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robin_is_me's reviews
96 reviews
His Wild Young Bride: Virgin Bride by Donna Clayton
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
When I first started this there was a little bit of an ick factor, knowing she was a month shy of turning twenty-one and he was thirty-four. I don't know why, since that was so common in category romance novels and I've read a ton with a big age difference without ever being bothered by it. Fortunately I got very invested and over that quickly, and I really enjoyed this delightful little story.
Tell Me Another Lie by K.T. Raine
Belle is a young widow who recently moved back to Huckleberry Ridge for a fresh start. A massage therapist, her new business is doing well, and the local animal shelter has found the perfect dog for her. She still mourns her husband, but life is looking up. Until she becomes the target of an unknown admirer’s unwanted attention.
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
K.T. Raine was one of my new author discoveries almost two years ago, and I have devoured each of her books since then. Each one has been just delightful, and TELL ME ANOTHER LIE is no exception. Would that I could live in Huckleberry Ridge!
Belle is a young widow who recently moved back to Huckleberry Ridge for a fresh start. A massage therapist, her new business is doing well, and the local animal shelter has found the perfect dog for her. She still mourns her husband, but life is looking up. Until she becomes the target of an unknown admirer’s unwanted attention.
Enter Woody. Belle’s cousin, a police officer, asks Woody to keep an eye out for Belle since her business is on his beat. Gentle sparks fly, but neither is looking for a relationship, and they both make some assumptions about the other. Shallow assumptions, but hey, they’re only human. And of course they get over those assumptions as they get to know one another.
The mystery of who the secret admirer is was well plotted, and I didn’t come close to figuring it out. There’s plenty of bantering conversations that made me smile, and I laughed a few times. I adored Woody, he’s a bit swoon worthy! The writing is engaging and characterization of both Belle and Woody is done well, especially considering the book is only 176 pages (the pdf version I read).
My only complaint is one throwaway sentence that came off as a little racist to me, when Woody is on an airplane, in a seat that is apparently on the smaller side. That sentence gave me pause and left a bad taste in my mouth and my brain.
While each book in the series can be read as a standalone, I recommend starting with the first book, and then also reading the author’s actual standalone, HOLDING OUT FOR SPECIAL, which is the first of the author’s books that I read. They are all sweet, kisses only, romances with some suspense thrown in, that will leave you sighing at the end. In a good way!
*Received from BookSirens and voluntarily reviewed*
He Should Have Told the Bees by Amanda Cox
Callie’s story, and her feelings, were a little more removed from my own experiences. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, knowing that the sale of the farm could solve all her problems, but also knowing what it would do to Beck. This isn’t a romance, but there is a burgeoning one between Callie and Luke, a friend from church who often has a booth at the same events where Callie sells her candles. I very much liked Luke and his steadying presence, he was definitely good for Callie.
And the bees. I’ve never given honeybees much thought, other than to avoid them while remembering the time when I was a kid and I stepped back from a curb and got stung on my heel. The descriptions of the aviary and all the care and maintenance Beck put into her hives was fascinating.
All in all this was a wonderful reading experience, and I look forward to more from this author.
*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*
emotional
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Oh this book is good. So very good.
Beck is mourning the loss of her father, her rock, her constant in a storm. She now lives alone on their farm, taking care of her horse, her mini donkey, her chickens, her goats, and most importantly, her bees. In the apiary, a huge field with fifty beehives, is where she feels the most at home.
Callie is happily looking forward to opening her own store, where she’ll sell her hand made candles, and hold candle making classes. Then her absentee alcoholic mother shows up on her doorstep, admitting for the first time that she needs help and is willing to try rehab. Suddenly Callie is faced with the choice of either selling the building she just bought to pay for her mother’s rehab, or turn her mother away.
Beck and Callie are thrown together when they learn that Beck’s father has put his property into an irrevocable trust, and they are both the beneficiaries. They either keep the farm together, or they sell it and split the proceeds.
