Monday, December 16, 2013

Review: Cut Short by Leigh Russell

Cut Short by Leigh Russell

Publisher: Oldcastle Books
Pages: 352
Format: ebook

Goodreads:  D.I. Geraldine Steel expects the quiet town of Woolsmarsh to be dull. She quickly discovers she is wrong. The park is a place where children play, friends sit and gossip, people walk their dogs, or take a short cut to avoid the streets. But in the shadows a predator prowls, hunting for victims. A woman sees the killer and comes forward as a witness—someone whom the killer must stop at all costs. For D.I. Geraldine Steel, it is a race against time to find the killer before he strikes again, as public pressure mounts with the growing death toll.


Kritters Thoughts:  What started with a few short choppy chapters where not enough information was given became an interesting string of crime, but way too many characters to keep straight.  A DI Steel was at the heart of the investigation and could possibly be named the main character, but this cast of characters was ridiculous and really hard to remember all the moving parts.

Thankfully amongst the cast of characters, the killer was introduced early, the reader was just waiting for the police to connect the crimes and find the killer.  The interesting part was trying to find out the motive behind the killer while the police were looking for the culprit.  Although, I believe some of their policing skills weren't up to par, I am not a professional (but I do live with one) so I thought maybe they should have done a better job in their police work at a few of the key moments. 

If you are a fan of mysteries set in London with a large set of characters, then you will probably enjoy this one more than I did.  I had quite the list of notes just to keep all the people straight! 


Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 78 out of 50

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partner in Partner in Crime Tours.  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, December 15, 2013

It's Monday, What are you Reading?


As a trip to Chicago prevented me from posting this last week, this is two weeks worth of good reading!  Still hoping to meet my yearly goal!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
The In Between Hour by Barbara Claypole White
Short Leash by Janice Gary
House of Miracles by Ulrica Hume
To Tuscany with Love by Gail Mencini
Unbearable Lightness by Portia de Rossi
The Christmas Cookie Club by Ann Pearlman
The Holdout by Laurel Osterkamp
The Longest Date by Cindy Chupack

Currently Reading:
The Gods of Heavenly Punishment by Jennifer Cody Epstein
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer 
(this one will be here for awhile as I am reading it chapter by chapter with my sister)

Next on the TBR pile:
The Rainy Day Killer by Michael J. McCann


Friday, December 13, 2013

Review: Christmas Carol by Michele Gorman

Christmas Carol by Michele Gorman

Publisher: Notting Hill Press
Pages: 101
Format: ebook
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  One winter wedding, two happy couples, three ex-boyfriends. And a very uncomfortable weekend.

Carol hates Christmas. Being recently dumped, she’s not crazy about weddings either. So her sister Marley’s nuptials, over the Christmas weekend, are making her positively Scrooge-like. When she arrives at the stately home in rural Scotland to find her three ex-boyfriends in attendance, Carol has no choice but to face her ghosts to discover what really happened in those relationships, learning a lot about herself in the process. As the snow falls outside and the fire crackles in the hearth, might one of the wedding guests become the harbinger of Christmases to come?

Kritters Thoughts:  There are many renditions of the classic story - The Christmas Carol, but I think this is my first time reading a chick lit rendition AND I loved it!  Carol must confront three past boyfriends at her sister's wedding and hopefully after these "encounters" she find the true reason why she has been unsuccessful in love.  

Perfect and sweet.  The way the three ex boyfriends had different ways to show her what she needed to change was great.  I appreciated the lesson that you need to learn from each relationship, whether it be romantic or not, but learn a lesson so each experience makes you a better person.

This was short and sweet and perfect to curl up for an afternoon of reading during the holiday season; forget the holiday to do list for an afternoon!

Rating: perfect to cuddle with!

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 74 out of 50


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partner in Notting Hill Press.  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, December 12, 2013

Review: Doubting Abbey by Samantha Tonge

Doubting Abbey by Samantha Tonge

Publisher: Harlequin
Pages: 313
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Pizza waitress, Gemma, must pass herself off as aristocratic Abbey Croxley for two weeks, in order to help struggling Applebridge Hall win the reality show Million Dollar Mansion. With the right clothes and accent, anyone could pull that off, right? Except that she wasn't counting on arrogant Lord Edward pulling her heartstrings - nor a most unexpected person unravelling her web of lies... Will the truth be revealed before the show's final and destroy Applebridge Hall's future, along with a secret romance?


