"How to Age Disgracefully" by Clare Pooley

How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley is about a handful of older people who band together to stop their senior center from being shut down.  I enjoyed it!  I liked the characters and it was funny at times too.  The story line kept the book moving along and there is even a dog in it which always is a good thing!  This is an enjoyable, light read.  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Secrets of Midwives" by Sally Hepworth

In The Secrets of Midwives by Sally Hepworth, Neva does not want anyone to know who the father is of the baby she is about to have.  Why?  Floss, Neva's grandmother, has a secret that goes back 60 years about her child's birth.  If that gets out there will be trouble for all!  

As always, Sally made me care about these characters and had an ending I did not see coming at all!  (Gerard's review, 5 stars)

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"The Selection by Kiera Cass is a Fun Read!

I’ve heard so much about The Selection series by Kiera Cass that I finally gave in and started it. The first book of the series, Selection, is a fun, light read about the rags to riches story of America Singer, a teenage girl. This is set in a future time where what once was America is now the country of Illéia. There is a royal family who rules and a caste system in place. America’s family are “fives” which are made up of musicians and artists. Just one level above “sixes” who are servants which is the caste Aspen is in. Aspen and America are in a serious relationship but have to keep it secret since they are in different castes. One day America gets a letter that could change her life forever, inviting her to apply to be Prince Maxon’s princess. Thirty-five girls will be selected for him to get to know and choose his princess from. During the selection process, their families will be compensated for allowing their daughters to participate in the selection. This first book is about the girls being selected and the process of Prince Maxon trying to narrow down the number.

I enjoyed this book because it is entertaining and reminded me of the show, The Bachelor. Prince Maxon, however, is a nice guy and not a sleeze at all. I like the humor throughout the book and how America slowly discovers that Maxon is not the snob she expected him to be. In fact, he is nothing but exceptionally nice to her! The love triangle that develops between her, Aspen and Maxon gets a push when Aspen is drafted as a guard at the palace and is assigned to guard America’s room. This is a quick read and I am anxious to continue on with this series. This is a pretty uplifting read with lots of happy moments.
(Karen’s review, 4 stars)

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

I linked this up to Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop in response to the book review prompt.  You can too!

"Put a Ring on It" by Beth Kendrick (Updated)

Put a Ring On It by Beth Kendrick is a fluffy romance novel about Brighton, an insurance actuary with a passion for designing jewelry. Her fiancé who she is helping to pass his bar exam, breaks off their engagement and marries someone else. On the rebound, Brighton visits an old college friend and gets caught up in a whirlwind romance with Jake Sorenson, a very wealthy good-looking man. This book is about taking risks and following your passion.

I enjoyed this story as an entertaining read; however, did not care for how it treats marriage so lightly. It is absurd that both Brighton and Colin would marry someone they just met, but that’s what happens. I did like the ending very much though and would recommend it if you are looking for a light fun, entertaining romance novel.  I liked the cover although it is really misleading.  The dog in the book has a very small part and the cover led me to believe it was more about the dog than it is.  (Karen's review 10/29/15, 3 stars)


Put a Ring on It by Beth Kendrick is about Brighton Smith, a very rational young lady who is an insurance actuary that follows all the rules and knows them all too!  However, the morning her fiance breaks off their engagement, she does something unthinkable for her.  Will her act turn out okay and will this lead her life to somewhere she does not want to go?

This is a woman's book but I enjoyed it anyway.  The story flowed well and I liked Brighton.  The dog in it was good too!  Give it a chance.
(Gerard's review 10/21/15, 4 stars)

(We received this book free for a review and were not compensated.) 

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. To find books on a specific topic, scroll to the bottom and click on the topic you want. Happy Reading!

"One Plus One" by Jojo Moyes Recommended by ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

One Plus One by Jojo Moyes tells the story of Jess, whose husband leaves her with a young son and young daughter and lots of problems.  A man named Ed also has a problem of his own that he is dealing with.  You will have to read this really good book to see what the problems are.  I always wanted to get back to it and I enjoyed all the characters, my favorite one was Norman.  If you read it, I’m sure you will agree!  LOVED IT! 
(Gerard's review, 5++ stars)


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!

"The Husband's Secret" by Liane Moriarty is So Good! (Updated 9/13/13)

Just gets better and better as it goes along!

updated 9/13/13:
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty reminded me of a soap opera with so many characters.  Cecelia accidentally finds a sealed envelope addressed to her with clear instructions not to open it unless her husband is dead.   Of course, the wife cannot resist opening it, and can't believe what she is reading.  It puts her in a very awkward position and doesn't know what to do. 


