Book Binge

Judith's review of Bring Me Home For Christmas (Virgin River #16) by Robyn Carr

This year, Becca Timm knows the number one item on her Christmas wish list—getting over Denny Cutler. Three years ago, Denny broke her heart before heading off to war. It's time she got over her silly high-school relationship and moved on.

So she takes matters into her own hands and heads up to Virgin River, the rugged little mountain town that Denny calls home, as an uninvited guest on her brother's men-only hunting weekend. But when an accident turns her impromptu visit into an extended stay, Becca finds herself stranded in Virgin River. With Denny. In very close quarters.

As the power of Christmas envelops the little town, Becca discovers that the boy she once loved has become a strong and confident man. And the most delicious Christmas present she can imagine.

I feel it important to state right off the bat that I am a confirmed Virgin River lover.  Every time I finish one of these books I have this persistent desire to find a place where these characters actually exist so that I can be a part of their lives.  For whatever reason, these novels really speak to my heart.  This holiday story is no exception.

 Both the main characters are people who have endured pain and brokenness in varying degrees.  Becca has struggled for three years to move past the broken heart, the questions, the sense of not really knowing how this all came about when Denny moved away from her emotionally and without her even knowing it, re-enlisted in the Marine Corp and was almost immediately sent to Afghanistan.  Yes, his mother's death was terrible and ripped his heart out.  But the one person he didn't turn to was Becca, the woman he claimed to love and wanted to marry.  Instead, he shut down and then he was gone, without a word for over two years.  When he returned Becca's anger was significant and she told him to get lost.  Enter Doug, a UCLA law student who is smooth, good looking, from old Boston money, and he wants to marry her.  Yet the old love, the old hurts, the old memories of Denny just won't go away.

There there is Denny, a young man who took Becca at her word and "got lost" as ended up in Virgin River, largely because his mother had told him that Jack Sheridan was his dad.  As it turns out (and you can read about that in a previous novel), Jack was not his dad, but Denny found in Jack the kind of man he would have wanted as a parent and their relationship was strong and close.  He has made a place for himself and is on his way to putting down even deeper roots when Becca shows up with her twin brother--Denny's best friend--and two other guys with whom Denny had been planning an all-guys week of hunting and fly fishing.  Their initial encounter didn't go well, neither did the following day as which time Becca jumps out of Denny's truck, twists her leg, and ends up with a shattered ankle which required surgical pinning.  The added time she was required to spend in Virgin River was initially upsetting and yet, whose to know if it was providential.

This is a story that will seem "sappy" to some and yet it has about it the kind of sense that these two people really needed to talks out their break-up and resolve the questions that were in both their heads.  It is also an in-depth look at a community that is striving to survive and thrive in the midst of a very harsh economy and which is already the kind of town that looks out for everyone.  By virture of their remote location, they must rely on one another more than many communities, and as Christmas is approaching, their sense of needing to "be there" for one another is even more keen.  It is also a look into Becca's family dynamic, her relationship with her twin brother, her need to be a person in charge of her own destiny, and how she deals with the pressures from family and friends over the issues in her personal life.  There is also the sense that the needs of the Virgin River family begin to help both Denny and Becca to sort out who they really are and to identify the path they must each travel in the future.  Sappy it may seem on the surface, but I think there are some weighty issues involved in this novel that are relevant to how we all live and how we perceive ourselves and others.

This may be a story that is wedded to the holiday season as its context, but I think it is one that is timely no matter the time of year.  It is one that I really enjoyed and think it is full of value and substance.

I give it a rating of 4.5 out of 5

You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.

This book is available from Mira. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Tracy’s review of One Wicked Night by Kelly Jamieson

Ten years ago, Kaelin Daume spent a steamy summer home from college secretly hanging out with town bad boy Tyler Wirth and his best friend Nick Kernsted. The connection was warm, complicated, and came to a crashing end when she walked in on her two forbidden friends with another woman. The shocking scene of sex and bondage has haunted her boring, oh-so-vanilla life ever since.

The fallout from that night tore Tyler’s life apart. He left Mapleglen, disowned and disgraced, to build a successful advertising career and a unique relationship with Nick. Nothing could bring him back except his sister’s wedding, and he plans to hightail it back to Chicago as soon as it’s over. At least one good thing hasn’t changed: Kaelin is as sweet as ever. Except she doesn’t seem too thrilled to hear it.

As tensions run high, Kaelin can’t resist the temptation to commit one crazy act of rebellion. Once the web of secrets, sins and lies starts to unravel, though, their lives will never be the same…

Tyler Wirth and his friend Nick have returned to Mapleglen for Tyler’s sisters wedding. He hasn’t been back to his hometown in 10 years and he’s not sure he wants to be there now. He loves his sister but the town and his parents make things extremely stressful for him. Kaelin Daume, who Tyler has had a thing for for years doesn’t make it any easier. Sure, she’s nice and sweet but he knows that he’s no good for her so he tries to keep his distance.

