Review: Mutts and Mistletoe by Natalie Cox

 

 

 

 

 

 

Synopsis:

Thirty-one-year-old Charlie isn’t in the mood for Christmas cheer.

Her boyfriend has left her for his personal trainer, her mother has absconded with her latest husband for the holidays, and—adding insult to (literal) injury—her London apartment has just been destroyed by a gas leak. Single, mildly concussed and temporarily homeless, Charlie realizes there’s only one place to go: Cozy Canine Cottages, where she’ll spend the season looking after her cousin Jez’s doggy day care center. And if she’s not exactly a dog person, well, no one has to know…

But her plans for a quiet Christmas in a quaint country village are quickly dashed. Peggy the pregnant beagle and Malcolm the anxious Great Dane seem determined to keep her up all night. A strange man has been casing her cousin’s house. And where is Cal, the unbearably patronizing but disturbingly handsome local vet, when she needs him?

As the days tick down to Christmas, Charlie’s life has never felt so out of control—but with some help from her new four-legged friends, she just might learn a thing or two about living in the moment, embracing the unexpected and opening herself up to love…

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Mutts and Mistletoe by Natalie Cox is an amusing read. Instantly, I was swept in its charm, humor, and quirky settings. Christmas is a magical time. It is also time for moving forward, healing, and falling in love. That is exactly what I discovered here. Young people finding a direction and battling their inner struggles. Struggles of the heart. Attraction flares and their encounters are entertaining. But there’s more than to them than the hot vet and the wild city lady. Risks are taken. Time will only tell if the characters found what their hearts seek.

This novel brought out a bunch of crazy situations. Like a city lady trying to take care of animals for the first time. She loves the fur balls but isn’t really sure what they need nor how to care for them. That’s where she and the vet butt heads constantly. I found those banters enjoyable. The way they are with each other and the animals made me root for them. I kept hoping. Deliciously sweet, hilarious,  and heartfelt, Mutts and Mistletoe is a winner. The character grew and their hearts unfroze.

 

Review: Noelle

Synopsis:

From the New York Times bestselling author of A Dog Named Christmas comes this heartwarming Christmas story about the power of family and the strength and love that comes from our pets. 

In this installment of the poignant stories of the McCray family and their lovable canines in rural Kansas, matriarch Mary Ann McCray is determined to shake up Christmas by accepting the role as Crossing Trail’s first woman Santa Claus. Mary Ann, always a bit of a rebel, is looking to offer a more progressive voice in the staunchly conservative town at Christmastime and has a few ideas up her red velvet sleeves. 

Rating: 4-stars

Review:

Noelle by Greg Kincaid is a sweet holiday tale. One that pulls a family together and reunites them in a way that haven’t been. Happiness comes with time. A dog named Noelle does all the hard work. She’s a pretty Christmas dog that brings cheer everywhere she goes. The family mentioned inside also snatched my heart and soul. Everything felt so real. A beautiful emotional journey told by Greg Kindcaid. It’s memorable. An engaging story that hooks me right from the start. It kept me interested until the very end. Overall, I recommend reading, Noelle. 

Review: A Cowboy to Keep

Synopsis:

Dani Crawford has a secret…and if bounty hunter Jackson Cade finds out, he could ruin everything. The scarred yet handsome cowboy has tracked a dangerous criminal to the dude ranch Dani manages, and to get rid of Jack she’ll have to help him catch his man. But the closer they get to cornering their quarry the more Dani wants Jack to stay. Spending time with him is making her long for things she can never have thanks to a past mistake. And if the truth comes out she may be spending her future behind bars rather than safe in her cowboy’s arms…

Rating: 5-stars

Review:

A Cowboy to Keep by Karen Rock is a romantic tale of redemption, letting go of the past, and moving forward. Dani Crawford has been hiding a secret forever. Her life sons becomes compplicated when the sexy blunter hunter enters into her life. He is someone that is good but Dani needs him to leave before her past comes out…However, as time passes, something strong develops between the two. Jack can’t ignore it and neither can Dani. The book was intense. Sweet, hot, and intriguing. I couldn’t stop reading it. Karen Rock has created two characters that will never be forgotten. An emotional attachemwnt occurs once the book is read. Once, one reads this, it will be hard to let go. Addictive, well-written, and highly engaging. Overall, I highly recommend this romance to readers worldwide. 

