mystery

Read and Enjoyed December 21, 2022

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It has been a good reading week. The best kind.

Let’s get started.

The first one was a new-to-me book from a favorite author. Maybe I’ll find the other books in this series will have a familiar vibe to them but in the meantime this story was fresh and engaging.

Swept Away: A Squeaky Clean Honeymoon Novella (Book 11.5) (Squeaky Clean Mysteries)

Finding the perfect place for a honeymoon, away from any potential danger or mystery, is challenging. But Gabby’s longtime love and newly minted husband, Riley Thomas, has done it. He has found a location with a nonexistent crime rate, a mostly retired population, and plenty of opportunities for relaxation in the warm sun.

Within minutes of the newlyweds’ arrival, a convoy of vehicles descends on a nearby house, and their honeymoon oasis is destroyed like a sandcastle in a storm. Despite Gabby’s and Riley’s determination to keep to themselves, trouble comes knocking at their door—literally—when a neighbor is abducted from the beach directly outside their rental.

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This has also been a week of historical novels with pretty covers.

This next one covered many decades and generations. The author did an excellent job with this method of story telling.

Where the Last Rose Blooms (Heirloom Secrets)

Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot with a handsome yet irritating man who comes to her shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap–and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.

In 1861 Charleston, Clara is known to be a rule follower–but the war has changed her. Unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy, she is an abolitionist and is prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause. With assistance from a dashing Union spy, she attempts to help an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying secret information about her father’s associates.

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Three more excellent reads.

Promise Kept (Harland Creek Series Book 1)

Promise Kept (Harland Creek Series Book 1) a well written story.

The Ornament Keeper: A Novella This story had a different spin on it. Interesting and emotional.

****** Three more. *******

All excellent reads

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Today has not been the best day for new book suggestions but that’s OK. I know most of us are good for reading material already on hand.

I’m trying to decide what comes next. Some choices don’t look as exciting as the books read. Kind of like when you eat all the delicious looking food first and the rest is still waiting for you.

Half the time, looking at the cover, I don’t remember anything about the story and the title doesn’t always appeal to me either. That’s a problem. That’s about where I am again tonight. Nothing looks interesting. They might be though, that’s the thing.

It could go either way, really.

Maybe I should listen to a podcast and work on the new jigsaw puzzle for awhile.

Sounds like a good plan.

I’ll probably do all three, just wait and see.

Tomorrow.

Bargain book December 20, 2022

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We have a bargain book today, suggested by LPC Free Books. Colleen Coble has written an impressive selection of books in the last ten years.

Black Sands (Aloha Reef Series Book 2)

Page-turning romantic suspense set amid the gorgeous beauty of Hawaii and the impending danger of a volcano. 

A brainy—and perpetually single—volcanologist, Annie Tagama works alongside her father at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. But despite her pedigree, Annie has lost her passion or volcanology. She’s quietly grieving the mysterious loss of her brother in the Middle East.

When Annie discovers that her brother might still be alive—and in trouble—she shakes off her malaise and joins forces with Mano Oana, the unnervingly handsome family friend she had always blamed for her brother’s death.

As Annie and Mano investigate—and find that they have a lot more in common than tragedy—an evil force gathers strength on the main island. An ancient cult has reemerged—and Annie’s little sister is somehow involved. As the old religion bubbles to the surface like lava, the old practices are not far behind . . . including human sacrifice.

Annie and Mano are desperate to find her brother and save her family from destruction before the ancient evil smothers them all in an earth-shattering eruption.

This full-length romantic suspense can be read as a standalone, but is also part of the Aloha Reef Series.

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That’s it for now, if anything else shows up later I will be back.

I have last minute Christmas shopping to do first. After I finish my coffee. It a new Christmas blend that needs savoring and I’m more than happy to oblige.

Happy Reading y’all

This and that December 18, 2022

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This house makes a lot of startling noises. It’s worse in the winter when it’s well below freezing, like it is today. It’s probably expansion and contraction of the wood frame with the temperature changes but it’s scary sometimes. I want to run outside to see what hit the house or who could be doing who knows what. I don’t because it’s futile. There is never anything to see.

