The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories of Christmas Spirit

A joyous and deeply emotional collection of three unforgettable Christmas novellas.

The Thursday Night Club: Five college friends, three men and two women, have been getting together every Thursday night to share humble meals and an abundance of laughter. But when tragedy takes one of them, leaving the others to question the fairness of life, the Thursday Night Club decides to embark on a contest in the memory of the generous spirit of their fallen brother. The objective of the contest is simple: whoever performs the kindest deed by Christmas night wins the pot – four quarters. And there are only two conditions: the benevolent deed must be anonymous, and it cannot cost a single penny to pull off. As the four friends undertake the contest, the healing begins and they become inspired beyond their expectations. There might be a winner in this competition, but it is very clear there will be no losers.

A Christmas Wish: Steph is on a search for truth in her heart as she faces the prospect of real love for the first time. Brian is out to enjoy his favorite season in a way that doctors never thought he could. And at the center of it all is their grandmother, affectionately known as Mama, a woman of remarkable commitment and charity who knows something very important about making Christmas wishes come true.

The Tin-Foil Manger: Published in this volume for the first time, this is the story of Nancy, an elderly woman with little to live for and Jeanne, the caretaker who wants to believe that Nancy has more to live for. Together, they embark on a journey to the past – a past of modest Christmases, tin-foil mangers, and abundant love – to rediscover the time when Nancy felt truly alive. Nancy’s memories and how they touch Jeanne, will turn this Christmas into one for the ages.

Rich with emotion and profound with meaning, these three stories of Christmas spirit that will strike a chord in your heart any time of year and make you look at the holiday season in new ways.

*May Contain Spoilers*

If you're ready to get in the holiday spirit, The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories will certainly have you on your way! Steven Manchester shares three heart-warming stories with his readers in this short, easy to read collection. 

I've previously reviewed The Thursday Night Club and therefore, will skip over it here. However, if you want to read my review, click here and enjoy. :)

Now, out of the two remaining stories, both compete as compassionate and moving. What I loved most about these stories was their subject matter. "A Christmas Wish" tackles an important and relevant topic: homosexuality. I love that Manchester brings this sometimes controversial topic into his collection of Christmas stories and shows it support. Bravo! The wish of the main character of this story is simply to learn how to accept herself and show her true self to the world. With her grandmother's help, this wish just might come true. Who am I kidding? It does! And it's beautiful. Self-identity is a hard thing to recognize and accept and through that emotional and universally human feeling, readers will connect with Steph and realize that the journey for self-acceptance is a deeply personal one that can and will be influenced by outsiders. 

"The Tin-Foil Manger" tackles a different topic: Alzheimer's and the struggle family members have with it. Though the daughters of Nancy are not presented in the best light, Nancy forms a deep friendship with one of her nurses, Jeanne, who is determined to help slow the advancement of Nancy's disease. After learning that Christmas was Nancy's favorite time of year, Jeanne decides to use that holiday season joy to try to bring Nancy back to the present. I enjoyed Jeanne's character and how dedicated she was to Nancy's care. It was also inspiring to see an elderly woman, who was essentially left alone by her family, find friendship and hope in her care facility. It was also enjoyable to read about the Christmas traditions of so many cultures around the world as Manchester fit them into Nancy's memories. Though the flashbacks got a little tenuous at times, it provided the story with a rich background of information. 

Overall, The Thursday Night Club and Other Stories shares the spirit of hope, generosity, acceptance, and love of the holiday season. They were stories that simply made me smile and I think other readers will enjoy reading them just as much. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Fender

How far must we travel to find our way home?

Nothing could have prepared Brennan Glover for the car crash that claimed the lives of his wife and six-year-old daughter. Stricken with grief, the only things that get him through each day are breaking his sobriety and clinging to Fender—the family dog and the sole survivor of the crash.

