On the anniversary of his beloved wife’s death, Dr. Michael Everett receives a letter Hannah had written him. In it she reminds him of her love and makes one final request. An impossible request. I want you to marry again. She tells him he shouldn’t spend the years he has left grieving her. And to that end she’s chosen three women she asks him to consider. During the months that follow, he spends time with Winter, Leanne, and Macy, learning more about each of them…and about himself. Learning what Hannah already knew. He’s a man who needs the completeness only love can offer. And Hannah’s list leads him to the woman who can help him find it.

Macomber2010Bookmark

This book is slated to be published in May of 2010 – be watching for it!

My Review: This was a great read!  I cried and I laughed.  If you have read any of the Blossom Street books, you will recognize many of the characters.  What a different concept.  A husband receives a letter from his dead wife which listed  three women she wanted him to consider for remarriage. He thought it impossible because he was still deeply grieving her death.  The characters are colorful and probably resemble some of your friends.  I know they reminded me of people I know.   Three couples are highlighted so I would call this book a romance and slice of life read.  The link above will take you to a Debbie Maccomber bookmark that lists all of her books being published in 2010.  I’m also looking forward to the new Cedar Cove book.  If you enjoy easy, enjoyable reading with happy endings you will love this book!

From Back Cover:  When her husband, John, is recruited to be a big-time hedge fund manager, Marcy Emerson gives up her job, uproots her life, and moves from Chicago to New York City.  But try as she might, March is never going to fit into one of the supposed seven categories of Hedge Fund Wives – the Accidental, the Westminster, the Stephanie Seymour, the Former Secretary, the Socialite, the Workaholic, or the Breeder – especially when behind every male may lurk a stab in the back.

In a perfect world John would have been there to help her navigate the waters, but in this volatile financial market, relationships have a way of nosediving faster than the Dow, and Marcy quickly finds herself tossed aside for a thinner, blonder model.  But while living out of suitcases and drowning her sorrows in cocktails, Marcy realizes it’s time to get back up on her own two feet again…and fight for those things in life that are far more important than money.

My Review:   Every once in a while it is fun to take a peek at how the “other half” lives, and this book provides just that.   I liked the main character, Marcy, but found her rather naive and gullible at times.  Her marriage and family dynamics were both rather odd to me.  Neither seemed especially healthy, although in many ways, she herself seemed healthy and she was likable.  Her husband, John, was the kind of man you love to hate.  The marriage never seemed especially stable from the beginning of the book.  As you can tell from the description of the book above, people who seemingly have it all are still not necessarily happy.  I enjoyed this book, but I could live without the overuse of the f word and graphic sexual scenes.  There were also a few blatant errors in editing.  Overall, I found Hedge Fund Wives an enjoyable and entertaining read with a happy ending.

Product Description: In his 14th book, bestselling author Nicholas Sparks tells the unforgettable story of a man whose brushes with death lead him to the love of his life.

Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks’s new novel believes he’s found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he’s never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.

My Review: I always find Nicholas Sparks’ books rather surreal, and this one was no exception.  I will say it was the first one I have finished since Night in Rodanthe (I have all the ones in between as well).  He is a great writer and the story was riveting, just not at all true to life.  The characters are likeable (except the one you are not supposed to like), the setting was great (a dog kennel in rural North Carolina), and the story which was quite romantic was also very engaging. I read it in two days.  I have a problem with the dichotomy of a couple going to a Baptist church also sleeping together.  I don’t know why this is always necessary.  However, I liked this book and recommend it if you are looking for a great and entertaining escape.  I wonder if this one will become a movie?

Product Description
As John Baxter makes plans to marry Elaine, one of the Baxters enters into the most trying season of all. During a time of renewed love and hope for the future, the Baxters try to come together to establish the sacred ground of marriage and to chart a course for the future. Memories of times gone by meet with the changes of today in a story that proves only the support of faith and family can take a person into the sunset years of life.

My Review: This is the last book of many books of the Baxter Family.  Whew!  Never fear dieheart fans – I read that these characters will make some visits in future Kingsbury books, so don’t fear withdrawal.

