Courting Miss Lancaster by Sarah M. Eden

The back cover of this book reads -

Harry Windover adores blonde, green-eyed Athena Lancaster, but alas, a penniless man like himself has no hope of winning a young noblewoman’s hand. To add insult to injury, Athena’s brother-in-law and guardian, the Duke of Kielder, has asked Harry to assist Athena in finding the gentleman of her dreams. But the lovesick Harry is cunning as well: as the weeks pass, he introduces Athena to suitors who are horrifically boring, alarmingly attached to their mothers, downright rude, astoundingly self-absorbed – nothing like the loyal, gentle friend she’s found in Harry. But how long can Harry’s scheme be hidden before it is discovered? And what will Athena do when she uncovers Harry’s deception? Escape into a charming regency world in this delightfully romantic comedy of manners that will entertain you to the very last word.

After reading the first books I had to read this one. I was not dissappointed. I love any story that has anything to do with history. I could tell Sarah had done her research on the way things were done in England during the early 1800’s. It was interesting to watch as Athena was introduced into society by attending the many balls so she could find herself a suitable gentleman. Harry was charming and I wondered as I read what method of deceit he would use next to keep the men away from her. I loved the humor and enjoyed the book. I was sure the two were made for each other, but neither of them could see it. All Athena could see was that Harry was a good friend and all Harry could do was claim he was a fortune hunter. I really did wonder if they would ever come together.

Caller ID By Rachelle J. Christensen

Following is the words on the back cover.

When twenty-three-year-old Courtney Beckham, the privileged daughter of a highly successful land developer, is abducted in the mountains near her home, FBI Agent Jason Edwards investigates the ten-million-dollar ransom and turns up more than just a kidnapping crime.

And when Courtney catches a glimpse of the caller ID in her kidnapper’s home, what she sees sends ice through her veins. Even if she escapes her captors, something much more dangerous lies ahead.

From the author who brought you Wrong Number comes another story featuring Agent Jason Edwards that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I’ll bet that makes you want to pick up the book right now. Remember there are several ways to win a copy, but you really won’t be sorry if you were to rush to the store now to purchase this book.

Even though I had read parts of this amazing book beforehand and I knew some of the story I still had a hard time putting this aside for other things. I read the entire story in record time.

There were many twists and turns along the way and lots of surprising things taking place. Just when I thought there couldn’t be any more danger for Courtney something new happened to add more tension to the story.

I could feel the betrayal Courtney must have felt during the kidnapping when she saw the name on the caller ID. I also thought there was just enough hints at romance to keep the story interesting. Several times when I was sure I knew what was going to happen next something new happened to put an entire new curve to the story. I can assure you, the story isn’t over until the very end.

If you like mystery, suspense and romance, this is the next book you need to read.

Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden

Last year at a writer's conference I took a class from Sarah Eden. I enjoyed the class and was sure I wanted to read a book by her. It took me almost a year to get around to doing that, and found I was glad that I had put it on my list of books to read. Following is the information on the back cover and my thoughts about the book.

When Persephone Lancaster receives a marriage proposal from the ill-tempered Duke of Kielder, she refuses – and then reconsiders. The obscene sum of money he’s offering Persephone would save her family from ruin. With her characteristic optimism, she travels to the far reaches of Northumberland to wed a greatly feared stranger.

Lodged deep in a thick forest infested with wild dogs, the Duke’s castle is as cold and forbidding as the Duke himself, a man with terrible scars on his body and his soul. But the Duke’s steely determination to protect his heart at all costs is challenged by his growing attachment to his lovely and gentle bride. With caring persistence, Persephone attempts to pierce the Duke’s armor and reach the man beneath. Yet he cannot tolerate such exposure, and his repeated rejections take their toll. But when grave danger arises, the Duke realizes he must face the risk of revealing his true feelings or lose the woman he cannot live without.

It was fun reading a story about an arranged marriage and I wondered if the Duke would ever realize what a fine woman he had tricked into marrying him. I couldn’t believe how patient she was with him. He would sometimes treat her so kind and then turn on her for no reason. Sarah did a good job with the characters in this book. They were so real and I had to keep reading to see what would really happen to Persephone. I knew the Duke cared about her, but she had no idea about his true feelings. It was a great story and I enjoyed it and look forward to reading her other books.

The Launch of Caller ID

This is not the first time you will hear from me concerning this great mystery. I will be doing a book review later in the month. The only hint I can give you today is it's a book that is hard to put down.

On her blog today Rachelle writes -
We can't have a party without presents, right? And I know you like presents, so I have some fabulous gifts you can enter to win. Tonight March 13th, I'll be celebrating my book launch at the Santaquin library at 20 West 100 South from 4-6pm. I'll be there with authors Mandi Slack, Wayne Overson, and others. We'll be signing books and the library will receive a portion of all sales.

When you come to my launch, you can enter to win this awesome basket of gifts! (Will not ship this basket, so you'll need to pick it up from me if you don't stick around.) Includes 4 books, perfume, candle, keychain, notebook, and goodies.

For all my friends who can't make it to good ol' Santaquin, I have a virtual launch party for you!

The directions on how to enter are on her blog page - rachellewrites.blogspot.com

This is a contest you don't want to miss.

