#Review ~ The Family Gathering by Robyn Carr ~ @RCarrWriter

Review: 
The Family Gathering is my third trip to Sullivan's Crossing and a what wonderful visit it was. 

Dakota Jones arrives in Sullivan's Crossing to visit his brother, his sister, families. Dakota just isn't sure where his life is going or what he is going to do. A good taste of time with his family might just be what he needs to figure out his next step life. 

All the Jones siblings were brought up in a very unique family style. It's nice to see how each of the siblings has adjusted to life and what they have done with their lives. I love that this family sticks together through thick and through thin. They really do have each other's backs and are there if one of them needs a shoulder to lean on or an ear to lend along with a touch of advice. 

Poor Dakota finds himself the new available man in town and the women can smell the fresh meat. Poor Dakota has them coming at him from all directions. One is a chick he wants nothing to do with but just isn't taking his "I'm Not Interested" for no. She's a bit of an interesting twist to the story. I don't want to share too much so I'll let you read about this, umm, lady for yourself.

Then there is the one lady that Dakota finds interesting, attractive, funny, and just plain great. However, Sid just won't seem to take him up on that offer for dinner, or coffee, or anything really. He works his way into her good graces and their first date is unique. 

Sidney has been through a lot and it has not been easy. She's just not sure she wants to get involved with this handsome gentleman that keeps turning up at the bar and asking her for a date. Sid has a busy life tending the bar in her brother's bar and helping take care of her nephews. She's a strong independent lady that is working to keep her life even and hopefully uneventful. 

The more time that Sid and Dakota spend together that attraction grows and the more they find they truly do like to spend time together. I really enjoyed watching these two get to know each other better, watching them interact with each other's families, and watching their relationship bloom. 

There are moments of drama, family issues that are frightening and scary for all, a touch of heartbreak that had tears flowing, and this wonderful romance between Sid and Dakota. Ms. Carr has yet again written a page-turner of an emotional story that was impossible to put down. 

I enjoyed this visit to Sullivan's Crossing. I will be looking forward to seeing what Ms. Carr may have in store for us lucky readers next. 

I was given the opportunity to read this incredible story and it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you.

You may find more of my reviews on Robyn Carr's work here.

Amazon Buy Link

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About the Book: 
An exceptional storyteller, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr beautifully captures the emotionally charged, complex dynamics that come with being part of any family. Readers will laugh and shed a few tears as they discover what it means to be loved, supported and accepted by the people who mean the most.

Having left the military, Dakota Jones is at a crossroads in his life. With his elder brother and youngest sister happily settled in Sullivan’s Crossing, he shows up hoping to clear his head before moving on to his next adventure. But, like every visitor to the Crossing, he’s immediately drawn to the down-to-earth people and the seemingly simple way of life.

Dakota is unprepared for how quickly things get complicated. As a newcomer, he is on everyone’s radar—especially the single women in town. While he enjoys the attention at first, he’s really only attracted to the one woman who isn’t interested. And spending quality time with his siblings is eye-opening. As he gets to know them, he also gets to know himself and what he truly wants.

When all the Jones siblings gather for a family wedding, the four adults are drawn together for the first time in a way they never were as children. As they struggle to accept each other, warts and all, the true nature and strength of their bond is tested. But all of them come to realize that your family are the people who see you for who you really are and love you anyway. And for Dakota, that truth allows him to find the home and family he’s always wanted.

Amazon Buy Link

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About the Author: 

Robyn Carr is a RITA® Award-winning, eleven-time #1 New York Times bestselling author of almost sixty novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River series. The third novel (THE FAMILY GATHERING) in her fan-favorite new series, Sullivan's Crossing, will be released in April 2018. Robyn is a recipient of the Romance Writers of America Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award 2016 and in 2017, VIRGIN RIVER was named one of the HarperCollins 200 Iconic Books of the past 200 years. Robyn and her husband live in Las Vegas, Nevada. You can visit Robyn Carr's website at www.RobynCarr.com.

#Review Waco: A Survivor's Story by David Thibodeau with Leon Whiteson

I have to admit I wasn't sure this book would be my cup of tea before I started it. I like to take a step out of my reading comfort zone every now and then though. This book is so fascinating and full of suspense, drama, and details that I was completely engrossed from the first pages all the way to the end.

