BEA'S BOOK NOOK "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." C. S. Lewis “If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all.” ― Oscar Wilde

Showing posts with label 2013 Ebook Challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013 Ebook Challenge. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

Giveaway & Blog Tour Review of Aboard the Wishing Star by Debra Parmley

Publisher: Desert Breeze Publishing
Format Read: PDF
Source: Tour company in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: October 11, 2012
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | OmniLit
* affiliate link; clicking & making a purchase will result in a small commission for the blog.

Blurb from goodreads:
When Kara's, husband is shot and killed in front of her in what she's told is a random act of violence, she becomes convinced the world is unsafe. Her life is quiet and predictable, until she wins a Caribbean cruise for two and takes along her best friend.

On her trip she meets Nate, a scuba dive instructor and ex marine. He'll teach her to face her fear of deep water and teach her to snorkel. Will Kara learn to trust him with her heart, when she fears this shipboard romance will reach an end and she'll never see him again, leaving her broken hearted?

When Kara's boss shows up at their first port of call unexpectedly, Nate's protective nature comes out.

Her creepy boss becomes more aggressive after she returns to Ohio and when she calls Nate he gets on the first plane. Can Nate rescue her?
 

Bea's Thoughts: 

I have mixed feelings about this book. It's a romantic suspense that's light on suspense but generous with the romance. There are some things I liked a lot and some things that had me shaking my head. I'll start with those.

Sunday, June 16, 2013

Review of Flirting with Disaster by Ruthie Knox

Publisher: Loveswept Random House
Series: Camelot #3
Format Read: Digital ARC
Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: June 19, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon* | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | ARe
*affiliate link; clicking and making a purchase results in a small commission for the blog.

Blurb from goodreads:
In the latest eBook original novel in Ruthie Knox’s scorching-hot Camelot series, a no-strings fling looks an awful lot like falling in love—or flirting with disaster.


Fresh out of a fiasco of a marriage, Katie Clark has retreated to her hometown to start over. The new Katie is sophisticated, cavalier, and hell-bent on kicking butt at her job in her brother’s security firm. But on her first assignment—digging up the truth about the stalker threatening a world-famous singer-songwriter—Katie must endure the silent treatment from a stern but sexy partner who doesn’t want her help . . . or her company.

Sean Owens knows that if he opens his mouth around Katie, she’ll instantly remember him as the geeky kid who sat behind her in high school. Silence is golden, but he can’t keep quiet forever, not with Katie stampeding through their investigation. It’s time for Sean to step up and take control of the case, and his decade-old crush. If he can break through Katie’s newfound independence, they just might find they make a perfect team—on the road, on the job, and in bed.

Includes a special message from the editor, as well as excerpts from these Loveswept titles: How to Misbehave, Along Came Trouble, and About Last Night.

Bea's Thoughts:

I loved the first two books in this series. Knox writes flawed, likable, believable people who grab your attention and she has a wicked sense of humor. She also writes some very hot, sexy scenes. You'd better have lots of ice cubes on hand!

Monday, June 10, 2013

Review of The Diabolist by Layton Green

Publisher:Thomas and Mercer
Series: Dominic Grey #3
Format Read: Kindle ARC
Source: the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Buying Links:  The Book Depository* | Barnes & Noble | Amazon*
*affiliate links; clicking and making a purchase will result in a small commission for me.

Blurb from goodreads:
In this gripping thriller, the bizarre murder of a Satanic priest in San Francisco draws Dominic Grey and Viktor Radek, private investigators of cults, to the scene. Witnesses claim a robed figure, seemingly able to appear and disappear at will, set fire to the priest. When the leader of another Satanic cult in Paris dies under similar circumstances, the case only grows stranger… and more dangerous. 

Convinced that a charismatic New Age prophet is behind the murders, the investigators undergo a perilous journey into the world of the occult as they try to penetrate the prophet’s inner circle. From the catacombs of Paris to London’s nefarious East End, from the haunted walls of York to a monastic fortress in the Sicilian wilderness, the case plunges Viktor and Grey into a vortex of black magic, ancient heresies, and the dark corners of their own pasts. 

