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!

Feature & Follow (7)

Oh my goodness today's feature and follow question is making my week! I love to dream of vacation!

So here's how you play! Click this icon, Be sure to follow the hosts and features and then get out there and meet some new bloggers! My goal is always to follow at least 15 new blogs!!!

Q:Summer Break is upon us! What would be the perfect vacation spot for you to catch up on your reading & relax?

A: I am pretty easy going so anywhere that looks like this! I really want to go to Nosara Costa Rica sometime! I hear it's beautiful!

Bloom-Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir

Title: Bloom-Finding Beauty in the Unexpected--A Memoir
Publisher: William Morrow
Pub Date:  April 3rd, 2012
Author: Kelle Hampton
Received From: Purchased



The author of the popular blog Enjoying the Small Things recounts the first year of life with her daughter Nella, born with Down syndrome-a celebration of the beauty found in the unexpected, the strength of a mother's love, and, the gift of experiencing life in a wondrous new way

Love me. Love me. I'm not what you expected, but oh, please love me.
That was the most defining moment of my life. That was the beginning of my story.

When photographer Kelle Hampton learned she was pregnant with her second child, she and her husband, Brett, were ecstatic. Her pregnancy went smoothly and the ultrasounds showed a beautiful, healthy, high-kicking baby girl. But when her new daughter was placed in her arms in the delivery room, Kelle knew instantly that something was wrong. Nella looked different than her two-year-old sister Lainey had at birth. As she watched friends and family celebrate with champagne toasts and endless photographs, a terrified Kelle was certain that Nella had Down syndrome-a fear her pediatrician soon confirmed. Yet gradually Kelle's fear and pain were vanquished by joy, as she embraced the realization that she had been chosen to experience an extraordinary and special gift.
Bloom takes readers on a wondrous journey through Nella's first year of life-a gripping, hilarious, and intensely poignant trip of transformation in which a mother learns that perfection comes in all different shapes. It is a story about embracing life and really living it, of being fearless and accepting difference, of going beyond constricting definitions of beauty, and of the awesome power of perspective. As Hampton writes, "There is us. Our Family. We will embrace this beauty and make something of it. We will hold our precious gift and know that we are lucky.




I haven't been a faithful reader of Kelle Hamptons blog. But I have occasionally checked in. When I picked up Bloom the first thing I though was oh my goodness it is the size of a text book! Seriously the shape, weight, I felt like a kid again! I dove into this book with some kind of crazy intensity, wanting to know what she had to say. You know what I found, my textbook theory was not far off. I learned so much reading this book! 

As  a mother I am flawed, I don't always stop and pay attention, but when Nella was born Kelle had to do just that, slow down and pay attention and find something in her life. She spent time thinking about how life was changing and instead of going to a place of sadness she found a place of peace and love. She Found herself in the life of her daughter Nella and in living life with her family and friends. The stories in here of how a group comes together warmed every bit of my heart! I can only hope that in some way I am a friend to those I love who is a giving and loving as those that have stood with the Hamptons. What a wonderful read this was and the pictures throughout the book were phenomenal and added to the true beauty!

The Cranes Dance

Title: The Cranes Dance
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday
Pub Date:  May 15th, 2012
Author: Meg Howrey
Received From: NetGalley

I threw my neck out in the middle of Swan Lake last night. 
So begins the tale of Kate Crane, a soloist in a celebrated New York City ballet company who is struggling to keep her place in a very demanding world. At every turn she is haunted by her close relationship with her younger sister, Gwen, a fellow company dancer whose career quickly surpassed Kate’s, but who has recently suffered a breakdown and returned home. 
 
Alone for the first time in her life, Kate is anxious and full of guilt about the role she may have played in her sister’s collapse.  As we follow her on an insider tour of rehearsals, performances, and partners onstage and off, she confronts the tangle of love, jealousy, pride, and obsession that are beginning to fracture her own sanity. Funny, dark, intimate, and unflinchingly honest, The Cranes Dance is a book that pulls back the curtains to reveal the private lives of dancers and explores the complicated bond between sisters.