Kritters Thoughts:  Gemma is a regular girl who lives with someone from the upper echelons of society in England.  Her flatmate would like to follow a man, but her family is calling on her to help win a prize, so Gemma steps up to help.  

The characters were fantastic.  From the very beginning I wanted to know what trouble Gemma was going to get into and how she was going to get herself out!  With a reality tv show filming and a grand prize, it was fun to see some behind the scenes antics.  I thought Edward's blog posts were good, but I felt like they could have been even better; I wanted more from them.  

A fantastic book that was sweet and light hearted.  I liked the ease with which I was able to read this one.  As some of you may know, I don't always read books set in England because I don't get all the humor, but this one had just the right amount to feel authentic, but not to confuse the true blood American that I am!

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2013 Challenge:  76 out of 50


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partner in 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.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Review: The Alligator Man by James Sheehan

The Alligator Man by James Sheehan

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

Goodreads:  Kevin Wylie's crooked boss wants to run him out of town, and Kevin's long-time girlfriend is ready to take a hike. He decides that now is the time to leave Miami, visit his father, who he hasn't seen in 28 years, and get some answers. Heading back to his hometown, he doesn't realize that he and his dad will become embroiled in a murder case. 

The victim, one of the richest and most-hated corporate criminals in America has been dubbed The Alligator Man since pieces of his clothing were found in a local swamp. Billy Fuller had every reason in the world to want Johnson dead and all the evidence leads right to his doorstep. But legendary trial lawyer Tom Wylie believes in Billy and he and his son reunite to fight the courtroom battle for Billy's life.


Kritters Thoughts:  A well known businessman is murdered, but there is more than one person who would want him dead, so who did it?  Told in short chapters from many points of view, this book had me caught up in the story from page one til the very end.  There was family drama, business drama and just drama drama!  

My first read by James Sheehan and the way this book unfolded was perfect.  The way each piece of the puzzle was provided through each of the character's stories made for a great who dun it.  This story was building and building and there was no way to put it down!

I would absolutely recommend this book to fans of the who dun it genre, but like to stay away from the gore.  This one was very big on the case behind the killing, but low on the gore.  I am a new fan of James Sheehan. 


Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  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.


Monday, December 9, 2013

Review: The Seduction of Miriam Cross

The Seduction of Miriam Cross
by Wendy Tyson

Publisher: CreateSpace
Pages: 358
Format: ebook
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Can Delilah Percy Powers figure out who killed Miriam Cross before she becomes the killer's next target? 

Miriam Cross, author, feminist and philanthropist, disappears from her Philadelphia home. A year later, a lonely recluse named Emily Cray is brutally murdered in her bed in a small Pennsylvania town. Miriam and Emily are one and the same. As Delilah and her staff of female detectives - a militant homemaker, an ex-headmistress and a former stripper - delve into Miriam’s life, they become submerged in an underworld of unfathomable cruelty and greed with implications that go far beyond the gruesome death of one woman or the boundaries of one country. Eventually Miriam’s fight for justice becomes Delilah’s own...until Delilah’s obsession with finding the truth may prove just as deadly.

Kritters Thoughts:  Delilah is a fantastic character that wants to get to the truth and expose the bad people for who and what they are.  A former client approaches her to help with a recent murder that the police are not investigating at all.  From the beginning Delilah and her team must do some very handiwork to get answers.

I loved the intricate puzzle that had to be figured out in order to find the killer and the reasoning, but it was hard to keep together.  There were good guys and bad guys and guys who maybe played for both teams, it was a true mystery.  The author did a fine job of slowly giving puzzle pieces to the reader, but I was still unsure of the killer(s) until the bitter end.  Even at the end more things were unraveled and even more people were involved in the crime.

With so many twists and turns, there were a few moments where I wasn't sure who was on what side and if I should be rooting for them or wishing them harm!  At times confusing, but definitely worth the ride!

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 75 out of 50


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from TLC Book Tours.  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, December 5, 2013

Review: The Sister Season by Jennifer Scott

The Sister Season
by Jennifer Scott

Publisher: NAL Trade
Pages: 368
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Sometimes coming home for the holidays isn’t as easy as it seems….

