60 Minute Money Workout Review

I recently received a free copy of the 60 Minute Money Workout by Ellie Kay from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. I already like Ellie Kay and have read several of her books. She not only is a good, practical writer but she lives the principles she writes about. She is a mother of 7 children and has been able to live out of debt and raise her children to be debt free even including college educations.

This book tackles the problems of money management in the same way a fitness coach would approach getting healthy. She helps you walk through how to get hold of your finances by taking 60 minutes a week and working through the financial issues you may be dealing with.

My favorite chapter deals with how to teach your children to understand finances. She encourages all parents to give children an allowance even if they can only afford a very small amount. By giving our children an allowance we are equipping them with tools to help them stay out of financial pits as adults.

She also tackles the issues of debt management, building for retirement, putting your children through college without debt and building memories with vacations.

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The Dead and the Gone (Last Survivors #2) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Synopsis:
This is the second book in the Last Survivors series. It take place at the same time as the first one but this one follows A 17 year old boy, Alex Morales, taking care of his sisters. His parents are gone and his older brother is a marine. The first book takes place in a small town in Pennsylvania and this one takes place in New York. Alex's father was in Puerto Rico when the meteor hits and his mother was on her way to work both go missing at the very start. They get word from their brother who is an active duty Marine but he is thousands of miles away. So Alex must be in charge, just a kid himself he must become responsible for not only his life but the lives of his two younger sisters. Bri is 15 and Julie turns 13 during the course of the book. Alex struggles with decisions and his own faith. The families religion is a huge part of this book and shapes the events that unfold. They attend private Catholic schools and are active in the church. This book follows them as they try to survive in a dying city.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (June 1, 2008)
• Language: English

My Thoughts:
You really see all three of them grow up in just a few short months. Alex struggles with pride and resentment. Julie struggles with being the youngest who has been babied in a world where babies can not survive so she learns some hard lessons. Early in the book Alex sends Bri to a convent thinking this is what is best for her and in reality no one could have know how it would end up. Bri is a devout catholic, her faith and naivete is what makes her so enduring. You want to believe her when she speaks of a miracle that will bring her mom and dad home. When from the start you can see what the parents fate was. They are three kids and with that they struggle with immaturity, selfishness, pettiness, anger and resentment but through the entire book there is never a question that they do not love each other. Alex through luck or fate has made good friends and they see him through as far as they could. This one is so different from "Life as we knew it" in that Alex and his sisters are still part of the world even when everything is crashing around them they still go to school and church and there are places to go to barter for food, while in "Life as we knew it" they are pretty much cut off from everything.This one as well as the first in the series left you wondering what happens next. Luckily there is a third book.

I did like this book, it brought about a strong emotional response from me. By the end I was in tears. The characters in this book even the minor ones were enduring and interesting. It was simply amazing the details she put into this book. This is labeled ages 12 and up and I would agree that is very suitable for anyone 12 and up. I will say that this one deals much more with death. Facing death and seeing the dead are more prominent in this book. "Life as we knew it" has much less loss in comparison to "The Dead and The Gone." It is very much a fitting title for this story. For some reason I enjoyed this one more then the first.

I gave it a 4 out of 5 Stars while I gave "Life as we knew it" a 3 out of 5. As I stated there is a third in the series and I look forward to see where these characters are headed. The third in the series "The world we live in" actually involves characters from book one and two.

For more information on this series and where you can buy it you can visit http://www.hmhbooks.com/lifeasweknewit/index.html

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My Foolish Heart Review

Recently I received a free review copy of “My Foolish Heart” by Susan May Warren from Tyndale House Publishers.

“Foolish Heart” is a talk show host who gives romance advice every night on the radio. What no one knows is that Foolish Heart is actually Issy who lives in a small town, suffers from phobias and cannot even leave her house, much less go on any real dates.

Caleb Knight is the disabled war vet who desperately wants to coach football in a small town and live a normal quiet life.

Seb is coming home to regain the glory of what he once had as a high school football star and who hopes to right the wrongs he did to his high school sweetheart.

