Goodreads Summary
Meet the people who make it all happen—the planners, the photographers, the musicians who have helped orchestrate the perfect day for countless couples—as they find their own happy endings in the second Year of Weddings novella collection.
Picture Perfect Love: A June Wedding Story by Melissa McClone
When image becomes everything, it’s up to love to refocus the heart.
Photographer Jenna Harrison wants every bride and groom to look picture perfect on their special day. But her own heart is still broken, the unworn wedding dress hanging in her closet a reminder that relationships aren’t always as perfect as they look through her camera lens.
Attorney Ashton Vance is the one that got away, but he wrongly blamed Jenna for ruining his political aspirations. Even if Jenna can forgive him, dare he hope for a second chance at her love?
I Hope You Dance: A July Wedding Story by Robin Lee Hatcher
Can two left feet lead to one perfect romance?
Grant Nichols is a genius in the kitchen and a klutz on the dance floor. But his friend’s wedding is shaping up to be a shindig the likes of which Kings Meadow has never seen—including dancing. Lots of dancing.
Former rodeo queen Skye Foster is offering dance lessons for the wedding party. Grant and Skye are no match on paper. But when they step onto the dance floor, they create a melody all their own.
Love on a Deadline: An August Wedding Story by Kathryn Springer
MacKenzie “Mac” Davis returns to her hometown of Red Leaf, Wisconsin, and takes a job at the weekly newspaper writing about social events.
When Hollis Channing, Mac’s high school nemesis, returns to Red Leaf to marry her celebrity fiancé, the editor asks Mac to cover all the festivities for the newspaper. The last thing Mac wants to do is reconnect with the person who made her life miserable when she was a teenager . . . unless it’s spending time with Ethan Channing, the bride’s older brother—and Mac’s first crush.
My Thoughts
First of all, my overall thoughts on the whole collection...
Such a sweet collection of stories! I really enjoyed them all!
Now, individually...
Picture Perfect Love: A June Wedding Story by Melissa McClone
This was a very good story and it had a great message. There wasn't much that I didn't like about this story. It is the kind of story that makes you smile involuntarily while you're reading it. I love it when that happens!
I Hope You Dance: A July Wedding Story by Robin Lee Hatcher
This one was a good story, but not my favorite of the three. It wasn't that I didn't like it, I just liked the others better. Still, an enjoyable, sweet story!
Love on a Deadline: An August Wedding Story by Kathryn Springer
I do believe that Love on a Deadline was my favorite story of the three! I couldn't get enough of it! It's the kind of story that sucks you right in and leaves you wanting more. I felt like I connected with the characters, the setting, and the storyline more than the other stories in this collection. So Good!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from BookLook Bloggers in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Summary
Paris, the City of Lights. To seventeen-year-old Dani Deane, it's the Promised Land. There, her widowed mother’s depression will vanish and she will no longer fear losing her only parent, her arty New York life, or her devoted boyfriend.
But shortly before their Paris getaway, Dani’s tyrannical grandfather falls ill, pulling them to rural Pennsylvania to deal with his hoarder horror of a house. Among the piles, Dani finds disturbing truths that could make Mum completely unravel. Desperate to protect her from pain and escape to Paris, Dani hatches a plan with the flirtatious neighbor boy that only threatens the relationships she most wants to save.
Why would God block all paths to Paris? Could real hope for healing be as close as a box tucked in the rafters?
My Thoughts
Get ready... I'm about to get kind of cheesy...
This book was so refreshing to read! I have read so many really intense books, fantasy and scifi, super action packed and dramatic books... this was just what I needed.
Not that Almost There didn't have its serious, dramatic moments. It did. But, I guess there was just something about the writing that made it so refreshing to me. I think I just really needed to read something different from what I have been reading lately. I've been in a bit of a slump and this book was just what I needed.
I didn't know that there is a prequel to Almost There until after I finished reading it. I was able to jump right into the story even without reading the first one though. As far as the characters go, I really liked Dani and felt her pain, confusion, and need to help so much! My heart ached for Dani's mom but I don't think I have great feelings toward her grandfather at all. Her boyfriend, Theo, was sweet (most of the time) and I loved her friend, Heather!
There were references to God and church but none of it was shoved in your face (for those who don't like to read "religious" books) or anything like that. It was just a wonderfully written book that came just when I needed it! Thank you, Laurel Garver, for sending this book to me!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Summary
Fielding Bliss has never forgotten the summer of 1984: the year a heat wave scorched Breathed, Ohio. The year he became friends with the devil.
Sal seems to appear out of nowhere - a bruised and tattered thirteen-year-old boy claiming to be the devil himself answering an invitation. Fielding Bliss, the son of a local prosecutor, brings him home where he's welcomed into the Bliss family, assuming he's a runaway from a nearby farm town.
When word spreads that the devil has come to Breathed, not everyone is happy to welcome this self-proclaimed fallen angel. Murmurs follow him and tensions rise, along with the temperatures as an unbearable heat wave rolls into town right along with him. As strange accidents start to occur, riled by the feverish heat, some in the town start to believe that Sal is exactly who he claims to be. While the Bliss family wrestles with their own personal demons, a fanatic drives the town to the brink of a catastrophe that will change this sleepy Ohio backwater forever.
