed Olivia because she seems like someone that I would get along with in real life. I can say that this book was predicable but I still really enjoyed this author’s style of writing. She was able to make me feel like I was there with the characters. She also made me feel like I was a part of the story and I enjoyed that about this book. If you love chick lit or and looking for a fun book to read this summer, I would for sure recommend this book to you.

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About The Book

Sometimes being average can lead to wonderful things…

Olivia Fowler, helper of the star-struck, runs a successful business helping average people meet celebrities in everyday ways. She is so good at what she does, the celebrities don’t have a clue they’re part of a pre-planned meeting. Business is booming and Olivia knows everything there is to know about Hollywood’s famous and their behavior. Her clients trust her because she is just like them, not famous.

But when Olivia accidentally meets the uber-famous Alexander Young at the grocery store, her world is flipped upside-down. She can’t possibly resist those charming eyes and sexy arms. As their romance blossoms, Olivia learns she may not know as much as she thought she did about celebrities and their ways.

Then Olivia’s most important and loyal client requests to meet Alexander. Suddenly, Olivia is forced to choose between her love and her business.

Will Olivia be able to keep her booming business a secret from her soon-to-be boyfriend? Will her clients still trust her if she is no longer the average girl?

Angelina Goode

About The  Author

Angelina Goode began writing as a teenager. Though her first works were poems about love-struck teenagers, she grew her craft while earning her degree in Journalism and Creative Writing. A former grade school teacher that loved teaching children to write, she enjoys finding creative ways to present everyday events. Now she primarily writes light-hearted contemporary women’s fiction. She lives in Los Angeles where she enjoys the occasional celebrity sighting and year-round sun.

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Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano

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FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley 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.

Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano was a book that I surprised by how much I liked it in the end. When I started the book, it was one that I didn’t want to put down until I was at the end of the book. This isn’t a book that I would usually pick up but once again I am glad that I did because in the end I enjoyed the story and I am for sure going to check out other books by this author in the future. I enjoyed the characters and the setting of this book. I am not usually into YA books but like I said I enjoyed this book. It is one that I am sure most people would enjoy, and it is a super easy read as well.

Holding Smoke by Elle Cosimano

About The Book

John “Smoke” Conlan is serving time for two murders but he wasn’t the one who murdered his English teacher, and he never intended to kill the only other witness to the crime. A dangerous juvenile rehabilitation center in Denver, Colorado, known as the Y, is Smoke’s new home and the only one he believes he deserves.

But, unlike his fellow inmates, Smoke is not in constant imprisonment. After a near death experience leaves him with the ability to shed his physical body at will, Smoke is able to travel freely outside the concrete walls of the Y, gathering information for himself and his fellow inmates while they’re asleep in their beds. Convinced his future is only as bright as the fluorescent lights in his cell, Smoke doesn’t care that the “threads” that bind his soul to his body are wearing thin-that one day he may not make it back in time. That is, until he meets Pink, a tough, resourceful girl who is sees him for who he truly is and wants to help him clear his name.

Now Smoke is on a journey to redemption he never thought possible. With Pink’s help, Smoke may be able to reveal the true killer, but the closer they get to the truth, the more deadly their search becomes. The web of lies, deceit, and corruption that put Smoke behind bars is more tangled than they could have ever imagined. With both of their lives on the line, Smoke will have to decide how much he’s willing to risk, and if he can envision a future worth fighting for.

Elle Cosimano

About The Author

Author of NEARLY GONE, NEARLY FOUND, HOLDING SMOKE, and THE SUFFERING TREE (Disney*Hyperion, 2017). Represented by Sarah Davies of The Greenhouse Literary Agency.

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