Fortunate Harbor, by Emilie Richards

June 27, 20105 Comments

Finished 6-26-10, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2010

Book 2 of the Happiness Key trilogy (Book 1)

Tracy owns a development in Florida that has small cottages for rent. It it all she had left after her ex-husband went to jail and the government took every other asset they had. She is just starting a new relationship when her ex is released from jail and shows up in town. She shares a close friendship with the other women in the development. Wanda, an outspoken waitress, loses her job and decides to start her own business making pies. Janya wants to have a baby with her husband, but he is avoiding her to her great shame and frustration. Alice and her granddaughter Olivia are a big draw to the newest resident, Dana and her daughter Lizzie. Dana is secretive and the other women believe she may be on the run from the law.

These woman have an enviable bond. They are obviously very different, in age, relationship, religion, and culture, and yet they all love and support each other. This would be a good lesson for us all! Not only are they the best of friends, but they are all neighbors. I wish I could pick up all of my best friends and move them on my street. What fun we would have.

The driving forces of the book is the secret that Dana is keeping and the real reason CJ, Tracy’s ex, is back in town. These storylines were what kept me interested. I liked the women themselves too, but wish I had read the first book in the trilogy. It wasn’t hard to keep everyone straight, but I may have been more engaged in the story if I knew where each of them was coming from. I think because of that the first half of the book dragged a bit for me. By the second half I was into it and more interested in what would happen. This is why I don’t usually read series or trilogies out of order.

This was a fun read about the friendship women share.

The author sent me this book. In case you missed it I did interview Emilie last year, here, and she was a delight 🙂

Give + Take, by Stona Fitch

April 25, 20107 Comments

Finished 4-25-10, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2008

Cray is one of the last relatives I have left, but I can’t seem to muster up much empathy for him, even though I know he needs it. He’s lost, just the same way I was when I was his age. I should be helping him more.

After all, I’ve given stacks of money to complete strangers, but I’m almost incapable of being in the same car as Cray. I wonder if I’ve become too solitary after years on the road or if I’m allergic to my family.

I don’t particularly want to explore out mutual history or the connections that make us relatives instead of strangers. I just want to stop, shove Cray out by the side of the road, and drive away.

page 50

Ross is a travelling pianist and thief. He uses his gigs to scope out women to take to bed and rob of their jewels. He is an equal opportunity thief in that he also steals random BMW’s from the street and sells them. What makes Ross a little odd is what he does with his windfall. He gives it away to strangers. He’d lived a life of high income and spending and reached the conclusion that it didn’t make him happy. When his nephew is dropped at his hotel door for a month, Ross is reluctant to resume his nighttime activities, but soon enough Cray has opened up a whole new can of worms.

This was an interesting book, one I grew to appreciate. I liked that it was original and had a lot to say about money and how we all relate to it. I enjoyed watching Ross come out of his shell and learning his reasons for giving the money away. I did feel that it took too long for me to really get into the book. I started it, put it down and didn’t feel like picking it up for another month. But, that being said, once I reached the middle I was into it and happy I read on.

This is a free book offered from Concord Free Press in exchange for a donation to a person or charity of your choice. I donated money to The City Mission of Cleveland. I won this book from Dawn at She is Too Fond of Books and will be mailing it to Sarah E tomorrow. Once she has read the book she has agreed to make a donation to a charity of her choosing and log it on the Concord Press Tracking Page.

The Proof is in the Pudding, by Melinda Wells

March 17, 201010 Comments

Finished 3-8-10, rating 3.5/5, mystery, pub. 2010

Book 3 in the Della Cooks mystery series (Book 1) (Book 2)

“We look like twin cat burglars,” I said. “Maybe we should stop at a gas station and buy some black grease to cover our faces.”

Liddy shuddered. That would be awful for our skin. Open the glove compartment and take out a baggie.”

I did as directed and removed a Ziploc bag. “What’s in here?”

“Two pairs of Bill’s powder-free latex examination gloves. So we won’t leave fingerprints.”

Chapter 13

TV chef Della Carmichael is asked to host a fancy Celebrity Cook-Off for charity. As one of three judges she walks around the gala mingling with the guests and judging the celebrity dishes. When a smoke bomb goes off Della is thrown to the floor by a favorite author and when the smoke clears Della finds another judge stabbed to death. Della is afraid because one of her oldest friends, John O’Hara, is the lead suspect and Eileen who is like a daughter to her has been dating the dead judge. Della decides to do a little investigation of her own. The dead judge had been blackmailing Eileen so her first order of business is to break into his house and remove the sex tape.