Desperate to distance Brennan from tragedy, his two closest friends take him on the cross-country road trip they had always talked about. But what begins as an effort to mend his broken heart ends up unraveling a secret that changes everything he thought he knew about his family. Can a journey of six thousand miles lead Brennan to acceptance and new beginnings?

From finding the good in an often cruel world to learning to say goodbye to those we love most, this sophomore release from author Brent Jones is sure to leave readers longing for home, wherever that may be.

*Definitely Contains Spoilers*

Okay. So as a huge animal lover, going into this book I told myself that if the dog (Fender) died, then I don't know if I can finish it. I was wrong. Fender does die; I did finish the book. But that's thanks to Brent Jones' writing technique. Fender, the novel, is about a man who has lost everything except his beloved pet and struggles to find a way to want to keep living when his friends take him on a cross-country road trip to help him find his new beginning.

At the beginning of the novel, Brennan is a complete mess, and understandably so. His wife and daughter have just died in a car accident, an accident in which Fender, the family dog, survived. Brennan is wallowing in depression, an abundance of alcohol, and a cloud of cigarette smoke with no will to do anything. This immediately creates a connection with readers both sympathetically and empathetically. And it's when hope starts to creep into Brennen's inebriated mind that readers really push for him to find a way past this. 

Brennan is written as a very human, realistic character. He has positive and negative qualities that make him seem like an everyman type of character. These qualities are also gender neutral. I can definitely see these characteristics popping up in any person, not just men, and therefore I think the connection between readers and Brennan expands a little more. Brennan suffers from loss and the unknown. He turns to alcohol for relief and escape from reality. He's also a very caring human being. He's a dog lover who saved a stray. He's a parent who loved his child more than words. And he's reached a point where his life has become unrecognizable because he's experienced something that anyone could experience at any time: the loss of something he loved. This not only connects him to readers, but he sort of becomes representative of what readers could become. The path that we all pray our lives don't take. And that makes this book powerful, relatable, understandable, and scary. 

The plot of Fender revolves around the cross-country road trip. I agree with Jones when he says, if you've never driven across the country, you should do it. I have, a couple times. And it's different each time. It does seem to change your perspective a little bit and brings out what's important to you. It's also a great experience. However, Brennan's journey is about finding a way to start over with those he has left in his life: his two best friends and his dog. Yet, when his dog starts showing signs of being sick, the road trip shifts to a story about moving forward even when the past threatens to swallow you whole. I think readers who choose to pick up this book will gain a sense of inspiration and hope from Jones' story, but it wasn't exactly an easy read. It was a hard book to put down after I started it though. There's a sense of hope within the tragedy that kept me turning pages and I think a lot of readers will see that hope and gain a little something from the story. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Bonus: The author, Brent Jones, did actually take the road trip he writes about. He shared his photo experience on Twitter and you can view it here: Brent Jones Website! 

The Changing Season

This was supposed to be a simple summer for Billy; one more lazy expanse of time before college began. He'd fill the hours playing with Jimmy – his canine best buddy – going camping and doing all the things he promised Jimmy they'd do before Billy left.

But that was before the accident that shook the entire town.

It was before the summer job that turned into something so much more than a way to get a paycheck.

And it was before Vicki.

This summer was destined to be many things to Billy, things he didn't truly understand until now. But it was definitely not going to be simple.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Steven Manchester writes of a time between things in his novel The Changing Season, showing readers that the time after an ending, before a new beginning, is when everything can change. William Baker has just graduated high school and is getting ready to leave for college, but there's a single summer left to enjoy, discover, and learn a few more things.

 

Billy has no idea what he wants to do with his life, a feeling a lot of people can relate to. After high school ends, it's hard to decide where your life should go. Or where you want it to go, for that matter. Billy is a likeable character who's loyal to his friends and his moral compass seems right on target. My favorite thing about Billy was his love for animals. His best friend is a rescue on four legs named Jimmy and readers will easily see how much he cares for him. Though Billy questions what he should focus on going forward in life, it'll be glaringly obvious to readers. With one summer left before college, readers will watch Billy grow from a video-game playing slob of a teenage boy into a man with direction and purpose. This growth will solidify the bond between Billy and the reader.