Let me tell you this book certainly changed my opinion on a how things happened in Waco in April 1993. There are so many things that happened to these poor innocent people that they should not have been done. My heart broke for all the children that lost their lives. 

Reading what happened from David Thibodeau's point of view shows so many things that were not made public during the time. Mr. Thibodeau shines the light on so many many things that were done that should not have happened. There were accusations against this group that were totally untrue. They were attacked without even trying to find a peaceful way to work with these people. 

Granted their leader David Koresh, did have some issues. Some of what he did, though, and passed on to his followers was fine and they really connected with him and his message. It sounds like on the whole he was very good to his followers and treated them well and like family. Some of his beliefs and the things he did were just wrong. He should have been investigated and taken into custody for some of those things.The government was trying to do that but they went about it in such a way that it hurt so many many more people that were innocent. They had done nothing wrong. The poor innocent children had no clue what was happening. They had been safe and well adjusted up until the first attack when they saw things they should have not to have seen.  So many lost their lives or suffered after they turned themselves in. My heart just breaks for all these people. 

So many more people could have survived if things had gone in different directions. I think a lot more people may have willing left sooner if they felt that they and their children were going to be safe. They were not convinced that they would be safe if they left. They feared for their lives and the lives of their children if they walked out. 

David Thibodeau has told his story of everything that he went through. His thoughts, his fears, and the thoughts he had along the way. This story has been really well written. I felt the heartbreak, the wonderment, the fear, and the confusion throughout the whole story. David had his moments that he wasn't sure he wanted to stay. Then there would be something that would strike him and he knew he was where he was supposed to be. I'm sure there were other's there that felt the same. 

Honestly, this story really reached out to me. My heart broke for so many, my thoughts on how things were handled completely changed. There had to have been more that could have been done without killing all those innocent people. If you have ever wondered what really happened within Waco in 1993 then you really truly need to read this story. It shines a light on so many different things that I had never heard of when this was happening or even after. It is certainly a page-turner of a story and one that I am so glad that I have read. 

I was given the opportunity to read this incredible story and it has been my great pleasure to share my thoughts with you. 

Amazon Buy Link 

#Review ~ Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne ~ @raeannethayne

Review: 
Are you a huge fan of Christmas books like me? Well if you are I have an awesome book that you have to grab now! It's Sugar Pine Trail by RaeAnne Thayne. I love all of RaeAnne Thayne's books because she is just fabulous, but her Christmas books always leave me with that special warm heart feeling. 

Julia Winston is s sweet, caring lady that has a job she loves as librarian of the Haven Point Library. She has recently rented out the apartment in the upstairs of her Victorian home to her friend's brother-in-law, Jamie Caine. Jamie is waiting for the finishing touches of his new condo so he has let his sister-in-law find him a place to rent for a short time. Jamie is busy flying his family, and other Caine Tech employees to meetings and holiday events with family. 

Julia discovers two little boys that are spending a lot of time in the library. She feels that something isn't quite right and she discovers these two little guys are in need of a home and love for the holidays. I don't want to tell you too much about this because it really is quite a story. I loved how Julia steps up and offers to care for these adorable little boys so they can be together. Davy and Clint are sweet little boys who have been through a lot and do a great job looking out for each other. 

The boys play a big role in Jamie and Julia getting to know each other better and spend way more time together. It was a great pleasure to watch these four interact together. Jamie is awesome with the boys and turns out to be a huge help to Julia. Julia finds herself falling for those sweet little boys and her handsome tenant. This is one of those books that you very well may want to grab the Kleenex box. There are a few moments where I needed to wipe my eyes to continue reading. This is one of those books that really touched the heart. I laughed, I cried, and I sat on the edge of my seat a time or two wondering how they were going to handle one situation or another. 

RaeAnne Thayne does such a fabulous job with her small town romance stories that it truly feels like visiting with friends, old and new. Sugar Pine Trail makes for a wonderful holiday trip to Haven Point. It was so great to catch up with everyone and see what has been happening in their lives since my last visit. It was nice to see everyone gathering for Thanksgiving and then again for Christmas. Snow Angel Cove is just the perfect place to celebrate Christmas. 