I enjoy the Della Carmichael series and this was no exception. They are fun cozy mysteries with a protagonist in her 40’s and recipes included in the back. This one even contained a little story about the actress Linda Dano (and a recipe) who I watched back in the day on Another World. I didn’t guess the killer, although I had my suspicions, until it was revealed, so that’s a big plus. And there was a fight with her boyfriend Nicholas and I enjoyed the progression of their relationship.

A fun, light series.

This was from my personal library.

The Sister, by Poppy Adams

February 10, 201024 Comments

Finished 2-08-10, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2008

“No pictures, no clothes, no photos. I mean, you’ve wiped out every reference to our past. Our family might not have happened. There was no point in its existing for the last two hundred years if it’s got nothing to show for itself.”

It is an interesting view but not one I share. Is it really necessary to record your life in order to make it worthwhile or commendable? Is it worthless to die without reference? Surely those testimonials last another generation or two at most, and even then they don’t offer much meaning. We all know we’re a mere fleck in the tremendous universal cycle of energy, but no one can abide the thought of their life, lived so intensely and exhaustively, being lost when they die, as swiftly and as meaningless as an unspoken idea.

Chapter 3

Ginny is an odd duck and a questionable narrator. Her vivacious sister Vivian is returning to their Dorset, England home after 50 years away and Ginny is nervous, not sure why her younger sister is coming back. Vivian left the house when she was just 15 years old for London where she lived, worked and fell in love. Ginny stayed home to study moths with her father, a famous lepidopterist. When Vivian asks her sister to help her have a child, Ginny said yes, unable to ever tell her sister no.

Vivian’s return home brought into focus that there is more than one way of looking at a childhood spent in the same house, two ways of looking at your parents and their motivations and sometimes even your own. This was a dark look into the thoughts of a woman who seemed to have some struggle with reality. Ginny had become a recluse and I thought at first the years alone may be why she was so strange, but that was not the case. She billed herself as the sensible sister, a genius when it came to moths and keeping the family together, but by the end that is up for debate.

I did not like Ginny and never did connect with her. As Ginny doled out facts, there was always something moving the story forward, so I was always interested, but the pages and pages about moths throughout the book really did slow the story down. The story is strange and an interesting psychological study and the end totally threw me. Actually, I’m still trying to piece together a few things that were purposefully left out and I’m not sure I’ll ever really figure it out. If you can live with that then give this book a try.

This is from my personal library and was chosen for me by Jennifer and Sandee. Here’s what Jennifer had to say…”I listened to this on audio and thought it was marvelous – not as good as The Thirteenth Story, but very, very good.”

The Trials of the Honorable F. Darcy, by Sara Angelini

February 4, 201013 Comments

Finished 2-2-10, rating 3.5/5 fiction, pub. 2009

On Thursday morning, Darcy woke up bleary-eyed from a night of sex, alternating between lusty and tender. He had been out of control in the billiards room the night before. What was supposed to be a fun romp had turned into an electrifying seduction. He felt that Elizabeth would never have made such a display unless she felt something more than attraction for him. The realization sparked more than physical desire in him; it lit a sort of feral, possessive need to take her, to mark her as his. He was not embarrassed, except that she had no opportunity to take her own pleasure in that episode. He made up for it twice more during the night, once with tenderness and once with mutual hunger. He had never been so sexed up in his life.

Chapter 9

Judge Darcy of San Francisco is well-respected in the courtroom, but longs for his life of a gentleman back in England, Pemberley to be exact. Elizabeth is also well-respected, only she’s still a relatively new lawyer in Darcy’s courtroom. Darcy’s haughty demeanor turns off Elizabeth, but Darcy feels a growing attraction for the saucy Elizabeth. What begins as a short-term fling turns complicated as the professional legality of their personal relationship is questioned.

