books i read aug 2012

books i read in aug 2012 54 books pub September 10, 2012 Blaze of Winter by Elisabeth Barrett ISBN: 9780345534347 Theo Grayson had relocated from his loft in San Francisco to his hometown of Star Harbor where he thought he might get some inspiration to do some more writing. His first book was out there=well not at his hometown library. He finds it hard to write, sleep and to concentrate as he's on the houseboat of his brothers and in total there are 3 of them there. Avery Newbridge was taking care of the Star Harbor Inn for her aunt who had recuperated from breast cancer treatments. She is hiding out, not sure what to do with her life now. Her sister Kate had told her she had heard noises and things moving at night and some food had gone missing but nothing to be concerned about. She tried to talk Theo out of staying at the inn but he took a room, indefenitely... She is on a break from the drug rehab center and she's tried to help so many and some don't make it leaving her like she's failed. I first wanted to read this book because of the name Grayson. I got it mixed up with another ongoing series and thought this was the latest. It's the wrong Grayson, but I like the storyline anyways and now I am happy to say I gotta go get the rest of this Grayson series cuz it's that good! Love when I stumble onto a new author! After dinner at the local restaurant they go back to find an intruder had broken into the inn. After reporting and the police showed up the next day she's to get new locks and keys and find out everybody in town knows about everybody and that they know she has a violin case. The local ensemble practices Thursday nights and they've asked her to join them. It's a friendly kind of 'knowing everybody's business'. Although the book mainly concentrates on Avery and Theo there are other relatives involved that come and go into their daily lives and another book is dedicated to them. I did not feel like I missed out or was left in the dark as some of their backgrounds are gone into to make you feel not so lost. She was trying to figure out what she wanted to do with her life as her social worker job was on hold and other things keep popping up, Theo and now the violin group... Theo's next book is starting out well with help from others who lent him books on the ship wreck nearby. He is just piecing the info together while having a drink at the Nail with other locals. They spend more time together decorating the inn for the Christmas holiday and each of them talk about their jobs... There are many stories of when the boys were younger and played pranks on others. some very detailed they had to have originated from Theo. She doesn't want to start anything she can't finish cuz she's told him he's leaving by feb 1 and so is she. The ice skating bonfire sounds so New Englandish I recall my younger days! Myteries surrounding his writing and the Boston Harbor area... Avery gets a job offer and is contemplating staying near her relatives and not going back to her old job. Decisions, choices for the both of them... Drugs, hospitalizations, wedding, and Christmas all make this a very exciting action packed book with hot steamy sex to only add to this tale. Love how everything was tied together at the end! Recipes at the end, super! Rum Punch Regrets by Anne Kemp ISBN: 9781937957704 I wanted to read this book for a few reasons. One is my brother Al loved the island there on some of his travels for work. The other reason is I wanted to 'travel' there for the scenery. Abby has agreed to travel to St. Kitts and manage and sell her sisters house as she no longer has a job in LA. Problem is she's not telling her husband and Abby has a terrible 3 flights to get there. It's not actually a house once she arrives but an Inn where others pay to stay. She's to stay in the other house where there is a paying tenant also. Things just were not upfront with her sister Leigh about the house, nor anything else that is happening. Abby recalls her father and how he had given each of them a book-The Great Gatsby with an inscription for them. She knows where hers is located by why is Leigh's here mixed in with Ben's things. He is the resident studying to be a vet that is the paying tenant. She meets many local people and starts to hang out with some of them. Ah island time! Lots of alcohol and weed. Mishaps happen and things occur to put people on edge through the process of getting the inn ready to be sold, as clients stop by with interest in buying it. So many misunderstandings between a lot of people, they just don't want to listen to what is the truth. The woman, Maria who is in charge of the inn helps them to reason things out, not to get upset and to realize maybe there is no blame. Like how there are a few major characters and the locals come into the picture from time to time. It's easy to keep track of everybody and what they do on the islands. Just when things are smoothed out a bit all hell breaks loose, Leigh is coming to the island to finalize a deal and she informs Abby about Ben. But Ben and Abby were to confront Leigh on Monday, hmmm. So many deep dark secrets, hidden secrets and hidden loves... pub nov 2012 Con Rom #14 Babycakes by Donna Kauffman Morgan Westlake is hoping to get grant money to lead up the sea turtles that he wants to investigate. He, single, is in charge of his neice Lilly as her parents died in a car crash and he's just moved back to Sugarberry Island, Georgia. Good to hear updates on others who live in town: Lani and Baxter's cookbook and other food related escapades are in full swing. Love the scenery and contrast of nature on the island in the descriptions. Kit Bellamy is there to run Babycakes, right next door to the bakery and there won't be any competition as they make different things. She also wandered into the wildlife buildings and learned about the sea turtles and has told Morgan she'd be willing to photograph the eggs hatching as she's done photo work before. Not many know the reason why she's on the island and has run away after years in court battles over her family's recipe being given to her ex husband. cupcake club is still going strong as are the aprons to die for! Because of all their likes for the sea turtles they meet at the center quite often. To use crayons and they end up talking about themselves... This book is hilarious at times and so down to earth with normal subjects. Morgan is such a caring very patient father figure when it comes to Lilly. Love how the meeting of her grandmother Birdie went.. She does tell Morgan she wants to keep her distance from him because of his family name. He has no idea why though, yet... Love the theme of the sea turtles and I learned so much about them and their environment. At times the book is very confusing because of all the conversations going on with the townsfolk but things calm down after a bit. Preparing for Thanksgiving is an ordeal! The most unique holiday tradition, didn't think it was gonna happen! Things heat up with relationships. And the recipes at the end are gonna be SO much fun to make!ISBN-10: 0758280505 ISBN-13: 978-0758280503 Kelsey's Song The Wilder Books - Book 1 by Lanie Kincaid ISBN: 9780983587743 The first thing that made me want to read this book is the guitar on the front of the cover and then the storyline. JD never knew Stephanie had a child. When she died of cancer Child and Family services contacted him to come get the child as his name was on the birth certificate as the father. He moves into a condo and continues with his band. Kelsey is a woman next door that rescued him at Target when he went to buy clothes for his daughter who continually kicked and screamed. Kelsey has a way with the child and her two kids get along with Andi. They trade watching the kids but find time to go out for dinner and a movie. He's told her a lot of his past career and she tells him of her marriage and her past life. She gave up her garage for his band to practice and he is going to make sure that she doesn't give up on her dream either. She's into photography and was close to finishing her schooling to become a lawyer. He