Hello, beautiful readers! I hope you are enjoying the holidays no matter what special days you celebrate. I have read great stories this month and am excited to share them with you. I've also written a few chapters of my current WIP. Hopefully, I can keep this reading/writing thing going into the new year because I've missed having the time to do both.
Deep in the Forest Where Poetry Blooms: Just Her Poetry Book Two
by D.L. Finn
Genre: Poetry
Pages: 186 pages
Blurb:
Embark on a captivating journey with D. L. Finn as she guides you through the intricate landscapes of free verse and symbolic poetry. Hike with her through the magical forest, feel the wind on your face riding on the back of a Harley, or bask on the warm Hawaiian shores. Her search for life’s magic invites the reader to traverse through the four seasons in part one. Emotions, observations, and stories weave through part two’s texture. Whether the words explore a sunset, healing, or magic, each poem flows through moments where poetry blooms.
My Review:
This is such a beautiful book of poetry. The author breaks the book into various themes, each section filled with gorgeous imagery and emotion. She starts with her freestyle poems and then shares syllabic poetry at the end of each section. She captures every season perfectly and allows the reader to immerse him/herself in the beauty of each time of year. Then, she shares poetry about nature, including the forest and the ocean and everywhere in between. She even includes poems about animals, both real and magical. The author is quite adventurous and shares poetry written while riding a Harley and while snorkeling.
I truly love all her poems but my favorites are her haibun poetry. She is an expert at this form, creating a story in just a paragraph that draws you in and makes you feel as if you are part of the scene and then ending with a few lines that just bring it all home. Just brilliant! If you love poetry, this is a definite must have!
by Nounous (Susanne Leist)
Pages: 12 pages
Blurb:
Nounous is a fourteen-year-old Maltese dog who loves people but loves his mother most. As he takes his last steps, he reminisces on life and worries about leaving his Mommy alone.
His mother, Susanne Leist, is a paranormal suspense author and former financial analyst. When she isn’t writing her books, Susanne spends precious time with Nounous, her best friend and muse.
My Review:
This was such a sweet but sad story. Told from the point of view of the author's dog, the author takes us on a journey of her dog's last year in life and how his perspective has changed throughout the years. What is evident is his undying love for his owner. This is such a beautiful tale of a dog's love for his human. I can totally imagine pets feeling this love and having these thoughts. It's a bit sad, but it's also heartwarming, and I would encourage you to read it.
by Jacquie Biggar
Genre: Short Story, Medical Fiction
Pages: 176 pages
Blurb:
Will a Christmas wish bring two lonely hearts together and give a little girl the family she's always wanted?
Single parent, Grace Donovan arrives in the small town of Emerson with the hope a trial program at the local cancer clinic will be the answer to prolonging her young daughter's life. She doesn't expect to fall for her handsome boss.
As principal of Emerson Elementary, Kyle Roberts is aware of the students' medical issues and his heart goes out to little Cassie Donovan and her mother. When he learns Grace needs a job, he fabricates a childcare program and is pleasantly surprised by its success. Now, if only he could help Cassie's recovery and get Grace to give him a chance before she learns of his duplicity.
Cassie Donovan barely remembers the father who died when she was just a toddler, but she does know her mother is sad. Even though Cassie wants a puppy more than anything, she gives up her wish to ask for a daddy from Santa Claus, that way if she gets sick again, Mommy won't be alone.
This Christmas, two families are brought together by a Christmas wish and a child's need for a miracle.
My Review:
This was the perfect story for the holidays. Grace uproots her life to move closer to a clinic that has an experimental study to treat her daughter's cancer. She meets Kyle Roberts, the handsome and gregarious principal at her daughter's school, and there's an instant connection. Grace is so focused on her daughter's health that she pushes aside everything else. Luckily, two little girls take fate into their own hands to make sure they all have the perfect Christmas.
This story is told from three different perspectives: Grace, Kyle, and Cassie. The author seamlessly moves from each perspective to create an endearing story. It was easy to follow each character's part because the author used such distinct voices for each of them. I especially loved reading Cassie's innocent voice within the story.
I could have easily read a full-length novel of this story, especially since there were many moments where I felt the author could have expanded or gave more backstory or side stories. That's not to say the story is incomplete because it isn't. It's more of a testament to how much I truly enjoyed the characters and their journey. If you are looking for a holiday story that will warm your heart, this is a great one to pick!
by J.R. Ward
(Adult Content)
Genre: Paranormal Vampire Romances
#1 New York Times bestselling author J.R. Ward is heating things up this winter with a holiday novel featuring some of her most iconic Black Dagger Brothers.
When Trez lost his beloved to a tragic death (The Shadows, Black Dagger Brotherhood #13), his soul was crushed and his destiny seemed relegated to suffering. But when he meets a mysterious female, he becomes convinced his true love has been reincarnated. Is he right? Or has his grief created a disastrous delusion?
Therese has come to Caldwell to escape a rift with her bloodline. The revelation that she was adopted and not born into her family shakes the foundations of her identity, and she is determined to make it on her own. Her attraction to Trez is not what she’s looking for, except the sexy Shadow proves to be undeniable.
Has fate provided a grieving widower with a second chance...or is Trez too blinded by the past to see the present for what it really is? In this sensual, arresting book full of the themes of redemption and self-discovery, two lost souls find themselves at a crossroads where the heart is the only compass that can be trusted...but that may require a courage that neither of them possesses.
My Review:
I always love coming back to the Black Dagger Brotherhood world. I am a huge fan of long series because I fall in love with the characters and never want to leave their world. The BDB men go through some tragic stuff, and sometimes their HEA dies. When Trez lost Selena, his whole world fell apart and he found himself wanting to give up on life altogether. Luckily, Fate had other plans and Therese walked into his life. It didn't hurt that she was the spitting image of Selena (and then some).
I loved how this story came together. The author did an amazing job sharing Trez's struggle with Therese/Selena. Without giving away too much (because I hate spoilers), I loved how Tohrment played a role in saving him, given Tohr's own experience with losing his shellan. That moment brought tears to my eyes.
Can you read this as a standalone story? Sure, but you won't have the vested love, interest, and understanding of all the characters. But even without that understanding, I still think it's a story you will enjoy. :-)
by Maura Beth Brennan
When Sara was very young, her grandmother told her magical stories about garden fairies who lived in the tulips. If she could just catch sight of one of these elusive creatures, her grandmother told her, her wish would be granted. Soon after, Sara overheard her family discussing how she had been adopted, and how her birth mother was a young girl, barely into her teens. After recovering from her shock, Sara vows to find that young girl and get to know her. Surely, she would have more in common with her birth mother than with her dull, ordinary adoptive family. That was the wish she asked the garden fairies to grant. Years later, when she is ready for college, she finds a way to meet her birth mother. But all does not go as she planned.
My Review:
This short story focuses on the sensitive topic of adoption through the eyes of a child and her choices as she grows up. It begins with a seven-year old who adores her grandmother and believes in the fairies that her grandmother tells her live in the garden. Her imagination and beliefs are shattered when she overhears her mother mention that she's adopted. Sara struggles with accepting the love of her adopted family and yearns to be reunited with her "real" mother. She makes a wish on the fairies she no longer believes in and spends years waiting for the opportunity to make that wish come true. Her grandmother assured her that wishes do come true, though not always as she expects them to. And Sara finds that out the hard way.
This story is a great read, though I wasn't always happy with Sara's behavior as a child. I don't know that I would have let things go as easily as she had at the end (no spoilers), but her reaction made sense. I'm happy that she finally understood and accepted the love of her family. :-)
Have you read any great stories lately? I'd love to hear from you.
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