Mindy

Jul 162014
 

Diamond Rings Deadly.fDiamond Rings are Deadly Things

Author: Rachelle J. Christensen

Publisher: Shadow Mountain

Published: July 8th, 2014

ISBN13: 9781609078614

Paperback: 320 pages

FTC FYI: Received a paperback copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Adrielle Pyper knows how to plan a wedding, and she’s especially good at pleasing bridezillas. But when her biggest client and best friend is married just three days before the wedding, Adri’s world falls apart. She moves to the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, and starts from scratch. Thanks to Adri’s impeccable tast and unique style, she lands two celebrity clients, and her business seems headed for success—that is, until someone vandalizes the specialty wedding dresses she imported from overseas. The race is on to uncover a secret hidden within the yards of satin and lace before Adri becomes the next victim.

With a delightful blend of mystery, toe-curling kisses, humor, and spine-tingling thrills, Diamond Rings are Deadly Things is a romantic suspense novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

My Review

I am so thrilled to be a part of this blog tour.  This book is an absolute delight!  I loved the characters, the mystery, the romance, the humor, the crafts (and I don’t craft).  Such a fun book with excellent writing by its author and entertainment all around.  Adri is so much fun and I loved her attention to detail and preciseness.  The way she went about her day and planned her weddings (even under loads of stress and a sad past) was fun to read.  I loved the chapter headings too with all the fun tips.  This book reminds me a lot of Josi S. Kilpack’s Sadie Hoffmiller series, which is a favorite of mine.  Although they are different ages, I think Sadie and Adri have a lot in common.  That being said, Adri can stand on her own!  I also enjoyed the Ketchum/Sun Valley setting and small town feel and the careful details and expression about things.  I enjoyed how Rachelle didn’t throw all the back story and previous events before the book began, at the reader all at once.  I loved easing in to the story and welcomed the addition of past events told throughout.  It was a great way to keep me reading and reading!

Pick up your copy today!  I know you will like it as much as I did.

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Deseret Book

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Twitter

Christensen, RachelleAbout the Author

Rachelle J. Christensen is a mom of four cute kids. She has an amazing husband, three cats, and five chickens. Her first novel, Wrong Number was awarded Outstanding Book of the Year from the League of Utah Writers and was also a 2010 Whitney Finalist. Her second suspense novel, Caller ID was released March 2012. She is also the author of a nonfiction book, Lost Children: Coping with Miscarriage for Latter Day Saints. Rachelle enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading. Visit herwww.rachellewrites.blogspot.com to learn more about upcoming books.

 

 

 

 

 

diamond_ringsa Rafflecopter giveaway

Jul 092014
 

12812539 16235831Fractured TruthFractured Light, Fractured Soul, Fractured Truth

Author: Rachel McClellan

Publisher: Sweetwater Books/Cedar Fort

ISBN13: 9781599559421, 9781462111800, 9781462113927

Goodreads Book Summaries

Fractured Light

I’m dying, I thought. This was unexpected and not at all how I envisioned my death. I was supposed to die gardening in a flowerbed as a hundred-year-old woman, not as a seventeen-year-old trapped in a lake beneath inches of ice.

Llona Reese is used to living on the run. After the Vykens killed her parents, she knew they would eventually come for her too. She can’t take any chances. But when she starts to make friends for the first time in her life, she gets careless and lets her guard down. Big mistake.

As an Aura, Llona can manipulate light and harness its energy. But if she wants to survive, Llona will have to defy the Auran Council and learn to use her power as a weapon against the Vyken whose sole desire is to take her light. Now she’s caught in something even bigger than she can understand, with a power she can’t wield, and no one she can trust, except, just maybe, a mysterious stranger.

In this breathtaking and romantic adventure, Rachel McClellan delivers a truly mesmerizing story that will keep you guessing to the very end.

Purchase Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Fractured Soul

Llona will do whatever it takes to protect her new found friends and home, but the dark plot that is threatening Lucent Academy, a school that’s supposed to be a safe place for Auras, may be too powerful for even Llona to defeat. This fast-paced tale of love, loyalty, and overcoming the darkness will keep you on the edge of your seat until the last page!

Purchase Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Fractured Truth

Llona is determined to end the fight with the Vykens once and for all. All she needs is to find and destroy the Shadow—the ultimate source of dark power. But when she makes a startling discovery about someone she loves, Llona has to fight the toughest battle yet in this exciting conclusion to the Fractured Light series.