Except for one time, a time when I didn’t look but maybe should have. Although it wouldn’t have helped much. There was a long plastic downspout to keep rain runoff from the roof away from the house. It was 5 or 6 feet long running over to a flower bed. I think the horrendous noise I heard was a large dog chasing a little rabbit. It was quite a while before I noticed he had destroyed the pipe.

I’m assuming it was a he, who else would be chasing a rabbit in a flat out run? Actually I think it would have been one of the neighbor’s dogs that probably got out. I have it on good authority that they are guys.

A few summers ago I met one of them when I was out weeding in the front yard. He was on his own out for a visit, checking out the neighborhood. It wasn’t too long before his owner came looking for him. I have no proof it was that dog on one of his evening adventures but having met him that day it was a pretty good possibility, in my mind anyway.

I like dogs but they can be a handful. I’m more of a cat person, they don’t seem to get into as much trouble as a large energetic dog.

Aside from rabbits, dogs, and squirrels running through the yard, one day we saw deer. I was surprised, or maybe a better word would be shocked. It had never occurred to me that they would be in this area. Now I wonder how many other visits I’ve missed. I would have missed this one too if my kids hadn’t been here and noticed first.

I need to pay more attention to what goes on in my yard. The trouble is I can’t read and look outside at the same time, and reading takes hours of concentration. At least in the winter I have a better idea about what goes on and when. Foot prints tell the story of visits and chases. Some days seem to be busier than others.

The wild animals seem to have a routine about who they visit in the neighborhood and when. I think it depends somewhat on their needs. Shelter, food. The animal residents vary from year to year too. Some years there were a large number of cats. They’d spend more time in the yard, lounging in the flower beds or on the back deck. Maybe there was safety in numbers and they were bolder. Right now there are few, maybe one of two. and they are more cautious, I rarely see them. The rabbit population has been smaller too. I hear the eagles like to hunt rabbits and cats. I’ve never seen them do it but my neighbor has. They swoop down and carry them off.

The only eating I’ve seen in the backyard is done by the crows. They like to eat the eggs out of the robin’s nests. Horrible birds.

I guess they do have their good uses though. One day a small bird flew into one of my windows and was lying dead on my deck. I was going to put the body in the garbage as I did once before for a bigger bird found lying in the garden. This time I decided to leave it there to see if nature would take it’s course. Finally after a few days went by there were crows out there eyeing the bird. They flew off but the next day I noticed the body was gone. That is how it should be. Crows are scavengers, clean up crews keeping the world a healthy place to live. Amazing isn’t it. Except eggs waiting to hatch don’t qualify as needing cleanup.

OK, I’m talked out. We will discuss books another time.

Maybe I will just share the cover of my current read with you, Well, there were two actually.

The first one is suspense and so was the last one finished. Something lighter was needed for a minute which meant the mystery needed to be put on hold. The romance was an excellent change of pace and is almost finished. It was a god decision, my mood is much lighter than it was before.

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Well, that conversation was a fun surprise. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

See you tomorrow.

Bargain book December 17, 2022

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This has been a family day. Well, days is more like it, and it’s been fun. Sharing a jigsaw puzzle, good food (my son has become a great cook,) and hot apple cider while we raced to decorate a Christmas tree in record time. The tree turned out pretty well, considering the way we did it. Maybe even better than when we fuss and overthink things. My daughter-in-law, the artist in the family, wants to tweak some of the decorations though and I say go-for-it, with my blessing.

We went back to the city this afternoon with a side trip to buy Christmas presents for the teenagers in the family. The plan was to visit a games store called Across the Board Games Cafe. What an interesting concept. For an admission fee you could have a table to play games for as long as you could stay, and they had hundreds to choose from. Their cafe menu looked interesting too. By all appearances it was a popular place with a large inviting room to hang out in.

I watched as my family picked their presents. To my way of thinking the wide range of choices was mind boggling. But then I’m not into games as much as they are and my knowledge is minimal when it comes to today’s choices.

We ended up having supper at my daughter’s house. The meal was delicious and the arm wrestling was hilarious. My grand daughter (the only girl among five boys) somehow ended up in an arm wrestling contest with the cousin sitting next to her. (I was talking to her dad at the moment and missed the fun) Apparently she didn’t wait for go and took him down before he knew what was happening. The sweet and funny guy was burying his head in shame. We were all calling for a rematch but they both declined. There were several more match ups and it became apparent you could win if you knew the right techniques. She is smart and knew how to get the advantage on these guys.

