Bargaining with the Boss

I adore how the main character, Kinsley, meets many obstacles in Bargaining with the Boss.  She may waver at times, but she does not back down once. She tries everything possible to better the run-down hotel, and in the process, redeems her self-doubt.

Damon, on the other hand, does not have the confidence to follow through, and at times seems downright broken inside. His long-held guilt over his brother’s death is heartbreaking. His mind deems Kinsley remain on a professional basis, but his heart slowly realizes how he needs so much more from her.

Kinsley, an open soul with her heart on the proverbial sleeve, does her best to uphold the friendship agreement, which was hard when he keeps kissing her…and she keeps kissing him back.

While Kinsley was diligent in the quest to improve both herself and the hotel, Damon is stuck in the past. And right when Kinsley’s hopes are within reach—Damon basically disappears. Yeah, he had other business to tend to, but the way he distanced himself personally was disheartening to say the least. I wanted to hate him, but like Kinsley, I couldn’t.

This left me asking several questions. Why, when Kinsley finally trusts him, does he let her down? What the hell is Damon thinking? Will Damon allow the hotel to go to the highest bidder? How will Kinsley survive losing everything, including him? Does she even have him? Is it all a game to pull the hotel out from under her?

This book is full of twists, turns and, tribulations. It’s also filled with giggles, grit and growth. The author, Jennifer Shirk, does a wonderful job of storytelling. I don’t want to divulge any more about this book, because I want readers to enjoy the surprise ending yourself. But let me assure everyone, Bargaining with the Boss is well worth the read.

5 Stars

 Book provided by publisher. All opinions are my own.

Next Year in Havana

As a granddaughter of a Cuban exile, this story brought back the stories my mother used to tell about her life in Cuba. She grew up in a privileged family, just like one of the main characters, Elisa Perez. My mother visited Cuba often with my brother and I in tow. Sadly, the revolution brought the visits to a halt. This book deals with those tumultuous times.

Next Year in Havana, tells a story about Marisol and her Grandmother, Elisa. It delves into how families were split up, many never heard from again. Some fled to the United States when Castro came to power, and some either could not bear to leave their homeland, or were prevented from leaving. This book tells about those times, and how many things remain the same even today. Marisol, soon learns the spirit of those within the beautiful homeland never faltered.

Marisol was raised in the United States, but always relished the stories her grandmother, Elisa told her about Cuba. Broken-hearted after her grandmother’s death, Marisol travels to Cuba to fulfill Elisa’s final wish—to spread her ashes somewhere in her homeland.

Once there, Marisol meets obstacles, both of the heart, and politically. She acquires a box filled with mementos. Among them are letters from a revolutionary—a man her grandmother loved. This sparks a profound need to find out more. In doing so, lives are changed.

The peek into Cuba’s political and everyday life, culture, scenic beauty, and the dual love story, left me breathless. The descriptions drew me into the story so well, I could feel the sea breeze, smell the salt in the air, and hear the laughter in the street. In addition, my heart raced with the kidnapping of individuals. I will not forget this book. Ever.

The writing is impeccable. There is much more to this book than what I’ve included here. It is so hard to do it justice with a few paragraphs. Dive into this story. I guarantee you will enjoy the love, loss, secrets, redemption, mystery, healing and so much more.

5 Stars

I recieved ARC from Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

The Christmas Star

The Christmas Star by Robert Tate Miller seeped into my heart the moment I started reading. The narrative of the main character, Paul Bennett, was so real I could hear his voice tell of young love, hope, faith, and despair. My heart broke when he suffered a loss so severe, I was left wondering how he would survive it.

This story is full of faith, though not preachy. It’s filled with undying love, though not sappy. This story holds a wonderful balance of both. In my opinion, it is the most unforgettable Christmas story I have ever read. The author entwined present day with days long ago. This depicts how timeless the story of Christmas is, and how it impacts the world today. The setting in The Christmas Star has a small-town feel, with vivid characters. The story is heart-felt and filled with hope…until hope is snuffed out of Paul Bennett’s life. His weaknesses overshadow his strengths when he turns to drinking. His self-alienation pushes everyone out of his life. Even God.

I loved the story, it’s characters, and the beautiful message of faith. Through all of Paul's struggles, God shines, providing a new beginning that leads him out of the depths of pain. The path is not without obstacles, but it is illuminated by the light of the Christmas star. 

I highly recommend this book.

5 Stars

ARC courtesy of Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

A Prairie Girl's Faith by Stephen W. Hines

A Prairie Girl's Faith, by Stephen W. Hines, is an inspiring read. This biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder warmed my heart. The undying faith of the Ingalls family through very difficult times really depicted the closeness and faith they shared.

The research about the relationship between Laura and her mother was enlightening. I never really thought about the Christian example and teaching of the wonderful wife and mother, Rose. Of course, “Pa” had a hand in their upbringing, as well as their faith. His music and preaching within their four walls when they didn’t have a church to attend really showed what a great man and father he was. The way the family pulled together and stood strong no matter the circumstances was touching.

I enjoyed learning more about Laura Ingalls and her family. Though I watched the show “Little House on the Prairie” I learned so much more than the televised series could convey. Wonderful book about faith and family.

I highly recommend this read.

4 Stars

Copy courtesy of Blogging for Books. All opinions are my own.

This Love Story Will Self-Destruct by Leslie Cohen

The quirky blurb from This Love Story Will Self-Destruct made me smile. Then I started reading the book, and to my dismay, I had a difficult time getting through the first half of the story. It didn’t grab me and I wasn’t invested in the main character, Eve. 

