by admin | Apr 20, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Political, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
Suspense-filled, political intrigue novel “A Powerful Secret” grabbed my attention and held it throughout its pages. Set within the ranks of the rich, famous, and powerful movers and shakers, this story provides an inside view of what goes on behind the scenes of both politics and commerce.
Book two of the Worthington Destiny series features Sean, the second Worthington son. Although immensely successful on his own, Sean has never felt that he met his father’s approval and tends to compensate by his wild and crazy, thrill-seeking adventures. Yet when his older brother suddenly drops out of an important Senate race and it becomes apparent that someone wants to destroy his family, Sean risks everything to get to the bottom of it.
Not only is this a good suspense-filled novel but the character development is excellent. The authors do a wonderful job of illustrating family dynamics and how relationships between parents and children, brothers, and sisters affect each of their lives. In “A Powerful Secret” old family secrets come to light that could destroy them all.
While this novel is the second of the series, I had no problems following it. Reading the first book would probably add background but I did not feel that I missed anything crucial. For those who enjoy political intrigue, “A Powerful Secret” would be a good choice.
A copy of this book was provided for review by
Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Sean has always felt like an outsider in his own family.
Now he must risk never achieving what he wants most–his father’s love.
Billionaire globe-trotter Sean Worthington is stunned when his older brother suddenly abandons the Senate race in New York and walks away without a backward glance. As campaign manager, Sean’s left to handle the media feeding frenzy with no answers. Worse, their father–as usual–backs Will, the “perfect” son.
Frustrated by his father’s lack of belief in him, Sean determines to finally move on and forge a unique path. But when a powerful secret is revealed, threatening everything Sean has counted on, he must wrestle with shocking truths . . . and combat the power brokers behind the scenes who have the Worthington family in their crosshairs.
Read an excerpt from “A Powerful Secret” HERE.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Dr. Kevin Leman is an internationally known psychologist, radio and television personality, and speaker who has taught and entertained audiences worldwide with his wit and commonsense psychology. He has made house calls for hundreds of radio and television programs, such as Fox & Friends, The View, Fox’s The Morning Show, Today, Dr. Bill Bennett’s America in the Morning, 700 Club, CBS’s The Early Show, James Robison’s Life Today, Janet Parshall, CNN’s American Morning, and Focus on the Family, and has served as a contributing family psychologist to Good Morning America.
A bestselling and award-winning author, Dr. Leman has written more than 50 books about marriage and family issues, including The Birth Order Book, Sheet Music, Making Children Mind without Losing Yours, and Have a New Kid by Friday. He is coauthor, with his son Kevin Leman II, of a series of illustrated children’s books for each child in the family. He is also featured on 6 video series on marriage, parenting, blended families, and single parenting.
Dr. Leman and his wife, Sande, live in Tucson, Arizona. They have five children and two grandchildren.
Jeff Nesbit is a former communications director to the vice president at the White House, served as the director of public affairs for two prominent federal science agencies, and has been a national journalist with Knight Ridder Newspapers. He is the author of 20 novels. Cocreator of the Emmy award-winning Science of the Olympic Winter Games and the Science of NFL Football video series with NBC Sports, Jeff is executive director for Climate Nexus and writes “At the Edge,” a weekly science column for U.S. News & World Report.
by admin | Apr 20, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Suspense
MY REVIEW:
Overall I enjoyed “The Newsmakers” although at times I found myself distracted by the unusual (to me) tense in which it was written. The plot was one that could easily have come from today’s news and I believe the author’s familiarity with that community helped immensely. It was so easy to imagine news being manipulated to gain ratings. I have to wonder if there is more truth to this novel than fiction.
I admired Erica’s determination to be a news reporter who made a difference and her willingness to buck the system for stories that mattered. Her quick rise to fame did not alter those desires but she found herself overruled time and time again by her superiors. As the suspense built, Erica found it difficult to know who she could trust – even the man she was beginning to care for.
The fast-moving plot and realistic characters held my interest throughout this large book. Due to the tense issues mentioned earlier, I did bog down occasionally and have to reread paragraphs to be sure I understood what I had just read. Although I received my review copy from a Christian book blogger program, I feel I need to warn readers that if they are looking for a book with a Christian message, “The Newsmakers” isn’t it. It is however a clean read that most Christians should not find objectionable.
This book was provided for review by the BookLook Blogger Program of Harper Collins Christian Publishing.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
TV reporter Erica Sparks has become a superstar overnight. Is it due to her hard work and talent, or is she at the center of a spiraling conspiracy?
Erica Sparks is a beautiful and ambitious reporter who has just landed her dream job at Global News Network in New York. And while it was hard to leave Jenny, her cherished eight-year-old daughter, in the custody of her ex-husband, Erica is determined to succeed in the cutthroat world of big-time broadcasting. She can only hope her troubled past won’t come back to sabotage her dreams.
