A Death in the Family by Marlene Bateman

In her debut mystery, Motive for Murder, gutsy private investigator Erica Coleman proved that when it comes to sleuthing, she takes the cake. Now, the fast-talking, food-loving heroine is back, and she’s sure her next assignment will be as easy as pie . . . Erica and her family happily anticipate Grandma Blanche’s eighty-first birthday celebration in the picturesque town of Florence, Oregon. But when the feisty matriarch, a savvy businesswoman, enlists Erica’s help in an investigation of her company, things quickly get sticky. Before the investigation can begin, Blanche’s unexpected death leaves Erica with more questions than answers—and it soon becomes clear that Grandma’s passing was anything but natural: she was murdered. When Aunt Martha, Blanche’s reclusive sister, becomes the next victim of someone with a taste for homicide, Erica uses her flair for cooking to butter up local law enforcement and gather clues. As she narrowly escapes becoming the third victim, Erica is more determined than ever to solve the case—before she bites off more than she can chew.

"A Death in the Family" is a cozy, culinary LDS murder mystery.  It is the second book in this series.  I didn't have the chance to read the first book, "Motive for Murder", and even though I could feel that at some points, especially in the beginning, I don't think it set me back all that much.  This is a book where the characters are LDS and it mentions going to church but there is nothing preachy or overly religious.

This book started off slow for me and took awhile to get into.  That may be due to the fact that I didn't read the previous book, I'm not sure.  About a third of the way through the book, my interest was peaked.  I think I was finally getting a handle on all the characters and who they were.  That always helps.

Erica is one OCD germ freak girl.  But hey, it helps her with her sleuthing so more power to her.  The woman even puts on latex gloves to pet baby kittens.  Where is the joy in that?  You don't get to feel that kitty softness.  Sad.

I think I suspected everyone in the book at some point.  There is no way I, as a reader, could have come up with the murderer based on the information I was given because a lot was left out of what Erica actually does to find out who the murder is.  It's just part of the "big reveal".  What I really liked was how the ending caught me off guard.  I was expecting the end and then I actually got this whole other intense situation that actually made the book for me.  Great ending.

Since this is somewhat of a culinary mystery, there are recipes in the book that go along with the story.  Those were some yummy sounding recipes and I'm hoping to try a couple of them myself.

You can purchase "A Death in the Family" at the following places:

Amazon *  Deseret Book  *  Seagull Book  *

You can find out more about the author, Marlene Bateman, HERE.

Prejudice Meets Pride $50 Book Blast

After years of pinching pennies and struggling to get through art school, Emma Makie’s hard work finally pays off with the offer of a dream job. But when tragedy strikes, she has no choice but to make a cross-country move to Colorado Springs to take temporary custody of her two nieces. She has no money, no job prospects, and no idea how to be a mother to two little girls, but she isn’t about to let that stop her. Nor is she about to accept the help of Kevin Grantham, her handsome new neighbor, who seems to think she’s incapable of doing anything on her own.

Fun, compelling, and romantic, Prejudice Meets Pride is the story of a guy who thinks he has it all figured out and a girl who isn't afraid to show him that he doesn't. It’s about learning what it means to trust, figuring out how to give and to take, and realizing that not everyone gets to pick the person they fall in love with. Sometimes, love picks them.

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Author Rachael Anderson A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

Website * Twitter * Facebook

   
Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 5/25/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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Deviations by Crystal C. Johnson

Book Title: Deviations

Author: Crystal C. Johnson

Series: Deviations (Book One).

Price: $0.99 USD. 

Category: Fiction

Paperback: 460 pages

“People don’t just create diseases to wipe out nations,” I argue.

“The bubonic plague, typhoid fever, smallpox, the bird flu—would you like me to continue?” His voice rises as if he’s determined to make me understand, “They’re created in labs, then given to people to see who is strong enough to survive them. They’re trying to limit the amount of people in the world.” I watch him stand and turn for the door. “There’s a lot about your parents that you don’t know and the sooner you realize that, the sooner you can start doing something about it.”