Review: Love Bears All Things

 

Synopsis:

Could God be o­ffering Charlotte a second chance at true love?

Charlo­tte Dolinsky needs time to recover after breaking up with her boyfriend, Ryan. But when a surprise visitor shows up on her doorstep in Texas, she’s forced to put aside her own worries to help her Amish friends in Lancaster County. Soon she is entangled in a web of deception—and this time, she isn’t the only one keeping secrets.

Daniel Byler struggles each day in his Amish community to heal from his fiancée’s betrayal. When he discovers that a member of his family is in danger of being shunned, his pain turns to fear. His only way to help is by partnering with Charlo­tte, a woman he barely knows who has already deceived them all before.

Charlo­tte begins building a friendship with Daniel that she’ll need to lean on when more surprises surface from her past, and she once again finds herself torn between two worlds. Will Charlotte’s friends in the Amish community be able to show her the power of redemption and lead her home? And can she help young Jacob realize that God offers second chances at happiness when she isn’t even sure herself?

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Love Bears All Things by Beth Wiseman is an Amish Secrets Novel. Beth Wiseman’s novels and short stories are amazing. Heartwarming and addictive. This novel was sweet and beautifully told.  I found myself instantly lost, within its plot. The story introduces several characters. The first is Charlotte Dolinsky. She had a breakup with her boyfriend and her mom is hard to handle at times. She has secrets that she kept from someone but secrets have a way of revealing themselves sooner than later. Then there’s Daniel Byler. He feels betrayed and hurt. God soon sends him another obstacle. A family member on a dark path who is close to losing all care about him. Jacob is young has to find his path soon. These three characters are all needing a second chance and a chance at redemption. Friendship, loyalty, trust and a blossoming love are all themes inside this stunning read. I loved following the characters. Their dilemmas and faith were inspiring. When one is in need of help, others come in quick. The strong sense of community was apparent inside of Love Bears All Things. Beth Wisemans has masterfully shown readers how love can conquer all things. There were times, I wasn’t sure what would happen next but Beth Wiseman kept me intrigued with every page. A great emotional journey that softens a heart fast and leads to more reading…that what Love Bears All Things did to me. I was hooked. Suspenseful and unpredictable, I highly recommend this new novel to all.

 

Review: Welcome to the Show (A Mickey Tussler Novel)

 

Synopsis:

It’s 1950 and Mickey Tussler—the now-famous pitching prodigy with autism and a golden arm—is back for another baseball season in this third installment of Frank Nappi’s critically acclaimed Legend of Mickey Tussler series. Talk of Mickey’s legendary exploits on the field has grown since his improbable debut two years prior, as have the fortunes of Murph and the rest of the lovable ragtag Brew Crew. Now Mickey, Murph, and Lester find themselves heading to Bean Town to play for the Boston Braves.

The call up is sweet, for all of them have overcome insurmountable odds to get where they are. But life in the major leagues is filled with fast-paced action both on and off the field. The bright lights of Boston hold a new series of challenges, hardships, and life lessons—especially for Mickey, who finds himself a long way from throwing apples into a barrel back on the farm. The three newest Braves have each other to lean on, as well as a new group of fans who are swept away by pennant fever, but balancing everything this new world has to offer may prove to be the greatest challenge of all.

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Welcome to the Show by Frank Nappi is a crossover novel that readers worldwide can enjoy. This exciting story is the third novel within the Mickey Tussler series. What really stood out to me inside this tale was that it featured a guy who has autism yet has a knack for being the best pitcher the world of baseball has ever seen. His steady climb to making a life for himself has led him and his family away from a farm that is called home to cities that could be a bit more unwelcoming than originall thought to be. Mickey’s moer struggles with the life the city presents especially when both him and his father leave her when they travel for his baseball stuff. Life isn’t always glorious and easy. There’s plenty of pressure that builds up leaving readers in suspense. Welcome to the Show is definitely a must read forsport fans and for those who love a good story that melts their hearts. The characters and scenes were well-told in way that hooked me in from the beginning to end. Overall, I highly recommend Frank Nappit’s masterfully woven tale to readers everywhere. It’s one readers won’t forget.

