Gifts of War by Mackenzie Ford

Synopsis
During the Christmas Truce of 1914, Hal Montgomery, a British soldier, is given a photo by a German soldier, Wilhelm Wetzlar, and they make a pact. Hal promises to find his enemy’s English girlfriend, Samantha, and let her know her fiancé is alive and thinking of her. Several weeks later, Hal—now injured—is discharged from the army and goes to Stratford on Avon to fulfill his promise. But things take an unexpected turn when he meets the woman in the photo and falls in love with her himself. As their romance blossoms, Sam shares with Hal her most private confidence: Her newborn son is of German lineage, information that threatens her reputation and her job as a schoolteacher. Fearful that he will lose Sam, Hal holds tight to the secret–and the photograph–that brought them together.

The scene shifts to London, where Hal becomes involved with military intelligence and is introduced to Sam’s sisters and a different kind of secrecy. Against the broader landscape of England in wartime, Gifts of War captures the era and the fates of men and women caught in the sweep of history. A vivid tale of romance, adventure, and intrigue, the novel is a remarkable narrative that explores what made War World I so tragic, so revolutionary, and so exciting. It also announces a gifted new novelist. (barnesandnoble.com)



Gifts of War is set during World War I, beginning with the Christmas Truce of 1914, ending in 1919 during the period of the Paris Peace Conference. The story is about war and romance. This is a fast paced read and I didn’t want to stop reading. I was only disappointed in the ending of the novel.

• Hardcover: 464 pages
• Publisher: Nan A. Talese (July 7, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385528957
• ISBN-13: 978-0385528955

Man Overboard by Sandy Mason

Description
Author Sandy Mason releases Man Overboard, the second in his series of Johnny Donohue adventures. Using his wit and sometimes sarcastic look at life, Johnny gets involved in all sorts of adventures and affairs that make his escape to the simple life in a Florida marina not so simple. On Florida’s beautiful gulf coast, an experienced sailor suddenly goes missing at sea. His disappearance leads to a trail of money laundering, stolen boats, drug smuggling and kidnapping. Johnny Donohue and his ex-cop buddy Lonnie Turner work the case and become entangled in a Mexican drug ring with a penchant for violence. While Johnny uncovers some of his family secrets, his Latino lover is doing some investigating of her own as an undercover reporter. Filled with danger and suspense along with a few twists and turns, Man Overboard brings together the best and the worst facets of Florida life. There is intrigue, romance, sailing, drugs, cops and criminals as the story unfolds. Throw in some introspective dialogue and you have a pretty good story. (www.amazon.com)

I truly enjoyed this novel. The characters are believable and you are able to relate to them. I definitely would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good mystery and romance. This novel kept my attention from start to the end and I am looking forward to read more books by this Author. This book is a great beach read.

• Paperback: 230 pages
• Publisher: BookSurge Publishing (April 16, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1439233845
• ISBN-13: 978-1439233849

Bound to Please by Lilli Feisty

Synopsis
FROM FANTASY TO ECSTASY

Ruby Scott is a beautiful, quiet event planner who leads an oh-so-respectable life. Yet the things that go on in her secret fantasies are anything but. She has every intention of keeping her hidden desires under wraps-until she meets a gorgeous, hard-muscled man ten years her junior. Mark St. Crow is a gifted, up-and-coming musician who collects erotic art and loves to "play" women as much as his piano. After one night of uninhibited passion, Ruby realizes there's no turning back. But as she surrenders to her deepest needs and lets Mark control every forbidden thrill, her passion for him builds. Can the wild, intoxicating nights they share lead to a love that will last forever?


This book is HOT, HOT, HOT. I read it in one day and didn’t want it to finish. This is an easily believable erotica which includes D/S scenes. This novel has a great story and the characters and the scenes are very believable. I definitely will be looking forward to more books from this Author.

# Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
# Publisher: Forever (May 1, 2009)
# Language: English
# ISBN-10: 0446541923
# ISBN-13: 978-0446541923

One Deadly Sin by Annie Solomon

Synopsis COMING HOME IS MURDER... Revenge. Edie Swann has hungered for it since she fled her hometown as a little girl. Now she's returned, ready for payback. Armed with a list of names, she leaves each one a chilling sign that they have blood on their hands. Her father's blood. What happens next turns her own blood cold: one by one, the men she's targeted start dying. Sheriff Holt Drennen knows Edie is hiding something. She has a haunted look in her eyes and a defiant spirit, yet he can't believe she's a murderer. As the body count rises and all evidence points to Edie, Holt is torn between the town he's sworn to protect and the woman he's come to desire. But nothing is what it seems. Long buried secrets begin to surface, and a killer won't be satisfied until the sins of the past are paid in full--this time with Edie's blood. (Barnes&Nobles.com)

This was the first book I read by this Author and I loved it. This novel kept me entertained and guessing from start until end. Great mixture of romance and suspense. I highly recommend this book if someone loves romantic suspense.

• Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
• Publisher: Forever (May 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446178446
• ISBN-13: 978-0446178440

The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale

Synopsis

What if you were to meet the number-one person on your laminated list—you know, that list you joke about with your significant other about which five celebrities you’d be allowed to run off with if ever given the chance? And of course since it’ll never happen it doesn’t matter…

Mormon housewife Becky Jack is seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she meets celebrity hearththrob Felix Callahan. Twelve hours, one elevator ride, and one alcohol-free dinner later, something has happened…though nothing has happened. It isn’t sexual. It isn’t even quite love. But a month later Felix shows up in Salt Lake City to visit and before they know what’s hit them, Felix and Becky are best friends. Really. Becky’s husband is pretty cool about it. H er children roll their eyes. Her neighbors gossip endlessly. But Felix and Becky have something special…something unusual, something completely impossible to sustain. Or is it? A magical story, The Actor and the Housewife explores what could happen when your not-so-secret celebrity crush walks right into real life and changes everything. (Barnes&Noble)


This story is about the friendship between Becky, a pregnant happily married, Mormon Housewife and Felix, an Actor. Their friendship spans over years of joy and heartbreak.
Some parts of the novel made me laugh out loud but then at other parts I just didn’t feel connected. The story just didn’t grab me like I wanted it to.

* Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
* Pub. Date: June 09, 2009
* ISBN-13: 9781596912885
* 352pp

Swimsuit by James Patterson

Synopsis

Syd, a breathtakingly beautiful supermodel on a photo shoot in Hawaii, disappears. Fearing the worst, her parents travel to Hawaii to investigate for themselves, never expecting the horror that awaits them.

LA Times reporter Ben Hawkins is conducting his own research into the case, hoping to help the victim and get an idea for his next bestseller. With no leads and no closer to uncovering the kidnapper's identity than when he stepped off the plane, Ben gets a shocking visit that pushes him into an impossible-to-resist deal with the devil.

A heart-pounding story of fear and desire, SWIMSUIT transports listeners to a chilling new territory where the collision of beauty and murder transforms paradise into a hell of unspeakable horrors. (Barnes&Nobles)



Kim McDaniels, a beautiful supermodel dissapears in Hawaii. After receiving a terrifying phonecall in the middle of the night from the person who took their daughter, her parents travel to Hawaii to find out what happened to their daughter.
Ben Hawkins, a reporter for the L.A. Times gets the McDaniels assignment and flies to Hawaii to start his own investigation on the dissapearance of Kim McDaniels.
Little did they know that a nightmare awaits them and a horrifying killer is on the loose.
As always with Pattersons novels, there are many twists and turns.

Pattersons writing style is a little different with co-authors than if he writes himself. I am a big fan of all his work and enjoy reading all of his books. Keep the books coming Mr. Patterson.




* Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
* Pub. Date: June 29, 2009
* ISBN-13: 9780316018777
* 416pp

Surviving High Society by Elizabeth Marvin Mulholland

Description
To the outside world, Elizabeth Marvin Mulholland had it all. Adopted into a wealthy New England family, the young Elizabeth was afforded the luxury many people only realize in their dreams. She joined her family on lavish European vacations, lived in a finely decorated home, grew up in a world heavily infiltrated by power and money, and hob-knobbed with celebrities. As a close friend of Katherine Hepburn's niece, she gained an inside look into Katherine Hepburn's guarded inner life, which she details in Surviving High Society.

