Category: Book Reviews

The Wishing Hill

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The Wishing Hill by Holly Robinson

The Wishing Hill is about three strong and complicated women – Juliet, Claire, and Desiree – whose lives were shaped by a family secret. Throughout of her life Juliet felt her flamboyant mother was absent. Desiree put her theatrical career and the men she loved first in her life, and Juliet and her brother Will were often left to fend for themselves. Claire was the mysterious neighbor who never interacted with Juliet until Desiree was hospitalized. What was their secret?

Juliet had a successful career painting watercolors and selling them to tourists in Puerto Vallarta. When Will called and told her he needed her to come home to care for their mother when she was released from the hospital. Juliet balked at first. She and her mother had a difficult relationship. Plus Juliet had secrets of her own, and she wasn’t willing to share them just yet.

Robinson paints a story that is credible with well-developed characters that are flawed and multifaceted.  This is clearly an author I will follow. THE WISHING HILL was entertaining from beginning to end and filled with compassion, warmth, humor, and a bit of romance. Family relationships are never easy, but Holly Robinson and addressed the pitfalls of secrets kept. I give Holly Robinson’s THE WISHING HILL five stars.

To find out more about this author and her books visit Holly Robinson’s website at http://authorhollyrobinson.com/my-books/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/holly.robinson.739326?fref=ts, and on Twitter at  https://twitter.com/hollyrob1.

Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award!

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sisterhood-of-the-world-bloggers-awa I’m so happy to have been nominated for this awesome award by the fantastic blogger Stephanie Thomas. Thank you very much for nominating me!

You can find her blog at S.J. Thomas Book Blurbs.  Stephanie is a thriller writer who counts among her favorite books HANNIBAL and THE VELETEEN RABBIT.  She loves reading fiction. Stephanie  also loves cats, and she and her husband own two dogs and five cats. Besides writing, reading, and her large pet family, Stephanie enjoys gardening.

Now let me tell you more about the award: Rules of the Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award

All recipients need to thank the giver Post 7 things about yourself Pass the award on to 7 other bloggers of your choice and let them know that they have been nominated. Include the logo of the award in a post or on your blog So here we go…

All recipients need to thank the giver

THANK YOU SO MUCH Stephanie!!!  I genuinely appreciate your support and the nomination for this award.

7 totally random things about me

1.)  I adore spending time with my grandchildren. There is nothing in the world like it.

2.)  I love to bake and cook, but when it comes to decorating cookies I have no patience.

3.)  I wish days were twice as long.  There are so many things I want to do and so many books I want to read, and there’s never enough time.

4.)  I love decorating for Christmas and Halloween and just about any other occasion that arises.

5.)  I love to be out in nature, gardening, hiking and such, but my allergies and asthma often keep me indoors.

6.)  I would like to be an electrical engineer.

7.)  I love numerals that contain the number 7 – 17, 27, 77, etc.

So now to nominate 7 other bloggers… These are all awesome blogs that I highly recommend you check out!  Great people, interesting postings, good conversations… you won’t be disappointed!

1.)  A Curious Gal

2.) Read Outside the Box

3.) Should Be Reading

4.) Julie Valerie’s Book Blog

5.)  Dreamzandclouds

6.)  True STORIES

7.) Kimberly Faye Reads

Congratulations Nominees!  I wish you a fabulous day today and every day!

Blog of the Year 2013 Award

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Blog of the Year Award 1 star jpeg

I’ve been nominated for The Blog of the Year Award 2013 by my good friend, sjthomas30 , author of the outstanding blog S.J.Thomas’s Book Blurbs.  Thank you so much for this wonderful and unexpected recognition!