When I read about two main characters in the blurb, I expected to see them early in the story. Of course Eve was there, however, Ben came in way too late. I kept thinking: Get on with it! Where is this Ben guy?

Eve and Jesse’s part of the story was…exasperating. I get the fact this relationship reflects Eve’s insecurities, but the rambling in her mind gets boring after a while. The incessant interior thoughts went on…and on. Multiple pages of italics? Sigh. After a while, I began to skim through them. I could have easily put the book down and walked away, but I wanted to give this story a fair chance.

Halfway through the book I arrived at the meat of the story.

Finally, the guy I've been waiting for...BEN! I absolutely adored him. The blaring conflicting personalities of Eve and Ben worked somehow. I laughed out loud at a particular scene. It was so well written I could visualize it. 

Eve is basically diving head first into a box and scrambling for a new tube of toothpaste, and Ben is trying to drag her away by her feet. Hilarious.

I loved the conflict and self-growth of the characters, especially Eve's.  All the secondary characters are relatable, and likeable--except Jesse, I kind of despised his self-centered skewed personality. I was pleased when the story quit honing in on Jesse’s issues, and more on Eve and Ben’s relationship.

I wanted to like this book more. I really did. There aren’t any blaring plot holes, bad editing, or lack of character development. This story simply took too long to grab me. I didn’t turn the pages with anticipation. 

For that reason, I can’t  give it a higher rating than 3 stars. 

ARC courtesy of Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

The Sisters of Glass Ferry by Kim Michelle Richardson

The Sisters of Glass Ferry  is a southern-themed historical novel. It’s filled with complex characters.This dual timeline novel takes place in 1952 and 1972. It deals with the relationship between twins, Flannery and Patsy, their bootlegger family, and the entire small town of Glass Ferry.

The complex plot revolves around with the prom night disappearance of Patsy. The secrets Flannery and the sheriff’s son hide throughout the years plays an important role, though both have different reasons for their silence.

Though unsure of the exact happenings surrounding the last night she saw her twin, Flannery is haunted by the fact that Patsy begged her not to leave her alone. 

But she did. And dealt with the guilt for the rest of her life.

This captivating novel is written with genuine southern life in mind. The backwoods of a small town, and the folks who reside there is well depicted. Everyone in town is connected, either by family, school chums and enemies, or plain dirty gossip. There’s a LOT of gossip and blame that surrounds the mystery of Patsy's whereabouts.

I enjoyed the writer’s voice…the smooth, descriptive and poetic word choices were haunting in a way. I could smell the air, feel the churn of the ferry boat along the river, hear the twang in southern phrases, the crack of a pistol shooting at cans, and the down-home comfort of family chatter around the table. 

But this is not an easy read filled with southern comfort…there are some very difficult situations in the book. That being said, it is well worth the read.

 Kim Michele Richardson penned a great story. She delved into each character and examined the very essence of why they react and say the things they do. She made them REAL.

 I adored the strength of the father, nicknamed “Honey Bee”. He was a loving, yet tough, parent, full of guidance and wisdom. I grew very attached to this character. Not so much with the mother. The way she favored Patsy over Flannery was heartbreaking. It continued long after Patsy’s disappearance, despite the fact Flannery was there for her mother in every way.

 Flannery was cheated of so much, and had to become the mother figure in the family—especially after her beloved father died.

Yeah, this story is filled with so much tragedy that it’s hard to read—while simultaneously just as difficult to put down. The story never lagged and kept me engrossed every single page. It never lagged.  

Gosh, I haven’t read a book this good in quite a while. It certainly earned the elusive five lamp award. 

5 Stars

ARC courtesy of Net Galley. All opinions are my own.

Blue Ridge Sunrise by Denise Hunter

Blue Ridge Sunrise is the first book I’ve read by Denise Hunter, but it’s certainly not the last. I love the character development, and the well-defined aspects of their lives.

The seamless transitions from present to past, then back to present time, was well done. Kudos to the author!

Romance, intrigue, and plot twists abound in Blue Ridge Sunrise. Just when I thought I had things figured out, I was surprised. This book is a real page turner.

The main character, Zoe, slowly realizes how she has allowed herself to regress from a free-spirited and strong teenager, to a meek, insecure woman. Her personal growth throughout the story is painful, confusing and at times, infuriating. There were several instances where I wanted to shake sense into her. That being said, I adore her as a mother, and I absolutely fell in love with her four-year-old daughter.

Her former love interest, Cruz, is a wounded soul—and it was her that caused his pain, though she is completely unaware of it. Then she ends up adding insult to injury by keeping a secret from him.

In addition, Cruz broke her heart years ago--and, he was unaware he did so.

I kind of rolled my eyes about that whole thing.

Other than that tiny aspect, it really is an enjoyable read. I honestly lost a lot of sleep because I couldn’t put this book down. The fast-paced ending left me breathless. I loved it! The triangle between Zoe, Kyle, and Cruz is full of dramatic action.

The relationship between Zoe and her father is strained. I would have loved to see them work things out. Sadly, that wasn’t the case in this instance. (Talking about relationships, I adore the touching one which develops between Zoe’s daughter and Cruz.)

Zoe’s spiritual growth was subtly beautiful. Blue Ridge Sunrise is a clean read, Though the book deals with adult relationships, love scenes are left to the imagination, and any violence is explicit enough to depict conflict without being overly graphic. All in all, this a well-balanced and tastefully written story.

4 Stars

ARC courtesy of Net Galley. All opinions are my own.