This is part of the Have Point Series however it will stand on it's own just fine. Each book stands on it's own just fine, however if you have read the previous books in the series you'll enjoy each one even more.

If you love Christmas books as much as I do then you really have to grab this one. I don't know if it can possibly get any better than a Christmas book from RaeAnne Thayne. 

I was given the opportunity to read this incredible story and it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you.

You may find more of my reviews on RaeAnne Thayne's books here. 

Sugar Pine Trail Amazon Buy Link 

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ABOUT SUGAR PINE TRAIL:

COZY UP WITH ANOTHER HEARTWARMING HOLIDAY ROMANCE IN HAVEN POINT

Fans of the wildly popular Haven Point series won’t want to miss SUGAR PINE TRAIL, the latest novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne. In this heartwarming holiday romance, unexpected attraction between two polar opposites might just make for the best match yet.

Haven Point librarian Julia Winston has spent most of her life taking care of other people. Now she’s 32 years old and feeling restless for the first time, banging around a big empty house with no one to share it with. In an effort to break free from her life of quiet complacency, Julia finds herself making a list of all the things she wants to do while she still has the chance—including getting a puppy, learning to ski, and kissing someone under the mistletoe. That someone, however, is most certainly not Jamie Caine, a military pilot who is temporarily renting a room in Julia’s home. Wary of Jamie’s blinding good looks and his reputation as the town’s resident heartbreaker, Julia puts up all her charm defenses, while the handsome pilot tries his best to steer clear of his mousy landlady (who, he has to admit, has some pretty stunning eyes).

But when Julia suddenly finds herself taking care of two young brothers in need, she and Jamie will come together to make an unforgettable holiday for the boys. Along the way, Jamie will learn that Julia has more spunk than she lets on, and Julia will realize that Jamie has more depth than she gave him credit for. Together, this unlikely pair will discover they have more in common than they ever imagined—all while fighting a powerful attraction that becomes more and more difficult to deny.

Set against a backdrop of mistletoe, lakeside lights, and Haven Point’s stunning snowy mountains, SUGAR PINE TRAIL makes for perfect winter reading this holiday season.

HQN Books
$7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN.
ISBN-13: 978-0373803682

Sugar Pine Trail Amazon Buy Link 

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About the Author: 
New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne loves words. Her love affair started as soon as she learned to read, when she used to devour anything she could get her hands on: cereal boxes, encyclopedias, the phone book, you name it! She loves the way words sound, the way they look on the page, and the amazing way they can be jumbled together in so many combinations to tell a story. 

Her love of reading and writing those words led her to a fifteen-year career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and editor.

Through it all, she dreamed of writing the kind of stories she loved best. She sold her first book in 1995 and since then she’s published more than 40 titles. Her books have won many honors, including three RITA® Award nominations from the Romance Writers of America and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. 

RaeAnne finds inspiration in the rugged northern Utah mountains, where she lives with her hero of a husband and their children. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com. 

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More Books in the Series:


Serenity Harbor Amazon Buy Link
My Review of Serenity Harbor


Snowfall on Haven Point
My Review of Snowfall on Haven Point


Riverbend Road Amazon Buy Link
My Review on Riverbend Road


Snow Angel Cove Buy Link 
My Review of Snow Angel Cover


Redemption Bay Buy Link 
My Review of Redemption Bay


 Evergreen Springs Buy Link 
My Review of Evergreen Springs

#SpotLight ~ THE SUMMER THAT MADE US By Robyn Carr ~ @RCarrWriter

The Summer that Made Us

by Robyn Carr

#1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Robyn Carr is back with THE SUMMER THAT MADE US, a powerful multi-generational story about mothers and daughters, sisters and cousins, and the ties that bind us together forever. Everyone has a summer they’ll never forget, and for the women of the Hempstead family, this has never been more viscerally true.   

For Louise and Jo Hempstead—sisters who married brothers and each had three daughters— summers at Lake Waseka were the happiest of times, filled with days of boating, swimming races, and the sound of children laughing. For years, the lake was the place where the women and their daughters loved each other the most. But when an unthinkable tragedy strikes in the form of an accidental drowning, the family closes up the lake house for good, never to return. 