It’s December 21, and the Yancey sisters have been called home. When the girls were young, holidays at their family farm meant a tinsel-garnished tree, the scent of simmering food, and laughter ringing through the house. But as the years unfolded, family bonds fractured, and the three sisters scattered and settled into separate lives. Until now. The Yancey sisters are coming to spend the holidays with their mother. They’re also coming to bury their father.

Claire, the youngest, a free spirit who journeyed to California, returns first. Then comes Julia, the eldest, a college professor with a teenage son of her own. And finally there’s Maya, the middle child, who works so hard to be the perfect mother and wife. 

During the sisters’ week together, old conflicts surface, new secrets emerge, and the limits and definitions of family are tested. And as the longest night of the year slips by and brightening days beckon, the sisters will have to answer one question: When you’re a sister, aren’t you a sister forever?


Kritters Thoughts:  Three sisters must return home to bury their father and when they return they are bringing with them a whole load of emotional baggage that must be dealt with in order for them to move forward.  Each sister also has personal things they are dealing with on top of the long held grudges within the family.

All of the sisters reacted to their rough childhood in different ways and each has been affected in their current relationships by their father's extreme abuse.  I appreciated seeing how abuse can affect different children in different ways and some may shy away from forming bonds while others run towards them.  It was interesting to see the grudges that they had held for so many years unravel and see the secrets that they had been holding from each other and how each of them could possibly help once they knew what the other needed.

This book had just a little too much drama for me.  It felt like a little too much.  I wish at least one of the sisters could have just not had a tough subject to deal with.  If you are a fan of the family drama, this book would be right up your alley!

Rating: enjoyable, but didn't leave me wanting more

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Partner in Penguin.  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, December 3, 2013

Review: Stones For Bread by Christa Parrish

Stones for Bread by Christa Parrish

Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Pages: 326
Format: book
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  What do you do when the gift you thought was bread turns out to be stones?

Liesl McNamara’s Wild Rise is not only a popular bakehouse and café in Vermont, it’s an extension of herself. Liesl is an artisan bread maker, like her mother and grandmother before her. Even though she lost her mother to suicide when she was eleven, she keeps this maternal bond alive as she bakes.

Liesl prides herself on living an uncomplicated, unattached life. But that changes when Seamus walks through the door of Wild Rise, lugging the large bags of whole wheat flour from the local food co-op. He and his daughter Cecelia have recently moved to the country seeking simplicity. Despite her best effort, Liesl becomes attracted to this teddy bear of a man who laughs easily and eats strange sandwich concoctions—on her bread, much to her dismay.

Her simple life is further complicated when a popular cooking show features her bakery. The publicity increases her business and brings several offers from larger businesses, all of which she turns down. But it also brings a completely unexpected phone call, one from a woman claiming to be her half-sister.

Liesl’s sense of identity dissolves as everything about her relationship with her mother—and the bread that held them together—comes into question. Has she been given stones rather than bread? And how can she ever take these crumbs and make them whole again.



Kritters Thoughts:  Liesl is a girl who did not have the easy childhood and at the beginning of each chapter the reader is given a chronological glimpse into the things that she had to overcome to become a successful woman who owns her own bakery.  Liesl has some employees at the bakery who each provide extra plotlines and interesting things to the backend of the bakery.  

I fell in love with Liesl's story and wanted to hear more about her backstory and how she became the woman she was and find out her reasoning for being so hesitant.  I also would love a book that centered around Jude from the bakery to see where he is now and how things are going for him.

I wish that the synopsis hadn't given away a twist that occurred 3/4 of the way through the book, I think it would have been more enjoyable if that part had come out of the blue!  Overall I loved the story and would love to read the next chapter of Liesl's story.

Just as a side note, this is definitely a Christian fiction book and with the characters making church a priority and stories from the Bible, I would be hesitant to read this one if you are not into the genre.  

Rating: definitely a good read, but can't read two in a row

Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from the Litfuse 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.

