1225 Christmas Tree Lane
by Debbie Macomber (Goodreads Author), Sandra Burr (Narrator)

Jul 29, 2014  

3 of 5 stars

Read from July 19 to 29, 2014

The people of Cedar Cove know how to celebrate Christmas. Like Grace and Olivia and everyone else, Beth Morehouse expects this Christmas to be one of her best. Her small Christmas-tree farm is prospering, her daughters and her dogs are happy and well, and her new relationship with local vet Ted Reynolds is showing plenty of romantic promise.

But...someone recently left a basket filled with puppies on her doorstep, puppies she’s determined to place in good homes. That’s complication number one. And number two is that her daughters Bailey and Sophie have invited their dad, Beth’s ex-husband, Kent, to Cedar Cove for Christmas. The girls have visions of a mom-and-dad reunion dancing in their heads.

As always in life — and in Cedar Cove — there are surprises, too. More than one family’s going to have a puppy under the tree. More than one scheme will go awry. And more than one romance will have a happy ending.

My Review:

This book was good but I didn't like it as much as the other books in the series. I felt the series could have ended at book 11. It didn't keep my interest as the others did. This book was a summation of all the other books in the series. It was getting old after awhile. There were so many characters in the books and it was hard to remember everyone's story and relationships with one another.The ending was happy as I predicted. No surprises at all. I am kind of glad The Cedar Cove Series has ended.

The Hero (Thunder Point, #3)
by Robyn Carr (Goodreads Author)

Jul 16, 2014 

5 of 5 stars

Read from July 06 to 16, 2014

In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and secure. She has no idea what is around the next bend, but she is pretty certain it can't be worse than what they've left behind. Her plan is to escape to somewhere she can be invisible. Instead, an unexpected offer of assistance leads her to Thunder Point, a tiny Oregon town with a willingness to help someone in need.

As the widowed father of a vulnerable young boy, Spencer Lawson knows something about needing friendship. But he's not looking for anything else. Instead, he's thrown his energy into his new role as Thunder Point's high school football coach. Tough and demanding to his team, off the field he's gentle and kind...just the kind of man who could heal Devon's wounded heart.

Devon thought she wanted to hide from the world. But in Thunder Point, you find bravery where you least expect it...and sometimes, you find a hero.

My review:

This is the third book of the Thunder Point series. I feel that this is the best book of the series so far. There is some suspense in it and I like that element in a book. I liked reading about how the character's lives continue from the first and second book in the series. I liked to see how the characters worked on their trials and tribulations in their lives and how they were there for one another. There were real life situations in the book. For the most part, I liked the characters. I also liked to predict what would happen in their lives and to see if I was right. I am looking forward to reading book 4 in The Thunder Point series.

The Wanderer (Thunder Point, #1)
by Robyn Carr

Jun 22, 2014  

4 of 5 stars

Read from June 17 to 22, 2014, read count: 2 

 

This book is a re- read  for me.  Robyn Carr has continued writing The Thunder Point series.  I read the first 2 books in the series last summer.  I still have to read  # 3 and #4 in the series.  The books are sitting on my bookshelf.  The next two books are coming out this summer.  Since I wanted continuity in the series, I decided to read books 1 and 2 over again.  I usually don't do this but I am glad I have  so I can refresh my mind with all the events that are leading up to books  #5 and #6.  Have any of you ever done this before?

The Real Life Mary Poppins: The Life and Times of P.L. Travers
by Paul Brody, LifeCaps

Jun 01, 2014  

2 of 5 stars

Read on June 01, 2014

Among twentieth century authors, P. L. Travers was by far the most productive and famous to hail from the British colony of Australia. After a brief and modestly successful acting career, she moved to London and pursued her own brand of journalism. She was a well-regarded drama critic and travel author, and she became friends with many influential writers and thinkers on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Eventually, she found her greatest voice in the form of Mary Poppins, the mysterious and powerful Edwardian nanny. Thirty years after the first Poppins adventure is published, Walt Disney produced a live-action movie version, which has ingrained itself forever in the popular imagination.(

My Review:

I wanted to read this book because I saw the movie "Saving Mr. Banks." I saw that P.L. Travers was not an easy person to deal with. It took Walt Disney a long time before she would consent to the filming of "Mary Poppins" and only on her terms. I wanted to know why she was so difficult. This book was not what I expected. It briefly told me about her accomplishments but not enough info as to why she became the person she was. I was expecting more details. The book only had 70 pages so I read it in one sitting.