Now, more than 25 years later, Louise’s daughter Meg is sick with cancer and enlists her sister, Charlene, to reopen the lake house and gather the family for one last summer at the lake. But years of pain and unspoken grief have pulled the Hempstead women in different directions, away from each other: Meg might be dying; Charlene is unexpectedly jobless; Hope is reckoning with the break-down of her marriage; Krista has just returned from a long prison sentence; Beverly is still traumatized by the drowning; and Louise and Jo haven’t been close in years.  

But blood is thicker than water, and Charlene hopes that time and family might be able to heal even the deepest wounds. In this beautifully woven story about the complexities of family dynamics and female relationships, return to the lake with the Hempstead girls for a season of healing, second chances, and finally making peace with the past. 

On Sale: September 5, 2017
Hardcover $26.99 U.S. / $29.99 CAN. 
ISBN-13: 978-0778331049 

Amazon Buy Link

***** Note from Crystal: I am working on my review now. Oh my goodness this was an incredibly story. Stay tuned for my review soon :)

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About the author:

Robyn Carr is an award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of more than 50 novels, including the critically acclaimed Virgin River and Thunder Point series, as well as highly praised women’s fiction titles such as Four Friends, What We Find, and The Life She Wants. 

Robyn has won a RITA Award from the Romance Writers of America, and in 2016 she was awarded RWA’s Nora Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award for her contributions to the genre. Her novels have been translated into 19 languages in 30 countries. 

Originally from Minnesota, Robyn now resides in Henderson, Nevada, with her aviator husband; they have two grown children. When she isn’t writing, Robyn puts her energy into community service: she has mentored a seniors’ memoir-writing group, attends book club chats in and out of state whenever possible, and is working with her local library on the Carr Chat Series, a program centered on fundraising and visiting author events that bring writers, their books, and the community together. 

#Review ~ Something Like Happy By Eva Woods ~ @inkstainsclaire

Something Like Happy

By Eva Woods

Review:
Something Like Happy is one of those books that grabs your attention and then takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride. Grab your box of Kleenex and settle in for a wonderful read. 

Annie has suffered horrible tragedies and she is just not able to pull herself back together to see the bright side of life. She is in a bad place emotionally. This poor lady is depressed and alone. She doesn't have any friends to support her. That is until she runs into a lady in the hospital that is beaming with happiness and only sees the sunshine in life. Polly and Annie see the world in two completely different lights.

Polly has received a horrible diagnosis. She has Cancer and only has a few months left to live. I have to say I admired Polly's courage. She such a sweet lady and has so much left that she wants to do. She decides to set out with a happy attitude and make every day special. She wants to do something fun each day for 100 days and she wants someone to help her do it. She chooses Annie to help her and shows up to ask for her help. Annie is hesitant at first. 

This is really quite a story. It hit on all the emotions. There is laughter and joy, tears and sadness. Then there is the deep friendship bond that forms quickly between Polly and Annie. This is a really good case of opposites attract. These two ladies that may have never met if it was not for illnesses become the best of friends in a short amount of time. 

This was a very emotional read for me having lost my husband a little over a year ago to Cancer. I know what it can do to the patient and the family. The toll is can take on them physically, mentally, and emotionally. Eva Woods has done such a great job with this book. If you enjoy a Women's Fiction book that is going to touch your heart then you need to grab this book. You better grab the Kleenex box too because you are going to need it a few times. 

Eva Woods has a great talent for telling a story packed full of emotions. She has created characters that easily become new friends to me as I read. She has added in family drama, relationship issues, tension between friends, illnesses and how they effect the patient and the family. She has done a wonderful job with telling this story that I think several people will easily relate to.

I was given the opportunity to read this incredible story and it has been my pleasure to share my thoughts with you.

Amazon Buy Link

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Blurb:

Inspired by the wildly popular #100HappyDays social media challenge, SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY is an emotional and profoundly moving new novel that asks the question: What would you do if you only had 100 days to live? What would you do if you had nothing left to lose? 

Annie is sleepwalking through life. After a series of tragedies upend her marriage and destroy the perfect life she had built for herself, Annie doesn’t believe her heart can be broken any further. Now she’s a 30something living in a run-down apartment with a roommate, working a boring 9-to-5 job, and looking after her hospital-ridden mother. She’s lost touch with her friends and isn’t interested in finding new people to care about. But Annie is okay with that and has resigned herself to a life of solitary binge-watching—after all, if you’ve already lost everything, you don’t have anything left to lose, right?  


