Review: Deceived by Irene Hannon

Deceived Author - Irene Hannon Rating - 3.5 out of 5 Stars Would I Recommend: Maybe

Back Cover...

For three years, Kate Marshall has been grieving the loss of her husband and their four-year-old son in a boating accident. But when she spots a familiar-looking child on an escalator in the mall, she is convinced it is the son she thought was dead. With police skeptical of her story, she turns to private investigator Connor Sullivan. The former Secret Service agent is dubious but agrees to investigate. Digging into the case he discovers that the incident may have been no accident at all. But if Kate's son is alive, someone is intent on keeping him hidden--and may be willing to go to lethal lengths to protect a sinister secret.

What I Loved...

Didn't really "Love" anything, but I liked a bunch of stuff. Skip to that area.

What I Liked...

The book moved along nicely and flowed smoothly. It was suspenseful yet also contained a little romance for the romantics like me. The plot was something you would definitely find on Lifetime Channel; a little action, a little suspense and then a little romance thrown in for good measure.

Other...

The first few chapters of this book didn't really reel me in; not even the one that was supposed to hook me. I was a little curious, but not much. I am not usually a suspense novel reader, but I think Irene Hannon did a good job incorporating a lot of what I usually do read (romance, swoon bits and love) into a suspense and action packed book.

With everything going on, I found myself most intrigued by the relationship with Todd and his father. It was both awww and ohhhhh at the same time. I kept wondering how Irene was going to play that storyline out. I was neither thrilled nor bummed in the end.

Wrap-Up...

Deceived is a mix of a bunch of things, but suspense/drama is the main theme. I would recommend to some of my friends. If you are into Suspenseful Christian books or like a little romance, but not a main stream romance novel, than this is a good read. You may also like this book if you are really into Lifetime movies.


Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher through Netgalley. The opinion of this book, is my own and I was not paid or compensated for for my review.

Review: Surprised By Love by Julie Lessman

Surprised By Love Author - Julie Lessman Time It Took for to Read - 1 Day Rating - 5 out of 5 Stars....more if I could Would I Recommend: Yes. Yes. And then Yes!

Shy and unattractive as a child, Megan McClare has always been teased by her classmates. But when she returns home from her senior year in Paris, the wallflower has suddenly blossomed into a beauty. With ambitions to become a lawyer or doctor, Megan accepts an internship at the district attorney's office only to discover that she will be working with Devin Caldwell, a boy who mercilessly mocked her at school--and with whom she was hopelessly enamored. She turns to her dear friend Bram Hughes for support and advice. But Bram's vision is clouded by his sudden unwelcome attraction to a girl he had always thought of as a kid sister. He advises forgiveness, but can he forgive himself for pushing the woman he loves into the arms of another man?

What I Loved...

Pages 1- 416. Yes that would be the entire book. I am big fan of Julie Lessman and the Heart of San Francisco series and Surprised By Love did not disappoint. I had those rare put the book down and scream into a pillow moments, tearing up moments, fanning myself with my hand steamy romantic moments, laughing out loud moments and being reminded why I am a Christian moments. This book has it all and it was one of my favorites of the year.

Mrs. Lessman has the talent to weave muliple stories in one book and make them ALL gut wrenching and powerful stories, not just fillers between the main storyline. I was captivated by the underlying stories as much as the main story of Megan and Bram.

If you, like me, love to see when a couple can overcome what seems to be like insurmountable odds and in the end it is God who is glorified, this book is for you!!!

I can't say it enough.... I loved, loved, loved this book.

What I Liked...

See the What I Loved Section instead!

Other...

The cover is gorgeous as always! Love it.

While I do love this book, I must recommend that you first read the other books in the series. It will add so much more to the book and one of the storylines do begin in the first book of the series. While you can certainly read this alone and thoroughly enjoy it, reading the entire series is highly recommended. It takes the enjoyment of Surprised by Love to another level.

If I have been vague in my review, forgive me. I don't want to spill a thing nin hopes that you read this book and get to enjoy it thoroughly without knowing bits and pieces of what happens...hence they are called spoilers. I like you too much for that. You can thank me later!

Ok, I'm off waiting for Julie's next book!

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher through Revell Book Publishers. The opinion of this book, is my own and I was not paid or compensated for for my review.

Review: At Bluebonnet Lake by Amanda Cabot

At Bluebonnet Lake Author - Amanda Cabot Time It Took for to Read - 1 Week + Rating - 2 out of 5 Stars. Would I Recommend: Unfortunately Not

Marketing maven Kate Sherwood’s world is fast-paced, challenging, and always changing. The last thing she wants to do is slow down to a crawl at Rainbow’s End, a dilapidated resort in the Texas Hill Country. But she cannot deny her ailing grandmother’s request to visit the place where she and her deceased husband spent one glorious week (albeit fifty years ago). There Kate meets Greg Vange, the resort’s handyman. But there’s more to Greg than meets the eye–billions more, in fact, as he recently sold his successful software company and is at the resort in search of what’s next for his life.

Kate isn’t looking for romance, but she can’t deny the sparks of attraction that fly every time she and Greg are together. She even starts to see potential in the rundown resort. Could there be a future there? Or will Kate’s long-sought promotion take her back to the big city?

What I Loved...

Well...lets just move on.

What I Liked...

The idea of Bluebonnet Lake, A Christian "resort". I can not recall ever having a read a book with a Christian Resort as the setting. I ended up thinking more about the resort even while I wasn't reading the book.

Other...

Where do I begin? I guess the cover is a good a place as any. It isn't my favorite cover in the world.

This is the second Amanda Cabot book under my belt (read my Paper Roses Review)  and quite frankly I am disappointed. I much prefer her historical fiction writing as opposed to her modern work.

I found the book so... already done by so many others. I know you are probably thinking that most romance books are recycled love stories, but this one seemed moreso than most. A mash of the most cliche romance books and movies. Lately everytime I turn around a book or movie has a marketing director as the heroine and I already know how that eventually plays out in the scheme of the book. So naturally this bored me, not intrigued me.

The hero Greg is as cliche as it gets...a rich, handosme guy hiding out looking for the meaning in it all. He didn't melt my butter.

And the one who got it all rolling...the grandmother, who you may have already guessed...raised the heroine Kate. Kate will do anything for her etc,....

There were no sparks between Kate and Greg and the book was a chore to get through.

Disclaimer: This book was provided by the publisher through Revell Book Publishers. The opinion of this book, is my own and I was not paid or compensated for for my review.