Although the wounds from her divorce are still fresh, Erica can’t deny the chemistry between her and her new producer, the handsome and empathic Greg Underwood. But a relationship is the last thing she wants right now.
On her very first assignment, Erica inadvertently witnesses—and films—a horrific tragedy, scooping all the other networks. Mere weeks later, another tragedy strikes—again, right in front of Erica and her cameras. Her career skyrockets overnight, but Erica is troubled. Deeply. This can’t just be coincidence. But what is it?
Erica will stop at nothing to uncover the truth. But she has to make sure disaster—and her troubled past—don’t catch up with her first.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Lis Wiehl is one of the nation’s most prominent trial lawyers and highly regarded commentators. Currently, she is the legal analyst and reporter on the Fox News Channel and Bill O’Reilly’s sparring partner in the weekly “Is It Legal?” segment on The O’Reilly Factor. Prior to that she was O’Reilly’s co-host on the nationally syndicated show The Radio Factor. She is also a Professor of Law at New York Law School. Her column “Lis on Law” appears weekly on FoxNews.com.
Prior to joining Fox News Channel in New York City, Wiehl served as a legal analyst and reporter for NBC News and NPR’s All Things Considered. Before that, Wiehl served as a Federal Prosecutor in the United States Attorney’s office.
Wiehl earned her Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School and her Master of Arts in Literature from the University of Queensland.
Wiehl is also the author of The 51% Minority, which won the 2008 award for Books for a Better Life in the motivational category, and Winning Every Time.
She lives with her husband and two children in New York.
by admin | Apr 15, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
MY REVIEW:
“Sit Stay Love” is the perfect spring or summer read, especially when one is in the mood for something light-hearted and encouraging. With a somewhat grouchy major league baseball pitcher and quirky school teacher who is reduced to dog sitting, and of course, Tippy, the real star of this book, the reader is treated to several laugh-out-loud scenes and some pretty sweet romantic ones as well.
Those who are frequent readers of romance will quickly guess that totally mismatched Cal and Gina will end up together – it’s a given in these novels – but what fun it was to see them overcome the hurdles on their way to romance. As Tippy dug her way into everyone’s hearts, she managed to help heal a few of those same hearts along the way. I loved the redemptive message of this story where even one of the bad guys turns out to just need a bit of Tippy’s touch to turn himself around.
As a dog lover, I thoroughly enjoyed this story that featured Tippy in a major role. Although they took a back seat to her, the other characters were well-rounded and quite likeable. “Sit Stay Love” is a charming and engaging story that should be appropriate for almost any age.
A copy of this book was provided for review by LitFuse Publicity.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Take one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog, and you’re ready for a lesson in love . . . Tippy style.
Pro baseball pitcher Cal Crawford is not a dog guy. When he inherits his deceased mother’s elderly dog, Tippy, he’s quick to call on a pet-sitting service.
Gina isn’t thrilled to be a dog sitter when her aspirations lie in the classroom. Furthermore, she can’t abide the unfriendly Cal, a man with all the charm of a wet towel. But with no other prospects and a deep love for all things canine, she takes the job caring for Tippy.
As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too…
Discover the charming story of Tippy, the dog who brought a family together.
Learn more and purchase a copy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dana Mentink lives in California, where the weather is golden and the cheese is divine. Dana is an American Christian Fiction Writers Book of the Year finalist for romantic suspense and an award winner in the Pacific Northwest Writers Literary Contest. Her suspense novel, Betrayal in the Badlands, earned a Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award. Besides writing, she busies herself teaching third and fourth grade. Mostly, she loves to be home with her husband, two daughters, a dog with social anxiety problems, a chubby box turtle, and a feisty parakeet.
Find out more about Dana at http://www.danamentink.com.
What do you get when you add one abrasive professional athlete, a quirky out-of-work schoolteacher, and an overweight geriatric dog? A lesson in love—Tippy style—in Dana Mentink’s new book, Sit, Stay, Love.
As Gina travels through Cal’s world with Tippy in tow, she begins to see Cal in a different light. Gina longs to show Cal the God-given blessings in his life that have nothing to do with baseball or fame. When her longing blooms into attraction, Gina does her best to suppress it. But Cal is falling in love with her too. . . .
Join Dana in celebrating the release of Sit, Stay, Love with a blog tour and a Travels with Tippy prize pack giveaway!