But when she meets Polly—an impossibly cheerful and optimistic cancer patient—Annie’s worldview is turned on its head. From her colorful outfits to her bottomless generosity, Polly’s enthusiasm and zest for life could not be more at odds with Annie’s jaded cynicism. Because if terminal illness has taught Polly anything, it’s that in order to discover a rainbow, sometimes you have to put up with the rain. She also knows that time is short. Too short to waste a single day, which is precisely why she wants Annie to join her on a mission…to celebrate life, while she still has the chance. 

Together these two unlikely friends embark on the “100 Happy Days” challenge, with a goal of doing one happy thing each day for 100 days. The tasks are relatively simple: Smile at strangers. Give someone flowers. Be honest. Be silly. Let go. And while Annie is initially skeptical, she soon finds that days spent riding rollercoasters and dancing in fountains with Polly begin to mend her broken heart—even as the progression of Polly’s illness threatens to shatter it all over again. 


SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY contemplates what it means to be happy and challenges readers to embrace life in all its messiness—the ups and the downs, the love and the loss, the joys and the devastations. Because as Annie will discover, happiness—or something like it—is always possible. 

On Sale: September 2017
$26.99 U.S. / $29.99 CAN. 
Hardcover ISBN-13: 9781525811357 

Amazon Buy Link

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ABOUT EVA WOODS:
Eva Woods was inspired to write SOMETHING LIKE HAPPY after surviving her own brush with cancer and the breakdown of her marriage. Raised in a small village in Northern Ireland, Woods now lives in London, where she teaches creative writing and regularly contributes to Marie Claire UK, xoJane, and other publications. She writes crime fiction as Claire McGowan. 

Facebook | Twitter | Website

#SpotLight #QandA ~ SERENITY HARBOR By RaeAnne Thayne ~ @raeannethayne,

IS THERE REALLY SUCH A THING AS A LIFE-CHANGING KISS?

SERENITY HARBOR

Haven Point Series

By  RaeAnne Thayne 

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Q&A With RaeAnne Thayne 

Q: Katrina Bailey is the younger sister of Wynona and Marshall Bailey, and she’s a character we’ve seen glimpses of in previous books. What made you want to explore her story in more detail, and what makes her such a great heroine?

A: One of my favorite things about writing an ongoing series is having the chance to really dig deeply into everyone’s stories. I introduced Katrina in the previous books of Haven Point as a somewhat flighty young woman, obsessed with dating, who seemed to always pick the wrong guys. I knew there had to be more to her. In SNOWFALL ON HAVEN POINT, I created a plot where Marshall, Katrina’s brother, had to be in a circumstance where none of his family members could help him after he was hurt in a car accident. In one of those throwaway lines that I didn’t really think through at the time, I wrote something about Katrina being out of the country, trying to save the world. When I was trying to decide which character’s story to write next, I knew it had to be hers – mostly because I was dying to know what she had been up to! I loved learning all her secrets – especially discovering why she had always been rather obsessed with guys.

Q: Can you tell us a little about Bowie Callahan? Where did the idea for his character come from, and in what ways does he break the “handsome millionaire hero” stereotypes?

A: In order to make it harder for Katrina to resist him, Bowie had to represent everything she once thought she wanted – a guy who is rich, sexy, successful. He is also brilliant enough to completely intimidate Katrina, who struggled in school with learning disabilities. As she (and the reader!) begins to learn more about Bowie, she finds out there’s so much more to him than his outward layers. His childhood was tumultuous and uncertain, and everything he’s earned came from his own determination to be more. Bowie has this deep core of goodness and a hard-won sense of responsibility that make it impossible for him to turn his back on the young, needy half-brother he has just discovered. All those things make him perfect for Katrina!

Q: We picked up on some Jane Eyre vibes (minus the madwoman in the attic!) when the wealthy Bowie hires Kat to be a temporary nanny for his half-brother, Milo. Were you thinking about that at all while you were writing this book, and if not, what were some other things that served as inspiration for this story?