I repeat, this book is so very good. Descriptive and beautifully written. So much angst. Justified angst. Both Callie and Beck are beautifully written. Beck’s feelings of grief mixed with anger and betrayal were very understandable as she grapples with worry over whether Callie, a stranger, will want to sell the farm, taking away the only home Beck has ever known. On top of that she suffers from severe anxiety anytime she leaves the farm. I very occasionally have panic attacks, and the description of what Beck goes through when one hits her were very realistic. Beck starts out pretty much feeling all alone in the world now that her dad is gone, and I loved how her circle slowly widened. First there was young “Katya”, who was staying at a neighboring farm for the summer and kept turning up in the aviary when Beck was working with her bees. She was quite adorable, and precocious - the author did a good job of keeping her just this side of over the top. And then Annette, a friend of Beck’s father, who kept stopping by to drop off casseroles or desserts, and who Beck found annoying but began to realize might have been closer to her father than she knew.
Callie’s story, and her feelings, were a little more removed from my own experiences. I couldn’t imagine being in her shoes, knowing that the sale of the farm could solve all her problems, but also knowing what it would do to Beck. This isn’t a romance, but there is a burgeoning one between Callie and Luke, a friend from church who often has a booth at the same events where Callie sells her candles. I very much liked Luke and his steadying presence, he was definitely good for Callie.
And the bees. I’ve never given honeybees much thought, other than to avoid them while remembering the time when I was a kid and I stepped back from a curb and got stung on my heel. The descriptions of the aviary and all the care and maintenance Beck put into her hives was fascinating.
All in all this was a wonderful reading experience, and I look forward to more from this author.
*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*
The Swindler's Daughter by Stephenia H. McGee
Lillian grew up with a very strict mother and believing her father was dead. As the story opens, she’s just learned that her mother lied to her and her father has actually been alive all these years, only recently passing away in a jail cell, and that he named her as his heir. When her mother sends her off to the small Georgia town where he lived, alone, to deal with his estate, she is angry and upset, and nervous, and scared, but also a little exhilarated. She’s never been away from home, from her mother, and thinking about selling off her father’s home and having money of her own reawakens dreams for the future.
I loved Jonah from the start. He feels animosity toward Lillian in the beginning. He dreamed of going to college to be an electrician, and then helping to bring electricity to his small town. But he’s also drawn to Lillian, and as secrets about her father come out and she becomes the victim of someone who does not wish her well, he can’t help but appoint himself to protect her.
This is an historical romance, but there are also suspense elements, and at one point in the back half things got pretty tense. It actually started to look like there would no happy ending for Lillian, as she finds herself suddenly the one being accused of committing crimes as the actions her father set into motion invade her life.
For a book that started out slow, it became quite fast paced, and thankfully ended with a perfect resolution.
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I’ve previously read one book from this author, THE SECRETS OF EMBERWILD, which I absolutely loved, so I was excited to get this book. This one started off a bit slow for me and took a little longer to get into, but once it picked up I was all in.
Lillian grew up with a very strict mother and believing her father was dead. As the story opens, she’s just learned that her mother lied to her and her father has actually been alive all these years, only recently passing away in a jail cell, and that he named her as his heir. When her mother sends her off to the small Georgia town where he lived, alone, to deal with his estate, she is angry and upset, and nervous, and scared, but also a little exhilarated. She’s never been away from home, from her mother, and thinking about selling off her father’s home and having money of her own reawakens dreams for the future.
But Lillian’s arrival in town dashes Jonah’s dreams for the future. His friend and boss has promised to sell the house to him, for they all believed his wife and her mother, the cousin and aunt Lillian never knew she had, would inherit. Jonah’s mother and younger sisters are already living in the house, and his mother planned to start her own bakery, which would hopefully provide enough support for her and the girls that Jonah could do something for himself now.
