Book Review: Wings Against the Wind by JoDee Neathery

 

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Wings Against the Wind by JoDee Neathery

This story starts out  out with Rachel and she's overseas in Paris, working at a shop and meets her lover Adam. He is married and ends up celebrating Rachel's 23rd birthday but then going home to a dinner party with his wife and others.  EMT's are not able to revive him and the strange disease he has that nobody knew about surprises me.  Paulina goes on without him, her 4th spouse and finds companionship with his step brother Knox. They travel around the European countries and also have sold the bookshop. Story also follows Rachel who's been sent to Germany to get on with her life and meets a friend that stands by her in times of trouble. So much occurs with she finds out she is pregnant with triplets. She reaches out to Knox but he's had a stroke... She keeps one baby Drew and takes the rest of her money and heads to the USA where she has a lead on where the other two children are. There are so many that help her along the way, she wants all of her children together. She secures a job and meets Hamilton a journalist and they seem to hit things off.

Love where this book goes. Love the different countries, the events that are outlined and focuses on fashion, food and the scenery.  Love hearing the Lindt company and all the famous places 

that I've read about. Such hardships Rachel has to endure and I love how she repays all those who have helped her.  Can't believe that Paulina shows up at the end with secrets from the past. So love them all.  Very descriptive details and so many feelings, down right to the core.

Part I love best is the action of donating bone marrow and what it means to the story and for real life.

Can't wait to read more form this author.

Apr 28 Roy Orbison King of Hearts by Jeff Apter

  

 

Roy Orbison King of Hearts by Jeff Apter

Enjoyed this book and I felt it read like a discography of the artists. Lots of events, who was there and what songs were played. Love the background details and the name dropping of other musical artists. Wish there was more content about his health concerns, especially his eyes.

Love hearing how his life changed with his guitar. Love that he only wanted a harmonica when e was very young. Love reminiscing with all his songs. I listened to this review copy and the book describes the pictures in the book but I did not see pictures, just text.

Love this book because I learned some new things about Roy and his music.

I received this review copy from Kensington Publishing Citadel via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

#RoyOrbison #NetGalley.

 

Apr 28 Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber

 

 

Chasing the Clouds Away by Debbie Macomber

This story follows Chase as he's left Chicago and on his way to Seattle to plan for his mother's funeral. Everything goes wrong and more. He ends up on the plane with a woman who he had seen in the newspaper store and ends up sitting next to her on the plane. He sets the rules before the plane takes off.

Maisey is heading back to her grandmother's in Seattle and she helps Chase get a ride to the funeral home. He offers to pay and he requests his donate it to charity. He finds a place to make a donation and he knows it's not what Maisey would've wanted it used for....

She talks to her grandmother about the encounter and they go to the service and find out so much more about Chases' mom. 

Chase heads back to Chicago for the next days meeting and also to talk to his girlfriend Astrid. He's not feeling the connection any longer...

Chase and Maisey do get together and he promises to never use his money when her family needs it. He gets a call from her calling off their relationship because he used his family money to buy the family business, pay grandmothers health bills, get truck for her older brother, etc.  Chase denies it but she won't hear anymore from him.

Such a misunderstanding and like how it all ends.

Received this review copy from Ballantine  Ballantine Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

 #ChasingtheCloudsAway #NetGalley

 

Apr 28 Book Review: Taming the Wild Cowboy by Jeannie Watt

  

 

Taming the Wild Cowboy by  Jeannie Watt

This story we find Maclyn and she's desperate for any job doing whatever she can. She's been let go from many places in the area. She has her two horses with her and her dog that all need feeding. She is able to stay in her truck at the fairgrounds so the horses have a corral at least. She answers a job ad and it's at the Tree Fork Ranch. Trev is there of course working. He had been engaged to her girl friend Brooke and things didn't go so well. He decides to hire her because she can drive the tractor, fix fences and help with horses. He really needed someone to help with all the cow calving going on...

Things heat up and he's not really sure she is a good fit for the place. He's only there for s short while before another brother will come in and put in his time. 

Lots of struggles for her and she had to clear the air with Brooke. 

Love learning about eh calving process and other issues that arise. Lots of others come to work at the ranch to lighten her load. More books in the series have these characters in them also.