Lucy is the donut girl who just wants to have her heart whole.

Four individuals who are all searching for one thing – true love and contentment.

Before I had finished the first two chapters, I already guessed how it would end. There are 4 main characters and I guessed “correctly” the outcome.

Even though I could guess what the ending was going to be I really enjoyed reading every page of this book. The author did a good job of developing the characters and helping you really understand what made them who they are.

I really enjoyed reading the book. Though it was a bit predictable, there was such a back story to each of the characters that it made for a “read right through to the end! kind of book.”

You can order My Foolish Heart from Amazon

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God Gave Us Two Review

Recently I received a free review copy of God Gave Us Two from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group.

This is a hardback book with beautiful illustrations and a great story. Little Cub is concerned because Mama Bear is fixing to have a new baby. Little Cub asks all the questions that a 'big brother or sister' often asks when there is going to be a new baby in the house. Questions like "Will you forget me?", "What do I do if baby cries all the time?", "Why do we even need a new baby?". These concerns are addressed in a straightforward way that reassures the child and helps them understand that a new baby is a gift from God.

This is another book in the series "God Gave Us So Much" written by Lisa Twan Bergren that I reviewed last Fall.

The line "God gave us you. Now He's given us two!" is repeated all through the book.

Even though Little Cub is a girl, the illustrations are very vague and not gender defined. If you are expecting and already have a son, it is very easy to swap the pronouns as you read.

I love this book. I'm planning to send this to my "almost 2 year old nephew" who is going to be a big brother in just a few months! This will be a great book to help him prepare for his new baby! We love you, Jack!

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Life As We Knew It (Last Survivors #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Synopsis:
Everyone knew at a meteor was about to hit the moon and Miranda and her family watched like so many others. But as soon as the meteor hit everyone knew something was wrong. The experts had been wrong this was a big deal and the moon was not in the right place. The meteor had hit the moon and knocked it closer to the earth. Miranda, a 16 year old girl living in rural Pennsylvania knew things were going to change but did not really understand how bad it was going to be. Life as she knew it was over. News of Tsunamis started almost immediately. The world was going to have to deal with tidal waves, earthquakes and volcanoes and no one had been prepared. Miranda, her mother and two brothers (one older and one younger then her)  prepare the best they can. The stock up on wood and food. And in their secluded home survive the best they can. This book follows Miranda and her family for almost a year in the form of Miranda's journal.

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harcourt Children's Books (October 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9780152058265

My Thoughts:
I am all for post apocalyptic fiction and a journal too. Win/Win. I liked the book. This was a journal of a young girl 16/17 and what she goes through in the months after the moon if knocked out of place. Tsunamis, floods, earthquakes the usual post apocalyptic fair. This is the journal of Miranda and also tells of her mother and two brothers. I can not imagine what it would be like to prepare for and take care of a family in a world literally knocked off course. My main problem with this is I w...moreI am all for post apocalyptic fiction and a journal too. Win/Win. This was a journal of a young girl 16/17 and what she goes through in the months after the moon if knocked out of place. Tsunamis, floods, earthquakes the usual post apocalyptic fair. This is the journal of Miranda and also tells of her mother and two brothers. I can not imagine what it would be like to prepare for and take care of a family in a world literally knocked off course. Lucky for her family Miranda's mom is quick to realize that everything has changed and she goes and stockpiles everything she can her hands on. Miranda laughs at her when she starts buying Thermal underwear in May but she is so thankful for it when winter sets in very early and very cold. My main problem with this is I would hope a mother of three would not decide one child had a better chance of living over the other two. Miranda seemed like such a child in the beginning and by the end she had grown up but I can understand her jealousy and anger. Her mother basically asks her to sacrifice herself to ensure that her brother lived. She had stopped eating just so her brother could eat two meals a day. Miranda implied that Jonny was the favorite before the moon was hit by the meteor and starvation, freezing and illness did not change this. Even when all but Miranda became ill and Miranda nursed them all back to health her mother asked her to just eat a couple days a week so her brother would survive. I just do not see how you can place one child in front of the others. How can you choose? Why would you choose? Would it not be just has as easy to hope all your children survive?  I found myself irritated in parts. I had to remind myself that Miranda was just a kid and the world was falling apart around them.

