Mindy

The Daisy Chain (An Aliso Creek Novella) by Heather B. Moore

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Feb 062013
 

The Daisy Chain (An Aliso Creek Novella)

Author: Heather B. Moore

Publisher: Mirror Press

Published: January 31st, 2013

ebook: 65 pages

ASIN: B00B9HHPQU

FTC FYI: I received a free ebook from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary 

Welcome to the Aliso Creek Novella Series
Liz, Gemma, Arie, Jess, and Drew have been best friends since creating “the Five” at Aliso Creek High School. But that was over ten years ago, and each is still trying to find that perfect someone… if perfect is even possible.

Actually, Jess Giles does find her perfect match, but since Charlie’s several years older than she, they never have a moment of harmony from his adult kids who protest the marriage. When Charlie dies in a tragic accident, his kids add insult to injury and sue Jess for her share of the inheritance. The only person Jess trusts for financial advice is Charlie’s financial planner, Preston Michaels. Just talking to Preston on the phone makes Jess feel flustered, yet strangely comfortable at the same time, so she puts off meeting him for as long as possible. When Jess has to attend the formal hearing, she’s about to find out if the man she’s been talking to over the phone for several months lives up to the voice that she’s grown attached to.

My Review

Right away I was taken into Jess’s story.  We meet her on the first anniversary of her husband’s death.  She is sad and having a hard time coping.  Some members of “the Five” come to visit her to cheer her up, but Arie knows there is more to her sadness then what Jess is saying.  Even though Jess’s husband Charlie was older then her, she truly loved him and misses him.  To make matters worse, Charlie’s son and daughter are suing Jess for the money that he left her.  Her only salvation has been Preston Michaels, Jess’s financial planner.  They have never met in person, and Preston is asking Jess to come to a scheduled court date.  Jess needs to gather all the courage she can to try to be strong to move on with her life.

5 out of 5 stars.  I am loving this series from Heather B. Moore.  Her writing is so strong and I am immediately taken into the story.  Her characters are always likable and I care about what happens to them.  I can’t wait for the next installment.

A Timeless Romance Anthology (Spring Vacation Collection) is out now.  Arie’s story is told in this book.  Like the Winter Romance Anthology, there are also five other authors that are part of the collection.  Josi S. Kilpack, Annette Lyon, Heather Justesen, Sarah M. Eden, and Aubrey Mace.  I know I will enjoy this!

Author Links

Website / Fans of H.B. Moore on Facebook / Twitter / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Smashwords

Adversarius (Shadow of the Rose) by M.L. Chesley — Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Jan 282013
 

Adversarius (Shadow of the Rose)

Author: M.L. Chesley

Publisher: Hellfire Publishing

Published: December, 2012

ASIN: B00AJA967O

ebook

FTC FYI: We received an ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy and Sheila

Goodreads Summary

Two kingdoms, two goals.

The king of Relavia is determined to wipe out his warring neighbors in Paridzule, a worthy adversary for over five hundred years. News of an arranged marriage between his son and the daughter of his lifelong enemy has fueled the temper of Relavia’s tyrannical king. What he doesn’t realize is the true measure of his son’s honor and how far he is willing to go to gain peace.

Mindy’s Review

Shadow of the Rose, is a very enjoyable story.  However, at times in the beginning, I struggled with names I couldn’t pronounce, phrases repeating, and too much introduced all at once, but I liked the characters and the story is engaging once I read further and got into it more.  There are many characters to keep track of, but the two I enjoyed the most were Black Rose, and Nightshadow.  They were both very intriguing and Nightshadow especially, was awesome.  She was raised as an assassin, and the events of the book have her changing her mind about her upbringing.  I also thought  Farrehn was a great character, for a half-ogre.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars.  The different story lines did keep my interest, and the book reads at a quick pace.  There is a cliff-hanger ending, and I’m excited to see what happens next.

