Review: Operation White Christmas by Nicki Edwards

Title:Operation White Christmas
Author: Nicki Edwards
Publisher: Momentum Books
Publication Date: December 17, 2015


Operation White Christmas: An Escape to the Country Novella by Nicki Edwards

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Christmas and romance seem to go very well together, and so it is with Operation White Christmas by Nicki Edwards. Holly is a young woman with a broken heart and a broken engagement, neither of which were a part of her plans for Christmas. Unable to obtain a refund for the purchase of her airline tickets, she decides to fly to what should have been her honeymoon destination, alone. And, thus begins operation White Christmas. Will it be a sad Christmas for her or will something magical happen?

This is a delightful novella filled with the bitter and sweet of life's circumstances, believable characters, and the promise of possibility. Rescue, a chance encounter and descriptions of beautiful scenery blend together to lift the reader's spirits.

I received and Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this digital book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



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Lynn's List (November 27, 2015)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• This New Ocean: The Story of the First Space Age by William E. Burrows
• A Fifty-Year Silence by Miranda Richmond Mouillot
• The Rising by Ryan D'Agostino
• The Room by Jonas Karlsson
• Brand Luther by Andrew Pettegree
• In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park
• The Wave by Todd Strasser
• Caught Off Guard by Kathryn Shay
• The Swimmer by Joakim Zander
• The Guns of the South: A Novel of the Civil War by Harry Turtledove
• Kissinger by Niall Ferguson
• Where Men Win Glory: The Odyssey of Pat Tillman by Jon Krakauer
• Plainsong by Kent Haruf
• The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf
• Chasing Windmills by Catherine Ryan Hyde
• Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy
• The Legal Limit by Martin Clark
• I'll Never Let You Go by Mary Burton
• Midwives by Chris Bohjalian
• Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling by Richard Lyman Bushman
• PT 109 by William Doyle
• Everywhere That Mary Went (Rosado and Associates #1) by Lisa Scottoline
• The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan
• Watergate by Thomas Mallon
• Dangerous Territory: An Alpha Ops novella by Emmy Curtis
• A Slice of Heaven by Sherryl Woods
• A Big Sky Christmas by William W. Johnstone and J. A. Johnstone
• The Ledge by Jim Davidson and Kevin Vaughan
• The Ambassador's Wife by Jennifer Steil
• Losing Our Way by Bob Herbert
• The Cinderella Murder by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke
• All Dressed in White by Mary Higgins Clark and Alafair Burke
• Judgment Calls (Samantha Kincaid, Book 1) by Alafair Burke
• Missing Justice (Samantha Kincaid, Book 2) by Alafair Burke
• Close Case (Samantha Kincaid, Book 3) by Alafair Burke
• The Fate of Katherine Carr by Thomas H. Cook
• Winter's Camp by Jodi Thomas
• Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas
• The Secret Life of CeeCee Wilkes by Diane Chamberlain
• Coal River by Ellen Marie Wiseman
• Murder on the Last Frontier by Cathy Pegau
• The March by E. L. Doctorow
• The Alibi Man by Tami Hoag
• Flags of Our Fathers by James Bradley and Ron Powers
• The Strangler by William Landay
• Gone by Jonathan Kellerman
• Obsession by Jonathan Kellerman
• See No Evil by Allison Brennan
• Speak No Evil by Allison Brennan
• The Prey by Allison Brennan
• The Kill by Allison Brennan
• The Hunt by Allison Brennan
• The Taking by Dean Koontz
• Carry Me Home by Sandra Kring
• Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend by Alison Leslie Gold

Thanksgiving, 2015

Wishing all of you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving filled with good fellowship and delicious food--and of course, good books too.

Thank you for being regular readers of this blog, and I hope reading continues to bring you joy, as it does me.

Review: The Yosemite Murders by Dennis Mcdougal

Title: The Yosemite Murders
Author: Dennis Mcdougal
Publisher: The Random House Publishing Group (A Ballantine Book)
Publication Date: January 4, 2000


The Yosemite Murders by Dennis McDougal

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


True crime books are always sad and unnerving, and The Yosemite Murders by Dennis Mcdougal is no exception. Carole Sund, Juli Sund, Silvina Pelosso and Joie Armstrong were victims of murder in Yosemite National Park during 1999. Dennis Mcdougal tells their stories and chronicles the investigation by California and Federal authorities in riveting detail.

I followed this case closely in the media as it unfolded, but it was not until I read this book that I took the time to reflect on the profound and lasting tragedy of these murders. The victims of this crime are not just those who were murdered. Their families, friends and those who knew them, as well as the perpetrator's family, are profiled, and the reader is given a real sense of the scope of these crimes.