It is a well written book and I am curious how they all ended up, it was never said what happened to Miranda's  father, his second wife and their baby that was on the way but lucky for us there is a third book that revisits Miranda and her family. The author makes such complex and interesting characters. 


For more information about this book or the others in the series you can visit :
http://www.hmhbooks.com/lifeasweknewit/index.html

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A Conflict of Interest

To read an excerpt of the book, please see my previous post here.

About the Book:

 

Mitzner's assured debut, a legal thriller, compares favorably to Presumed Innocent, though the plot is less complex than Turow's. Alex Miller, a criminal defense attorney at Cromwell Altman in New York City, meets an old friend of his parents, Michael Ohlig, at his father's funeral in Florida. Ohlig, the head of a boutique brokerage firm, asks for Miller's help. His firm stands accused of selling stock in a startup company he knew was worthless. Miller, who's convinced his client is innocent despite the contrary evidence, pours himself into Ohlig's defense, a time commitment that strains the ties to his devoted wife, Elizabeth. His law firm's assigning Miller a gorgeous senior associate, Abby Sloane, to assist him doesn't help. Mitzner tosses in a number of twists, but his strength lies in his characters and his unflinching depiction of relationships in crisis. This gifted writer should have a long and successful career ahead of him.

Pub. Date: May 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Format: Hardcover , 384pp

ISBN-13: 9781439157510

ISBN: 1439157510

My Review:

At first glance of A Conflict of Interest, I jumped at the opportunity to read this book.  I wanted to read it because my husband loves reading law and learning law, he is studying Criminal Justice and then wants to go to law school (we live 5 minutes from his dream law school).  About 1/3 of the way into the book, you’ll learn the meaning behind the title of the book.  A Conflict of Interest is full of secrets and lies that make you question every character in this book.  All throughout, I wondered why any of the characters did what they did.  Their reasoning behind their actions are revealed and it all begins to make sense.  A Conflict of Interest is Adam Mitzner’s first novel, and he’s a master at keeping the reader immersed within the pages of his book.

I did not agree with some of the decisions Alex Miller made, nor the actions he took.  There were times that I pitied him and others that I despised him.  Sometimes I felt he got what he deserved but then I’d root for him to all work out for the best. 

I could see A Conflict of Interest made into a movie or even a mini series.  The characters were relatable and real to me.  After reading the book, I can understand why each character did what they did.  They each had their secrets that eventually came out and the characters faced them.  There were twists and turns that kept my interest.  I read this book in less than 3 days, since I didn’t want to put it down.  The novel, A Conflict of Interest in a page turner that keeps you on the edge of your seat. 

A Conflict of Interest can be purchased online at Amazon, Barnes& Noble, Borders, and IndieBound.

Disclosure: The opinions provided are my own and not influenced by anyone else.  I did not receive any financial compensation for this post.  I received a free product from FSB Media to facilitate my review.  A huge thank you to FSB Media for providing me with a copy of this book!

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Heart of Ice Review

I recently received a free review copy of "Heart of Ice" by Lis Wiehl from Tommy Nelson and Book Sneeze. This was a nice change from my recent reads of self-help, motivational, and devotional type books.

If you like to read suspense mysteries where the storyline doesn't follow the track you expect, this is a great book.

The story connects the lives of 3 friends (a reporter, FBI agent and crime investigator) with a heartless villain who commits senseless acts of crime. The very first chapter grabs you with a senseless arson, moves into murder, suicide, drama and carries you through to the last couple of chapters.

I enjoyed reading the book and found myself grabbing it at any free minute to find the conclusion.

I do feel that the ending was too abrupt at one point. I wanted a little more conclusion rather than what I was given. However, I recommend the book and will look for others by Lis Wiehl at my local library!

