TWW's Book Review: The Comeback Christmas by Melinda Curtis (as a part of A Heartwarming Christmas Anthology: A Box Set of Sweet Holiday Romances)

I love everything Christmas. When I had the opportunity to read a story centered around a placed called Christmas Town, I jumped at the opportunity. Who wouldn't want to live in a place called Christmas Town? I know that it sounds kitschy, but for me, it brings a sense of comfort, warmth and peace. 

There is something so comfortable about the words "coming home" that when they are added to the words "Christmas Town" I simply just had to read this novella by Melinda Curtis. "The Comeback Christmas" is Novella 1 of Coming Home to Christmas Town, Book 1 of A Heartwarming Christmas Anthology.

I must say that  Melinda Curtis definitely delivered on the "heartwarming" part, but it wasn't just that comfortable feeling that drew me into the story. It was the stubbornness of the heroine, Chloe, and the unwavering nature of the hero, Ted. Two people who were meant to be together, yet circumstances and hurt feelings kept them apart for years. Given their individual situations, I knew it was only a matter of time before they would each look beyond their past to work together toward a future.

I loved the fact that Chloe had to reveal parts of herself to Ted that were really painful. By doing so, Ted had to put himself out there too. Even more comforting was the fact that Chloe and Ted had the support of their families. How often do we find that? In today's crazy world, I long for stories like these because they remind me that families are really what is important.   

"The Comeback Christmas" is the perfect start to what I suspect is going to be a fabulous series, and I can't wait to read more of this anthology! Rating: 

Wishing you moments of great reading!

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review, and other writing assignments!

TWW's Book Review: The House at Homecoming Cove by Ginny Baird

Many of my readers know that I love a good romance story. This was my first opportunity to read something from Ginny Baird and I was looking forward to The House at Homecoming Cove. While I only knew it was a part of her Romantic Ghost Stories Series, I did not know to what extent the "ghost story" would play into it.

The book had all the right components of one of the traditional love story themes. Girl runs away from a bad relationship, meets a boy and they fall in love. Throw in a beautiful house and landscape, add some strange happenings and you've got the recipe befitting of paranormal romance.

The story is written with exceptional detail, almost too much detail for me however. While it is important to set up the story, an excessive narrative can lose a reader. I found myself skipping over numerous passages. This is no way diminished the story in my eyes, but rather projected me to the important parts where the detail painted a picture so vivid and real that the scene jumped off the page and danced before my eyes.

I loved the fact that the heroine, Melissa, was artistic and creative, and the hero, Stone, was strong and sensitive. Clearly they are fated to be together, and the house holds the key that will seal their relationship. However, it did not take me long to realize that The House at Homecoming Cove shared similarities to three films of memory, "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir," "The Good Witch," and oddly enough, "Mystic Pizza." While I don't believe this was intentional, knowing the back stories within the latter two movies took away some of the "mystery" of this book and left me a little disappointed.

There are definitely some exciting moments in The House at Homecoming Cove, but you have to get through the detail to find them. The story's title is apropro as it is definitely a homecoming for both Melissa and Stone. I look forward to reading more stories from Ginny Baird. Rating: 

Wishing you moments of great reading!
    

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review, and other writing assignments!

TWW's Book Review: Summer's Song by Allie Boniface

I am a die-hard romance genre reader. I can't get enough of them. As a teenager, I think I read every Harlequin Romance novel ever written! However, as an adult, I have prided myself on expanding my romance reading horizons by venturing outside of my normal comfort zone. Over the years, I have found some really great authors who specialize in contemporary romance, and whose stories are set in small towns around the United States. Author Allie Boniface fits this to a tee!

What makes Summer's Song particularly enjoyable is that this romance was wrapped in mystery and tied with intrigue! All the characters, including Damien and Summer, were developed to provide a story with a layered complexity that will keep the reader engaged until the last page of the book. Ms. Boniface did a great job pacing the story, and the way she unraveled the mystery was completely appropriate given the main character's circumstances.

