Review: The Cinderella Theorem by Kristee Ravan

The Cinderella Theorem

 

 

Hilarious!  I loved this book!  I knew just by reading the synopsis that I had to read it.  I was a little nervous about reading about a math lover (personally I hate math), but not only did Kristee Ravan help me understand math (there wasn’t an equation that I didn’t understand) but she also made it so that I actually enjoyed the math in this book (and that’s saying a lot because, me liking math is not even mathematically possible).  I loved all the characters (except for Levi, but that goes without being said). I totally, related to Lilly.  Could you ask for a more lovable heroine?  Plus I liked her distracted, author mother, because I (being an aspiring author myself) can relate to that, too. I even liked grumpy Calo and Lilly's kingly, non-dead father.   You can definitely say that this book is original.   I’ve read a lot of Cinderella stories (I’m even considering writing one) and I have to say that I don’t think I have ever read a Cinderella story quite like this.  I didn’t think in a million billion years anybody would have come up with a story even remotely like this, so great job, Kristee Ravan!

The Cinderella Theorem= a great book

Thank you to the author for my review copy.  The opinions, however, are my own.

Reviewed by Nicole



 



Review: Miracle in a Dry Season by Sarah Loudin Thomas

Miracle in a Dry Season

 

 

Miracle in a Dry Season was much more than a book to sit down for reading pleasure.  It was a book that really had its teachable moments but not in a preachy way.  It had those moments within the story and being the story.  With a vibe of the Scarlet Letter, a bit of the story about the adulterous woman whom Jesus said those without sin could cast the first stone, and a touch of the miracle of the five loaves and fishes, than you have a recipe for a stand out book.   This book takes place in Wise, West Virginia, 1954, where the folks there dish out plenty of gossip and are skimpy with the forgiveness.  It showed how sin is sin and all of it is harmful.   How gossip and slander can be just as hurtful to a person as adultery.  How being judgmental and unforgiving can blind you to your own faults and you begin to believe you are better than someone else, even to the point of hatred.  Perla, an unwed mother, has come to stay with her aunt and uncle to escape the talk of her parent’s town only to run into the same type of people.  However, when a severe drought hits and the only hope the town has is coming from the one person whom they have rejected and slandered, will they be able to put down their prejudices and superstitions to get the help they need or will they choose to starve?  With poignant storytelling and eye opening truths, this is a book that I won’t soon forget.  I received my copy from The Book Club Network, Inc. (TBCN) and the opinions are my own.



Review: A Promise to Protect by Patricia Bradley

A Promise to Protect

 

A Promise to Protect by Patricia Bradley was a rollercoaster ride that started from page one.  With secrets to protect and a town seemingly falling apart, Sheriff Ben Logan and Dr. Leigh Somerall have a lot going on in their lives.  Leigh and her family’s lives are being threatened and the last person she wants to turn to is Ben, but she is not sure who else to trust. She is especially leery when there was no closure for either of them from their romance 9 years past.  Ben, as acting sheriff since his father was shot, is trying to protect Leigh and prove to himself and others that he can do this job.  This was a tight, gripping novel that had the past colliding with the present and that affected the day to day challenges of both our hero and heroine.  The author managed to keep this reader quickly turning the pages at the twists, turns, and surprises that popped up throughout the story.  I was guessing who the bad guy was till the very end.  This was my first Patricia Bradley read and I look forward to more of her storytelling.  I received my copy from Revell, however the opinions expressed are my own. 



Review: A Carol for Kent by Hallee Bridgeman

A Carol for Kent

 





A Carol for Kent was a very engaging story.  With a little bit of everything from romance, family drama, fame and fortune, to murder and mystery, it was very hard for me to put down.  I was actually feeling some of the very emotions the characters were feeling, especially with the anger and sense of betrayal within the family unit.  While that is taking a toll on our hero and heroine, Carol and Kent, in the background is the ever approaching danger of an unknown serial killer.  I did not know who the killer was until the very end.  I liked how the author included journal entries the killer wrote so we saw a bit of their very disturbed mind.  I had several suspects picked out who could have been doing the very horrendous murders.  This was a very suspenseful read and my first and certainly not my last by Hallee Bridgeman.  Also in the book she shares some recipes and news on her other books.  Her cookbooks look like they would be valuable sources and hilarious with their tongue in cheek titles.  I received this book from The Book Club Network, Inc. (TBCN) and the opinions are my own.

Review: Making Marion by Beth Moran

Making Marion

At first glance of this whimsical cover, Making Marion looked like it would be a lighthearted romantic comedy.  Well, I though it did, anyway.  What I got between the covers of this book was a poignant story of a woman searching for answers and wanting and needing to be loved and finding her own worth.  This is a good read, just not really a lighthearted one.  There are moments of laughter, but there are more difficult subjects as well.  Death, cancer, abuse (emotional and physical), are some of these subjects.  Marion is a woman searching to find answers about her beloved father.  What she finds is so much more.  This is a book about learning how to forgive, friendship, love, and ultimately finding out you are worthy.  I very much enjoyed Marion growing in her character and even the physical changes that took place as she stepped up to be the woman she was meant to be.  I would consider this an inspirational read, however there is a little bit of language.  I would say around 5 words or less.  I very much enjoyed this story and read it very quickly.  I received this book from The Book Club Network, Inc. (TBCN) and the opinions are my own.

Review: The Westward Brides Christmas Collection by Wanda E Bruntsetter, Susan Page Davis, Melanie Dobson, Cathy Liggett, Vickie McDonough, Olivia Newport, Janet Spaeth, Jennifer Rogers Spinola, and MaryLu Tyndall

The Westward Christmas Brides Collection

 





I really just sometimes like to sit back and enjoy a shorter story.  In The Westward Christmas Brides Collection we have a wonderful collection of stories by 9 different authors.  I wanted to read this book most of all as one of my favorite authors, MaryLu Tyndall, had a short story in this collection.  However, every story was delightful and I found more authors to put on my wish list.  Each story is only about 40-50 pages long, but they are all so well told that it did not seem like I was reading a short story.  The book itself is lovely and nicely laid out.  With beveled pages and a beautiful winter scene on the inside of both flaps, it would make a very thoughtful Christmas gift to a reader in your life.    I really enjoyed all these prairie romances and look forward to reading more in these collections.  I received the book from The Book Club Network, Inc. (TBCN) and the opinions are my own.



Review: Thunder by Bonnie S. Calhoun

    

          Tremors                               Thunder

Thunder by Bonnie S. Calhoun is a dystopian young adult novel that takes place 150 years into the future.  Throw in a bit of Hunger Games, a pinch of Divergent and a little bit of X-Men (?) and you have a truly original story.  We are introduced to Selah right before her 18^th birth remembrance.  With her life about to change and expectations placed on her that she does not agree with, she is trying to prove to her family that she is worthy.  What happens at the beach, (where she was not supposed to be at, on a day she should have been home), will change her life in ways that she could not have foreseen.  This was a very imaginative tale with many parts that worked well together.  I liked the slow romance, the familial relationships, and enjoyed watching true friendships develop, against the backdrop of life and death situations and a lot of action.  Along with Selah, I was quickly turning the pages to find out the answers to all the questions that she had and to find out the truth about the secrets that were kept from her.  I look very much forward to the sequel, Lightning, because even though this book ends satisfactorily, I am interested in exploring more of this strange new earth.  I am very pleased that the inspirational market is putting out more young adult novels that lack the junk yet tell a good story with hope.  On a side note for parents, there is a bit of violence in this book just in case your teens are sensitive to that.  There is a prequel novella called Tremors that is available at this time for free.  I received this book from Revell, however the opinions are my own.