Mindy

Love on a Whim by Aubrey Mace — Blog Tour

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jul 312015
 

25780699

Love on a Whim

Author: Aubrey Mace

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published: July 15th, 2015

Paperback: 272 pages

ISBN13: 978-1-62108-621-5

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

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Six months out of law school, Rachel Pearce is completely disillusioned by her job hunt. Despite pounding the pavement with her Ivy League degree in hand, her job prospects are no brighter than the day she graduated. Then in a chance meeting with a former acquaintance, eccentric young millionaire Henry Walker, Rachel finds an unexpected opportunity: Henry is looking for a personal secretary. Swallowing her pride, Rachel sets aside her law firm aspirations for what she envisions as secretarial work—mountains of paperwork and filing. But when she finds her most demanding duty to be daily cookie runs for her new boss, she’s baffled by her unconventional job responsibilities.

As she’s pulled into Henry’s delightful whims, caught in a whirlwind of private jets and fancy dinners, Rachel finds herself inexplicably drawn to this handsome and charismatic man. But reality always has a way of intruding, and logic tells her that this adventure can’t last. When real life inevitably comes calling, Rachel must decide if she’s willing to trade in her dream of success in the courtroom for a chance at love.

My Review

Oh my goodness, this book is so much fun.  I was laughing from the first page.  I love how Aubrey writes, with tons of humor and heart.  Rachel is a fabulous character.  She is so much fun and I loved her relationship with Shannon.  Henry was very intriguing too.  He was a mystery, but a character I looked forward to reading more about.  Every page is a delight!  This is probably my favorite book from Aubrey.

5 out of 5 stars.

Author Links

Website / Goodreads / Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Deseret Book / Seagull Book

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The Treasure of Isian by Serena Clarke

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jul 202015
 

17451999The Treasure of Isian

Author: Serena Clarke

Published: September 2012

ISBN13: 9781477540107

Paperback: 216 pages

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

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Prince Garin is a brave, proud, adventure-seeking prince. Elani is his most trusted servant and she would do anything for him, even die for him.
Their quest to find the mystical Treasure of Isian is immediately interrupted and they find themselves confronted by angry giants, soul-stealing elves, bewitched dragons, a vengeful water-witch, battling foes, and a mysterious kingdom.
Elani must face her greatest fears to save her prince and her kingdom. Garin must decide what the most important things are in his life.
Will they be able to make a great sacrifice to save the kingdom? And will Elani find true love?

Become lost in the adventure, love, loyalty, and mystery of The Treasure of Isian!

My Review

The Treasure of Isian is great story with intriguing characters.  At times I thought the pacing was off, but I was still enjoying the story.  Elani is a fabulous character with lots of heart and she had many adventures.  Garin too was enjoyable and I really liked the turnaround he made from the beginning of the story.  He at first was a spoiled prince who didn’t care much for anything or anyone but himself.  I also enjoyed how Garin started seeing Elani through different eyes.  Serena did a great job with the supporting characters too.  Ander and Jared were great surprises.

4 out of 5 stars.  Book 2, The Alliance of Isian, is also out and I plan on reading it soon.

Author Links 

Goodreads / Website

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Worth Waiting For by Sally Johnson — Blog Tour

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jul 152015
 

25347579Worth Waiting For

Author: Sally Johnson

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published: July 1st, 2015

ISBN13: 978-1-68047-240-0

Paperback: 180 pages

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

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Sophia thought she was over her broken heart, but the news that her roommate has eloped with Sophia’s ex-husband hits the nineteen-year-old like a ton of bricks. She knows she should be fine with the unexpected revelation–after all, her boyfriend, Luke, is incredible, but it would seem her heart is not as resilient as she thought. And as Luke prepares to leave for his European study abroad, Sophia’s feelings of fear and inadequacy threaten to overwhelm her.

A summer with her family in Las Vegas gives Sophia the time she needs but she still can’t shake the questions haunting her, the questions that continually threaten to put more than physical distance between Luke and her. Is she really ready to jump into a new relationship when the last one ended so painfully? Will her divorce always define her? Is she the one with the problem?