A good time was had by all.

The downside, if there was one, was zero time spent with books today. Not a bad thing in my estimation. Real live people have to take first place every now and again.

So, on to books for a short while.

We have one suggestion I’m happy about. It’s from a frequent contributor to our reading lists.

Protective Custody

When a beautiful US Marshal is assigned to protect a judge, she leaves her heart unguarded in this suspenseful tale of danger, faith, and romance.

Keeping witnesses safe is all in a day’s work for deputy U.S. marshal Carly Masterson. But protecting the judge who was indirectly responsible for her mentor’s death is another story. Still, she won’t let harm come to Judge Nicholas Floyd, or the niece and nephew in his care.

Carly is determined to do the job right, and not let her emotions take over—even as her resentment gives way to an undeniable attraction. She has to admit that it feels good to be accepted by the little family. But can she let go of the past and learn to trust again before danger finds them once more?

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To finish the night I will ignore the lunch dishes, enjoy the tree, and alternate for a while between the jig-saw puzzle and my current read. For as long as I can stay awake.

Happy Reading . . .

and puzzling too, if you enjoy it.

Bargain books December 14, 2022

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I’m excited about this first one. It showed up when I looked for the BookBub suggestion which turned out to be one I’ve read. It’s starting out so well I want to abandon my current read in favor of this one. But I won’t, I’ll do the right thing and finish first.

Nothing Short of Wondrous (American Wonders Collection Book #2)

It is 1886, and the government has given the US Cavalry control of Yellowstone. For widowed hotelier Kate Tremaine, the change is a welcome one. She knows every inch of her wilderness home like the back of her hand and wants to see it protected from poachers and vandals.

Refused a guide by Congress, Lieutenant William Prescott must enlist Kate’s aid to help him navigate the sprawling park and track down the troublemakers. But a secret from his past makes him wary of the tender feelings the capable and comely widow raises in him. As they work together to protect the park and stand firm through injustice and tragedy, they may just find that two wounded hearts can share one powerful love when God is in control.

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The first book (the one I’ve read and enjoyed.) is an even better bargain.

Meg Pero has been assisting her photographer father since she was big enough to carry his equipment, so when he dies she is determined to take over his profession–starting with fulfilling the contract he signed to serve on an Army survey of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 1871. What she doesn’t realize is that the leader of the expedition is none other than the man she once refused to marry.

Captain Ben Coleridge would like nothing more than to leave without the woman who broke his heart, but he refuses to wait even one more day to get started. This survey is a screen for another, more personal mission, one he cannot share with any member of his team.

As dangers arise from all sides, including within the survey party, Meg and Ben must work together to stay alive, fulfill their duties, and, just maybe, rekindle a love that neither had completely left behind.

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That’s all I have a the moment. You know how that goes. There are good days and some not so good days.

Have a good evening, or morning depending on your time zone.

Happy Reading.

Free and bargain books December 12, 2022

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We have an interesting line up today. Nothing too serious, I don’t think so anyway. No murders and dead bodies this time. A number of new authors for us too.

First up, BookBub has a Christmas offering for us. We’ve seen Dan Walsh often lately.

Keeping Christmas

For the first time since their children were born, empty nesters Judith and Stan Winters spent Thanksgiving alone, without the kids and grandkids. It’s looking like Christmas will be the same.

Judith can hardly bear the thought and struggles even to decorate the house. But soon some wonderful and totally unexpected events turn things completely around, starting with that box of “ugly ornaments” (as Stan calls them). Could they be the key to rescuing their Christmas this year?

A “beautifully written story” for the holiday season, or any time of the year.

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LPC Free Books has a suggestion for us. Tis the season for Christmas stories. This is an author we have not seen so this will be a surprise.

The Ornament Keeper: A Novella

Award-winning author Eva Marie Everson wraps up a Christmas story of hope, love, and forgiveness just in time for the holidays. 

The Ornament Keeper, a contemporary Christmas novella, features Felicia and Jackson Morgan who are spending their first Christmas apart after twenty years of marriage. But a lifetime of gifted ornaments helps Felicia piece together the story of their marriage and the one mistake of unforgiveness she made before they said, “I do.”

Can these memory-filled ornaments reunite this family before Christmas? Only time will tell.

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Browsing, I discovered an offering from an author new to me. It’s always nice to meet someone for the first time.

