*Love Walks In* by Samantha Chase

Sep22

love-walks-in

Love Walks In is a captivating and thoughtful contemporary romance novel.

Hugh blamed himself and his impulsive behavior, for the death of his mother. Aubrey blamed herself for having had cancer, and for being a disappointment to her parents.

Hugh hated surprises. Everything in his life was governed by rules and rigid schedules. In his teen years, Hugh was irresponsible and rebellious, and that’s when his mother died. Hugh’s zest for life and spontaneity left him that day.

Aubrey craved her parent’s approval and love. So when her father encouraged her to marry someone whom she didn’t love, she almost went ahead and did it. But, at the eleventh hour, Aubrey bailed. She was elated and relieved that she had the courage to act on her own behalf. If she hadn’t, Aubrey would never have met Hugh.

Because of Hugh and Aubrey’s troubled histories, they would have several obstacles and fears to overcome before they could find true happiness. The author does an extraordinary job writing the first part of the book where Hugh and Aubrey first meet and start working together. I found it so captivating and hysterical that I couldn’t put the book down. The dialog between the two of them was natural and witty, and the story flowed easily. The middle part of the book, though, slowed the pace a bit, because of repetitions. But all in all, Love Walks In is a very enjoyable and entertaining read. I’m looking forward to book three, where I am sure I’ll find the answers to some dangling questions.

I received this ARC from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

~4 out of 5 stars~Review by Peg Glover

*Not Quite Perfect*by Catherine Bybee*5-Stars

Sep20

 

not-quite-perfect

Not Quite Perfect is a delightful and highly entertaining romantic tale. I found the book to be well-written and humorous. The storyline captured my attention right away, and the lives of the characters kept me engrossed until the end.

Mary Kildare is an independent, self-sufficient woman. She had been abandoned as a child, so Mary made it her business to not become too dependent on anyone. She guarded her heart well. Mary loved her career as a mental health counselor; she was aware, though, that the job, was not without its risks. If a client’s life didn’t improve or change as fast as they thought it should, she knew that she could easily become their scapegoat for blame. But, Mary never expected to become of victim of a violent crime.

Although Mary was excited to date, Glen Fairchild, a very wealthy and talented pilot, she was also wary. Glen Fairchild was a notorious player. And, Mary knew that the very last thing her fragile heart needed was to fall in love with a man who was sure to break it.

The wealthy playboy was intrigued with Mary. And since he had access to a private plane, the fact that she lived thousands of miles from him was of no consequence; until her life was in danger and he couldn’t reach her in time.

Not Quite Perfect is a well-written, easy to read and perfectly paced romantic story. I loved the book and highly recommend it.

I received this ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

~5 out of 5 stars~Review by Peg Glover

*The Forgotten Woman* by Angela Marsons

Sep15

the-forgotten-woman

The Forgotten Woman is a riveting story, about two women, broken, from the backlash of abuse and alcoholism. They formed a close bond and assisted one another in rebuilding their lives. Although Kit Mason and Frances Thornton came from completely different backgrounds, they became the best of friends.

Kim Mason is an ex-prostitute with a violent and abusive past. Frances Thornton is a successful lawyer who was abandoned and abused. Kim Mason landed in a safe-house after being beaten and stabbed by her pimp. Frances Thornton is recovering from an embarrassing, career altering mishap. She collapsed into a drunkard stupor while representing her client, in the middle of the courtroom.

The author does a wonderful job developing these two characters and bringing them to life for the reader. Their dialogue is realistic and witty and their circumstances compelling but tragic. Although, Kim and Frances had come from different worlds; their battles, especially regarding trust, love, and addiction, were the same. The book would have had more of a realistic feel to it, though, if there had been more detail written about the women’s struggle with addiction and the role that Alcoholics Anonymous had played in their recovery.

I enjoyed the book immensely, though, and rooted for the characters, right from the start. The story flowed smoothly from one character’s life to the other. It’s not a fluffy tale; it’s raw, but it’s well-written. I loved the book and recommend giving it a read.

I received this ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

~4 out of 5 stars~Review by Peg Glover

*You and Me, Always*by Jill Mansell*5-Stars!

Sep9

you-and-me-always

You and Me Aways is a delightful, entertaining and superbly crafted novel. I devoured every page of this sweet and humorous love story.

It was Lily Harper’s twenty-fifth birthday and although, she was tearful; she was savoring her last birthday letter. Her mother had written birthday letters, in advance, before she died, to be opened, one each year on Lily’s birthday. Coral, Lily’s mother’s best-friend took Lily in and raised her since she was eight-years-old. Patsy, Lily’s babysitter, was also a loving influence, and her younger brother, Dan became Lily’s best friend.

Stanton Langley was a small English town where Lily lived and worked; It was also the town where movie star, Eddie Tessler chose to have his hide-out. Through unusual and funny circumstances, Eddie and Lily meet and form a close bond. Lily couldn’t understand, though, why her best childhood friend, Dan, was being so stinky about it. Dan and his sister Patsy both had deep secrets that they were hiding. Unfortunately, for them, secrets have a way of coming to light and being exposed at the worse times.