Kaelin is trying to help her best friend with her wedding but she keeps thinking about Tyler and Nick. She takes the opportunity that she’s given the night before the wedding and decides to make the move with the two men. She initiates a threesome and the boys are more than happy to play along. The emotions run high and the sex is hotter than hot but shit hits the fan when they’re found out. Kaelin is considered a good girl and doesn’t want her reputation to head into the toilet but she also doesn’t want Tyler blamed for doing something that was consensual. Eventually Kaelin has to take matters into her own hands and break out of the good girl mode.

This book had a few things happening all within its pages. First we had the relationship between Nick and Tyler. It was something that had started in high school and had continued for the past 10 or 12 years between the two men. What started out as the desire to have more sex (in between girls) and to piss off Tyler’s parents, had grown into something else – at least on Nick’s side of it. Tyler was of the mind that he wasn’t good enough for anyone so he wouldn’t let himself actually see the relationship that they had together for what it truly was. Despite their close ties they both dated women as well and even had a few threesomes.

Tyler’s relationship with his parents was on the skids. Because of the event that had happened 10 years prior they had had basically no contact with their son. Tyler’s mom wanted everything to be wonderful for the wedding weekend. She had visions of the family coming together and everything being perfect.  She was actually quite proud of her sons accomplishments but because they couldn’t manage to have a civil conversation those word of pride were never spoken. With the parents it was always about how things looked and since Tyler was one to never be good when he could be bad they just didn’t mesh.

Then there was the tension in Tyler's parents relationship. I have to admit that this part of the story seemed a bit odd to me. They had been married for years but the wife was unhappy. I understand that it showed even more tension between the parents and that translated to tension with Tyler but I just didn’t think it really added to much to the story and kind of took away from the relationship with Tyler, Nick and Kaelin.

I did end up thinking that Nick kind of got the short end of the stick by the end of the book even though he was more than included in the relationship between the 3 main characters. Kaelin just felt like she wanted him but didn’t love him – maybe that would be something that would grow. IDK, the dynamics of the relationship seemed uneven to me and it made me pause to wonder if it was a true HEA. Despite that though I liked the story and would definitely read more from this author.

Rating: 3.75 out of 5

You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place


This book is available from Samhain Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Judith's review of Any Given Christmas (Sugar Shack #2) by Candis Terry

Dean Silverthorne’s mother may be dead, but she still has matchmaking to do.

When an injury dashes NFL Quarterback Dean Silverthorne’s Super Bowl dreams, he heads back to Deer Lick, Montana with a chip on his wounded shoulder, more determined than ever to get back in the game. He loves his kooky family, but this trip home is going to be a very brief Christmas visit.

His game plan doesn’t include an instant attraction to Emma Hart, a feisty kindergarten teacher who seems to be the only person in Deer Lick not interested in the hometown hero. Or his dearly departed mom popping up with mistletoe in hand and meddling on the mind. Now Dean can’t help but wonder if there’s more to love than life between the goal posts.

Christmas may have come and gone for 2011, but the very readable and enjoyable stories built around that holiday are still with us and still calling out to anyone who loves a good love story. Now, as the Super Bowl approaches, it is appropriate to review a story about an NFL quarterback who is at the top of his game with the arm candy he attracts and has been at the top of the heap for 12 years--that is, until a career ending tackle occurred in the Thanksgiving game against the Denver Broncos had severely injured his weak shoulder. Now he is back in Deer Lick, Montana, attending his youngest sister's wedding to the newest candidate for sheriff and the love of her life. He is still the hometown hero, and in Dean's inner being he is still convinced that he will heal and be as good as new for Spring training and summer football camp.

Now I know the blurb talks about Dean's dead mother who is a matchmaker, but in truth, Lettie Silverthorpe was much more of a "I've come back to finish up some unfinished business" kind of ghost. And she particularly liked to visit whenever one of her kids was driving her 20 year old rust-bucket Buick. The back seat was still filled with all her "stuff" and her kids couldn't seem to figure how to part with all the bits and pieces she had carted around in her "office on wheels." Now Dean is visited by a mother who had been dead for about five months and who was terribly troubled about her son, his understanding of himself apart from his identity as a sports superstar which was seriously in jeopardy along with his refusal to look at anything in the future apart from playing football. Dean's way of insuring that he never has a troubled marriage is to never marry. Supermodels and actresses aren't hanging around him to get a husband. They want his public to pay attention to them as well.

Fate seems to play a hand in many circumstances and so I would seem for Dean. One of his sister's bridesmaids catches his eye in a big way--certainly not hard and boney like some of his supermodel gals. She has curves in all the right place and she's soft like women should be. She wants absolutely nothing to do with him and the factor that seems to turn her off the most is that Dean simply doesn't remember her. As things go with Emma, that's just about the cardinal sin--being forgotten.

