Two of a Kind Book Review

Contest details at the end!!!

Two of a Kind by Susan Mallery
The Fool's Gold book is mainly about Felicia and others we are able to catch up to date on their happenings. There is enough backstory that gives you tidbits of information about everybody in town so you won't be left in the dark.
She is the smart one and can do wonders but she's not the social type-doesn't know how to take things, even meant as a joke. The mayor wants her to head up the festival as she and others know she will do an excellent job of it.
Gideon attempts to come to her rescue when she screams due to a spider but his war memories crept up on him and he vacated the bulding. He had been held for over 2 years in a 'prison'.
He runs the local radio live station for the folks of Fool's Gold.
Without giving away too much of the plots, some have family closeness problems and they tend to run and others in town come to their rescue.
The bodyguard business is coming along as new equipment has arrived.
Consuela joins the bodyguards in town and she's an asset and lays down the rules to moving in with Ford and Angel.
Felicia figures out quickly that if things are in order for all the major events things fall into place because of her bodyguard friends..
Very hot steamy sex scenes add to this book.
He takes things back to a normal relationship and they talk and learn about each others past and to first dates.
Love hearing of others wedding plans and how Noelle is setting up the Christmas store. Love specialty shops.
4th of July and booths are set up, the one Mrs. Hendrix has is explosive!
Learned all about wine flights! Just when you think things are normal, typical everyday things occur, the surprises pop out. Everybody has them-too many to mention but it'll keep you busy with them all.
There are hints that other businesses are arriving in town along with more people...
I received this book from Net Galley and Harlequin HQN and from the author herself in exchange for my honest review.


What is your favorite part of this book?  When you buy the book and/or join Susan's mailing list  , be sure to let me know, thanks!

Enter the TWO OF A KIND blog tour contest once a day every day from June 25 through July 7 for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or BN.com gift card!  Remember Cheerleader Julie, if you win, I’ll win a gift card, too!

 

Click here to enter: http://www.susanmallery.com/contentpage.php?id=0016

 

Just a simple question to the excerpt will get you an entry into this contest.

Summer Beach Reads for the Whole Family Blog Tour

Lisa Wingate - The Prayer Box

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Synopsis: 

When Iola Anne Poole, an old-timer on Hatteras Island, passes away in her bed at ninety-one, the struggling young mother in her rental cottage, Tandi Jo Reese, finds herself charged with the task of cleaning out Iola's rambling Victorian house.Running from a messy, dangerous past, Tandi never expects to find more than a temporary hiding place within Iola's walls, but everything changes with the discovery of eighty-one carefully decorated prayer boxes, one for each year, spanning from Iola's youth to her last days. Hidden in the boxes is the story of a lifetime, written on random bits of paper--the hopes and wishes, fears and thoughts of an unassuming but complex woman passing through the seasons of an extraordinary, unsung life filled with journeys of faith, observations on love, and one final lesson that could change everything for Tandi.

 Maureen Dudley - The Plateau: Voices of the Earth

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Synopsis: 

 What if you have a half a second to stop the extinction of the human race? What if that pivotal day to save humanity depends on you saving your own life? Catherine's life and humanity's continued existence depend on her ability and willingness to believe in an altered, future timeline with a cololny of Earth inhabitants. It couldn't come at a worse time. Catherine's father dies unexpectedly. The pressure of her research and advocacy work adds dead weight to her life's precarious tipping points. Catherine's losing battles includes sleep deprivation. Sleep eludes her, because when it does come, she finds herself repeatedly dreaming about standing on the same high plateau with her greyhound dog, Addy, surrounded by plants and animals and insects, and then poof! The living landscape transforms into ash.
 

 Danny Ellis - The Boy at the Gate

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 Synopsis:

 Danny Ellis was a survivor, strong and resilient. A successful singer/songwriter, he was proud of the way he'd ‘handled' his painful past: the grinding poverty of the 1950s Dublin slums, and the brutality of the orphanage, the notorious Artane Industrial School where he was left. He'd safely buried it. Or so he thought.

Then one night, while writing a powerful song that would launch his acclaimed album, 800 Voices, his past came flooding back to haunt him. Long-forgotten memories of betrayal and abandonment burst forth in a shocking revelation: his eight-year-old self was still lost in the orphanage.

Although badly shaken, Danny began a courageous journey that would lead him back to the streets of Dublin, to the tenement slums and, eventually, to the brutality and scallywag shenanigans of the Artane playground. What he found with each twist and turn of his odyssey would change his life for ever.

The Boy at the Gate is a poignant, profoundly moving memoir of forgiveness and redemption, and an inspiring testament to the healing power of music and love.