had already given up so much and the girl was not even his bio daughter. More adjustments as school starts for all 3 kids... Publicity wise she is doing everything to get them recognized and make more money per gig and it's working for everybody. His parents are due in for a visit and he's terrified they will not be happy with a grandchild.. When he starts touring the others tell him something they've discovered and it hits him hard. Love how the story mixes the musical parts in with regular living, the holidays the kids enjoy and the time they spend with one another. Just when they think things are going smoothly things go terribly wrong ... Hot steamy sex and travel really round this book out to the perfect touch. Love that there are other books in this series! A winter Discovery by Michael Baron Second book in the series: Gerry and his family. It's winter almost Christmas and 6 year old Reese is very excited about the presents Santa will bring. Now that they were a real family things settled down some but Maureen's spirit was always there in the house and in their hearts. Reese wanted to make a frosty- a snowman that came to life so they'd need the real parts in order for it happen. He doesn't remember his mother but there are many pictures around the house and things spark his interest in her. He had a dream that the Polar express train to the North Pole was going to stop and wait just a minute at his house to pick him up so he quietly went to wait outside after getting winter clothes on. He finds some magic thing with some of the snow=it doesn't melt at all. It makes him think of his mother. Tanya is home from college and enjoys the chats she has with her dad while he's cooking and Reese fits right in there with hugs for his sister. They get into the spirit by driving to a real tree farm to select theirs and cut it down, decorate the house and have music on just like his mom would've done. Must be some kind of magic that nobody but Reese can see the snowflakes that don't melt. Reese has a lot of questions about the holiday TV shows when things just don't add up for him... They finally get to decorate the family tree and Reese's tree in his room. His real mother had left him a gift that he will cherish... The Peanut Buttor Tweatment by M. Allman Illustrated colorful children's book about the day grammy comes to visit. His mother won't let him blow bubbles with bubblegum cuz once his uncle blew one so huge and popped it covered his whole face and it was a mess. She brought all the children a nice gift they could play with. She also gives them bubblegum and of course the same thing happened to him that happened to his uncle. She looked at him and laughed because he did not have to go to the hospital to get the gum out of his fur. Peanut butter would do the trick. Moral of the story is to listen to what your parents tell you because it is for your own good. Piglet is not a pig by Barbara Bartholomew Illustrated colorful children's book about why some animals are named for another animal. They can't figure out why a goat is called a bunny, a goat is called a piglet.... They strolled around the asked others why they were named that and nobody knew. They had to go find their mothers in the adult pen to find out the reason why.... Waterdancer by Samantha Combs isbn: 978-1-61937-235-1 I agreed to read and post my reviews and post at my blog, to help out with the blog tour. I had no idea what the book was about, I just really like to read, a lot, a very lot. I was happily surprised as many emotions ran through me while reading this. I will go find others by the author now. Bailey Wasserman is starting at a new school. Her mom had o married Warren and he's moved them to DelMar and money is not a problem any more. Then they had Her brother. Her father had just disappeared one day so her mom raised her by herself. She learned a lot from just approaching the gym where students were tanned and by the brand name of the clothes and lipstick they wore. Bay and her mom do get to spend time together and she knows when to not rock the boat. She make a date for 6am with Jack West-he was gonna teach her to surf. After dinner her mother tells her about her real father and it comes with warnings of what to look out for as he may have the same genes as him... I love that Jack teachs her everything she needs to know about surfing-it's one thing I might want to try sometime=on my bucket list. He is so patient and understanding with her. Under unforeseen circumstances she did meet her father, Kai and he starts to tell her about the transformation and instructs her about other mystical things that might soon occur. Like how the guardian assigned to her smooths things over and educates her while communicating telepathically as he realizes she does have the gene also. She tries to take everything in while she is also in love for the very first time in her life. The transformation takes place and she thinks she is going to die... She only has a little bit of time to fulfill her end... Jack has an awesome gift for her birthday and she appreciates it a lot... Kai and the guardian hadn't told Bailey everything about the transformation.... Love how Jack accepts her for what's inside, not her exterior. To upset things more there is a major family health emergency, things will never be the same now...and I love the gift Kia gives to Bailey... Murmur Rooster by Jessica Santiesteban Howard Illustrated very colorful children's book about life on the farm for a rooster. His corn is missing from his feeding bucket and he's not too sure who took the corn. Rooster blames Kitty and now they are sad. There are a lot of animals that he walks to and asks who they think has his food. All the animals tell him to think before he uses words that might hurt others. Princess Cookies by Sharlene Alexander Illustrated colorful children's book about how a prince is not like the other princes. He wants to make cookies and find a princess to save. But all of them had been saved allready: a kiss for one, one with a mermaid tail, another with long golden hair. He learned by talking to everybody in town, a baker told him there was a princess that was being held in a witch's jail because of a spell she could not leave. He had to made the perfect cookie so the witch would let the princess go. He did a lot of different cookies but they weren't the right ones til his last day... Bonus the recipe in the back sounds perfect for kids to help make. When You Went Away by Michael Baron After reading Michaels' soon to be released book and enjoying it I got several of his other books. This one is about Gerry who has lost his wife Maureen and he's left with his 4 month old son Reese. Tanya he hopes will come home back to Long Island, NY in time. The story goes back to happier times with the family and then up to date where he's just hired Lisa to take care of the baby so he can return to work. He spends his whole day with his son, watching him laugh, as he walks around the house with him pointing everything out, especially the pictures of his mother and sister. As time goes on we do learn why the daughter has run away with 2 years of high school being a straight A student,... It was a surprise to him also when Maureen told him she was pregnant. He is back to work and others in the family's life stop in to lend support and bring him up to date with their latest news. Love how the talks to his son about the Yankees play by play action in preseason games. His sister in law Codie has heard from Tanya and they confide in one another. The journal Maureen had given him one year was going to be put to good use...like how he uses it to move on with his life at the same time recording his thoughts and feelings about how his daughter had changed their lives. He intellectually connects with a lady in his office where her job for the Christmas catalog is to pitch ideas at him and they discuss why they might work or might not. He's agreed to have dinner with her and this will be the first time since he lost his wife. Love how everything is brought full circle by the end of the book, didn't see it coming... Because there are only a few main characters you can get to know them very well. There are others that come into play and they are both good listeners and sometimes like to be listened to as well. Love the honesty, deepness of the topics discussed and the loving nature he has for all that he comes into contact with. Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins Liam is back in town with his teen daughter. He now owns and runs a motorcycle shop and he's a widow. Posey remembers when Emma set her up for a prom. There are a lot of references to their teen years. Such funny party: when his daughter introduces him to a guy and what transpires then had me laughing so hard I had tears in my eyes. Liam was the bad boy in town and full of himself. He also worked at the family restaurant where he finally notices her. She had been in love with him when they were teens. Posey now runs her own architecture salvage company but she's not totally happy in her life. Things go wrong when she looks into her real bio mother and knows she had sent a note. Liam is having doubts as to their relationship when other family matters come to the forefront. Choices are not easy to make... She goes to some extremes to date to try to find the right guy. match.com is one but another is where you learn how to cook and prepare food while spending less than a few minutes with a different man. pub sept 25, 2012 The Accidental Bride by Christina Skye ISBN: 9780373776597 Jilly O'Hara runs her own restaurant and is very happy with the progress it's made since she opened its doors. Caro MacNeal and Grace Lindstrom were worried as they'd not heard from Jilly in some time. They were in the knitting shop on Summer Island, Oregon. They were restoring an old house to bring it back to its glory as an old landmark on the island. After Jilly has a heart emergency and is told to take things easy, no more cooking, her 3 best friends set up a cooking retreat for her in Wyoming. Problem is things are not what they seem... At the small airport she met a man, Walker Hale and his service dog, Winslow but he was difficult to get much out of their conversation. She is quite taken with him and his dog and learns how the town has never forgotten the hero he is although he was never given a parade or any other recognition for saving many lives. She is starting to knit now and accepts dinner from Walker and as things get heated he gets many phone calls about the trip he's taking in the morning but she hears things that make it sound dire, so desperate he has to leave that night. She has agreed to watch the dog til he gets back... It's suggested to raise the morale of the owner of the retreat that they get married... He's kept a lot of secrets from her and she's kept many from him and they all come out eventually and it's interesting to see how they handle the truth... Love the knitting and the references to their relationship with one another. A series where the other woman have their own story, super! Many references to everything taught in this book are noted at the back. Can't wait to get the rest of the series. pub Sep 25, 2012 Leaves by Michael Baron ISBN: 9780984190546 Foliage of autumn leaves along Connecticut, breathtaking! That and other things made me want to read this book as I love being able to see the colors now and love the scenery. The siblings sat around the kitchen table to discuss plans for the annual tradition. No spouses or children, just the immediate family. Everyone would have a job to fulfill. The Sugar Maple Inn had a yearly October Halloween open Inn event that both Bethany and Joseph Gold had taken special pleasure in bringing to the community. Now that they were gone the children were going to make sure it continued this year before the Inn was sold. Love the references to the musical artists that I still follow. Each of the children have their own lives and are at various stages of relationships and some have children of varying ages. Love the photography and culinary skills. Love how she experiments with herbs and spices to perfection. The book is very detailed, descriptive enough and warm and welcoming that I feel a part of the family. Many of the events that do take place I've lived through myself so I know the pain and sorrow and joy and happiness. Love how some things that occur bring up memories of the past, the siblings getting along and being a family. Even though there are a lot of characters in this book they are very easy to keep track of and I love how the chapters are set up. Nothing in confusing in this book. First you start out just meeting them and as time goes on you discover the relationship problems they are having, sometimes it's just the kids problems. Love how the brothers and sisters can just drop in on another sibling and talk about their problems. One thing I do when I find a new author to read and like what I'm reading is to go visit their site, which I did and I can't wait to find the other books he's written so I can read them as well. This book also includes a chapter of Micheal's other works. Happy to learn this is one of a series, oh sweet! pub 10/30/12 Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts ISBN: 9780778313922 Icicle Falls and the bakery, Gingerbread Haus, Cass Wilkes is making gingerbread boys and girls for the holiday season. All of their friends and family were sharing in this years Thanksgiving dinner. Her daughter Cass announced her engagement and wedding plans for her daddy to walk her down the aisle, the daddy who was never there for her whole life. The wedding to take place the week before Christmas so her new husband could move them to his new job in Spokane. Love the meaning of the ex in ex-mas in the title as this story does involve a few of the ex husbands. Loved the first book about going on strike from doing it all and this one is going to be right up there with the laughs and tears and when things are running smoothly. Ella and Jake are struggling with still living in the same house but they are divorced. They each have habits that get on the others nerves. She is getting the house ready to sell by decorating it for the holidays and he in turn leaves dirty laundry and dishes around when the real estate agent comes by with potential buyers. Love catching up with the others in town and what's going on in their life's. Picture postcard Kincaid setting, breathtaking scenery and atmosphere. Others having problems but it helps to talk with female friends and spend some time together, watching movies, drinking chocolate liquor beverages, discussing things. Men meet at the man's cave place. Not much goes according to plan, tears when things go bad and laugh out loud when some things happen, along with recipes at the end, make this another worthwhile book from Sheila to read. And another book due out April 2013!!! Betrayal by Danielle Steele Tally Jones is a director, highly successful. Her assistant Bridget is a saint and does all kinds of jobs for her. Tally keeps up with her father and her daughters lives. Hunt is her current living partner. Victor is in his 60s, his girlfriend after 2 marriages was Brianna who's in her 20's. Brianna wants 5 million or she's leaving him. She loves to spend his money. He was to promote her career but she's got no talent. Investor audits and missing $25,000 a month is not accounted for and Tally has to wonder where it's going. Tally will get her dad involved into finding out where all her money is going. She hears from one of their side of the story and she's not sure she can believe them. The FBI is in charge now investigating all 3 people who are suspect. Her lawyer turns her over to Jim Kingston with the FBI and a lot more investigations take place and move forward. He goes above and beyond the work, he's also got a son who's a teen. They compare notes about each of their kids. Sickness, death, trials are some of the heartache Tally has to trudge through. She does have friends and family to help her along her trek. Murder at Granite Falls by Roxanne Rustand Carrie Randall has 3 months of living above the rafting company store in Granite Falls, Montana in