Together with You

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When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall’s PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit.  Something about Penny Tremaine is different.  An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly’s past suddenly confronts her.  Never again will she become personally involved with a client.  The risks are far too great.  But something about Penny—and Penny’s handsome father—tugs at Carly’s heart.

Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together.  With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time.  Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim List, a plan to reconnect with his children.  The first step:  recruit Carly Mason to be Penny’s nanny.

Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does.  Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?

Review

Some books leave you with heart palpitations from the crazy thrill ride it had you on.  Others you want to throw the book across the room because you just can’t accept the ending. 

And then there are the stories that make you feel all happy, warm, and fuzzy inside.  Together with You was one of the latter stories.  It is such a wonderful story centralized around a father’s love towards his children and his desire to have a better relationship with them.  I loved every word of this sweet and heartfelt novel.  And of course the thread of romance made it all the more sweeter.  :-) Two thumbs up!

Book has been provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

A Love Like Ours

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Former Marine Jake Porter has far deeper scars than the one that marks his face.  He struggles with symptoms of PTSD, lives a solitary life, and avoids relationships.

When Lyndie James, Jake’s childhood best friend, lands back in Holley, Texas, Jake cautiously hires her to exercise his Thoroughbreds.  Lyndie is tender-hearted, fiercely determined, and afraid of nothing, just like she was as a child.  Jake pairs her with Silver Leaf, a horse full of promise but lacking in results, hoping she can solve the mystery of the stallion’s reluctance to run.

Though Jake and Lyndie have grown into very different adults, the bond that existed during their childhood still ties them together.  Against Jake’s will, Lyndie’s sparkling, optimistic personality begins to tear down the walls he’s built around his heart.  A glimmer of the hope he’d thought he’d lost returns, but fears and regrets still plague him.  Will Jake ever be able to love Lyndie like she deserves, or is his heart too shattered to mend?

Review

I’ve loved every book that Becky Wade has written.  A Love Like Ours lived up to the precedent set by the previous novels and was a very enjoyable read. 

A Love Like Ours follows Jake Porter, the third child in the Porter family (a sister, Dru, rounds out the four siblings – I can’t wait to read her story!) as he trains racehorses at Whispering Creek Ranch.  After surviving an IED in the Middle East, Jake built a solid wall around him, not letting anyone get too close – even family at times.  But Jake’s life is about to get shaken up a bit.  Enter Lyndie Porter, the tenacious and spunky girl he used to be close friends with in childhood.  And she’s determined to help him – help him live again.

A Love Like Ours is a fresh romance, not confined to just Jake and Lyndie’s story, but also a few other relationships amongst Lyndie’s friends.  It never failed to entertain, and actually caused me a moment of gross disappointment when I realized that I had forgotten to pack the novel (which had just a few chapters left!) before leaving on a trip.  Needless to say, it was one of the first things I went to when I arrived back home!  

Book has been provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Finding Me

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All her life, Kelli Huddleston has been told the story of a fire—a fire that killed her mother and two siblings when she was an infant.  After her father’s death, though, she uncovers evidence of a different story, including clippings about a boat accident that killed a young father and his infant daughter.  And Kelli quietly realizes the story of her life has been a fiction.

Armed with only a few pictures of what she thinks might be her family, Kelli crosses the country to Tennessee, determined to uncover the truth about what happened over twenty years ago in a small southern town.  When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are jeopardized, Kelli is faced with an agonizing choice that will change her life forever.

Review

Life is a roller coaster.  It’s an unsteady ride that takes you in directions often completely unexpected.  And at times, you wind up in the place you had hoped and longed for, yet the results aren’t what you anticipated.  Often the journeys and destinations you didn’t expect are the ones that turn out to be the best thing.  That’s what makes life a crazy adventure – it’s always a huge surprise!

Because life is such a wild journey, there are certain things we like to be able to rely on.  Other than God, what we think will never change is family – they are a constant presence in our lives.  But what do you do when you can’t rely on your family anymore?

That’s the position Kelli Huddleston finds herself in.  She grew up believing in one story of her life, only to find that it’s all wrong.  It’s an unexpected and unsettling revelation to say the least.  Finding Me follows Kelli as she bravely decides to face her past and get to the truth of the matter.  The story is bittersweet, but full of hope, complete with memorable characters and a heroine worth rooting for.  A lovely read.

Book has been provided courtesy of Revell and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Dauntless

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Born a baron’s daughter, Lady Merry Ellison is now an enemy of the throne after her father’s failed assassination attempt upon the king.  Bold and uniquely skilled, she is willing to go to any lengths to protect the orphaned children of her former village – a group that becomes known as “The Ghosts of Farthingale Forest.”  Merry finds her charge more difficult as their growing notoriety brings increasing trouble their way.

Timothy Grey, ninth child of the Baron of Greyham, longs to perform some feat so legendary that he will rise from obscurity and earn a title of his own.  When the Ghosts of Farthingale Forest are spotted in Wyndeshire, where he serves as assistant to the local earl, he might have found his chance.  But when he comes face-to-face with the leader of the thieves, he’s forced to re-examine everything he’s known.

Review

Medieval history never ceases to fascinate.  There is something about that time period, the time of knights, queens, kings, warring countries, and lawlessness that draws people.  I am always intrigued when a new medieval novel comes out.  Needless to say, I was greatly excited to begin reading this story. 

Geared towards teens and a young adult audience, Dauntless had many points of excitement as Lady Merry and her band of “merry children” are on the run from a ruthless king.  The idea itself of a former Lady, leading a band of orphans that have to resort to living in the woods, and stealing for survival was greatly intriguing.  One thing I did have a little hang-up over was connecting with the main character, Lady Merry herself.  One of Lady Merry’s best qualities as a character is her selflessness.  She wasn’t out just to save her own bacon – she took charge of precious children, now parentless, and did her best to provide for them and give them a home.  However, I found her a little bit standoffish.   I understand that she had to build a tough as nails exterior in order to survive and take care of these orphans, but as a reader, it took a while before I actually connected with her. 

All in all, the concept and story were solid.  Teens will love the action and adventure spread throughout the novel – never a dull moment!

Book has been provided courtesy of Graf-Martin Communications, Inc.  Available at your favourite bookseller from BakerBooks, a division of Baker Publishing Group.