Next of Kin …
by Sharon Sala
Book description from the publisher:
T
rouble for One, Trouble for All.
Beth Venable has seen too much. Witness to a major mob hit, she’s placed in protective custody until the trial. But after her third safe house is riddled with bullets, she goes off-grid to save herself. What the FBI can’t do, her kinfolk will.
The beautiful but forbidding Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky welcome Beth back, dirt roads and rustic shacks a world apart from L.A. But her homecoming—even her blissful reunion with strong, silent Ryal Walker—is made bittersweet by the fight she’s brought to the clan’s doorstep. Hidden in a remote cabin with the man she’s always wanted, Beth begins to dream of a new life: her old one. But after so long, with such
dangers stalking her…impossible.
But love can distill life down to its essence: an elixir of pure hope, nerve—and the will to survive.
My review:
I absolutely loved this book!! From the very beginning I was hooked ... and couldn't put it down!! “Next of Kin” had everything I love - action/suspense/drama/romance - all combined into one great book!! It was very well-written, easy to read, and it wasn’t predictable (except for the “happy ending” part).
In L.A., Beth witnessed the head of the organized crime mob murder his ex -wife. Now he's after Beth...and she's trying to stay alive. Her extended family (who she hasn't seen or had contact with in 10 years) is protecting her. They welcomed her back with open arms, and will stop at nothing to keep her safe.
Upon her return home, Beth was met by Ryal, her true love (from 10 years ago.) They both still have strong feelings for each other, but are both still dealing with the pain of a broken heart.
I can’t give you any more information in my book “summary” – because I don’t want to ruin in for you when you read “Next of Kin”!! Trust me, I'm sure you'll love this book as much as I did!! I highly recommend that you read this book!! 5 out of 5 stars!!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an e-book edition of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
**Links are Amazon Affiliate links**
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Highland Crossings …
by Laurie Alice Eakes, Pamela Griffin, Jennifer Hudson Taylor, and Gina Welborn
Book description from the publisher:
An heirloom brooch unites the lives and loves of four women in historic North Carolina. Seona flees Scotland with the brooch in tow hoping to find peace before her past is revealed. Fiona tries to recover the heirloom but ends up on the whipping block—with her rescuer a man she’s not sure she can trust. Seren sells the brooch but soon regrets giving up something so precious for what could be a hopeless dream. Brynna seeks to reclaim the stolen brooch but risks losing something even more valuable in the process. Will God’s path become clear in a new world?
My review:
“Highland Crossings” is another sweet historical, Christian romance book…actually it was a 4-in-1 type book – which I liked! All four books are set in the 1700's in North Carolina and are “intertwined” with each other by the family heirloom brooch, although each book focuses on a different person within the family – in fact, most are different generations. I really liked each of the 4 “mini-books”, they were all cute in their own right. They were all Christian books, but none of them were “in-your-face” with their Christian beliefs, etc. The main theme for the majority of the books is following God’s will instead of your own…other themes are learning to trust others, and sacrificing for those you love.
I really liked this book, it was a cute, sweet book…very easy-to-read {although the first 2 “mini-books” had a lot of “authentic” dialect written in…it took a little bit to get used to reading that}. I LOVE this type of book – with the 4 related mini-books made into one book. I would recommend “Highland Crossings” to you…it’s a very enjoyable book! 4 out of 5 stars!!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an e-book edition of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
**Links are Amazon Affiliate links**
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Last Chance Beauty Queen…
by Hope Ramsay
Book description from the publisher:
Dear Reader,
Gracious me, my beautiful daughter Rocky sure could use my help. I always knew she wasn't much interested in the local boys - but who'd have thought she'd come home with English royalty?
Trouble is, Hugh wants to buy some of our folks' land. We don't want to sell, but Rocky's job depends on her closing the deal. And though Hugh's obviously smitten, I'm not sure he's right for my Rocky. Oh, he's classy and handsome - and you should've seen the way he judged pies and fixed stock cars at our Watermelon Festival! - but what do we know about him, really? I know I sound like a nervous mother hen, but after forty happy years with my Elbert, all I want is to see my little girl find the same.