I love stories that really pull you into a characters life. I started this book out so confused by Kate. Who was she really besides a dancer? But what I soon learned is that dancing professionally is who she is. This book gave me the impression that dancing professionally is 3 full time jobs. But Kate is more than a dance she is a woman struggling. 
She struggles with keeping up in her profession, relating to other dancers, making nice with the bosses and promoters, and the role she played in what she sees as the demise of her sister Gwen. After moving out of her boyfriends Kate found herself in the apartment she once shared with Gwen. Gwen now at home with the parents recovering, living here gave Kate some scary insight!


Throughout this book there is a lot of back and forth from current time to the past. Memories in Kate's mind all  jumbled in with today. I found it exhausting in a really good way to be in the main characters head. As with any good story there are relationship dynamics and Kate struggled to juggle some of them. But I am not sure anyone of us really do that well! What Kate did well was dance, and find a niche for her future while not compromising who she was! I spent quite a bit of time while reading this book hoping to see this in her future and I was pleased to see it come to light! Between the insiders look at a ballet company and the inside of our characters minds this was a deep insightful book!

Stardust

Title: Stardust

Publisher: Hatchette Book Group

Pub Date:  May 15th, 2012

Author: Carla Stewart

Received From: NetGalley

Shortly after burying her unfaithful husband, Georgia Peyton unexpectedly inherits the derelict Stardust motel from a distant relative. Despite doubts from the community and the aunt who raised her, she is determined to breathe new life into it. But the guests who arrive aren't what Georgia expects: Her gin-loving mother-in-law; her dead husband's mistress; an attractive but down-on-his-luck drifter who's tired of the endless road; and an aging Vaudeville entertainer with a disturbing link to Georgia's past. Can Georgia find the courage to forgive those who've betrayed her, the grace to shelter those who need her, and the moxy to face the future? And will her dream of a new life under the flickering neon of the STARDUST ever come true?

I love a good historical read and before I talk about the book itself I have to say the history in this one knocked me out of the park! Stardust was a truly amazing riveting book. Georgia Payton goes through quite a bit of growth as a character in this story, she looses a husband, uncle, gains a property, gains some unlikely friends. Finds out the answers to some secrets burning in her mind and through it all does so with grace and poise. 

I mentioned before I love a good historical read and the history that drew me in here was the March of Dimes. My blogging partner and baby girl C was a premature baby so I've worked with the MOD frequently. But now I get to see their initial cause up close and personal. The descriptions of life at the beginning of a polio outbreak, the treatments use and most especially the Iron Lung really drew me in to this story. I love learning as I read a book I consider great entertainment! This story really tops off the charts with some many facets and great writing!

 

I Couldn't Love You More

Title: I Couldn't Love You More

Publisher: Grand Central Publshing

Pub Date:  May 15th, 2012

Author: Jillian Medoff

Received From: NetGalley


Which child would you save? A decision no parent can even fathom. 

Eliot Gordon would do anything for her family. A 38-year-old working mother, she lives an ordinary but fulfilling life in suburban Atlanta with her partner, Grant Delaney, and their three daughters. The two older girls are actually Eliot's stepdaughters, a distinction she is reluctant to make as she valiantly attempts to maintain a safe, happy household... 

Then Finn Montgomery, Eliot's long-lost first love, appears, triggering a shocking chain of events that culminates in a split-second decision that will haunt her beloved family forever. How Eliot survives--and what she loses in the process-is a story that will resonate with anyone who has ever loved a child. With hilarious honesty, wrenching depth, and a knockout twist, I Couldn't Love You More illuminates the unbreakable bonds of family and reveals the lengths we'll go to save each other, even as we can't save ourselves.

Choice, we all have a choice in the things that we do and say each day. Eliot has many choices she makes in her life. She works hard to keep life stable for her stepdaughters, Charlotte and Gail, to keep her partner Grant happy and to raise her young daughter Hailey. But choices that are made in this book have consequences, how this mirrors our real life. I make choices every day too. I guess though I am lucky that I haven't yet made a choice that truly altered someone else s life. 


