In Love Spells by Heidi Hall, Rory is finally feeling like things are coming together. She has a guy, friends, a job and a place in Mystic that she can finally call home. Let's share the love.
Oh she only knew how wrong it is to mess with people's love lives. Nothing good can come of this. No matter how innocent the intentions.
But she has to try...
I felt this was a nice wrap up to the series and I was not disappointed. So congratulations go out to Heidi Hall for breaking my trilogy losing streak!
My only problem now is that Rory's story is over. So what am I going to do. I guess I'll just have to go back and re-read it all over again. Perhaps I can come up with a fourth book to write...I know there is another story in here somewhere! Rating:
Wishing you moments of great reading! Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
The weather has been really strange here in Northern California. In fact, it's been strange everywhere across our country. I'm not big into believing the global warming theory because if you look at the history of temperature, anyone will see that it goes in cycles. We're just in a different cycle right now, so much so in fact that it was raining like "cats and dogs" this past Monday and today it's going to be over 100 degrees. Weird.
Thank goodness though I am sitting in front of my air conditioner. Ooops! Sorry, my husband wants me to call it an E.C., because technically it's an evaporative cooler, but it does the job just the same. After living in this house for all these years, it's a welcome respite to finally have something to cool off my office/bedroom when it gets really hot during the summer.
Because we knew it was going to be a scorcher today, we decided to go out and get our chores done early. I think everyone else in town had the same thought. When we got to the grocery store, I was following my husband to the deli counter when a fellow female shopper just cut right in front of me and parked herself and her cart right in front of a display. She was completely oblivious to the fact that she just ran me over and blocked me from getting through.
I sighed rather loudly and than she turned around to look at me and said, "Oh...sorry." All I could think was, "Wow lady, how oblivious do you have to be to not see me. It's not like I am invisible." She seemed a little put out because she had to move her cart out of the way so I could get through and she could get back to her shopping. Never mind that that it didn't matter I couldn't get on with mine. Clearly everyone was having difficulty getting around because there were stacks of deliveries everywhere waiting to be stocked on the shelves.
I'm sure you can tell that it bothers me when people do this. It just makes me want to shout, "I'M NOT INVISIBLE YOU KNOW. I'M RIGHT HERE!!!" Apparently I am though, otherwise people wouldn't do it. Can I share a secret with you? I consider myself a pretty observant person since I'm so invisible. I sometimes will watch people in the store and then do the same thing to them as they did to me. Is that mean? In my head, I don't feel like it is. I'm just returning the favor so they can see how it feels. One time, I ran into the same shopper at least a couple of times and they just didn't get it. I was actually laughing as I walked out the door. Life sure does bring me some comedic moments!
Anyway, by the time we left the grocery store today, I was pretty cranky. I'm sure you could say it was due to the hot temps at that hour and the oblivious shoppers at the store (that and the fact that I had to walk back and forth from one side of the store to the other because that is how my guy shops instead of going up and down the aisles like a normal shopper.) When we got home, my husband promptly fell asleep on the couch in front of the fan and I went upstairs to do some work in front of the E.C.!
Hours later, the dishes are done and I have just a bit of picking up to do. There's always something isn't there? Life is never dull in this house.
Wishing you moments to stay cool on this hot day!
Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
Rory has ended up in a town called Mystic, Oregon, become a new business owner and has learned that she is a witch from a long line of witches. What's next? She has to establish her own coven, and soon.
Not really sure of all this magic stuff, she's still trying to figure it all out. Unfocused, and unbalanced this quirky town needs her help and fast. What is she going to do?
With the help of a really "hot" looking chef and a new friend, she just might have what it takes to take care of the town and herself. Rory has to really put herself out there and she is slowly but surely coming into her own. I'm really starting to like this character. She has "moxy" and she's strong. I love strong women.
Heidi Hall has taken the story of Rory Devereaux to another level and given the readers another glimpse into the rest of the story. So far, so good. This is another trilogy, so I will withhold my final commentary on the whole thing until the end. As you know, I have not had much luck with trilogies, but I like what I am reading at this point. Rating:
Wishing you moments of great reading!
Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
Oh my! Things are just not good for Rory Devereaux. (Devereaux...a perfect last name for someone with special...). Ooops! Sorry got lost there for just a second. Anyway, Rory is running again because more bad has found her. Running again, because "Uncle" Barry said she needed to leave so off she goes, with just the clothes on her back and her car, hightailing it out of town and as far away as she could get from all the nastiness that she just left behind.
Little did she know that she was about to find out who she really is...
Part mystery, part paranormal, and part romance, this is a short, entertaining read with a story that keeps you engaged until the end. As book one of a three part novella, Witch Way by Heidi Hall ends perfectly and picks up again in the next part. The author does a great job in making sure that you pick up the next book in order to find out what Rory needs to do.
But first she needs to figure out where she's going and why she's going there. Hang on tight, it's going to be an interesting ride. Rating:
Wishing you moments of great reading!
Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
I went outside tonight and took these awesome photos of the moon over the Russian River. Enjoy!
Wishing you moments to take great photos!
Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
A bewitching name, an empty house and a sacred book. What does this all add up to? Another delightful story from Rose Pressey, simply one of my favorite new authors!
In Forever Charmed, Halloween LaVeau, so aptly named and witha family lineage of witchly proportions she is about to move into something bigger than she ever dreamed...LeVeau Manor! Well, it' a bit more complicated than that.
Throw in two very handsome "alive" guests to her newly christened B&B and a few other fun characters to make a very exciting and fun read.
Ms. Pressey never fails to delight. The story is not sappy and has a drama to it. It was almost difficult to put it down because I just had to see where Ms. Pressey was going with the story.
There were just so many delightful moments...best friend Annabelle's dislike of the manor, referring to it as the "epitome of creepiness", the mysterious people who kept showing up at Hallie's door,
the awakening of some talents that long since seemed like were never
going to amount to anything, and the two hotties that seem to hate each
other but insist nothing is wrong, yet seemingly each wants to get her alone to convince her of something.
I found the story to be fast paced, andat moments, very exciting. It took awhile for all the details to come together, which made the reader have to stick around to the end. And what an end it is!
It looks like this is a first book in a series. I hope that I won't be disappointed. However, since I have read Ms. Pressey's previous series, I doubt that will be the case.Looking forward to the next chapter in Halloween's life! Rating:
Wishing you moments of great reading!
Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
Everyone has good intentions...at least that is what we would like to believe, especially in ourselves. Here's the problem. We get so caught up in everyday life, the road to those good intentions gets muddied up and we get stuck.So what's a busy working woman to do?
Make lists! Lots of them. I am starting to live by lists because this is the only way I can get anything done. As I finish something, I cross it off the list and go on to the next project. And believe me, I have a lot of projects.
If this is too overwhelming for you, especially if you're like me and have a full-time job, then do just one thing a day. It doesn't matter what it is, just pick one thing and get it done. It could be washing the dirty dishes (this is for those of you who don't use a dishwasher like myself), putting away the clean dishes that have been left out to dry (also like myself), take out a couple of bags of garbage/recycling (did that this morning because I swear I generate more garbage/recycling than is humanly possible), go through a single stack of papers or any number of other things.
Lay off the Facebook! Yes, I will admit, this is my downfall because once I get on, it's really hard to get off. Now I don't just use Facebook to just read about everybody's day. I actually use it for good, like promote my writing, my blog (which has now grown to this full blown website even though it's hosted by Blogger) and to look for inspiration to continue with my work. This all takes time and once I get on, it is really hard to get off and get back to the business of writing again.
Commit to a schedule. I know it's hard, but keeping a schedule, for whatever its worth, is going to be difficult. Let's face it, we spend the better part of our day getting interrupted or what have you and before you know it, the day is over and you didn't even get to the first thing that was on your schedule. It will take time to get into a rhythm, but start out slow and pace yourself. Maybe only have one or two things on the schedule and then keep the rest of the time open for other things. Just make sure that when the time comes to do what you have on that schedule, then sit down and do it.
Make an effort. It's so easy to say, "I'll do it later." Then later shows up and you never do it. The worst part is that it then becomes the "Eleventh Hour" and you end up scrambling to get it done and you could have made it so much easier on yourself if you had just started it sooner. You're not asking the world of yourself, just to make a earnest attempt to start something before it absolutely has to get done. You'll feel a whole lot better with yourself and actually save yourself time in the long run.
Don't make promises you can't keep. This is probably the biggest enemy of "Good Intentions". You and only you know what you are capable of doing. If you have a super busy schedule with work, kids, a husband, then it doesn't make sense to over-commit yourself to things that "sound good", perhaps are "super easy" to get done, or "won't take that long to do". The reality is that while what ever it is that "sounds good", always ends up being "really difficult" to get done, and takes "a really long time" to accomplish. Don't set yourself up for failure. Only make a promise if you can truly fulfill it without turning your whole world upside down to get it done.
I remember a song from group of musicians who are currently celebrating 30 years in the industry. The song starts out,
I don't want to be on that road. I want to be on the one where I made those dreams come true. Having good intentions is more than just wanting something, you have to make it happen. It's hard work and sometimes it won't come easy. There will be potholes, muddy puddles and all sorts of debris in the way. It's really easy to just pull off the road and shut off the motor. But as sure as I am sitting here and writing this, taking an extended pit stop won't get me to where I want or need to be. Don't get me wrong! It's okay to take a quick pit stop once in awhile, but just like the race car drivers at Indy or Charlotte Motor Speedway, those pit stops are generally short and to the point.
So let's make the most of the precious time that we have so we can get back to the things that are really important in life. Make the road to good intentions filled with dreams that really do come true!
The road I have travelled on Is paved with good intentions It's littered with broken dreams That never quite came true
Wishing you moments to enjoy the road of good intentions!
Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
I took a chance on reading a Christian-based inspiration romance book. I generally don't like to mix the themes because I find them to be inconsistent at best.Second Chances is Alison Stanley's first attempt in this genre, and the first book of hers that I read. Although,
I must note that I was ready to print my review, the author herself
actually contacted me and asked if I would read her second book and publish a review for that one first. I agreed, so please see my review below of her second book.
As for Second Chances, I must admit that my original thought about not reading mixed themes was on track. While Ms. Stanley's first attempt at a novel was not that bad, it wasn't the best. My biggest obstacle was language. As an American, I have the privilege of living in the melting pot of nationalities. However, an author's vernacular while seemingly charming when delivered in verbal form, it also has the ability to make or break a story when it comes to the written word.
In terms of the actual story, simply put, it is about two friends and their desire to find suitable husbands.
One of them, Hannah, is already engaged but happens to meet someone from her past that brings up
some not so pleasant memories that could potentially destroy the
relationship she is in. The other, Rachael, who has carefully planned
her life, realizes that she has the opportunity to take a chance and
step out of her normal routine and pursue a relationship that may not be
suitable for her. Coincidentally, there is also another guy who is interested in her. Hmmm, now she has the big dilemma. Actually, they both have problems that need to be addressed.
On one hand, Rachael's story was somewhat predictable, and unfortunately, due to the duo stories going on here, it didn't have the opportunity to expand on some of the necessary detail to make it more complete. Hannah's story, on the other hand, offered a surprising twist to what would have otherwise been a bland and boring account of another perfect relationship.
I believe that by having two stories told in one novel shortchanged both as there wasn't enough time to expand on the stories beneath the stories. Separating the two would have allowed for each of thegirl's journey to be more fulfilling for the reader and answered some of those questions that were left up to our imaginations.
As a Christian-based story, this book is probably not suitable for pre-teens or young teens. I would recommend that parents read the book first to assess whether they want their child to read it or not. Rating:
Wishing you moments of great reading!
Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
What a great way to close out Marcus,Morgan and Cassidy's story! Just a short and very quick read to tie all the loose ends together. This was a gift from Deborah to keep our appetites whetted until the final book in the series is released later this year.
It is what I would expect from this particular storyline, and am glad Ms. Geary did not deviate from the expected. I found it to be comforting knowing that these three were going to be okay. Rating:
Wishing you moments of great reading!
Liked
anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at
todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more
books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog
writing!
It's
Christmas in May, well now it's June and I've prepared another review of Oh, No! Santa's
Grumpy, which I previously reviewed last year. I attempted to read this
book on my Kindle, but experienced many problems with formatting and
layout that highly distracted from the experience. This time I was given
an opportunity to enjoy a real book in my hand.
I am delighted
to see this book in paperback as I can see that it was definitely
designed for young children. The graphics and colors remind me of a box
of Crayola crayons. What child doesn't love crayons! It brings back
memories of me as a young one drawing pictures.
The story as I
reviewed previously was charming and just long enough for any child to
enjoy. The text is easy to read for both adults and kids. I think it
would be a great book for grandparents to read with their grandchildren,
or perhaps kids reading to their parents!
I
would like to thank the author, Margaret Farnsworth, for providing the
review copy of this book. I definitely enjoyed this reading experience
better than the first! Rating:
Wishing you moments of great reading!
Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
June's all moved in and settled into her new life at A Charming Cure in Whispering Falls. She seems to have accepted her new "talents" and beginsusing them for the good of her customers. But now it's time for her to really hone her skills and Great Aunt Helena, the Dean at Hidden Hall, A Spiritual University is here to help
Great Aunt Helena! Wow, here's a surprise for June. She didn't even realize that she has any living relatives, and now she has to go to school!
It is at this point I became disappointed. The references to various other stories, both fictional and real, made this particular story a little less believable
for me. Okay, so June only had to go to school for four days, but
still, I can't help but wonder how the idea of a "hidden" school came to
be in the first place. Hmmm...can anyone think of anything? Oh say, something that has been around for at least a decade. Something really popular...can anyone guess?
The storyline of Good-Siders vs. Dark-Siders in A Charming Cure could have been just slightly more exciting and original...starting with the names. Although Ms. Kappes did a fairly good job in hiding the secret of who the real "bad guy" was up until almost the very end.
The most disappointing and the thing that practically killed it for me was the reference to "Jeffery Dahmer". This was completely unnecessary and highly disturbing to use this in a book that could be read by a younger audience. I grew up and lived in the same town where this man committed his crimes and to use his name in a book is inappropriate, inexcusable and a disservice to the readers. The story did not need it and even if it did, I am sure that there were other fictional references you could have used.
Leaving that point aside, Ms. Kappes develops the cast of characters even further and introduces us to a few more which will become important in the next story. Although Tonya does a fairly decent job in her story writing, this particular one didn't do anything for me except annoy me with the lack of originality and finesse she showed in her first book. I hope the third one will be better. Rating:
Wishing you moments of great reading!
Liked anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todaysworkingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!