There are so many fabulous blogs on a wide variety of topics that are deserving of recognition. I believe the blogs which I have nominated below are excellent examples of great blogs:

1.  Julie Valerie’s Book Blog

2. The Novice Gardener

3. dreamzandclouds

4. Cleopatra Loves Books

5. Books for a Delicate Eternity

6. Bucket List Publications

7.  Such A Novel Idea

8.  Shawn L. Bird

9.  Colline’s Blog

10. Should Be Reading

11. True STORIES

12. Turn the Page Reviews

13. Daily w(rite)

The instructions for this award are simple:

1-Select the blog(s) you think deserve the Blog of the Year 2013 Award.

2-Write a blog post and tell us about the blog(s) you have chosen- there are no minimum or maximum number of blogs required- and ‘present’ the blog(s) with their award.

3-Let the blog(s) that you have chosen know that you have given them this award and share the instructions with them- (please don’t alter the instructions or the badges!)

4-Come over and say hello to the originator of the Blog of the Year 2013 Award via this link: http://thethoughtpalette.co.uk/blog-awards-2-/blog-of-the-year-2013-award/

5-You can now also join the Blog of the Year Award Facebook Page. Click the link here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BlogoftheYear

Share your blog posts with an even wider audience.

6-And as a winner of the award- please add a link back to the blog that presented you with this award-and then proudly display the award on your blog- and start collecting stars!

stars

Yes-That’s right-There are stars to collect!

Unlike other awards which you can only add to your blog once-this award is different!

When you begin you will receive the ’1 star’ award- and every time you are given the award by another blog- you can add another star!

There are a total of 6 stars to collect.

Which means that you can check out your favorite blogs – and even if they have already been given the award by someone else – you can still bestow it on them again and help them to reach the maximum of 6 stars! You can either ‘swap’ your badge for the next one each time you are given the award- or even proudly display all six badges if you are lucky enough to be presented with the award 6 times!

You can find all the badges and banners and information you need via this link: ‘Blog of The Year 2013′ Award Badges.

Congratulations to all the nominees! Best of luck to every one!

Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsella

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When Lottie met Richard for lunch, she thought he was going to propose, but he didn’t. Lottie was crushed, totally heartbroken, but assured her older sister Fliss that all was well, Wedding Night by Sophie Kinsellaeven though that was far from the truth.

Lottie, on the rebound, met up with her boyfriend (Ben) from her college days and within a short time agreed to marry him. Fliss’s job, as the big sister, was to make sure that didn’t transpire.  What occurred next will take you on a whirlwind trip as Fliss attempts to make sure that Lottie and Ben never marry.  However, just when she thinks she has the situation under control, she finds out that Ben and Lottie got married and are packed and leaving for Greek island where they met so many years before and Lottie is hoping to get pregnant on her honeymoon.  That can’t happen if Fliss wants Lottie to have the marriage annulled.  Will Fliss stop the marriage before it is consummated?

Intertwined with Lottie’s story is Fliss’s story. Fliss has recently gone through a painful divorce and thinks her motivation is to protect Lottie from the same lot in life.  But is it?

Sophie Kinsella’s WEDDING NIGHT was a both a quick read and a highly entertaining story.  It is filled with humor (I laughed out loud the whole time I was reading it), romance, and many surprising events.  I would positively recommend WEDDING NIGHT.

There’s Something Different About My Hair

Published on by macjam47

There's Something Different About My HAIR by Sarah Curry Rathel

Sarah Curry Rathel’s THERE’S SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT MY HAIR is a must read for parents and their young children. The book illustrates how many different kinds of hair there are – curly, straight, long and wild, short, and none. It leaves us with the message that though we may be different on the outside, we are all alike. It is hugely crucial for children who have lost their hair through illness to be accepted, which is what led Sarah to write this book.  This is a ‘fun’ book that deals with a serious matter. Please check it out. A percentage of every book sold will be donated to Ronald McDonald House Charities® of Greater Cincinnati.

A Pug With A Plan by Janeen Coyle

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A Pug With A Plan by Janeen CoyleJaneen Coyle’s A PUG WITH A PLAN is a delightful children’s book about a pug puppy and a boy named Dylan. When Dylan and his mother make a trip to the pet store, Dylan falls in love with a pug puppy and names him Frank. They take him home, and Frank is Dylan’s best friend until one day Frank goes to puppy heaven.  Dylan parents are worried about getting another pet too soon.