Promise Kept (Harland Creek Series Book 1)

Lying on her job application wasn’t the best way to kick off her fresh start in a small town, but Heather Smith is out of options. She desperately needs the job, or she will soon be without a place to live. Even so, Heather truly likes Elizabeth Harland, the old woman who hired her as her caregiver, and is eager to work hard and prove she’s right for the task.

Now, if she could just figure out why a local farmer keeps casting suspicious glares her way...

Sure, Grayson McCade has his hands full with his farm. That doesn’t change the fact that he considers the residents of Harland Creek family, and he takes time to look out for them all. The second he learns a newcomer has been hired to care for Elizabeth, he worries the kind-hearted old woman is being scammed.

Acting on what he believes to be the best of intentions, he sets out to uncover the truth about Heather’s past. Will the secrets revealed tarnish Heather’s new start before it even begins? Or will Grayson help make Harland Creek the home her heart longs for?

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Another author new to us. Beautiful cover. I have high hopes for the story too.

Where the Last Rose Blooms (Heirloom Secrets)

“Tender and true, this novel draws you in from the first page.”–SUSAN MEISSNER, bestselling author of The Nature of Fragile Things

Alice runs a New Orleans flower shop alongside her aunt, but thoughts of her mother, who went missing during Hurricane Katrina, are never far from her mind. After getting off on the wrong foot with a handsome yet irritating man who comes to her shop, Alice soon realizes their worlds overlap–and the answers they both seek can be found in the same place.

In 1861 Charleston, Clara is known to be a rule follower–but the war has changed her. Unbeknownst to her father, who is heavily involved with the Confederacy, she is an abolitionist and is prepared to sacrifice everything for the cause. With assistance from a dashing Union spy, she attempts to help an enslaved woman reunite with her daughter. But things go very wrong when Clara agrees to aid the Northern cause by ferrying secret information about her father’s associates.

Faced with the unknown, both women will have to dig deep to let their courage bloom.

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A good day for new an interesting stories.

I’m enjoying the fascinating characters in my current read. It’s historical fiction and I think the main characters will turn out to be spies for the good guys. Haven’t gone far enough yet to discover how that all works though. It’s still a bargain if you hurry.

Until Leaves Fall in Paris

As the Nazis march toward Paris in 1940, American ballerina Lucie Girard buys her favorite English-language bookstore to allow the Jewish owners to escape. Lucie struggles to run Green Leaf Books due to oppressive German laws and harsh conditions, but she finds a way to aid the resistance by passing secret messages between the pages of her books.

Widower Paul Aubrey wants nothing more than to return to the States with his little girl, but the US Army convinces him to keep his factory running and obtain military information from his German customers. As the war rages on, Paul offers his own resistance by sabotaging his product and hiding British airmen in his factory. After they meet in the bookstore, Paul and Lucie are drawn to each other, but she rejects him when she discovers he sells to the Germans. And for Paul to win her trust would mean betraying his mission.

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It has been an excellent book day. I’d better get reading if I expect to keep up. Maybe have supper along with it. My favorite way to eat.

Happy Reading!

Bargain book December 11, 2022

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Since it’s 2 am I guess I’ll label this third post as December 11. I said I was done after #2 but it seems I lied lol.

I made the mistake of going back to verify the purchase of the last book (I hadn’t completed the purchase step, good thing I checked) and in the process found another one I had to say yes to. This is book #4 and I see we have had books 1 – 3 show up in 2021. They aren’t bargains anymore, sadly.

Rising From Ashes (Acts of Valor, Book 4)

Lt. Commander “Monty” Monteague hasn’t needed God since he was a boy. But now the accomplished, handsome SEAL is the only survivor of a rescue mission gone wrong. His men are dead; his face is badly scarred. Wounded and hurting, Monty seeks solace in all the wrong places, until his do-gooder neighbor intrudes on his isolation, heals him, and teaches him to reach for God, not a bottle.

Opal Bonheur isn’t just Monty’s neighbor; she’s his physical therapist. Having loved him from afar for years, Opal is determined to heal the warrior, physically and emotionally. What Monty needs is the faith that has sustained her through many a tragedy—and they aren’t over yet. As the past comes back to haunt Opal, Monty’s prayers for her protection might be the only thing to keep her alive.