Purchase Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

My Review

I have been wanting to read this series for quite some time.  I am so glad I finally made the time to read it.  The Fractured Light series is full of action, romance, suspense, very cool magic, and of course amazing characters.  Llona is one tough cookie.  Although, when we first meet her in Fractured Light, she is shy, but aware of the fact that she is an Aura.  She can manipulate light, but has never been taught how to use it.  She shies away from people and doesn’t want to use her light to help others.  Mysterious things start happening to her and they also involve her friend May, who also shows signs of powers.  She meets Christian and it turns out he has secrets of his own.  As the book progresses, she starts to realize the need to learn how to use her powers.  Devastating events take place and she is forced to learn things quickly about herself and who the Auras really are.

As much as I enjoyed the first book, the next two were even more entertaining.  They all are so full of surprises and twists, that I had to go back and read many scenes to relive it all.  There is action at every turn and so many twists.  One I saw coming, but others were so surprising.  I loved how the author grew her characters, especially Llona.  She is awesome.  Start with Book 1 when you read this series and keep going until the end!

Author Links 

Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter

Jun 182014
 

Rebel-Princess-2x3-WEBThe Rebel Princess

Author: Janice Sperry

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Published: June 10th, 2014

ISBN13: 9781462114306

Paperback: 192 pages

Genre: Middle grade fantasy

FTC FYI: Received a PDF copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Goodreads Summary

Meet the upside-down fairy-tale princess! Raven Perilous is not nice because nice princesses get locked in towers. When Prince Charming shows up, Raven—who is not in distress—decides to show him who’s boss. This enchanting adventure, filled with magic forests and mystical creatures, will captivate fans of fairy tales everywhere!

My Review

This book is an absolute joy.  I loved Raven instantly.  Her humor and disdain for being a princess is what kept me reading eagerly.  I loved how the author incorporated many different fairytales in this enjoyable story.  I also loved the idea of Raven’s parents and how they came to our world.  Raven is a twin, and he, Edgar, is an evil sorcerer.  He was also a favorite character.  Raven’s only friend is Amy (even though everyone loves her and thinks she’s darling because she’s a princess, which she can’t stand).  But, she has secrets of her own.  Raven’s world get turned even more upside down when Eric Charming comes to her school.  Together they are forced on a quest that is full of adventure and fun.  

4 out of 5 stars.  This is Janice’s first book and I am eagerly waiting to see if there will be second one.  This book is a great middle grade fantasy that is just as enjoyable for adults as kids.

Author Links

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Rebel-Princess-blog-tour

 

Jun 052014
 

Darkwood Castle cover (1)The Secrets of Darkwood Castle

Author: Heather Ostler

Publisher: Crushing Hearts and Black Butterflies Publishing

Published: May 21st, 2014

ISBN13: 9780692222751

Paperback: 384 pages

FTC FYI: Received a Kindle copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary 

18-year-old Julia Levesque is returning to Lockham Castle for her third and final year of shapeshifting school. She’s become a powerful werecat, completely embraced her siren side, and has found true love; but her problems are far from over. Julia is the lead candidate to become ambassador of Ossai, her world, in the hopes of ending the reign of the evil Guild. With her estranged mother as the Guild’s dictator, she knows it won’t be easy. She’ll have to travel to Darkwood Castle, a sinister and hopeless palace in order to stop her mother from destroying Ossai. Julia must find a way to save her world—and those she loves most. Otherwise, they’ll both be lost forever.

My Review

Julia has grown a lot since the first book.  She has come to terms with her destiny as a shapeshifter and a siren, and her future with Caleb.  Julia does feel things have been left up in the air with Terrance, and I liked how they were able to work things out.  Many exciting things are happening to many of the characters.  Not only does Julia and those around her need to worry about Guild attacks and Julia’s mother Alexis, they are encountered with a stranger that Julia has a hard time trusting.  School is challenging and while Julia is dealing with running for ambassadorship, the Guild attacks those she loves.

4 out of 5 stars.  I have been a big fan of this series from the first book.  Heather is a dear friend and I am happy how successful these books have been.  I loved how in The Secrets of Darkwood Castle, the author jumps right in to the story.  Then, later, when the action settles down for a bit, does a great job of catching the reader up on important events that happened in the first two books.  That being said, I would recommend starting with The Shapeshifter’s Secret, then The Siren’s Secret, so you are fresh and know everything.  During the last half of the book, I had a hard time stopping reading!  So many exciting things happened, the pages turned themselves.  The author plants many great seeds along the way that come to play later in the story.

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Jun 042014
 

Divinity of Women_COVERThe Divinity of Women: Inspiration and Insights from Women of the Scriptures 

Authors: Heather B. Moore and S. Kent Brown

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published: March 2014

Hardcover: 123 pages

ISBN13: 978-1-62108-623-9

Religious non-fiction

FTC FYI: Received a hardcover copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

From the moment woman was created on Earth, she served a divine purpose. History is filled with accounts of women who have overcome incredible odds and accomplished great deeds. We can read about some of them in ancient scriptural texts—prophetesses, priestesses, queens, wives of prophets, and daughters of kings.