A: I wasn’t thinking specifically about Jane Eyre, though I’ve always loved the trope of the millionaire/nanny. I started reading Mills & Boon romances when I was about 11 or 12 and one of my early favorites (I can’t even remember the title or the author, to be honest) featured a storyline about a woman who helps the widowed hero’s young daughter walk again after a terrible accident. I found the whole thing deeply romantic and can remember regaling my best friend with the entire plot. Until you asked that question, I had completely forgotten the book and never realized how inspirational I must have found it!

Q: Not to give too much away, but this book features a pretty swoon-worthy first kiss. As a romance author, what would you say are the key elements for writing a perfect first kiss?

A: Oh, this is a hard one for me to answer, mainly because each “perfect first kiss” is perfect only for those two characters, in their unique circumstance. The requirements to make each first kiss in a book perfect vary as widely as the characters. They do have a few things in common. I love stoking that simmering tension that precedes that kiss until the hero and the heroine (and the reader!) can’t wait another moment for them to finally come together. Tentative, sometimes accidental touches, eyes meeting, that surge of awareness every time they are together. It’s so much fun to write, especially when the characters are fighting the inevitableness of that attraction with everything inside them!

Q: We have to ask, what’s next for you? Are you planning more Haven Point novels? If so, can you give us some hints about what readers can look forward to next?

A: I just finished the next book in the series, which is the long-awaited (and frequently requested) story of Jamie Caine! He is a sibling to many characters who appeared in my earlier Hope’s Crossing series and it was so much fun to once more bridge the two series. For some reason, readers really connected with him, and I’ve had many people ask me to write his book. It’s been on my mind for a long time, but I had to wait until I found the perfect heroine for him. I never would have expected quiet Julia Winston to be the perfect one for this sexy pilot but, as always, my characters love to prove me wrong. SUGAR PINE TRAIL comes out in October, and I really hope readers adore them together because I loved writing their book!

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About the Book: 

In New York Times and USA Today bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne’s newest book in her wildly popular Haven Point series, SERENITY HARBOR (HQN Books; on-sale July 2017), one kiss might be enough to change the course of three people’s lives.

Tech millionaire Bowie Callahan is about the last person that schoolteacher Katrina Bailey wants to work for. She’s only back in charming Haven Point for one month, just to see her sister get married, and then she’s heading back to Colombia where her teaching job, and someone special, are waiting. Not to mention, as far as Kat can see, Bowie is arrogant, entitled and not up to the task of caring for his young half brother, Milo. Milo, who is on the autism spectrum, may have just been dropped in Bo’s lap and sure, Bo is trying to do right by him, but it’s obvious that Bo’s job takes top priority. Or at least that’s what Kat thinks. So when Bo convinces her to take a temporary, three week nanny position with Milo, Kat is really doing it for the cash, and because Milo is pretty darn sweet. Kat is desperately trying to save enough to help adopt an orphaned little girl back in Colombia and if this short-term job can get her there, then she’s willing to do pretty much anything. But as her kindness and patience work wonders with Milo, she realizes there's more to sexy, wary Bo than she'd ever realized.

Bo never imagined he'd be tasked with caring for a sibling he didn't know existed. Then again, he never pictured himself impulsively kissing vibrant, compassionate Katrina in the moonlight, especially when he can’t afford to lose her. She’s the only thing keeping him and Milo together until the new, permanent nanny shows up. But after that kiss, Bo realizes that he might be the one to make Kat’s dream of family come true…and he’s hoping there's room in it for him, and Milo, too.

Release Date June 27, 2017
 $7.99 U.S. / $9.99 CAN.
ISBN-13: 978-0373799398 

Amazon Buy Link
My Review Link
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 About the Author: 

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author RaeAnne Thayne loves words. Her love affair started as soon as she learned to read, when she used to devour anything she could get her hands on: cereal boxes, encyclopedias, the phone book, you name it! She loves the way words sound, the way they look on the page and the amazing way they can be jumbled together in so many combinations to tell a story. 

Her love of reading and writing those words led her to a fifteen-year career in journalism as a newspaper reporter and editor.  

Through it all, she dreamed of writing the kind of stories she loved best. She sold her first book in 1995 and since then she’s published more than 40 titles. Her books have won many honors, including three RITA® Award nominations from the Romance Writers of America and a Career Achievement Award from RT Book Reviews. 