One grand prize winner will receive:
- A copy of Sit, Stay, Love
- A $75 Visa cash card
- A basket filled with Tippy-themed goodies
- Travel-themed decorator box
- Reading dog statue
- Dog journal
- Poems for Dog Lovers
- Snuggle Paws fleece blanket from Animal Rescue Site
- Pawprint scarf
- Doxie desk pen
- Pupmobile auto magnet
Enter today by clicking the icon below. But hurry! The giveaway ends on April 25th. The winner will be announced April 26th on Dana’s blog.
by admin | Apr 9, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction
MY REVIEW:
“Chapel Springs Survival” was a fun book to read. I loved its small town setting and the primary characters who were more mature than the usual novels I encounter. From the problems of a small town that is suddenly bursting at the seams to family problems at home, Claire and her friends Patsy and Lydia often find themselves overwhelmed as they attempt to navigate their lives. At times humorous and at other times serious, the story moved along at a fast clip from one incident to another and held my attention until the end.
I enjoyed my time spent in Chapel Springs and plan to read the other books in this series as soon as I find a break in my review schedule.
A copy of this book was provided for review by The Book Club Network.
ABOUT THE BOOK (284 pages):
A mail-order bride, a town overrun with tourists, and illegal art ~ How on earth will Claire and Chapel Springs survive? With the success of her Operation Marriage Revival, life is good for Claire Bennett. That is until the mayor’s brother blabs a secret: Claire’s nineteen-year-old son, Wes, has married a Brazilian mail order bride — one who is eight years older than him. When Claire tries to welcome her new daughter-in-law, she’s ridiculed, rebuffed, and rejected. Loving this girl is like hugging a prickly cactus. Will Claire and her family survive her son’s marriage?
Lydia Smith is happily living alone and running her spa then the widow on the hill becomes a blushing bride. Along with her new marriage, she has a dream to expand her business by adding guest rooms. Things are going according to plan. That is, until her groom’s adult son moves in on everything. Will her dream survive her stepson?
From the first sighting of a country music star in Claire’s gallery, The Painted Loon, to the visit of a Hollywood diva, Chapel Springs is inundated with stargazers, causing lifelong residents to flee the area. When her best friends, Patsy and Nathan, put their house on the market, Claire is forced to do something or lose the closest thing to a sister she’s got. With her son’s future at stake and the town looking to her to solve their problems, it’s Claire who needs a guardian angel.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Ane Mulligan writes Southern-fried fiction served with a tall, sweet iced tea. She’s a novelist, a humor columnist, and a multi-published playwright. President of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, she resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband, their chef son, and two dogs of Biblical proportion.
by admin | Apr 9, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
MY REVIEW:
If you love Christian romantic fiction, Denise Hunter should be at the top of your go-to list. Her books have the absolute best heroes – you know the kind that all gals wish they could find. The heroines are pretty special too – nice girls who are pretty but not perfect, usually with a problem or two that needs to be overcome.
I have very much enjoyed each and every novel I’ve read by this author but “The Goodbye Bride” might be the best one yet. The premise is great. Young woman wakes up in a diner dressed in her wedding gown but cannot remember how or why she is there. All she can remember is her fiance so she gives him a call. Turns out he hasn’t seen her since she walked out on him seven months ago – seven months she can no longer remember. But like the standup guy he is, Zac cannot help running to Lucy’s rescue even though he is just beginning to recover from her desertion.
Like all good romantic novels, there are several twists and turns to this story as little by little the true backstory is revealed. Lucy can’t remember leaving or the reasons why and Zac still is not certain whether he can even trust what Lucy has to say. Is it all Lucy’s fault or did Zac actually have some responsibility in what happened?
I really loved this story. At times it was a bit frustrating but I think I was picking up on the characters’ frustrations. To me that is an indication of a well-written book. I liked Zac and Lucy a lot plus I enjoyed touching base once again with characters from the first book of this series. Naturally I can’t wait to read the next installment.
A copy of this book was provided for review by The Fiction Guild.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
She only remembers loving him. But he can’t forget the way she left.
Following a concussion, Lucy Lovett can’t remember the last seven months of her life. She doesn’t remember leaving her fiancé Zac Callahan weeks before their wedding or moving to Portland, Maine. And she sure doesn’t remember getting engaged to another man. All she remembers is loving Zac more than life itself.
It’s taken Zac months to move on after Lucy left him with no explanation. He’s thrown himself into his family’s farm and his restaurant business in Summer Harbor. Now Lucy’s back, vulnerable, homeless, and still in love with him. She needs his help putting the pieces together, but letting her back into his life is a risk—and the stakes are high. If he follows his heart he’ll win back the love of his life. But if her memory returns he’ll lose her all over again.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Denise Hunter is the award-winning author of 20 novels, including Dancing with Fireflies and Convenient Groom.