As she wistfully observes others’ love stories blossoming around her, Sophia must decide whether she’s prepared to take another chance on love. Luke’s return from Europe forces Sophia to confront the decision she’s not sure she’s prepared for–will her troubled past destroy the happy ending she’s always dreamed of?

My Review

I didn’t realize this was a sequel until I was writing this review.  It can stand alone, but previous dates, and/or other events that were mentioned and not explained make sense now why they weren’t explained in this book.  That didn’t take me out the story though, I still really enjoyed it.  I really liked Sophia and I sympathized with her.  I thought her inner voice was very funny at times and I appreciated her humor.  This is a great book about letting go and putting your life back together, but also taking your time to really know what you want, and Sophia needed that time.  I loved Luke, he is a great guy, with mounds of kindness and patience.  The other characters were great too.  I wish there was more time with Justin, he was very funny and Gretchen was great too.  There were some scenes in the last few chapters where I was laughing out loud.

4 out of 5 stars.

Author Links

Goodreads / Facebook

Buy Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Deseret Book  / Seagull Book

Veils and Vengeance by Rachelle J. Christensen

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jul 062015
 

25482374Veils and Vengeance (A Wedding Planner Mystery #2)

Author: Rachelle J. Christensen

Publisher: Peachwood Press

Published: July 7th, 2015

ISBN13: 9780692462331

Paperback: 347 pages

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

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

When wedding planner, Adrielle Pyper, goes to Hawaii to orchestrate a destination wedding, she isn’t prepared for what she finds.

After the trauma of her previous event, the beautiful isle of Kauai is the perfect place for Adri to unwind and do what she does best – plan. She even lets herself indulge in the attention of the groom’s handsome brother. But just when everything seems to be perfect, an afternoon snorkeling trip turns to murder when Adri discovers the body of a young woman.

Shaken, but unable to let it go, Adri’s sleuthing leads her into more danger than she could imagine. When a number of “accidents” threaten her own life, it soon becomes apparent that someone will do anything to keep Adri from interfering with their vengeance.
For great craft tips, visit Adri’s website,www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.com.

My Review

I love a great mystery that keeps my interest and keeps the pages turning.  This book does all that very well.  I really enjoyed the first book in the Wedding Planner Mysteries: Diamond Rings are Deadly Things, so I knew I was going to jump right back into another story for Adri.  I loved the Hawaiian setting, that was a character on its own.  Adri is a fabulous character.  Her attention to detail and how she organized she is is entertaining to read.  I enjoyed how Adri had attention from two men.  Both were great for her, but one I liked a little bit better.  As the story progressed, I enjoyed where the author went with the mystery, doing a perfect job of planting the right amount of seeds to try to throw me off the trail of who the killer was.

4 out of 5 stars.  I hope Rachelle will do more books in this series!

Author Links

Website / Twitter / Facebook  / Goodreads

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Kisses in the Rain by Krista Lynne Jensen — Blog Tour/Giveaway

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jun 172015
 

25334969Kisses in the Rain

Author: Krista Lynne Jensen

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Published: June 2015

ISBN13: 978-1-68047-239-4

Paperback: 284 pages

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

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Georgie Tate is a survivor. She’s survived an abusive relationship. She’s survived the car accident that took the life of her controlling fiance. Now she just needs to survive the memories that haunt her. Escaping to her aunts’ cozy home on a tiny island outside of Seattle, Georgie finds just the change of pace she needs to pick up the pieces of her life. Taking a job at a local seafood restaurant is the first step in reclaiming her sense of self, but she is completely unprepared for the battle that awaits her there.