 

The Changing Season begins just before high school graduation. Billy and his friends, Mark and Charlie, are all looking forward to their futures. In a horrible accident, Charlie plays a critical role in the death of a fellow graduate, testing his friendships, his future, and his freedom. Billy hears his friend's confession and tries to push him to do the right thing. Meanwhile, Billy falls in love and finds a full time summer job. With the truth hanging over his head, Billy must move forward. This coming of age novel will resonate with readers and leave them with hope, as most of Manchester's novels seem to do.

 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

Let Me Lead

A young ballroom dance instructor is the focus of two women who have very different plans for him: love and control.

Jared is caught between a student who loves him enough to help him question his life’s purpose and a brutal seductress who callously plays with his emotions.

Living through the pain of losing her husband and daughter is testing Christine’s faith, but this gentle woman is willing to put her heart in harm’s way one more time for her young instructor.

And Tracy? Well, to Tracy, people are merely tools to get what she wants--and what this sensuous young woman wants is complete control over handsome Jared.

*May Contain Spoilers*

 

Kathleen Sutton writes a harrowing yet hopeful tale of recovery, retribution, and sociopathic chaos in Let Me Lead. Three main characters take very different roads in their search for happiness as their lives intersect byway of a dance studio in Indianapolis. And though the intersection will direct them forward, it will certainly upset their normal routine.

 

Christine O'Garra, Jaden Gregory (who also goes by Jared), and Tracy Martin are the main players in this dance routine of life. Christine is an older woman who has experienced the loss of her husband to cancer, her daughter to fibromyalgia, and her son to the world. She feels completely alone in the world, with only her guardian angel and cat to keep her company. Christine is a motherly woman who thinks the best of everyone. Though she has a scar from her past, Christine doesn't let that interfere with how she sees the world. However, she does hold a bit of anger against fate and God and herself. She hopes that one day she'll earn her right to peace after all she's been through. Readers will connect with her sympathetically, and those readers who have experienced similar situations will connect on a much deeper level. Loss is a universal affliction and all readers will undoubtedly form a bond with Christine as they watch her try to rebuild her life after all is lost.

 

Jaden Gregory is a dance instructor with a past riddled with mistakes. His divorce. His son. Old drug habits. Drinking problems. But now, he's cleaned himself up and given himself a new name in order to move forward. All he really wants from life is a family with a wife who loves him and children he can take care of. Readers will be proud of Jaden for changing his life and bettering himself. He's a sweet thirty-year-old man who is ever polite and caring. Though he doesn't connect easily with others based on his unfortunate tries in the past. Jaden struggles to let people in, let people see the real him. However, when Tracy Martin steps into the picture, she threatens to ruin his newly built life.

 

Tracy Martin is a terrifying sociopath who enjoys creating misery for others. She's the very focused villain in this novel and readers will shrink back in fear of this woman. Some readers will be able to understand what is wrong with Tracy and therefore, be sympathetic to her plight, but she enjoyed her evil nature too much for me to even feel sorry for her. She's manipulative, mean, and readers will surely dislike her.

 

Let Me Lead begins with the death of Christine's daughter and husband, eliciting a strong initial emotional response. Then Christine is selected as a celebrity dance partner for an upcoming fundraiser. During her lessons, she meets Jaden Gregory. She immediately feels a connection to this man who reminds her so much of the son who ran away. As the gala grows close, Jaden develops feelings for Christine. Meanwhile, Tracy Martin takes over the bookstore next door to the dance studio for her Aunt in hopes that she can use the store as a front for her drug dealing business. When Tracy decides that Jaden is the perfect target to start a new side business she sets her sights on controlling him. The plot of Let Me Lead is incredibly engaging and with three different points of view, readers really get the whole story. Kathleen Sutton does an amazing job in crafting a story that involves such different characters and making it believable and understandable.