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!
by admin | Apr 9, 2016 | Books, Contemporary Fiction, Romance
MY REVIEW:
“A Season to Wed” is a collection of three romantic novellas with winter settings. Each novella was penned by a different author and the plots are not related. However each book has similarities. In each story, the heroine encounters a man who meant something to her in the past but for one reason or another, their relationship ended. Each of these couples find themselves with a second chance at love. I thoroughly enjoyed each of the three stories. If romance is your genre, you won’t want to miss this collection.
Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk is a special tale of a couple who ran away to get married at the end of high school but changed their minds after the ceremony. After believing she was not married for ten years, Hope learns that her marriage was indeed legal. To her surprise, her husband John Burke chooses that exact day to reappear in her life. Naturally things will work out for the best, but what fun reading about how it happens!
A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck is another example of why I love all novels by this author. I actually reviewed this novella earlier this year. You can read my entire review here – https://www.daysongreflections.com/?p=18182
Serving Up a Sweetheart by Cheryl Wyatt was another excellent story. Once again, the primary characters have a history but the last thing Meadow wants is to reconnect with Colin. She has little choice when her roof caves in during a snowstorm and there is no other contractor who can repair it in time for her to meet her catering deadlines. As Colin goes out of his way to make things easy for Heather, she realizes that he is not the same person she remembers and her heart begins to soften toward him.
A copy of this book was provided for review by Celebrate Lit.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
Click here to purchase your copy.
They’ve helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples. Now twelve new couples will find themselves in the wedding spotlight in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.
Love at Mistletoe Inn by Cindy Kirk
Sometimes the road to happiness is paved with youthful mistakes.
Ten years after what she thought was her almost-wedding, Hope Prentiss discovers that the ceremony counted—and, as fate would have it, the jilted John Burke has just ridden back into town. After spending some time with John and helping plan a Christmas wedding for a mystery couple, Hope begins to wonder if she really wants a divorce . . . or a real wedding of her own.
A Brush with Love by Rachel Hauck
Revealing the beauty in other women might be Ginger Winters’s specialty—but it will take an unexpected kind of love to help Ginger see the beauty in herself.
Ginger Winters will be the “beauty-maker” for the Alabama society wedding of the decade. But when high-school crush Tom Wells shows up looking for a haircut, Ginger’s thinly veiled insecurities threaten to keep her from love once again . . . despite Tom’s best efforts.
Serving Up a Sweetheart by Cheryl Wyatt
Meadow knows how to serve delicious food to match any wedding theme. But can she accept love when it’s served up on a silver platter?
Meadow Larson is having the mother of all Mondays when her roof caves in during a blizzard, right before the most important wedding contract of her career. Renovation contractor Colin McGrath offers to fix Meadow’s roof, even though he knows he is the last person she would accept help from.
But the more Meadow gets to know the new Colin, the more she realizes God may have something more permanent in store than a new catering kitchen.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Rachel Hauck Bio:
Rachel Hauck is a USA Today Bestselling author. Her book, The Wedding Dress, was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times and was a RITA finalist. Her book Once Upon A Prince was a Christy Award finalist.
Rachel lives in central Florida with her husband and two pets and writes from her ivory tower. Visit her online at rachelhauck.com, Facebook: rachelhauck, and Twitter: @RachelHauck.
Cindy Kirk Bio:
Cindy Kirk sold her first book in 1999 as a result of a contest win which garnered a critique of the entire manuscript. She’s been writing—and selling—ever since. Cindy has been a Booksellers’ Best Award Winner, a finalist for the National Readers’ Choice Awards and a Publishers Weekly best seller. Cindy has served on the Board of Directors of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) since 2007. In November 2014, she began serving as President of the 10,000+ member organization. She’s a frequent speaker at not only the national RWA conferences, but large regional writing conferences. She has also presented at smaller retreats and conferences across the country. She lives on an acreage in Nebraska with her high school sweetheart husband of too-many-years-to-count and their three “boys” (a shih tzu, a blue heeler and a dorkie). Their daughter lives close by with her wonderful husband and their two little girls. Cindy invites you to check out her websitewww.cindykirk.com. Twitter: @CindyKirkAuthor
Cheryl Wyatt Bio:
Cheryl Wyatt writes romance with virtue. She’s a USA Today bestselling author and has earned RT Top Picks, spots #1 and #4 on her debut publisher’s Top 10 Most-Blogged-About-Books list, Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence final, and other awards. Cheryl loves readers! Join her newsletter at www.CherylWyatt.com. Facebook: CherylWyattAuthor Twitter: @cherylwyatt
GIVEAWAY:
To celebrate the A Season To Wed Celebration Tour, Rachel Hauck is giving away a Kindle Fire! Click to enter https://promosimple.com/ps/953c
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