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Review: The Perfect Homecoming by Julia London

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This is the third book in the Pine River series… And my favorite. All three books deal with some heavy problems, but The Perfect Homecoming has a wonderful balance of sorrow, love, redemption, and humor. 

Emma left L.A. for the Pine River mountains to deal with the ranch her jerk of a father left to her and her two half-sisters. While the three sisters figured out how to get along, an old acquaintance of Emma’s turned up in Pine River. A really good-looking acquaintance. One Emma remembered sharing a few sparks with the first time they met at a Hollywood party. 

Although Cooper went to Pine River for work, he was able to break through Emma’s walls and start a relationship with her, as well as growing close with Emma’s friends and family. 

My favorite part of this book was how realistic Cooper’s confusion was when Emma acted a little crazy. The plot line with Emma’s friend Leo was beyond heartwarming. Family love, friend love, and romantic love all play big parts in this complex, beautifully written novel. And London tied them all together at the wedding at the end of the book.  

-calliope

Buy THE PERFECT HOMECOMING

Review: Confess by Colleen Hoover

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01confess “Are you here to save me?”

Perfection. Utter perfection. In fact, I think she may have been channeling her inner Tarryn Fisher with all the twists and turns this story was filled with. This book is definitely unlike anything Colleen’s ever written before. I loved every gut wrenching part. My nerves are officially spent. But I couldn’t stop reading. I have never stayed up til 2:30 reading a book before. I felt happy, then devastated, hopeful and then shocked. And then happy all over. Full circle.

SYNOPSIS
Auburn Reed has her entire life mapped out. Her goals are in sight and there’s no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to find a deep attraction to the enigmatic artist who works there, Owen Gentry.

For once, Auburn takes a risk and puts her heart in control, only to discover Owen is keeping major secrets from coming out. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything important to Auburn, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it.

The last thing Owen wants is to lose Auburn, but he can’t seem to convince her that truth is sometimes as subjective as art. All he would have to do to save their relationship is confess. But in this case, the confession could be much more destructive than the actual sin…

OMG!!! This story was filled with so many emotions. I had no idea what to expect. Colleen made me cry from the very beginning. I was totally caught off guard. Then throughout the story I was tearing up all over the place. Then there this underlying tension, that I couldn’t shake off. But then it was like BAM!! Then it all made sense. And let’s not discuss the ending. I swear she brought me full circle and I was bawling in the end.

I don’t feel lost in him at all, because it’s the first time I’ve ever felt like someone truly found me.

When Colleen said that she was going to combine art with her story, I thought, “Cool! If she can incorporate music, why not art?” But I was no where prepared for the hauntingly beautiful paintings that were going to be portrayed. They invoked so many emotions, and I only saw them in black and white. I bet seeing them in color will make me break down. But what makes this story even more emotional, is that these confessions are real. They were written by readers. My heart was twisted as I was reading them. There is so much hurt in this world, I just can’t fathom that.

Besides confessions, this story is about love. It’s about what you will do for those you love. How you will turn your life upside down, for those you love. How you will make the hardest decisions you’ve ever made, even if they’re the wrong ones, just to make your loved ones happy.

“I’m afraid if I listen to my heart once, I’ll never figure out how to ignore it again.”

“If only I could be so lucky.”

Colleen paints a picture of hope, forgiveness and taking a stand for what’s right, in the most beautiful way. But I’m wrecked now, so someone hold me, please.

Buy it. Read it. Love it.

~Melpomene

Release Date: March 10, 2015
Buy Confess: A Novel

Review: The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery 

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Three women in an L.A. suburb find themselves in the middle of some changes. Big changes. Marriage, divorce, pregnancy, death, grief, friendship, and new beginnings all play a part in this new series by one of my favorite authors. 

The writing is excellent, from the fleshed out characters to the descriptions of the coastal setting. Technically, everything is on point as Mallery invites us into the lives of three women of different ages, their families and friends, their businesses.