the Rocky Mountains. Teaching elementary kids crafts during the summer months, then a full time position in the fall-which she hopes to move to the town. She thinks her ex husband, who she's got a restraining order against, is following her. Logan Bradley runs the store during the daylight hours. Logan was recuperating from an accident when bronco riding at the rodeo. He lives up the river a bit. Penny stays in town with her aunt but is usually at the store. Prowlers at night and strange pictures showing up at school make her wonder why is doing it. Logan told her of the woman he had been accused of murdering and whoever it is or their accomplice are still out there. They harm the raft an other equipment, hoping to put them out of business. Things get worse over time and she and Logan are suspects but the cops don't charge them. They take the trails to find out who might be behind everything as the other clues lead to dead ends. Some things start making sense as to who it could possibly be and Carrie leaves to go find out for herself ... Love the scenery and the surroundings and love hearing about the raft company. The Red Pony by John Steinbeck A boy is given a pony to take care of. He still continues to do his chores and go to school. One day the ranchhand says it will not rain to leave the pony outside as the boy goes to school. Problem is it does rain and the boy hurries home to cover him up and bring him inside the barn. The horse gets very sick and the ranchhand tries many things to get the horse better to no avail. He has to deal with the death of the pony as time goes on. Ranch life continues as an old man comes to stay as the house he was born is no longer there on the ranch. A new pregnant animal has arrived at the ranch and a very difficult birth. The hardships of ranch life are forefront but there are good times, like when Jody's grandfather comes to stay for a week. Secrets of Paris by Luanne Rice This is a story about Lydie who has moved to Paris with her husband. He's in the architecture business and she sets up shoots for photographing. She was reluctant to come to Paris as her father and mistress had died in a car crash a year ago and she wanted to console her mother. She did meet an American woman at a cafe one day and they became friends. Patrice's husband is into selling jewelry and he asks for Lydie's help in a ball at a mansion. She scurries the countryside for just the right props. Her husband, Michael in the meantime has taken up with Anne in an affair. Patrice's mother has arrived from US to stay a week and she's trying on her nerves. Michael has told her that he no longer loves her and does not think she loves him. He has fallen in love with another woman. Lydie is not sure if she loves him or not. She tries to focus on other things-to help the maid Kelly get to the US. Maybe now Lydie will leave Paris after the ball, with Kelly. Lots of choices and decisions. I felt not connected to this book, probably just the foreign location. Story line was great and few characters as others came in and out of the picture, very easy to follow the story. Eagles and Banana Peels by Nancy Mauerman This is an illustrated colorful sketch drawing children's book about how to not only compost but have fun at it. The little boy enjoys his time with his grandparents. The grandfather makes up a new holiday for every day: worm day, share day, miniature day, etc Grandmother likes to cook and her hands hurt after washing dishes so the little boy suggest they don't use plates anymore. They come up with all kinds of food to eat without plates. When they throw a banana peel on the top of the compost the next day it's grown as high as a beanstalk and sitting on top is an eagle and he's tossing aside the peels from bananas that he's eaten. Shows a different side of composting as things happen. pub 12/11/12 Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee Natalia has left Spain with her new stepmother. Her father told her he found another woman who he loves. Natalia feels spiritually close to her stepmother, more than her bio mother so they leave to go back to where Maureen came from, Tampa, FL. Natalia has so much to get accustomed to: language, slang, accent. Maureen has arrived in FL with no husband, no money and now no luggage. What else can possibly go wrong. Natalia's father has agreed to let her go with Maureen for a few years so she can get an education and decide what career she wants. The story is also following Brian Younger, his father is a minister and he's in high school. His summer job will be gutting out the inside of the mansion. He and his father meet Maureen and Natalia. She is also excited when she learns she will go to a Catholic school. Lots of Spanish words that are explained in English language, I don't feel so lost.. Nat's new girlfriend Addy, wants to introduce her to boys and after-school clubs. She realizes that Nat puts Jesus in front of everything else but she needs to let others into her circle. English as a Second Language community service sounds perfect for her, they talk about God and passages in the Bible. She is studying how to make religion work and how it can blend into your life. She is being taught how to believe no matter if bad things or good things happen. She hopes to get the money she needs to go on the mission trip to Costa Rica. Love how all her new friends teach her not only of their customs, food but how to do/try new things at the beach. In this YA book issues such as jealousy and dances all come into play-young adult issues. Mission trip makes her realize what her calling in life is. When she meets with her father in NY he's got big plans for her in the company. What will she do with her life? The Summer of Us by Holly Chamberlin Gincy, Danielle, and Claire all come together for the summer and rent a house on Martha's Vineyard. They only have the weekends and they find when they first get there they do not really have anything in common. As time goes on they learn about one another to the point they help each other out. There are very short chapters, some as short as 3 pages long. A lot of life events occur and they deal with them in one way or another. They are all single, one engaged to be married and one can be her wedding planner. They all come from different backgrounds and religions. What they find on the island with the time they do spend together makes them as close as sisters. Really a good read about the under 30 aged women, its about 457 pages long with an excerpt of Last Summer. They come to also realize that they can see themselves in others and a change is needed, to risk it all, take the next step. I rate this a 4 out of 5 because of the friendship gained and how they got there, and all the descriptive travel. A Christmas Visitor- A Cape Light Novel by Thomas Kinkade and Catherine Spencer Cape Light, Maine, Each of the three are getting a visitor at Christmastime. Miranda finds a man in her orchard and he's unconscious. The EMT's tell her and her grandmother to keep him awake. They do bring him back to their house after getting checked out at the hospital. The local Cop is leery about him, they find no wallet or car. Molly is pregnant and at her age. She is a caterer and I love that she just sticks in different ingredients to perfect new items for her catering. She's got 3 teen girls. She has had to turn work down. The family Christmas eve party is at their house this year. Rev. Ben and the statue is a burden to him. It's drawing all kinds of crowds. Christmas brings more gifts then we can dream.. love this series. Like how each has their own visitor and love catching up with other townsfolk around the holidays. Kincade's paintings bring 'light' to everything... Stars by Mary Lyn Ray 32 pages for children. I listened to the audio version but can imagine it's illustrated and colorful. Stars are in many places: at the end of a wand or in your pocket. Look up and wonder... Star make the sky not so dark. You can make your own stars and give them to friends and make sure to save one for yourself..Different color stars also for some holidays and seasons. The