"A Mrs. Miracle Christmas" by Debbie Macomber

In A Mrs. Miracle Christmas by Debbie Macomber, Laura is worried about her grandmother, Helen, getting Dementia.  She doesn't want to leave her alone so hires a home-care provider, Mrs. Miracle, from Caring Angels.  Laura and Zach can't have children so tried to adopt but were devastated when it didn't work out.  Laura is thrilled her Nana and Mrs. Miracle hit it off and has seen improvement in Nana's behavior and attitude since she hired Mrs. Miracle.  When Helen tells Laura that Mrs. Miracle is a real angel, Laura begins to worry again. 

This is a delightful, entertaining read that reminded me of the show, Touched by an Angel.  If you liked that show, I would highly recommend this book to you.  My favorite characters are Helen and Mrs. Miracle.  It's a fun, light read.  It could easily be a Hallmark Christmas movie in my opinion.
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

Teaser from page 30:  That Mrs. Miracle knew this shouldn't have surprised Helen, if indeed she was an angel.  But it sure seemed to Helen that this woman was privy to a lot of personal information, angel or not.

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"Life and Other Inconveniences" by Kristan Higgins is Heartwarming and Touching

Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristan Higgins is a heartwarming, touching novel about family, love, grief, marriage and personal relationships. This is not a book with action but about life issues such as brother rivalry, unwed mother, marriage, suicide, single parenting, death, wealth, self-esteem, illness and family relationships.

 It started out slow for me and I was a bit confused at first because of so many characters to keep straight. I even set it aside and almost gave up on it but am glad I finished it.  I liked the dogs though and Luigi, Miller's cat.  The ending was very touching and made me tear up. I chose to read this one because I saw a book club recommended it and I saw it also recommended other books I enjoyed. Discussions questions are included in the back for book clubs. (4 stars)

Teaser from page 5: A few years ago, I’d told Riley the facts: Genevieve London of the adorable purses was my grandmother, and I’d lived with her for ten years after my mother died because my father couldn’t take care of me. I explained that Genevieve wasn’t the nicest person, so we didn’t talk anymore.


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"The Forgetting Time" by Sharon Guskin is Unforgettable!

I liked The Forgetting Time a debut novel by Sharon Guskin.  Janie knows that nothing comes easy for her with her 4-yr.-old son, Noah, but when his preschool calls her again, she knows it's time to get him some professional help.  Enter Dr. Jerome Anderson, who just received some bad news and knows his time of normal functioning is fading.  When Noah's mom comes to him for help with her son, he sees a last chance to finish his life's work.

I thought this book was very well done.  It kept my interest throughout and had some twists I did not see coming.  Congrats to the author on a great first novel!
 Gerard's review (5 stars)
 
(Karen's review, 4 stars): 
The Forgetting Time by Sharon Guskin will probably prove to be unforgettable for me! When 4-yr.-old Noah screams his head off if his mother tries to bathe him, has nightmares, says he wants to go home and wants his other mama, and talks about things such as shooting a rifle, going to their beach house, Lord Voldemort and all kinds of lizards he has no way of knowing about, she is at her wits end. She and the psychologists she has taken him to don’t have a clue what is wrong with him or how he knows these things.

Finally, she discovers a psychiatrist who is looking for one more American case to complete his book about the possibility of living more than one life.  Noah becomes his last case before he loses speech altogether as he has just been diagnosed with Aphasia--a rare type of Dementia that affects the language center.  The story is told from different points of view.

This book was interesting but kind of like a contemporary science fiction story about boys and two mothers. It starts off pretty slow but builds along the way to a great ending. I initially thought Noah was just a bratty kid, but liked him as the story opened my understanding as to maybe why he acted as he did.


SPOILER ALERT--STOP IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS YET! 
I got a bit bored when the author inserted the “cases” for reincarnation from other countries that were not directly related to the main story line; however, when I did an online search for "life before life" I found it to be an actual book that several of the cases were quoted from by Jim B. Tucker.  I was just curious about that.  The Doctor's story runs along with the main story in this book.  I did not like the ending to his story line though.  Although I personally do not believe in reincarnation, I still enjoyed this book.