This was a fun take on Pride & Prejudice. Many things were taken straight out of the classic Austen novel and others gave the story a modern makeover. There’s lots of sex, which is why I chose the excerpt I did above. If you don’t want to read many more pages like that then this might not be the book for you. There was real chemistry between Darcy and Elizabeth and I really liked both of the characters. And I enjoyed the expanded role of Caroline Bingley, even if she was hot after Darcy. My only small complaint was that what was keeping Darcy and Elizabeth apart was not serious enough for it to last as long as it did. The book could have been shorter and been better, in my opinion. But it was light and funny and I enjoyed going back to Pemberley.

This is from my personal library and was chosen by Heather and Linda. Here’s what they had to say…

“It’s hilarious, fun, and very entertaining!” Heather

“This one just looks really fun. I don’t have a copy and would love to read it. Feel free to host a giveaway of this one when you’re done!” Linda

The Book of Unholy Mischief, by Elle Newmark

January 20, 2010January 20, 201018 Comments

Finished audio 1-12-10, rating 3.5/5, fiction. pub. 2008

Luciano is a penniless orphan living on the streets of 1498 Venice, Italy. He has a pet cat, a friend Marco, and an unrequited love named Francesca. One day he is plucked off the street by the head chef at Doges Palace and given a place to sleep, food to eat and a job in the kitchen. He is grateful to the chef, Maestro Ferrero, and resists pleas from Marco to steal and search for clues to a sought after book of alchemy. Everyone n Venice is looking for this book that contains the secrets of wealth, health and long life and there are some who think maestro might know about it.

Maestro Ferrero can alter the emotions and moods of the people who eat his beautiful and exotic dishes. By watching the head chef, Luciano yearns to become a master chef and learn to use food as his maestro does. Maestro takes Luciano under his wing and trust is built, only Marco wants to destroy that loyalty to find the book and tempts Luciano at every turn.

I love Venice and this book took me back to the palace, canals, gondolas, and food. I really felt transported, even if this takes place in 1498 and we were there in 2008 (a few photos here). I think Newmark captures the atmosphere perfectly and her descriptions of the fine food made me want to study cooking myself. The story itself was good. There were many twists and turns and I never knew what was going to happen next, so it was a success. I thought the ending was okay, but not great. I will read anything that takes me back to Venice and this didn’t disappoint. A very fine debut novel.

I borrowed this audio book from the library.

The Husband, by Dean Koontz

January 16, 2010January 13, 201015 Comments

Finished 1-9-09, rating 3.5/5, fiction, pub. 2006

The kidnapper said, “Just so you’ll know we’re serious…”

After a silence, Mitch asked. “What?”

“See that guy across the street?”

Mitch turned and saw a single pedestrian, the man walking the slow dog. They had progressed half a block.

The sunny day had a porcelain glaze. Rifle fire shattered the stillness, and the dogwalker went down, shot in the head.

Chapter 1

Mitch is a landscaper with his own small business and a wife he loves. He is a content man until he receives a phone call that his wife has been kidnapped and he must come up with a $2 million ransom in three days or she’s dead. Mitch is at a loss and as the hours tick by it becomes clear that the kidnappers have set him up in case anything goes wrong. When Mitch approaches his older brother, Anson, things begin to get complicated and Mitch is scared for more than Holly’s life, he’s terrified for his own. Mitch’s life becomes clear as the nightmare continues and he finds himself turning into a person he scarcely knows. How far will he go to rescue the love of his life and will it be enough?

Mitch has some of the strangest parents I’ve read about and they were fascinating. As was his brother Anson. They may have been my favorite parts of the book. The story moved along at breakneck speed and I was interested, but not involved. Mitch as the modest every man was compelling, but I guess the story felt like it’s been told before and I was expecting more from Koontz. It was good, but not great. Thriller lovers will be happy.

This was from my personal library and I want to thank Debbie, Marce, and Jason for choosing it for me. Here’s what Debbie had to say… “I’ve heard really good things about it and love his books.”

The Christmas Box, by Richard Paul Evans

December 20, 20095 Comments

Finished 12-20-09, rating 3.5/5, fiction/novella, pub. 1993

“Tell us, Richard, which of the senses do you think are most affected by Christmas?”

I looked over a t Keri. “The taste buds,” I said flippantly. Keri rolled her eyes.