The story behind A PUG WITH A PLAN is a true story. It helps adults to realize there is another pet out there for their family and gives children the chance to learn about life and death of a pet, and about finding another pet to love.

I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to anyone, but especially families with children and pets.

(I probably said this before, but besides reading novels, I love children’s books! I will occasionally post reviews of them on this site.)

Lying to Meet You

Published on by macjam47

Lying to Meet You by Anna GarnerjpgLYING TO MEET YOU by Anna Garner is a delightful story of Chloe Lane, a single nearly thirty fashion designer – boutique owner in New York and a reality show judge. Chloe’s best friends constantly devise plans for the three of them to catch a man, all of them ending in failure. While trying to figure out why no man is interested in any of them, given that they are all good-looking, they decide that an existing relationship is what they need to make them more attractive to potential suitors.

While telling her lifelong friend Ethan Webster about her evening, Ethan suggests that he and Chloe pretend to be dating to test the theory.  Chloe agrees to it, but initially feels guilty about lying to her friends and family.  Will their plan succeed, or will it backfire?

Anna Garner (aka Libby Mercer) has spun a tale that is full of laugh-out-loud humor, romance, friendships that have passed the test of time, family problems, and surprises. If you enjoy reading chicklit, you will love LYING TO MEET YOU. I highly recommend this book.

LYING TO MEET YOU was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Books By The Banks

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I had a fabulous time at Books by the Banks in Cincinnati, Ohio on October 12, 2013 (sorry, I’m late with this post).  I met some authors I have been following for quite some time and got my copies of their fabulous books signed. I also got to meet a few new authors. The fantastic indie bookstore Joseph Beth Books was there, so I bought some new books. Imagine that!

Books by the Banks 10-12-13

My husband came along and graciously took photos.

Catherine McKenzie and Allie Larkin
Catherine McKenzie and Allie Larkin

I met my lovely Facebook friends Catherine McKenzie and Allie Larkin. Meeting them was so much fun, and guess what, they met each other in person for the first time that day and were sitting at the same table.

Catherine’s books are fantastic! She has written ARRANGED, SPIN, and FORGOTTEN. Her new book HIDDEN is available now in Canada and will be available on April 1, 2014 in the U.S.

Allie’s books are STAY and WHY CAN’T I BE YOU.  Allie has an incredible sense of humor, and this same humor is found throughout her books. You will love them.

Leah Stewart 10-12-13
Leah Stewart

Leah Stewart is the author of THE BODY OF A GIRL (which I have not read yet), THE MYTH OF YOU AND ME, HUSBAND AND WIFE, and her most recent, THE HISTORY OF US.  I loved each of her books, but possibly my favorite is THE HISTORY OF US, because there were so many Cincinnati references, and having lived most of my life in Cincinnati, I could identify with the locales and, therefore, felt I was part of the story.

Maria Semple 10-12-13
Maria Semple

I met Maria Semple and though I haven’t read her books yet, I have both THIS ONE IS MINE and WHERE’D YOU GO BERNADETTE in my to-be-read pile. I am positively looking forward to these two books.

Mindy McGinnis 10-12-13
Mindy McGinnis

Mindy McGinnis was a pleasure to talk with. Every photo of her I have seen shows a beautiful smile, and guess what? Mindy smiles a lot and has a very engaging personality. Though I haven’t read her debut novel NOT A DROP TO DRINK which came out on September 24th, my copy finally arrived. Hooray!

Janeen Coyle 10-12-13
Janeen Coyle

I love children’s books, and I love pugs, so I naturally wanted to meet Janeen Coyle author of A PUG WITH A PLAN. I bought her book at Books by the Banks and couldn’t wait to go home and read it.  There will be more about her book in a later post, but I can tell you I’m so glad I stopped by her table.

