Christmas Memories

By

Nancy Carey Johnson

If I could fill my  Christmas stocking with goodies and stories it would be filled to over flowing with all the wonderful vignettes and recipes that are between the covers of this book.   What a wonderful holiday treat to pick this book up and go down memory lane with Ms. Johnson.  In doing that with her, so many of my own childhood memories and nostalgia came to the surface to be relived in my heart and mind again.  What a Christmas gift that is!  

I'm not so much on cooking or baking but the recipes in this book are a treasure trove of yumminess sounding creations I'd be willing to give a go at!  My mouth watered at so many of them like "Chewy, Ooey-Gooey, Chocolatey Dense Brownies".  MMMmmmm!   Or the mysterious "Indian Pudding"...whatever could that be? Kahlua Crackles....bring 'em on!  YEAH!   Then the traditional Christmas foods like the perfect roasted turkey and "exclaimed over garlic mashed potatoes".  Makes my tummy growl just thinking about this!  The book is so full of tasty-sounding recipes that not only sound delicious but had a way of bringing pictures in my mind of the food laden tables at holiday gatherings when I was growing up.  

Reading this book was a virtual walk down memory lane of holidays past.  From the first chilly evenings in fall to the fresh fallen snows of winter, this is a reminiscence with Ms. Johnson's beautiful writing, humor, and wisdom she shares from her heart.  The titles at the beginning of each  of the memories creates a curiosity as to what it's going to be about.  "Red and Greens", Tougher Than Alligator Baggies", "Stumblebummers"....just a few of the many, many stories that I read and reflected on.  It's a book to journey through at a leisurely stroll and take in each and every word and keep them in my heart.  And bringing the memories I have in my heart back to remember.  It was like going into the attic and opening the long forgotten chest and having the gift of those memories back to live again.  I want to thank Ms. Johnson for the joy of reading her treasured memories, thoughts, perfected recipes and that she shared them in this book.  YES!  "Life is Good" and for me this book is a traditional Christmas read that I would gather around a warm cozy fire and share from it with my family and friends.  Thank you so very much!!!   All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own.

 

 The Betrayal
By
Terry Lynn Thomas

There is almost no worse feeling than that of being betrayed unless you're betrayed by the one person you love with all your heart. Believing your love for each other is forever. This is what Olivia has believed her 32-year marriage to Richard has been. True love. "True love isn't about romance. True love, the kind of love that withstands the test of time, is what you have when the romance wears away. True love is knowing your spouse has your back no matter what. It's about devotion and family. I thought I had that with Richard." But Olivia gets an annoymous text message on her birthday with an incriminating video of Richard and his secretary and her world comes crashing down.

Ms. Thomas then creates a psychological suspense novel that pulled me in. I don't read many books in this genre so I was suspicous of almost every character that was involved in Olivia's life. Not only was Olivia betrayed by her husband but she's been set up to take the fall for his secretary's murder. Olivia is then dependent on herself to clear herself of the murder. Ms. Thomas had me turning the pages to find out how Olivia was going to manage doing that. She adds diverse and intricately developed supporting characters that had me guessing if they were actually on Olivia's side or if they were betraying her, too. All that is except Brian. His story had my heart and his desire to help Olivia was so honest. "Brian was an old-school cop who believed in working his cases on a personal level."

There is so much that kept me reading the book. The fast pace, the twists, turns, the clues that surfaced from surprising places, the vivid details within the scenes....it's a well written novel. Olivia is a very well developed protagonist and I felt connected to her the entire time. It was nice to read about a character who's age is very close to my own, too. The plots in the story are realistic and plausible.

I want to thank the author, Terry Lynn Thomas, for the honor of reading this thrilling book. I'm excited this is the first novel of the series! Can't wait to jump into the next one! All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.

Come Tomorrow

By

Tess Thompson

"To love someone as much as they love each other is a great gift. Even when parted, the love remains." This is such a profound quote from Come Tomorrow that perfectly describes true love in the story. Tess Thompson has brought another heartwarming, tear jerking, all over the emotional spectrum novel in my favorite genre, historical fiction. She has such a talent to draw the reader right into the story from the first paragraph and doesn't let them go until the touching last page. Come Tomorrow is such a feel-good story and what an amazing beginning to a Christmas holiday series.