Her real life, however, was not the fantasy it seemed to others. Elizabeth grew up in a volatile household. Her adopted brother attempted to murder her mother and remained estranged in the decades to follow. Her father, who was her strongest ally, died suddenly when she was twenty-two. And, until her death, Elizabeth's mother used all means possible to exert control over her life. Her mother bounced Elizabeth in and out of psychiatric facilities and used her wealth to persuade doctors to keep Elizabeth locked up and medicated. Throughout, Elizabeth struggled to keep the pieces of her life together.

After her mother disinherits Elizabeth, she successfully seeks to find freedom and a life of her own away from her mother s ever-watchful gaze. Her life becomes a life without fantastic riches, filled with its own obstacles and triumphs. But it is now her life. (amazon.com)

I could not put down this book and read it in one day. This author does a great job telling us the story of her life. Elizabeth has been born illegitimately to her mother and a married father. She has been given up for adoption and got adopted by a wacky, moneyed, blue-blooded family in Conneticut. A year later the family adopted a boy who later attempts to murder her mother.

Her mother had some mental problems and was very controlling. She sent Elizabeth in and out of psychiatric hospitals over the years. When Elizabeth finally got the courage and broke free her mother disinherited her. It is amazing that this lady was able to trust someone else in her life and found love and happiness after what she has been through.
I have great admiration for this lady who was able to turn her life around and recommend this book to anyone.

• Publisher: Bascom Hill Publishing Group (November 25, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1935098071
• ISBN-13: 978-1935
• Paperback: 184 pages
• 098072

Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris

Synopsis

For Sookie Stackhouse, the day to day activities of the vampire and were communities in and around Bon Temps, Louisiana, are of vital interest, She's blood-bound to the leader of the vamps, a friend to the local were pack, works for a man who is shifter, and has a brother who is a were-panther…

But for most of the humans in Bon Temps, the vamps are mysterious seductive creatures-and they don't even know about the weres.

Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to follow the lead of the undead and reveal their existence to the ordinary world.

At first it seems to go well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found in the parking lot of the bar where Sookie works. The victim is someone she knows, so she feels compelled to discover who-human or otherwise-did the deed.

But what she doesn't realize is that there is a far greater danger than the killer threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings--older, more powerful and far more secretive than vampires or werewolves-- is preparing for war. And Sookie will find herself an all-too human pawn in their battle…

I have read every book in this series and loved every one of them . I can't wait for the next one to come out to see what happens next. Charlaine Harris did an excellent job. The characters are lively and quirky as in all her books. The end of the novel is pretty open and makes me want to know what happens next. Is Sookie staying with Eric or will Bill come back into her life as her lover? Poor Sookie has so much going on in her life and makes you wonder what else can happen to her. I highly recommend this book to anyone who like southern Vampire Mystery.

• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
• Pub. Date: May 2009
• ISBN-13: 9780441017157
• Sales Rank: 22
• 320pp
• Series: Sookie Stackhouse/Southern Vampire Series, #9

Dirty Little Angels by Chris Tusa

This is a compelling story of the troubled life of 16 year old Hailey Trousclair, living in the slums of New Orleans with her dysfunctional family and friends. Hailey deals with rejection, deception, adultery, suicidal, betrayal, and violence throughout the novel. The story is very believable and makes you think. It is not a quick read.

I was impressed by the author’s style and quality of the book, very well written.

Afraid by Jack Kilborn

A team of top secret, killer soldiers (red op team) have been unleashed on the small Wisconsin town with a mission to complete at the cost of the entire population of the town with the exception of three people.

This is an awesome novel which comes alive with non stop action and horror from start to finish. You are not able to catch your breath before something else happens. Many twist and turns and you will feel like you know the characters.

I couldn’t put this book down once I got started reading. If you are not afraid you will be after reading this book. It is not for the faint of heart and you will make sure to look all your doors at night.
I am looking forward to read the next book by this author.