Sarah Curry Rathel 10-12-13
Sarah Curry Rathel

Sarah Curry Rathel introduced me to her debut novel THERE’S SOMETHNG DIFFERENT ABOUT MY HAIR. This book is the first in a series “to help all children realize, recognize, and respect their most important characteristic – their individuality.” (From Something Different Books webpage).  I will be posting more about this delightful book in a later post.

There were several other authors I wanted to meet, but time ran short for me. It was truly an honor for me to have the opportunity to meet these remarkable ladies. Please check out the authors and their excellent books. You’ll be glad you did.

Christmas Carol by Michele Gorman

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I loved CHRISTMAS CAROL, a novella, by Michele Gorman. The protagonist in this modern version of the classic story is Carol. Carol has gone through three disastrous relationships and blames the guys for the breakups. While at her sister Marley’s wedding at a beautiful manor in Scotland, Carol is brought face-to-face with her three ex’s. After confronting each, she learns that it actually wasn’t because of their flaws that each relationship ended, but rather her perfectionist ways. Though Carol had always believed this personality trait would bring her happiness, but instead it drove those closest to her away. She even found she had a low tolerance for less than perfect family members causing her to be withdrawn from them. As Carol learns from her ex-boyfriends that she was the cause of their failed romances, she discovers that she can be happy, even if it sometimes hurts, by being more open and less exacting. She discovers that she is able to have a loving relationship with her guy and with her family members if she just lets go of being Miss Perfection.

Christmas Carol by Michele Gorman
This novella was a quick, fun read. There are ample funny moments throughout the story, and at times I found myself laughing out loud. I certainly would recommend this book not only for the story content, but also because it is a perfect length to read on a trip home during the holidays or to sneak into a busy schedule.
I was provided this novella by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

The Wednesday Daughters by Meg Waite Clayton

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The Wednesday daughters are the daughters of the Wednesday sisters, who are not actually sisters, but best friends who remain best friends for the rest of their lives. The Wednesday daughters in turn become best friends.

The Wednesday Daughters by Meg Waite ClaytonWhen Hope’s mother Ally Tantry passed away, the Wednesday daughters accompanied Hope to the English Lakes, Lake Windermere to be exact, to her mother’s cottage, where she wrote her journals and researched and worked on her biography of Beatrice Potter.
Throughout the book, the story is intertwined with quotes from Beatrice Potter’s books and letters and Ally’s imagined conversations with Bea. I loved this almost more than I did the story of the Wednesday daughters.

As Hope and the other Wednesday daughters Anna Page and Julie go through Ally’s things, they find her journals which are written in code. The mysterious and somewhat frightening Graham appears at the door, and the girls are challenged to discover his friendship/relationship to Ally. Why does Graham know so much about Hope, while she has never heard of him? He calls her Asha, a name only her family knows her by.

There are grumblings and jealousies among the daughters, as well as intense loyalty to one another. Each came to the island with her own problems. Julie’s sister Jamie died a year ago of breast cancer, leaving her son Oliver and husband Isaac grief stricken. Julie and her husband Norm divorce and Julie believes she’s in love with Isaac. Anna Page blames her parents for her inability to have a meaningful relationship. Hope, in her grief, can’t understand why her mother came to the island to die instead of near Hope and her brother Sammy. There are a lot of things going on in this book, which is a sequel to THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS, and a lot of loose ends that have to be tied up by the book’s end.

A lot of years pass between THE WEDNESDAY SISTERS and THE WEDNESDAY DAUGHTERS, making the transition somewhat confusing at first. It’s not necessary to read SISTERS first, but it is helpful, if only to understand the DAUGHTERS’ relationship.

I am a huge fan of Meg Waite Clayton. I was unsure at the beginning of the book, whether or not I liked it. In the end, I was sorry when I turned to the last page. I definitely would recommend THE WEDNESDAY DAUGHTERS.

This book was given to me in the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.