From the day we’re born, we’re introduced to the marvels of modern medicine. It is amazing how a simple vaccine can prevent polio, hepatitis B, rotavirus—the list is almost endless. But, what if that were no longer the case? What if the government unleashed each virus for the sole purpose of controlling the population? Henly Sawyer finds herself discovering this truth for the first time, and as she does, the world that she thought she knew shatters. She wakes in Aurora, a quarantine miles from home, and is forced into a grueling reality. Henly strives to piece together the truth about her parents and their involvement in the unfolding chaos. With the help of her new friends, Renner and Dex, Henly sets out to understand a world that is now filled with Deviations—an infected group of violent, murderous humans.

In my book, Deviations = Zombies.  I know they really aren't, because they are supposedly still alive and don't want to eat your brains, just kill you, but they sure seemed very Zombie like to me!  You should see the alternate cover for this book.  It scared me.  (yes.  I am a big chicken.  It's no secret.)

There was a lot that I liked about this book.  It has a definite forward movement that keeps you on your toes, interested in what is happening and wanting to know more.  In most books you get an idea what is really happening through that omnipotent standpoint or though other characters but in this book I was just as clueless as Henly!  Pretty much the whole time.  I totally didn't see that ending coming.

I think I liked Renner and Dex more than Henly.  Maybe even Dex the best.  I liked Dex's chill and how he thought things through.  Yeah, I just liked him.  And his little dog too.

Something I really loved about Henly though was her loyalty to her sister.  She will do anything to find her and save her.  She is single minded and almost desperate in this goal.

Man, the ending is a whopper.  If you love cliff hangers, this is your book.  It's got a big crescendo ending that leaves you hanging over a big, big cliff.  Oh, the betrayal.  Oh, the sadness.  NOOOOOOOOO!

Content:  There is some mild swearing and quite a bit of violence.

You can buy Deviations at Amazon.

So a little bit about me...I'm an avid pinner, addicted to reading and writing, and currently trying to survive motherhood. Let's face it I have a strange addiction to Root Beer, and girl scout thin mints. If I could I would spend my entire day locked in a closet with a flashlight if that meant I could read a book from start to finish. But lets get serious...

I graduated from BYU-I with a BA Degree in Political Science and a minor in English. Along the way I acquired a pretty amazing husband who has helped me create and realize so many dreams. Who knows how many times he's reminded me that I need to sleep to continue living. I also have a baby boy who fits perfectly with his name Cash. Right now I reside in Canada and besides the rainy month (June) I love it.  http://crystalchristinebeanwrites.blogspot.ca/

On Tour with The Weather Girl by Amy Vastine + Enter to Win $25 and MORE!

A themed tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome to my stop for the April Showers Book Tour for

The Weather Girl

by Amy Vastine

The Weather Girl

by Amy Vastine

Clean Adult Contemporary Romance

January 1st 2014 by Harlequin

Turbulence is in their forecast.

Summer Raines knows when it's going to rain. She can feel it. That's why the local weather girl's so good at her job. Too bad she couldn't have foreseen the tumultuous arrival of Travis Lockwood, everybody's favorite star NFL quarterback. Make that former star NFL quarterback. Sidelined back to Texas after an injury, the golden boy is trying to steal her precious on-air time. Summer is reduced to reporting from…football games. It's enough to make her quit and become a storm-chaser like her parents. She's stuck with a career that's going nowhere and a man who delights in her refusal to be charmed. Falling in love isn't nearly as easy as predicting the weather.

Amazon *  Barnes & Noble * Harlequin

I’ve been looking forward to reading The Weather Girl since I signed on for the tour.  I love that Harlequin makes a Heartwarming line for people like me who love a good romance but also love them clean.

I think Travis stole the show for me in this book.  Haunted by the career that could have been,  he is trying to figure out who he is.  Who is he without football?  What does he really want to do with his life?  Travis feels like a failure and it doesn’t help that his Dad is the one telling him that.  Travis is lonely and really needs a friend.  His job as a sportscaster has him completely out of his comfort zone but he really wants to do well.  Travis sees Summer as someone who can help him and teach him how to be better.  Too bad she has already decided not to like him.

Summer is quirky and she takes the weather seriously.  Very seriously.  It’s her life.  It’s in her blood.  She lives for the weather.  Summer sure has a chip on her shoulder when it comes to Travis.  Even though they get off to a rocky start, Summer is all kinds of prejudice against poor Travis and just can’t let it go.  She holds grudges a long time.  Anger is usually a cover up for other emotions which is exactly how it is for Summer.  She is also fiercely loyal to her family and I really loved that.