The book is published by Tommy Nelson, which is a Christian company. That means that even though this is a murder/suspense thriller, it never crosses a line which would offend some people.

If you are interested in reading Heart of Ice (A Triple Threat Novel, you can order a copy or check it out at your local library.

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Secure Daughters, Confident Sons Review

I recently received a copy of the book Secure Daughters, Confident Sons: How Parents Guide Their Children into Authentic Masculinity and Femininity by Glenn Stanton. I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

The book is written by the director for family formation studies at Focus on the Family. The book gives equal attention to both girls and boys. It addresses the very foundation for humankind. As soon as a baby is born, the first question asked is "Is the baby a girl or boy?" Even people who feel that we should not force our child to have gendered identies understand and recognize the fundamental difference.

I love the way the book breaks down the characteristics and strengths of both genders. It gives specific examples of how Moms and Dads can relate to their sons and daughters and help steer them toward security and confindence in their adult life.

This book is available at Amazon.com.
Secure Daughters, Confident Sons
Cost - around $11.00

OR

You can contact your local library and request them to get the book for you. If they don't already own the book, they can always request it via Interlibrary Loan. Cost - FREE

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Wake (Dream Catcher #1) by Lisa McMann

Synopsis
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting weary. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. She can't tell anybody about what she does they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can’t control.Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche she is a participant.

My Thoughts
This book was mesmerizing. It was written in diary form which is always a wonderful read for me. The vividness of Janie's dreams really suck you in. This is a super fast read and I was able to read the book in just a few hours. The characters are are slow to warm to but after awhile I began to really care about these characters. Janie is stand offish and independent and thinks that she does not need anyone but she soon realizes that her gift/curse is not something she keep hidden from people who really care for her. Once she learns she can help not just watch she begins to feel like she in in control of her life.

I really loved this book and I gave it a 5 out of 5. This is the first in a trilogy. I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It is a teen book.

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When God Created My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall + Review & Giveaway

When God created my toes,
did he make them wiggle?
Did he know I'd giggle?
Did he have to hold his nose when God created my toes?

Recently I received a free review copy of When God Made My Toes by Dandi Daley Mackall from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers.

This is hardback book filled with witty rhymes and delightful illustrations. It only takes about 10 minutes to read with your child. Each page has a colorful picture of a parent with a child with a sketch of a corresponding picture on the opposite page.

Too often God is viewed as "the man upstairs with a gray beard and a frown'. This book asks the silly questions that help kids (and adults) remember that God had a sense of humor when he made fingers snap and a nose that would sneeze.

This is a beautiful book. A really nice addition to any families library!

You can buy When God Created My Toes (Dandilion Rhymes) from Amazon.

OR You can enter to win the book in this giveaway!

Giveaway will end May 31, 8 PM EST.

Go over to Real Life Deals to see how you can win this copy of the book!

***I received a free copy of this book to review and now I'm giving it to one of you!

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The Chocolate Diaries by Karen Linamen

"Everyday put eating chocolate on your to-do list. That way, you'll always get at least one thing done!"

"There's more to life than chocolate (sometimes there's chocolate with nuts)."

Recently I received a free review copy of "The Chocolate Diaries: Secrets for a Sweeter Journey on the Rocky Road of Life" from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group. When I read the title, I knew this book was for me. A book that tells me that chocolate can solve almost any problem? You've got to be kidding......

But after reading the first page, I realized I was in for much more than I expected. The author Karen Linamen has experienced bumpy, rocky roads and she has found that chocolate can maybe cure some of life's problems, but the
secrets to really surviving and thriving are found in faith, family and friends.

This book has real life women sharing how they have survived rocky roads. The author uses personal experiences as well. I have laughed along with some of the situations and nodded agreement at other passages.

Each chapter has two special sections "Real Women Don't Need Cookbooks" and "Food for Thought". The first section lists an easy recipe that real women have used to fill their chocolate cravings. My favorite is the "Hot Fudge Sundae on a spoon". You've got to check it out! The Food for Thought is a list of talking points and questions to make you think.

