Ep. 81 - Burn & Never Return!

Ep. 82 - Getting de-Snakified!

Ep. 68 - Confessions of a Food Junkie

25.50 in Length

BOOK REVIEW- MAYBE IT'S YOU (CRISIS TEAM) by Candace Calvert

ER nurse Sloane Ferrell escaped her risky past―new name, zip code, job, and a fresh start. She’s finally safe, if she avoids a paper trail and doesn’t let people get too close. Like the hospital’s too-smooth marketing man with his relentless campaign to plaster one “lucky” employee’s face on freeway billboards.

Micah Prescott’s goal is to improve the Hope hospital image, but his role as a volunteer crisis responder is closer to his heart. The selfless work helps fill a void in his life left by family tragedy. So does a tentative new relationship with the compassionate, beautiful, and elusive Sloane Ferrell.

Then a string of brutal crimes makes headlines, summons responders . . . and exposes disturbing details of Sloane’s past.

Can hope spring from crisis?  AMAZON  5 STARS

This book faces some tough issues, some very adult ones. In the opening chapter, it became clear very quickly how much Sloan guarded her privacy.  No one got too close.   She stayed under the radar as much as she could. And she's got many good reasons why.  But as the book blurb says, Micah has other plans.  Sloan freezes Micah out as much as possible but she's still in the probationary days of being a new hire.   The book is good even with some of the intense issues and it gives glimpses of things to be revealed.  It was done skillfully like peeling an onion. But still managing to keep your attention.
I liked Micah, there is more to him than Sloan first thought.  And we get to see that he is not only NOT  a goody- two- shoes or a slick ad man but a deeply caring person with pain of his own.  Speaking of pain, Sloan had a truck load of it, the weights on her bad were heavy.  It's amazing that with all that, she still can care about the downtrodden.  As a nurse, she treats them with respect and care, no matter who they are.    There is an interesting cast of people, but not so many that it is hard to keep up.
This story also constantly surprised me.  Plenty of action, twists and turns along with a developing friendship/slow courtship between Sloan and Micah.  God will be mentioned in this story along with some prayer but if that bothers you, don't let it hold it back.  It was a darn good story and the parts about God were nicely woven in.
On a side note, I like how that the title, "Maybe it's you", came up in the story several times and showed why it made for a good title.

I liked the deeper insights into the Crisis Teams workings, its something that I never really thought about all that much.  After reading this book, I could begin to see how tough that job could be.  That it takes a special kind of person to do the job well; a calling even.  Micah mentioned several times that the biggest part of his job especially in the beginning of the death notification was "to listen".  The he offered other ways to help as things moved along.

I received a copy of this book via Tyndale Fiction, and this is my opinion of it.  I don't give 5 STARS lightly but this book definitely kept me involved.

BOOK REVIEW- HOW TO TRAIN YOUR HIGHLANDER by Christy English

Book 3 of 3 in Broadswords and Ballrooms (3 Book Series)

She's the Hellion of Hyde Park...

A foolproof plan to avoid marriage:
1. Always carry at least three blades.
2. Ride circles around any man.
3. Never get caught in a handsome duke's arms.

Wild Highlander Mary Elizabeth Waters is living on borrowed time. She's managed to dodge the marriage banns up to now, but even Englishmen can only be put off for so long...and there's one in particular who has her in his sights.

Harold Percy, Duke of Northumberland, is enchanted by the beautiful hellion who outrides every man on his estate and dances Scottish reels while the ton looks on in horror. The more he sees Mary, the more he knows he has to have her, tradition and good sense be damned. But what's a powerful man to do when the Highland spitfire of his dreams has no desire to be tamed...AMAZON  4 STARS

I really liked this book. It had great main characters.
Harold, the duke was called Harry through most of the book by Mary Elizabeth, so I think I will do the same.   His mother (the Duchess) , was an interesting person who I liked and added to the story. It cracked me up that Mary Elizabeth addressed her as, "Your Worship."   It had other funny moments too. Mary Elizabeth's mother added to the story too, although I didn't like her too much,  even after things came to the end. 

Harry and Mary Elizabeth's first meeting was funny and unorthodox.  Mary Elizabeth is an interesting mixture of a woman but she does have a way with most people and horses.  Harry was dubbed the "Reclusive Duke", but it was soon evident why.  It was tiring for him to be having people constantly scraping and bowing, and being "yes" people to him because of his title.  He wanted to be viewed as a person and that often changed when people heard who he was.  He was afraid the same thing would happen when the "Scots" group found it out.  He didn't need to worry about that, they didn't try to curry favor like others did.  Harry finds the longer he gets to know Mary Elizabeth the more he begins to understand her and her moods.  It was fun to watch Harry become more and more open and enjoying life more than he has before.  He has been lonely and shut off but Mary Elizabeth helps fling open that door. She begins to appreciate him more too but that doesn't mean its a slam dunk for their "relationship". Harry is going to have to work and work hard to make her his.  That was an adventure all on its own. 

