Under the Cajun Moon: A Review

Etiquette expert Chloe Leget thought she had escaped her parents and their French Quarter restaurant and built a life for herself. When her father is shot, she is called back down to New Orleans. Instead of rushing to the hospital, her father's lawyer requests her signature on some documents. When she awakes the next morning, she finds herself framed for murder and just a "follow the recipe" clue. Joined by Travis, a quirky Cajun guy, Chloe must put together the ingredients of her father's recipe to find out who wants her father dead.



I enjoyed this book. I loved the characters of Chloe and Travis, and since I'm originally from Louisiana, I enjoyed the location references, the Cajun history, and the French phrases. In addition to Chloe's tale, readers get to meet Jacques, a French guy back in the 1700s, who is in the middle of a conspiracy by the government to get settlers to the New Orleans area.



What makes this book such a great read is the steady pace of the book. Each chapter is full of action (and character development) and ends on a cliff hanger. I kept thinking I would read one more chapter and then do something else, but I got sucked in each time, wanting to know what happened next.

Fans of Christian fiction, especially suspense with a dash of romance, will love this book.

Wildflowers from Winter: A Review

This book is so good, I find it hard to believe it is Ganshert’s debut novel. The characters are well-developed, the plot well-planned, and the writing well-executed.

When Bethany fled her trailer park past to become an architect in Chicago, she never planned to go back to her past and its memories. However, when her grandfather dies and she is laid off, Bethany is called back to the world she so desperately tried to leave behind. Now heir to her grandfather’s farm, Bethany is stuck since Evan, the brother-in-law of her childhood best friend, owns the farmhouse and animals, making it difficult for Bethany to sell the land. Will being stuck in the middle of nowhere for a cold winter sprout wildflowers in her own life?

Bethany is a cold character. Childhood troubles taught her to bury her emotions deep, yet Ganshert makes her likeable by slowly revealing why she is the way she is. Because the book takes place over almost a year’s time, Bethany’s “thawing” is authentic and profound. Evan is also a great character. Who doesn’t like the farm guy who works with his hands? J

What I think makes this book great is the author’s slow reveals….emotions, feelings, and revelations of the past come at a steady pace, allowing the reader to feel with the characters. The writing style draws the readers in and makes Ganshert a Christian fiction author to watch.   

The Scent of Cherry Blossoms: A Review

The tale of young love separated by family loyalty is as old as Shakespeare, yet it remains a well-used plot in today's novels. In This Amish tale by Cindy Woodsmall, Annie and Aden find themselves falling in love as they work together in his family's restaurant. While both are believers, she is Mennonite and he Amish. Their relationship could not only separate them from their families but also ruin his family's livelihood, which is in part run by Annie's grandfather. Will the strength of their love be enough to bring the two families and communities together?

I'm not a huge fan of Amish fiction just because I feel the plots start to all seem the same, but I felt Woodsmall branched out in her plot...but she added so many plots that the story became diluted in their development and therefore less poignant. In addition to Aden and Annie, readers were introduced to Annie's family--her parents are separated (they can't divorce), and Annie and her family are at odds. Aden has a stuttering problem, and his twin Roman is stuck in a wheel-chair after an accident. Roman is dealing with feeling like less of a man because he depends on Aden's strength. He meets a fiery girl who is a verbal match for him. On top of all that, you have the Mennonite/Amish conflict.

While I enjoyed the story of Aden and Annie, I felt it was boggled down with too many side plots that were wrapped up way too quickly. However, fans of sweet romance will enjoy Aden and Annie's story. I loved their meetings in the cherry blossoms (and the story behind how they were planted), and I love the tree symbolism at the end of the book. Instead of telling both brothers' romances, I would have liked to see better development of Aden and Annie as characters themselves, with each other, and with those around them.

Overall, it was an enjoyable read. Fans of Amish fiction will enjoy it, more so than those who are casual readers of Amish tales.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Giveaway!

This week I'm giving away A Sound Among the Trees. I love trees (check out my post below about Boston to see some of my favorite). 