The Diabolist is a chilling novel that not only pulsates with action and suspense, but also mines a trove of fascinating historical, philosophical, and paranormal research to probe some of our closest held beliefs. From the opening pages to the astonishing conclusion, this latest installment in one of today’s most original new thriller series is not to be missed. 

Friday, June 7, 2013

May's Reading Challenges Wrap Up

I'll put up a wrap up post every month or early the next month for all of my 2013 reading challenges. I'm a little late this month, running behind. Some books, I posted reviews on the blog, some are on goodreads, there may be one or two without reviews, especially books I edit or that are put out by my publisher.

In May, I took part in the Clean Sweep ARC Challenge hosted by The Caffeinated Reviewer and The Windy Pages. I posted my results here. I didn't do as much as I wanted but I did make a dent in my ARC pile so I'm happy.

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Review of First (Wrong) Impressions by K. Ball

Publisher: K. Ball
Format Read: Kindle Book
Source: From the author in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: June 2, 2013
Buying Links: Amazon*  | Kobo | Barnes & Noble |
* link goes to my associate link and sales will provide me with a commission.

Blurb from the author:

Lizzy Bennet’s fundraising mission is to keep her homeless centre’s clients well-fed through a cold prairie winter. She meets the snobby and pompous William Darcy of Fitz & William Enterprises. While she'd never dare ask him for help, she can't stop bumping into him -- sometimes, quite literally.

But when Lizzy's campaign is cut short by the disappearance of her sixteen year old sister, William and his younger sister step in to help the woman they want to make part of their family.

Inspired by Jane Austen's classic, Pride and Prejudice, First (Wrong) Impressions is Lizzy's quest for happiness, security, and love in the 21st century. 

Friday, May 17, 2013

Children's Book Week Review of The Ugly Duckling and the Turtle by Sharlene Alexander

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Format Read: Kindle Book
Source: I own it.
Release Date: June 19, 2012
Buying Links:  Amazon Sorry, it's only available at Amazon

Blurb from Amazon:
This is a fun modern twist on the classic story, "The Ugly Duckling" by Hans Christian Anderson. Find out how a little turtle saves the day when the ducklings wander off to the beach. This story ends with a great message about family and being yourself.

-Illustrated with bright color pictures
-A fun story to read over and over again.

Bea's Thoughts:

The title of this book is slightly misleading as the turtle IS the ugly duckling. I understand the author was playing on the Hans Christian Andersen story but the author could have come up with something else. That quibble aside, "The Ugly Duckling and The Turtle" is a cute, if predictable story with good illustrations. There are nice little details such as furrowed brows on the faces of the ducklings when they are nervous or scared and the colors are not too bright. On my kindle touch, which isn't color, some of the details get lost but I also read it using my laptop's kindle app which is in color and that made a world of difference.

The story, as I said, is predictable but it's sweet and cute and the message of acceptance is a good one to learn at a young age. Happily, for me anyway, the message is not shoved down our throats but is a little more subtle. Young readers will enjoy the story and the pictures.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Children's Book Week Review of Zoophabets ABC Book: Animal Alphabet A-Z by Rob Mabry & Michael Golez

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Author: Rob Mabry
Illustrator: Michael Golez
Format Read: Kindle Book
Source: I own it.
Release Date: September 2, 2012
Buying Link: Amazon It doesn't appear to be available elsewhere.

Blurb from Amazon:
Can an alligator ride on an airplane? Do zebras zoom on zip lines? They do in the magical world of the Zoophabets. Take your child on an alliterative adventure through the alphabet with this charming, colorful ABC book for kids.

There's an adorable Zoophabet character for every letter of the alphabet from Allen the Alligator to Zed the Zebra. Your kids will love the delightful animals that inhabit the world of the Zoophabets.

Teach your child their ABCs with this wonderfully illustrated alphabet book that's best appreciated on a device that displays in color. Babies and toddlers will love having this read to them, learning letters, animals and objects on every page.

Preschool age kids will enjoy the alliterative sentences and cute characters as they read about vultures with violins and beavers riding bicycles.

Bea's Thoughts:

The illustrations in this book are cute and not overly detailed. Each picture nicely illustrates the letter being depicted and the authors use both lower and uppercase versions of each letter. They also use a simple, clean font which makes the letters easy to see and read and use that same font for the text. There's an animal for each letter and a sentence involving the animal and at least two other words that start with the letter. So for H, we have "Henry the Horse is hiding in the hay" and the picture illustrates the sentence. A few of the words used in the book are probably not found in most children's vocabulary which is a great way to stretch their vocabulary.