Received this review copy from the publisher via Booksprout and this is my honest opinion. 

Apr 28, 2026 The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

  

 

  The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

This story starts with the womeans' names and you learn a bit about each of them from how they got to the island, to what they are doing today.

Each has their own secrets that come to light over time. Like the island as it's a cool place, something for everyone to do. Sylvia and her spouse own the club house and run the tennis courts also. When she learns what her spouse did she takes things into her own hands to recoup and to be able to stay on the island.

Adele is the new female tennis instructor and she brings so many into the club.  She takes matters into her hands after losing her job at the Ferris wheel amusement park.

Milly is married and has two young children. When her spouse decides he's not coming back to the island every night, and gets an apartment in the city, she takes matters into her own hands and rents out the guest house. 

Love how they each have each others backs and pitch in to help.

Lots of twists and turns in this one, really enjoyed reading this and learning about the island and the womens lives.

Received this review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

 

Apr 28 The Sapphire Sea by Davis Bunn

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The Sapphire Sea by Davis Bunn

This story starts with Colin who is being raised by a housekeeper. His father is the sheriff of the small southern town. One day when he first goes to school he is brought into an office and he has to talk to a woman. End result is he leaves home to live at the school for geniuses where room and board and classes are all paid for. He had feared his fathers moods especially when he had been drinking. His mother had passed away but he never went to the funeral. He finds out later why that was. Love how he excels at what they can teach him. By the age of 12 he's ready for some college classes. Love his math professor because he will be teaching him new things. He is just so much more advanced than anybody thought.

Colin still sees his father at meals with his new wife and her two boys. He fears he will have to go live with them soon as he's heading up the political ladder. 

Colin is quite outspoken and he wants to learn how to swim and the school allows that to happen. Dr. Arnold he treats with respect and he can tell him everything.  Colin knows what he really wants to study he just has to hide it from everybody, for now... Hate that he's really a loner, wish he had a family.

Love the thing that interests him so much and he does his research. He's able to help others financially. Amazing where he goes to from there, he's just so determined.

Love how sea draws him closer to his mother...

Received this review copy from Kensington Publishing via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion

#TheSapphireSea #NetGalle

Apr 28 The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

  

The Island Club by Nicola Harrison

This story starts with the woman's' names and you learn a bit about each of them from how they got to the island, to what they are doing today.

Each has their own secrets that come to light over time. Like the island as it's a cool place, something for everyone to do. Sylvia and her spouse own the club house and run the tennis courts also. When she learns what her spouse did she takes things into her own hands to recoup and to be able to stay on the island.

Adele is the new female tennis instructor and she brings so many into the club.  She takes matters into her hands after losing her job at the Ferris wheel amusement park.

Milly is married and has two young children. When her spouse decides he's not coming back to the island every night, and gets an apartment in the city, she takes matters into her own hands and rents out the guest house.

Love how they each have each others backs and pitch in to help.

Lots of twists and turns in this one, really enjoyed reading this and learning about the island and the women's lives.

Received this review copy from St. Martin's Press via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

 

Book Review: Space Baby by Werner Stejskal

  

 

Space Baby by Werner Stejskal 

With the Artemis just returning this book has come to life for me. I can see this happening as we know the group could live in outer space. With the hand picked couple head out to the station and a human being is created with markers of other species in the DNA. Found this a fascinating subject mixed with sci fic, romance, mystery and the unknonw as it unfolds in front of your eyes. Interesting to learn from conception what is really going on with the parents and others involved.

At times I felt I was right there watching it all for myself. Kept me entertained.

 

Book Review: Jumping into Fire by Ellis Summers

  

 

Jumping into Fire by Ellis Summers

Like how this story starts out with Meliisa and her uncle picking her up. THey head back over the WA mountains to his location. He's the pilot for the fire jumpers and knows the area.

They spend  few hours at the local bar, Logan runs it with his mother. There is a spark of interest. Problem is a shooter lets loose on the bar and nobody gets hurt but the group blame Logan for their dead brother. Logan had to let eh guy go from working there. Melissa is getting over her loss of her parents when they went camping and she wasn't able to save them. love the team work during this short story. So very descriptive and details matter. Love how it end with peole determining what this event has done to them to make them gear towards a new career.. Would read more from this author.