In Lily’s birthday letter, her mother revealed the name of the man who was once the love of her life. Out of curiosity and wanting to hear more about her mother, Lily contacted Declan Madison, her mother’s greatest love. Lily was ecstatic when she met Declan Madison, and Declan knew without a doubt that his life would never be the same again.

You and Me Aways is a laugh-out-loud funny story with quirky well-developed characters, witty dialogue and humorous situations. If you enjoy light, funny romances, then you’re going to love, You and Me Always. I highly recommend giving this well-crafted book a read.

I received this ARC from the publisher, via Edelweiss, in exchange for an honest review.

~5 out of 5 stars~Review by Peg Glover

*The Drowned Phoenician Sailor* by Lesley Hayes*5-Shining Stars

Sep5

The drowned Phoenician Sailor

The Drowned Phoenician Sailor is a beautifully written, character-driven novel, which quickly draws the reader into the heart and mind of the main character, Fynn. Fynn is a strong-willed, feisty, independent woman with a good sense of humor and a caring spirit. But, because she is being bothered by two ghosts on a regular basis, she fears for her sanity. One of the ghosts is her twin sister, and the other is Paul, her psychotherapist; the same psychotherapist who she was seeing because of her ghost visitations in the first place. Unfortunately for Fynn, when Paul dies, he ends up popping in and out of Fynn’s life, just like her dead sister.

Although Fynn was afraid that she might be insane, she was still the most responsible person in her family and the only one who cared for her eccentric, childlike mother whose grip on reality was quite slippery. It was on one of her visits to her mother’s house that Fynn met Jack, a mysterious man whom her mother found washed up on the beach and brought home, much like she would a stray puppy. Jack would become a special person to Fynn, though, someone who would touch her soul.

The author does an exceptional job writing about the issues that are often found in dysfunctional families; such as; abuse, abandonment, deceit, depression, and mistrust. Ms. Hayes explores many of the puzzle pieces that make up positive and negative relationships and crafts them into a beautiful story. There is a lot of humor, wisdom, and inspiration that is sprinkled throughout this book.

The characters are unique, developed and utterly fascinating; even the cat has a quirky hysterical personality. The Drowned Phoenician Sailor is written with elegance, so much so, that I often stopped to reread a sentence, just to admire the beauty of the author’s word choices. Every sentence is carefully crafted, to tug at the reader’s heart, make them laugh or move the story forward.

This is a quality book with oodles of insights and wisdom. I highly recommend giving it a read.

~5 out of 5 shining stars~Review by Peg Glover

*Everything We Keep*by Kerry Lonsdale

Sep1

Everything We Keep

Everything We Keep is an intriguing and entertaining romantic suspense novel.

Aimee thought that she had the perfect life. And she did; until the news of her fiancee’s death had reached her ears. Aimee was devastated, of course, but, to add to her distress, her fiancee’s mother insisted on having James’s funeral on the same day that they were supposed to have been married.

Aimee did her best to move on; she opened her dream restaurant, met new people; she even developed a close friendship with another man. But her heart was still stuck in the past. Aimee couldn’t help bouncing a crazy psychic’s words around in her head. “James is alive. He’s living in Mexico.”

Aimee’s friends tried to convince her that the psychic was a phony and only after her money. Aimee was not so sure about that. She never did see James’s body and things weren’t quite adding up. Against everyone’s advice, Aimee boarded a plane. What she found in Mexico, though, shocked her to the core, not to mention all of the lies and secrets that she unearthed while she was there. Aimee didn’t know who to trust anymore.

Kerry Lonsdale proves herself to be a talented storyteller. Everything We Keep is a captivating novel, crafted with a unique storyline, and a mixture of mystery and romance. The book could benefit, though, with a quick edit to remove unnecessary repetitions. All in all, I found Everything We Keep, an enjoyable read.

I received this ARC from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

4 out of 5 stars~Review by Peg Glover

*Sunset in Central Park*by Sarah Morgan

Aug30

Sunset in Central Pk

Frankie Cole built a stone wall around her heart. She wanted nothing to do with having a boyfriend. What kind of man would want to date her, anyway? Not a respectable man, that’s for sure. When her parent’s divorced, Frankie’s mother started changing. Instead of becoming more involved with her daughter, Frankie’s mother took to sleeping with men instead; all kinds of men, young, old, married, single, it didn’t matter. Frankie would hear people whispering around her, and she could just imagine what they were saying. “Like mother, like daughter, keep your man away from her.”

Matt Walker knew in his heart that Frankie was nothing like her mother. They had been friends for years, and Matt was in love with Frankie. Although there was obvious chemistry between them, Frankie didn’t want anything to do with becoming a couple. In Frankie’s mind, relationships and marriages fail; so, why would she want to mess up a beautiful friendship just to have a lover? Could Matt’s love for Frankie be strong enough to change her mind? And, could he handle Frankie’s rejection until he won over her heart?

Sunset in Central Park is a delightful and entertaining tale. I think, however, that the story would have been even more enjoyable if the characters had been fully developed.

I received this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

3 out of 5 stars~Review by Peg Glover