I love Tess Thompson's characters. Wesley, Luci and Sadie were so easy to connect to and become a part of the story with them. At the beginning of the story my emotions were pulled to tears and my heart broke for them. Ms. Thompson's main characters are so endearing and they wrapped themselves around my heart in ways that made me feel the emotions they were going through. Even Atlas/Gus, the faithful and loyal dog, pulled my heartstrings. She creates word stories in her books. Stories that draw you in and make you feel. She puts the reader into the lives of her characters in such a deep and involved way that you fall in love with them completely.

The story of Luci and Wesley brings with it unexpected surprises, drama, heartbreak and doubts. It's also filled with hope, love, and forgiveness. Ms. Thompson's writing brings all these things together with her storytelling talent in a book I couldn't put down. Her stories are from her heart, filled with scenes that are written with details that create perfect images in my mind. I was 100% into this book and couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the next book in this exciting new Castaway series. What an excellent beginning novel.

I loved going to the little town of Castaway with these characters and spending time there. The magic of the snow globe and meaning was so touching. I highly recommend shaking the "snow globe" of the pages in this novel and be mesmerized by the story that settles into your heart.

I want to thank Ms. Thompson for the privilege and honor of reading another superb book. I loved it! All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own.

 

The Irish Storm

By

J. Walter Ring

There is so much to why I love historical fiction and The Irish Storm is one more reason I do. I learn so much about a time gone by in the details written into a novel and Mr. Ring has given great attention to details in this book. It starts out with an engrossing and intense first chapter. The action never stops throughout the book. The story is based on Mr. Ring's own Irish heritage and adds to the fascination of the historic facts.

This novel is highly researched and the characters are intricately developed. As the story starts out with Sergeant Emerson "Bud" Ryan in the trenches of Ronssay, France, I was pulled into the setting and experience of being in a war trench. It was brutal and harsh in those conditions. Mr. Ring puts the reader right into the scenes. He also has great dialogue between the characters that drew me into their inner turmoils, feelings, and gut wrenching choices.
I can't imagine how difficult it would have been to choose between family and country. He weaves in a love story that makes the novel even more heart wrenching but humanistic.

My husband and I both read the book. We found it rich in history, rich in character connection and development, and rich in how much people will sacrifice for their country and families. We are so grateful and honored to have read this impressive story from Mr. Ring's own family history. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own. 

                                         Goodbye, Orchid

By

Carol VanDenHende

When I open a novel and the first pages are a "gotcha" like the pages of Goodbye, Orchid, I know I'm in for an exceptional read. Oh, my gosh! Is this ever one of those books! I have a book hangover from such an amazing story written with intricate details and emotional passages that took my heart and tore it to pieces. I find myself almost speechless trying to form words for a review. Wow! How Ms. VanDenHende took me into the emotional depths of her characters is beyond description. This is the story of Phoenix and Orchid. Perfect and ambitious Phoenix. Gentle and sweet Orchid. Just like the beautiful cover of this book and the shattering orchid, would these characters lives break into pieces and will they find a way to put their lives back together? I couldn't tear myself away from the pages. This was more than a casual read, this was an experience. One that touched me so deeply and even personally.

There are no guarantees in life and in an instant, everything can change. Phoenix's life is forever changed because of a devastating accident. The trauma he experiences is brutal physically and emotionally. What Ms. VanDenHende created in this story is a masterpiece in human resilience. It's not easy, pretty or quick. Sometimes deep and dark. But it's possible to rise from the ashes. She masterfully and meticulously takes the reader into the depths of Phoenix's recovery and his feelings for Orchid, through various stages. Not only the physical but the mental stages as well. There are so many emotions that were pulled out of me through her characters. Each character written with purpose and depth. I'm in awe of her talent and her exceptional ability to put me in the pages like she did. I especially appreciate her compassion for what these traumatic injuries do to people. This is a story that will be in my heart for a very long time.

This is an amazing read! My review is so inadequate for how powerful and emotional this book is. It was unputdownable from the first compelling page to the last touching words. Yes, Phoenix and Orchid expanded my heart. I want to thank Ms. VanDenHende for the honor of reading her story that so sincerly came from her heart and from the inspiration of combat wounded veterans. This is an extraordinary novel! One of the best I've read this year. It's so worth much more than five stars! This is my honest and heartfelt review of a book that ranks as one of my top 5 this year.