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Maybe more will show up in the morning.

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Well it’s tomorrow afternoon and so far nothing else has shown up. Not that I’ve been looking all that hard aside from checking suggestion emails. (there were two with nothing we wanted)

The thing I have been doing today (and yesterday too) is spending time with one of my favorite inspiring podcasters. Carey Nieuwhof, he has a leadership podcast with the most interesting guests and amazingly insightful questions. I’m not in leadership but I love learning new things. I love walking away from the experience feeling deeply moved and fed.

It’s the mental equivalent of a well prepared healthy nutritious meal.

The subject of today’s choice of podcasts (I’m behind in watching so I’m binge watching to catch up.) was growing your audience. His guest for this video became a multi-millionaire helping clients with this aspect of their businesses. He has much to offer us as inspiration for developing a strategy for realizing our own hopes and dreams.

To be perfectly honest, I’m not that motivated to grow my audience even though I know I should be. I’m an introvert. I work hard at not being noticed. Which is pretty hilarious when you think about it. That’s why I don’t do emails (I did put an email address somewhere in my contact section but for some reason I didn’t bother to explore, it doesn’t show up.) It’s also why, generally speaking, I put personal thoughts etc at the end of posts rather than the beginning. Readers won’t see them without going to the end. Crazy I know, but this is who I am.

The question is why do I do this, and even hope for more readers, if I shy away from being seen?

It’s motivation. My passion is to inspire reading.

(If I can do it without drawing personal attention so much the better.)

Why this passion, you ask?

Because reading is a life giving, life changing experience. And statistics show that most people are not reading. A least not in any significant way. Many read less than one book a year. This is so much more than sad.

So, that is my deepest motivation, pushing you to fall in love with reading. Yes, fall in love. Avid readers are in love with books.

Falling in love with a book is like falling in love with a person — find the right one and it will happen.

For many their reading speed is a deterrent. Reading is like exercise, the more you do it the stronger you become. Keep reading, with practice your speed will improve. If you love a book, even better, your speed will automatically improve because you are in a hurry to find out what comes next.

So, bottom line, I want to inspire you to discover the joys of reading.

The discussion on why I promote books, without realizing any monetary compensation, will be the subject for another day.

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In case you enjoy teaching and inspiring podcasts I will share the link for this one here. Maybe you will discover useful tools and connections.

Happy Reading,

and maybe watching, too.

I could be preaching to the choir here as you are likely a reader if you frequent a blog site.

Maybe I can inspire you to inspire someone else in your life. That would be good.

Bargain books December 10, 2022 Part two

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Another irresistible bargain book showed up as I was snooping around. More historical fiction, this time involving a different war with ships on the high seas. And definitely with romance.

A Heart Adrift: A Novel

A Virginia chocolatier and a privateering sea captain collide once more after a failed love affair a decade before. Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart? Or will a new shared vision reunite them?*****

It is 1755, and the threat of war with France looms over colonial York, Virginia. Chocolatier Esmée Shaw is fighting her own battle of the heart. Having reached her twenty-eighth birthday, she is reconciled to life alone after a decade-old failed love affair from which she’s never quite recovered. But she longs to find something worthwhile to do with her life.


Captain Henri Lennox has returned to port after a lengthy absence, intent on completing the lighthouse in the dangerous Chesapeake Bay, a dream he once shared with Esmée. But when the colonial government asks him to lead a secret naval expedition against the French, his future is plunged into uncertainty.

Will a war and a cache of regrets keep them apart, or can their shared vision and dedication to the colonial cause heal the wounds of the past? Bestselling and award-winning author Laura Frantz whisks you away to a time fraught with peril–on the sea and in the heart–in this redemptive, romantic story.

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Another intriguing book showed up in the suggestion strip and after reading the whole sample I’m hooked. This one will be my next read, unless I’m distracted and forget about it. It’s been known to happen.

Expecting Danger (Small-Town Guardians Book 2)

Kate has been on the run from the men who killed her husband and left her for dead—which isn’t easy considering she’s eight months pregnant—but now they’ve found her. Again. Still reeling from her late husband’s betrayal, the last thing Kate wants is the help of a handsome stranger.

Security expert, Jacob Jones, is still grieving the loss of his pregnant wife, and he’s not ready to move on. But when he thwarts an attempted abduction of the beautiful Kate, he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. Despite her reluctance, he’s determined to do whatever it takes to save her, including giving up his own life.