 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Seeking the Star

One December night, in the sleepy Cotswold village of Chilton Crosse, a drifter named Ben collapses on George and Mary Cartwright’s snow-covered doorstep. As Christmas cheer spreads throughout the village with a Dickens-themed festival, Mary nurses Ben back to health, but she becomes curious about the secrets he seems to carry.

On Christmas Eve, one of Ben’s secrets accidentally comes to light, forcing him to confront the darkness of his past and to rediscover the faith he once knew.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Looking for a book to help you into the holiday spirit? Traci Borum introduces a new face to the Chilton Crosse community in her latest book, Seeking the Star. A man who has lost everything he ever wanted stumbles into the Chilton Crosse village and collapses on the doorstep of George and Mary Cartwright. They take him in, determined to save a young man's life, but they do so much more than that. 

Ben, George, and Mary are the three main characters of this novel. Ben Granger crawls into Chilton Crosse, barely hanging on to life. He couldn't guess the date or say when he ate his last meal. In fact, it's more like life is hanging on to him. All Ben knows is that there's a chance that if he never stops running, then maybe his memories won't catch up to him. He's wrong of course, but Ben is a man who has been beaten down and you can't blame someone for trying. He's at his lowest point. And for a very understandable reason, though I'll let Ben tell you himself after you get your hands on this book. Readers will be intrigued by the mystery surrounding Ben and it will form the initial connection. Once their curiosity is piqued, readers won't be able to stop until all hidden pasts have been revealed. I read this entire novel in less than a day. The emotional bond I felt with each of the main characters was substantial and I couldn't relax until I knew every detail. 

George and Mary form a different, yet similar connection with the reader. They're an elderly couple who have lived in Chilton Crosse for some time. Though they help and support Ben, they are living with their own tragedy, the loss of their son. Readers will sympathize with George and Mary while also feeling an overwhelming sense of pride and deep respect for them. Their struggle for happiness is a tough one, but they reach for it all the same. I can't imagine putting the pieces back together after the loss of a child, but George and Mary's story is that trial and, at times, that triumph. 

The plot of Seeking the Star is focused on the emotional journey of Ben, George, and Mary. Though it's obvious from the beginning that Ben needs the Cartwright's help, they come to need him too. The good qualities of each character make them all easy to like as readers witness their attempt at living life after tragedy. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Shoveling Snow

Ben and Caroline barely recognize each other any more. Their once solid relationship now broken and beaten by unfathomable events, leaving only a shell of past promise. When pressure cracks the last vestiges of their bond, Ben hastily leaves their Southern California home, pointing the car east to what he hopes is the edge of the Earth. After driving until he can no further, he settles in the small, coastal town of Swintonport, Maine to lose himself in quiet and anonymity, renting the quaint guesthouse of Maggie and her ten-year-old daughter, Smoof. But when tragedy strikes his landlord’s family, Ben is confronted with a sobering truth reminiscent of the one he left behind.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Brett Sills shares a story of searching for a better place in his novel, Shoveling Snow. After receiving life changing news, Ben escapes California and doesn't stop driving until he hits the coast, searching for a better place in life. Smoof is a ten-year-old girl who has lived in Maine for less than a year. She and her mother left Boston after tragedy struck. Now she is searching for a way to make her mother better. Rose is a new teacher, who settled down in Maine after traveling the globe. She's searching for a better place to build to a relationship with the son she left behind. Life and luck have brought these three strangers together but it's up to them to use this happenstance as a guide to move forward. 

Ben was happy and hopeful. He was excited to see where life would take him. As a painter, he paid the bills and exercised his creativity. But after beginning a not-so-bad life with Caroline, things take a turn for the worse.  Now Ben is cynical. He's also rude, introverted, and completely lost. Readers learn right away that something pushed Ben to escape California. Something horrible. And throughout the novel, readers learn what happened to the love he once shared with Caroline through flashbacks. The first connection with Ben is through curiosity and wonder. As the plot continues and his secrets are revealed, empathy and understanding complete the connection. 