But as most good romance books go, they find a way to work things out.  There sure are plenty of bumps along the way.  Like I said before, I love Travis.  He is the one that made this book great for me.  This was a fun, romantic read.  A kick back and relax sort of book.

Content:  There was some mild swearing and profanity in this book.

Amy Vastine has been plotting stories in her head for as long as she can remember. An eternal optimist, she studied social work, hoping to teach others how to find their silver lining. Now, she enjoys creating happily ever afters for all to read.

In September of 2012, she saw a tweet about Harlequin's So You Think You Can Write contest. She entered, hoping for nothing more than a little feedback from some people in the business. Amazingly, The Weather Girl made it into the semi-finals, thanks to the many wonderful voters out there! The manuscript didn't make it to the finals, but the editors over Harlequin were still interested. A few revisions later and The Weather Girl was contacted for publication with Harlequin Heartwarming - a dream come true!

Amy lives outside Chicago with her high school sweetheart-turned-husband, three fun-loving children, and their sweet but mischievous puppy dog.

Website * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter

Tour-Wide Giveaway

- Grand Prize: $25 Amazon gift card, red umbrella, signed copy of THE WEATHER GIRL, umbrella bookmark, and decorative box (US Only)
- 5 ebooks of The Weather Girl (INT)
- April 21 - May 11

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4/21 - Tour Launch

4/22

Copywrite1985

Rhiannon Paille - YA Fantasy Author

Angels With Attitude Book Reviews

4/23

Mel's Shelves

The Bookish Fairy

4/24

Kelly P's Blog

Getting Your Read On

Cherry Mischievous

4/25

Book Talk

Brooke Blogs

4/27

Tressa's Wishful Endings

Seasons of Humility

4/28

Kindle and Me

Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

JRRichardson Fics

4/29

Katie's Clean Book Collection

Letters from Annie Douglass Lima

The Written Adventure

4/30

Paulette's Papers

Reviews By Molly

Library of a Book Witch

5/1

The Wonderings of One Person 

My Love for Reading Keeps Growing 

I Am A Reader

5/2

Lola's Reviews

Deal Sharing Aunt

5/4 - Grand Finale

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The Show by John A. Heldt

Seattle, 1941. Grace Vandenberg, 21, is having a bad day. Minutes after Pearl Harbor is attacked, she learns that her boyfriend is a time traveler from 2000 who has abandoned her for a future he insists they cannot share. Determined to save their love, she follows him into the new century. But just when happiness is within her grasp, she accidentally enters a second time portal and exits in 1918. Distraught and heartbroken, Grace starts a new life in the age of Woodrow Wilson, silent movies, and the Spanish flu. She meets her parents as young, single adults and befriends a handsome, wounded Army captain just back from the war. In THE SHOW, the sequel to THE MINE, Grace finds love and friendship in the ashes of tragedy as she endures the trial of her life.

Here is something you may not know about me.  I hardly ever read the blurbs for books.  Especially if I know the author and it's a second book in a series or something like that.  I just like to be surprised and know nothing ahead of time that might sway me one way or another.  I have read two other books by this author and never even thought to read the blurb for this book.  So, I can honestly say that I was taken completely by surprise when I got to the point where Grace accidently enters a portal and travels through time to 1918.  (even though it isn't a secret, it's right there in the blurb!)  

I was really enjoying the growing relationship between Grace and Joel.  I knew something must be coming, but I didn't expect that!  I thought maybe somebody else would be traveling and join them or something.  It took me so off guard that I was a little, dare I say, angry?  I put the book down and walked away!  ha.  I guess that tells you how invested I was in Joel, Grace and their relationship.  How dare the author rip them apart like that?!

But, yes, I came back to the book.  You know, like 5 mintues later.  Because I had to know.

This was a good sequel to The Mine.  I loved sharing more time with Joel and Grace.  The author keeps the time travel concept easy so my mind isn't filled with mind boggeling details.  Relationships are what drive this story and I really liked it.  It was easy, take me away for awhile, reading.

Content:  Some mild swearing.  Sexual activity you know happens but is not talked about, no details.

You can find The Show on Amazon.

My thanks to the author, John Heldt for providing me a copy of this book for my honest review.

