Another gem From Minette Walters
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Rarely can an author put a face to a homeless person, especially a deceased one, such as Ms. walters has.
Not only is The Echo a fabulous mystery but it also teaches the reader to look beyond a person's appearance  and to see what is really in their heart.
Billy Blake is written as such  a real person even though he is already dead when we first meet him in The  Echo.  Once you discover how Billy got to where he was when he died you too  will fall in love with him.
Another fabulous find from Minette Walters.
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One Year in Coal Harbor drops us back into the oceanside town in British Columbia where you can play hockey at Uncle Jack's house or have Miss Bowzer fix you up something to eat-just know it's going to come on a waffle.  It's been a year since Primrose's parents returned, and she to her home with them.  She's more rich now than ever with her Uncle Jack staying on in town, as well as Bert and Evie, her temporary foster parents who had moved to Coal Harbor all sticking by her.  She visits all of them regularly, along with keeping up her regular sessions at The Girl in the Red Swing learning to cook all variety of dishes with Miss Bowzer.

I observed in the last novel that Primrose Squarp is surprisingly resilient and full of faith, but also lacking in companions her own age.  This is rectified in One Year in Coal Harbor when Bert and Evie take on a new foster child, Ked, who Primrose quickly comes to think of as her best friend (even though she'd never tell him that).  Primrose recognizes in Ked the loneliness and thin places she herself was in when her parents were missing and instinctively finds he is someone she can relate to and wants to protect, despite his reluctance to reveal anything about his own past.

As in its predecessor, the problems in One Year in Coal Harbor are very real and bigger than the little girl telling the story.  However, because of that little girl the story feels cozy and personal.  Primrose is able to gauge issues the way we adults let slip from our perspectives at times.  Her care for Ked, her concern for Uncle Jack and Kate Bowzer who she is certain must get married, and observations of a town protesting the logging of a mountain in their backyard are all reflected through Primrose's insightful thoughts, and of course, we are graced with more recipes.

One Year in Coal Harbor is a wonderful story about not letting our pasts dictate who we will be, and also the reality that some things just are.  Primrose realizes somewhere along the road that the majority of things in life we cannot fix or ruin, but we can still change them.  She tries her hardest to change those things she sees in need, but also finds out that you can't really control other people's lives if they want certain things.  I was so happy to see Primrose gain a friend at last, and it was wonderful to see her stick her neck out for someone who was currently going through something so akin to what she'd known.
576752
Witches Under Way has only one flaw ...it's way too short.

What a wonderful gift Deborah Geary shares. There is nothing better for the soul than getting lost in world created with so much love and insight. Not since Anne McCaffrey have I experienced the wonder of words woven together with such magic that I can actually feel the solid yet gentle love that tugs my rational adult mind into the fantasy of a world for which my heart yearns.

I discovered The Modern Which series last weekend, had a wonderfully gluttonous reading frenzy as I went from one to the next until finishing Witches Under Way this afternoon ...then, the realization hit me; I have to wait until late March for the next book!  I need serious chocolate!
4929268
T.R. Pearson has captured the essence of small town life in this wonderful book, "A Short History of a Small Place." This book is not your traditional story with a plot that makes twists and turns but moves along as the pages continue. This is a portrait of a small town. The stories center around a prominent woman who is a bit of a recluse, and all of the characters that we meet have their stories somehow connect to this woman. The book rambles through the people of this small North Carolina town's life, and weaves a wonderful and always entertaining peek at life in a small town. The narrator of this book is a teen-aged boy, and the author makes good use of the device "momma says" or "daddy says" to explain concepts which may not be familiar to the reader. This book is a delight to read and sometimes found me bursting out in laughter. I hope that you enjoy this title as much as I did. Happy reading.
1415707
A terrific read.  I thoroughly enjoyed Savannah Blues, but I must admit that Little Bitty Lies is better.  I try not to purchase too many hardcover books because of the price, but Mary Kay Andrews is definitely on my hardcover book list.  It was worth every penny, a delightful read.  I plan to try the Chicken Salad recipe for my next party.  I cannot wait for her next book.  Whether she's writing as Kathy Hogan Trocheck or Mary Kay Andrews, this lady is one HECK of a talent.  Thank you for the hours of enjoyment with Callahan Garrity and your lovely Southern ladies.
100588
I did not like her first book in this series but I love this book. I couldn't put it down. While I am not a reader of Christian fiction, I read Teresa's books because I had been in a writer's group with her years ago, I wanted to see how the books she had shared finally ended up.  I wish I hadn't waited so long to read them.