 

The Book of CarolSue

By

Lynne Hugo

"There's an upside and a downside to every way of life. It was the downside of this life that I hadn't missed when I was in Atlanta." (CarolSue)

This book had my emotions jumping all over the place. What a heart tugging story of a family that drew me in from the first page. I haven't read the first book "The Testament of Harold's Wife" but I had no problem finding myself lost in the pages of this book and not feeling confused in the least bit. Ms. Hugo wove CarolSue's story with finesse, humor, heartbreak, and lots of family drama. CarolSue finds herself living with her best friend and sister, Louisa, back on the home farm in Indiana after her beloved husband, Charlie dies. This isn't what she expected at this stage in her life. How does she cope and what purpose will she have in this animal menagerie with family and friends that are off the "normal" chart?

Ms. Hugo has crafted her characters with amazing detail. Each one is as individual and unique as any I've read. They are written with deep convictions and emotions. I couldn't help but feel for them as the story evolved. She writes them into a story that is dramatic yet her humor lightens the seriousnesses. She places the characters in scenarios that are relevant to the times but she does it with sensitivity. I had my heart yanked apart at certain places in the book and yearned for a resolution that was satisfying to the characters and for me. Then there were scenes that I laughed out loud. Especially at the sarcastic lines. This story is filled with so much that made it a great read....like a Glitter Jesus, afternoon "napping", a baby that is missing a mother, and the "Plan" are among a few of them.

There are also profound lines that perfectly blend with the story and will stick with me for a long time. They made me think but also touched me with the insightful meanings.
"Isn't it strange how we think one thing is going to happen and then something so utterly different happens? Inside we are so disappointed and have no idea that life might just have handed us a huge gift. And it's so difficult to remember to be open to that possibility, isn't it? Because we never know when that might be the case."
"....love isn't measured in length of time, but in tenderness and gratitude."

This is a story of a famly's love for each other. Through the thick and thin of life's challenges, they stick together. It's not always pretty but it's the right thing to do. This was a great getaway read for me. I want to thank Ms. Hugo for the privilege of reading her very entertaining story. All thoughts and opinions in this review are my heartfelt own.

                          Christmas Rings

By

Tess Thompson

What a great premise and collaboration of these authors to create this Soul Sisters at Cedar Mountain Lodge series.  Knowing the work of the authors involved in this collection, it is no doubt a heartwarming, emotional escape with the characters in the stories.  Christmas Rings is Tess Thompson's Cedar Mountain Lodge series contribution.  Her superb hometown, storytelling talent shines through in this sweet novella.  This is Alissa and Jed's story.   

Alissa and Jed. Two people from totally different walks of life.  Two people who have a chemistry and attraction despite those differences.   Alissa is a kindergarten teacher by day.  She loves what she does and she has a heart for the children but she needs to supplement her income so she moonlights at a gentlemen's club as a cocktail waitress.   Enter Jed Marsh.

Jed is the son of  Marsh Vodka magnate owners and the business is soon to be passed down to him.  His parents are controlling and no woman has ever been "good enough"  for their son.  How in the world will Alissa ever be accepted?   His heart is totally devoted to Alissa but at what cost?   

I love Tess Thompson's characters.  They are so easily to connect with and to become a part of the story.  Every single character is filled with emotions and stories that pull at my mine. The emotions are there from the amazing way Tess Thompson creates word stories in her books. Stories that draw you in and make you feel a part of them. She puts the reader into the lives of her characters in such a deep and involved way that you can't help but become a part of them. 

Ms. Thompson pulls her readers in and makes them feel the emotions throughout her books.  Christmas Rings is a tender love story that made me yearn for the HEA for Alissa and Jed.  The supporting cast of characters are perfectly entwined around Alissa and Jed's story.  This is such a sweet novella and I enjoyed every page from the front cover to the back.  I especially appreciated her dedication to sisters.   We have bonds through family and bonds through people who are our chosen families.  Love can overcome.   

I want to thank Ms. Thompson for the honor and privilege of reading another one of her amazing books.  It is a great read and touched my heart.   Thank you!  All opinions and thoughts in this review are my heartfelt own.