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Review: One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

Title: One Step Too Far
Author: Tina Seskis
Publisher: HarperCollins


One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


A woman who some might think has everything decides to leave her old life behind and begin a new one--just like that--by walking out of her old life and into a new one. But their are always consequences for the decisions of life, and Emily Coleman, though she left her old life, cannot escape the consequences of her actions.

One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis is rich in emotional detail, psychological suspense, and will keep the reader hanging on every word until the final page. What happens to Emily? The author takes the reader through many facets of Emily's life, and it is not until the final page that the reader knows all and understands Emily's experiences for what they are.

I enjoyed this book more as I got to know Emily better. And it made me think some about my own life--times when I've wondered what it might be like to begin again--if that is ever really possible.



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Lynn's List (November 20, 2015)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting. Happy reading!

• The Dead of Summer by Tiina Nunnally and Mari Jungstedt
• Long Way Back to the River Kwai by Loet Velmans
• The Longest Winter by Alex Kershaw
• Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts
• Three Fates by Nora Roberts
• The Fall of Berlin 1945 by Antony Beevor
• The Killer Next Door by Alex Marwood
• No Greater Valor by Jerome Corsi
• Isabella by Kirstin Downey
• Deep Freeze by Lisa Jackson
• The Martian's Daughter: A Memoir by Marina and Von Neumann Whitman
• Gerald R. Ford: An Honorable Life by James Scott Cannon
• Soft Target by Mia Kay
• One Breath Away by Heather Gudenkauf
• One Step Too Far by Tina Seskis
• As Close As Sisters by Colleen Faulkner
• Devil Dead by Linda Ladd
• By Order of the President by W.E.B. Griffin
• The Lost Bird by Margaret Coel
• Long Time Gone by J. A. Jance
• Killing a King: The Assassination of Yitzhak Rabin and the Remaking of Israel by Dan Ephron
• The Covenant (Abram's Daughters Series, #1) by Beverly Lewis
• The Betrayal (Abram's Daughters Series, #2) by Beverly Lewis
• The Sacrifice (Abram's Daughters Series, #3) by Beverly Lewis
• The Prodigal (Abram's Daughters Series, #4) by Beverly Lewis
• The Revelation (Abram's Daughters Series, #5) by Beverly Lewis
• Angel Patriots by Alexander T. Riley
• Helen Keller by Kim E. Nielsen
• The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood
• Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama
• Murderous Contagion by Mary Dobson
• Keep the Home Fires Burning by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
• A Christmas Killing by Richard Montanari
• Don't Turn Around by Michelle Gagnon
• Rock of the Marne by Stephen L. Harris
• The Liberator by Alex Kershaw
• American Icon by Bryce G. Hoffman
• Bridge of Spies by Giles Whittell
• Minute Zero by Todd Moss
• Marilyn Monroe by Barbara Leaming
• Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian
• My Father's Daughter by Jeff Coplon and Tina Sinatra
• Black Out by Lisa Unger
• 740 Park: The Story of the World's Richest Apartment Building by Michael Gross

Review: Midnight Voices by John Saul

Title: Midnight Voices
Author: John Saul
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Publication Date: March 4, 2003


Midnight Voices by John Saul

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Caroline and her children experience a terrible tragedy, and just when they think their lives are changing for the better, they find their very survival at risk. What is happening? Is it real? What to do about it? All of these questions need answers.

This book is one that will keep you awake at night, and is not a read for those who prefer a traditional tale of romance with a little danger mixed in for excitement. This read is similar to Stephen King and more.

Midnight Voices by John Saul is one of those books I wasn't sure why I was reading it, yet, I couldn't stop once I began. A friend of mine read it, so I decided to give it a try. Horror is not a genre I read frequently. However, I do think I will read more of Mr. Saul's books in the future.



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Review: What the Heart Remembers (Memory House Collection #3) by Bette Lee Crosby

Title: What the Heart Remembers (Memory House Collection #3)
Author: Bette Lee Crosby
Publisher: Bent Pine Publishing
Publication Date: November 17, 2015


What the Heart Remembers by Bette Lee Crosby

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Max Martinelli is stuck. Her professional life is an architect is slowly moving forward, though not at a pace she would prefer, but her personal life has been in limbo for the past three years, ever since she returned from Paris, where she fell in love with Julien, and thought he would follow her to the United States when she returned home from her junior year of college. They have had no contact, so she decides to return to Paris to find him.