But there’s something missing for me. Excitement, maybe. And I get it that lack of excitement is one of the relationship issues in the book, but the reader should still somehow be pulled into the book… And I just wasn’t. For one thing, there was a lot of “telling instead of showing” (like when one character sat across from her friend and next to her other friend and put her purse on the free chair). I liked the book enough, but I wasn’t totally invested in it. It didn’t thrill me. 

On the other hand, Mallery successfully shows the reader real emotions. For example, one character is mourning a loss. Brava for getting to the nitty gritty of being beside oneself with grief. The scene at Goodwill – I can picture that kind of thing because I have seen people just UNDONE like that. I’m thinking WOW as I remember reading Mallery’s take on it.  And the spa scene with the possible future stepchild – realistic and full of tension. 

Although this particular plot was a bit of a downer for me, I enjoyed Mischief Bay and its inhabitants. I’ll be on the lookout for book number two. 

-calliope 

buy THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY

Review: Becoming Rain by K.A.Tucker

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“Guilt and happiness go to war inside of me as I fall. I wonder which one will win.”

Holy tension, Batman!!! I swear to God, I was nervous the entire time I was reading. I was not expecting that!! I was cringing and closing my eyes at some parts, and hoping for the best. Every time I turned a page, I had this overwhelming feeling of dread and angst, but I loved it!!

Synopsis
Luke Boone doesn’t know exactly what his uncle Rust is involved in but he wants in on it-the cars, the money, the women. And it looks like he’s finally getting his wish. When Rust hands him the managerial keys to the garage, they come with a second set-one that opens up the door to tons of cash and opportunity. Though it’s not exactly legal, Luke’s never been one to worry about that sort of thing. Especially when it puts him behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 and onto the radar of gorgeous socialite named Rain.

Clara Bertelli is at the top of her game-at only twenty-six years old, she’s one of the most successful undercover officers in the Washington D.C. major crime unit, and she’s just been handed a case that could catapult her career and expose one of the west coast’s most notorious car theft rings. But, in order to do it, she’ll need to go deep undercover as Rain Martines. Her target? The twenty-four-year old nephew of a key player who appears ready to follow in his uncle’s footsteps.

As Clara drifts deeper into the luxurious lifestyle of Rain, and further into the arms of her very attractive and charming target, the lines between right and wrong start to blur, making her wonder if she’ll be able to leave it all behind. Or if she’ll even want to.

After reading Burying Water, I was a bit smitten with Luke. I knew he was tempted to follow his uncle into some not-so-legal activities, but I was holding out hope that he would make the right decision though.

I didn’t envy Clara one little bit. I understand her need to get the job done and do it well. But being close to Luke and not falling for him, is more difficult that working for the FBI. Slowly she realizes that she has no control over her heart and is dancing on the line of professionalism.

“I’ve been in this deceitful place before. And yet this time, it feels completely new and different. And somehow more dangerous.”

It was nice to revisit characters from the previous book, Burying Water, and see how they are doing. I missed them.

K.A.Tucker has created some of the most believable and perfectly flawed characters I have ever read. The torment is real. I love is real. The heartache is real. I feel like I could reach in and grab on to them and never let go. And this story is no exception. I felt like I was living this story and my heart almost couldn’t take it. But I held on to the very end and my heart is happy.

~Melpomene

Release day-March 3, 2015
Buy Becoming Rain: A Novel (The Burying Water Series)

Review: Where Secrets Sleep by Marta Perry

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I just love when my three favorite genres converge. Amish life, suspense and romance all play a part in this novel about Allison Standish, a city girl who inherits her estranged grandmother’s fancy house-turned-small-shops-building near Amish country.

While the conditional inheritance trope might not be original, it’s the perfect foundation for mysterious shadows, doors ajar, and electrical problems. The protagonist moving to a different town also provides impetus for a love story. I always enjoy the novelty of watching a new relationship grow.

I found this story comforting and homey. The Amish characters provided serenity and hope. Nick, the love interest, lent an easiness and a smile. His interactions with his dad, brother, and son warmed my heart and made me laugh. The mystery moved the plot forward and gave me plenty to ponder and wonder about.