John A. Heldt is a reference librarian and the author of the critically acclaimed Northwest Passage time-travel series. The former award-winning sportswriter and newspaper editor has loved getting subjects and verbs to agree since writing book reports on baseball heroes in grade school. A graduate of the University of Oregon and the University of Iowa, he is an avid fisherman, sports fan, home brewer, and reader of thrillers and historical fiction. When not sending contemporary characters to the not-so-distant past, he weighs in on literature and life at johnheldt.blogspot.com.

Fractured Truth by Rachel McClellan + $25 Giveaway and a chance to WIN a copy of this book!

Llona is determined to end the fight with the Vykens once and for all. All she needs is to find and destroy the Shadow—the ultimate source of dark power. But when she makes a startling discovery about someone she loves, Llona has to fight the toughest battle yet in this exciting conclusion to the Fractured Light series.

This has been such a fun series.  I'm glad I've had the chance to read it and now that we are at the end, I'm kind of sad.  And a little confused because that ending left a WHOLE LOT open.  Like, a whole other book, open.  What?  Am I supposed to make up my own happily ever after ending?  I can totally do that.  In fact, I kind of already did.  hee hee

I had a hard time catching my breath in this book.  It was seriously one action packed event to the next.  It's sure a good thing the main character, Llona is infused with different supernatural abilities that make fighting and healing such a part of her or she would be dead a thousand times over!  Seriously, this book just doesn't let up.

Llona is a fighter.  She fights for what she believes in and tries to get others to do the same.  She is loyal, brave and a good friend.  She never asks anyone to do something she isn't willing to do herself.  I like that.

Llona suffers a lot of heart breaking betrayal in this book.  People close to her that she loves turn against her.  Between that and the action and death, you would think Llona would break.  But no.  She doesn't.  She is super human strong.  Which is admirable, but a little hard to relate to as a reader.  I wanted to feel a bit more but I couldn't ask for a more engaging book.  It literally sucks you in and keeps you there until the end where you feel like you've ran a marathon in sprint like fashion.  :)

If you haven't had the chance to read this series yet, you should.  It's a good, clean paranormal story with plenty of action to keep you glued to the pages.

Buy Fractured Truth

  

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Click the pictures below to find out more about Fractured Light and Fractured Soul, book one and book two. 

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Righting a Wrong by Rachael Anderson- A Ripple Effect Romance + a $25 Giveaway

Seven years ago, Cambri Blaine fled her small hometown of Bridger, Colorado after her senior year ended in a fiasco. Only Jace Sutton knew the real reason why—that she was a spineless coward. Now, seven years later, her father's been in an accident and needs help, and Cambr has no choice but to return home. So with trepidation, she takes a leave of absence from the landscape architecture firm where she works and boards a plane, hoping against hope that Jace is no longer around and that the past can stay where it belongs—in the past. If only life worked that way. Jace never expected to see Cambri again. After she’d led him on, bruised his heart, and left town without a backward glance, he was forced to pick up the pieces and try not to hate her for it. Eventually, he put it behind him and moved on, creating a life for himself in his beloved hometown. But now that Cambri is back and looking more beautiful and sophisticated than ever, some of those old feelings resurface, and Jake instinctively knows, for the sake of his heart, that he needs to avoid her at all costs. If only it were that easy.

Amazon * Kobo * Barnes & Noble

Woo-hoo!  I’m loving this Ripple Effect series!  I feel like such a lucky girl to be reading and reviewing them.  Righting a Wrong is written by Rachel Anderson and I just LOVE Rachel’s writing so I was especially looking forward to this one.  J

Cambri has returned to the home she once knew to help care for her father as he recovers from a heart attack.  It’s been a long time since she left and coming home brings up all sorts of memories and emotions.  When Cambri runs into her old best friend, Jace, she can’t help but remember how good she felt when she spent time with him.  She’s lived years without him, but has never forgotten how he made her feel.  She has never found anyone to compare to him but she left without looking back and she cut all ties to him in a desperate attempt to follow her dreams and become something outside the little town she grew up in.  Now she wants to apologize and reclaim that friendship (and hopefully something more!) but she just doesn’t know how.

We got to know Jace a bit in the last book.  I’m sure glad he got his own story with a happily ever after too.  You couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for the guy in Silver Linings.  But here, in Righting a Wrong, Jace finally gets a second chance at a love he thought he had lost forever.