Smoof's mother is sick. Maggie spends most of her time in bed, leaving young Smoof to pay the bills and fend for herself. She has an atrocious attitude, is incredibly blunt while using inappropriate language, and secretly she just wants to be a little girl again. The sadness and unfairness of the situation create the initial bond between Smoof and readers. Her behavior is easily looked over as her world crumbles and she reaches out for any help she can get. 

Rose was young when she had her son, George. That doesn't excuse her leaving him and the father to travel the world. Now he lives a few towns away and she has a stack of letters that she has never mailed. Letters that explain, excuse, admit, and blame. But with her student Smoof, maybe Rose can make a difference. She has to try. Readers will first connect with Rose through her desire to help Smoof, but eventually sympathy and understanding will solidify the connection, even if readers don't agree with Rose's past choices. 

The plot of Shoveling Snow follows Ben across the country, from California to Swintonport, Maine. He moves into the guest house of Smoof and her mother. When Smoof gets into trouble, the school calls and they reach Ben. Thus, he is introduced to Rose. As each character battles their own demons, they find solace and understanding in each other. The entire novel is a heart wrenching story of loss, love, and wrong choices. Though the plot moves slowly, taking its time to reveal each detail, the intrigue lies in the mystery that is the past and the hope that could be the future. I liked that each of the characters were real. They had their flaws and Sills wasn't afraid to flaunt them. Though liking the actual characters took time, for one in particular it took the entire novel, Shoveling Snow breathes hope into finding a better place. Even if that place is the life left behind. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Beyond the Gardens

She was a shy artist, who was afraid to blossom into the beautiful flower she was meant to grow into.

At the age of 18, Esperanza Ignacio begins her college years at an upscale Los Angeles art school, where she studies to fulfill her long-term dream in Animation. But she soon learns the truth to the old folktale: "you can take the girl out of the barrio, but you can't take the barrio out of the girl." Even though she's getting financial aid, Esperanza works a part-time job during her break from classes just to make ends meet. Her roommate, Anna, is what she calls a "chicana from Beverly Hills" because of the rich daddy and the new car she got for her quinceaera.

Things get a little confusing for Esperanza when an old friend comes looking for her, hoping to start a meaningful relationship. But is Carlos the right guy for her? She never even considered him to be anything more than a friend since high school. Then comes Jake, a gorgeous mechanic, who shares her passion for books and loves her for who she is. What's a girl to do?

*May Contain Spoilers*

Sandra C. Lopez tells the astounding story of one girl who rises above the strife of growing up in a poor Los Angeles community with her novel, Beyond the Gardens. Esperanza has always focused on building a better future for herself and when she is accepted into an animation program at college, she knows she's on the right track, but her fear threatens to throw her back. Can she accept her past enough to escape it? And will she have the strength to move on when given the option? 

Esperanza is a Latina Californian who has a past that plays a very present role in her life. She grew up in a poor family with a mother who struggled everyday to provide for her family. Esperanza's father was abusive and though he's in prison, she still has to face those scars everyday. Readers will easily connect with Esperanza on an intimate level. She's a person who wants more but is afraid of the hand-slap that will surely come if she reaches for it. Though she doesn't let it hold her back. Esperanza takes each fear and molds it into inspiration. She's a character full of so much hope that readers will instantly connect with her, cheering for her to take each step toward a happier life. 

The plot of the novel follows Esperanza through all four years of college. Readers witness her struggle, face her fears, forgive the past, and form her own path for the future. Beyond the Gardens is an inspiring coming-of-age novel. The dialogue can be a little awkward at times, even a little 'cheesy,' but it takes nothing away from the message of this novel: with a little hope and hard work, anyone can achieve their dreams. 

Rating: 3.5/5 Cups

The Probability of Miracles

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingoes in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Wendy Wunder shares the story of a girl who learns to hope with her novel, The Probability of Miracles. When the doctor's tell Cam that western medicine has done all it can for her, without any relief, her family takes her to a place where unbelievable things are known to happen as a final effort to save Cam's life.