I did not guess what the husband's secret was until I started reading the book and then I had an idea of what it might be. There is some bad language which I did not care for and the infidelity between Tess and her husband turned me off, but overall it was a very good plot and an interesting read.  I was puzzled though that it was around Good Friday and Easter when this took place, but the season was autumn.  Easter is in the spring!  I think this would make for a good book club read.
(Karen's review)

I found out the reason The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty is No. 5 on the New York Times best seller list--it is because this book is so good!  I finished it in two days.  

The beginning part of the book sets the stage and when the husband's secret is revealed in a letter marked not to open until he dies, his wife opens it anyway.  The novel really takes off as the tension builds about if the secret which has the potential to destroy lives will be revealed to the outside world or not.  

The characters in this book are believable and I loved how all the plot lines came together at the end.  And get this:  the epilogue is very good and ends the book just right!  Put this on your TBR list, you will be glad you did!  
(Gerard's review, 5+ stars)

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!

Loved "A Bride For All Seasons--The Mail-Order Bride Collection" by Four Different Authors

Great Beach Read--Very Enjoyable!

Do you like reading clean historical romance books?  Do you enjoy mail-order bride stories?  I do, so when I saw A Bride For All Seasons—The Mail-order Bride Collection, I just had to read it and was not at all disappointed.  In fact, it is a collection of four novellas by four different authors:  And Then Came Spring by Margaret Brownley, An Ever After Summer by Debra Clopton, Autumn’s Angel by Robin Lee Hatcher, and Winter Wedding Bells by Mary Connealy.  I loved them all!

This book is so cool because all four mail-order bride stories are tied together by the common matchmaker, Melvin Hitchcock of The Hitching Post, a mail-order bride catalogue with the highest rate of successful marriages.  None of the couples that were matched up in this book got what they expected because Melvin edited their letters, at times l just omitting something that he felt would prevent the client’s chances of finding a match!  Consequently, all the couples have trust issues to begin with and it was fun to see how the couples get past that and become happily married in time.  (See My two teasers.)

Out of the four authors, I was only familiar with Mary Connealy, but now I have a whole list of books to read by the other three authors as well!  This book is a fun, entertaining read.  There are also three discussion questions for each novella in the back.  This would be a great Book Club read!
(Karen's review)

Check out my progress on learning to Juggle (part 2) using The Great Juggling Kit book.

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!

Linked up with Mama Kat's Writer's Workshop today for the prompt:  Book review!  What are you reading this summer?

"Someday, Someday, Maybe" by Lauren Graham of Gilmore Girls and Parenthood

Someday, Someday, Maybe is Lauren Graham's first book.   I loved her on the show, "Gilmore Girls" and now on "Parenthood."  She tells the story of a young woman who wants to be an actress on Broadway, sharing the trials and triumphs she goes through, hoping to make her dream come true.  It is very funny, like watching an episode of "Gilmore Girls."  Do yourself a favor and pick it up.  You will be glad you did!
(Gerard's review, 4 stars)

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!

"Speechless" by Hannah Harrington

Curl up with a good book like Manny Boy!

In Speechless by Hannah Harrington, Chelsea talks a bit too much and spreads some gossip that causes some tragic incidents. She decides to take a vow of silence and finds out things about herself and who she can really count on. I thought this book was very good with a good ending too! It went fast and I got into it! It includes a book discussion and a talk with the author at the end. Read both!
(Gerard's review, rating 5+ stars)

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!

"The Violets of March" by Sarah Jio

"The Violets of March" by Sarah Jio is a very interesting romance novel with mystery as well. It’s about a successful New York author who is recently divorced and goes to visit her aunt Bee at her beach house in Bainbridge to get away and think things through. While there, she discovers a diary about a woman’s similar experience to hers and gets drawn into trying to piece the bits and pieces together about her grandmother’s story.


I liked this book because it is not predictable from the start like many romance novels are. I didn’t understand what drew men to her like bees to honey, but it kept my interest all through. It’s about following your heart and knowing your true love will last forever. I enjoyed this light and entertaining read. If you like romance novels, I highly recommend it!
(Karen's review:  My rating 4 out of 5 stars)

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!

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"Susannah’s Garden" by Debbie Macomber

Sorry, cats weren't cooperating to model for me today.