I love both Cambri and Jace.  You can feel the camaraderie and friendship they once had rebuild and establish once again.  Thank goodness Cambri had the courage to apologize and accept the blame.  It started the change that led to the reconnection. 

There is also a struggling connection between Cambri and her father.  They express emotion and communicate in very different ways.  It was in the exchanges between Cambri and her father that I really came to love Cambri.  She is trying to help and understand her father but most of the time she just doesn’t.  I love that she won’t be bullied and stands up to her father but does it with love and a desire to take care of him.

I really loved this book.  Hopefully you will too.  This is such a sweet, clean romance series. Such a fun idea.  The next book in the series is going to be a fun one!  I can't wait to get started on it!

Author Rachael Anderson A USA Today bestselling author, Rachael Anderson is the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can't sing, doesn't dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.

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The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series Enjoy this exciting new series of clean novellas by six critically-acclaimed authors. "Like a pebble tossed into calm water, a simple act can ripple outward and have a far-reaching effect on those we meet, perhaps setting a life on a different course—one filled with excitement, adventure, and sometimes even love." Book 1: Home Matters by Julie N. Ford Book 2: Silver Linings by Kaylee Baldwin Book 3: Righting A Wrong by Rachael Anderson Book 4: Lost and Found by Karey White Book 5: Second Chances 101 by Donna K. Weaver Book 6: Immersed by Jennifer Griffith

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Cover Reveal: Diamond Rings are Deadly Things by Rachelle J. Christensen + $25 Giveaway!

Adrielle Pyper knows how to plan a wedding, and she is especially good at pleasing bridezillas. But when her biggest client and best friend is murdered just three days before the wedding, Adri’s world falls apart. She moves to the resort town of Sun Valley, Idaho, and starts from scratch. Thanks to Adri’s impeccable taste and unique style, she lands two celebrity clients, and her business seems headed for success--that is, until someone vandalizes the specialty wedding dresses she imported from overseas. The race is on to uncover a secret hidden within the yards of satin and lace before Adri becomes the next victim. With a delightful blend of mystery, toe-curling kisses, humor, and spine-tingling thrills, Diamond Rings are Deadly Things is a romantic suspense novel that will keep you turning pages long into the night.

Pre Order at Amazon, Barnes and Noble

“I love Rachelle J. Christensen’s stories and characters, and Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things is another thrilling mystery to add to my collection. Don’t be surprised if you have to stay up all night to finish he book!”
--Rachel Ann Nunes, author of Before I Say Goodbye

Diamond Rings are Deadly Things pulled me right in from the first page and held me captive until the very end. Great characters, a compelling plot, a surprising twist at the end ... Rachelle Christensen knows how to craft a great mystery.
- Tristi Pinkston, author of the Secret Sisters Mysteries

A cunningly crafty mystery with just the right mix of romance. Readers won't be able to get enough of Adrielle Pyper, stunning party-planner turned heroine.
--Nichole Giles, author of Descendant

About Rachelle J. Christensen: Rachelle J. Christensen is a stay-at-home mom of four cute kids. She has an amazing husband, three cats, and five chickens. Rachelle was born and raised in the small farming town of Rupert, Idaho which is adjacent to the setting in her latest mystery Diamond Rings Are Deadly Things due out this July. Her new website www.mashedpotatoesandcrafts.compartners with the characters from the novel to bring readers an interactive look into the mystery of crafting and wedding planning.

Rachelle graduated cum laude from Utah State University with a degree in psychology and a music minor. She enjoys singing and songwriting, playing the piano, running, motivational speaking, and of course reading.

Rachelle’s first novel, Wrong Number was awarded Outstanding Book of the Year from the League of Utah Writers and was also a 2010 Whitney Finalist. She is also the author of Caller ID, a nonfiction book Lost Children: Coping with Miscarriage for Latter Day Saints, and a novella with a Timeless Romance Anthology, Fall Collection.

Visit www.rachellechristensen.com to learn more about upcoming books.

Social Media Links:

Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/rachellechristensenauthor
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/rachellewrites
Blog: http://rachellewrites.blogspot.com/

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Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman + Enter to Win a Copy of this Book!