 

Bppl Revoew" Snowed in with the Rancher by Mary Sue Jackson

  

Snowed in with the Rancher by Mary Sue Jackson

This story start with Olivia and she's on a cruise. She meets Tate and they spend a lot of time together, adult situations. She has to leave one day after getting a message through the captain , a family emergency.

Next we hear from her she's arrived in Montana for a job that she's qualified for and has worked for years to obtain, as an administrator. She had tried to find Tate but didn't even know his last name nor where he lived.

Tate, after the cruise tried to find her with no luck, so heads back home to attend to the ranch and the services he performs for the town.

 Olivia and her twin daughters are hiking before they head back to town, getting close to moving into their own house when she starts the job. One girl falls down a hill and Olivia falls right after her. Other joins them and they are no getting out by themselves. Lucikly search and rescue finds them a few hours later... It's Tate and she seems familiar to him.

Love how they plays out. How he finds out who the girls are to him, and they are able to talk to get to know one another again as he takes them in for several days. due to the storm.

They are able to iron out their differences and he helps her when it is time for them to move into their new house. Problem is it should be condemned with all the water damage so he takes them back to his house.

They know it won't work so she goes to his parents where they children can be watched while she's working. They start dating and start from day one to learn about one another.

Wonder if they will actually ever get back together again, the town is a gossipy one and everybody knows things before they are spoken.

Interesting read, unpredictable. 

Book Review: The Lightborn Generation Children of the Light and the future of Humanity by Werner Stejskal

  

 

The Lightborn Generation Children of the Light and the future of Humanity

by Werner Stejskal

What I like about this story is that it's not only roman, but has mysteries, sci fic, adventures and so much more.

Starts out with a woman finding herself at a seated area and she has no idea how she got there. She feels a bit different and even had a rape assault investigation at the police station. yes she is pregnant. She does give birth to a daughter and she is sent to a special housing for people like here. Her mind works a lot different than humans minds. They can just look and see what's in the other mind and know everything about them.

This daughter grows up with a lot of others who possess the same attributes as her. She leans towards Ryan and they form a bond that is higher than they could ever image.

They were put on earth to heal humanity and it's explained how it's all done.

It's the only hope the earth has.

Entertaining read, wish there was more length to find out more about this civilization. 

Book Review: Cowboy’s Christmas Past by Mary Sue Jackson

  

Cowboy’s Christmas Past by Mary Sue Jackson

Amelia has returned to the town where Beau grew up. She's the star of the new movie that is filming on his family's property. Beau will have to get her to ride the horse for her role. She is so terrified and he draws it out of her, what had happened in her past.

They also get to talk about their other encounters, at college. One day he had to leave and told her his mother was sick. She then died but he hadn't told her the whole story. He had to stay home and take care of his family, his father was a mess.

Love time they do spend with one another and he knows she will be leaving after the movie is filmed. They take his sister into town to get teen clothes and she notices the old cinema is being demolished. She loves historic places and hopes to renovate it.

Even though they like one another again, they both know she has to leave for her career....

Love all the information about the horses as I'm frightened of them also. Lots of helpful info in this book. Also enjoy the photography side and the light Beau uses. Love opening of the cinema, priceless!

 

Apr 1 Book Review: A Real Collusion by Stu Strumwasser

  

 

A Real Collusion by Stu Strumwasser 

What I like about this book are the politic details, the how and why in step by step thoughts and events. Also enjoyed the people parts of this  story and how different they all were but were voting for the same person. So many different angles.

Skip meets John who is running under a new party and he's raising eyes on the topics that others have seen and witnessed and want to change the way elections are held. Love hearing of all the events during the book. At times the story goes back in time and then forward again, helping you understand the background of what happened.

Appreciate all the name dropping and I like how Skip even travels to visit the shooter in upstate NY where he finds out even more than he wanted to know and understand about.

After the shooting John just leaves, drops out of the race ... didn't see the ending as it did. Book is unpredictable all around. Learned a few new words and enjoyed the story. Would definitely read other works from this author. I felt at times as if I was standing right beside them during events. So vivid and realistic.

Received this review copy from the author via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.

 #arealcollusion #NetGalley