Susannah's Garden by Debbie Macomber is a romance novel that covers young love, missed love, love in marriage and love after death.  Susannah is bored with her life, which although is good, isn’t really happy.  Susannah struggles with her college age daughter, her mother, her anger towards her dead father and her sense of missing something in her marriage.  Susannah wonders if she married the wrong man and seeks to find her first love in her hometown while getting her mother moved into an assisted living facility with the “help” of her daughter.  As Susannah hunts down her first love, hangs out with her best friend from high school, and packs up her parents things, she makes some enlightening discoveries which made the ending very interesting.

I loved the cover and liked some of Debbie Macomber’s other books so chose to read Susannah’s Garden.  I think the title and cover of this book are misleading.  For example, the cat belongs to a neighbor and is mentioned only once.  “Susannah’s garden” was mentioned twice and not until the last third of the book.  I would have chosen “Stupid Susannah,” “Judge Dad” or “Peace with the Past” instead.  I kept thinking Susannah was stupid through most of the book.  I liked this book okay, but it is all about relationships and the most action was when Susannah’s mother moved into the assisted living facility so it’s not a page turner.  My favorite character was Vivian, Susannah’s mother.  I felt sad for her having to leave her home just because she got lost one day and claimed to see her dead husband.   

If you want a good book about a garden, I recommend either The Midwife’s Confession by Diane Chamberlain or Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah.

 
Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

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"Obsessive Obsession" by Toye Brown

I recently learned that one of my co-workers also published a book, Obsessive Obsession, through Outskirts Press so we exchanged books.  Obsessive Obsession is Toye Brown’s first book.   It is a romantic suspense novel that starts slow but picks up speed as it goes.  It is about the love lives of a wealthy minister’s four daughters, Toni, Nayla, Belle and Tina, who find love with good men.  The suspense comes when someone tries to extort money from the family and puts all of them in danger.  Instead of reporting it to the authorities, the women and their boyfriend detectives and husbands work together to solve it on their own.  Although the women were raised in a Christian family, they depart from their Christian upbringing when they become romantically involved.         

I liked the story line showing how the family supported one another and worked together to get to the bottom of the mystery of who was doing the stalking and trying to destroy them.  Of the couples, I liked Nayla and Ben the best.  My favorite line was when Tina said to Nayla, “Oh my god, Nayla, you are a walking disaster waiting to happen.”  I would classify this as a light humorous suspense romance with a sweet happy ending. 

It has some bad language and the couples calling each other “baby” all the time got on my nerves.  I had a hard time at the beginning keeping all the characters straight so appreciated the list of characters in the Prologue which I found myself referring back to quite often.  It was very helpful.  If you are looking for great literature, this isn’t it. However, if you can overlook a lot of spelling errors, and let yourself enjoy the story, it’s worth your while.  

(Karen's Review) 

Torey's website is Welcome To Toye's Place

Check out my interview with Toye Brown

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Twenty Wishes" by Debbie Macomber

After reading several murder mysteries and then The Hunger Games I was ready for something uplifting so chose Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber.  This is contemporary fiction that I found to be heart warming and inspirational.  It’s about Ann Marie, owner of a bookstore and a terrier named Baxter who is a widow and gets together with a group of other widows who all make a list of 20 wishes which change their outlook and their life.  The main plot is about Ann Marie reluctantly volunteering to be a lunch buddy to a very shy 8-yr.old girl, Ellen, once a week at the school and how that not only changes her life, but how each of them make the others wishes come true.  This book is all about relationships and moving out of your comfort zone to live life. 

This book is full of romance, mother-daughter relationships, dealing with grief and moving forward with your life.  I liked this book because I loved the main story line about Ann Marie, her dog, her relationship with her stepdaughter and Ellen and think any woman would enjoy it.  The romance in it was also humorous.  It was a delightful read!  It inspired me to start a wish list too.

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?

"Crossroads" by Belva Plain

Crossroads by Belva Plain is all about relationships and the marriages of two jealous women.  It had the high society woman, Gwen, who was adopted by a wealthy and smart business woman, fall in love with a blue-collar worker pitted against the beautiful Julia with her rags to riches story and her jealousy of Gwen.  Both Gwen and Julia's husband went against their parent's advice.  The one man compromised his integrity in favor of making a lot of money and the other stood his ground and proved to be a hard-working and loving husband.  This book definitely shows it's not all about money, but following your passion that makes one happy.  It is a good read if you like books about relationships and romance. I would say this is chick lit.

(Karen's review 3/2/10)

Please tell us: What categories of literature do you like? What are you reading now? Who are your top five favorite authors? Have you read this one? What did you think of it?