The Christmas Wedding Ring

Author: Susan Mallery
Genre: Fiction / Christmas
Publisher: Harlequin, 2014
Pages: 384
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: In her youth, Molly Anderson couldn't help crushing on gorgeous bad boy Dylan Black - even though he only had eyes for her older sister. When things didn't work out between them, he said goodbye to Molly as well, vowing they'd have a great adventure when she grew up. Years later, dumped by her fiance just before Christmas, she's finally ready to take Dylan up on his promise.

A guarded Dylan has always had a weakness for Molly, and when she waltzes back into his life - grown-up and gorgeous - he's stunned. So why not whisk her away for some no-strings-attached fun.

Laughter-filled days and late-night kisses are changing Molly's life, for good. The only gift she truly wants now is Dylan's love, but when she discovers the secret she's been keeping, she may lose him again, this time for ever.

Review: I read a Christmas book on Halloween :-), and it was so cute. I couldn't stop thinking about Molly and Dylan all day. Hangover! This was predictable, but super cute and I really like how Mallery developed the characters' relationship. It was a good way to end the month.

Other Susan Mallery Novels:
The Friendship List
The Sister Effect

Wishing Tree Series
The Christmas Wedding Guest
Home Sweet Christmas

Mischief Bay Novels
The Girls of Mischief Bay
The Friends We Keep
A Million Little Things

Vintage

Author: Susan Gloss

Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers, 2014
Pages: 320
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: At Hourglass Vintage in Madison, Wisconsin, every item in the boutique has a story to tell. . .and so do the women who are drawn there.

Violet Turner has always dreamed of owning a shop like Hourglass Vintage. When she is facedd with the possibility of losing it, she realizes that, as much as she wants to, she cannot save it alone.

Eighteen-year-old April Morgan is nearly five months along in an unplanned pregnancy when her hasty engagement is broken. When she returns the perfect 1950s wedding dress, she discovers unexpected possibilities and friends who won't let her give up on her dreams.

Betrayed by her husband, Amithi Singh begins selling off her old clothes, remnants of her past life. After decades of housekeeping and parenting a daughter who rejects her traditional ways, she fears she has nothing more ahead for her.

Review: This book was on a display at the library so, I chose it for the cover. I liked it a lot more than I expected, and also gave it almost 5 stars, much higher than what other Goodreads readers have rated it.

It felt like real-life and the characters were likeable and believable. Fun little read.

Under the Boardwalk

Author: Carly Phillips
Genre: Chick Lit
Publisher: CP Publishing LLC
Pages: 406
Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: When Ariana Costas heard her twin sister, Zoe, had disappeared, Ari left Vermont and returned to her Jersey girl roots to find her. Ari didn't know what to expect from her search, but danger around every corner, dodging bullets, and a hunk in a leather jacket saving her was not it.

Detective Quinn Donovan thought he located Zoe Costas. Beautiful, dark haired and a perfect match to the description he'd been given, he believes he has his lady. Except as it turns out, the gorgeous women is Zoe's twin Ariana, the college professor. Suddenly, Quinn's job is more about trying to protect Ari who is in trouble deeper than the Atlantic at high tide. There's more at stake than trying to protect her without spilling his well-guarded secrets.

Review: In an attempt to find a new light / fun author, I settled on Carly Phillips. This was an escape, but I need a real story and this was just fluff fluff fluff sex fluff sex fluff fluff. This genre serves a purpose, but I needed more. I do not plan to continue with this series.

A Distance Too Grand

Author: Regina Scott
Genre: Historical Romance / Christian
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group, 2019
Pages: 384
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: Meg Pero has been assisting her photographer father since she was big enough to carry his equipment, so when he dies she determined to take over his profession - starting with fulfilling the contract he signed to serve on an Army survey of the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 1871.

What she doesn't realize is that the leader of the expedition is none other than the man she once refused to marry.

Captain Ben Coleridge would like nothing more than to leave without the woman who broke his heart, but he refuses to wait even one more day to get started. This survey is a screen for another, more personal mission, one he cannot share with any member of this team.