Overall, it's a cute book that does a good job of introducing the alphabet and new words.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Children's Book Week Review of The Five Mouse Brothers by Rachel Yu

Publisher: Createspace
Format Read: Kindle book
Source: I own it.
Release Date: July 16, 2011
Buying Link:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble

Blurb from goodreads:
Five mouse brothers live happily in Bok Tong Goh Village. But then…

One brother, falsely accused of thievery, must face the “Wheel of Doom.” What will they do to rescue him from his fate? Fortunately, an ingenious plan with the help of their family secret may just save the day. Join the mouse brothers on this fun and entertaining adventure, adapted from a classic Chinese folktale.

Bea's Thoughts:

Although the book doesn't specify which folktale it was adapted from, I believe "The Seven Brothers" was the inspiration. In this story, which is generously illustrated, one of the brothers is falsely accused of theft and sentenced to die. But the brothers are not normal mice and they each have a supernatural ability. The brothers use trickery and their abilities to ensure that the accused brother doesn't die. The story has a twist at the end that appears to set up for another book. I couldn't completely appreciate the pictures as my kindle touch is black and white but the style is cute and younger readers will enjoy simply looking at them. "The Five Mouse Brothers" is a cute story that can be appreciated as is, as an introduction to folklore or a jumping off point to study Chinese culture.


Monday, May 13, 2013

Children's Book Week Review of Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book: fotos, facts, and fun!

Publisher: Stephanie Lisa Tara
Format Read: PDF and finished softcover
Source: The author in exchange for an honest review.
Release Date: April 11, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  The Book Depository




Blurb from goodreads:

Dear Turtle Activists,

I want to thank each and every one of you for your tireless dedication and love to our cause! I have written this book FOR YOU! I dedicate this book TO YOU! 120 pages of fotos, facts and fun!

Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book has a primary goal: SAVING SEA TURTLES FROM EXTINCTION. A portion of proceeds from this book go to charitable organizations like the Turtle Foundation (www.turtle-foundation.org) of whom my first turtle book, I'LL FOLLOW THE MOON—is a proud sponsor.

If you are new to us—please join with us, for together, holding hands, we can effect change. Yes—really! xoxo. SAVE GREEN SEA TURTLES on Facebook (www.facebook.com/.../Save-Green-Sea-T...) is our hugely popular hang-out—tens of thousands of Activists-strong. Please join us!

NOW—prepare for something totally new and amazing!

Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book is not your typical scientific turtle book: my special book is all about having FUN! Enjoy the mini FLIP-BOOK in the corners and create a movie of your own! Click the ebook pages—or thumb through manually in the paperback—YOUR CHOICE!

I've written these chapters in a fun, chatty voice—you know, the one YOU use when talking up your favorite topics! Don't be surprised if you find yourself giggling as you turn pages! Enjoy breathtaking photography, incredible facts, and way-out wow'ing surprises that these millennium-old creatures have to share.

AND: TWO IS BETTER THAN ONE! Yep! Stephanie Lisa Tara's Turtle Book is my second turtle book—it's a perfect TWIN to my first international bestseller, I'LL FOLLOW THE MOON: buy BOTH TOGETHER for your shelf. Two little twins; one a fable, one fotos, facts & fun.

So, in closing...please accept this deeply personal gift from me, your faithful sea turtle leader, the turtle-lady, or Stephanie Lisa Turtle - as I was renamed recently by a fan—from my heart to yours.

GOD BLESS EVERYONE WHO HAS SUPPORTED THE CAUSE TO SAVE SEA TURTLES FROM EXTINCTION!

Bea's Thoughts:

Last month I reviewed Tara's fiction book, "I'll Follow the Moon", about a newborn sea turtle who hatches, and goes to the ocean in search of his mother. It has been a best seller for Tara and may be the book she's best known for. Tara also believes strongly in conservation so she undertook to create a non-fiction book about sea turtles for children. While "I'll Follow The Moon" is aimed at toddlers and preschoolers this book is more for school-age children.