RaeAnne finds inspiration in the rugged northern Utah mountains where she lives with her hero of a husband and their children. She loves to hear from readers and can be reached through her website at www.raeannethayne.com.  

#Review ~ Serenity Harbor by RaeAnne Thayne ~ @raeannethayne

There is a new book in the Haven Point series by RaeAnne Thayne! I love love love this lady's books and this series is so awesome. I couldn't wait to get my hands on Serenity Harbor and I devoured it quickly after I did. This book is RaeAnne Thayne at her best. It's a classic example of her talent and wonderful way with a story that touches your heart. 

Bowie Callahan has recently discovered he has a little brother. Not only does he have an adorable little brother that has special needs he now has custody of his little brother. A Major change in Bowie's life. Bowie is a great guy. He's kind, giving, smart, and really wants to help his little brother. He just isn't sure how to do that. Until he meets Katrina Bailey at the grocery store. She is excellent with his brother and knows just what to do. 

Katrina Bailey is home for her sister's wedding. She doesn't expect to meet a little boy and his big brother in the grocery store and end up with a job. Katrina is awesome with Milo. She knows just what to do to keep this little boy busy and to handle his bad moments. 

Katrina and Bowie don't start off on the best of levels. They have a deep attraction to each other and it's not long and a friendship develops between these two. They are an excellent team when it comes to Milo. I loved the interaction between these two with Milo is so special. It just made my heart feel good. 

Kat is set to go back to South America after her sister's wedding. She has started the process to adopt a little girl that also needs special needs. The money that Bowie is going to pay her for taking care of Milo is certainly going to help with the expenses. 

Serenity Harbor is a deep, heartfelt story that is full of emotion, sweet romance, friends, family, and love. I loved the chance to catch up with my friends in Haven Point and see how everyone was doing. It was so nice to see Wyn and Cade's wedding. This is the sixth book in the Haven Point series. It will stand just fine on it's own though if you haven't had a chance to read the previous books in the series. However they are all FABULOUS reads so you may want to pick up a few of them when you grab this one. 

If you enjoy a story that is going to tug at your heart, make you shed a tear or two, romance that is incredibly sweet, friendships that are ever lasting, and family that sticks together through thick and through thin, then YOU are going to LOVE Serenity Harbor. 

I was given the opportunity to read this fabulous book and it has been my great pleasure to share my thoughts with you. 

You may read more of my thoughts on of RaeAnne Thayne's books here. 


Serenity Harbor Amazon Buy Link


Snowfall on Haven Point


Riverbend Road Amazon Buy Link


Snow Angel Cove Buy Link 


Redemption Bay Buy Link 


 Evergreen Springs Buy Link 

#SpotLight Allie and Bea by Catherine Ryan Hyde ~ @cryanhyde

Allie and Bea

 by Catherine Ryan Hyde

Bea is an older woman who relies on monthly Social Security checks to pay her mounting bills—and even with these, she’s just barely scraping by. Allie is a California teenager who has only ever known a life of privilege and luxury. Their lives could not be more different, but after Bea falls victim to a telephone scam (the realization of so many financially precarious people’s greatest fears) and Allie’s parents are arrested for tax fraud, they both find themselves on the run, without a penny to their names or a place to sleep at night. Their worlds collide when Allie, having escaped her state-mandated group home, hitches a ride with Bea in her van-turned-mobile home, and the unlikely pair embarks on a life-changing journey along the Pacific coast.

From New York Times bestseller Catherine Ryan Hyde, ALLIE AND BEA (Lake Union Publishing; On-sale May 23, 2017) is a cross-generational story about two women and their struggle for survival and search for a place to call home.

Together, Allie and Bea must learn how to survive from dollar to dollar, gas station to gas station, sometimes paying for food and supplies through the generosity of others and sometimes through less moral methods. As they make their way to the coast, they are forced to wrestle with questions of right and wrong, their unspoken desire for family and people they can count on, and their growing attachment to each other. Throughout their unconventional road trip, Allie and Bea also discover the freedom and fearlessness that come from losing everything. It is only when their lives are stripped down to the bare essentials that they gain the courage to take risks and the wisdom to understand the intangible things that matter most in life.