Cam is an angsty, sarcastic, faithless, and hopeless teenager who is dying. But before she passes, she is determined to finish her Flamingo List, a younger version of the "bucket list." Readers spend the summer with Cam as she falls in love, loses her virginity, and gains a new perspective on life while experimenting with some not so serious shoplifting. Readers will connect with Cam based on their own desires of life. They witness a young girl with limitless potential try to help those around her before she dies. 

The plot follows Cam as she and her family move from Florida to Maine, in hopes of a miracle. A miracle Cam doesn't believe in. Though the real miracle is that she gets to spend this last summer as a normal teenager. The novel is incredibly moving and sad though triumphant and hopeful. Highly recommended. 

Rating: 4/5 Cups

Mockingjay: The Final Book in The Hunger Games

Spoiler Alert: As this blog is about the final book in The Hunger Games series, it may contain spoiling information. :)

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The final book, Mockingjay, of Suzanne Collin's The Hunger Games series was incredible, almost indescribable. The connection I had with the characters remained strong throughout the last novel. 

I felt every piece of hope, sadness, loss, and anger that Katniss described. The writing style of the entire series had me hooked and wanting more. 

However, I couldn't help feeling a little empty at the end. The conclusion of the trilogy seemed to be lacking something. It was if a void had been created inside of me and (four days after completing it) I still can't pinpoint exactly what gave birth to this disappointment. 

After the roller coaster of going through two hunger games with Katniss, witnessing her fall into love, fight for her life, and struggle to accept herself, when it was all over, I felt as empty as Katniss seemed in the last few pages. 

Perhaps that was what Collins had in mind though. Fighting for survival alongside Katniss brought the reader into her world. At the end, most of everything she loved was gone forever, never to be brought back. Maybe the void I feel is a mirror of what Collins believes Katniss felt. If this is indeed the case, then Collins got the exact reaction she wanted. 

(Not that that stopped me from scribbling down a few pages of text for myself, altering the ending, and bringing a smile to my face.) 

I definitely plan on reading this series again, and if you haven't read it, then do not hesitate to buy it and spend a few days in the world of the Katniss and district 12. 

Mockingjay on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups

Catching Fire: Book Two of The Hunger Games Series

Spoiler Alert: If you have not read The Hunger Games, think twice before reading this post as it refers to the second novel in the series, Catching Fire.

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Katniss Everdeen : winner of The Hunger Games. 

Only the challenge isn't over yet. 

Now that Katniss is a victor of the hunger games, she believes that everyone she cares for will be safe. But she soon discovers that this is nothing but a false hope. 

President Snow believes that her last effort to survive (and keep her district mate/semi-love interest alive) during the competition was one of rebellion against the capitol. And some inhabitants of the twelve districts believe it too. Worried that the ruled people will once again rise up in revolt, President Snow threatens Katniss and everyone she loves with the promise of death. Unless of course she can stop the spreading belief that she wants the people to revolt. A cliched easier-said-than-done-moment. 

Now it's a race against time as people start to band together. Katniss must do everything in her power to appear as if she never wanted a rebellion. 

But is that the truth...? 

This novel is just as enthralling as the first book in the series. Perhaps even more so. Suzanne Collins picks up right where she left off at the end of The Hunger Games and takes the reader on a thrill ride that they will never see coming. If you've read the first enstallment, pick this one up immediately and keep going. 

You will not regret it. 

Catching Fire on Amazon

rating: 5/5 cups

The Hunger Games

There were 13 districts. Until the thirteenth was obliterated for rebelling.

Now there are only 12. And to ensure that history doesn't repeat itself the Capitol created The Hunger Games. A survival of the fittest match up of twenty four young adults, aged 12 to 18. Half of them female, half of them male. Two from every district.