This story was truly phenomenal, I sat and read it with eager emotions and then turned to true fear as I was paralyzed on my couch waiting for things to get better. At one point I considered stopping, but man am I glad that I stuck it out. As I look back over the story as a whole I see how real it is and can be. How my life could be Eliot and Grants life in a second. But I am most struck by the relationships in the story, Mothers, daughter, sisters. The theme is really quite deep and wide and yet so well refined! Kudos the Jillian Medoff for keeping me so ingrained in her story!

Always in My Heart

Title: Always in My Heart

Publisher: Harlequin

Pub Date:  May 1 st, 2012

Author: Kayla Perrin

Received From: NetGalley

Home is where her heart is…

The oldest of three adopted daughters, Callie Hart has always loved being the protector of the family. But now she is all grown up— with a young son of her own to protect. Callie can’t wait to show him off when she reunites with her two sisters in Ohio. But that also means coming face-to-face with the lover she left behind. Nigel Williams is even more irresistibly attractive than ever. But what will he do when he learns about the secret she kept hidden
from him for ten years?

Nigel has never forgiven Callie for fleeing Ohio—and the passion they shared. And when she shows up on his doorstep asking for forgiveness, the Cleveland cop is furious at her deception. But how can he deny the feelings Callie reawakens in him? Blindsided once again by the heat of desire, Nigel vows to fight for his future with
the woman he has always loved.

Always in My Heart is a great title for a great romance. Callie has a secret she has kept for year, but when she return home to celebrate the life of a loved one she decides to do the right thing and share her secret with her former boyfriend. Nigel is of course running the gamut of emotions over this secret. Life has changed for them both and this book details the changes and emotions they go through in forming a new life with this knowledge. Neither one can really admit how they feel and that adds a dimension on excitement to this book. 

Coming in with even more excitement is the story of Callie's best friend Tamara and her ex Patrick. Patrick has been doing some terrorizing not only of Tamara but also Callie and her son Kwame. The climax of this book brings some great moments and of course some romance. I love a good romance book, and this one is at the top of a good easy read!

Deadlocked

Title: Deadlocked

Publisher: Victor Gollancz Limited

Pub Date:  May 1 st, 2012

Author: Charlaine Harris

Received From: Purchased


With Felipe de Castro, the Vampire King of Louisiana (and Arkansas and Nevada), in town, it’s the worst possible time for a body to show up in Eric Northman’s front yard—especially the body of a woman whose blood he just drank.
Now, it’s up to Sookie and Bill, the official Area Five investigator, to solve the murder. Sookie thinks that, at least this time, the dead girl’s fate has nothing to do with her. But she is wrong. She has an enemy, one far more devious than she would ever suspect, who’s out to make Sookie’s world come crashing down


Enemies, Power, Blood all three are themes of Sookie's life. She was born with a power she doesn't want. She spends her life in this series dealing with supernatural beings and the troubles they bring to her life. In this the twelfth installment I finally saw something I have been waiting for. Sookie standing and fighting for herself. 


This book was a good continuation of the characters and stories, I loved seeing the grown up actions and reality of some of the characters like Tara and Jason. The one characters I felt fell a bit flat in this story are Eric and Bill, while once on the top of my beloved list, I just wasn't to engaged in them this time around! On a whole level it was a good book but possibly not as great as I expected!

The Summer of the Wolves

Title: The Summer of the Wolves

Publisher: Zondervan

Pub Date:  May 1 st, 2012

Author: Lisa Williams Kline

Received From: Net Galley

Stepsisters, yes. Friends? Maybe ...