Tara educates and entertains her readers in this generously illustrated book. There are photographs on almost every page. The photos illustrate the different varieties of sea turtles, their habits, their risks and the people who help them. Tara gives background on each species of sea turtle, discusses what challenges they face, what people are doing to help, and what the readers can do to help. Tara offers many suggestions for action, from the simple such as turning off lights when not in use to more complicated actions such as volunteering with a rescue organization or becoming a politician or scientist. Her tone is chatty, sometimes too much so, but it's friendly and conversational. At times it veered on patronizing but I think most children will enjoy her style.

The book is available in both ebook and print versions and the text contains links that ebook readers can click for more information. I would have liked an index at the book of all the links and sites referenced for the print readers and even the ebook readers. She does have a bibliography of suggested reading, as well as a list of practical suggestions on how to help and a glossary. At the bottom of each page in the corner are little pictures that when you flip the pages quickly give you a little story in motion. The artwork and the photographs are lovely and add to the book.

The Turtle Book is well-researched, easy to read and logically laid out for both easy reading and quickly looking something up. I recommend it to anyone with an interest in turtles or conservation. I donated my print review copy to my school's library.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Blog Tour Review of Playing Hooky by Rita Webb

Publisher: Amazon Digital Services 
Series: Paranormal Investigations #1
Format Read: Kindle Book
Source: Gifted from the author in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: January 1, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble 

Blurb from goodreads:
Valentine’s Day.

And my 21st birthday.

Whoop-de-doo.


Just another college day full of classes and more homework than is humanly possible.

…until Jason, my best-friend-since-kindergarten, shows up to take me out for the day.
Like old times: the two of us on a wacky adventure, playing hooky from real life. With his lopsided grin and tickets to a circus full of misfits and monsters, he introduces me to a whole new world—one full of magic and mystery—and turns my reality upside down.

Except nothing goes as planned, and we end up running through the city to find a missing siren before someone brews a love potion with her blood.

Sirens and love potions, witches and elves, and Valentine kisses. Nothing will be the same for me again.

229 KB

Bea's Thoughts:

This was a quick, light, fun read and I'm looking forward to more in the series.

Emma and Jason have been best friends for years, since they were little children. They enjoy the same adventures and share a stubborn nature. They are also attracted to each other but neither has worked up the courage to admit it. Emma is afraid that if things go wrong, she'll lose not only her boyfriend but her best friend while Jason has hesitated in part due to a big secret. Now, he shares part of that secret with Emma and she handles it well. A little too well actually, it should have been more of a life-changing event. But, even as little children their adventures included hunting for imaginary things so Emma is primed to believe.

I figured out early on who the villain was and I'm also pretty sure I know who/what Jason really is. If I'm right, that could make for some very exciting stories. I really enjoyed the world building, the characters, and the humor. It's a short story, or maybe a novella? I'm not always clear on the distinction, but either way it's short and a fast read. On the one hand, I appreciate that Webb didn't pad the story as some authors are prone to doing; on the other hand, a little more fleshing out would have been good. Still, it was a good story, well written, interesting and fun. Go pick up a copy.

To see quotes from the book, go here.

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GIVEAWAY

Webb is giving away two beaded bookmarks and some additional prizes, enter using the rafflecopter below. Open internationally.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Saturday, May 4, 2013

ARC Review of Summer in Napa by Marina Adair

Publisher: Montlake Romance
Series: St. Helena Vineyard #2
Format Read: eGalley
Source: From the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Release Date: May 14, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  The Book Depository

Blurb from goodreads:
Six months ago, New York restaurant owner Alexis “Lexi” Moreau walked in on her husband, Jeff, and their sous chef mixing business with pleasure. Now, Lexi is back in her hometown of St. Helena, California, rebuilding her life and hoping to turn her grandmother’s patisserie into the bistro of her dreams. All she needs is luck, lots of hard work, and a way to avoid the thirty blind dates her matchmaking grandmother arranged. Enter Marco DeLuca — Jeff’s handsome, commitment-phobe best friend who has always had his sights set on Lexi. In high school, Marco convinced himself that Lexi was off-limits. And she still is, especially since Marco’s family’s wine business all depends on a deal with Jeff. But a fake summer romance is the perfect way for Lexi to distract the would-be suitors her grandmother has set up for her. A perfect way for Marco to realize she’s the only one that ever mattered. And a perfect way to fall deliciously in love.