The author of more than 30 books, including the critically-acclaimed novel Pay It Forward, Catherine Ryan Hyde challenges readers to confront the meaning of family, to consider the role we can and should play in each other’s lives, and above all, to look for the silver lining in the darkest of moments. ALLIE AND BEA is a novel that proves you’re never too old to start over, you’re never too young to give back, and the worst thing in the world may just be the thing that saves you.

Hyde Lake Union Publishing
May 23, 2017 
Paperback: $14.95 |ISBN: 978-1477819715 
eBook: $4.99  ASIN: B01LZ37NWE

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About the Author:

Catherine Ryan Hyde is the author of 32 published books. Her bestselling 1999 novel, Pay It Forward, was adapted into a major Warner Bros. motion picture starring Kevin Spacey and Helen Hunt, made the American Library Association’s Best Books for Young Adults list, and has been translated into more than two dozen languages in 30 countries. More than 50 of her short stories have been published in journals, and her short fiction received honorable mention in the Raymond Carver Short Story Contest, a second-place win for the Tobias Wolff Award, and nominations for Best American Short Stories, the O. Henry Award, and the Pushcart Prize. Three have also been cited in Best American Short Stories.

Hyde is the founder and former president of the Pay It Forward Foundation. As a professional public speaker, she has addressed the National Conference on Education, twice spoken at Cornell University, met with AmeriCorps members at the White House, and shared a dais with Bill Clinton.

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#SpotLight Beneath a Scarlet by Mark Sullivan ~ @MarkSullivanBks

Beneath a Scarlet Sky

 Based on the true story of a forgotten hero of World War II

 by Mark Sullivan 

About the Book:

Nearly half a million people were killed in the Nazi occupation of Italy during World War II. But among those staggering losses, an incredible number of the most persecuted—some 40,000 Italian Jews—made it out of the war alive. Some survived the death camps. Others evaded arrest. Still others fled, some of them aided by the efforts of everyday Italians who risked their lives to save their fellow countrymen. So many lives and so much sacrifice—and still, so little has been written about what happened in Italy that historians now call it “The Forgotten Front” of WWII. But all that is about to change.

Based on the true story of the unlikeliest of heroes, BENEATH A SCARLET SKY is #1 New York Times bestselling author Mark Sullivan’s riveting new tale of extraordinary courage and tragic star-crossed love during the Nazi occupation of Italy. It follows 17-year-old, real-life hero Pino Lella as he helps lead countless Jews out of northern Italy along an underground railroad through the Alps. The saga continues when Pino is then recruited to become a spy for the Italian Resistance. Working undercover as a driver for the head of the Nazi High Command in Italy, Pino gains access to some of the most powerful men in Germany but also witnesses the atrocities of the war firsthand.

When he first heard snippets of Pino Lella’s story at a dinner party more than 10 years ago, Mark Sullivan was unable to shake the image of an Italian teenager leading refugees to safety across perilous mountain ridges, and he became determined to tell the tale of this anonymous, unsung hero. For nine years, Sullivan immersed himself in research. When he finally located Pino in Italy, Mark was able to conduct a series of interviews with the now 79-year-old, in which Pino recounted in painstaking detail the most fraught and eventful years of his life. Because of these incredible interviews, BENEATH A SCARLET SKY is more than just a novel based on true events—it is a piece of history, and Pino’s own memories have given this book its realism, its heart, and its shattering sense of loss and tragedy. It is truly a tale unlike any other—a story of courage and intrigue, love and redemption—and one that can finally be shared.

Lake Union Publishing 
May 1, 2017
Paperback: $14.99  ISBN-10: 1503943372
Audio CD: $9.99  ISBN-13: 978-1503943377
eBook: $4.99  ASIN: B01L1CEZ6K

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About the Author: 

Mark Sullivan is the acclaimed author of eighteen novels, including the #1 New York Times bestselling Private series, which he writes with James Patterson. Mark has received numerous awards for his writing, including the WHSmith Fresh Talent Award, and his works have been named a New York Times Notable Book and a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. He grew up in Medfield, Massachusetts, and graduated from Hamilton College with a B.A. in English before working as a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, West Africa. Upon his return to the United States, he earned a graduate degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and began a career in investigative journalism. An avid skier and adventurer, he lives with his wife in Bozeman, Montana, where he remains grateful for the miracle of every moment.

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