Sheila’s Review

Adversarius: Shadow of the Rose(Book One) is a High Fantasy novel with a lot of action and a lot of characters. At first, I had a hard time keeping track of all of the many different characters and their names. After that was figured out, it was more of a smooth read for me. There are many characters that would vie for status as “main” characters because you have several story-lines going on in this novel. Some of my favorites would have to be Nightshadow, the woman assassin, and the priest named Rose( there is nothing feminine about him!) They had some of the best lines and plots in the book.  Of course the evil villain, the King of Relavia, Li’endrin,is about as bad as bad gets. I didn’t see any goodness in him at all. Anyone that did what he did, to his own children, is an awful creature. Speaking of creatures, there were many different kinds in the story, including dragons and ogres.I really did like the half-ogre, Farrehn. He made me laugh a lot, and really did have a good heart. 
There is a lot to like about this first novel, by Author M.L. Chesley. If you don’t get distracted by the strange names and the many characters, you will find a good fantasy that will keep you involved. Be ready for a cliff-hanger at the end,which will leave you itching for book #2 in the series.

The Guy Next Door by Kate Palmer

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Jan 232013
 

The Guy Next Door

Author: Kate Palmer

Publisher: Covenant

Published: September 2012

Paperback: 235 pages

ISBN: 9781608612

FTC FYI: I received a paperback copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

On the surface, Eva Black’s life seems practically perfect. The small-town kindergarten teacher is set to wed ambitious lawyer Sean Langley, and their plans for a dream wedding are well underway. Eva accepts that she will soon live life in the spotlight as a member of the prestigious Langley family, but can she overlook her fiancé’s tendency to dominate the details of her life and push the limits of her standards?

Mere weeks before the wedding, Eva is thrown into a traumatic, life-changing event that changes her view of family commitment and creates a sharp contrast between her ideals and Sean’s. With her engagement to Sean in jeopardy, Eva finds herself relying on the support and encouragement of Peter, her kind and attentive next-door neighbor. Faced with a choice between her penitent fiancé and the increasingly mysterious Peter, Eva is unprepared for the consequences—and peril—that come with her decision.

My Review — Possible Spoiler

I really enjoyed this book.  I would say my one complaint was Sean.  He was such a jerk.  Some very tragic events occur in Eva’s life, and what she has to cope with is big and life changing.  Sean treats her poorly, and she doesn’t see it as first.  Only when Peter comes into her life, is when things start to change with their relationship.  However, Peter has some secrets of his own.  Although I didn’t like that one character, I really liked Eva, Peter, and the other supporting characters.  Through the time when Peter and Eva were getting to know each other, while he was away for work, Peter would send Eva notes.  I really liked how he saw her and the way their relationship developed.  Eva goes through a lot in the book, and I really enjoyed what she learned about herself, too.

3 1/2 stars.  I was on the edge of my seat at times, wondering what would happen to these characters.  The Guy Next Door is well written and an enjoyable, fast read.

Author Links

Website / Facebook / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Seagull / Deseret Book

Heart of the Ocean by Heather B. Moore — Blog Tour

 Posted by  Blog Tours, Book Reviews, Combined Reviews, Mindy's Reviews, Sheila's Reviews
Jan 102013
 

Heart of the Ocean

Author: Heather B. Moore

Published: Jan. 2013

Publisher: Mirror Press

AISN: B00AVMIK8Q

ebook: 337 pages

FTC FYI: Received review copy

Goodreads Summary

A dark secret . . . a grieving ghost . . . a handsome stranger . . . What more could Eliza Robinson want?

Except for maybe her life.

In Heather B. Moore’s enthralling 1840’s historical romance, Heart of the Ocean, Eliza Robinson has turned down the very pretentious Mr. Thomas Beesley’s marriage proposal. As a business partner of Eliza’s father, Thomas quickly discredits the family and brings disgrace to the Robinson name.

While her father scrambles to restore his good name in New York City, Eliza flees to the remote Puritan town of Maybrook to stay with her Aunt Maeve. Although relieved to be away from all- things-male and unforgiving gossip columns, odd things start to happen to Eliza, and she is plagued by a ghostly voice. Her aunt’s explanation? That Eliza is being haunted by a woman who died of a broken heart twenty years ago.

After Aunt Maeve is tragically killed, Eliza’s life is put in danger as she tries to uncover the mystery of her aunt’s death. She encounters Jonathan Porter in Maybrook, whose presence in the town seems suspicious, yet she finds herself drawn to him. When she discovers that Jonathan’s dark secrets may be the link between the dead woman who haunts her and her aunt’s murderer, Eliza realizes that Jonathan is the one man she should never trust.

