The First Husband

Title: The First Husband
Publisher: Penguin Group
Pub Date:  April 24th, 2012
Author: Laura Dave
Received From: NetGalley 

THE FIRST HUSBAND from author Laura Dave, whose novels have been optioned for film by Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon, explores how we choose our partners and whether we can trust that choice once we've made it. In preparation for writing the book Dave interviewed countless subjects, from psychologists to the people next door, about the new nature of commitment and the best indicators that a marriage is going to work.

Annie Adams finally had her life on track: her blossoming career allowed her to travel the globe, and she had a comfortable home in Los Angeles with her live-in boyfriend, Nick, solid friends, and a great dog. Out of nowhere, Nick takes advice from a life coach and tells Annie he needs a break and moves out. A few days after Nick's untimely exit, Annie drags herself to a local restaurant where she meets a chef, Griffin, the sort of man she never thought she'd fall for.  Three months later, Griffin asks Annie to marry him and start a new life together in rural Massachusetts-forcing Annie to ask the question: can we start our lives again?

With THE FIRST HUSBAND, Laura Dave delivers a deeply honest, funny and wise story about a woman torn between her husband and the love of her life.

The First Husband truly is a book about finding your way. Sometimes we all have to really find who we are and what we want. While in the beginning Annie and Nick seemed to be the way it should be based on her recollections of their relationship. But nick wanted out and through that we met Griffin. Between the two men who  I pulled for was Griffin. I honestly felt like some fate intervened on their behalf. 


 I really loved the messed up character of Jesse, Griffin's brother. Normally you see a main character interact well with their own family and friends but the combination of adviser and play mate I see between Jesse and Annie. The mother in law though... drove me nuts but what's new that happens all to often in life. With really great characters, soul searching and some laughable moments this made for a great book!

Big Sky Country

Title: Big Sky Country

Publisher: Harlequin

Pub Date:  May 29th, 2012

Author: Linda Lael Miller

Received From: NetGalley 

The “First Lady of the West,” #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller is back with a new series about Parable, Montana—where love awaits.

 The illegitimate son of a wealthy rancher, Sheriff Slade Barlow grew up in a trailer hitched to the Curly-Burly hair salon his mother runs. He was never acknowledged by his father—until now. Suddenly, Slade has inherited half of Whisper Creek Ranch, one of the most prosperous in Parable, Montana. That doesn’t sit well with his half brother, Hutch, who grew up with all the rights of a Carmody. Including the affections of Joslyn Kirk, homecoming queen,
rodeo queen, beauty queen—whom Slade has never forgotten.

But Joslyn is barely holding her head up these days as she works to pay back everyone her crooked stepfather cheated. With a town to protect—plus a rebellious teenage stepdaughter—Slade has his hands full. But someone has to convince Joslyn that she’s responsible only for her own actions. Such as her effect on this lawman’s guarded heart.

Big Sky Country, just the title alone makes me want to spend sometime in the great outdoors. I love opening and inviting titles to books, in encourages me to pick them up and read them fast! Which I am so glad I did with Big Sky Country! Slade Barlow is a man's man, sheriff in his small town and strong both physically and mentally, which he honestly would have to be after his life!. His half brother Hutch is another manly guy, with a less hard childhood, but still some issues in his past. They tying force to these two has passed away and split his fortune right down the middle. How they handle it is a great story! 
Joslyn Kirk returns home during all of the manly showdowns and has some moments with her best friend and a once crush. It is great to see how she figures out her life, while paying for the sins of others! One can only hope for total happiness for this girl, and in the end she gets it!

Snowbound With a Stranger

Title: Snowbound With a Stranger
Publisher: Carina Press
Pub Date:  May 28th, 2012
Author: Rebecca Rogers Maher
Received From: NetGalley

Dannie Marino is hiking with colleagues when a sudden blizzard separates her from her group. She's rescued by Lee, a dangerously sexy stranger who leads her to a remote cabin to weather the storm.

When the night inevitably ends in an intense erotic encounter, Dannie is both shocked and liberated by her response. But being intimate means letting herself be vulnerable, which isn't her style. Lee tries to reach out to her, but she avoids any emotional entanglement by pushing him away.

Snowed in and unable to hide from each other, Dannie and Lee must both face up to their most closely guarded emotions. When the storm abates, will they be able to stop running from the past and live fully in the future?

I used to find that shorter books were harder for me to read as I didn't have time to really get into the characters. But Snowbound With a Stranger changed that for me! I love the relationship of Dannie and Lee from the beginning, smoldering looks that Dannie turned away from. I also felt a lot of emotion towards Dannie when the conversations turned to her career as a nurse. 


When Lee rescues Dannie and they find themselves the inhabitants of a cabin, kept warm by cozy fires, with a few unexpected events, it is fun to watch their relationship change and grow. Both characters have some learning to do and it is through that growth they can see where life is headed for them. This is really a light fun read, although it's warm out reading it during a storm really brought out the warm fuzzies!

Spring Fever

Title: Spring Fever
Publisher: St. Martins Press
Pub Date:  June 5th, 2012
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Received From: NetGalley

The New York Times bestselling author of Summer Rental delivers her delicious new escapist novel about small towns, old flames, and deep secrets

Annajane Hudgens truly believes she is over her ex-husband, Mason Bayless.  They’ve been divorced for four years, she’s engaged to a new, terrific guy, and she’s ready to leave the small town where she and Mason had so much history.  She is so over Mason that she has absolutely no problem attending his wedding to the beautiful, intelligent, delightful Celia.  But when fate intervenes and the wedding is called to a halt as the bride is literally walking down the aisle, Annajane begins to realize that maybe she’s been given a second chance.  Maybe everything happens for a reason.  And maybe, just maybe, she wants Mason back.  But there are secrets afoot in this small southern town.  On the peaceful surface of Hideaway Lake, Annajane discovers that the past is never really gone.  Even if there are people determined to keep Annajane from getting what she wants, happiness might be hers for the taking, and the life she once had with Mason in this sleepy lake town might be in her future.