“No. I take it back. I would say the sense of smell. The smells of Christmas. Not just the food, but everything. I remember once, in grade school, we made Christmas ornaments by poking whole cloves into an orange. I remember how wonderful it smelled for the entire season. I can still smell it. And then there’s the smell of perfumed candles, and hot wassail or creamy cocoa on a cold day. And the pungent smell of wet leather boots after my brothers and I had gone sledding. The smells of Christmas are the smells of childhood.”

Chapter IV

Rick, his wife and four-year old daughter move into a mansion in Salt Lake City to take care of an elderly lady, only she seems to need companionship more than anything else. Rick is just starting a new business and spends little time at home and when he does he is distracted by work. Mary, their host and employer, strives to show Rick what is really important.

I’m sure most people have read this. I put out my beautiful copy every Christmas. But here’s a confession – while I’ve faithfully displayed it every year for over a decade, until today it had remained unread. I know, I know, how is this possible? Well, I’m really not into sugary sweet stories that try too hard and I thought this to be the case with this short book. And then today I counted how many books I’ve read this year and discovered that I need to read four more to reach my goal of 130 by the end of the year. So, this book was read out of necessity.

This is a sugary sweet story that tries too hard, exactly as I expected. Only I didn’t mind. It didn’t take more than an hour to read and it put me in the Christmas spirit. Not the frantic wrapping/shopping kind, but the what Christmas is all about kind of spirit. I’m ready to finish up everything I need to do this week, only I’ll do it with a lot less stress.

I think if you have a copy in the house you should take an hour to read it again and be reminded that Christmas is what we make it.

You will choose 50 of the books I will read next year. If you help me you could win a $20 gift card to Barnes & Noble. Go here to vote. (Right now there is a tie for the top vote getter between A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving and She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb)

Scandalous Love, by Brenda Joyce

December 13, 20094 Comments

Finished 12-9-09, rating 3.5/5, historical romance, pub. 1992

“You are the one with no morals, you are the one who would stop at nothing to get what you want.”

Anger flared. “Wrong. I warned you not to return here, and you did so at your own risk. If you did not come back for what I can give you, then why did you return?”

She gasped, crimson color suffusing her cheeks. “How arrogant you are! I came back to tell you what I think of you now that I know the truth!”

Chapter 4

Nicole Bragg is a free-spirited lady living in relative seclusion in Victorian England after she had the audacity of crying off of her wedding. On her wedding day. The scandal has ruined her reputation, but not her independence. When a rival practically dares her attend a party for the Duke of Clayborough, she arrives and immediately catches the eye of the Duke. The Duke is looking for a mistress, Nicole a husband. Nicole always seems to make the situation worse and the Duke is charmed by it.

I love historical romances when they are done well. I like romance and sexual tension and don’t need sex described to me in detail every other chapter and I can always count on Brenda Joyce to provide a comfort read for me. The first half of this one was great and I loved getting lost in it, but he second half not so much. Nicole never seemed to stop making stupid choices and the Duke turned very stuffy, ruining a great romance for me. This is still an above average historical romance, but it did have the potential to be so much better.

This was from my personal library.

When Christmas Comes, by Debbie Macomber

December 9, 20096 Comments

Finished 12-7-09, rating 3.5/5, romance, pub. 2004

Why, oh why, couldn’t her sons be like her friends’ children, who were constantly causing them heartache and worry? Instead, she’d borne two sons who had to be the most loving interest sons on God’s green earth, but… The problem was that they didn’t understand one of the primary duties of a son-to provide his parents with grandchildren.

Chapter 6

Emily is a widow and the prospect of spending Christmas without her daughter is too much to bear. Charles is a college professor who wants to avoid Christmas at all costs. The two strangers agree to switch houses for two weeks. Emily is headed to Boston to surprise her daughter and Charles to Washington state to finish writing the textbook he’s working on.

Emily’s daughter is not happy to see her mother and Charles is horrified to find himself stuck in a small town that adores all things Christmas. Both face disappointment and surprise and discover that trading places may have been the best thing for them.

This is a sweet holiday romance. If you have seen the 2006 move The Holiday where Cameron Diaz and Kate Winslet switch houses you get the gist of the plot. I thoroughly enjoyed it for what it is and it did put me in the holiday spirit. There are no big surprises, but I loved Faith and Charles’s brother, Ray. Perfect light-hearted reading for this busy time of year.

I borrowed this book from my mom.

Stacy's Books

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Category: 3 1/2 Star Books