Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Book Review: Together With You by Victoria Bylin

Ex social worker, Carly Mason, is taking a break. After getting to close too a client, Carly just can't go back to working in that area again. But while she is working at the mall, she finds a lost little girl, whom she quickly realizes suffers from fetal alcohol effects - which just happens to be her area of expertise. Though everything is Carly screams for her to run away from this situation, she can't help but feel drawn to help this little girl, and her handsome father.

Dr. Ryan Tremaine is fighting to keep his family together after a divorce. It would be a lot easier if he could hang on to a nanny for his special needs daughter, and when Carly finds Penny at the mall, it seems she might be the key to helping him accomplish his goals.

As Ryan and Carly team up to help Penny and the Tremaine family, they fight their attraction to one another, so they can be sure that the family comes first. But what if Carly is exactly what the family needs to stay together?

I don't normally choose modern romances unless it is a mystery of some sort, but the special needs child subject caught me attention so I thought I'd give it a go. It was a pretty good read and dealt with some good topics like dealing with past mistakes and accepting forgiveness and grace, as well as how broken homes affect children as well as the more obvious subject of fetal alcohol syndrome.
If you are a fan of modern romance fiction, I think you'd enjoy it. While it's probably not a re-read kind of book for me, I still found it interesting and engaging.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers for a free copy of this book to review.

Friday, May 22, 2015

Book Review: As Love Blooms by Lorna Seilstad

Tessa Gregory is notorious for changing her mind. So it is no surprise that her sisters don't really take her seriously when she tells them her new dream for her life is to be a horticulturist, and they certainly will not believe her if they discover that she has been asked not to return to school in the fall. But Tessa is nothing if not determined and so she sets out to acquire a a job at the famous Como Park and she will do anything it takes to get it! When handsome gardener Reese King offers to help her, the pair work on a plan that is sure to help Tessa get everything she wants. Or will it?

The last book of the Gregory Sisters series is so lovely! I really appreciate that Seilstad manages to find little treasures from history that no one else writes about and brings them to life. I feel like I always learn something while be entertained at the same time. While I think you could probably read this book by itself, I highly recommend reading the series from the start so you can watch this family grow from the beginning. A truly lovely series!

Thank you to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to review.

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Book Review: No Place to Hide by Lynette Eason

Jackie Sellers is in complete shock when she sees her childhood friend on tv in connection with terrorism. She knows there is no way that Ian Lockwood could possible be involved in anything criminal and so she rushed in head first to clear his name. That is not the easiest task in the world considering the FBI is looking for him as well as the real terrorists who would be more than happy to kill him and frame him for the awful deed they are about to commit. Jackie and Ian need to keep moving and stay alive long enough to prove that he is innocent and prevent a major disaster.

This is the third installment of the Hidden Identity series and I thought it was pretty good. I think you could probably read it as a stand alone work and not be too confused - it's been a while since I read the first two and I couldn't remember every detail about the other people in the story and it didn't really matter too much. It was really exciting and I always enjoy when romances happen between people who have known each other for a while, and not just met and fall in love in a few days :-) There were some really good surprises thrown in there too and I always appreciate not knowing what's going to happen before it does!

Thanks to Revell Publishers for a free copy of this book to review.

Thursday, May 07, 2015

Book Review: The Creole Princess by Beth White

Lyse Lanier is different. Though she spends her time with her very British best friend, her skin, her comparative poverty and her french heritage are still very apparent. It hasn't mattered much before, but now that the year 1776 is upon them, everyone's loyalties to the crown will be put to the test.
Enter a young Spanish merchant, and the political intrigue just grows. There are spies everywhere, and it's hard to know who to trust. Especially once the girls hear the ideas of this new free country.

If you are a fan of history, you will appreciate Beth White's writings. There are lots of details about the politics of the times, which if you are not an American citizen (like me), it's a little trickier to follow. Still, I enjoyed it - I did wish there was a little more action at the end - I felt like it was building toward more than what happened so that was a little disappointing. Still a good read though, and highly recommended for American history buffs who like a little romance too :-)

Thank you to Revell Publishing for a free copy of this book to review.