My Thoughts
I am having a hard time figuring out my exact feelings on The Summer That Melted Everything. So much that I had to wait a few days before I even got to the point that I could start writing this. Tiffany McDaniel has quite a way with words! Brilliant!
This book was very, very intense. I cried... a Lot! With that being said, I think it was a little too dark for me. I'm just not crazy about books that are that dark. But, even though this may not have been my kind of book, I can definitely see why others will love it! It was so well-written. The story sucks you right in! Thank you, Tiffany McDaniel, for the opportunity to read and review your book!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Summary
When high school English teacher Cassandra Reilly is laid off, she takes a poorly paying part-time job at a local nursing home to make ends meet. Her employment problems may be solved when one of her patients passes away after naming her in his will as the director of a new literary research center. But Cassie isn’t certain she can handle the position, and her doubts increase when she receives a threat against her life.
The lawyer who handles the will proves to be a source of support and comfort, and Cassie hopes their friendship will deepen into love. As the danger increases and Cassie faces her doubts about her own abilities, she begins to develop a new strength of character that will help her achieve her life’s goals.
My Thoughts
I really enjoyed this book! Let me tell you, I am such a lucky person! I adore reading and I love getting new books. To think that I am blessed enough that people, actual authors, send their books to me so that I can read them and tell people what I think of them is just simply amazing. And then when I get books that I actually really enjoy! I really am so lucky!
A Fragile Will is a book with just the right amount of mystery, suspense, and a touch of romance. It's such a cozy read! It isn't a book that you have to hurt your brain trying to understand and figure it out. I really enjoyed this book and I hope to read more from Glen Ebisch in the future!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Summary
Hidden away behind the doors of Kelton Mental Institution is a power unlike any the world has ever experienced. It has been locked away for so long that many no longer believe it exist. That was until Hannah finds it down the South Hall of Kelton. But should it have been found or forgotten along with the remainder of the "untreatables". What Kelton kept locked away is only a taste of what is to come as a completely unknown world of angels, demons and the unforeseen beings, opens up or rather wakes up with the release of Room 102.
My Thoughts
I'm still trying to figure out exactly what my thoughts on this book are. There were parts where I was very drawn in an interested and then there were times when I was just so, so confused. As a matter of fact, I think I was confused more often than not.
Every time I would start to get into it something would be thrown in that confused me all over again! I'm not sure if it was written that way or if my mind just wouldn't wrap around what I was reading. I'm just confused...
With that being said, I still want to read the next book when it becomes available! I NEED to know what is happening! Hopefully I'll understand it better after I read the next book in the series.
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Summary
"Inspiring and instructive, Genius Biographies is a different little book for anyone interested in knowing the motivations of the rich and the famous. Part historical, part self-help, it peels away the layers to show us how geniuses succeed.
With forty eclectic, undiscovered and to-the-point stories from the lives of the geniuses, the author Ankesh Kothari distills the experiences in clear-cut Action Summaries that you can apply for growth in life and business.
Genius Biographies helps readers to find out how Abe Lincoln beat more popular candidates to win elections, or the reason why Paris Hilton is famous, or the investing lessons that Warren Buffett learned at the racetracks.
My Thoughts
I loved this book! I was so pleasantly surprised by how much I loved it! Naturally, there were some "Geniuses" that I didn't really care to read about, but for the most part I enjoyed it immensely!
All last week I had been doing the BookTube-A-Thon reading challenges. I chose to read Genius Biographies to be my "seventh book" required in order to complete all of the challenges. I figured it would just be a fairly quick read so it would work good for a read-a-thon. Well, I was right...but it turned out to be one of my favorite reads during BookTube-A-Thon!
It worked out great in that I could read a few stories in between each long book I read. I liked it so much I ended up reading several of the stories aloud to my son and then a few to my husband as well. I am so glad that the author contacted me and asked me to read and review this book! It was definitely my pleasure!
*Note: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Goodreads Summary
Since the dawn of time, humans have looked into the enigmatic faces of cats and wondered who are you? In this collection of connect-the-dots adventures, expert illustrator and cat motive decoder A. R. Coffelt takes us into the secret worlds of our feline friends— complete the puzzles and solve the mystery of what each adorable cat is really up to!
My Thoughts
This is a cute little book! I enjoyed the different pictures of the cats and the humorous drawings on them. My daughter and I sat down together and did a few pages as soon as the book was delivered to my house.
I wasn't really a fan of the accordion style pages or the fact that they were double-sided. In order for the colors to show up good enough we had to use markers. The bad thing about markers is that they tend to bleed through the pages so you have to choose whack side you don't mind ruining and not coloring on.
Over all it was a cute, fun activity that we enjoyed doing together. There were a few things I would change about it, but it was fun nonetheless.
*Note: I received a copy of this book from Blogging For Books in exchange for an honest review.