Kate’s only option is to take a leap of faith and allow Jacob to help her. But can she trust him to keep her and her unborn baby alive? Or will he fail her like everyone else in her life?

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Book one in this series is still a bargain too. I see I’ve read this one already. They are standalone stories so it’s safe to read them out of order.

Hidden Danger (Small-Town Guardians Book 1)

All Maggie Jones wants to do is sell her late father’s property and get out of Whitehaven, Texas as fast as possible—before she runs into the one man she’s spent the past six years avoiding. Someone has other plans for her, though. Sinister plans. And when a seemingly harmless act of vandalism turns into a series of menacing threats, she has no choice but to turn to last person on earth she wants to see for help.

Sheriff Cody Smith never expected to see Maggie again, especially after he’d broken her heart all those years ago. Maybe this is the second chance he’s always wanted. But when he realizes Maggie’s in grave danger, he intends to keep her safe at all costs. With lines from an old nursery rhyme as their only clue, he needs to find out who’s behind this deadly game before the rhyme ends and Maggie’s time runs out. Can he protect her, catch the bad guy, and make amends for past wrongs? Or will old wounds get in the way?

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That’s it for tonight.

Happy Reading!

Read and enjoyed December 09, 2022

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It has been an awesome run of good reads.

I’m still basking in the emotions of the last read. It was well written, original and engaging, Another book I couldn’t bear to put down. If you enjoy historical fiction I can highly recommend this book. I award 5 stars sparingly, to keep them meaning something. This book was definitely deserving of 5*****.

On Sugar Hill (The Georgia Magnolias Book 2)

To make ends meet, the Fitzgerald women must open their home as a boardinghouse, but will the secrets they uncover prove their undoing?

The day Cora Fitzgerald turned sixteen, she fled Sugar Hill for the bright lights of New York City, leaving behind her senator father’s abuse. But just as her career takes off, she’s summoned home.

The stock market has crashed. The senator is dead. Her mother is delusional, and her mute Aunt Clara pens novels that expose the town’s secrets. Then there’s Boone Robertson, who never knew she was alive back in high school but now manages to be around whenever she needs help.

And the Fitzgerald women need a lot of help, indeed. They are forced to find a way to make ends meet, whether it’s mining for gold or doing what Southern women have done for generations in times of need—turning their home into a boardinghouse.

But will the people of Cora’s past keep her from returning to a brilliant future?

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Reading a book a day makes it difficult to keep alive a detailed memory of the read. It doesn’t mean the experience wasn’t meaningful or fully engaging. It was for all of them. They were all a fine-dining experience.

Even this next collection received a high rating. Often times there is a relatively wide difference in the quality of writing in a box set. I can see why. A multi book collection is a good opportunity for writers with differing levels of experience to gain exposure. Expecting the usual and not getting it is why the high quality was a welcome surprise. Paying attention to the authors involved would have lowered the surprise level, but where’s the fun in that?

Destination Christmas (The Christmas Lights Collection) 

Kiss Me on Christmas by Sarah Monzon

Single mom Kaitlyn Stafford has never considered Christmas a balancing act, but when her sister calls with the news that she’s getting married in less than two weeks—on Christmas Day—that’s exactly what the holiday looks like becoming. Helping with the out-of-state wedding will be fun. The challenge will be doing so while accommodating her neurodivergent son’s need to keep every single one of their Christmas traditions while they’re away from home. It’ll be tricky, but she can do it.

At least, that’s what she thinks before her son’s favorite YouTuber, Beckett Walsh, shows up on the scene, knocking her world off-kilter with his speaking glances and knowing smiles. How on earth is she supposed to pull off her balancing act when her world’s just tilted on its axis?

Christmas Camp by Cathe Swanson

Julia is eager to prove herself in her first job as project manager for the family’s charitable foundation, but she expected it to be something more meaningful than creating a winter wonderland Christmas vacation for snow-deprived southerners. Why is this project so important to her grandmother?

Tom doesn’t understand why anyone would want to renovate his uncle’s broken-down Wisconsin deer camp, either, but if it will save the old man’s home and business, he’ll help the ambitious city girl put together the most cliché-filled Christmas ever.