"I smelled the wolf now-sharp and musky. I scanned the pen and saw a shadow behind one of the bushes that might be another wolf. Probably two of the most miserable looking creatures I'd ever seen." -from Summer of the Wolves

Stephanie and Diana are having a hard time adjusting to life as new stepsisters.  The girls "pretend" to like each other, but it's pretty hard considering they are complete opposites.  When their new family takes their first-ever vacation to a horse ranch in North Carolina, not even long horse-back rides in the forest can tame their tempers. Diana's anger issues and Stephanie's fear ofeverything prove disastrous, until Diana discovers the caged wolves in the deep woods. She vows to free them, and surprisingly, Stephanie agrees to help. But their actions have unforeseen consequences, and if there's any chance to make things right, Stephanie and Diana must put their differences aside

My first impression of this book was a bit of amazement this book is recommended as for ages 9-12 but I loved it! Two girls, close in age are brought together by marriage, into a new family they are not familiar with. The book is written back and forth from their points of view. Diana is impulsive and a bit out of control, while Stephanie follows all the rules and is timid and fearful of the thing Diana loves the most, horses. 
The girls bond together with a night out in the woods with the wolves, but they aren't really thinking when the set out to free the wolves about what the consequences might be. They learn quickly that they have disappointed many people and created a dangerous situation. Together the family must come together to right what they can of the wrongs. The girls gain in this process some real education and an understanding of one another. This is a seriously cute book about blending families!

On the Island Giveaway

Today is a very exciting day on the blog, not only do I have an amazing book to give away, but the Author has some great news on her blog! Check out what Tracey Garvis Graves who wrote On the Island has to say!

Now onto the fun for you, Tracey has graciously autographed a copy of On the Island and offered it to you my readers! I'd love to keep it, but I won't I promise!

So enter below for your chance to win. 

The Reverends Wife

Title: The Reverands Wife

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Pub Date:  May 1 st, 2012

Author: Kimberla Lawson Roby

Received From: Net Galley





It's been months since Reverend Curtis learned that his wife Charlotte had affairs with two different men, and for now, he continues to be cordial and respectful to her. But he's also made it clear that once their son Matthew graduates high school, he will be filing for divorce. Charlotte, on the other hand, continues to do everything possible to make amends in hopes of saving their marriage. Unfortunately, Curtis is ready to move on and is being propositioned by a woman who desperately wants to become the next Mrs. Curtis Black.  When the situation heads down a path that is frighteningly shocking, could it be the final blow to this once blessed union?






This story was a little bit of romance, drama, family and church all rolled into one. The introduction of Curtis and Charlotte as characters came right from the start with the idea that things would be hard for them and that they were ending their marriage. Ending it of course on his request not hers. As the story continued we watched Charlotte make one bad mistake after another and have her life spiraling down. Curtis had some mistakes too and while what he did wasn't as severe as Charlotte he ended up the one with a mistake that went further. The character of Sharron was one I could tell from the beginning was going to be a huge problem. 


I liked this story but I found it a a bit unconvincing how the characters came together. I just felt it wasn't as real as it could have been. 

Virtual Book tour- The Summer My Life Began

Today I am participating in a Book tour! Check out this great book, and find some new blogs in the meantime!

Title: The Summer My Life Began

Publisher:  Penguin Publishing

Pub Date:  May 10th, 2012

Author: Shannon Greenland

Received From: Net Galley

A fabulous romance with a very unexpected guy . . . The opportunity to explore her love of cooking . . . The freedom to be whomever she wants . . .

This is what seventeen-year-old Em gets when she goes to spend a month at her aunt’s island resort. It’s a dream come true—and exactly the break Em needed from her strict family and their high expectations of her.

But when Em uncovers a long-buried secret about her family, everything changes. And suddenly, Em finds herself making some big choices about her future—choices she never dreamed she’d have the chance to make . . .

Elizabeth Margaret, what a name, from the beginning of the book I expected this character to be a bit stuffy. But really the stuffiness came from her environment. Em as her name is shortened too have her life mapped out for her, I can't help but think of a young Logan Huntzberger (Gilmore Girls) when I begin to get to know Em and her life up to the point of her fateful summer. 


There are quite a few characters in this book in the sense of what has brought them to the Outer Banks. I fall immediately in love with Cade and as his story unfolds that love just deepens! One character I could take or leave is Frederick, I am not sure he really adds anything to the story in my opinion. The plot twist is one I don't want to spoil because I sure never caught it. But it does make some sense and helps clarify questions I had about family dynamics during the story. This is a fun easy read and really put me in the mind set of summer, If I had a beach in my area I'd love to re-read it in the sun and sand!