Teresa's writing style is beautiful and lyrical, with vivid descriptions. Her words dance on the pages. She does an amazing job of conveying  emotions--the intense pain of abuse and the great joy of love.  Her two main characters, Becca and Nick have depth and are more interesting and complex than Annie and Conner from her first book. I enjoyed the secondary characters as well and the way she weaves relationships. The characters of Jaicy and Henry are very memorable. The themes and messages within the book are uplifting: she explores hope, redemption, the importance of family and generosity of spirit.

Years ago I vaguely remember reading part of a third book in this series that may have involved Jaicy and AJ from this book.  I am disappointed that Teresa didn't publish it as well.

Teresa has a lot of talent and I hope she continues to write, even if it's just for the enjoyment of it. I'd love to read another book about Becca and Nick or Jaicy and AJ.
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Having thoroughly enjoyed the first book in the Doug and Carlie series, I couldn't wait to read this one immediately after.  I was not disappointed.  While many can relate to Carlie in the first book, even more may relate to the seemingly hopeless story of Carla in book 2.  Yes, love can be found for even those who think they don't deserve it.  Lisa Smartt wields a masterful pen with her characters, many of which  are definitely  characters.  Lisa Smartt gets real, and it amazes me how someone so wise can also be so funny!  Youll travel from small-town America to Hollywood and back.  Enjoy the ride  I certainly did.
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I just finished a wonderful book by Liz Curtis Higgs. I was drawn to this  book because 1) I had read her previous novel MIXED SIGNALS and loved it  (she has also written several nonfiction inspirationals) and 2) It's one of  the rare books set in a Moravian community (this time  ontemporary Lititz,  PA) as I had a family of Moravian ancestors.  This book was terrific.  It  dealed with a young woman,  Emilie, who has a Ph. D. in anthropology and has  returned to her hometown on hiatus from teaching in NC to write the history  of her hometown Moravian church for its 250th anniversary celebration. But  she has an ulterior motive as well -- one that will give her accolades from  her collegues and help her recover from hurt pride.  While there she meets  land developer Jonas Fielding, who is best described as a real  "hunk."  A big conflict comes in when Emilie who cherishes  everything from the past, locks horns with the modern-thinking Jonas.  Of  course the fact that they are both attracted to one another gets the sparks  flying. Things don't always go smoothly as when Emilie discovers Jonas is  building the 18th hole of a golf course right on the ruins of the first  Moravian church in the community.
Liz Curtis Higgs has quite a way with  words and her witty, seemless style of writing is very appealing. I laughed  out loud more than once.  I can only hope she writes fast as I can hardly  wait for her next book!
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"Thale's Folly" is a delightful read.  I am reminded of some of Angela Thirkell's slightly zany and lovable people, even though the situation and plot are uniquely Ms. Gilman's own.  I can relate quite easily to the people involved.
The only problem with this book is that I could not put it down.  I also hope she continues to write more Mrs. Polifax stories as well as those outside of the series.  In fact, I would like to know more about the Clairvoyant Countess and the other people whose stories she told.
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Maisie Lazarow returns home to Fairham, North Carolina, the island of her childhood after suffering the double tragedy of losing both her only child, Ellie, to SIDS and her husband, Jack, to an affair with another woman. But the island is not a refuge, she returns to help her brother, Keith, who is dealing with his own problems - the pains and the ups and downs of addiction and their cold, controlling mother, Josephine. Complicating the situation, Maisie discovers that her first love, Rafe Romero, is renovating the vacation cottages on her familys property and is living right next door with his young daughter, Laney.

Brenda Novak has written another wonderful and complex story of heartbreak, mystery, renewal, and romance. The characters quickly became real people to me, with lives and back stories all their own. Supporting characters are solid and help develop the complications and give completeness to the novel. The beautiful island gives us a perfect setting for mystery and romance. I found the little touches, such as the texts from Maisies ex-husband, gave the story another feeling of reality as well. The interplay between the mother and EVERYONE always had me holding my breath to see what shed say next. Great!

I can easily recommend this book to my friends and family or anyone that enjoys a good family drama or their romance involved with a good mystery. This is a heck of a start for a new series.
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Millie is running away from her old life because she feels threatened and is starting over in Honeybourne, a small village where she wants to run the village bakery. She's purchased the building without seeing it first and the state of her premises is daunting. Millie doesn't have money to restore it and can't open her bakery before the work has been completed, so she needs to be inventive to be able to open her business. Fortunately the inhabitants of Honeybourne are kind and helpful, will she eventually manage to pull it off?

