Jen's Blog

I have been enjoying this Carsons of Mustang Creek series.  They are light, fun and entertaining reads - and really who doesn't love a cowboy story? Book two Always a Cowboy features Drake Carson, in charge of the family ranch. He is devoted to the animals and the land.  He is all cowboy, all the time.  His biggest challenge of late is managing the wild horses on his land, the stallion is running off with some of his other horses. Luce Hale is a graduate student intent on studying and saving the wild horse population.  Sparks fly between Luce and Drake right away and the attraction is instant.  They work together to come up with a plan that works for everyone and fall in love in the process. It's a solid story and a lot of fun.  If you are a fan of sexy cowboys and western romances this one is for you! Start with book one - Once a Rancher . 3/5 stars on Goodreads.

The Matchmakers of Minnow Bay  by Kelly Harms was a delightful and fun book!  I really enjoyed the story and the characters.  I also loved that the book was set in Wisconsin, somewhere up north.  Being a Wisconsin girl born and raised it's so much fun to read about your home state.  I also enjoyed Lily and her portrayal of a cold Wisconsin winter. Lily, a struggling artist, comes to Minnow Bay to confront a husband she didn't know she had during a time of personal upheaval in her life.  Ben, the husband in question, didn't know about her and was not really receptive to her arrival.  Although I liked Ben at the end of the book I wasn't sure that I did in the beginning.  He was warm and then cold and a little bit wishy washy. This story was really about Lily and her quest to find her true path in life, and I highly recommend it! 4/5 stars on Goodread

Reading Before the Fall was a little bit of a departure for me, as you may have noticed by now I gravitate heavily towards popular fiction, mysteries and romance novels of all kind.  However, as a librarian, I try to read books that have taken readers notice and have a large holds list.  Sometimes I like them and sometimes I don't. I waited patiently on the libraries hold list (currently at 98 holds) for this book. This time I am glad that I waited.   Before the Fall grabbed my attention right away, and I even enjoyed the format of the book, which switched from present times to flashbacks.  I usually do not like that at all, but it worked in this book.  The two main characters are the only survivors of a plane crash, a painter Scott Burroughs and a little boy named J.J., were likable from the first chapter. The premise of the book is explained in the title, what happened before the plane crashed that lead to the crash and the death of all but two passenge...

Sarah Morgan is still a relatively new author for me, but I loved the first book in this series (Sleepless in Manhattan) so much I had to give book two a try. Sunset in Central Park didn’t disappoint. It was fun to catch up with the trio and really get to know two characters more personally. Frankie is such a fun character, while being real and honest at the same time. Frankie doesn’t trust relationships or men, and that is totally understandable given her background. She is comfortable with her friend Matt, at least until he starts to look at her in a different way. Suddenly she starts to see him in a new way and quite frankly that terrifies her. Matt has been patient with Frankie for a long time, but he is tired of waiting for her and decides to do something more proactive. Matt and Frankie need to learn how to navigate new territory and to learn to listen to their hearts.  Morgan also has a way with her writing that makes you feel part of the story right and like you are r...

I have anxiously been awaiting this third book of the Honeybee Sisters trilogy and it is maybe my favorite of the bunch!  I was charmed with both Lily and Poppy’s stories, but Rose’s story really touched me.   Like A Bee to Honey is really a story about forgiveness, learning not only to forgive others but also to forgive yourself. Rose is by far the sweetest and the most shy of the three sisters, and she has to work hard to overcome her fears with situations she finds herself in and with other people.  Despite her fears Rose is very caring and loving and tries to do her best for people around her. Josiah is so caring and gentle with her, and so earnest.  He just wants her to be happy and to love her.  My heart ached for him while he was being so patient and loving towards Rose.  I also love how Josiah is so unhandy and people know it, but don’t want to tell him because he tries so hard to be helpful.   Thanks to the editors and Netgalley...

First, thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for the ARC of this book! Mad for the Plaid is the third book in the Oxenburg series by Karen Hawkins, this one featuring Nikolai Romanovin and Mairi MacKenzie.  Nikolai and Mairi make great characters, both strong, bold, fearless and very likable.  They are also great as a couple. Nikolai makes the journey to Scotland to help rescue his kidnapped grandmother, who had been staying at Mairi's house.  Together they travel through the Scottish countryside for the rescue, escaping danger along the way. I liked this one, as I do all of Karen Hawkins books.  However, this one fell just a little flat for me.  It felt a bit rushed and a little bit like other stories I have read before.  The highlight for me was the beginning of the book when Nikolai and Mairi are getting to know each other though letters.  Overall a good read, and a nice addition to the series.  Rated 3/5 on Goodreads.

Thanks to Edelweiss for the chance to review this book. I adored Family Tree , it's exactly the type of story I love reading.  Some books speak to you from the first page until the last. Some books make you feel like you are saying good bye to a dear friend when you turn the last page. Some books make you feel happy and sad and satisfied all in the space of a few hours. This was one of those books. Annie and Fletcher, along with their families,  show us that it's never too late for love. They teach us that family isn't perfect but it's very important and most importantly they show us how important it is to be true to yourself so that you can find true happiness.  This book was well done in all aspects. Highly recommend. Rated 5/5 on Goodreads

  Janet Evanovich is known for her quirky and eccentric characters who find themselves is sticky situations.  This new series lives up to that reputation.  Curious Minds is the first in the Knight and Moon series by Evanovich (cowritten by Phoef Sutton) and it promises to take readers on new adventures and zany situations.   Riley Moon is a Harvard trained lawyer and business executive. She is funny and brave and can think on her feet. She never dreams that her ideal job will lead to danger.  Her first client turns out to be Emerson Knight who takes eccentric billionaire to a whole new level.  Emerson uncovers a plot that could ruin the US economy and he talks Riley into helping him. There adventure makes for a fun quick read.  It's a perfect beach read (which is where I read it!) that will keep you entertained.  I enjoyed the story very much and will look forward to the next book but I did find the plot a little hard to believe at times. ...

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader's copy. Sweet Tomorrows by Debbie Macomber is the last in the Rose Harbor series.  I was disappointed when I learned this because I have really enjoyed this series.  However, I was hopeful that this book would have a resolution that I had been missing at the end of the last few books.  I am happy to say that there was a resolution and it was a satisfying one. Jo Marie is back helping wounded people at her Rose Harbor Inn, and this time she needs to finish her own healing.  Her boarder Emily is a big part of this story too and she has some healing to do as well.  Both characters fight their own pasts and end up creating their happy endings.  The heroes in the story Nick and Mark also have pasts that they need to overcome on their way to happiness. The trouble I had with this story was it was written in a different style than the others in the series.  That threw me off right away, and although I got us...

First Star I See Tonight is a satisfying addition to the Chicago Stars series.  Cooper Graham has just retired as the quarterback when he meets private investigator Piper.  Their relationship starts off with a mutual dislike that quickly turns into one full of sparks. Watching Cooper and Piper navigate the waters is fascinating and entertaining.  In the end Cooper lays it all on the line in order to win his biggest game ever...a happily ever after. I highly recommend both the series and the book. Thanks to Edelweiss for the Advanced Reader's Copy! Also, thanks to LibraryReads for chosing my review for their August list!  Click here to see what else librarians recommend for August. Rated 5/5 on Goodreads...