Hemingway Point

When Jess spends the summer in her late grandmother's rambling Victorian summer cottage, she uncovers heart-rending mysteries and lost love. It has been seventeen years since Jess has last visited the elite lakefront summer club where she had spent the summers of her youth. 

Now, she returns with her photographer boyfriend who wants to write an article about the distinctive old house. Sifting through old letters and pictures she finds in a hidden trunk, Jess unravels long-hidden family secrets. Including, just maybe, the secret to her own heart.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Nora Carroll brings readers into the life of Jess Carpenter, a librarian who is called back to her summer vacation home after she inherits it from her grandmother, in her novel Hemingway Point. Though the story line is crafted to capture the love of readers, the novel itself falls short of expectations. 

Carroll intricately takes readers on a journey of discovering the truth about personal history. Jess believes she knows everything about her past, but while trying to sell her newly acquired property, she learns truths she would never imagine. I loved the plot of this novel. It has a great pace and more than enough enticement to grab the attention of any reader. 

Sadly, the editing of the novel takes away from the beautiful story. There were quite a few typos throughout the book that had me lost in confusion. At times, I had trouble concentrating on the story development because of the errors. 

I also felt I was creating half of the story in my head because of the dropped quotations in the dialogue. I had to mentally separate the dialogue that was actually being spoken and what was internal. It was a rather tough process and one that left me with a heavy sense of disappointment. I had to read the ending chapter twice just to have a faint idea of what happened with Jess and her first love. 

Another once-over would do this novel wonders, as the story is truly great. 

rating: 2/5 cups

Hemingway Point
on Amazon

Taking Charge

Is going back Robyn’s only way forward?

American-born Robyn Matthers is going home. With her dad in hospital, his roadhouse in ruins and the ice hockey team slipping down the league, she needs to take charge. But does she have the strength to do it?

Cole Ryan is a hockey player on a personal mission. He’s tall, dark, hot and Robyn’s noticed! But can she trust her feelings - or his? And what will Cole do when he finds out the truth about her?

With an ill father, a trailer trash step-mom and ex-boyfriend Brad desperate for another chance, does Robyn have time to contemplate a relationship? Can she start again? Does she really want to? And can two people really fall in love in three days? - Goodreads

*May Contain Spoilers*

Let me just say this and get it out of the way: This book was beyond amazing! I loved it and couldn't put it down. After all, I started it last night and finished it about ... five minutes ago. I've never read anything by Mandy Baggot before, but wow! I'll have to add her to my list of favorite authors. Especially if all of her books are as great as this one. 

Taking Charge is a novel aptly named. It focuses on Robyn, a young woman who can't seem to run far enough away from her past. So she does the only thing she can: takes charge. And after everything she's been through, readers will have no issues connecting with her, feeling her pain, and hoping that her life will get better. Just her gumption alone will have readers loving her. Even if she talks way too much, is a little snappy, bossy, and over the top. 

But she's also determined, loving, trusting, and laugh-out-loud-hilarious, even with the baggage she carries around. And trust me, it's heavy baggage. I can't tell you how many times I couldn't stop myself from laughing. 

And the love interest. Mr. Cole Ryan, yummy, hockey-playing scientist who wants to find a vaccine for certain cancer types. Well, readers won't have any problem falling for him either. 

The main thing I loved about this novel was the story line. It had so many twists and turns throughout it that will keep readers guessing as to what's going to happen next and to whom it will happen. All characters are set up against different obstacles. It's great to encounter a book where the author makes the supporting character work just as hard as the main characters.

Taking Charge called upon so many different emotions, it's almost unbelievable how believable the book is. I was blinking back tears, laughing out loud, and feeling the anger begin to boil. Baggot really knows how to evoke feeling from her readers, for all of the characters in the book, not just the main cast. Outstanding. Just outstanding. 

Taking Charge 

on Amazon

rating: 5/5 cups

note of source: Sapphire Star Publishing for review

A Defensive Disguise

Do we, as people, hide behind a carefully planned disguise to guard ourselves from the cruelties of the world? 

In Sins of a Wicked Duke, by Sophie Jordan, Fallon O'Rourke believes that that is the only way for her to be safe in a world of mischievous men. Fallon has never had an easy life, working for every bit of food and any shelter that she can find. Yet she finds she feels the safest when she's disguised as a footman, working for the "demon" duke, Dominic Hale.  

Are the disguises that we give ourselves a defense tactic? Or are we simply afraid to show our true selves to those who may harm us? These questions surfaced while I was reading this novel and I found myself connecting with Fallon because of her tactics. Hiding herself away in order to achieve her long term goal, a home of her own. Many people have been in similar situations where they must act a certain way and give a specific appearance in order to blend in with the crowd. 

But just as Fallon questioned her tactics, we must also ask, when is it time to come out of hiding? 