As the mystery genre is not my first choice, nor my first love, I chose to slow down my normal reading pace and savor the story just a little in order to grab onto some of the more meatier details. For you mystery lovers who can't go to bed until the story is solved, then feel free to stay up all night because you won't be disappointed!

One of the things that I hoped this book would have had is an epilogue. I love seeing those to help wrap up some of the loose ends in the story. Sadly, since there was none, I will have to leave those up to my imagination. Additionally, with a plethora of characters, I envision at least two to three more full length novels that would be worth pursuing.

Summer's Song, by Allie Boniface should definitely be put on the "To Read List." Rating:

Please note that I was given this book by the author for an honest review.

Wishing you moments of great reading!
 

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review, and other writing assignments!

TWW's Book Review: Her Christmas Bonus - Epilogue by Rain Danvers

For the naysayers, here is the rest of Sage and Terrance's story, and you lost out because you failed to read the entire e-book. If you had, you would have gotten exactly what you were asking for. Now I realize that this was split into two, but there is nothing wrong with that. These are short stories, not full blown novels. And the story... well I don't think it is far-fetched in the least because I know there are people out there that have experienced a similar situation as in Her Christmas Bonus and Her Christmas Bonus - Epilogue. Maybe not exactly the same, but similar none-the-less.

Ms. Danvers did a good job in wrapping up the loose ends to ensure that Sage made the right decision. It was thrilling to finally see her stand up and realize that things are not what they seem, and ultimately fight for her man. Clarisse, what a joke! Of course, now I won't be able to watch Rudolph anymore...nevertheless she is out of the picture.

I think it would be fun to see the rest of Sage and Terrance's journey. Perhaps Rain's readers could convince her to take both of the these short stories, Her Christmas Bonus and Her Christmas Bonus - Epilogue, fill in some of the gaps that the reviewers needed to know, and bring their romance to the next level. As for me, I have a pretty good imagination so I can make up my own story for these two any time I want. Isn't that what reading short stories are all about anyway...getting lost in a really good tale and then letting your imagination carry you away to a different ending, no matter what it might be. Rating: 

Wishing you moments of great reading!
     

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review, and other writing assignments!

TWW's Book Review: Her Christmas Bonus by Rain Danvers

Since the holidays are just around the corner, I thought I would continue on with my short story and holiday romance theme for those of you who love this time of year as much as I do. If you are looking for a quick read on a cold winter's night, then Her Christmas Bonus by Rain Danvers might be just the trick. 

There were really two things that initially drew me to the story. Firstly, the company where the main characters, Sage and Terrance, work at is located in Newport Beach, California. One of the offices for my company is also located in the same town, so it must be fate that I read this. Secondly, both Sage and Terrance end up in Phoenix, Arizona for Christmas. I spent six years living in the mountains of Arizona and enjoyed many weekends during the winter in that city. Now I had to read this!

Sage is an accomplished business woman but realizes that the one man she wants, Terrance, is not available for her because they work at the same company. However, fate in the form of technology brings them together. Throw in her mom and some well meaning friends and you have all the makings of a happily ever after. 

I am a little disappointed in some of the other reviews that I read complaining that Her Christmas Bonus was too short, and the story advanced too rapidly. Frankly, I get what they all meant, but this is a short story. How long did they expect it to be? Ms. Danvers is sharing a small portion of their story, not their entire relationship from the moment them met until they have children and beyond. I think the negative reviewers missed the boat and the epilogue! Perhaps it's not a five star read but it doesn't deserve a one star either, or in my case a "Palm Tree"! Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!
    

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review, and other writing assignments!

TWW's Book Review: Carole Singer's Christmas by Emily Harvale

I've been reading a collection of different British authors and have found for the most part, I like them, but sometimes the slang used in the stories is a bit much. I did not find that with the dialogue in Carole Singer's Christmas. I did notice, however, some of the traits of the characters were a bit over accentuated. Almost to the point of wishing I could jump inside the pages of the book and throttle someone. While admittedly frustrating, the desire to keep reading was just too overwhelming as I found myself not wanting to put the book down to see if Carole would do it for me.