Chocolate Diaries is not a devotional book. It is more of an inspirational, motivational series of chapters that give you tools for surviving those unexpected times in life. This is a great book for women experiencing the rocky roads of life. I really enjoyed it!

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The One Day Way by Chantel Hobs

Recently I received a free review copy of The One Day Way by Chantel Hobbs from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing.

“Today is all the time you need to lose all the weight you want.”

Ditch the stressful scale-checking.
Stop freaking out over yesterday’s dessert.
Break your big goals into bite-sized pieces.

The One Day Way is a life system where you make a commitment to change today’s behavior and not worry about the past. By focusing each day on making the best choices and doing something to become healthier, you lose the frustration and sense of failure that often accompany diets and exercise binges.

The main concept of the book is “Today is the best day to start changing your life.” The One Day Way just focuses on making good choices today. By focusing on today, you will end up forming habits that will last your lifetime.

The book is a great motivational read with personal stories of people who have overcome weight and food issues.

There is a whole section of exercises using just two pieces of equipment – a medicine ball and a resistance band.

Chantel is a personal fitness trainer and life coach who has lost over 200 pounds and kept it off to stay fit and healthy.

You can read the first chapter of the book here.

You can also order The One-Day Way: Today Is All the Time You Need to Lose All the Weight You Want from Amazon.

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Curse of Captain LaFoote by Eddie Jones + Review & Giveaway

If you drowned and the sea spit you out, throwing you back into an age of pirates, buried treasure and beauty beyond belief....would you stay?"

I received a free review copy of "The Curse of Captain Lafoote" by Eddie Jones from the Kathy Carton Willis Communication Group.

RICKY BRADSHAW has never sailed the Caribbean Sea, searched for buried treasure or battled pirates on the deck of a Spanish Galleon. He’s never fallen through the floor of Davy Jones’ locker, befriended a witch doctor or watched an old fisherman morph into a porpoise. All Ricky knows is his lonely life with his widowed mom in a tiny apartment overlooking a marina on the Chesapeake Bay.

But all that changes on a snowy Christmas Eve when Ricky’s apartment building burns down and he falls into the chilly waters while trying to save BARNACLE, a mangy mutt with shrimp breath. Suddenly Ricky finds himself confronted by his neighbor, a young woman in a pink bathrobe who jumped to her death in order to escape the flames. She offers him a choice: go with her to a wonderful afterlife where snowflakes taste like candy or return to the dreary old world he knows. Ricky picks the past and awakes on a raft in the middle of the sea where there is surprising beauty on every island, danger around every corner and great honor and glory ahead of him… if only Ricky can summon the courage to survive the curse of Captain LaFoote.

A Teenage boy, time travel, treasure and pirates! What's not to love about those ingredients? Unfortunately, in order to get back to the time of the pirates, the boy has to die, witness a suicide and talk to ghosts. I approached this book expecting one thing and got something completely different.

Personally, this book just didn't live up to my idea of a great pirate adventure. I found it very hard to follow and the story line a little jagged. But many other people have loved it. This one was just not a favorite of mine.

___________________________

About the Author:

EDDIE JONES has authored four non-fiction books, one young adult novel, and written over a hundred articles that have appeared in over 20 different publications. He is co-founder of Christian Devotions Ministries and a contributing writer for, CBN.com, Common Ground Christian News, The Ocracoke Observer, and Living Aboard Magazine. He’s a three-time winner of the Delaware Christian Writers Conference and a member of the American Christian Fiction Writers and Boating Writers International. Eddie sails, surfs and writes in North Carolina. For more information see his site here.

_____________________

If you would like to win this book, go to Real Life Deals and follow the giveaway directions!

Giveaway will end May 31, 8 PM EST.

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Guest Co-Host at Weekend Gathering Hops!

Welcome to our Weekend Gathering Hops! This hop is hosted by Beauty Brite, Fire Butterfly Jewels, A Mom's Menu Planning, and Gifts by Tracia to help socialize with fellow bloggers, gain traffic, new followers, make new friends, and more!