Jace Lowe has loved and lost, and he’s determined that it will never happen again. Hardened by heartbreak, he stays focused on his work as sous chef at one of the island’s top seafood restaurants. When beautiful Georgie takes her place on the restaurant staff, Jace is resolved to keep her at arm’s length, and his downright rudeness her first week goes a long way in achieving that goal. Georgie, on the other hand, doesn’t want anything to do with Jace anyway and prickles against his abrasive behavior. As the combative pair comes together on a joint project for the restaurant, they find their distaste for one another dwindling. the connection is undeniable–and it terrifies them both. Can two people jaded by the past be softened by the promise of once-in-a-lifetime love, or is this just another recipe for disaster?

My Review

WOW!  This book is beautifully written.  Each page is a treasure.  Many of the characters have issues they are dealing with, and the way Krista has written each character is perfect.  Georgie is recovering from an accident that took her memory, and claimed the life of her fiance.  Jace is also recovering from heartbreak of his own.  I loved the gradual improvement of them both and how they realize what they need.  The aunts were a favorite and Uncle Dar as well.  In Kisses in the Rain, there is heartache and pain, but also triumph and happiness.  I have read some of the other reviews of this book, and each say close to the same thing, the story is so real.  It’s funny, because that is the exact word I would use.   I loved the restaurant scenes.  It was where Jace and Georgie were in their elements, but I also loved it when they were getting to know each other away from work.  I also loved the setting.  This book takes place in a beautiful area, which is a character all its own.

5 out of 5 stars.  I have read most of Krista’s books, and I really think this is my favorite so far.  Very well done.

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Twitter / Facebook

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Deseret Book / Seagull Book

Tour Schedule
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Playing for Keep by Ranee S. Clark — Blog Tour

 Posted by  Book Reviews
Jun 102015
 

25264002Playing for Keeps

Author: Ranee S. Clark

Published: June 1st, 2015

Publisher: Covenant Communications

Paperback: 228 pages

ISBN13: 978-1-62108-850-9

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

Reviewed by Mindy

Goodreads Summary

Football-loving TyAnne Daws has long admired BYU’s star quarterback from afar. This semester, she’s determined to step away from the sidelines and she has the perfect game plan for winning the heart of Anthony Rocket Rogers. When some smart moves land her in one of his classes, she finds herself in the perfect position to make her play. But as she gets to know the real Anthony, away from the lights of the stadium, Ty realizes that this is no game; she’s falling in love . . .
Anthony takes full advantage of his all-star status, holding girls at arm’s length for one reason: it keeps him from repeating the same mistakes that once led to a devastating heartbreak. When he meets Ty, his assumption that she’s just another pretty face is quickly proven wrong. Though he’s completely drawn in by this sweet young woman, her intriguing mix of amusing football know-how, and her quiet selflessness, he will not let himself fall in love. But when faced with the reality of losing the woman he’s come to care for despite himself, Anthony’s resolve is tested. It’s getting harder to keep his head in the game when his heart’s on the line.

My Review

Growing up my dad refereed college football, and now he does the instant replay for the Big 12, so football has always been a huge part of my life.  I honestly think that is why I liked this book so much, I already had an appreciation for the game, but of course the book itself that had me eagerly turning pages.  Playing for Keeps is highly enjoyable.  Ty is an amazing girl who I liked from the first page.  I loved how she was herself from the start, and even though she took friendly advice from her friend, she still kept her head.  Ty is the type of girl that shines kindness and radiance, and I loved her relationship with her brothers.  Anthony was a mystery to me at first, don’t get me wrong, I loved when he was around and how he reacted to Ty.  Especially how he would react to how other guys reacted to Ty.  I really enjoyed the point of view switches with Anthony and Ty.  It was the perfect way to get to know Anthony and his friends (who I loved too.)   I loved how Anthony was with them, and especially his sister and family.  There were so many fun moments in this book.  It is full of amazing kisses, humor, and kindness.  GO TEAM!

5 out of 5 stars.  I can’t wait for more from this author!  I hear she is working on follow up stories for the other guys in this book.  Yay!

Author Links

Goodreads / Website / Facebook / Twitter

Purchase Links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Seagull Book / Deseret Book

Blog Tour Schedule

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