Virginia Morell - Animal Wise: The Thoughts and Emotions of Our Fellow Creatures

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Synopsis:

Did you know that ants teach, earthworms make decisions, rats love to be tickled, and chimps grieve? Did you know that some dogs have thousand-word vocabularies and that birds practice songs in their sleep? That crows improvise tools, blue jays plan ahead, and moths remember living as caterpillars?

Noted science writer Virginia Morell explores the frontiers of research on animal cognition and emotion, offering a surprising and moving exploration into the hearts and minds of wild and domesticated animals.

Animal Wise takes us on a dazzling odyssey into the inner world of animals, from ants to elephants to wolves, and from sharp-shooting archerfish to pods of dolphins that rumble like rival street gangs. Morell probes the moral and ethical dilemmas of recognizing that even “lesser animals” have cognitive abilities such as memory, feelings, personality, and self-awareness--traits that many in the twentieth century felt were unique to human beings.

By standing behaviorism on its head, Morell brings the world of nature brilliantly alive in a nuanced, deeply felt appreciation of the human-animal bond, and she shares her admiration for the men and women who have simultaneously chipped away at what we think makes us distinctive while offering a glimpse of where our own abilities come from


 Enjoy these reads and more brought to you by JKS

Book Club Selection Sweet Salt Air

Our bookclub won copies for each of us and there are video clips where we discuss different things in the book.

  pub june 18, 2013 sweet salt air by barbara delinsky
What I look for in a new book is travel and hope to learn something new. This book does that and more.
Love that the book starts out and they are talking about knitting intricate Irish patterns. One of my favorite things to do.
Charlotte and Nicole haven't seen one another in 10 years time but have briefly emailed one another. They are meeting on the island to work on an island cookbook together.
That's one of the main reasons I wanted to read this book, the island, the cookbook and I love the author's other writings over the years.
Charlotte is the photographer and interviewer. Nicole is the agriculturist and chef. This may be their last summer on the island as with Nicoles fathers death the estate will be sold...
Loved hearing of how they had met and summered together.
Small community where everybody knows each others business and is there in one's time of need.
Like gradual blend of new characters, where they aren't forced upon you, easy to keep the characters straight.
Love learning all the tidbits of information for the herbs and how to use them and for what reason.
The health of Nicole's husband is something very private although he is a world renown surgeon. She is able to open up to Charlotte and explain how she's coped over the years. She also is ready to leave on the dime to be with him when he calls.
They each still hold close to them secrets that might jeopardize their friendship but treasure what they have had in the past..til Julian's health takes a drastic turn for the worse and Charlotte knows she can help. Everybody has choices and decisions to make and they wish upon the red leaf clover that they selected the right ones.
Recipes and meals talked about are a treasure as you can put them together yourself without the measurements of the ingredients. Wish you could smell while reading about it.
Stumbling blocks are put in place with the recipes...Julian's health and Charlottes love life. Love that her boyfriend is an author as we follow his path to success and failure and doubt..
 

Book is based on an island the girls vacationed during summer months when they were younger. This video is where our book club talks about our seasonal island.

Book club meeting MS and how what he went through was similar...knitting caught our attention, herbs

cookbook and knitting stitches, boyfriend sweater

Book called SALT, book overall...

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Book Review: Dandelions on the Wind: The Quilted Heart

Dandelions on the Wind: The Quilted Heart Novella One   by Mona Hodgson
I wanted to read this book because it's about quilting and I love the 1860's. I do knit for a settlement within 2 hours of my house.
The fact that Maren is blind really hits home for me as well.
Gabi is the little girl whose mother died giving birth to her. She lives with her grandmother and Maren cares for her and the crops and farm animals.
Now her Papa is home-Wooly and he has hair like hers.
Maren especially likes Thursday-quilting day with others. Loved hearing of all the different charity quilts they each will work on... She was to be a mail order bride but when her intended found out she was going blind, he didn't want her.
Now that Wooly was back, if he took over the chores she could return home to Denmark.
Loved learning about the zither!
Love how the book got it's title and it's explained how she feels with the expression...Harvest time where everybody helps one anouther out.
Love glossary of words at the end to guide you along the ay.
Passages from the Bible are quoted according to events happening at the time..
Surprised at the ending and it's to continue in other books in this series.
I received this book from Edelweiss by Random House, Watermark and Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review.

I have read others in this series and loved them all.

Please consider ranking my review-it means I can get more books to review, thanks

Book Review: Barefoot Summer, Series: A Chapel Springs Romance (Book 1) by Denise Hunter

Barefoot Summer,  Series: A Chapel Springs Romance (Book 1)

New Series Coming June 4, 2013!