I grew to like Lillian more and more as she began to open herself to the possibilities of a future out from under her mother’s thumb, and discover the joy of having some personal freedom. While she’s not about to put Jonah’s family out on the streets, she’s also not prepared to just accept the plans already made for the house, and finds herself torn between selling it or keeping it for herself. I loved how her newfound family quickly accepted her, with her cousin Alma being thrilled to meet her and bring her into the bosom of the family. She loves her mother of course, and knows her mother loves her (while I quite frankly disliked her mother very much), but now she begins to see what a real family should be made of. It becomes a place where she feels welcome and valued for herself, not for what she can bring to the table.
I loved Jonah from the start. He feels animosity toward Lillian in the beginning. He dreamed of going to college to be an electrician, and then helping to bring electricity to his small town. But he’s also drawn to Lillian, and as secrets about her father come out and she becomes the victim of someone who does not wish her well, he can’t help but appoint himself to protect her.
This is an historical romance, but there are also suspense elements, and at one point in the back half things got pretty tense. It actually started to look like there would no happy ending for Lillian, as she finds herself suddenly the one being accused of committing crimes as the actions her father set into motion invade her life.
For a book that started out slow, it became quite fast paced, and thankfully ended with a perfect resolution.
Just Like Magic by Sarah Hogle
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Drunk broke former social media influencer accidentally summons the Holiday Spirit, aka Hall. Christmas chaos ensues. At times this book was too cutesy and precious, but at other times I laughed out loud, and in the end I was glued to the pages.
Better Late Than Never by K.T. Raine
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
This is the third book in the author’s Huckleberry Ridge series. I loved the first book, and realized when I received this one that I must have missed the release of the second book, but I bought it as soon as I finished this one!
While volunteering at for an annual forestry event that aims to teach kids about conservation and protecting natural resources, Dawson inadvertently sort of meets Kara. Sort of, because she stays turned away from him and then flees. Dawson is intrigued, and determined to learn more about her.
Kara has been living with her mother, and her father before he died, in the family home for some twenty years, but nobody in Huckleberry Ridge even knew she’d come home. Celebrating graduation with friends, she had suffered burns to one side of her face and down her arm. Her boyfriend at the time promptly dumped her, and she’s kept herself hidden from the world ever since.
It’s been about a year since I read the first book, but I believe there was quite a bit more angst in this one. Not that I’m complaining, I love good angst, and Kara deserves to have all the angst she wants. But there is also a lot of humor, and laughter, and some wonderfully funny and flirty banter between Kara and Dawson. I loved watching them get to know each other. Dawson was so patient with Kara, slowly drawing her out and encouraging her to face the world again, a little at a time. When his family finally met Kara, they too were all just wonderful to her, welcoming both she and her mother her to the fold. My heart broke for Kara and the pain she had suffered, not just physically but emotionally.
There’s a big misunderstanding on Kara’s part, which I did not see coming, that drives a wedge between them, to Dawson’s perplexion, and then a smaller misunderstanding, which I did see coming but which fortunately was resoled within a few pages. And some more angst over the difference between their ages, which I totally understood and was there for. And then of course the HEA, and it was all just so heartwarming and fun and delightful. And I don’t understand why the author’s books don’t have a bigger audience.
*received via Booksirens and voluntarily reviewed*
While volunteering at for an annual forestry event that aims to teach kids about conservation and protecting natural resources, Dawson inadvertently sort of meets Kara. Sort of, because she stays turned away from him and then flees. Dawson is intrigued, and determined to learn more about her.
Kara has been living with her mother, and her father before he died, in the family home for some twenty years, but nobody in Huckleberry Ridge even knew she’d come home. Celebrating graduation with friends, she had suffered burns to one side of her face and down her arm. Her boyfriend at the time promptly dumped her, and she’s kept herself hidden from the world ever since.