Trail of Conflict by Emily Loring Marriage of convenience: his hand for her money. Steve Cortland and Gerry LaMorgan must live on the ranch for at least a year using only Steve's money but conflicts arise. If the one year goes by Cortland will win back all his estate holdings mortgages, paid in full. If Steve refuses the offer everything will be foreclosed upon. She takes up riding the countryside and does call on a local woman that's been there a whole year with no company. Steve worries when she leaves the ranch as there are many other men and they don't want to find out why they are around. Love detailed descriptions of nature, sky colors and life on the ranch. Problem is she's walked into an ambush and with some help from others it's not going to turn out well... The Outlaws of Sherwood by Robin McKinley Tales of the Sherwood Forrest, the women and men who rob of the rich and give to the poor. They train to shoot their arrows straight and true. They try to keep on the good side of the sheriff as they want no duel with him. They take on plans to rob from Roger as he's stolen things from Little John and Roger wants to steal a woman away from one that is betrothed. The contest of the golden arrow attracts many to the event. The outlaws continue to do good but not all see it as such. They use whistles in the forest to communicate with everybody. Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews This summer Anna Jane best friend, Pokey won't be going to the summer house as it's being sold and the grandmother are moving south. Quicksie is a special brew that you add to water to have a nice refreshing drink. It's made local and her best girlfriend's father owns the place. They have jobs this year, no more babysitting. Her friend never showed up but she's going to type in people's address into a database. Lunch with Mr. Mason Bayless, Pokey's big brother but she knocks over her drink and ruins all the envelopes entering the contest. He will keep it under wraps for her. Mason was getting married to Cecelia and designs her own clothing and for children. Problem is his child, Sophie has had an attack and must be rushed to the hospital. Cecelia wants the wedding to go on and Mason wants to go to the hospital. We are taken back in time to the present so things make a bit more sense. At present he thinks he has info that will make his wife to be in cahoots with others to take over his company.. Anna thinks she has info about phone calls for a company takeover but she won't work there in 2 days time, she's to move south and marry Shane and not tell Mason. Cecelia thinks something is up and tells Mason she is pregnant and he tells her he can not marry her. everything goes downhill from there, so many things are going wrong all due to Cecelia conspiring with Davis, Mason's brother. It's all about the money for them. The outcome of the trust fund after 5 years time will say it all.... Almost Home by Debbie Macomber and others I love the idea of having 4 themed books in one big book. What I don't like is finding out I've read all of them as they were first published in 2009. If you've not read them they are fantastic reads and you might find a new author that you gotta go get all of their books to read cuz they are so good. Whale Island by Cathy Lamb Chalese is with her accomplish Brenda and they are on their way to the police station because the Chief requested them to confess. The night before they had some drinks and climbed on top of Stephens flat roof and spied through the skylight and it crashed into the house with them. She's having a bad day, Aiden from the newspaper wants an interview cuz he's figured out who she really is under her alias name, and she's having hot flashes and she has zits on her face. And she gained 15 more pounds. She is a children animal book author that depicts them with to their environment, etc She is also a pet communicator and takes care of quite the bunch of animals, not only dogs. He gets bits and pieces over the upcoming weeks. He's not sure what is real and what isn't but he finds out about her, Ginny, Brenda and her sister, Christie escapades. The reason it takes this long is because she needs to finish writing her book and with her sisters pregnancy interruptions and her friends thinking she works too hard she's not able to concentrate. He digs and finds out more than he ever told her and then some. Her past is a mess and she learns more at the hospital... . Queen of Hearts by Judy Duarte Jennifer Kramer, divorced, mother of one girl lives with her mother and writes a love advice column. He recalls Marco from school but nobody can locate him in time for the class reunion. She's been given the job of reporting all about, so now she will have to go. Marc Alvardo is in town and has moved his business to the area and they offer a high school scholarship. Takes them some time to realize who he really is... . The Honeymoon House by Mary Carter Andy Beck is on Martha's Vineyard getting the cottage ready for the bride and groom. He interferes when a Maid of Honor is caught ransacking the house, and he will get to the bottom of it all... . The Marrying Kind by Debbie Macomber Katie and Jason were married once. Upon the annulment they had both disappeared and now in CA he's about to be married and he sees her at the restaurant and they agree to meet. It ends up with more than a meeting and over the next several days he finds out what happened to her to make her sign and she finds out where he moved to and why. Is it possible they can recover what they once had as he's about to be married, to Elaine.. Find It! Boxed Set of Hidden Picture Books by Victorine Lieske Illustrated very colorful children's book that has themed hide and seek puzzle type books. The themes are: Household, Food, Animals, Toys and People. Each of these has very easy instructions: the picture is shown usually at the bottom of the page and you are to find the item hiding on the top section of the page. Also bonus things to find. Super thing for rainy days or car trips. Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult This is about Luke who eats, breathes and lives with the wolves. He let all the animals out at the zoo. 15 minutes later he was about to release the tiger, til the bearded lady of the circus came about, she warned him the tiger sprayed. Kara Warren ad just moved in with her father and all his animals in cages. The mother wolf walked away from her new ones, she didn't know what she was supposed to do. Her dad cleaned out hsi tool shed and he made a bed for the new ones and they feed the animals every 2 hours. At the crash, she had dragged her father out of the burning truck. Karas' mom is now married to Joe and they have twins and he will take care of the next day while she goes to Kara and her upcoming surgery. Customs are revealed on how to fit into the society in Thailand. Edward is back in the US and Kara hates he's not been here to help over the years. We learn how the wolves live in the wild and how they care for their family and how it relates to humans. Book by chapter goes through what each of them, Luke the dad, Kara the daughter and Edward the son who returned to the US, and the mom Georgie at the hospital til Kara gets out, go through as time goes on. Some are just thoughts bringing us up to date with what's going on and sometimes it's real time. Edward after talking to Kara who just wants it all to stop, decides to take things into his own hands and now he's being held in jail til the court trial. Now the court has to decide what procedure is next... Her Man Advantage by Joanne Rock This Murphy Family Saga is about Axel Rankin. He grew up in the Murphy household as a foster child. Everybody treats him like a true family member. He is also a hockey superstar, best friend with Kyle and they have a stipulation in the hockey organization that they play together on the same team. He was born in Finland and does not want to be filmed for a documentary because of his past. Jennifer Hunter is the camera lady who wants more in depth info about the players. He wants out because he's already too hot for her, he can't say no but he's going to try. There is love in the air as Jen also films the groupies that travel from game to game and their romantic interests. Hot steamy sex mixed in with travel make this an excellent read. Have loved the whole series and was glad the foster child was also included as he's one of them. I read these out of order and I never felt like I was missing something. You can pick them up, in my opinion and just read for the pleasure of reading and be right in the book. Find It! Hidden Picture Book Toys by Victorime Lieske Illustrated very colorful children's hidden picture book. This book has a page showing the items they want you to find on the next page. They are everyday items. It also wants you to find other things at the end of the page: 4 things that play music, 2 of the same toy, etc What a super book to keep kids busy and so educational as not everyone might have the items in their house. 