There were several other good secondary characters as well, Mrs. Prudence, chaperone/companion to name one. Can't say I really liked her in this book though, too prissy.  Just another reminder of how few really understood Mary Elizabeth.  

This book "almost" made it all the way through as a clean read but there will be at least a couple sexual scenes.

I thought that the eBook cover was really attractive.  

BOOK REVIEW- THE KIDNAPPED CHRISTMAS BRIDE by Jane Porter

All he wants is a Christmas memory... 

Trey Sheenan has cultivated his reputation as Marietta’s resident bad boy, until one day he lets things go too far and he loses everything—his freedom, his fiance McKenna Douglas, and his infant son. 
McKenna has loved Trey since they were kids, but she’s had enough. When Trey is sent away for five years, McKenna is determined to do what’s right for her and baby TJ, which means putting her mistakes—namely Trey—behind her, and move on.
When Trey is released early, he returns to Marietta determined to beg McKenna’s forgiveness and become the father TJ needs him to be, only to discover that he’s too late. McKenna’s marrying local insurance agent Lawrence Joplin in a candlelight Christmas wedding.
Or is she?
Once again, Trey risks everything, but this time it’s for love….and the memory of one perfect Christmas together as a family.   AMAZON  3.5 STARS

Good story with a sorta hero, Trey. He was a good guy who made some bad choices.  And they cost him.  Big time. Most of the town saw Trey as trouble, most of his life and he kind of lived up to that reputation.   McKenna was the only one who saw deeper.  But she had finally got to the end of her rope and that's where we start the story with.  The struggle between Trey and McKenna was emotional and believable.  So was the little boy. T.J.  He's a lovable little firecracker, who was easy to like.  It was natural for him to crave his real father. 
And Trey loved him with everything he had in him.   If he couldn't have McKenna, he still wanted a close relationship with his son.  McKenna was confused but looking for for stable and secure.  She really was kind of lying to herself because just before the wedding she was getting cold feet.  She didn't think that was it, but time showed her that's exactly what it was.  
The only thing that I questioned was that there wasn't a confrontation of any kind over the "kidnapping" of the bride.  That seemed a bit strange.  
There is a H.E.A. coming though.  

BOOK REVIEW- CHRISTMAS ON MY MIND by Janet Dailey (A Cowboy Christmas)

The little town of Branding Iron, Texas, keeps an annual tradition that makes the holidays especially festive—the Cowboys’ Christmas Ball. But Sheriff Ben Marsden, busy with work, joint custody of his son, and caring for his aging mother, has no plans to attend.  Not until a pretty newcomer to his small town gets involved in the planning. Suddenly Ben finds himself wanting to keep a close eye on Jessica Ramsey, and not just because her relatives seem to be in jail more than out. He can tell the mysterious redhead has secrets in her past, but now that she’s bought a little fixer upper with her mom to start a bed and breakfast, the whole family’s turning over a new leaf. With the prospect of dancing and celebrating ahead, surely there’s time for everyone to unwind. Because this year, more than ever, Ben’s got Christmas—and loving—on his mind  AMAZON 3.5 STARS

Jessica's entrance into town was no going exactly as planned, but it was a bit dramatic.  I liked both of the main characters and Ethan, Ben's son.  There were several other secondary characters, who added interest to the story.  Both Ben's mom and Jessica's mom played their parts in the story.  Clara (Ben's mom) was steady, welcoming and loving.   Jess's mom Francine, was a basket case; but many of the reasons became pretty clear as the story goes on.   It hasn't been an easy road for Jess either but she's a tough little fighter, a survivor, so she just guts it up and works hard.  While I enjoyed how the writer showed how much work had to be done to whip things into shape on an old house, it also felt like some of the details went on a little bit too long.  Ben had some problems of his own; mainly with his ex-wife it had to do with time spent with his son.  She knew how to be nasty and abuse her position of power over the situation at times.   But Ethan was still a sweet, likable little boy who you can care about enough to hope for a good outcome between father and son.  The developing relationship between Jess and her mother seemed fairly realistic when you realized what Jess was taking on.  The romance, the genuine liking between Jess and Ben that was developing was sweet and steady.  The manage to work through the challenges of her past really well...after a while that it.
The story was fairly predictable at times, with a twist at the end that wasn't as predictable.
H.E.A. does come at the end with a Epilogue as well.

There is also an excerpt of another book at the end of the book,  Sunrise Canyon