Bea's Thoughts: 

I have mixed thoughts about this book. It was a quick read and I enjoyed parts of it but there were some things that were just cliched or overdone and parts I flat out disliked (the "locked" pantry was both cliched and stupid, plus insulting).

The ink on Lexi's divorce decree isn't even dry yet when she arrives back in her hometown to start over. Her grandmother, who apparently fails to understand that Lexi needs time to recover from the divorce, figure out where her marriage went wrong and that she needs to time heal, has opened an account in Lexi's name on an online dating service and set up a month's worth of dates. Lexi, we're meant to believe, is too shy and too honorable to cancel but feels obligated to honor her grandmother's fraudulent behavior. I think we're meant to think of Lexi as honorable and her grandmother as quirky but I just wanted to smack the both of them.

Then Lexi gets stuck, literally stuck in a window, and our  "here" Marco has several good laughs at her expense before condescending to help her. Again, what was meant to be cute and humorous was just stupid and annoying. They spar and flirt and soon he's knocking on her door. Marco has been attracted to Lexi for years, since they were teens, but she only had eyes for his best friend, Jeff. Now that Jeff and Lexi are divorced, Marco won't act on his attraction, not because Lexi needs time to get back on her feet but because there's some sort of man code that says he can't touch his friend's ex; apparently that's poaching. Really? I understand not poaching when Lexi and Jeff were married but they are divorced now and Jeff has already re-married. Is this really a guy thing or just a stupid plot device?

Lexi and Mark end up in a "fake" relationship *eye roll* Yeah, like we can't see how that's going to work out. Mark is still valiantly trying to hold to the code while also finding it difficult to stay away from Lexi. Lexi is attracted but doesn't believe that he could ever be attracted to her or make a commitment. Mark is also hesitant to tell Lexi about a business deal he's arranging with her ex that involves using her recipes, recipes she needs for the bistro she's trying to open. He knows he should tell her but he waits and of course she finds out in the worst possible way. Hey, it's a romance, there has to be a big misunderstanding! Because, you know, it's not enough that she's freshly divorced and insecure or that he has never been in a serious relationship. Oh, and naturally the ex is a total jerk with no redeeming value.

So, did I like anything? Yes. While some of the humor didn't appeal to me, there was some that did. While Marco first comes off as an arrogant, playboy jerk, when we get inside his head, we see he's really not so bad. He's trying to prove himself to his family who can't see him as the responsible, business-savvy man he's become; he loves his goofy dog; he tries to be a good friend to Jeff until he finally sees him for the jerk that he really is; he goes out of his way to help both Lexi and her grandmother. He's a decent guy with some flaws, a normal person. Lexi is also likable; she loves her grandmother; once past the initial hurt, she realizes her own part in the failure of her marriage; she's loyal to her family and friends; she learns to take risks. I also liked Adair's portrayal of the small town Lexi lives in; unlike many authors she gets it right and doesn't sugarcoat it. The sex scenes are hot; the romance, despite my complaints, is sweet, and reading the story was a pleasant way to spend several hours.

I didn't love "Summer in Napa" but it was pleasant and it did make smile as well as roll my eyes and grumble. If the blurb appeals to you, then I say read it. Although it's the second book in a series, I had no trouble reading it as a stand alone.

April's Reading Challenges Wrap Up

I'll put up a wrap up post every month or early the next month for all of my 2013 reading challenges. Some books, I posted reviews on the blog, some are on goodreads, there may be one or two without reviews, especially books I edit or that are put out by my publisher.

In March I participated in a TBR pile challenge hosted by the Caffeinated Book Reviewer; well this month, May, she's co-hosting the Clean Sweep ARC Challenge. The idea is to clear out as many review books as possible, whether or not they are actual ARCs. Most of the ones on my list are actual ARCs but there are a few non-ARC review books also. I'll post a separate wrap up post for that challenge at the end of the month. 