I’ll always be a fan of Amish fiction, suspense, and romance as individual genres. But it’s a nice surprise to find them all together in a well-written novel. Three fixes in one. #addictedtoreading

-calliope

buy WHERE SECRETS SLEEP

Review: The Forever Bridge by T. Greenwood

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22544408All writers tell a story. Some simply narrate events, and some add a little bit more. And then there’s the all too rare author who takes those words and infuses them with a mystical, musical rhythm that’s as beautiful as the actual story. T. Greenwood is one of those authors.

Sylvie was once a happily married mother of two. But after one tragic night, a horrific accident, she’s suddenly no longer married. And she’s now the mother of one lost little girl who she no longer knows how to connect with. But Sylvie is not the only one who is suffering. Young Ruby misses her brother. She misses her dad as he was before the accident. And she misses her mom. When Sylvie and Ruby are forced to spend time together, the question becomes can they find their way back to each other?

I read my first T. Greenwood story a few years ago, and I was immediately struck by how eloquently the author tells her stories. She doesn’t just write the words. Instead she makes you feel them. It’s not hard to feel their pain, their struggles, their hopes as you read. This is contemporary fiction at its finest, a story that will tug on your heart strings and keep you reading with your heart and soul from beginning to end.

~Thalia

Buy It Now: The Forever Bridge

Review: One Wish by Robyn Carr

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You know the best thing about this book? It brought me back to 14 years of age, reading a teen novel about a figure skater… On Thin Ice, or Champion On Ice… I can’t remember the title, but I can remember the pink paperback cover, the worn spine, the old Volvo that almost didn’t get the skater to the rink one morning. I wish I still had that book. In the blink of an eye I would step into that teenage world for 150 pages and love every 1980s minute of it.

I can’t get a hold of that book, but I CAN get the same nostalgic feeling, vicariously through the main character of One Wish. Grace used to be a champion figure skater. She left the drama and the pressure to open up a flower shop in Thunder Point. Where she meets Troy. The teacher who likes to have fun during his time off. Outdoor fun. Athletic fun. Fun with women. Fun with Grace!

One Wish tells more than just the romance between Grace and Troy, though. We see Grace’s struggle with the past, her talent for the florist business, her ambivalence toward her mother, and her friendship with Iris.

I enjoyed the wedding planning, the return of old characters, the Ray-Anne subplot, and the sense of community coming together to support one of their own. Carr put heart into One Wish… And although Troy was occasionally a bit smarmy, most of the novel rang authentic. I shed some messy tears, both happy and sad.

Carr fans, you must read this book. I was SO EXCITED to read a Thunder Point novel that measured up to the Virgin River series – a high standard, indeed.

-calliope

P.S. I just KNOW that Ray-Anne’s Gingersnap will be a central character in an upcoming Thunder Point novel. I CAN’T WAIT!!!

buy ONE WISH (really! you must!)

Review: It Started at Sunset Cottage by Bella Osborne

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Fun fun fun British rom-com! Author Kate stays a while at Sunset Cottage to help translate her novel into a screenplay. While she’s there, lead actor Timothy comes to hide out from the paparazzi. They form a friendship and wend it among the challenges of celebrity: a diva lead actress, script changes, personal fears, a maniacal dog, and breaking down emotional walls.

To add to the antics, Kate’s best friend Sarah must deal with the criminal father of her young daughter. Kate’s ex-mother-in-law cracked me up… and made me grateful for my own in-laws. I was pleasantly surprised to see Sarah finding love…

Overall, I enjoyed the comedic ride, the look into making a film, the British bits, and the tender falling-in-love moments. Those melty scenes are the best. Sigh.

-calliope

buy IT STARTED AT SUNSET COTTAGE

Review: Ember by Rachel Van Dyken

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01emberHow does Rachel make me cry so much in a mafia book?? HOW!?!?! I knew Phoenix would have a great story, but I had no idea how heartbreaking it would be. I think she broke my heart, from the very first page, chiseled at it a few times, dumped salt on it for a while, and then finally decided to fix it, almost at the very end. My nerves were all twisted up.