OLIVIA, by Julie Wright

The book is the first of The Newport Ladies Book Club series, which consists of four books, written by four different authors, following the stories of four women who are drawn together by their love of reading. Each book is written from the point of view of a different woman in the book club. These four authors promise that if we read all 4 books, we will learn the whole story of each of the women. They also say that the books don’t have to be read in any particular order. That is a good plus.

This is what the cover says. Olivia finds herself frustrated with her marriage after she worked herself to exhaustion to make the perfect anniversary dinner for her husband and he forgets to show up. When he neglects to even apologize to her she realizes how frayed and weak her home and family life have become. She realizes that in order to please those around her she has forgotten how to be true to herself, and as she makes small changes to make more time for herself, she begins to fight for what will bring the family closer together instead of what will make things the most comfortable for everyone. Her small changes include her deciding to rekindle her old love of reading and join a book club.

While Olivia realizes she loves and wants to take care of all the children in her family including her step-children something is preventing her husband from doing the same. The harder she tries to reconcile her husband with his children the farther he pushes her away, until finally he decides to leave her. She is only able to hold together with the help and kindness of those she has met in the book club. At first it is awkward to reach out to these women she only just met, but they quickly become a support structure for one another as each one of them is put through a refiner's fire.

Just reading the cover made me want to read the entire book. I had no idea I would be drawn into the character to the point that I didn't want to put the book down. I first wanted to read this book because of a book club that I belong to. Don't get me wrong I like my book club, but the one in this book is ideal. Every women needs such an outlet.

As I got to know Olivia more she at first reminded me of some women I know. Many women almost kill themselves trying to please their husband and children, and never quit reach their expectation. I was excited to see Olivia realize that she needed to do something for herself. Olivia became true to herself, and fought for what would bring her family closer together. Things became difficult at times for herself, but she persisted. Julia made a believable character, one that I grew to love and admire.

I'm anxious to see what the other women in the series are like. It is a series that I will tell my book club and friends about.

You can see more by connecting to the Newport blog:
http://thenewportladiesbookclub.blogspot.com

This link explains how the series works. http://thenewportladiesbookclub.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-does-series-work-anyway.html

Have fun reading the book. You'll be glad you did.

Retirement Quest - Make Better Decisions

This book is written by John Hauserman, CFP. The back cover reads -

Get the unbiased advice you need. Avoid costly mistakes. Where are you getting your financial advice? How do you know your interest are being safeguarded? How do you know that your advisors are comptetent? How can you know they’re putting your interests first? John Hauserman has spent years building a better way for you to pursue your investment goals. This book shows you how to get unbiased advice and avoid costly financial mistakes. If you want to build a secure financial future, this is the book that will help show you how.

I loved the end of chapter 12 that said, “What we can do for our country is to prepare ourselves financially, thus providing a social cushion for the challenges ahead. Prepare ourselves so that we might help our children out of the economic mess which our leaders seem recklessly intent on handing them. Prepare ourselves so that we might provide an example by which we can hold our elected officers accountable.”

The end of chapter 13 says, “How is it possible that this great nation of take-charge, self-reliant, responsibility seekers could possibly have become comfortable consistently spending more than they earned?”

John Hauserman further said, “By the late 1960’s an entire generation had spent its formative years in a hall of plenty, shaping ideas and decisions for decades to come. They dreamed of better lifestyles, high-minded values of fairness, love, and cooperation. What they did not spend as much time dreaming about, were the costs associated with such endeavors.”

In chapter 15 he states, that the pupose of this work is to help the reader accept, and embrace, individual efforts, the ramifications of which may be far greater than most imagine. Like it or not, we are a generation caught in transition. For decades, our leaders have promised benefits while simultaneously kicking the can of responsibility down the road. He says, “The good news is that we as a culture are on the verge of the greatest accumulation of wealth.”

The last chapter is called, Looking Ahead. He has many good ideas. At first I wasn’t convinced that I needed to read this book, but I’m glad I did. Because I’m well past retirement there isn’t a lot that I can do, but there are things in this book that my children should know about.

The only thing I can say about the book is that I wish it had a title and picture that would have made me want to buy this book. I'm glad I read it, although I'm not sure if I were in a book store that I would have picked it up. Don't be mislead by the title. This is a great book and one I'm sure you will be glad you put on your list to read.

Book Review of Smoke Screen

This book by Traci Hunter Abramson was amazing. Below is a description of the book.

Taylor Palmetta has spent the past year in Europe building her art career and hiding from Navy SEAL Quinn Lambert, the man who broke her heart. But Taylor can't seem to hide from trouble. When Taylor seeks safety with her family in Virginia Beach, a series of threats puts her on high alert, and puts Quinn into protective mode. Despite the private loss that continues to haunt him, Quinn can't deny his renewed attraction to Taylor. But just as the romance heats up, a plot against the very foundation of the American way of life surfaces, and Taylor's paintings may hold the key. The Saint Squad is back in action as the team frantically tries to protect their nation’s security, and Taylor and Quinn search for courage to unlock the troubled past.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat and it was difficult to put it aside at bedtime or when I had other things to do. I just wanted to keep reading. It is well written and has plenty of mystery as well as romance. I would give this a high rating and encourage my friends to read it. You will be glad you did.