Book Chick City's 100 Books in 2013

For this challenge, I am not counting any children's books, unless it's YA, nor am I counting books that I edit. I am also doing goodreads' reading challenge and I'm counting everything for that one, but not tracking here on the blog. :D

1. Loose Ends by Lucy Felthouse
2. Girls & Monsters by Anne Michaud
3. Evidence of Life by Barbara Taylor Sissel
4. Alpha & Omega Cry Wolf: Volume Two by Patricia Briggs, et al
5. Prophecy Girl by Cecily White
6. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by Heather Long
7. A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins
8. The Sisterhood by Helen Bryan
9. Dear Cary: My Life with Cary Grant by Dyan Cannon
10. Merry Christmas, Semper Fi & Goodnight by Heather Long
11. Last Minute by Alisha Rai
12. Twelfth Night: Light My Fire by Alisha Rai
13. The Right Wrong Number by Barbara Delinksy

Total to date: 41

Cruisin' Through the Cozies Reading Challenge 2013 - Goal 13 or more 

1. A Murder at Rosamund's Gate by Susanna Calkins

Total to date: 10

2013 Ebook Challenge - Goal 25 

1. Loose Ends by Lucy Felthouse 
2. Girls & Monsters by Anne Michaud
3. Prophecy Girl by Cecily White
4. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by Heather Long
5. Merry Christmas, Semper Fi & Goodnight by Heather Long
6. Last Minute by Alisha Rai
7. Twelfth Night: Light My Fire by Alisha Rai
8. The Right Wrong Number by Barbara Delinksy


Total to date: 22

Just For Fun Reading Challenge 2013 - Goal 1 A Month 

1. Dear Cary: My Life with Cary Grant by Dyan Cannon


Total to date: 4

 WOOT! I'm rocking it! I'm on track or ahead for all of my challenges except the goodreads one where I'm currently 8 books behind. This month I'll be reviewing a bunch of children's books for Children's Book Week so my BCC 100 Books in a Year challenge will suffer, but my goodreads challenge will benefit. :)

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Blog Tour: Review, Excerpt & Giveaway of Whiskey Tango Foxtrot by Heather Long



Publisher: Decadent Publishing
Series: The Challenge Series, Always A Marine #10
Format Read: PDF
Source: From Full Moon Bites Promos for an honest review
Release Date: January 8, 2013
Buying Links:  Amazon  Barnes & Noble  ARe  Decadent Publishing

Blurb from goodreads:
For single mom and widow Melody Carter, six months passed since an IED ripped her life apart. Everyone is sympathetic and offers platitudes of comfort and support. Everyone thinks they know why she’s grieving but Melody isn’t mourning her broken heart. She’s ashamed to be grateful her abusive husband won’t hurt her anymore and scared for her child. Born with a mild heart defect, her daughter needs lifesaving surgery and with her funds tight and her emotional scars tighter, she’s running out of options. When she receives an offer for assistance from Mike’s Place, can Melody put her faith in the men her husband called friend?
Have you ever woken up, day after day, to discover your body’s betrayal?

Marine Captain, Joe Anderson Cooper, received the Silver Star for Valor when he led his unit through heavy fire to rescue fellow Marines. Despite numerous injuries, the Captain refused medical aid, insisting that the medics attend others. A broken back and shattered bones put Captain Cooper in a wheelchair and every day is a battle to keep his recovery on track and his sanity intact. When a single mom moves in to the apartment next door to his and he recognizes a kindred—damaged—soul, can he overcome her fear and be the man she’s always needed?

Can these two lonely souls rise to the challenge or will their scars trap them forever?

Bea's Thoughts:

I've been wanting to read Heather Long for a while now so when the opportunity to review this came up I jumped at it. When I received the PDF, I had it converted for my kindle and in the process discovered that I had apparently downloaded for free a Christmas story she wrote in the Always a Marine series. I read it then this one and decided that I like her writing style and that she needs a better copy editor. For such short stories, there was a high level of mistakes. Additionally, the hero in this book has an ever changing surname.

When Joe meets Melody, he introduces himself as Joe Cooper, Captain Joe Cooper, and several times refers to himself in his thoughts as Coop. Then, later, when he and Melody are on the hospital shuttle, he is called Captain Anderson several times. Towards the end of the book he is suddenly Joe Cooper Anderson. It was confusing and annoying. The other problems were incorrect grammar and punctuation, and typos. I can understand a few that are missed but for the length of the piece, there were too many.