Most women will not obtain any such title, and they may easily conclude that they’ll never have these types of responsibilities while on earth. But even if they’re not numbered among the higher profile women of past or present, women must understand that they have a calling that supersedes any who’s who list and tops every worldly accolade or prestigious title: They are divine women. They are noble daughters of God.

As we study the divine women who have gone before us and how they handled their various callings and duties, both small and lofty, women will soon recognize the divinity within themselves. The choices that may seem insignificant today have eternal importance, in which a woman’s daily tasks and decisions create the warp and weft of their own souls, and the souls of those they influence. As the nature of divinity slowly weaves itself together through faith and endurance, women will come to understand just how noble and precious their heritage is and how they might serve best in the divine roles with which each has been entrusted.

My Review

I’ve been reading bits and pieces of this book on Sundays after I get home from church.  Mainly to learn more about these incredible women from the scriptures, but also to keep the spirit of the day with me.  I am blown away by the absolute beauty of this book and the time and research it must have taken to write.  I have always been impressed with Heather Moore, but this book brought her to a whole new level of awesome.

As much as I loved the entire book, the conclusion was my favorite.

By studying women who have gone before us and how, with heaven’s help, they have handled their various callings and duties, both small and lofty, women find strength and comfort in the fact that they are not alone in their duties and responsibility of making correct choices.  (page 109)

I often feel the overwhelming burden of being a mother in these times and my responsibilities to my family.  In reading this book, I am reminding of the powerful examples of those who came before me, that they had a lot more to bear than I, and if I but hold true to my Heavenly Father and His plan, I will overcome as well.

5 out of 5 stars.  The book itself is lovely to look at with lovely pictures, and typesetting that adds so much.

About the Authors

HEATHER B. MOORE is the two-time Best of State and two-time Whitney Award winner for her historical fiction, the most recent being Esther the Queen.She is also the author of the nonfiction inspirational book Women of the Book of Mormon and the coauthor of Christ’s Gifts to Women with Angela Eschler. Heather is a columnist for Meridian Magazine on LDS topics.

DR. S. KENT BROWN is the author of scores of doctrinal works and scripture commentaries, and he is the executive produce of the Messiah film series. His educational background includes a PhD in religious studies, and he has served as the chair of Ancient Scripture at BYU, the director of the BYU-Jerusalem Center, editor in chief of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, and associate director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute. He currently serves as the New Testament scholar consultant for the LDS.org film vignettes on the Savior’s life.

Purchase Links

Deseret Book / Seagull Book / Amazon

 

May 302014
 

18479841Spy for a Spy: Spy Another Day #2

Author: Jordan McCollum

Publisher: Durham Crest Book

Published: November 13, 2013

ISBN13: 9781940096032

Paperback: 320 pages

FTC FYI: Received a PDF copy from the author in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Canada is probably the last place you’d expect to find an American spy. And it was the last place CIA operative Talia Reynolds expected to run into fellow operative Brand Copley. AKA her new boss. AKA her ex-boyfriend.

Just the guy every woman wants to face in the middle of planning her wedding. Once again, Talia’s lying to the man she loves, but this time, to protect his heart.

After Brand takes over Talia’s latest case and steals her newest agent, he assigns her to spy on her old boss—who’s suddenly giving her every reason not to trust him. With only weeks until the big day, planning falls by the wayside as she goes into damage control mode. But when Talia discovers Brand’s real plan, fighting him is the only option, no matter what the personal and professional cost.

My Review

I was thrilled that both Spy for a Spy and I, Spy were Whitney Award finalists for 2013. Not only was it very deserved, but I was also so happy for Jordan.  I loved, loved, loved this book. While reading, right away, I knew I was going to love this book, just like I loved I, Spy.  I loved Spy for a Spy even more, if that was even possible!  Talia is such a great character. Her snark, humor, and smarts are my favorite things about her. She is always full of surprises and just plain awesome.  Loved Danny too. Jordan is such a great author. She really knows how to draw you in and makes you keep reading until the end, and then you’re wanting more. I can’t wait for more from her. This book has it all!

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Smashwords 

Author Links

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

About the Author

7064847An award-winning author, Jordan McCollum can’t resist a story where good defeats evil and true love conquers all. In her day job, she coerces people to do things they don’t want to, elicits information and generally manipulates the people she loves most–she’s a mom.

Jordan holds a degree in American Studies and Linguistics from Brigham Young University. When she catches a spare minute, her hobbies include reading, knitting and music. She lives with her husband and four children in Utah.