Sins of a Wicked Duke on Amazon

rating: 3/5 cups

Internal Chaos and Expectations

The past is a common theme in novels. It's a novel in itself, the history of who we are. Heartfire by Karen Rose Smith centers around Tessa and Max, two people who let their past step in the way of their future. Their fear of rejection and the threat of giving up who they are forces the love they have for each other to become unstable.

Tessa was left by her mother when she was young. Thrown into the world of foster homes, she never felt she really belonged anywhere. A relatable thought between her and some readers. After chasing news across the world as a foreign correspondent, she knows where she wants to belong - with Max, but will she give up her life of traveling to finally put down some roots?

Max's wife died of cancer when their son, Ryan, was just a little boy. When Ryan's godmother, Tessa, comes back to town for his birthday, old feelings are rekindled between Max and Tessa. Tessa's the whirlwind where his wife was the calm and he'll have to accept that Tessa isn't Leslie.

This novel was a little slow at certain parts but after connecting with the characters during the first few chapters, I couldn't put it down. Smith writes her characters with all of their flaws put onto the table, flaws the characters themselves don't even know about. The expectations that the characters put on each other was an idea that usually goes unnoticed but Smith was focused on the details. The internal chaos of each character was almost enough to make me want to scream at the words on the pages.

Tessa's sense of adventure and fear of settling down are aspects of her character that readers can really relate to. The question between career and family appears a few times and forces the reader to question what they would do in the same situation. The answer seems easy at first, but on second thought it's much harder. Smith does an excellent job in Heartfire by showing the reader that there are different perspectives to be seen and compromises to be made in every situation.

Heartfire on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups

To the Depths of the Disaster

Emma is two weeks away from the biggest day of her life. Her wedding. Happy with no pre-wedding jitters. Until an unexpected call from her brother forces her home to search for her missing fiance.

The apartment is empty.

Except for her fiance's unconscious brother laying on the bathroom floor covered in blood.

At the hospital, with no word from her fiance, Emma's mind starts to wonder. What could have happened to Dan? Is he missing or did he leave her? Who did this to his brother? Why isn't Dan picking up his cell phone? Emma struggles to find the answers while the questions keep piling up and the police department doesn't want to wait for an explanation - they want to find Dan and arrest him for attempted murder.

Readers find themselves along side Emma, wondering, doubting, creating theories, and hoping against hope that everything really will be all right in the end. Whether warning her or cheering her on, Pilkington pulls the reader in from the get go, never letting off the gas, dragging them down to the depths of Emma's disaster. The One You Love is a mystery novel so well threaded together that when the back cover is closed, the reader feels (more than) accomplished at helping Emma solve it.

The One You Love on Amazon

rating: 4/5 cups

As Many Twists as a Maze

Erica James does more than surprise the hell out of her readers with The Queen of New Beginnings. When Clayton Miller is accused of a more than horrendous act - he goes into hiding and he meets the voice-over actress Alice Shoemaker whilst in the middle of his current illness, writer's block.

When she opens the door to his creative mind, both Clayton and Alice receive more than they've bargained for. With as many twists as a maze and gruesome confessions, The Queen of New Beginnings evokes a diverse array of feelings from the reader that will leave them looking to their own past to find their future.

* *

The plot of this novel was wonderfully laid out and kept me guessing as to what I thought would happen next. Alice was an amazing true to life friend that I had the pleasure of relating to. Hiding behind a faux self-image to protect herself from a world that had shown her just how harsh it could be, Alice fought back against the world, hoping that someday she would find the perfect person that would allow her true-self to shine. 

The other characters in this novel were unique, quirky, tornado representation of people. Erica James didn't hesitate to give each person good and bad qualities. I found myself searching for a mirror to hold up to each character just to ask them: "What the hell are you doing?"

The only problem I had with this novel was the pace. And I know this because it took me more than a week to read it. When I read a novel, I sit down and in (usually) two days time, I'm finished. However, with novels that have a pacing problem, I find the novel drawn out to nearly a week. I can't be too upset with this small detail because I feel that the plot was drawn out to give the readers a chance to connect with the characters. Which worked out rather perfectly. 

The Queen of New Beginnings on Amazon

rating: 3/5 cups

Hurting the Ones We Love

The Queen of New Beginnings by Erica James has me wondering if the saying that "we hurt the ones we love the most" is truer than it seems to be.

The two main characters seem to be falling deeply in love the more they get to know one another, but Clayton is betraying Alice before their sentiments for each other are shared. Does he realize what he's doing to her by writing a creative piece about her family history without her knowledge?

As humans do we have an innate selfishness that keep us repeating this cliche and is that what makes it truer than it seems? Shouldn't knowing the cliche keep us from doing it?

Why do we find history repeating itself when we should be learning from the past...

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.

A Tortured Heart

Why do we give those who hurt us the upper hand by changing who we are after our pride, and heart, is injured?

