Monday, May 7, 2012

Review: I'm Yours by Lindsay Paige

I'm Yours by Lindsay Paige

Pages: 108 
Format: ebook 
Buy the Book: Amazon  


Goodreads:  After the incident with Claire, Emily encounters more problems. Conrad is back with explanations and hope. Emily wants to give him a chance to explain himself. She can't help but wonder why he left. However, Jake isn't comfortable with Emily going out to eat with an old lover. 

Will things be too much for Emily to handle? Will Emily do the one thing she knows best and withdraw? Will Emily and Jake's love for one another keep them from shattering?






Kritters Thoughts: The sequel to Sweetness but it didn't quite live up to the first one.  I still loved the characters, but I just think it went a little too sexy.  Call me a prude, but I am a fan of YA books that are more sweet than slutty.  


I missed the little brother Drake in this one, maybe because he was absent for most of it, the book lost its quiet innocence from the first book that I adored.  


Through all of my negativity, I am still interested in reading the third in the series.




Ebook Challenge 2012: 25 out of 25  


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Review: Sweetness by Lindsay Paige

Sweetness by Lindsay Paige 

Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 114
Format: ebook 
Buy the Book: Amazon  


Goodreads:  Emily wished she was invisible. But after moving to a new town with her dad, a charming boy makes it impossible for her to disappear. Despite her feelings of unworthiness, Emily soon finds herself drawn to the safety of Jake's world. 

Good looking and the star of the hockey team, Jake has a lot going for him. What most people don't see is the difficult life he has at home. When quiet Emily steals his heart, Jake vows to help her discover she is worthy of love. 

Just when the two of them realize the sweetness of their relationship, they are put to the test. Only together can they overcome their haunted pasts to fight for a future together.




Kritters Thoughts:  Sometimes a YA book is sent to me and just by the synopsis alone, I know that even though I am not always the YA fan I am going to like it.  From the very beginning, the reader meets Emily, a girl who is living with her father after some drama takes place while she was temporarily living with her mother.  As the chapters switch to our other main characters point of view - Jake, he is your guys guy in high school who finds something interesting in Emily and just has to get to know her.


A great YA book that shows the drama of high school without feeling to whiny.  You see Emily grow in this book through her interactions with Jake as he pushes her out of her shell.  With realism, it didn't feel like life is always dandy as some books can seem to be.


With simple language and great characters, I would pass this YA book onto any high school reader.




Rating:  the perfect YA read 
               (a new shoe has been added)


Ebook Challenge 2012: 24 out of 25  


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the author.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own. 

Sunday, May 6, 2012

It's Monday, What are you Reading? (70)

A good week that ended with a great weekend of reading, I just may finish one more tonight!!


A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
The House of the Wind by Titania Hardie
The Coffins of Little Hope by Timothy Schafferty
Daughters for a Time by Jennifer Handford
Keepsake by Kristina Riggle
A Gift for My Sister by Ann Pearlman

Currently Reading:

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese 
      (took a pause on this one, hoping to finish soon)
The Most Dangerous Thing by Laura Lippman

Next off the TBR pile:

Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore



In My Mailbox (69)



The first few days last week on my doorstep were on the quiet side and then Friday and Saturday happened!  I am so excited to share what came across my doorstep (maybe a new meme).  I have been on the sidelines watching the story siren happenings and I choose not to comment or take sides, but I may start something new at Kritters Ramblings, any thoughts?


A meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:


So Far Away by Meg Mitchell Moore  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Cottage at Glass Beach by Heather Barbieri  (Goodreads  Amazon)
A Gift for My sister by Ann Pearlman  (Goodreads  Amazon)
State of Wonder by Ann Patchett  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The 500 by Matthew Quirk  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Trial of Tears by Chris Semal  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Siren by Tiffany Reisz  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Ties that Bind by Marie Bostwick  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore  (Goodreads  Amazon)


Swapped:
Diary of a Blue Goddess by Erica Orloff (Goodreads  Amazon)
Dreaming of Dior by Charlotte Smith  (Goodreads Amazon)
The Single Girl's To Do List by Lindsey Kelk  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Magic and the Modern Girl by Mindy Klasky  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Slim Chance by Jackie Rose  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Performance Anxiety by Betsy Burke  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Thin Pink Line by Lauren Baratz-Logsted  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Tell Me Something True by Leila Cobo  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Purchased:
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay  (Goodreads  Amazon)



Friday, May 4, 2012

Review: Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr

Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr

Publisher: Mira 
Pages: 384 
Format: eARC 
Buy the Book: Amazon 



Goodreads:  Tom Cavanaugh may think he wants a traditional woman, but in Virgin River, the greatest tradition is falling in love unexpectedly.... 


Former marine Tom Cavanaugh’s come home to Virgin River, ready to take over his family’s apple orchard and settle down. He knows just what the perfect woman will be like: sweet, decent, maybe a little naive. The marrying kind. 