When you are a romance reader like myself, you pretty much have seen it all. Carole Singer's Christmas by Emily Harvale took that concept to a whole other level. I am used to odd pairings, jilted lovers, right one but wrong time, triangle relationships and everything else you could think of, but one woman and three guys? A little hard to believe, even for me. 

I knew almost instantly where I wanted this book to go. Any woman in today's modern world would also feel the same way. I am glad to see that Ms. Harvale agreed. While inwardly, I would have kicked two of Carole's options to the curb instantly, it was nice to see Carole grow a backbone and come to the realization on her own. Overall I thought the story wasn't bad. I would have liked to see an epilogue to get a bit more closure with some of the ancillary characters. Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!
    

Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: Wild Iris Ridge by RaeAnne Thayne

RaeAnne, you have done it again! From the moment that I began reading this series, I have literally fallen in love with the town of Hope's Crossing, Colorado. Every story is so inspirational and I can''t help but wonder who I will meet next. Within the pages of Wild Iris Ridge holds the amazing story of Lucy and Brendan.

Hope's Crossing is one of those small towns that you've always imagined. Dominated by a few families that you just want to be a part of, you literally can't wait open the cover. Just when I thought that I had Lucy and Brendan all figured out, something else would happen and stop me dead in my tracks. 

I'll be honest though. There were several moments when I wanted to jump into the story and shake the shoulders of one or the other because they needed to see the light. Lucy, for all of her drive, just could not seem to get it together when it came to her dad. I desperately wanted her to tell him off, or at the very least, speak her mind about what he did to her when she was an impressionable teen. Somehow though, I am glad she didn't because I feel that there is a another story lurking underneath about that topic. 

And then there is Brendan, another of the Caine brothers, just trying to hold it together for himself and his kids. Unfortunately, he and Lucy have a history, and somehow, Lucy's presence gets under his skin and he doesn't know how to deal with it.

RaeAnne Thayne has written another heartwarming story in Wild Iris Ridge weaving just enough unexpected elements so the reader never wants to put the book down. Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!



Like anything you see here? Then contact me, Susan Dusterhoft at todayswritingwoman@hotmail.com. I am always looking for more books/products to review. I can also provide assistance with blog writing!

TWW's Book Review: Kissing Kelli by Kathy Carmichael

Kellie has five sisters and her sister Lori is quite a handful with her accusing "Leave my men alone!" dictums. It's not like Kellie did it on purpose. In fact, this last time she was not interested, but this last guy, Bobby Gray, pursued her. To bad it wasn't for the most sincere of purposes.

Ok, so Bobby Gray is friends with Lori and she had invited him to a party just so she wouldn't have to go alone, but that doesn't mean that Lori can call him her boyfriend. Lori was immature and a brat. Almost a stereotypical sister who has to have whatever she wants and won't let anyone else have it either.

Bobbie Gray will do just about anything to get him out of trouble with his brother. What's it going to take, a kitten? No. A bird? No. How about a horse in desperate need of attention and his dog companion? Well, maybe.

Kellie tried so hard to resist the advances of Bobby Gray. He seemed to be the perfect guy. When she finally agrees to go out to dinner with him and his family, it just seems to be all to perfect. That is until she finds out who the dinner guests are, then the bubble bursts.

I found myself a little annoyed with the sister Lori. She was completely selfish. Bobby Gray reminded me of the classic player; trying to do anything just so he could get his brother off his back. Kelli was the one who tried to please everyone. She reminded me of me a little bit, although I would have kicked Bobby Gray to the curb. Not one of my favorites. 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!

TWW's Book Review: A Wedding for Maggie by Allison Leigh

This is a book is part of a series that I began to read last year: The Men of the Double C Ranch. Here we find the story of Daniel Clay and Maggie Greene.