SYNOPSIS
I am a Killer. A Rapist. A Monster.
I know only pain and survival.
That is until the Cappo’s sister walked into my life.
And changed everything.

She’s a light who makes my darkness darker, her smile makes my heart turn to ice, and I can’t escape the fear her seductive looks instill–knowing it’s only a matter of time before I fail–again, and take her for myself.
This is the story of my redemption.
But it’s not pretty…I died, and now I’m alive, but not living, breathing but not surviving. I am Phoenix De Lange, son to a murdered mob boss, estranged brother, horrible friend, monster in the making, newest leader to one of the most powerful families in the Cosa Nostra.
And I will have my vengeance.
Or die trying.
I am Phoenix De Lange.
Death is all I know.
Until she offers me a piece of life–I can’t resist taking.

Phoenix’s life wasn’t easy, by any stretch of the imagination. He born of a monster and brought up to be a monster. He deserves nothing good. He is evil. But then she shows up and is determined to prove to him that the past can’t change her feelings for him. But he can’t let it go.

“You are everything that’s beautiful and pure in this world, and you deserve so much better than this life, than what any of us have to offer. Than what I have to offer.”

Bee has been alone all her life. She’s lived with an evil father who would’ve let horrible things happen to her, until Phoenix came in and defended her. He was he only friend. She needed him. She wanted him. She loves him. But how can make him realize that? No matter what she does He keeps pushing her away. Light and dark can never be together.

Sometimes watching Bee love Phoenix so much, and having him dismiss her, was painful to see. She just wants to be wanted, but he is there as her protector, nothing else. Day after day he turns her down, but she is very determined.

“The best thing you can do is love him from afar.”

“But I want to love him close.” I choked on the words. “I want to save him, I can do it, I know I can, if he just tried..”

“It slices me open to say this, Bee, but Phoenix,” her eyes filled with tears. “He’s beyond saving.”

This is a story about redemption, forgiveness of others and oneself, and of course, love. No matter how dark your past is, no matter how much hurt you caused, there is a way to redeem yourself. You just have to find the right people to help you achieve it, and accept that you are worthy of it.

~Melpomene

Buy Ember (Eagle Elite Book 5)

Start from the beginning of the Eagle Elite series:
Elite (Eagle Elite Book 1)
Elect (Eagle Elite Book 2)
Entice (Eagle Elite Book 3)
Elicit (Eagle Elite Book 4)
Enforce (Eagle Elite)

Review: Since You’ve Been Gone by Mary Jennifer Payne

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21445463Young adult novels are all the rage these days for readers of all ages. Almost every topic has been covered, from the inevitable end of the world to bullying to love gone wrong. This first novel by Mary Jennifer Payne is both similar but different enough from others to make it worth reading.

Just as fifteen-year-old Edie is beginning to settle into a somewhat “normal” life, she and her mom, Sydney, must leave their home once again. Almost everything gets left behind, even Edie’s beloved cat, Peaches. She understands the reason they must flee yet another home, but that doesn’t make it any easier. Still, she’s a strong girl who goes along with her mom’s new plans willingly. However, when Sydney doesn’t come home after working her first shift at a new job, Edie fears the worst. Has their past caught up with them? Should Edie trust the authorities to help find her mom or is she utterly, completely on her own?

This was a quick, engaging book that had me sitting down to finish it in one evening. The author pulls you in from the moment Edie and her mom go on the run and holds you captive until the very end. It’s easy enough to guess that they’ve been victims of domestic abuse, most likely at the hands of Edie’s father. But there’s still enough of the unknown to make it an intriguing story. The characters are both likable and entirely believable, which is not very common in young adult literature these days. It’s also a fairly safe read for teens with just the hint of past and future violence. Add this one to your list of debut releases from promising new authors!

~Thalia

Buy It Now: Since You’ve Been Gone