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"Stuck Together-Trouble in Texas Book 3" by Mary Connealy

For Valentine's Day, I am reviewing the historical romance novel I just finished.

Stuck Together—Trouble in Texas, book 3 by Mary Connealy Is about the romance between Vince and Tina, Jonas’ sister. When Vince’s parents and half-sister arrive in town, he gets all shook up and fears that he will become like his tyrannical father or his mother who has dementia. He gets stuck at being sheriff of the town (with no pay) and has to deal with tracking down some drunk who shot at Luke, an escaped prisoner, taking care of his mother and falling in love with Tina, the most beautiful woman he ever saw.

I enjoyed this quick western romance because the women were pretty feisty and it was cute how the Jonas and Vince both liked each other’s sister. Vince’s mother, Mrs. Yates, was a sweet old lady who kept trying to go out when no one was paying attention to her and was quite successful. I thought it was really nice how the townspeople all joined together to take turns keeping watch over Mrs. Yates. This book had more romance than the first two which I liked better, but still had a little action and excitement at the end.
(Karen's review, 3 stars)


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"I Will Never Forget" by Elaine C. Pereira

I Will Never Forget—A Daughter’s Story of Her Mother’s Arduous and Humorous Journey through Dementia by Elaine C. Pereira is informative, heartbreaking and emotional.  Although it starts a bit slow, about halfway through I found myself really enjoying it.  This book gives a glimpse into what it’s like for those dealing with dementia.  I could certainly feel the daughter’s sadness when she realized her mom was worse off than she thought and had some difficult decisions to make.  This is a touching story of love between a mother and daughter that I could certainly relate to.  As I read, it made me even more thankful that neither of my parents suffered with dementia.  This book is an eye opener that gives insight into independent living, assisted living, Memory Care and Hospice facilities as the daughter shares about her mother’s journey.  I recommend it to anyone who would like to know more about how to deal with someone with dementia or wants to know more about the illness.   
(Karen's review, 4 stars)

(I was given a free copy to review but this did not affect my review.)

Have you read this one? What did you think of it? If you reviewed this too, feel free to share your link to your review in the comments. Happy Reading!

"Dark Justice" by Brandilyn Collins Kept Both of Us Turning Pages

Dark Justice by Brandilyn Collins got my interest right away when Hannah and her mother with Dementia stop to help a man who was in an accident at the side of the road.  In that instant, their lives changed and they found themselves in danger.  Hannah soon became a "person of interest" in two murders but she didn't do it!  Where do you go when bad people are trying to kill you because you inadvertently came across some very important information that could prevent a terrorist attack and you don't trust the police? 

I liked the main characters in this book, Hannah and her mother and daughter.  Although the plot was pretty unbelievable, the way the three women stuck together and tried to protect each other was very realistic.  I liked that this book had suspense on just about every page without any swearing.  I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys suspense.  Brandilyn Collins is one of my favorite Christian fiction authors and this one is as good as her others I have read.
(Karen's review)

You can never go wrong with a Brandilyn Collins book, but I think Dark Justice is one of her better ones.  When a woman gets mixed up in a terrorist plot against the USA, the chase in on!  Not only is she at risk, but her 80-yr.-old mother suffering from Dementia and her daughter are also.  There is lots of action to be sure!  I enjoyed this book a lot!
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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"Turn Of Mind" by Alice LaPlante

Turn of Mind by Alice LaPlante is told by Dr. Jennifer White, who has Dementia, where it is hard to remember and recognize people.  Unfortunately, in reality a lot of people suffer from this. 

In Turn of Mind, Jennifer may or may not have killed her long-time friend and neighbor.  She also has to deal with her two grown children who have their own agenda, plus a caregiver who is anything but.  I enjoyed reading this right from the start and the incredible ending made this a "two WOW" book for me! 

If you are looking for a beach read or light reading, this is not it.  However, if you are looking for a page turner and something you will remember, you just found it! 
(Gerard's review)

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