Not Another Christmas by Jaycee Weaver

The palm trees and beaches of Florida are far from her chaotic family as Cindy Sinclair can get. Her anticipated promotion is the perfect excuse not to come home for the holidays… until she’s passed over and the job is given to none other than her childhood nemesis.

This far from New Mexico, Nick Hoover never imagined he’d beat Cindy out for a job. Again. He’s messed up her plans since the day they met, but this time, Nick is determined to prove he never wanted to be her enemy. If only she’ll let him.

When their reignited adolescent rivalry gets out of hand, their boss insists they both go home, face the hurts of their pasts, and bury the hatchet once and for all. With help from her meddling family, this could be the Christmas they quit clashing and give love a fighting chance.

The Hearts of New Cheltenham by Chautona Havig

The only way not to break her best friend’s heart is to get someone else to steal it.

Jarod doesn’t need a month off and certainly not halfway across the country. His best friend doesn’t agree. She’s been researching places for him to go and has found him a perfect match on a dating website who just happens to live in New Cheltenham. It’s a match made online until she begins to wonder if she’s made a mistake trying to offload him on someone else.

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Now it’s time to decide on a next read. Some days the choices are harder to make than others, that’s today.

Here are the three I’m looking at.

Decisions, decisions, decisions . . .

I love having so many good choices.

Happy Reading y’all

Free book December 07, 2022

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It has been a slow few days, book-wise, but we have a suggestion today that looks like it could be interesting. We don’t see stories with this angle very often.

Postmark From the Past 

In November 1989, Emily Patterson receives a red envelope in her mailbox. It’s a letter from Mark who declares his love for her and says he’s coming for her if he makes it home alive. But who is Mark?

There is no return address and the postmark is 1968. The letters continue to turn up in her mailbox and she wonders if someone is playing a cruel joke. It’s Christmas time and her friends say it is the season for miracles. Can she risk her heart to find a miracle in the Postmark from the Past?

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Nothing else is showing up for us tonight so I will share my last awesome read and my new current read.

This was a keep-me-up-all-night book. It was well written and original, short on guns and killing but long on mystery. The characters were well developed and some were less like-able than others, which is always a good thing. Did I mention this was a keep me up late book? I’m feeling it today, that’s for sure.

Trial and Error

A small-town lawyer has been searching for his daughter for eighteen years. Now a local girl has gone missing, and he’s determined to find them both—no matter the cost.

Buddy Smith built his law practice around tracking down missing children. After all, he knows the agony of being separated from a child. Not long after his daughter’s birth, her mother took her and ran away. Buddy hasn’t seen either since.

Gracie Blaylock has known Buddy her entire life, and now that she is clerk of court for the county, their paths cross frequently. When Gracie hears that a teenager is missing, she knows Buddy is the one for the case.

The missing girl’s parents are desperate for answers. Together with Gracie and Mayleah—the new detective in town—Buddy chases every lead, hoping to reach the missing teen before it’s too late. While he pursues one girl, he uncovers clues that could bring him closer to the daughter he thought he’d lost forever.

Master storyteller Robert Whitlow will keep you guessing in this gripping legal drama while also reminding you of the power of God’s restoration.

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I’ve just started this new book, barely started, but it’s caught my attention. For the moment anyway, and hopefully for much longer. To the end would be good

. On Sugar Hill (The Georgia Magnolias Book 2)

To make ends meet, the Fitzgerald women must open their home as a boardinghouse, but will the secrets they uncover prove their undoing?

The day Cora Fitzgerald turned sixteen, she fled Sugar Hill for the bright lights of New York City, leaving behind her senator father’s abuse. But just as her career takes off, she’s summoned home.

The stock market has crashed. The senator is dead. Her mother is delusional, and her mute Aunt Clara pens novels that expose the town’s secrets. Then there’s Boone Robertson, who never knew she was alive back in high school but now manages to be around whenever she needs help.

And the Fitzgerald women need a lot of help, indeed. They are forced to find a way to make ends meet, whether it’s mining for gold or doing what Southern women have done for generations in times of need—turning their home into a boardinghouse.

But will the people of Cora’s past keep her from returning to a brilliant future?

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Have a good night, or day depending on where you are in the world.

Happy Reading too.

I really hope I am helping to push you toward a love of reading. Find a book like the one that kept me up all night and you can’t help but fall in love with the experience.