Well, time for me to quit chattering and get back to Miss Bray's wet set. Always nice talking to you, and remember: the Cut 'n Curl's got hot rollers, free coffee, and the best gossip in town.
See you real soon,
Ruby Rhodes
My review:
“Last Chance Beauty Queen” is a cute, quirky book…filled with quirky characters. Caroline “Rocky” Rhodes is sent on an assignment by her boss, the Senator, back to her small (yet quaint) hometown. Hugh (Lord Woolham) wants to buy the land that Golfing For God – the town’s mini-golf course, that is currently in disrepair – sits on to build a factory. However, the owner of Golfing For God happens to be Rocky’s dad…and he doesn’t want to sell. So Rocky tries to come up with a plan, because Last Chance really needs the jobs that the factory would bring! In the process, Rocky “rediscovers” her hometown, and acknowledges that she loves the small town as well as the people (no matter how eccentric and nosy they may be) of Last Chance.
I thought this book was a cute book…and easy to read. The plot was well-thought out…and it was an overall enjoyable book to read. I liked that there was some Southern terms/dialect, along with British ones – they really made the characters seem authentic and “real”. The only part (or theme, actually) that I didn’t really care for was the Sorrowful Angel (and the seeing/talking to angels/ghosts/spirits)…to me, that was a little weird. And although it was an “on-going” part of the book, and it did make some of the characters “extra-quirky” because of it…I personally feel that whole theme could’ve been left out, or toned down at least, and it wouldn’t have affected the book, or the overall “quirkiness” of the characters.
The one “extra” that I really liked – there was a list of discussion questions at the end of the book to use if you would read this as part of a book group. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars!!
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an e-book edition of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
**Links are Amazon Affiliate links**
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Secrets of the Lost Summer …
by Carla Neggers
Book description from the publisher:
Beneath the surface lie the greatest treasures
A wave of hope carries Olivia Frost back to her small New England hometown nestled in the beautiful Swift River Valley. She’s transforming a historic home into an idyllic getaway. Picturesque and perfect, if only the
absentee owner will fix up the eyesore next door.…
Dylan McCaffrey’s ramshackle house is an inheritance he never counted on. It also holds the key to a generations-old lost treasure he can’t resist…any more than he can resist his new neighbor. Against this breathtaking landscape, Dylan and Olivia pursue long-buried secrets and discover a mystery wrapped in a love story…past and present.
My review:
Secrets of the Lost Summer is a cute romance book (with a little mystery and adventure mixed in) set in a picturesque small town of Knights Bridge, in the Quabbin Reservoir/Swift River Valley of Massachusetts. The book starts out with Olivia quitting her full-time job in Boston as a graphic designer and moving back “home” to Knights Bridge. She’s decided to turn the 19th-century house she purchased in her hometown into The Farm at Carriage Hill – a place to have showers, meetings, teas, etc. The house next door (which used to belong to Grace, a 90-year old retired school teacher from Knights Bridge) is now owned by someone from out-of-town…and is an eyesore. Olivia writes a letter to the owner asking him to clean up his house.
When Dylan (who lives in San Diego) received the letter from Olivia about the house he owns in Knights Bridge, MA…he assumes someone got the wrong person. He doesn’t own a house there…in fact…he never even heard of the town. But, after asking his lawyer, he found out that his father had purchased the house not long before he died suddenly. So, Dylan decides to take an “adventure” and went to Knights Bridge, partly to find out more about why his father (who was a treasure hunter) had purchased this house.
Olivia and Dylan will become friends, and will both help each other in finding out answers to the mystery surrounding Dylan’s house. In the process, they’ll also find out more about Grace (the house’s former owner), and the history of the Quabbin Reservoir (which is a real place in Massachusetts.)
I thought overall this book was a good book. The “mystery” of the house was a tiny bit “far-fetched”, I thought, but I did enjoy reading this book. I found it easy to read…and hard to put down! I rate this book a 4 out of 5 stars.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received an e-book edition of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
**Links are Amazon Affiliate links**