We begin several years earlier when we see Daniel leaving the ranch while Maggie stays behind. Unfortunately, a relationship for both of them is not in the cards this time because Maggie is married to someone else and has a child and Daniel, well he is not happy because he can't have her.

Now three years have gone by and Maggie and her daughter J.D. are heading back to the ranch to deliver some bad news. Her philandering ex is dead and she has to tell his sister who is married to Daniel's brother. The worst part about this situation is that her ex is not only dead, but she has to face the family that he stole money from and this is not something she is going to enjoy.

While she is there, she has a romantic interlude with Daniel which causes something unforeseen and ultimately brings Maggie back to the ranch to stay and begin a life with the guy who can't seem to find it in his heart to love. For both Daniel and Maggie, this is going to be a long, tough road before either of them realizes that being together and loving each other is exactly where both of them needs to be. Each has their own set of baggage that will need to be dealt with before their hearts truly open up and lets each other inside.

I must admit there were moments in the story when I wanted to knock some sense into both the characters. Sometimes one's hardheadedness can be just a bit exasperating. If it were me, I probably would have told Daniel "what for" early on but since this was Maggie's story, I just had to sit back and read where she was going to go with this. 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!

TWW's Book Review: Light the Stars by RaeAnne Thayne

Week 3: January 15 - 21, 2012  Light the Stars

This is only my second review of a story by Rayanne Thayne. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I actually enjoyed it.

Wade Dalton has a lot of stuff going on in his life. He has a ranch to run, a tv crew on the way, three kids to raise that he knows very little about and a mom that has just eloped with a gentleman friend of hers that no one seem to know very much about. Oh and let's not forget, the daughter of said gentleman friend who has just arrived on his doorstep trying to find the whereabouts her dad.

Enter Caroline Montgomery, a "life" coach who has inadvertently coached Wade's mom into getting more out of life, not realizing how it was going to affect her own life!

Wade is in way over his head. He has no idea to take care of his own children because he has given up all control of that function to his mom. He is in so much trouble here until Caroline shows up on his doorstep. Wade is so angry right now he doesn't know what to do, except take Caroline up on her offer and let her help out a few days until dear ol' dad returns. What follows is some very interesting moments between Wade and Ann and how they both deal with the children.

I found the story believable but the behavior of the children predictable. What I didn't expect is what happened to Caroline. Although I knew there would have to be something that would make her stay, I was not prepared to see the actual events unfold before my eyes. This was a nice surprise for me and captivated my attention enough to continue reading. Rating:

Wishing you moments of great reading!

TWW's Book Review: Tea and Destiny by Sherryl Woods

Week 2: January 8 - 14, 2012 Tea and Destiny

We met Ann Davies briefly in Miss Liz's Passion, another book I reviewed by Sherryl Woods. This time we get to really know her and how she became the mom to a group of kids who really needed her.

I like the main character, Ann, because she is quirky and unique. She lives by her own rules...that is until someone else, in the form of Hank Riley challenges her in every sense of the word.

Hank, on the other hand, is a guy who never thought he could make a commitment to a woman. Now he is getting involved in her life but also the kids' lives.

I especially liked the way the challenges of being a mom and pseudo-dad played into the relationship with Ann and Hank. It was obvious from the get-go that Hank was going to play an important role in the lives of some of the Ann's children, especially the older ones since he seemed to make a connection with them.

I found a few comedic moments and a few predictable moments in the book, but overall I felt the story was believable. Although I wish Sherryl would have taken a few extra pages to develop the stories of the children in the story, I found that I stayed interested nonetheless. I guess I really wanted to find out if Ann and her quirkiness was going to mess with Hank, who in my eyes, was the quintessential man's man. The good news is that from the moment of their initial sparring over groceries to the very end, I knew those two were in for it!

Rating:

Wishing you all moments of great reading!