<a href="http://beautybrite.blogspot.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1111.photobucket.com/albums/h472/beautybrite/6b7cffe2.jpg" border="0" alt="Beauty Brite Weekend Gathering Hops"></a><br />

This week's guest co-host is Beauty Brite's sister blog, The Bee's Knees Reviews, found at number 5 on the linky!

As you will see below, there is a separate linky for your Blog, Facebook, and Twitter! Add your links below and visit as many links as you wish!  Be sure to leave a comment after you follow someone so they can follow you back.  Have fun!

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Wallflower by Holly-Jane Rahlens

 About the book:

Wallflower by Holly-Jane Rahlens

Wallflower is four hours in the life of Molly Lenzfeld, sixteen-year-old New Yorker in Berlin. It's Thanksgiving Day 1989, two weeks after the fall of the Wall. Molly, the daughter of a German-Jewish mother who fled the Nazis in 1938, is off to her mother's birth house in East Berlin. On the subway trip from West to East wallflower Molly meets East German wildflower Mick Maier, nineteen. It's love at first sight, and for both, a journey into an unknown land, into the labyrinth of Berlin's underground world, a terrain in which they discover each other, the absurdities of the divided city, and, of course, the wonder of love.

Pub. Date: September 2010
Publisher: Berlinica
Format: Paperback,150pp
ISBN-13: 9781935902706
ISBN: 1935902709

My Review:

Wallflower is the type of book that you can read in just a few days or less!  I would have loved to read this book in a short amount of time but between moving, packing, and organizing our things, life is hectic around here. 

Wallflower is a sweet book about Molly and how she meets Mick.  Molly narrates the book for the reader so we know how she’s feeling and what she sees.  Molly and Mick have some things in common that the reader can sense it right off the bat, but Molly seems to focus on her mission: to see where her mother grew up.  Molly is tall and doesn’t her big feet, mainly because she can’t wear average size girl shoes.  Mick is tall too.  She likes that she can look up to a boy, for once! 

Molly and Mick take an adventure that guides them closer together.  They help each other through their journey all the while getting to know one another. 

I haven’t read a young adult novel since I was a teenager, however, Wallflower reminds me of being young myself.  Being young and thinking you know everything there is to know about life, all the while, you have your insecurities with your inexperience.  I also enjoyed reading Wallflower for it’s historical information, love and adventure. 

Wallflower can be purchased online at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Disclosure: The following review was written by Stephanie.  The opinions provided are my own and not influenced by anyone else.  I did not receive any financial compensation for this post.  I received a free product to facilitate my review.

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Stranger in a Small Town by Kerry Connor

About the book:

Stranger in a Small Town by Kerry Connor

The mysterious blue-eyed stranger who showed up in the middle of the night wasn't just looking for work. No, when "John Samuels" signed on with Maggie Harper to restore the decrepit old house, he was hoping for answers and a chance to face the demons of his past. But then strange happenings started threatening his beautiful new boss—and disrupting the passion that sparked between them. Someone didn't want them in that house. Someone who knew the truth about what had happened there thirty years before, about the brutal murder that destroyed John's family.

John never expected redemption. But danger waited in the old house, haunting them both….

Publisher: Harlequin
Pub. Date: April 2009
Publisher: Silhouette
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 224pp
ISBN-13: 9780373745289
ISBN: 0373745281

My Review:

I read Stranger in a Small Town by Kerry Connor about a year ago and it was the first mystery/suspense book I read in a long time!  In addition to romance, I also enjoy a little mystery and suspense mixed in.  This book had it all and it kept me reading and wanting to find out “who did it.”  At first, Maggie comes off as a strong willed woman, wanting to rebuild the old house.  Unfortunately, she has had to deal with the entire small town trying to sabotage her efforts.  She has also had to deal with pranks with little help from the local police department.


Then, one night, she spots a stranger across the street, just peering at the house.  She thinks it’s another prankster and approaches the stranger ready to protect the house and herself.  It turns out, the stranger is “John Samuels” who is there to help her.  He wants to work for her and help her rebuild the house.  As you read deeper into the storyline, you will discover how John and Maggie depend on each other to find the truth as to why the whole town is against them and the secrets that will surface. 