I don’t want to ruin this book for you, but it was, in my opinion rather weak.  The ending was happy and most of the loose ends were tied up – no huge surprises.  I think it’s time for this series to end, although I do feel like I know the Baxters.  I do not, however, know anyone LIKE the Baxters.  The same Scripture verses are used repeatedly throughout the series.  I think this is one reason I like the Baxter series; that is, it is somewhat realistic and God always answers prayers the way we feel He should.  I will continue to read Karen Kingsbury books – they draw out deep emotion in me and provide a positive escape.  I enjoy the nice, sweet story.  I recommend this book, it’s a good ending to a long series.

Product Description
Dear Reader,I have something to confide in you. I think my husband, Dave, might be having an affair. I found an earring in his pocket, and it’s not mine. I’m also worried because some jewelry was recently stolen from an old woman—and Dave used to visit her a lot.

You see, he’s a pastor. And a good man. I can’t believe he’s guilty of anything, but why won’t he tell me where he’s been when he comes home so late?

Reader, I’d love to hear what you think. I also want to tell you what’s going on with your other friends in Cedar Cove. Like Sheriff Troy Davis, to mention one. His long-ago love, Faith Beckwith, just moved here!

So come on in and join me for a cup of tea.

Emily Flemming

My Review:  I love this series!  This is the eighth book in the series named “Cedar Cove.”  Each book is named after an address, and the main characters are the family who live there.  The other characters in the town are interspersed throughout the story as well.  So you are able to revisit favorite characters.  This book resonated with me because it was about a pastor’s family.  These books are quite realistic as one of the characters goes through cancer treatment, the pastor’s family is not perfect, and relationships need lots of work.  The book is relatively clean with very little offensive language.  I also love the setting in the beautiful Pacific Northwest.  The next book in this series is a Christmas book.  I already have that book in my pile to read.  I recommend Dabbie Macomber books to anyone who likes a relaxing and enjoyable escape.  She has written several series and I am in the midst of reading them all!

This is yet another Stephanie Plum novel.

Partial Comments From the Cover: Dom Rizzi robbed a bank, stashed the money, and did the time. His family couldn’t be more proud. He always was the smart one. Joe Morelli, Dom Rizzi, and Dom’s sister, Loretta, are cousins. Morelli is a cop, Rizzi robs banks, and Loretta is a single mother waiting tables at the firehouse. The all-American family. Less than a week after Dom’s release from prison, Joe Morelli has shadowy figures breaking into his house and dying in his basement. He’s getting threatening messages, Loretta is kidnapped, and Dom is missing. How will Stephanie Plum solve this one – and WHO will help her?

My comments: I read these books because they remind me of my home, New Jersey. The setting is Trenton, NJ. The characters are likeable and humorous. They are over the top in my comfort zone as far as language, graphic sex, and adultery; so I try to fast forward through those parts. There are a couple of story lines. Everything is resolved in the end. I love Grandma Mazur who is Stephanie’s grandma and in this story she gets involved with a teenage character and is seriously playing video games. She is NOT your typical older lady! I just wish Stephanie would choose a man and settle down. She can’t choose between two – Ranger and Morelli. I think I’m routing for Morelli – he’s just a little bit more traditional and settled (although some might argue with me about that).

This is the fourteenth book in the series, and I think it would be best to put it to rest.

About the Book: New Yorker Sadie Maddox is the toast of the classical music world and the queen of all she surveys in short, she’s a bit of a diva. But lately her CD sales are sagging, not to mention parts of her anatomy. Maybe it’s time for a change. Something new. A second act. So when her agent suggests she take on a professorship at a small liberal arts college, Sadie decides to give it a go. Ivy-covered walls, worshipful students . . . oh yes, the ivory tower has its appeal. And she needs the money.

Except the college is in rural Iowa, and the closest thing to designer clothes is the western wear shop down on Main Street. Sadie’s colleagues are intimidated, her students aren’t impressed, and she has to live far too close to farm animals.

And when Sadie meets Mac, a large animal veterinarian, she assumes they have nothing in common he is, after all, a country music fan.

But when the semester ends, Sadie packs up and decamps for the city that never sleeps . . . and finds she can’t, either. This laugh-out-loud novel about second chances will have readers cheering as Sadie struggles to find her life’s second act

My Review: This was my first novel by Kimberly Stuart and I loved it! It was laugh out loud funny and just a pure delight to read. I breezed through it rather quickly, and was sorry when it was over.