It’s been about a year since I read the first book, but I believe there was quite a bit more angst in this one. Not that I’m complaining, I love good angst, and Kara deserves to have all the angst she wants. But there is also a lot of humor, and laughter, and some wonderfully funny and flirty banter between Kara and Dawson. I loved watching them get to know each other. Dawson was so patient with Kara, slowly drawing her out and encouraging her to face the world again, a little at a time. When his family finally met Kara, they too were all just wonderful to her, welcoming both she and her mother her to the fold. My heart broke for Kara and the pain she had suffered, not just physically but emotionally.
There’s a big misunderstanding on Kara’s part, which I did not see coming, that drives a wedge between them, to Dawson’s perplexion, and then a smaller misunderstanding, which I did see coming but which fortunately was resoled within a few pages. And some more angst over the difference between their ages, which I totally understood and was there for. And then of course the HEA, and it was all just so heartwarming and fun and delightful. And I don’t understand why the author’s books don’t have a bigger audience.
*received via Booksirens and voluntarily reviewed*
Five Fortunes by Barbara Venkataraman, Barbara Venkataraman
4.0
This was a quick and entertaining read. Five fourteen year old girls get their fortunes from a new arcade game at the mall. None of them are particularly impressed with their fortune, but from that moment on their friendships begin to erode after a series of misunderstandings between them. Which, as teenage girls are prone to, they each overreact to and read far too much into the actions, inactions, and believed slights of the others.
I don't read a lot of young adult fare, but I enjoyed the author's Jamie Quinn mystery series, so when she offered this to me I accepted. I found myself wishing my granddaughter was old enough to share this with to get the reaction of someone in the intended target's age, but at five, despite loving books, she's not quite ready for this story.
Oh, how I do not miss my own daughters being at the age of the girls in this book! Teen girls are just a bundle of emotions, and the author captured that perfectly in the five girls, as they moped and internalized and dealt with problems both real and perceived. And in the end everyone's storyline wrapped up quite satisfyingly, with me even starting to tear up just bit as one mom rushed to her daughter's side after an allergic reaction.
I would say if there is a fourteen year old in your life, this would be a nice book to recommend to them, but I know from experience that girls of that age don't always take kindly to any kind of recommendation from an adult. Especially a parent.
*received from the author and voluntarily reviewed*
I don't read a lot of young adult fare, but I enjoyed the author's Jamie Quinn mystery series, so when she offered this to me I accepted. I found myself wishing my granddaughter was old enough to share this with to get the reaction of someone in the intended target's age, but at five, despite loving books, she's not quite ready for this story.
Oh, how I do not miss my own daughters being at the age of the girls in this book! Teen girls are just a bundle of emotions, and the author captured that perfectly in the five girls, as they moped and internalized and dealt with problems both real and perceived. And in the end everyone's storyline wrapped up quite satisfyingly, with me even starting to tear up just bit as one mom rushed to her daughter's side after an allergic reaction.
I would say if there is a fourteen year old in your life, this would be a nice book to recommend to them, but I know from experience that girls of that age don't always take kindly to any kind of recommendation from an adult. Especially a parent.
*received from the author and voluntarily reviewed*
Cold Light of Day by Elizabeth Goddard
Grier Brenner is an outsider who showed up in Shadow Gap to do some fishing, and then stuck around. That’s all Autumn knows about him, other than the fact that she finds him attractive and is drawn to him, feelings she does her best to ignore. I loved Autumn, but Grier was definitely the bigger draw for me. We know nothing about his past and can only speculate along with Autumn, who decides he must be former military at the least. But when the narrative is focused on him, we do start getting hints along the way. He’s a mysterious stranger, and we know he’s in hiding, as he keeps trying to remind himself he’s not in Shadow Gap to make friends and needs to keep to himself. But he’s also human, and with the townsfolk being so open and friendly, he can’t keep himself from visiting the Lively Moose every morning to eat breakfast with his new buddies. Whatever is going on in Shadow Gap, with two bodies, found near each other but seemingly unrelated, it’s nothing to do with him and he needs to keep a low profile. And yet he finds it hard to not get involved…
Memories that felt like they were from another life chased him. And here he was, running after danger again. For all the right reasons – again.