Will Max find things as they were, three years ago, or will Paris seems like a different place altogether? Things are not always what you remember them to be. This book explores what the heart remembers and the reality of life as they come together, taking various twists and turns along the way. As in real life, What the Heart Remembers has some surprises for the reader as Max's adventures unfold, as do some adventures for her concerned friends at home.

I received and Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this digital book from the author in exchange for an honest review.



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Lynn's List (November 13, 2015)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting.

• The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
• The Marriage Game by Alison Weir
• If You Could See Me Now by Peter Straub
• Sharon Tate by Ed Sanders
• Suspicion Series by Barbara Parker
1. Suspicion of Innocence
2. Suspicion of Guilt
3. Suspicion of Deceit
4. Suspicion of Betrayal
5. Suspicion of Malice
6. Suspicion of Vengeance
7. Suspicion of Madness
8. Suspicion of Rage
• The Other Side: A Memoir by Lacy M. Johnson
• The Murder Road by Stephen Booth
• Misfit by Adam Braver
• Welcome to Paradise by Anderson Tepper, Lulu Norman, and Mahi Binebine
• Possum Living: How to Live Well Without a Job and with (Almost) No Money (Revised Edition) by David Gates and Dolly Freed
• They Thought They Were Free by Milton Mayer
• Lisa Jackson's The Abandoned Box Set by Lisa Jackson
• The Life and Death of Lauren Conway by Lisa Jackson
• The Cutting Edge by Linda Howard
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
• A Good Woman by Danielle Steel
• Southern Lights by Danielle Steel
• Until the End of Time by Danielle Steel
• Paul Newman by Shawn Levy
• Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, Terry Tempest Williams, and T. H. Watkins
• Miracle in the Andes by Nando Parrado
• Beautiful Lies by Lisa Unger
• The Color of Law by Mark Gimenez
• When They Come for Us, We'll Be Gone by Gal Beckerman
• Helter Skelter: The True Story of the Manson Murders by Vincent Bugliosi and Curt Gentry
• The Thousand-Year Flood byDavid Welky
• The Challenger Launch Decision: Risky Technology, Culture, and Deviance at NASA by Diane Vaughan
• The Pontecorvo Affair: A Cold War Defection and Nuclear Physics by Simone Turchetti
• Jillian Hart Buttons and Bobbins Box Set by Jillian Hart
• Beloved by Toni Morrison
• Front Runner: A Dick Francis Novel by Felix Francis
• The Ice Storm by Rick Moody
• The MacGruder Brothers Boxed Set by Diana Cosby
• The Blossom Sisters by Fern Michaels
• Billy Joel by Fred Schruers
• Seagrass Pier by Colleen Coble
• Midnight Voices by John Saul
• Backroom Boys by Edward Smithies

Review: The Locket by B.G. Cousins

Title: The Locket
Author: B.G. Cousins
Publisher: Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
Publication Date: November 30, 2015


The Locket by B.G. Cousins

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


The Locket by B.G. Cousins takes place just after World War I at a time when the world is in term oil, and various factions are attempting to gain control in Russia. Captain Robert Rainey and Lieutenant Jeremy Clark served together during the war, and were brought together because of a locket that Jeremy Clark's sister, Elizabeth, had given him before he went off to war. This is the story of what happened to these people and that locket as they embark on a secret mission that moves from Europe to the United States, Russia and back again. It is a story replete with adventure, treachery, heroism, and romance. It offers bravery, cowardice and many unexpected twists and turns that will keep the reader turning the pages to see what happens next.

I enjoyed this book so much because of the characters physical and emotional struggles, and the many life and death decisions circumstances forced upon them. Though this work is fiction, it provided great historical perspective of that time just after WWI; a time I know little about. This book should satisfy readers of historical fiction and, at the same time, feed that romantic part of the reader's soul.

I received and Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this digital book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



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Review: Show Time by Phil Harvey

Title: Show Time
Author: Phil Harvey
Publisher: Lost Coast Press
Publication Date: April 2, 2012


Show Time by Phil Harvey

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Would you be willing to participate in a reality TV show with six other people you did not know, and agree to spend seven months on an island with them where you would be tested physically, emotionally, and your very survival was in question? This is what Phil Harvey writes about in his fictional account called Show Time! The characters in this work are complex, flawed and all too real. For that I applaud his efforts. People will do almost anything for money, it seems, and the network is consumed with the show's ratings. I found myself questioning the humanity of the characters more and more as I read. The characters faced extreme conditions. Cold, hunger, loneliness, emotional term oil, and fear.

I found this book very disturbing, and I would not recommend it to anyone who does not wish to read material containing sexual content, violence or human depravity. The themes in this work are adult.