My Review

Eliza is going through a hard time. She has turned down the proposal of her father’s business partner, and flees to Maybrook, a Puritan town, to stay with her aunt. While she is there, Eliza keeps hearing voices in the wind. Her aunt Maeve tells the story of a Puritan woman who’s heart is broken by the love of her life, and how she died of a broken heart. Eliza can’t escape what the voice is trying to tell her. When Maeve dies, her life is put in danger and she is rescued by Jonathan Porter, who has secrets of his own.

Heather is such a talented writer and has a magical way of drawing you right into her books with her well-written characters and page turning plots.  There is a lot to this story, and I really enjoyed the journey of these great characters.

4 out of 5 stars. Heather is the author of many fabulous books.  Read them, and you will see what I am talking about. Her latest book Athena is part of the Newport Ladies Book Club and is out now!

Sheila’s Review

This is the first book I’ve read by Heather Moore that had a paranormal theme to it. I have to say, I really liked it! This historical novel is much more than a ghost story, it is a story of two people, trapped in a mystery that envelops both of their lives. Eliza, shunned by high society, escapes to live with her Aunt Mauve in a Puritan town. Jonathan, having once escaped the same Puritan town, is drawn back in search of papers that will help him claim his rightly inheritance. One rainy night, they are drawn together, because of a ghastly murder and the whispers of a ghost. From this point on in the story, Jonathan and Eliza are forced together to solve the mystery surrounding the death of Jonathan’s mother. As they fight evil and menacing people, they also must fight the feelings that are growing for one another. The Heart of the Ocean will keep you reading until the mystery is solved, murderers jailed, and love winning out in the end.I hope to read more like this from Author Heather B. Moore.
Author Links

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Newport Ladies Book Club

Purchase Links

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE

Countdown to Christmas Update

 Posted by  News
Dec 222012
 

Hello everyone, this is Mindy. I have some sad news to tell you about. Shanda’s mother passed away suddenly early this morning. We are postponing the Countdown for a little while. Please fell free to keep commenting on the posts, and we will let you know when we resume the Countdown.

We appreciate you all, our dear readers, and wish you a Merry Christmas.

Third Time’s the Charm by Heather B. Moore

 Posted by  Book Reviews, Mindy's Reviews
Dec 192012
 

Third Time’s the Charm (An Aliso Creek Novella)

Author: Heather B. Moore

Publisher: Mirror Press, LLC

Published: December 7th, 2012

ebook: 60 pages

FTC FYI: Received a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Welcome to the Aliso Creek Novella Series

Liz, Gemma, Arie, Jess, and Drew have been best friends since creating the “Five” at Aliso Creek High School. But that was over ten years ago, and each is still trying to find that perfect someone . . . if perfect is even possible.

In fact, Liz Carlson will settle for a normal man. A normal man with a job, that is. Married twice, then divorced twice, Liz’s rose-colored glasses fell off and shattered on the ground a long time ago. Her main focus now is raising her six-year-old daughter and surviving long days at work on her feet as a hairdresser. When Sloane Branden answers her call for help, quite literally, Liz doesn’t even give him a second glance. She’s sworn off dating for as many years as it takes, and it seems that Sloane has done the same after his own tumultuous marriage. But when Liz discovers that Sloane defies every stereotypical deadbeat she’s dated, she might just find room in her heart and discover the third time’s the charm.

My Review

This novella is very close to perfect. It has great characters that you care about quickly, and an all around fantastic story. Liz is an adorable character that had me smiling with her funny quirks. I laughed when she would text Gemma (part of the Five) for pep talks. I loved Sloane instantly. I really liked how he was with Paisley, Liz’s daughter.  This fun short story has a surprising twist that I really enjoyed. I hope there are updates on these great characters in future novellas (hint hint).

5 out of 5 stars. Third Time’s the Charm is a quick, fun read that had me wanting more. Gemma’s story, Picture Perfect, is next up and it will be in A Timeless Romance Anthology — Spring Vacation Anthology coming in February 2013. This anthology will feature short stories from Heather, Josi S. Kilpack, Annette Lyon, Heather Justesen, Aubrey Mace, and Sarah M. Eden. I can’t wait! All of the “Five” friends will have their own story in the Aliso Creek Novella series coming in 2013.

Author Links

Fan Facebook Page / Twitter / Goodreads / Website

Purchase Links

Amazon / Smashwords

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