Monday, December 2, 2013

Review: Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes by Joanne DeMaio

Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes
by Joanne DeMaio

Pages: 161
Format: ebook
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads:  Reluctant to leave her cherished New England hometown after her sister's winter wedding, former journalist Vera Sterling makes a sudden decision. She takes what's left of her severance pay and invests it in real estate ... in one particular drafty colonial home and old timber barn set upon the pretty banks of Addison Cove. In that rough-hewn barn, she discovers a secret treasure left behind by the previous owner, the proprietor of the long-forgotten Christmas Barn gift shop.

While restoring her rundown, wood-sided home--its creaking floors, broken bannister, and neglected widow's walk--that secret slowly unfolds like a bit of snowflake wonder, crystallizing hopes and dreams for many in this small Connecticut town. But mostly for Derek Cooper whose own tragic story has headlined Addison's news. And whom Vera has come to love.

When the first snowstorm hits during Derek's annual Deck the Boats Festival at the cove, residents become stranded. It is then up to Vera to not only bring the town together, but to mend one man's heart she fears she may have lost.




Kritters Thoughts:  My first holiday book of the season and from one of my favorite authors and set in a town from previous books (what more could a girl ask for)!  I have read both of Joanne DeMaio's previous books and reviewed them here at Kritters Ramblings, so when I received the pitch to read this holiday book, I couldn't wait!  

Vera was a great character and I loved her family.  Vera's return home was believable and even heartwarming.  I fell in love with Derek Cooper and his struggle to overcome a tragedy that ripped him and his life to shreds.  I wanted more for their story and felt it needed just a little more in the middle stages of their interactions.

Although it didn't live up to the fantasticness of the previous two books, it was fun to return to a town that I had read about before.  I deeply loved Joanne DeMaio's previous two books that I read and this one was very good, just not at the level of amazingness that the other two were.  This doesn't discourage me from continuing to be a Joanne DeMaio fan and I will most definitely read her next one!

SIDE NOTE - As I am in the middle of home repairs on a house that needed some TLC, it was fun to read all the home projects that she had to go through with her old timey home!

Rating: perfect to cuddle up with!

Ebook 2013 Challenge: 72 out of 50


Disclosure of Material Connection:  I received one copy of this book free of charge from Mary's Media.  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, December 1, 2013

It's Monday, What are you Reading?

Check out this month for some fantastic holiday reads!  There are a few sprinkled throughout and even with their own rating!

A meme hosted by Sheila at BookJourney. 

Finished this past week:
Somewhere in France by Jennifer Robson
The Gift by Cecelia Ahern
The Round House by Louise Erdich
Starter House by Sonja Condit

Currently Reading:
The In Between Hour by Barbara Claypole White
Twilight by Stephanie Meyer 
(this one will be here for awhile as I am reading it chapter by chapter with my sister)

Next on the TBR pile:
The Holdout by Laurel Osterkamp

November Across from Doorstop


Review:
To Tuscany With Love by Gail Mencini  (Goodreads)
Sweet Nothings by Janis Thomas  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Something New by Janis Thomas  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Sweet Expectations by Mary Ellen Taylor  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Union Street Bakery by Mary Ellen Taylor  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Forgotten Seamstress by Liz Trenow  (Goodreads  Amazon)
This Dark Road to Mercy by Wiley Cash  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Rise by Sarah Lewis  (Goodreads  Amazon)
White Lies by Emily Harper  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Doing Harm by Kelly Parsons  (Goodreads  Amazon)
The Tenth Circle by Jon Ladd (Goodreads  Amazon)
After I'm Gone by Laura Lippman  (Goodreads  Amazon)

Library Sale:

Leaving Atlanta by Tayarai Jones  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Wildwood by Drusilla Campbell  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Family History by Dani Shapiro  (Goodreads  Amazon)

One More Page:
The Round House by Louise Erdrich  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Perfect Timing by Laura Spinella  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink  (Goodreads  Amazon)

B&N trip:
Little Bee by Chris Cleave  (Goodreads  Amazon)


Swap sites:
Coast Road by Barbara Delinsky  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Mistaken Identity by Lisa Scottoline  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Amaryllis in Blueberry by Christina Meldrum (Goodreads  Amazon)
Good Things by Mia King  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Reunion by Therese Fowler  (Goodreads  Amazon)
Life Sentences by Laura Lippman  (Goodreads  Amazon)


Back to Top