Millie immediately finds a friend in Jasmine, a local pink haired jewelry maker. Jasmine is the mother of triplets and this makes her well known in the village. Millie's neighbor Ruth is curious and often comes in to snoop and talk. Jasmine's brother Dylan instantly likes Millie, but he's a notorious player and has never had a serious girlfriend. He wants to help Millie with the renovations, but should she accept? Unfortunately when Millie starts to feel at home in her new surroundings her past is catching up with her. Will Millie be chased away from Honeybourne as well?

The Little Village Bakery is a lovely heartwarming story. Millie has a big heart, she's helpful, capable and friendly. She's also guarded because of the past she's running away from. She's been through something devastating and my heart ached for her when I read the details. She's a gorgeous person inside and out and I immediately loved her lively spirit and creativity. Something else I really enjoyed reading about is how easily Millie makes friends. She wants to keep people at a distance, but she's too nice and they don't let her. I loved the beautiful friendships she forms and they kept putting a big smile on my face. Tilly Tennant has managed to create the exact right hospitable atmosphere, which is one of the most wonderful parts of the story.

Honeybourne is a cozy small village. It's the perfect setting for a romantic book and the detailed and colorful descriptions of both Honeybourne and its inhabitants made the story come to life incredibly well. Tilly Tennant kept surprising me with her unusual twists and turns. Her writing is original and fun and I found it very refreshing to read a story about a bakery that has many unexpected elements. There's also a delightful hint of magic that completely enchanted me. The Little Village Bakery is a fantastic entertaining story and I highly recommend this spellbinding charming book.
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Katarina Bishop is no ordinary girl and certainly no ordinary criminal. Ever since she pulled off one of the greatest museum robberies in the world, she's been traveling around, liberating priceless works of art for the benefit of the public. It's her way of using her skills for good, and fortunately, none of the jobs have been too difficult. But when she is asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald, Kat knows she may be in way over her head. Not only has this gem not been publically seen in over thirty years, it has a history of not staying in its owner's hands for long--because it's rumored to be cursed. Can Kat do it? She's not so sure, but when the job turns into a nightmare of lies and deception, Kat knows she can't back down. But now that she's facing a rival who knows all the tricks in the book, does Kat have what it takes to out con the perfect con artist?

I should have known that Carter would not write a repeat of Heist Society for its sequel Uncommon Criminals, yet I was still surprised by how original this book turned out to be. I was really just expecting another episode of Kat and her crew pulling off a truly difficult job, and while Uncommon Criminals seems to start out this way, Carter quickly twists the job into an even more complicated con. There's a lot about this book that I would never have expected. Firstly, Kat is such a flawed character. She isn't a master criminal or even a particularly good friend; instead, she's just a girl who wants to prove herself and do the right thing. And while that makes her rather unusual as a protagonist in a novel all about the most elite crime families, I'm starting to really like her. What also surprised me is how Kat seems to adopt a Robin Hood-like role in that she steals back stolen artwork and returns it to its rightful owners. I think that when I jumped into this series, I assumed the books would be all action and suspense with a hint of romance. However, the title of this book captures my feelings perfectly: this is an uncommon take on high stakes crime that I'm really starting to love.

Fans of Heist Society will not want to miss its sequel in Uncommon Criminals, nor will readers who also enjoyed the Gallagher Girls series, also by Ally Carter, and the Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz.
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This book is really worth reading. It contains a dynamically villainous collection of primarily upper class wives with a possibly fictitious motivation to thoroughly hoodwink their husbands, and additional prying eyes from their nefarious escapades. I was initially captivated by their ingenious initiative and willing to doff my chapeau in their honor. However, a new member to this group with banking expertise and financial connections eventually provides a clearer perspective. Regardless of the final evaluation of this upper class coterie, they certainly know how to wow newcomers. They tweak all the right strings, maximizing and protecting their shenanigans while indulging in some riotously hot and sexy activities. Impressively imaginative!

Laney DeGraff is an intelligent woman who is now president of the family bank, a bank her father started. Laney is delightfully personable, lovely, while having a well earned reputation of being a very astute businesswoman. Laney displays a simply fantastic combination of economic savviness, plus personability with clients, work associates, the exceptionally rich, and the charming police detective who handles all criminal issues related to Laney's bank. Although Laney can wear her feelings on her sleeve, thereby appearing to be possibly capable of being manipulated, she is actually appropriately attentive, with remarkable skills often giving her a decidedly deceptive advantage. I adore Laney. She is always up for a great challenge and her inner fortitude is certainly praise-worthy. Laney is an outstandingly intricate and fascinating individual. Bravo!