7 major puzzles to keep you busy. Rainshadow Road by Lisa Kleypas Lucy is now treated different because Alice as a child had meningitis and everybody had to cater to her. Love how the neighbor, when Lucy is there while the parents went to have Alice checked out with the doctors, explains about the art and glass, melted and how it makes rainbows inside. Lucy's dad is a professor and works or Nasa projects in his spare time which means he's never home much. Lucy and her dad have to work on a science project about glass together. Her goal in life is to make art using glass cuz she is so intrigued about the process of glass blowing. Her father had bought a hot air balloon ornament and Alice had broke it. Raised in a suburb of Seattle she noticed a firefly from a shard of glass from the broken item. They glow with it's own life source. Later Lucy is in love with Kevin, they live together in his studio. She loves her stained glass window designs. He introduced her to sex. Swing On A Star is on San Juan Island and the sun shines through the mountains. He breaks off with her cuz he's now dating her sister Alice. He needs her to move out also because Alice will be moving in. She takes off on her bike and goes for a hike. She meets a man with his dog walking. She tells him everything that just happened. He offers to show her his vineyard at the end of Rainbow Road. Kevin is friends with Sam Nolan, who has told him to buy the place and he'd help fix the house. Sam and his two brothers had lost their sister, Victoria and they left Holly for them to raise. They have no idea how to do that so they offer love. To pay Kevin back he wants Sam to meet Lucy and take her out, without telling her. Problem is Sam has already met her and likes her. Zoey and Justine are her cousins and run the local B&B and they are going to help move her into the Monk Room and stay as long as she wants. Tips for gardening and the vineyard are priceless! Sam has told Lucy what Kevin wanted and she only likes Sam and they will date without what Kevin had wanted. Lucy gets sideswiped while on her ride, on the road and Sam reluctantly brings her to his house with all the others that come and go on a daily basis til the B&B can take care of her after the wedding. Funny when he helps wrap her broken bones before she takes a shower. Also others lifes are started in this book: Sam's brothers: Alex and Mark Mystery of the flying birds and insects that she creates from the juice glass is like magic. She can't explain it... She shares it with Sam and he shares what happens with his magic. Biker friends are priceless! When she gets the cast off she moves into Mark's apartment and sublets it and she's agreed to do a stained glass window for Sam's house as he's still renovating it. She has another decision to make also: take the scholarship that will move her to NY but it will allow her to gain the knowledge she needs. Love this one and can't wait to read the next in the series. Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas This family series is about Mark Nolan. He is taking care of his niece, along with his two brothers; Sam and Alex. Sam runs the vineyard and Alex likes to build condo's on the island. Mark has a coffee business. She is so energetic and needs a family loving. Sam and his huge house that he's renovating along with his vineyard has agreed to let Mark and their niece Holly come live with them. She's not said a word since they told her of her mother's death, days ago. Maggie is a widower and she moved her toy shop to the island. She's taking a liking to Holly showing her books all about fairies. Love how she uses seashells to talk magic to Holly. It worked cuz she started talking and he was so relieved. It had been 6 months. Mark is dating Shelby but he really is interested in Maggie as they share a meal while waiting for the ferry to take them back to the island. They talk so much about anything and nothing that they are at ease with one another. Maggie has choices to make as time goes on and Mark also as to what direction his life will take. Airplanes by Planet Collection B008ALXQJS Illustrated colorful children's book that explains about airplanes from the beginning to what flies in the skies now. Not only the design but some parts: gas turbine engine, seating, windows, takeoff scehduling, cockppit, etc. Like the paper airplane designs of when we were children. Why should an 'Apple' always start with me? by Ratna Jallsatgi Illustrated very colorful children's book. Shows a lot of other fruit that possible 'a' could start with and realizes they all just do not sound right. so Apple will start with an 'a'. B008QCW336 The Dance of the Caterpillars by Adele Marie Crouch Illustrated very colorful book for children. This is to be used as a learning tool when learning a foreign language and there are more examples at the author's website. This particular book shows everyday things and tells about them in English and under that is another paragraph is another language. Shows fairies sprinkling magic dust on the caterpillars, they spin making cocoons and they are set for winter months. This version is Spanish and English. B00427YLAW The Cowboy Takes A Bride by Lori Wilde Mariah Callahan inherited her father's ranch and she learns about this from Joe Daniels. Her mom had left Mexico with her when her father didn't come home one night-for weeks on end. She left to take a job with a family in Illinois. She is a wedding assistant and has arrived at the ranch, first mistaking Joe's ranch as hers. She meets up with Clover who used to with her husband watch her grow up when she was an infant. Love the inspiration quotes at the beginning of every chapter from Dutch. Love how she walks through the buildings and remembers things her dad told her about horses, cutting horses and saddles, etc The sense of community with everyone who's in the co-op and makes it work. Joe Daniels shows up to get Miracle to enter them into a race to maybe win 400 hundred thousand in cash. He will follow her to the lawyers and trade her car in. The relapse of his drinking bout the previous night left him with no pants on but his boots in the horse trough. He had buried his wife and then weeks later, his best friend Dutch. She's agreed to sell him back the ranch, she wants to hightail it outta Jubilee, TX for Chicago and to start up her own wedding business. But she has to wait til Dec. when he can win the race before he can pay her. So she's gonna settle in for a few months. There are other friends of Joe's who carry on romantically... Nariah had a few choices, take the money and leave or take the job at the bar for a few months time... She's always had the dream to have her own wedding business and with others help from the co-op it may become a reality. Death, hot steamy sex, barn weddings, and fire all play a part in this book... She has to make a choice when she's offered three times her original salary, but she'd have to do the job in Chicago... Excerpt from next in the series: the cowboy and the princess Making a Splash by Joanne Rock In this Murphy family series, Jack is back from his Navy military service and he has been thrown together with the woman he left 5 years ago, just