Review: All Right Here by Carre Armstrong Gardner

 

All Right Here

 

All Right Here is a family drama about the Darling Family.  Leander and Jane are the dad and mom to their five grown children: David, the twins Laura and Ivy, Sephy, and Amy.  This particular book deals the most with Ivy and her husband Nick.  Nick and Ivy have been married for 6 years and Ivy is unable to have children.  Something she thought that she and Nick had overcome.  Unfortunately, Nick has not let that go and their marriage has suffered through the years.  When their new neighbor abandons her three children, she and Nick take the kids in for what at first was supposed to be a few nights.  But as the search continues for the neglectful mother, Ivy opens her heart to the children who have not really had a very good life.  DeShaun at 14 has always tried to shelter his little sister Jada who is 9 and his little brother Hammer who is 6.   Nick feels it his Christian duty to help these children but he insists that they are not their kids.  Under the foster care of both Nick and Ivy all three children bloom and find hidden talents.   However, as the days turn into weeks and then months, Ivy realizes her marriage is not going to change and temptation looms on the horizon.  When Nick notices Ivy has cooled in her love for him, he realizes that he just might lose her and the three children who ended up becoming more important to him than he thought they would. 

Laura, Ivy’s twin, is the secondary story in this book.  Her story also deals with some difficult subjects.  This book is filled with real life problems and I did enjoy getting to know the Darling family. I really liked how they still had Thursday night dinners with almost the whole Darling clan and getting to peek in on their family celebrations.  I enjoyed this author’s debut book and I look forward to reading more about the Darling family.   I received the book from The Book Club Network (TBCN) and the opinions are my own.

 

Review: Unexpected Wedding by Carla Rossi



 

Unexpected Wedding

 

Unexpected Wedding by Carla Rossi is a story about Rocky and Gia and how they meet, have a first date, and get married after only knowing each other a few weeks.  It is in a way a modern day marriage of convenience story.  Rocky, due to an accident is an athlete in a wheelchair.  Gia, a camp counselor who enjoys her job of working with children, met Rocky at the camp in a very unconventional way.  From the start the sparks fly.  After a really great first date, Gia receives some devastating news from her doctor.  Not wanting to face her parents due to a long resentment, Rocky swoops in and she begins to rely on him.  However, he believes the best way he can take care of her is by marriage.  After that decision is made they marry within a couple of days to the surprise of Rocky’s friends and much to the surprise and hilarious reaction of both of their parents.  This was a sweet tale dealing with some difficult subjects of two people deciding to love each other through thick and thin.  They just both really need to tell each other that.  I received this book from The Book Club Network, (TBCN) and the opinions are my own.

 

The Time I Saved the Day is available on Amazon

The Time I Saved the Day is now available in paperback and Kindle versions.  The links for both are below the picture.  Just click on paperback or Kindle to be taken to Amazon's page.  

 

Paperback

 

Kindle

Review: Goddess Born by Kari Edgren

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goddess Born by Kari Edgren is a very interesting tale.  It has a lot going on between those pages.  First off it is a historical novel that takes place in Pennsylvania during 1730.  Our heroine, Selah Kilbrid, lives on her dying father’s plantation in a predominant Quaker community.  Her father knows he does not have long to live, so he sends Selah off to go meet her betrothed who is coming from Ireland and who is also her cousin.  This is not a spoiler, but she needs to marry her cousin as this family has a secret.  She is a direct descendent of the goddess Brigid.  So she is half mortal.  Now being a descendent of Brigid does not make her immortal but it gives her a gift, which is healing.  She also has rules she must follow in regards to this gift by the goddess.  Her mother and grandmother before her were also healers.   She was also taught to hide her gift so as not to be thought of as a witch. 

 When she goes to meet her betrothed she finds out from the ship’s captain, that her cousin died on his way over to America and was buried at sea.  Not knowing what to do, since her father really put a lot of faith in this plan to save her from an unwanted suitor, she happens upon an auction for indentured servants.  Getting into a bidding war with an unscrupulous merchant she bids and wins the indenture of a young gentleman who had caught her eye.

Needing to come back married to escape the advances and threats of Nathan (the unwanted suitor) who is also a prominent Quaker minister, Selah devises a most daring plan.  She decides to set up an elaborate lie that this indentured servant will become her cousin and indeed will be her “husband”.   After the town is convinced, he may have his freedom. 

We then have a love hate relationship between the two, and our so called “hero” has a good many secrets that he is keeping to himself. Some that are slowly revealed in the story.  I look forward to reading more by Kari Edgren and I hope she continues this story.  It did not end on cliffhanger so to speak, as this was more of Selah’s story and that wraps up nicely.  However, our hero has his own story to tell and I am curious. So if you like a historical with romance and a bit of paranormal fantasy, give this rather clean story a try.   I was given this book by the author however the opinions are my own.

The Time I Saved the Day is available on Createspace.com

Jes' book is now available on Createspace.  I will update when her book goes live on Amazon.  https://www.createspace.com/4863876

Review: Word Changers by Ashlee Willis

This is a very engaging tale. It has everything anyone could want in a story: realistic characters; good dialogue action; a good theme; adventure; intrigue; mystery; magic; and a touch of both creepiness and romance. I especially love the character development. The book pulls you into its fantasy world just like the story it is about sucks in the heroine. The story is unique and you never know what’s going to happen next. And it’s more than just a story; it is an excellent allegory. I heartily recommend this story to anyone looking to get lost in a good book. I received this book from the author for review; and this is my own opinion.

                                                                                Reviewed by    

Jes Drew

Review: A Beauty So Rare by Tamera Alexander

In Tamara Alexander’s latest novel we meet Eleanor Braddock who is dealing with some major life decisions.  Having lost her mother to sickness and her brother in the Civil War, she is now dealing with her father’s dementia.  Not a lot was known about the disease in those days, so with the help from her very wealthy Aunt Adelicia Acklen Cheatham she is able to send her father to an asylum with the hopes of him getting better.  Eleanor, who is 29 and considered an old maid, had previously helped the doctors and nurses during the Civil War and saw many men die of their wounds, leaving their wives and children in dire circumstances.  Determined not to be a burden to her Aunt and her household, Eleanor comes to Nashville, Tennessee with a desire to open a café.  She just has to convince her Aunt to let her do this.  Working in her Aunt’s conservatory, is Marcus Gottfried, who is keeping his identity of being Archduke of Austria a secret.  He is trying to pursue his dual passions of botany and architecture.  As they begin to interact with each other on more of a daily basis a friendship begins.  One of the things I really enjoyed was the banter between Eleanor and Marcus. When Eleanor’s dreams are not realized and Marcus is about to lose all he has worked for in America, they both realize that maybe their plans and purposes have changed for the better good.  Not only that, but a forbidden love has developed between them. 

I really enjoyed this tale, and at almost 500 pages it was one to be slowly devoured.  I also enjoyed learning about the true life historical characters like Adelicia Acklen Cheatham who owned Belmont Mansion located in Tennessee and a bit of the House of Hapsburg of Austria.  I received this book from The Book Club Network, Inc. (TBCN) and the opinions are my own.