There is a delightful cast of characters, all very different from each other. I have to admit, I’m not much of an opera fan so I probably would have added immensely to Sadie’s problem of being recognized. I cringed at her snobbiness at first (though I can imagine leaving New York would be very hard!), cheered her successes, and yes, rejoiced in the ending.

This book would serve as a great summer read, even if a lot of it takes place in the dead of winter. It’s nice to remember that sometimes it gets cold when you’re so very hot!

You can check out Act Two on Amazon.
Visit Kimberly Stuart’s website.
Look at a sample of the book at David C. Cook’s website.

About the book: What if your ex was famous and adored by millions? What would you do if you had one chance to make him regret his entire existence? How much would you risk?

Kate Hollis’s ex-boyfriend’s face plasters newsstands and TV, the Internet, and the multiplex. Jake Sharpe is one of the biggest recording stars on the planet, and every song he’s famous for is about Kate. For over a decade his soundtrack has chased her — from the gym to the supermarket, from the dentist’s office to the bars. Now thirty-year-old Kate gets the call that Jake has finally landed back in their Vermont hometown for an MTV special. The moment she has been waiting for has arrived.

On the eve of their prom, Jake Sharpe vanished, resurfacing when his song Losing — about his and Kate’s first sexual experience — shot to the top of the Billboard charts. And the hits kept coming, each more personal than the one before.

Now Kate gets her chance to confront Jake and reclaim her past. But after eleven years of enduring protracted and far-from-private heartbreak, everyone in Kate’s life has a stake in how this plays out. Kate must risk betraying the friends Jake abandoned, the bandmates whose songs he plundered, and her own parents, who fear this will dredge up a shared past more painful than any of them want to acknowledge. But after getting the call in the dead of night and jumping on a plane, can she turn back now?

My Review: I loved The Nanny Diaries immensely but also really enjoyed Citizen Girl so I was looking forward to reading this latest from the Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus. I wasn’t disappointed.

If you have ever experienced deep hurt at the hands of someone you loved, especially a first love, I think you will find something you relate to in this book. Hopefully, you’ve moved on enough that you wouldn’t do what Katie does in this story…hop on the first plane to go see him, but the fantasy of doing such a thing…showing up looking fabulous is always there, even a little, isn’t it?

In any case, the story weaves together the timeline of the past with the present situation. This creates some mystery (what exactly did Jake do???) but also pushes the story forward. There’s a little bit of romance and a lot of angst!

I can’t say that I found the entire book to be terribly realistic, but it’s a good read and an interesting chance to ask yourself…what if?

What I love about McLaughlin and Kraus’ writing is how well they create the feel of a scene. They add in a lot of little details that make you feel like you’re there. This is one of their greatest strengths, I think. Just be warned there is a bit of foul language.

Dedication was just released in trade paperback format by the Atria Division of Simon and Schuster books.

You can visit Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus here.

About the Book:When purple-haired Mayla Strong struts down the center aisle of Salliesburg Independent Christian Church, the bug-eyed congregation strains to get a peek at her pierced nose and lip. But Pastor Paul welcomes her with a huge, infectious grin and baptizes her on the spot.

Determined to make her heavenly Father proud, Mayla’s sincere and often hilarious attempts to let Him change her from the inside out takes her into some difficult places. Through it all she grows in faith and wisdom–sometimes through pain, sometimes through humor, but always in a way that is uniquely Mayla.

My Review: I really enjoyed this book! Mayla is a really fun and down to earth character and it is so much fun to learn about what it means to know Jesus through her eyes. Unconcerned with appearances, she is enamored with her new faith and desires to live in a way that reflects that. In the beginning she is surprised by the changes taking place and throughout the course of the book she learns that she must consciously continue to make choices for God.  Part of what I like so much about Mayla is that she is completely unpretentious, there is such a sincerity to her desire to live out her new life.

I found this book to be both a little bit funny and a little bit touching. The writing is strong and there’s really no romance in it. It’s a short little book….under 250 pages and I easily read it in an afternoon. Might be something fun to take along to the doctor’s office while you sit in the waiting room!

Nine out of ten.