walked out on her and joined up. She has had some dates with others but nothing that lasted. She wants a B&B in Bar Harbor, Maine-to get away from all the family. They've been nice to her over the years including her in with other family activities. She also plans to survive by running her water sports business. She had wanted Keith's input on the B&B but he though Jack could do with a vacation by taking the yacht up to Maine while he takes the sailboat down south to try to sell it. Love the family activities: the men sports and how they joke around with one another. Love the water travels and it does sound like a trip I'd like to take someday. Alicia LeBlanc grew up next door to the Murphys and was romantically involved with Jack before he joined up with the Navy. They are becoming sexually involved on the trip up north. She just wanted a second opinion not a love affair. She just wants to get on with her life. He offered to loan her the money for her dreams. He finally opens up to her and explains why he joined the military... He was going overseas and visiting influential people while disguising it for company business of global properties. Now that he's back his dad is trying to persuade him to work with the family resort business again. They make a deal on their journey that the other has to answer all the questions posed to them. He's not told her his plans for all the bars he's been buying up and she's not telling him why she wants to buy the B&B 3 states away. Winner takes all. Living the Fantasy by Joanne Rock This Murphy family series is about Ryan and he is in charge of the global properties, a specific one: Venus Hotel in Fiji. Keira is there to do battle with him. Love the detailed lush descriptions of the fauna and wildlife on the island. Makes we reach out to touch the flowers as she walks by listening to the birds... They had been lovers for 14 days in their college days as they backpacked across Nepal. She is there to protest that now her funding for the school for undeserved children would lose their chance at an education. She's agreed to stay at a hotel villa since she's stranded there for 3 more days due to lack of ferry runs. Maybe she can talk him into funding the school. They both remember the good ole days and when he asks if she wants to resurrect their love she agrees... She tells him what she's been doing for the past 8 years and he sums it up by saying sorry her family hasn't been so supportive of her career. She also agrees to accompany him back home to Cape Cod for a family lobsterfest to show her what real family is like as many of the others will be there. That will give Ryan time to explain to her why he is in the Fiji Island area. Hot steamy sex scenes only add to the appeal of reading this book. Love the descriptions of the hand made necklaces and their significance. Riding the Storm by Joanne Rock This Murphy family series is about Keith. He is onboard with green products and he's hoping to get out of town from pulling some shenanigans at his brother Ryan's engagement party and he's heading to SC to deliver the boat to a client. Josie Passanno wants to become an interior decorator and have her driver and car pick her up and deliver her to assignments. She got onto the wrong clients boat and he had sailed it right out of the harbor without knowing she was even on the boat. He notified the Coast Guard and they went to sleep for the rest of the night. She's been lying low so the tableau's don't recall her past history. it's the only way she can make it doing her job. She's agreed to spend a few days on the boat with him after he's bought her a meal on shore and some clothes. She recalls when she was waking up from her dream of someone touching her and whispering sweet things in her ear. He was having visions of doing what he had really whispered in her ear. Steamy Hot sex is just the right mix of things... Love all the talk about how to set the sails and other nautical knowledge. She had proved to him she could handle the boat and loved the fierceness of the storm and she was no longer the person of the past. They talk to one another about their past and it catches up with her when they show up at his parents house ... What happens next is unforeseen and could mean the end to both of their businesses and relationship... One Man Rush by Joanne Rock This Murphy family saga is about Kyle. Marissa Collins runs her own matchmaking service and she runs into single eligible bachelors all the time, she's always in the market but has her eyes on one certain man. Kyle Murphy is a hockey superstar and single. After he's learned who her mother is and that above all else she is taking care of all her needs he gives her a choice that will alleviate her problems and help out his new problem at the same time. Hot steamy sex and very difficult decisions to make leave you feeling satisfied.. Also included is the girlfriend she attempted to matchmake and she's left her family home to get on with her life. She also has major decisions to make.. pub 4/2013 Relish My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley ISBN: 9781596436237 ISBN-10: 1596436239 Illustrated in comic strip format, colorful pages and stories about different types of food and the actual recipe is depicted in pictures with how to put it all together. My favorite is the rancheros becuase it shows each and every layer of food and how to assemble it. All types of foods are highlighted in this cookbook of sorts as to where the author was at the time the food interested them. Found the cheese cheat sheet to be most helpful not only for the information. read 8/2 pub oct 2, 2012 Together for Christmas by Lisa Plumley Casey Jackson is not taking his normal annual holiday vacation to Mexico or an exotic island. This year his mission is to keep Heather's sister, Kristin occupied so she does not complicate the recordings of Heather's show during the Christmas season. Kristin runs the local diner, Galaxy Diner and serves pie in a jar that nobody can turn down. Loved hearing about the gingerbread house construction competition between the two of them. There are people who are stalking Kristin, she wants a bank loan and she's behind in the payments. She just wants her sister to act like a family once her filming is done but she knows she will just hop on her plane and leave. Maybe with another snow blizzard she will be forced to stay. Lots of Christmas activities: caroling, decorating and all the food being prepared. Others have contacted the tableau's and told them Heather is pregnant so she and her co-star Alex run with the idea as there really is a medical issue so they can hide out together from the publicity. They work together to try to figure out who is sabotaging the show from being made. As the festivities continue he is also getting an education on what Christmas means to her, besides the gingerbread houses and mistletoe, he learns how to make snowflakes out of paper. Hot sexy romance adds spice to the next level in this book. She learns the truth after he's left and she is enjoying all the holiday activities with her family. It's too late for them to get together now... Bonus chapter of her other book is included and there is a note from the author about her other Christmas inspired books... The Cowboy and the Princess by Lori Wilde Brady Talmadge has rules for his life but he's tested them all out at one time or another. He picks up Annie Coste hitchhiking and buys her a meal as he tells her about his profession of being a horse whisperer of sorts and that he lives in his moveable trailer. She gets the wrong idea and thinks he's homeless. She has a small dog in her satchel on her big adventure. She is a princess with an arranged marriage but she's run away from her bodyguards to experience what normal life is. He protects her by kissing her when the bodyguards show up looking for her and then he saves her from the man dragging her away assuming she's a prostitute. She's led a very sheltered life and doesn't even speak the way others on the outside do. She'd be happy to just have a few hours living a normal life and thinks how fortunate