I received and Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this digital book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



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Lynn's List (November 6, 2015)

Each Friday I publish a list of titles I have come across, during the past week, that I find interesting.

• The Surgeon (Rizzoli and Isles #1) by Tess Gerritsen
• The Accidental Diarist: A History of the Daily Planner in America by Molly Mccarthy
• The Partner by John Grisham
• The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town by John Grisham
• Beyond a Misty Shore by Lyn Andrews
• Worth the Fall by Claudia Connor
• Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain
• The Cat Who Went to Paris by Peter Gethers
• Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital by Sheri Fink
• The Sea by John Banville
• Active Liberty by Stephen Breyer
• Looking for Strangers: The True Story of My Hidden Wartime Childhood by Dori Katz
• Circling the Sun by Paula Mclain
• Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko
• The Gemini Contenders by Robert Ludlum
• The Rainmaker by John Grisham
• When the Killing's Done by T. C. Boyle
• Black Hills by Nora Roberts
• "The President Has Been Shot!": The Assassination of John F. Kennedy by James L. Swanson
• The Complete Gillian Flynn by Gillian Flynn
• The Color Purple by Alice Walker
• Custer's Last Stand: The Unfinished Manuscript by Norman Maclean
• As It Was: A Memoir by Robert M. Pennoyer
• Liberated by Steve Anderson
• Rescuing Riley, Saving Myself by Pete Nelson and Zachary Anderegg
• The Battle for Leyte Gulf by Evan Thomas and C. Vann Woodward
• Heinrich Himmler by Heinrich Fraenkel and Roger Manvell
• Reluctant Hero by Michael Benfante and Dave Hollander
• Fragile by Lisa Unger
• Worth the Risk by Claudia Connor
• Slaughterhouse Five or the Children’s Crusade: A Duty-Dance with Death by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
• First Love Again by Kristina Knight
• The Guest Cottage by Nancy Thayer
• Summer House by Nancy Thayer
• Nantucket Sisters by Nancy Thayer
• Bone by Fae Myenne Ng
• Mr. Lincoln's Army by Bruce Catton
• Glory Road by Bruce Catton
• The Girl From the Train by Irma Joubert
• Not Tonight: Migraine and the Politics of Gender and Health by Joanna Kempner
• The Washingtons by Flora Fraser
• This Gulf of Fire by Mark Molesky
• He Killed Them All by Jeanine Pirro
• Esther by Rebecca Kanner
• Truly by Ruthie Knox
• A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson
• The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean
• Ruby by Cynthia Bond
• A Certain Justice by P. D. James
• Sister by Rosamund Lupton
• Miracle by Danielle Steel
• Prior Bad Acts by Tami Hoag
• Beach Music by Pat Conroy
• Someone Is Watching by Joy Fielding
• The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines
• Now or Never by Elizabeth Adler
• Crusade for Justice: The Autobiography of Ida B. Wells by Ida B. Wells
• Redemption Bay by Raeanne Thayne
• Sinful by Joan Johnston
• Countdown to Zero Day by Kim Zetter
• Custody by Nancy Thayer
• Angels in My Hair by Lorna Byrne
• Deception by Jonathan Kellerman
• One Day at a Time by Danielle Steel
• Redeployment by Phil Klay
• Behind Closed Doors by Susan Lewis
• Winter at the Door by Sarah Graves
• Dangerous by Patricia Rosemoor
• The Story of My Life by Clarence S. Darrow
• A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott

Review: Whistling Women A Novel by Kelly Romo

Title:Whistling Women A Novel
Author: Kelly Romo
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Publication Date: November 17, 2015

Whistling Women: A Novel by Kelly Romo

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


After the death of her parents followed by time in an orphanage, Addie Bates presumed her life would be much happier living with her older sister in California, but it wasn't to be. As a result, she fled to a nudist colony and lived there until, many years later, circumstances forced her to confront her past life, head on.

Whistling Women is Addie's story, along with that of her sister and two nieces. Kelly Romo tells the story in great detail, revealing multi-faceted characters, warts and all. Addie, her sister and nieces have to come to terms with both wanted and unwanted circumstances, changes and consequences that life imposes.

The subject matter presented in this book is not one for young readers or readers who find discussion of incest and murder totally abhorrent. However, those issues are not the primary focus of the book. The focus is on desperate actions, their consequences, forgiveness, and the ultimate coming together of a family. Each character experiences that process from a unique perspective, and the hardship is not glossed over, but is presented in real life detail so as to make the human drama seem very real and poignant.

I received and Advance Reader Copy (ARC) of this digital book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.



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