As the happenings in Autumn’s life and Grier’s life began to converge, the plot got a little convoluted, but the tenseness and suspense kept it moving at a brisk pace. Autumn and Grier are both being hunted, and find themselves thrown together in investigating, with Autumn offering to hire Grier since he obviously has skills, and Grier refusing the offers, because a background check might give her too much information about him, but then sticking close and working with her unofficially because he feels a need to protect her.
As I seem to say about every title I read from Revell’s romantic suspense line, the author’s writing is wonderful. I loved the detail about the Alaskan wilderness, and Autumn’s feelings about Shadow Gap and how much she loves her town and her work. The supporting characters aren’t fleshed out much, with Grier’s new friends being interchangeable to me, but this is about Grier and Autumn, and they were very real and believable and I was wholly invested in their story.
All in all, a great start to the author’s newest series. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book.
*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
When this book came up for review, I didn’t even read the synopsis. Just the word “Alaska” and the author’s name were enough for me to know I wanted to read it. I’ve loved all of the author’s books that I’ve read so far, and lately I’ve been drawn to anything set in Alaska.
Autumn Long is the police chief in the small town of Shadow Gap, following in her father’s footsteps. Currently, the city council members are considering relieving her of her position, driving by Wally, who is pushing for his nephew to take over as police chief. On top of that, she’s suddenly faced with a small crime wave in her town, the likes of which Shadow Gap has never experienced before. So she’s got her hands full and plenty of stress on her plate.
Grier Brenner is an outsider who showed up in Shadow Gap to do some fishing, and then stuck around. That’s all Autumn knows about him, other than the fact that she finds him attractive and is drawn to him, feelings she does her best to ignore. I loved Autumn, but Grier was definitely the bigger draw for me. We know nothing about his past and can only speculate along with Autumn, who decides he must be former military at the least. But when the narrative is focused on him, we do start getting hints along the way. He’s a mysterious stranger, and we know he’s in hiding, as he keeps trying to remind himself he’s not in Shadow Gap to make friends and needs to keep to himself. But he’s also human, and with the townsfolk being so open and friendly, he can’t keep himself from visiting the Lively Moose every morning to eat breakfast with his new buddies. Whatever is going on in Shadow Gap, with two bodies, found near each other but seemingly unrelated, it’s nothing to do with him and he needs to keep a low profile. And yet he finds it hard to not get involved…
Memories that felt like they were from another life chased him. And here he was, running after danger again. For all the right reasons – again.
As the happenings in Autumn’s life and Grier’s life began to converge, the plot got a little convoluted, but the tenseness and suspense kept it moving at a brisk pace. Autumn and Grier are both being hunted, and find themselves thrown together in investigating, with Autumn offering to hire Grier since he obviously has skills, and Grier refusing the offers, because a background check might give her too much information about him, but then sticking close and working with her unofficially because he feels a need to protect her.
As I seem to say about every title I read from Revell’s romantic suspense line, the author’s writing is wonderful. I loved the detail about the Alaskan wilderness, and Autumn’s feelings about Shadow Gap and how much she loves her town and her work. The supporting characters aren’t fleshed out much, with Grier’s new friends being interchangeable to me, but this is about Grier and Autumn, and they were very real and believable and I was wholly invested in their story.
All in all, a great start to the author’s newest series. I’m eagerly looking forward to the next book.
*received from the publisher and voluntarily reviewed*
The Real Jack Paar by George Johnson
informative
slow-paced
3.0
I can't say I'm very familiar with Jack Paar since he was before my time and I've not really seen anything he did, but I still knew, or course, who he is. Some of this book was interesting, some was amusing, some was a bit boring.
Young'uns: A Celebration by Celestine Sibley
reflective
slow-paced
5.0
Delightful reminiscences about being a mother and grandmother. Two of the best jobs in the world.