if the time was longer. When she realizes she has more time she wants him to make love to her. Love the 'you know you're a princess' sayings at the beginning of the chapters, so funny some of them. He knows she's hiding from others but won't speak of that anymore and he knows she holds herself regal and she has no idea what some everyday phrases mean. So many mysteries about her. She meets his friends and gets a job with the wedding planner and even a cabin to stay at while she's there working. Love the slow stride of lovemaking scenes, quite hot and steamy, just the perfect blend for this book. Love reading about the rodeo and horses and what he has to go through in hopes of curing the sick one, Miracle. When a family emergency occurs he has the choice to step up to the plate and settle down or continue going where the work is... She also has a family emergency that leaves her with many choices .... Home front by Kristin Hannah Mike and Joleene have problems as everybody has. He's just told her shortly after her 41st birthday party and he no longer loves her. He even brings the wrong color roses. He's too busy with his work life that he's neglected her and the 2 kids. He even wants to get a divorce. He has the job of defending people in court. Now she is off to service and he has to step up and also take care of the kids. After 6 months of training she would come home for a few weeks, then leave for another 6 months. Tears come to my eyes as I recall when my son wrote his 'last letter's as Joleen writes her letters to her family, hoping they will never have to read them. Michael and his struggles with the kids almost make him ready to throw the towel in. He's coming home earlier everyday-by 6 and there's so much work to still do. He is the lawyer for the man who killed his wife-a military man and Michael doesn't think it went down like that as he was basically ignored and has post traumatic stress syndrome. The crucial events of the girls life are not being spent with her mother and the dad is trying to do everything right. He's cut his hours at work and is working hard on the case. When she gets injured and is sent home the real hard work starts. Love how neighbors and other military people came over to lend a hand. I've lived in a military community my whole life and have never seen this but I'm sure it happens even here in RI. Love how they get her to do her PT and talk of other charity programs. Michael asks others what he can do to help her recuperate and is willing to try anything. She's still very angry at what happened to her and just wants to sit there and do nothing. His major case is about to go to trial and all he can think about is his wife and her road. Love all the travel and descriptions of the places. She can help his case and in turn get help from the case... Such a touching book of love lost romance and war and having it all ripped from your heart and soul and how to rebuild to get it all back again... Europe Rising Fashion Designers by Patrick Gottelier ISBN: 9780764342424 I have been interested in the design field ever since I would make up knitted patterns for my Barbie and GI Joe dolls. Each chapter has a European area that is highlighted. Very high quality photos and the descriptions and all details about their qualifications, about the designers and photographers. Drawings, sketches, etc are used and the runway itself. Colors and patterns speak for themselves, wow! Men and mostly woman's wear are featured using all kinds of fabrics to accessorize the clothing. Some I would wear, some would be great for Lady Gaga at her concerts-they are a bit far out for my tastes. Boyfriend of the Month Club by Maria Gerac Grace is not having a good day at all. Everything is going wrong: her period came, her dress was a petite, she chipped her tooth, and she finally found her date for the night. She tracked Brandon down at an Irish pub and she was the only female in the bar. They had met in zumba class and the guys had fun with that comment. She works at the Florida Charlie tourist store and her Cuban father and grandmother run the place and she helps. One of the guys that was giving her a hard time at the pub is her new dentist but he didn't comment on that they had met prior. Family business problems and setting up the boyfriend of the month club keeps Grace busy. The women have set up guidelines to rank the guys they've gone out with and what was wrong with them, so others would know what to expect. Her brother Charlie and his on/off love affair and the problems with his job make this an almost comical book at times. Other times it's very serious. Good light read as you see what things the women try. She has agreed to help Dr. Joe with his Thanksgiving dinner as he has no clue about what to pick and what to serve, never mind about how to cook it. Love the Hemingway Corner of the shop and loved the tour. The grandmother has a premonition that the one who sent her flowers is her 'man' the one she needs to marry. The guy she's interested in is her dentist though. Other obstacles and the family curse keep them apart.... Full Surrender by Joanne Rock Danny Murphy has just walked off his ship and is back on land after months away at sea with the US Navy. Stephanie, a war photographer who was abducted and held and then released after some torture is there waiting for his return as he's the only one that she can feel safe near. They hook up and retreat to his family resort area where he has a place and she agrees to stay and accompany him to the family's reunion and to gear up for one of his brothers weddings. They rehash old things and he gets a glimpse as to what she is still terrified about as things happen. She finds out why he left the band to join the military after they had met over 5 years ago. Love the extras built into Danny's house for the future. Love the family outing and how everyone is connected with having fun. Love how hi tech comes into play in this book and how he finds out about her pet photography business. She is an author and is getting threats and her mom thinks it's the kidnappers again. When he tries to help with going to the authorities she shuts him down, she can take care of herself. Gonna go find the rest of the Murphy men series! Nightingale Way by Emily March ISBN: 9780345528780 Catherine, Cat had just been drugged and kidnapped. She had written a story for the local paper about dogfighting going on and now the mob was tied to it and other high key figures. They had torched her house already. Her ex, jack Davenport had taken her and was flying her to his house, as per her mothers orders, Melinda Blackburn for safe keeping, she fears. The past is brought up as other things trigger them. After heated topics she has had enough and tells him she's leaving his house, but will remain in the area. She headed to a cottage on the property of the B&B. Very serene: creek, bikes to ride, gardens, birds and the view of the mountains and she knows how to photograph. When Jack has an emergency and is bandaged up they talk her into watching out for him. His cottage will be close by to hers. She also takes a free job at the paper to just keep busy. He fills in some missing pieces of his life, the Bade foundation. Love this town and the talk of the shops available: coffee shop, quilt shop, sandwich shop, restaurants, B&B, hot springs, etc. When she fills in for the editor they start hanging around together again, she the reporter and he the accompanying photographer as she writes stories for the paper. She uncovers more scandals and sits on the information she's learned for a bit... Angel's Rest is a very nice area to heal, the angels are out in force.. Although there are a lot of people in this book they are very easy to follow and keep separate as to who they are and in relationships with others. While they are at the art gallery the owner goes into labor and that sets them up to talk about their own pregnancy... time to heal for both of them. Wedding events and births and traveling and adventure keep them all busy for some time...til family matters arise and work problems that need instant attention...