To enter to win, leave a comment telling me about your favorite sound. I love when I have a group of kids in the library and I hear them all reading to themselves. It's even cooler when it's kinder or first grade kids who didn't know how to read at the beginning of the year and then you hear them reading.

To get a second entry, follow the blog and leave a second comment letting me know that.
I will pick a winner next Monday, the 9th. I can only ship to the US.

Happy 4th of July!

Boston

Boston is my favorite city. I went once back in 2004 in the winter and fell in love with the history and beauty of the city. I went back last week and had so  much fun. My mom was presenting a workshop for teachers, so I toured on my own. In my last visit, I did the trolley tour and visited all the historic spots, so this time, I wanted to just walk and absorb the city.

I didn't take a whole lot of pictures, but I had to take some tree pictures. :)

I also had to visit the public library. It's beautiful!

One last set: the churches are so beautiful. It kinda makes me sad that people don't build buildings like this any more.

Last few random shots

Subway

Sweet, a cupcake shop in Boston but not as good as the ones here

A bridge by Barking Crab, a restaurant with amazing crab cakes

 John F. Kennedy's birth home

Angel Eyes: A Review

Brielle left her small hometown in search of fulfilling her dreams, but when tragedy strikes, she returns home broken. She finds herself constantly bumping into Jake, a new guy, whose warmth draws her in despite her best efforts to ignore it. When a spiritual battle breaks loose in their small town as evil threatens the lives of innocent children, the two are drawn into a world where the supernatural and natural meet and choices that determine forever are made.

For fans of Christian fiction, picture Frank Peretti's This Present Darkness and mix with a teen romance and dab of a girl's journey to find herself. That's what Angel Eyes is. The beginning of the book is a little slow, but by the middle it had picked up to a speed that kept me up until after one in the morning to finish the novel. Brielle is a flawed but well-developed character and teen readers will identify with her. Jake is the typical hero, goofy but sensitive. Girl readers will love him.

The spiritual/paranormal plot fits what is popular with teens right now, and I think teen readers will love the romance aspect of the story. I hope they walk away thinking a little more about the spiritual world and the eternal ramifications of the choices they make.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to book two.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Cherry Blossom Capers: A Review

In Cherry Blossom Capers, four authors share the novellas of four different women who find themselves in the middle of a mystery and love.

State Secrets by Lynette Sowell: Tara Whitley, chef at the White House, can't believe when her old boyfriend Jack Courtland shows up at the White House to work a case. Not only does he want to take her out to dinner, but he also wants her to help him on his case.

I like the FBI aspect of the story and the character of Jack. However, Tara was a pushover. Jack walked away from her, but she the one to keep trying to make it work, telling him she loves him (and he has to take time to think about it). I found that annoying, which made this my least favorite of the four novellas.

Dying for Love by Cara. C. Putnam: There was a time when Ciara Turner thought she had a future with Daniel Evans, the guy she clerked with in law school. After a few years of being on opposite sides of the courtroom, Ciara sees they have no future. When the two discover the body of a judge, they are forced to work together instead of against each other. Will they find they still have sparks?

I liked this story, but it felt like Daniel and Ciara's chemistry was a little bland until the end. Still, overall good read.

Buried Deception by Gina Conroy: Samantha Steel, archaeology intern and widow, is desperate to survive and support her children on her own. When her rambunctious son breaks an artifact in a museum on the first day of internship, Samantha has to deal with Nick Porter, the reserved and cold security guard who lost his own family. When they discover the broken artifact is a forgery and the thief begins trying to kill Samantha, they must work together to find the one responsible.

This one may have been my favorite, particularly because Samantha is such a strong character. I liked her spunk and felt she was the best developed heroine in the collection.

Coffee, Tea, and Danger by Frances Devine: Susan Holland loves owning a small coffee and dessert shop, but when she becomes the owner of a mansion, her dreams start to expand. Vince Martini is in charge of renovating the house and becomes Susan's protector as her life is in danger from someone who wants secrets hidden in the house.

I loved that the author gave us a heroine who is older. Most Christian fiction stories deal with women in their 20s or maybe 30s. We need more independent women in their 40s as lead characters.