Spring Fever is one great book! Annajane is a character that you just love from the first moment, finding her independence and making changes in her life. Mason as the mail male character show so many signs of really being a good guy, and once he sees the light he steps into that role so well! The past story of Annajane, Mason and even the Quixie soft drink is really one that feels, homey and loving. I love to find those stories!


I have never wanted to reach through a book and slap a character as hard as I did Celia. That woman got under my skin from that very moment! I can only say that I am so glad she got what was coming to her. You just can't feel glad enough to see characters end the way they should in books!


This is a really great fun summer read! 

Seriously Just Go to sleep

Title:Seriously, Just Go to Sleep
Publisher: Akashic Books
Pub Date:  April 3rd, 2012
Author: Adam Mansbach
Received From: NetGalley

The children's version of the #1 New York Times bestselling classic

Seriously, Just Go to Sleep is the G-rated, child-friendly version of the book every parent has been talking about. Go the F*** to Sleep, the picture book for adults, became a cultural sensation by striking a universal chord for parents. Now, Adam Mansbach and Ricardo Cortés reunite with Seriously, Just Go to Sleep, inviting the children themselves in on the joke.

Of course, kids are well aware of how difficult they can be at bedtime. With Mansbach's new child-appropriate narrative, kids will recognize their tactics, giggle at their own mischievousness, and empathize with their parents' struggless -- a perspective most children's books don't capture. Most importantly, it provides a common ground for children and their parents to talk about one of their most stressful daily rituals.

This fresh rendition includes Cortés's updated illustrations, with a cameo appearance by Samuel L. Jackson, who narrated the audio book version of Go the F*** to Sleep.

(C's Review) This is a funny book because there are so many things the kids do that I do, or my sister too. I like the drawings, and the funny thing is I have four stuffed friends in my bed too. But sometimes we really are thirsty or need to use the restroom. So maybe parents need to give us a break!


(Mom's Review) First of all I read and loved the original, and what I love the most about this book is two things. One it helps kids realize we are on to their ways of stalling and two it provides a delicious laugh for every parent reading it when they know the real story! I can see this as a future gift for new parents, both copies of course :-)

Friendship Bread

Title: Friendship Bread
Publisher: Random House
Pub Date: May 1st , 2012 (paperback)
Author: Darien Gee
Received From: Net Galley




In the tradition of Kate Jacobs and Lolly Winston comes a deeply felt, utterlycharming novel of three newfound friends and the unexpected gift that willchange their lives.
 
In the quiet community of Avalon, Illinois, Julia Evarts wonders how to move onwith her life. Though her husband and five-year-old daughter give her anabundance of love, Julia still reels from a tragedy that has left her estrangedfrom the sister who was once her best friend. Meanwhile, across town, widowMadeleine Davis takes great pleasure in serving up delectable treats and cozycomforts at her tea salon-now, if only she had some customers to enjoy them.And famed concert cellist and recent Avalon transplant Hannah de Brisay findsherself at a crossroads when her career and marriage come to abrupt ends. Thethree strangers forge a friendship at Madeleine's Tea Shop, and soon theircamaraderie extends to everyone in Avalon in the guise of a unique andwonderful gift. But even as Julia becomes ever closer to her new friends, sherealizes the profound necessity of confronting the painful past she shares withher sister.
 
Life and loss, friendship and community, food and family: Friendship Breadtells a spirited, remarkably moving tale about the triumph of hope.
 
Look for special features inside. Join the Circle for author chats and more.




Friendship bread is a yummy treat, but friendships are even more of a treat. One of my favorite things to read are stories of friendships. The three main characters of Julia, Hannah and Madeline are not what I'd consider to be common friends, but in life I've found sometimes those are the nest ones. Friendships you'd have normally never forged! 


Diving into the lives of these three women, the trials and tribulations they have lived and are currently living through brought great feelings of comfort in me. Watching each woman, grow and change and really enjoy life when there was a time they weren't sure how was great! I really loved the feeling that this could happen to me. I could find lasting friends in something I never expected! 

Talisman of El

Title: Talisman of El
Publisher: Centrinian Publishing
Pub Date:  May 20th, 2012
Author: Alecia Stone
Received From: NetGalley

WHAT IF YOUR WHOLE LIFE WAS A LIE?

One Planet.

Two Worlds.

Population: Human ... 7 billion.
Others ... unknown.

When 14-year-old Char­lie Blake wakes up sweat­ing and gasp­ing for air in the mid­dle of the night, he knows it is hap­pen­ing again. This time he wit­nesses a bru­tal mur­der. He's afraid to tell any­one. No one would believe him ... because it was a dream. Just like the one he had four years ago - the day before his dad died.

Char­lie doesn't know why this is hap­pen­ing. He would give any­thing to have an ordi­nary life. The prob­lem: he doesn't belong in the world he knows as home.

He belongs with the others.



Talisman of El was a interesting book, Dreams that are not so real, or are they. Life that isn't what you thought is a lot to grasp for a young boy. As we entered the world of Charlie I began to feel a huge likening to Harry Potter. There is a whole other world the Charlie is sucked into, literally! While I liked the characters and the stories they told I was confused by the hugeness of the other world. So many things began with the same letter that I began to con fuse them all in my head and when mentioned again I was never sure what was what! The ending of the book was good but left this open to be a series and I feel like if a series is the plan and more things to learn about our coming I am going to have to have a glossary to keep up!