There are a lot of secrets, twists and turns, and obstacles that Maggie and John will face and you will root for them the entire time! 

Stranger in a Small Town can be purchased online at Amazon, IndieBound, Borders, and Barnes & Noble.

Disclosure: The following review was written by Stephanie.  The opinions provided are my own and not influenced by anyone else.  I did not receive any financial compensation for this post.  I received a free product to facilitate my review.

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The Family He Wanted by Karen Sandler

About the book: 
The Family He Wanted by Karen Sandler

Raised without a father, Jana McPartland did not want the same for her unborn baby. So when the daddy-to-be took a hike, she turned to her closest friend, Sam Harrison. He'd always been her refuge from the storm...and this was one heck of a hurricane she'd found herself in.

The bestselling novelist offered her a roof over her head, a paycheck for her hard work and all the safety she craved. Yet Jana found herself needing more from the brooding bachelor--to finally give in to the unspoken attraction that had always burned between them. But as a former foster kid, Sam wasn't the type of man who stepped out of his comfort zone.

Until he proposed!

Publisher: Harlequin Enterprises, Limited
Pub. Date: April 2009
Publisher: Silhouette
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 224pp
ISBN-13: 9780373654505
ISBN: 0373654502

My Review:

I received and read The Family He Wanted by Karen Sandler over a year ago and during that time, I was just getting back into reading.  I missed reading and when I received the book, I finished it pretty quickly.  I love romance novels, it reminds of when my husband and I were dating.  Why, you ask?  Everything is new and you are just getting to know the person.  I like the “newness” of a relationship.

The Family He Wanted is a heartwarming story of Jana and Sam.  Jana ends up on her best friend’s doorstep because she has nowhere else to go.  Sam takes her in his big house and gives her a place to live.  They are best friends, nothing more.  They both develop feelings for each other but are afraid to reveal how they feel because they don’t want to ruin their friendship and they are afraid the other doesn’t feel the same. 

Sam reminds me of a man I would love to have in my life if I were ever in a situation where I needed help.  He’s the best friend you can depend on, offers a shoulder to cry on, someone to talk to, and someone who is just kind! 

This book is a quick and easy read and will remind you that there are good people out there.  I loved this book, as it is a very sweet and uplifting book if you are feeling down. 

The Family He Wanted can be purchased online at Amazon, IndieBound, Borders, and Barnes & Noble.

Disclosure: The following review was written by Stephanie.  The opinions provided are my own and not influenced by anyone else.  I did not receive any financial compensation for this post.  I received a free product to facilitate my review.

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We're listed at Voiceboks.com!

After seeing a few visits from voiceboks.com through our traffic stats, I clicked on the link and found our blog listed here.  I quickly signed up for the site and now receive an email list of new members who join voiceboks and new blogs we can visit!  What a great way to network and meet other bloggers emailed directly into my email account!  I love it! 

Be sure to visit voiceboks.com, everyone seems to be really nice!  The admin is even active on the site!

Here is the list that was emailed out to all members:

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Barnes & Noble Specials

Here are some great offers from Barnes & Noble!  Take advantage of these offers to save on your favorite books for the entire family!

Business Book Sale: Buy 1, Get 2nd at 50% off!  Hurry, this offer ends 5/23/2011!

Books on the Bestsellers list

Children’s Book Bestsellers

Download Harlequin Book’s for Free

Save up to 80% on former Bestsellers

Book Club Favorites

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Welcome!

Hello and welcome to our blog ~ The Bee's Knees Reviews!

The Bee's Knees Reviews is the sister blog to Beauty Brite!  The Bee's Knees Reviews will be updated by a few friends and moms.  We enjoy sharing our opinions and thoughts on the books we read!  We look forward to sharing our love of books with you! 

This blog may also contain product reviews, interviews, product spotlights, or just personal blog posts!  

Thank you and we look forward to getting to know you!

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