Hope Tarr explores this query in Vanquished by creating a character who has changed her self after suffering a broken heart. Caledonia Rivers is presently a woman obsessed with politics and a fighter for the women's suffrage movement. She dons spectacles that she doesn't need and covers her figure with layers of clothing to hide her true womanly figure. All of this because one man and one unpleasant comment.

I feel like this is a commonality between the reader and Caledonia. We've all been hurt by people in our lives who don't agree with who we are and dislike us for what we're not. But why must we take that to heart and change because of it? At the time, the idea that there are people out there who will always accept us for who we are is so far out of reach that it is almost unfathomable. Yet, it's true. Those people do exist. Can we not dwell on that simple truth instead of the internal echoing of harsh words meant to singe the threads of our souls?

Once again, a past full of pain creates a tortured heart.

Enchanting

Forced to marry only to fall in love with one's husband. Irony at its romantic best.

It was Celestia's destiny in Traci Hall's novel, Love's Magic, to be the one woman to heal her husband from the inside out. As she struggled to chisel away the stone Nicholas had built around his heart, she began to find a man who was noble and full of strength. A man worthy of her love.

As readers we can connect with Celestia through her journey of unrequited love. By moving closer to her husband's heart, she found her soul mate, but Nicholas couldn't accept the love she offered. He believed that he was undeserving of anything so pure and that Hell was the only thing willing to accept him. We all know how it feels to love someone with all of our heart only to learn that it will never be returned. Readers will find themselves falling in love with Nicholas as they struggle along side Celestia to win their true love.

Nicholas, through his feelings of despair and the belief that he is not worthy of something so great, also forms a bond with the reader. A co-alignment of painful memories. The past haunts us all. The demons waging an internal war, only dispelled by forgiving ourselves for the mistakes we made.

Love's Magic is a novel for anyone who has every felt the desire to give their heart away and ask for nothing in return. Open the cover and be enchanted with the warmth of the words.



Love's Magic on Amazon

A Little Bit of Romance

Grace, the daughter of a prominent figure in 1906 San Francisco, has refused to marry a number of eligible bachelors, swearing that when she marries it will be for love. Enter, Nathaniel, an Irish immigrant who applies for the title of chauffeur to Mr. Wyne, Grace's father in Denise Agnew's novel Love From the Ashes.

During the job interview he can't seem to take his eyes off of Grace, doubting that she knows how beautiful she is. Does he realize how against societal views Grace is and that status will not force her to give up her hope of falling in love? Could Nate be the man that she's hoped to find since her debut in society when she was younger?

After a week of working as Mr. Wyne's chauffeur, Nate has already come to blows over Grace. Another employee of the Wyne household let his tongue get ahead of him and the disgraceful words ended with him knocked unconscious by Nate's hand. Nate questions why he seems to be so protective over this 23 year old beauty? The answers lie in his past and in the guilt that he hides from. The hints that Agnew lets "slip" about Nathaniel's past and the failure to protect his sister imply that the guilt he holds in his heart will send him to Hades.

But could Grace be the woman to save Nate's soul?
And will Nate be the first man to accept Grace and show her what falling in love is like?

A little bit of romance will light the way to discovery.

Healing Waters

Four women, who each have a scar from their past, attempt to vacate their memories by staying at Paradise Island in the Bahamas in Hurricanes in Paradise by Denise Hildreth Jones. Upon arrival, each of the women are told about the healing waters that the island possesses. And each woman denies the fact that the need any help.

Riley. A mother who survived a death sentence, but lost her husband during the fight.

Tamyra. A winner of a beauty pageant who fell in love with the football player. Now the doctor's tell her she doesn't have much time left.

Laine. (Not-so-very-nice) Author. She's on Paradise Island researching her new novel, but can't seem to get her mind off of the husband that she divorced.

Winnie. Sent to Paradise Island by her children so that she could enjoy the time away. She hasn't been on vacation since her husband Sam passed away, and she struggles with the memories the island holds.

Each of these women hold secrets, fears, and a shelf full of worries. Whether we, as readers, can connect with one of them, or all of them, this novel fights to hide the scars while the healing waters promise if we just open up to them - they can take the scars away.

Running From the Past

I can't help but see a strong connection between the main character of the book I'm reading now, to the main character of the book I finished yesterday. Nellie (Beyond All Price) and Livy (Stealing Jake) are both women who run away from things, especially their past.

Nellie ran away from her life as a wife of a gambler and into the army in order to give meaning to her life. Livy runs from her past in Chicago that was full of pick-pocketing and living on the streets. She begins to work at an Orphanage to give abandoned children an option other than the streets. An option that she wasn't given as a young girl. Both women try to attain meaning for their lives by helping others but also try to hide their past from the people in their "new" lives.

The connection is astounding and forces the reader to wonder about the past of the people in their own lives. Do we all run away from unsavory events in our lives? And if we do, then what are we running toward?