Prisoner of Night and Fog (Prisoner of Night and Fog #1)

by Anne Blankman

416 pages

Publisher: Balzer + Bray/HarperCollins

Release Date: April 22nd 2014

In 1930s Munich, danger lurks behind dark corners, and secrets are buried deep within the city. But Gretchen Müller, who grew up in the National Socialist Party under the wing of her "uncle" Dolf, has been shielded from that side of society ever since her father traded his life for Dolf's, and Gretchen is his favorite, his pet.

Uncle Dolf is none other than Adolf Hitler.

And Gretchen follows his every command.

Until she meets a fearless and handsome young Jewish reporter named Daniel Cohen. Gretchen should despise Daniel, yet she can't stop herself from listening to his story: that her father, the adored Nazi martyr, was actually murdered by an unknown comrade. She also can't help the fierce attraction brewing between them, despite everything she's been taught to believe about Jews.

As Gretchen investigates the very people she's always considered friends, she must decide where her loyalties lie. Will she choose the safety of her former life as a Nazi darling, or will she dare to dig up the truth—even if it could get her and Daniel killed?

From debut author Anne Blankman comes this harrowing and evocative story about an ordinary girl faced with the extraordinary decision to give up everything she's ever believed . . . and to trust her own heart instead.

Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres. I love it because you get a feel for what happened in history but with fictional characters. It’s almost like a history lesson but you don’t realize it.

One thing I can say for sure is that this author, Anne Blankman, has done her homework on Hitler and the rise of his power. I didn’t even have to read the author’s note or list of resources to know that. I really felt throughout the book that I was getting a real view of how Hitler was.

This is a plot driven sort of book. The story starts out a little slowly as the plot is established and we are introduced to the characters but once all that is set and in place, look out! Things really start moving quickly.

Gretchen is a likeable character. She has known much sorrow and anxiety in her short life so far. Her brief encounter with a Jewish boy sets Gretchen off on a quest for information. She soon realizes that everything she has always known is built upon lies. Gretchen is a spunky girl though- smart and determined. She wants the truth no matter how much it hurts.

I really did enjoy this book. As I said before, it is the plot that carries the book. I would have loved to have felt more emotion throughout the book. It has such potential with Hitler to be creepy and chilling and while I understood that he was a crazy man with evil intentions, I didn’t necessarily feel that. The same can be said of Gretchen. She went through so much, I just wanted to feel with her and not just understand with my head from the outside. I would have loved to have had more of the Jewish culture woven in. We know that Daniel is Jewish but we never really get a feel for how that makes him who he is in the book. None of the Jewish customs were brought out. I guess it just left me wishing for that depth and richness that comes from feeling and being more immersed in the culture.

Overall this was a good book. I was driven forward by the plot, wanting to know what happened next. I wanted Gretchen to find the answers and I was most definitely rooting for Gretchen and Daniel. I liked them working together. The ending was so action packed, full of heart pounding danger and struggle. I just couldn’t put it down and I couldn’t read fast enough. The ending is such a cliffhanger, I’m left wanting to know what happens!

Anne Blankman may have been meant to be a writer because her parents named her for Anne of Green Gables. She grew up in an old house with gables (gray, unfortunately) in upstate New York. When she wasn't writing or reading, she was rowing on the crew team, taking ballet lessons, fencing and swimming. She graduated from Union College with degrees in English and history, which comes in handy when she writes historical fiction.

After earning a master's degree in information science, Anne began working as a youth services librarian. Currently, she lives in southeastern Virginia with her family. When she's not writing young adult fiction, she's playing with her daughter, training for races with her husband, working at her amazing library branch, learning to knit (badly), and reading.

Anne Blankman is the author of PRISONER OF NIGHT AND FOG, the first in a three-book deal slated for publication in spring 2014 from Balzer + Bray | HarperCollins. She is represented by Tracey Adams of Adams Literary.

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On Tour with The Fortune Cafe by Julie Wright, Melanie Jacobson and Heather Moore + a $25 Giveaway!

   

The Fortune Café

a novel in three parts

MIS-FORTUNE: Emma, a waitress at The Fortune Café will do anything to avoid opening a fortune cookie. Each fortune is rumored to somehow magically come true. Being a girl grounded in reality, she doesn’t have time for that kind of nonsense. But when trying to prevent a food fight at the café, Emma accidently cracks open a fortune cookie: “Look around, love is trying to catch you.” If there is one thing that Harrison, her former best friend in high school is good at, it’s catching her unaware.