Out of the thousands of slips of paper decorated with names, Prim Everdeen is drawn. A fragile twelve-year-old girl who hasn't been alive long enough to have even lived. To protect her sister, Katniss volunteers to take her place as the female district 12 contestant. And instantly, the reader is drawn in and a connection is formed.

Whether the reader connects with Katniss because of her strength, her need to protect the ones she loves, or the faith that other characters have in her, it doesn't matter -- Suzanne Collins crafts a story unlike any other, and once the cover is opened, the spine cracked, there's no stopping until it's finished.

Matched up against twenty-three other contestants, some who have been training for The Hunger Games since childhood, and some who are still children, Katniss is repeatedly challenged from the moment she takes her sister's place.

The arena holds the future for Katniss. Surrounded by death for mere entertainment, she must use every strength she has to stay alive.

An astounding novel of intertwining themes and blind side moments, this novel really is a must read.

The Hunger Games on Amazon

rating: 5/5 cups

A Little Love, a Little Mystery

By the end of Delivered With Love by Sherry Kyle, Claire had found more than she bargained for. What started as a search for her mother's teenage love turned into a passionate journey of discovery, forgiveness, and learning to live. The novel's ending may have seemed a little rushed, and a little to perfectly tied up, but the connections with the characters were definitely strong. 

The main character, Claire, is a woman who feels like she's at rock-bottom with no light to lead her from the darkness. Kyle does a wonderful job creating a friend for the reader with legitimate worries, fears, and problems. I felt myself wanting to skip a couple pages here and there just to figure out how it would all end up. Especially when it came to Blake - the police officer neighbor with perfect abs and master chef potential - who Claire discovers is sweeping her off of her feet. <3

Although this book has a lot of twists and turns, I was a little disappointed with the outcome because it seemed overly predictable. And after the question of who wrote the letter was answered, the rest of the novel sort of fell into place. However, Kyle did leave a few ends open for the reader's interpretation, which is always fun for the reader. 

Definitely a good book and one that I would recommend, if you're searching for a novel that mixes a little love with a little mystery. 

Delivered with Love on Amazon

Friend Instead of Character

Claire is getting closer to the truth about her mother's past and Michael is a little irked at the idea...

After finding a love letter written to her mother when she was only 17, Claire decided to search for the writer. Now she's in Capitola, California getting ready to move in to the house that the letter was sent from. The owner of the house, Michael, remembers her mother, Emily, but keeps his lips tight when questioned about the past.

Broke with worry nagging on Claire's very heartstrings, Michael decides that she would be the perfect person to live in the house and take care of his mother, Geraldine, for a small pay check and free room and board. But allowing Claire to be so close to his mother threatens to bring up the past, and Emily. He worries if his mother will be able to keep his secrets hidden from Claire while they live beneath the same roof.

Readers can relate to Claire's struggle and feel connected to her within the first few chapters. The basic needs of food and shelter, and how to pay for them, is something that everyone worries about. Readers will find themselves wishing they could be one of the characters helping Claire along her journey. In the novel Delivered with Love, Sherry Kyle writes Claire with faults and virtues, something many writers have trouble with, making Claire a friend to the reader, instead of just a character.

Allied Revenge

Can revenge heal the scars of a man once believed to be a hero?

In Traci Hall's novel, Love's Magic, Nicholas has been used his entire life, the puppet to an unknown plan. Raised as an orphan by monks. Sent to the Crusades to have everyone around him killed. Tricked into believing that there are people in the world worth trusting. With the truth slowly revealing itself, all signs point to Baron Peregrine. His father. 

With vengeance in his heart, Nicholas swears that he will win back his soul by killing Baron Peregrine. Until he is ordered to marry Celestia Montehue, a well-known healer. 

As Celestia battles with her own hopes that this man could be her destiny, she fears that she'll lose her healing powers if he isn't. Can she be the one to heal his scars and set his heart free to love and trust once again? Or is revenge his only ally? And as people do we always focus on the pain rather than rising above it?