Detective Sandrine Girard works hard at being a consummate police officer. It is important to her on many levels. Occasionally, the difficulties from her childhood bubble up and assault her consciousness. She defends herself well on most occasions in response to these memories, and has a fine collection of defense mechanisms to manage the other instances. She has always had a soft spot for Laney, but has been well aware that Laney was in a committed relationship for a number of years. That spoke volumes to Sandrine and she maintains a very professional relationship with Laney under the circumstances. Sandrine is really an impressive person, awe-inspiring, sensuously solicitous, and a top-notch police detective. I believe this makes more than blue-chip girlfriend material! Grandly noble!

Also, I suggest keeping a watchful and perceptive eye on Theresa Aguilar, the driving force behind the pleasure set, and the temptress whose power manipulations and sense of entitlement are incredible to observe from the sidelines. Astounding!

I definitely recommend this multi-faceted whirlwind escapade. Marvelously intriguing!

NOTE: This book was provided by Bold Strokes Books for the purpose of a review on <a href="http://www.rainbowbookreviews.com/book-reviews/the-pleasure-set-by-lisa-girolami-at-bold-strokes-books">Rainbow Book Reviews</a>.
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Sr. Bridget's newest book is a gem.  Clear, uplifting and full of wit and spirit. Her writing is concise and (important!) she knows when to stop.  As in the Parables of Jesus, many answers or reflections can be surmised according to our state. So to in Sr. Bridget's new work. We are left to form our conclusions, based on our own life.  Truly this is a gem that has polish and shine.  I heartily recommend this book.  I also really appreciate the format- easy to follow.  The only problem I see is that I couldn't read just one a week.  I wanted to read the entire work at one sitting.
252147
Becky Lower's contemporary, Blame it on the Bronte's does not disappoint. Based on the lives of three sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne, it follows their path to romance in a small coastal town in Maine. Now you may be saying to yourself, seen and done that before, but STOP and let me tell you why this story is worth the read. First, all three sisters are in their forties - refreshing, right? They are looking for love after missing the mark earlier in their lives.  I don't know about you, but the last time I looked at the US census the average age for woman was not 25, so why are the majority of heroines in their twenties?

Second, the sisters don't get along so their story is also about reconciliation and the healing of old wounds. And the tension is ratcheted up even more when they are forced to live together as a condition of their mother's will. Third, the heroes are actually interesting characters! Two run a lobster boat and the third is a cop whose wife was killed in the line of duty. How can you not fall in love with an `everyman' character and in this book we get three of them!

Fourth, the small coastal town, Puffin Harbor is described in a way that it almost becomes its own character. These people live and breathe the salt air and look out their window to the sea below. The author does a wonderful job of using `magic places' to further the romance in the book. The first magic place is the widow's walk on the house. All three heroines are drawn to this special spot. Charlotte and Emily watch their men come home from the sea and Anne watches her man jog along a trail next to their house. The other magic place in their stories is the `kissing cave'. A place where teens in the town go to make out, it plays an important part in all three love stories, whether as a reminder of the past (Charlotte & Gray) , a wish of a love-smitten boy, now man (Emily & Liam), or the chance of a new future (Anne & Jesse).

The final reason why you should read this book is the heroine's themselves. All three sisters are unique and yet they all want a second chance at love. Charlotte, the artistic east-coaster gal who drinks beer; Emily the successful business woman who thinks she can plot out her life and loves using lists; and Anne the tempestuous actress whose fiery temper and love for designer shoes gets her into trouble.  How can you not want to know their story? I know I had to.
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My second delve into Georgette Heyers work was completely delightful. She does an excellent job of setting you up and then surprising you with the unexpected. Although one gets into the working mind of Sophy, Heyer does a great job of throwing in people and events that take the story into a maze of sticky situations that Sophy manages to escape. Sophy is the perfect busybody with a heart of gold. A wonderful example for the emergence of women into a role of independence and acknowledged intelligence -- which seemed to take a very very long time to arrive.
3216313
The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest is a modern twist on a stories that we all know: Swan Lake and Robin Hood. The book's feminine heroine is Odette, is poaching in Thornbeck forest to try and provide food for the poor people of her town. Jorgen is the handsome forester that is in charge of finding the poacher, whom he is unaware is the beautiful woman that he has taken a sudden liking too, even though she's above his station. I love how when Odette faces a cross road in her life, she turns to God for guidance and has faith that he will guide her in what she should do. The Huntress of Thornbeck Forest is another wonderful book by Melanie Dickerson, just as all her other books are.
(I was given an advanced readers copy by the author and the above is my honest review.)