There is so much in this story that is noteworthy and there is most definitely not sufficient room to discuss all of it here. Suffice it to say that some of the characters that made an impressive appearance in Second Chance at the Sugar Shack are once again a part of the context in this tale and bring the warmth and human connections of this community to bear upon the story. This is also a look at the thoughts and struggles of a superstar athlete when real life begins to make itself felt. One very important positive about Dean: he has a heart for children and he deeply respects women. His parents loved each other to distraction and he knows that such is the kind of relationship he wants if he ever does find a woman who can tempt him to settle down. He wants to use his wealth to help people, and under all the glitz and putting football first in his life, Dean is a stand-up guy in so many ways.

I really enjoyed this book--no, that isn't exactly true. I loved this book and felt that I had become a silent presence in the town of Deer Lick, Montana, and a part of the lives of its citizens. I am looking forward to the third book in the series which will feature the middle sibling--a hard punching prosecutor in Chicago who may have the upper hand in her professional life, but I bet her mom will be having conversations with her in the back of the old Buick when it comes to the mess of a personal life. This may have a holiday theme, but it is a marvelous read for any time of the year. You owe it to yourself to read it.

I give it a rating of 4.75 out of 5


You can read more from Judith at Dr J's Book Place.


This book is available from Avon Impulse. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Holly's review of Welcome Home, Cowboy by Karen Templeton

He'd never really had a place to call his own…

But the broken-down ranch in front of him was the closest he'd ever come. Now, pregnant widow Emma Manning was struggling to keep it, her children and herself going. She could use a hand. Well, that was all burned-out musician Cash Cochran could spare.

He'd never had a woman to call his own, either…

 That was painfully obvious to Emma as soon as Cash knocked on her door. And though, with her ever-growing brood and her money pit of a ranch, she was the last woman on earth he could ever fall for, he was falling nevertheless. They both were.

But what would happen when they landed?

Karen Templeton became an auto-buy author for me a couple years ago. Since I first read her (Sybil made me do it) I've glommed her backlist and picked up every new release she's put out. Some I enjoy more than others, but I know I'll always get a good, solid story with her.

Cash Cochran lit out of town at 16 to escape his abusive father and found fortune and fame as a country and western singer. 20 years later he's back, hoping to deal with some of his demons.

I really liked how practical and plain spoken Emma was. She didn't mince words, or beat around the bush, she just told it exactly as it was. That was so refreshing.Cash had a lot of issues from his past to deal with, and I like that Templeton took her time with both characters.The kids were adorable. I liked the secondary characters and it was nice to see the other people of Tierra Rosa again.

The twist at the seemed to come out of left field. I understand it was needed to advance the story, but..something about it didn't sit right with me. Maybe it was the way everyone reacted to it that bothered me?

In the end I found this to be just as well written and engaging as all Templeton's novels. A recommended read.

4.25/5

This book is available from Silhouette Special Edition. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Avon Books Introduces New Discovery Tool Designed With Bibliophiles in Mind:
Stylized QR Codes Lead Romance Readers To a Mobi Site Love Match!

NEW YORK, NY, January 18, 2012 – In a culture where women increasingly appreciate the snap-and-go convenience of getting their information via mobi apps on their smart phones, Avon Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers and a leader in the romance category, has developed a convenient way for readers to access their monthly required romance reading. Avon’s just-launched mobi site, http://m.avonromance.com, links directly to an easy-to-browse, easy to click-and-buy online catalog. Beginning January 2012, all new Avon titles will include a QR code on the book covers linking romance readers to the Avon Romance mobi site.

Developed in response to reader requests, m.avonromance.com will feature information consumers want. Readers who have downloaded a QR code app on their smart phones can snap a photo of the Avon mobi code using the camera on their handheld devices. Readers can get information on favorite authors, newly released titles, backlist treasures, videos and multimedia content, easy click-to-buy links for print books and e-books, and special extras, such as value-priced e-book deals. Buy links direct readers to Amazon, B&N, Google, and Indie Bound.

Avon’s mobi site will provide an intuitive browsing experience. For example, a reader who accesses the site for more information about New York Times bestselling author Stephanie Laurens’ THE FALL OF ROGUE GERRARD will be able to search for comparable titles by clicking “search for similar titles.” The experience is a roulette wheel of fun – one never knows quite what the site may recommend, such as the bawdy, deliciously funny historical A TALE OF TWO VIKINGS by USA Today bestselling author Sandra Hill. The intent is to create additional awareness for frontlist titles, while keeping a treasure trove of backlist in a constant state of discovery and rediscovery.

Avon will continue to evolve the Avon Romance mobi site to include author videos and full social media integration, and always with the reader in mind.

Does this sound like something you'd use? I think it's pretty neat. Enjoy!