As dangers arise from all sides, including within the survey party, Meg and Ben must work together to stay alive, fulfill their duties, and just maybe, rekindle a love that neither had
completely left behind.

Review: This was predictably sweet, and fun, easy read. It delivered on exactly what I expect from this genre. I started looking up other books by this author already.

There's another series by another author called "Vintage National Parks." This is not that, but since it's vintage Grand Canyon, I classified it this way.

The Snow Gypsy

Author: Lindsay Jayne Ashford

Genre: Historical Fiction

Publisher: Amazon Publishing, 2019
Pages: 332

Rating: Do Not Recommend

Synopsis: At the close of World War II, London is in ruins and Rose Daniel isn't at peace. Eight years ago, her brother disappeared while fighting alongside Gypsy partisans in Spain. From his letters, Rose has just two clues to his whereabouts - his description of the spectacular south slopes of the Sierra Nevada and his love for a woman who was carrying his child.

In Spain, it has been eight years since Lola Aragon's family was massacred. Eight years since she rescued a newborn girl from the arms of her dying mother and ran for her life. She has always believed that nothing could make her return. . .until a plea for help comes from a desperate stranger.

Now, Rose, Lola, and the child set out on a journey from the wild marshes of the Camargue to the dazzling peaks of Spain's ancient mountain communities. As they come face-to-face with war's darkest truths, their lives will be changed forever by memories, secrets, and friendships.

Review: The cover caught my eye, and post-World War II Spain further piqued my interest because that's not a country whose history I know much about. I was invested in Rose and Lola's stories, but was never fully absorbed. I liked it well enough to continue, but it kind of dragged too. I wouldn't seek out another book by this author.

This novel is also based on the life of a real woman, but it was unclear what was biographical and what was made up. This could have been better executed.

You'll Get Through This

Author: Max Lucado
Genre: Christian / Inspirational
Publisher: Nelson, Thomas, Inc., 2015
Pages:
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: In You'll Get Through This, pastor and New York Times bestselling author, Max Lucado offers sweet assurance, "Deliverance is to the Bible what jazz music is to Mardi Gras: bold, brazzy, and everywhere." Whether you find yourself in the pit of financial downturn, job loss, health crisis, or relationship stresses, God has a plan and a pathway forward for you.

Max reminds readers that God doesn't promise that getting through trials will be quick or painless. That certainly wasn't the case for Jospeh who was tossed in a pit by his brothers, sold into slavery, wrongfully imprisioned, forgotten and dismissed, but God ultimately used the intended evil against Joseph for a greater purpose.

Review: One line in the whole book jumped out at me. On page 116, "Forgiveness doesn't diminish justice; it just entrusts it to God." 

I actually got a lot out of this book, and it was just what I needed. Work has been stressful and with my husband's health issues, this helped me reset my course. I really like Lucado's writing style and his ability to inject some humor into his (powerful) message.

A Mrs. Miracle Christmas

Author: Debbie Macomber

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Random House Publishing, 2019
Pages: 272
Rating: Recommend

Synopsis: As the holiday season begins, Laurel McCullough could use some good news. She and her husband, Zach have been praying for a baby that seems more and more like an impossible dream, and they've had to move in with her beloved grandmother, Helen, who's been having trouble taking care of herself. But when Laurel contacts a local home-care organization for help, there are no caregivers available.

Then Mrs. Miracle appears at the door. No stranger to lending a helping hand to a family in need, Mrs. Miracle reveals herself to be nothing short of a godsend. Helen's even more convinced she's an angel! And Laurel can't help but notice that with Mrs. Miracle's companionship, Helen is noticeably happier and more engaged, decorating the family Christmas tree and setting up the nativity. In the meantime, Laurel and Zach encounter curious signs, all pointing toward the arrival of a special baby. 

As Christmas approaches, there appears to be even more to Mrs. Miracle than meets the eye. In a classic tale of Debbie Macomber's signature seasonal magic, Laurel, Zach, and Helen experience a holiday of heavenly proportions.

Review: I was a in a reading slump again, and this super cute novel brought me out of it. Typical Debbie Macomber. I read this in a few hours. I love the cover too.