I read this collection a plane ride, and the short, fast-paced stories made the time fly by. (Pun intended.) I liked the added mystery to the romances.

Fans of Christian fiction who are looking for a beach or plane read, this is the book for you.

I received this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

The Next Best Thing: A Review

Anyone who has read a People magazine knows Hollywood is not what it seems, and Jennifer Weiner's newest novel gives readers a peek at what TV is all about. At the age of 23, Ruth Saunders takes off to Hollywood with her 70 year old grandma and a story to tell. No one is more surprised than Ruth when she lands the big one: a chance to be the showrunner for her own sitcom, The Next Best Thing. As the show takes off, she realizes that to get ahead in Hollywood, you have to leave part of yourself behind.

I have heard good things about Weiner's books for years, but this is the first one I have picked up to read. I must admit I wasn't hooked on chapter one or even two because the book jumped around from the present to the past and Ruth seemed like a wimp for the first few chapters.

After getting a feel for the rhythm of the book, I enjoyed Ruth's story...mainly because she is a flawed character, both physically and emotionally. As a young girl, she lost her parents and her physical "beauty" in a car accident. Multiple surgeries couldn't correct the disfigurement, and Ruth bears scars on her body and her heart. I loved seeing her take on the perfect/fake beauties in Hollywood. I love to root for the underdog, and Weiner created a character readers will love and want to succeed. Her sidekick grandma is hilarious and could have her own book. Her steadfast support and lively personality balanced out the often shy Ruth.

The second thing I loved was that the ending wasn't a Hollywood ending. There was no happily ever after ending with Ruth getting the top ratings for her show, the actors' adoration, and the accolades. Instead, the ending was realistic and showed great character growth.

Fans of character-driven fiction will love this next best book by Jennifer, and I know I will check out her other books.

I was given this book in exchange for my review. My thoughts are my own.

A Sound Among the Trees: A Review

When Marielle  marries Carson, she doesn't just move across the country to live with him and his two children, she moves into the house where he lived with his first wife, who passed away several years prior. Holly Oak, a beautiful manor from the Civil War era, is known as a mysterious home, where there once lived a Civil War spy, where the parlor was used as an emergency hospital, and where the ghost of supposed spy Susannah is said to roam. Will Marielle be able to find out the truth about the past into order to be happy in her present?

Though a slow read at times, A Sound Among the Trees is a beautiful tale of the consequences of one generation upon another. Alternating between Adelaide and Marielle's views, the reader is given glimpses into the secrets the house holds and what future it may give. While Adelaide holds onto a bitter past in which her daughter ran off and left her with an infant child, Marielle awkwardly tries to find a niche in a house that isn't hers.

The story picks up about halfway through when Marielle is given the letters Susannah wrote to her cousin. These letters show her role in the Civil War. (I don't want to give away too much of the surprise.) Meissner could have written a book about Susannah. In fact, while the letters add to the story, they give the reader a much more interesting character than Marielle, which in turn, made me care little about whether Marielle ended up happy or not.

The author also touched on depression and hinted at it being in the family tree. I wish she would have delved more into that. I also wish we would have seen Carson and Marielle interact more. I think that would have given Marielle a reason to move and perhaps would have made her a more interesting character.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and the journey of a house's occupants. 

I received this book in exchange for my reviews. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

Finder's Fee: A Review

Rich and powerful, Judith Find has it all until she gets a phone call. The mysterious voice tells her the world will know the past she has kept hidden unless she helps rescue a kidnapped boy. Determined to keep her secret, she teams up with Luke, who was also threatened. Together they must find the boy before their past is revealed, ruining their future.



This is the first book I've read by Alton Gansky, and I enjoyed it. Judith and Luke are flawed but likeable characters, and the plot moves at a brisk pace, moving from one dramatic event to another as the two race across the country to find a little boy. The author does a great job of keeping the reader surprised at what happens next.



I also like the side story of fertility treatments and a possible repercussion of toying with genetics. Gansky played with the what ifs of genetic tampering, and a little more into that part of the story would have been interesting.

After reading this book, I plan to check out others by this author.