Now, the story; I liked it. It's a sweet and romantic story with a happy ending. Long does an excellent job showing us Melody's fear of men, of anyone really, and the lingering effects of abuse. Melody is a devoted mother, and a terrified mother. Her daughter's health is failing and the surgery may not work. After years of abuse, she's scared to reach out to others and she's been isolated from her family. She's relieved that her husband is dead and feels like a fraud for accepting help for her daughter. I did think she recovered a bit too quickly but recovery is so individual that's it not impossible for it to happen so fast. I'd have liked to see some mention towards the end of whether or not she had reconnected with her family but that's a nitpick. :)

Joe is practically perfect, as Melody herself says several times: patient, understanding, always willing to help, never pushes her, etc. But Long also shows us his thoughts so we know that it's not always easy for him and he sometimes has to make an effort to control himself and of course, we see his bitterness over his injuries. Despite his near perfection, he feels real, and so does his family. His mother is overbearing, a pushy broad as my dad would say, but wonderful.

Events moved a little too fast for my own preferences, especially towards the end, but "Whiskey Tango Foxtrot" is a wonderful love story of hope and faith. Joe and Melody are people I'd like to have as friends.

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 Also be sure to check out the rest of the Always a Marine series!




 
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 Excerpt


Letting herself out of the apartment, she locked up and turned to find her neighbor locking his door. He caught sight of her and smiled. “Good morning.” His deep baritone hummed over her senses. She appreciated the low voiced greeting.



“Good morning.” She wanted to say something more, but her brain locked up around the words. He eased his wheelchair back until nearly off the sidewalk and motioned for her to precede him. Biting her lip, she found another smile for him. “Thank you.” Her heartbeat accelerated and sweat cooled her spine. She didn’t hug the wall, but she couldn’t help widening the distance between them.



The wheels made the faintest squeaking noise after she passed, and she glanced back to see him following her down the path toward the parking lot. Maybe she should have offered to push. He wore an olive green t-shirt and a matching pair of slacks, though they were cut up the side of the large cast encasing his right leg from mid-thigh to his toes.



He—Joe, he said his name was Joe—met her gaze and gave her another easy smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners and the dimple in his cheek deepened. The sidewalk widened and she slowed to let him catch up.



“I’m sorry. I’m not the best company this morning.”



“No worries, ma’am. Little ones take a lot out of a body.” The buttery softness of his voice washed over her like a soothing balm—like the night before when he knocked on her door and introduced himself. He scared the hell out of her, but not in the same breath.



I must be tired. I have no idea what I’m feeling from one moment to the next. As if summoned by her thought, fatigue wavered through her and she stumbled. The diaper bag swung down her arm. She couldn’t catch it and hold the baby at the same time. Joe stopped the bag’s arc, and gave her a chance to catch her balance.



“May I?” He offered, still holding the bag.



May he what…? He wanted to carry the bag for her and she winced. It was heavy and he…



“I have plenty of room and then you don’t have to worry about it taking you off balance again.” The sound logic quashed her natural objections. She shifted Libby carefully and let the strap fall off her arm. Her internal alarms sounded. Giving him the bag didn’t give him some kind of power over her, but her gut tightened at the surrender of her possession.



He settled the bag against his lap and nodded encouragingly. “Just point me to your car…”



“Oh, I don’t drive. Well, I do but I’m not driving here. I’m actually just staying here for a few weeks and I’m waiting for the shuttle.” She tacked the last on with a grimace. “And apparently I’m as muddleheaded for real as I feel. Sorry. Thank you. The shuttle is scheduled to pick us up here in about…” She couldn’t look at her watch.



“Two minutes.” The captain supplied. “I’m waiting for the same shuttle.” His warm brown gaze turned studious. “Are you okay?”


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About Heather ~ 
Heather Long lives in Texas with her family and their menagerie of animals. As a child, Heather skipped picture books and enjoyed the Harlequin romance novels by Penny Jordan and Nora Roberts that her grandmother read to her. Heather believes that laughter is as important to life as breathing and that the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and Santa Claus are very real. In the meanwhile, she is hard at work on her next novel.
Find Heather online:
 



Decadent Publishing




For more information about Decadent Publishing authors, books, and their submissions guidelines, visit www.decadentpublishing.com.
 


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