Nothing like Nora Crane. So why can’t he keep his eyes off the striking single mother? 


Nora may not have a formal education, but she graduated with honors from the school of hard knocks. She’s been through tough times and she’ll do whatever it takes to support her family, including helping with harvest time at the Cavanaugh’s orchard. She’s always kept a single-minded focus on staying afloat...but suddenly her thoughts keep drifting back to rugged, opinionated Tom Cavanaugh. 


Both Nora and Tom have their own ideas of what family means. But they’re about to prove each other completely wrong...





Kritters Thoughts:  Another great book from Robyn Carr in the Virgin River series.  Tom Cavanaugh the owner of the apple orchard who makes a brief appearance in Redwood Bend is our main character in this book.  As he has returned to be back in the apple business he is finally getting into his groove when Nora walks in needing a job and some support for her and her two young daughters.  The reader may know where this story will end, but Robyn Carr takes you on an adventure before depositing you right where you thought you would end up.  A little bit of romance and a lot of great characters give this book the depth to make it more than just a romance novel.


My only negative thought for this one was the random story line between the bar owner Jack and Coop.  It popped up in the middle of the book and resolved, but seemed very random as it didn't go along with the bigger story that this book was centered around.  Just thought it was kind of random.  


I may have said this before, but I love how each book takes place in the same town but centers around a different character.  It is so fun to learn more about each towns person in their own book.  I will definitely continue to devour this series.  


On a side note, you do not have to read this series in particular order because each book stands quite nicely on its own.




Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel 
    (we know there will be one!)


Ebook Challenge 2012: 22 out of 25  


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Little Bird Publicity.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.  



Thursday, May 3, 2012

Review: Daughters for a Time by Jennifer Handford

Daughters for a Time by Jennifer Handford

Publisher: Amazon Publishing
Pages: 302
Format: ARC
Buy the Book: Amazon 


Goodreads:  Feelings of abandonment fill Helen Francis at a too-young age when her mother dies and her father walks out. Left in the care of her older sister, Claire, she moves on but never truly heals. Now thirty-five and married, Helen is desperate to start a family of her own. After four unsuccessful years of trying to become pregnant, Helen accepts the idea of adoption. 


When her baby is finally in her arms, Helen experiences true exaltation. But she is quickly blindsided with the worst possible news: Claire has cancer. Helen's wounds are again torn open as she balances the bliss of a new daughter with the grief of a dying sister.





Kritters Thoughts:  A book that tugs at your heart strings and makes you realize how unlucky life can be.  Helen, the younger sister of two, who loses her mom in the middle of her teenage years is forced to live with her older college sister as their father has left at the same time that their mother succumbs to cancer.  With major trust and "leaving" issues, Helen is having a hard time accepting her infertility issues and the lucky woman who has a husband to stand and support her through it all.


I was instantly grabbed by the character of Helen and just wanted to know where her story was going to go and where it would end up.  I ached with her, but I wasn't overwhelmed by her grief, it was a perfect balance.  Although the story was full of trials and problems to overcome, I was left with a sense that the author handled her struggles with some reality - this I completely enjoyed.  


A fiction book that many a reader would enjoy, although there may be a few tears to shed in the process of reading it.  




Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel


April-June Challenge 2012: Keep it in the Family


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Little Bird Publicity.  I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.  



Tuesday, May 1, 2012

April - the month that was chockful



Well it was such an eventful month in the blogging world, in the wedding planning and in my reading, still haven't figured out how I kept it all running!  Do you find yourself juggling many things?  What is your trick to keep it going smoothly?


May doesn't look any quieter on all fronts!  Many books to review and even more wedding decisions to be made.  


What was your month of April like?  


Books Completed:
1. The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
2. The Opposite of Me by Sarah Pekkanen
3. Love Accidentally by Sarah Pekkanen
4. Sunrise Point by Robyn Carr
5. These Girls by Sarah Pekkanen
6. Whatever You Love by Louise Doughty
7. Patchwork of Me by Gregory G Allen
8. After the Fog by Kathleen Shoop
9. Sweetness by Lindsay Paige
10. I'm Yours by Lindsay Paige
11. Arranged by Catherine McKenzie
12. More Like Her by Liza Palmer
13. The Singles by Meredith Goldstein
14. Whole Latte Life by Joanne DeMaio
15. When All That's Left of Me is Love by Linda Campanella
16. The Queen's Lover by Francine du Plessix Gray
17. Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski
18. Whatever it Takes by Lindsay Paige
19. Picture This by Jacqueline Sheehan
20. The House of Wind by Titania Hardie


Total pages read, clicked, and flipped: 5,646


Where Have I Been Reading?:
Bulgaria

Bethesda, MD
Virgin River, CA
NYC, NY (2)
Eastleigh, England
Phoenix, AZ
Donora, PA
North Carolina (2)
Pasadena, CA
Annapolis, MD
Enfield, CT
Paris, France
Chicago, IL
Charlotte, NC
Peaks Island, ME
Tuscany, Italy



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