This review was written by Tabs. This story was nominated in the Best Novel with Strong Romantic Elements category. The summary: Professional baker Ramona Gallagher is a master of an art that has sustained her through the most turbulent times, including a baby at fifteen and an endless family feud. But now Ramona’s bakery threatens to crumble around her. Literally. She’s one water-heater disaster away from losing her grandmother’s rambling Victorian and everything she’s … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge: How to Bake a Perfect Life by Barbara O’Neal →
The first thing I want to tell you about this book is that it is hilarious. I laughed so hard, so many times reading this book. The second thing I want to tell you is that I'm giving this book an A- with two caveats: 1. It is not a romance novel. 2. It is hella expensive. While I don't want to downgrade a book because the price is high, the $9.99 price point for … Continue reading The Marrying Kind by Ken O’Neill →
Our first RITA Reader Challenge review is from Silver James. This book is nominated in the “Best Inspirational Romance” category for the RITAs this year. The summary: In Redemption, Oklahoma, a young boy is found huddled in a Dumpster, clutching a Christmas book. Scared and refusing to speak, he captures undercover agent Kade McKendrick's guarded heart. Kade brings the child home until he can track down his family—and his story. All Kade has is a name, … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge: The Christmas Child by Linda Goodnight →
Sometimes when I squee about a book, I want to jump up and down and yell and breathlessly tell you how amazing I thought something was. This is the same level of appreciation, but the opposite reaction: this book (and the accompanying film) knocked my heart out of my chest, made me tear up, and made me want to grab anyone who doesn’t understand how avid readers feel about books and make them watch it … Continue reading The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore by William Joyce →
Lindlee is back, kicking ass and writing reviews for the RITA® Reader Challenge for one book in each category. This book was nominated in the Strong Romantic Elements category. Plot summary: Folly Beach, South Carolina, has survived despite hurricanes and war. But it’s the personal battles of Folly Beach’s residents that have left the most scars, and why a young widow has been beckoned there to heal her own… To most people, Folly Beach is … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge Review: On Folly Beach by Karen White →
F. chose to read this novel for the RITA® Reader Challenge, but after picking it at random she found it had a lot of plot elements she doesn’t like, but that the writing was strong enough that she kept going. The plot summary: Sixteen-year-old runaway Reagan has always wanted a place to belong. She’s never had a real home of her own, but perhaps she could borrow someone else’s. Under an assumed name and identity, … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge Review: Welcome to Harmony by Jodi Thomas →
I wanted to like this book. I like epistolary novels, and I really like epistolary novels involving technology. I liked Meg Cabot’s “The Boy Next Door,” which is largely told via email, even with the weird part where the villain is running down the stairs and the heroine is on her laptop in the stairwell typing that the villain is running down the stairs. OMG… pick your laptop up and run, girl! I also have … Continue reading Goodnight Tweetheart by Teresa Medeiros →
It’s actually very difficult to review this book, as I still think about it, and even when writing the review I picked up the book and started reading it again. I’m part YAY and I’m part BOO though I’m not MEH about it either. There are tremendously strong parts to this book, and parts that were so not-strong they broke the shiny smooth edges off the perfect parts, and STILL I pick up the book … Continue reading Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie →
A few weeks ago, I gave away ARCs of Jennifer Crusie’s Maybe This Time, and asked that, if the winners were so inclined, the lucky ARC-getters would send me their thoughts on the book. Carrie was the first to send me her review, and I’m including it here – with a bonus at the bottom. See? It’s sometimes worth it to read all them there words. I am still writing my review – it’s both … Continue reading Maybe This Time by Jennifer Crusie: A Guest Review by Carrie S. →
I have heard from a few readers here that they love Jane Porter’s books. One reader mentioned in particular her sense of humor and her friendly heroines. So when this book arrived I read it in a matter of days. It had a line up of things that I generally jump into as fast as I can: – a heroine who has picked up her old life and moved to a place that’s familiar and … Continue reading She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter →
Girl From Mars is a story in a story, about a female comic book character who is brave and isolated, honest and ferocious, and about 50+ years old. Philomena Brown, or “Fil” for short, is the artist who has for a few years been drawing her comic idol, the Girl from Mars, as her job. Many people think that “Fil Brown” is a man, and are surprised and often dismissive of a female comic artist … Continue reading Girl From Mars by Julie Cohen →