I can't wait until Barefoot Summer releases! This is the 1st book of my new Chapel Springs Series. Set in a midwestern river town, this 4-book series will feature the close-knit McKinley family. I've fallen in love with the McKinleys, and I hope you will too! Each of the 4 adult siblings will be featured in his or her own romance--and let me tell you, the sparks are a-flying! Here's a sneak peek at Barefoot Summer:

"Hold-your-breath romance, heartache, and laugh-out-loud moments. It's more than a good read. It's a delight." --Lisa T. Bergren, best-selling author of Glamorous Illusions

In the years since her twin brother’s drowning, Madison McKinley has struggled to put it behind her. Despite the support of her close-knit family and her gratifying job as a veterinarian, the loss still haunts her. To find closure, Madison sets out to fulfill her brother’s dream of winning the town’s annual regatta. But first she has to learn to sail, and fast.
Beckett O’Reilly knows Madison is out of his league, but someone neglected to tell his heart. Now she needs his help—and he’ll give it, because he owes her far more than she’ll ever know.
Madison will do anything—even work with the infamous Beckett O’Reilly—to reach her goal. And as much as she’d like to deny it, the chemistry between them is electrifying. As summer wanes, her feelings for him begin to grow and a fledgling faith takes root in her heart.
But Beckett harbors a secret—one that will test the limits of their love and the depth of Madison’s faith. Can their new romance survive summer’s challenges? And will achieving her brother’s dream give Madison the peace she desperately seeks?

My Review;

June 4, 2013 Barefoot Summer,  Series: A Chapel Springs Romance (Book 1) by Denise Hunter
Madison's family is large and they own a lot of land that need help with the crop harvesting. Some of the kids have grown up and left the area. Some are still around to help even with their own life's.
The story goes back in time to when she and others in the neighborhood were teens. She excelled in 10th grade and the guy she liked was older. He was a trouble maker and always got caught. He would come with his drunk dad to help with the harvesting.
They are from different sides of the track. She is now the vet and he fixes motors.
Love the scenery of the tower and what it means to them and also the talk of the boating. I found myself drawn to more learning on the subject and also felt a connection with the women at the nursing home as I knit for our local one. They all pray for Maddie and her friends and family.
Her twin brother Michael had drowned when he was 17 and he spent all the money he earned on a boat so he could race in the annual regatta and win all the money. She is terrified of the water and with help from Evan she is able to get used to the water.
She won the auction bid of sailing lessons from Beckett. He also builds custom boats besides fixing motors. She hopes to fulfill her brothers dream after she learns how to sail and fix up his boat to make it seaworthy.
Problems arise when Evan is called away and won't be sailing with her. There is much talk of time spent in church and prayers and bible study throughout the book. Some times they question why God let Michael die.
She is praying for peace at the end of the boat race and to find closure with Michael. Beckett has a secret that may help her or harm her.
Love how Beckett takes charge of everything in his family and just takes over and makes good decisions.
Although there are not many characters there are a handful and they are easy to keep track of. Such a fun easy going book to read I had a hard time putting it down at the end of the night.
Lots of mysteries along the way that only enhance this book to making it a really good read. Trust in God. Love how the book got it's title.
I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

About Denise

Denise lives in Indiana with her husband Kevin and their three sons. In 1996, Denise began her first book, a Christian romance novel, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her books often contain a strong romantic element, and her husband Kevin says he provides all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!

Author Website:  http://www.denisehunterbooks.com/

Book Review: Mystic Perceptions by Jacqueline Paige

My Review: 



Mystic Perceptions by Jacqueline Paige

 Loved the idea of the book and that's why I entered the contest at the author's website. http://jacqpaige.webs.com/hiddensensestrilogy.htm is the site that has the books in that series and information on them. Love how this series starts out. It reminded me so much of the Mentalist on TV and how Simon goes about solving murder mysteries. In this book Jacinda (love that name!) has senses that come to light when she's near furniture-the wood can tell her stories of the history and what's occurred. There are two detectives that are hot on collecting information of the murders in their town and then Jac Brown is called to help them. She is brought in to help with her abilities that she tries to keep hidden. She analyzes the clues and has some other insights as to what else could link them all together. She knew one of them-a family member had used her services prior to being killed. Didn't see the romance because I was so caught up in following the mystery behind all the murders, quite happy how that all evolved. Also didn't see who the murderer was til the very end-just kinda popped out when you think the case was done/closed. Few characters and very easy to keep track of the others that make a brief appearance. Loved hearing about the sense and out of body experiences-scary for those experiencing it and the ones viewing it from the outside. There is a sample chapter of the next one in this series at the end. At end end Jac searches for information for Sandy in help with another case and that case will be the next book in the series. Can't wait to read that one!
I received this book from the author after filling out a giveaway/contest at their website.
 Also received a cool pen showing small pics of another series: the magic seasons.

Author website Hidden Senses Trilogy Information:
http://jacqpaige.webs.com/hiddensensestrilogy.htm