1105 Yakima Street (Cedar Cove, #11)
by Debbie Macomber (Goodreads Author)

May 31,2014 

4 of 5 stars

Read from May 24 to 31, 2014

Synopsis: You’ve probably heard that my wife has left me. Rachel’s pregnant, and she says that she can’t handle the stress in our household anymore. My thirteen-year-old daughter, Jolene, is jealous of her. Maybe it’s my fault. As a widower I spoiled her – Jolene was reading over my shoulder just now and says that’s not true. She claims Rachel ruined everything. But that’s not true. The real question is: How can I get my wife back? I don’t even know where she is. She’s not with Teri Polgar or any of her other friends from the salon. The other question is. . . when will Jolene grow up and stop acting like such a brat? Of course, I’m not the only one in town with problems. Linc Wyse’s father-in-law is trying to destroy his business. And you know Charlotte Rhodes? Seems she’s becoming forgetful, and the family’s worried about her and Ben. Lots of other stuff going on – but Rachel is better at keeping up with it than I am. If you have any idea where my wife is, please give me a call. Please. —Bruce Peyton

My Review:

I enjoyed reading this 11th book of The Cedar Cove Series. I like how I got to read about the continuing lives of the Cedar Cove residents. I feel like all of them are my friends.I read other books in between the books of this series but Debbie Macomber had a way of reminding me about the lives of all the residents and what their relationship issues were. The issues are very realistic. Some of the characters I really liked while others annoyed me. This book has cliffhangers which I am looking forward to seeing what the outcomes will be.

Four Friends
by Robyn Carr

 

4 of 5 stars

Read from May 15 to 20, 2014

Spoilers---

Gerri can't decide what's more devastating: learning her rock-solid marriage has big cracks, or the anger she feels as she tries to repair the damage. Always the anchor for friends and her three angst-ridden teenagers, it's time to look carefully at herself. The journey for Gerri and her family is more than revealing—it's transforming.

Andy doesn't have a great track record with men, and she's come to believe that for her a lasting love is out of reach. When she finds herself attracted to her down-to-earth, ordinary contractor—a man without any of the qualities that usually appeal to her—she questions everything she thought she wanted in life.

Sonja's lifelong pursuit of balance is shattered when her husband declares he's through with her New Age nonsense and walks out. There's no herbal tonic or cleansing ritual that can restore her serenity—or her sanity.

Miraculously, it's BJ, the reserved newcomer to Mill Valley, who steps into their circle and changes everything. The woman with dark secrets opens up to her neighbors, and together they get each other back on track, stronger as individuals and unfaltering as friends.(less)
Paperback, 384 pages.

My review:

I liked this book because I enjoyed reading about 4 friends who were there for each other. As each one went through their marital problems, the others were there to help them through the problem. I was surprised to learn about BJ's past.She had to overcome so much more then Sonja, Gerri and Andy. I felt sorry for her, but I was glad to see how she turned it around in a positive way. Sonja had so much to deal with too when her husband left her. She was a definite mess that required group therapy. She was a danger to herself. BJ noticed the problem and alerted Gerri and Andy. Once again they were there to help her. I enjoy reading Robyn Carr's books even if they are not part of a series.

 

Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1)
by Louise Penny

May 12, 2014

3 of 5 stars

 

Read from April 26 to May 10, 2014

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec and his team of investigators are called in to the scene of a suspicious death in a rural village south of Montréal and yet a world away. Jane Neal, a long-time resident of Three Pines, has been found dead in the woods. The locals are certain it’s a tragic hunting accident and nothing more but Gamache smells something foul this holiday season…and is soon certain that Jane died at the hands of someone much more sinister than a careless bow hunter.

My Review:

Louise Penny is a new author for me. This book is part of a detective series and I believe it is one of her first written books. I love this genre because it makes me feel like one of the detectives trying to solve the crime mystery. This book was good, but it went a little to slow for me. I didn't find it to be a page turner until the last 50 pages or so. I like how she gave clues as to who may have committed the crime. They all seemed very likely as to who the killer might be. I wasn't too surprised by the ending since I felt I knew who committed the crime. I will try reading other books by Louise Penny since she came highly recommended to me.