Review: Discovering You

 

Synopsis:

India Sommers once had the perfect family—until an ex-boyfriend broke in and shot her husband. Not only did that cost her the man she loved, a respected heart surgeon and the father of her child, but she also feels responsible. Charlie died because of the people she hung out with before she had the strength to change her life.

Just after moving to Whiskey Creek with her little girl, Cassia, to start over, she’s learned that her ex-boyfriend’s trial ended in a hung jury. He’s getting out of jail; he could try to find her again. And that’s not all that scares her. She’s extremely attracted to her next-door neighbor, but Rod Amos is the handsome “bad boy” type that’s given her so much trouble in the past. If she got involved with him, her in-laws would sue for custody of Cassia.

India has to keep her distance from Rod—but the more she gets to know him, the more difficult that becomes.

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Brenda Novak is definitely one of my favorite all-time romance authors. Her novels speak for themselves…the characters’ and their dilemmas pack  enough action, romance, and intrigue. I have always found myself lost inside the beautiful world of fiction and in this newest world by Brenda Novak, I couldn’t resist. The temptation to read more by her is a need that needs to be constantly re-supplied. I have heard so much about this new novel, Discovering You, in newsletters and everywhere else on the web. Now, after having read the entire book in print form…I have to say I loved it. As always, Brenda Novak, doesn’t ever disappoint.

Discovering You is all about the bad boy theme that is hot and irresistible. A young woman has made past mistakes with hanging in the wrong crowd. What she doesn’t know is that it will come back to destroy her happily ever. A family of three is now a family of just two. Mother and daughter must now leave and make a home for themselves far away where they will be safe. But is safety from a dangerous ex who has been let loose going to work? This danger plus the fear of losing her daughter to her in-laws and the romantic chemistry she feels from her next door bad boy is leaving India feeling torn and worn out…it’s only a matter of time until she’s got full blown into danger and love. Brenda Novak always creates a juicy read that will tug at readers’ hearts and leave them falling in love. Sweet, romantic, and highly entertaining…Discovering You is by far a definite must read for all. The talented writer has once again, left another unforgettable legacy behind for readers everywhere to enjoy. Overall, I highly recommend this new contemporary romance to everyone.

Review: Fear of Falling

 

Synopsis:

Her best bet is to stay away 

Was Olivia hearing this right? The one man in Indian Lake she’d found truly intriguing since, well, forever—the hopelessly handsome heir to the region’s most successful farming operation, Rafe Barzonni—was involved in horse racing? That made him, and her sudden attraction, downright dangerous. He wasn’t just out of her league. He was a gambler. Like her father. With the shame of her father’s racetrack betting addiction still haunting her, Olivia can’t be part of that world. Rafe’s world. She can’t trust him, or his magnetism. But there’s something deep in his incredible blue eyes that keeps drawing her closer…

Rating: 5 stars

Review:

Fear of Falling by Catherine Lanigan is exactly as the title states. Both of the main characters have their own issues to deal with…issues that involve horses, fear of the past, and a love that burns hotter than any fire.  Catherine Lanigan’s contemporary romance tale is one that will warm the hearts of every reader. The characters have their own issues that keep them from going after their dreams. Can the past really scared us, so badly that we will let go the best thing that’s ever happened to us? A realistic portrayal of how life really works and how fast we can lose what matters most. This was my first novel read by Catherine Lanigan and she has powerfully sucked me in with every word. Her talent is evident to all who read her novels. The plot is well-developed and steady paced. I enjoyed a novel that showed two people hopelessly in love who have a love of horses and struggle just like we do. Overall, I highly recommend this delightful story to all.