LOVE, NOT LUCK: Lucy has always been lucky . . . until her parents meet her fiancé’s parents at a disastrous lunch at The Fortune Café, and she breaks her lucky jade necklace. Even worse, her fortune cookie reveals that “True love is for the brave, not the lucky.” How is she supposed to read that? She’s always considered it lucky how she met her fiancé. But after breaking her necklace, Lucy’s luck takes a dive. And when her fiancé dumps her, the only person she can turn to is Carter, the unluckiest guy she knows.

TAKEOUT: Stella is content in her new life of taking over her mom’s jewelry shop. No more boyfriend to worry about, and as long as she stays busy, she doesn’t have to dwell on her non-existent love life. When Evan comes into the shop with his young daughter, Stella is charmed. But she is reluctant to complicate her straightforward life, so when she reads her fortune after ordering takeout from The Fortune Café, she completely ignores it. After all, how can a fortune as vague as “Do the thing you fear and love is certain,” apply to her?

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This is the kind of book that just makes me happy.  It's light, romantic reading that can take you away for awhile.  In this book I got a three for one deal.  :)

I liked that the stories sort of had a cross over connection with the Fortune Cafe and we see the characters from the other stories in each one, if only briefly.  Each story had it's own feel because obviously there are different people writing them, but they were still connected.  This book also made me hungry.  All that talk of yummy food and fortune cookies?  Don't read this book while hungry.

Each story involves a fortune cookie with something magically special inside.  Each story has a romance to root for.  Each story delivers a happily ever after that my heart just loves.  I can't wait to read more books along these lines.  Yay for romance!  

Content:  There were a few instances of mild swearing.

 
Julie Wright started her first book when she was fifteen. She’s written over a dozen books since then, is a Whitney Award winner, and feels she’s finally getting the hang of this writing gig. She enjoys speaking to writing groups, youth groups, and schools. She loves reading, eating writing, hiking, playing on the beach with her kids, and snuggling with her husband to watch movies. Julie’s favorite thing to do is watch her husband make dinner. She hates mayonnaise, but has a healthy respect for ice cream.

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Melanie Bennett Jacobson is an avid reader, amateur cook, and champion shopper. She consumes astonishing amounts of chocolate, chick flicks, and romance novels. After meeting her husband online, she is now living happily married in Southern California with her growing family and a series of doomed houseplants. Melanie is a former English teacher and a sometime blogger who loves to laugh and make others laugh. In her down time (ha!), she writes romantic comedies and pines after beautiful shoes.

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Heather B. Moore is a USA Today bestselling author. She writes historical thrillers under the pen name H.B. Moore, her latest is Finding Sheba. Under Heather B. Moore she writes romance and women’s fiction. She’s the co-author of The Newport Ladies Book Club series. Other women’s novels include Heart of the Ocean, The Fortune Café, the Aliso Creek Series, and the Amazon bestselling Timeless Romance Anthology Series.

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Blog Tour Giveaway

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 4/30/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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The Chapel Wars by Lindsey Leavitt

Sixteen-year-old Holly wants to remember her Grandpa forever, but she’d rather forget what he left her in his will: his wedding chapel on the Las Vegas strip. Whatever happened to gold watches, savings bonds, or some normal inheritance?

And then there's Grandpa's letter. Not only is Holly running the business with her recently divorced parents, but she needs to make some serious money—fast. Grandpa also insists Holly reach out to Dax, the grandson of her family's mortal enemy and owner of the cheesy chapel next door. No matter how cute Dax is, Holly needs to stay focused: on her group of guy friends, her disjointed family, work, school and... Dax. No wait, not Dax.

Holly’s chapel represents everything she’s ever loved in her past. Dax might be everything she could ever love in the future. But as for right now, there's a wedding chapel to save.

I've read other books by Lindsey Leavitt and really enjoyed them.  When I saw this book up on NetGalley, I decided to give it a try.  My thanks to the publisher, Bloomsbury, for allowing me to read and review this title for them.

So, first thing that caught me was the cover.  How cute is that cover?!  I love it.  Then, the setting in Las Vegas.  In a wedding chapel.  Yeah, that is a good hook right there.  Oh, the possibilities for some great stories.

