These is My Words

These is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine by Nancy Turner

My rating:

3 stars—I liked it.

My Thoughts:

A recommend for historical fiction fans. This was a good book, but a little too dramatic for my normal taste. Horrible things happen…then more horrible things. Just a little too much!

Description from Goodreads.com:

“A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author's own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon—from child to determined young adult to loving mother—she shares the turbulent events, both joyous and tragic, that molded her, and recalls the enduring love with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot that gave her strength and purpose.

Rich in authentic everyday details and alive with truly unforgettable characters, These Is My Words brilliantly brings a vanished world to breathtaking life again.”

Divided in Death

Divided in Death by JD Robb

My rating:

3 stars—I liked it.

My thoughts:

I’m still enjoying this series…and this was number 18! If you like mystery/suspense give this a try. First in the series is Naked in Death.

A Perfect Storm

A Perfect Storm by Lori Foster

My rating:

4 stars—I really liked it.

My thoughts:

I was pulled into Arizona and Spencer’s story. It’s a sweet and emotional romance with good suspense thrown in!

Description from Goodreads.com:

“He never saw her coming...
Spencer Lark already knows too many secrets about Arizona Storm, including the nightmare she survived and her resulting trust issues. But in order to expose a smuggling ring--and continue avenging his own tragic past--the bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to make Arizona a decoy. Yet nothing has equipped him for her hypnotic blend of fragility and bravery, or for the protective instincts she stirs in him.
Arizona wants to reclaim her life, which means acting as bait to lure the enemy into a trap. Sure it's dangerous, especially with a partner as distractingly appealing as Spencer. But as their plan--and their chemistry--shifts into high gear, Arizona may discover there's an even greater risk in surrendering her heart to a hero....”

Along for the Ride

Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

My Rating:

3 stars—I liked it.

My Thoughts:

This was a really cute story. I really liked the author’s voice and the character development. I felt a really big lead up to the end and then very disappointed when it just wraps up without really showing the reader the results.

That was the difference between 3 and 4 stars for me. The ending was rushed and too neat.

Description from Goodreads.com:

“It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect.”

Hard as it Gets

Hard as It Gets by Laura Kaye

My rating:

3 stars—I liked it.

My thoughts:

This book is the first installment of the Hard Ink series. First and last for me. It really could have been such a good book—that’s how it still gets three stars.

I liked the beginning and I liked the characters. The problems? The characters all went by multiple names-- Derek, Marz, Murda…all the same guy. They are even called different names in the same passage! This quickly became very confusing. Too many characters to start with and then they all go by three different names.

And the worst… the author doesn’t resolve the main plot in this book. She leaves it wide open. Apparently in SIX books it is resolved. I really don’t need to know that badly.

Description from Goodreads.com:

“Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge…”

Monday Recommendations!

Monday Recommendation List

Random list of 10 books Monday! I have read and enjoyed each of these enough to flag for a potential personal library purchase.

Be bold and just choose randomly, stick to your normal genre...or step outside of your normal reading zone and try something you usually wouldn’t. You can look up the descriptions at Amazon.com, or search my blog for old posts by entering the title in the little search box in the top left-hand corner and clicking the magnifying glass.

This week-- 10 recommendations (in no particular order):

1. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris
2. Eating Animals by Jonathan Foer
3. Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
4. What I Did For Love by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
5. The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
6. The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang
7. The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents by Deepak Chopra
8. In For the Kill by John Lutz
9. Random Family by Adrian Leblanc
10. Tears of Rage by John Walsh