Holly is an interesting character.  You have to admire her dedication to the wedding chapel and her Grandfather.  I love that the wedding chapel was a part of her, who she is and what she represents.  Holly has a desperate need to hold on to that part of her, to the memories and the familiarity of it all, especially since her parents recent divorce which has left her reeling a bit.   It's all a big journey for Holly and I like the lessons she learns along the way.

I enjoyed the light romance between Holly and Dax, the beginnings of it and how it came to be.  I didn't enjoy the drunken binges that Dax indulged in or how little it seemed to bother Holly.  There is no glamour in teenage underage drinking.  Several characters in this book drink and I thought it was unnecessary.  There is also references to sexual activity between young teenagers although nothing explicit.  Again, not my favorite.

This was a light, fun read though.  It made me smile quite a few times and I enjoyed the story.  The dialogue and characters felt real and natural.  There were just those few content-ish issues I had with the book.  

Content:  Underaged drinking, sexual references, mild swearing, some crude language.

The Chapel Wars will be released on May 6th, 2014.  You can pre-order at Amazon.

About the Author:

LINDSEY LEAVITT is a former elementary school teacher and present-day writer/mom to three (mostly) adorable little girls. She is married to her high-school lab partner and lives in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is also the author of Sean Griswold's Head, Going Vintage, and the Princess for Hire series.

• www.lindseyleavitt.com

Fortune Cookie by Josie Kilpack + $25 Giveaway!

   

Sadie Hoffmiller has always liked things to be just so. A place for everything and everything in its place. Order over chaos. And of all things Sadie should be able to control, her own wedding is at the top of the list. With the big day just three weeks away, Sadie is busily adding the final touches to her wedding plans but the arrival of a mysterious letter from San Francisco changes everything. The only person Sadie knows in San Francisco is her older sister, Wendy, whom she hasn’t seen since their mother’s funeral nearly fifteen years ago. Sadie has faced off against murderers and criminals in recent years, yet the possibility of reconnecting with her sister is both overwhelming and frightening. Sadie soon discovers, however, that the letter is just the beginning when Wendy’s world turns out to be a place of unanswered questions, twisted truths, and more than one person with a motive for murder. The more Sadie digs into her sister’s past, the more she places her own future at risk.

This is the first of two books in the next week up for review that have a fortune cookie on the front.  It sort of puts me in the mood to eat Chinese food.  :)

First off, I love the setting of this book in San Francisco.  I love that city.  There is so much diversity and life pulsing all around you.  I love the hills and the houses and the water.  Hanging out along the pier is one of my favorite things to do.  And if you haven't ever caught a baseball game there- you should.  

In this book, Sadie's murder adventure turns more personal as it involves her sister.  Given it's a sister she hasn't seen in a very long time, and a sister that has caused a lot of grief and heartache, but it's still hits close to home.  This brings up old insecurities and memories that Sadie hasn't thought of or dealt with in a long time.  

One of the things I love about this series is that even after so many books, I feel as though I am still discovering layers to Sadie.  I'm getting to know her.  That's quite a feat in a series this big.  Even though I'm always learning more about Sadie, she is still Sadie.  Although over the many books, she has matured and learned things too.  These books are easy to read.  The thought process of the characters just makes sense.  The dialogue is natural and easy.  These are awesome books to curl up with.  They are clean and fun.

As much as I love this series, I am really looking forward to the next book which is also the last, I hear.  I'm hoping that Sadie and Pete finally, finally, get their happily ever after.  Obviously, it can't be that easy, but I'm hoping it will come.  I'm ready for that.

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Culinary Mystery Series

Author Josi S. Kilpack Josi S. Kilpack hated to read until her mother handed her a copy of The Witch of Blackbird Pond when she was 13. From that day forward, she read everything she could get her hands on and accredits her writing “education” to the many novels she has “studied” since then. She began writing her first novel in 1998 and never stopped. Her novel, Sheep’s Clothing won the Whitney Award 2007 for Mystery/Suspense. Lemon Tart, the first book in the Sadie Hoffmiller Culinary Mystery series was a finalist in 2009. Josi currently lives in Willard Utah with her husband, children and super-cute cat.

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Blog Tour Giveaway $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 4/30/14 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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