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My Three Dogs–rescue dogs
My Three Dogs
by W. Bruce Cameron
If you enjoy a good dog story, you’ll like this one. Three rescue dogs—Riggs, a miniature Australian shepherd; Luna, a Jack Russell; and Archie, a Labradoodle puppy—take center stage in My Three Dogs. Their humans are Liam, a builder, and Sabrina, a schoolteacher. Liam’s brother Brad has a major role too. He has been Liam’s rock since Brad was sixteen and is still trying to protect him. Their parents were unstable and in and out of their lives.
The author does a good job of describing what the dogs are thinking, what motivates their actions. The book gives the perspective of the dogs as they navigate life in the shelter, on the streets, and with adoptive parents. None of the options are good, and they all just really want their people back. Life changes dramatically for all of the humans and the dogs after there is an automobile accident. The dogs, unfortunately, learn that not all humans are good and kind and safe. If you are not drawn in by the dogs, which I think you will be, there are some plot twists that will keep you reading.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Fiction
Notes: 1. Contains four instances of minor swear words and is clean otherwise.
2. Cameron has written a lot of books, and most have dogs as the main characters. Humor abounds in many of his books. His website says, “Cameron is most famous for his novel A Dog’s Purpose, which spent 63 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.” That book and several others have been made into movies. Although this book is written for adults, Cameron also has several series of children’s books about dogs.
Publication: October 29, 2024—Tor Publishing Group
Memorable Lines:
Sabrina was on what she called a keto diet, though she still ate several small squares of chocolate fudge every night, and Liam had learned that to comment on this fact was considered treason.
The dogs went on full alert when the doorbell rang. It didn’t ring very often, and when it did, it was incumbent upon the dogs to alert every human in the room that there was something going on that needed their attention.
Liam wasn’t here and might never come back—a dog’s singular most dreaded fear, but one that occupies all canine minds when they’re alone without their people.
Before We Were Us–romance in New Hampshire
Before We Were Us
by Denise Hunter
From the moment Lauren Wentworth arrived at Pinehaven Resort and met Jonah Landry, they were at odds with each other. Lauren was hired to temporarily manage the small resort of eight cabins to help out the owners for 9 months as they transition into retirement. It is an opportunity to prove her worth to Olivia, the owner of Glitter, a top of the line corporate event planning organization in Boston.
Lauren, a product of the social services foster system, had a hard life growing up and feels she has a lot to prove. She is creative, a hard worker, and talented. Jonah is the son of the resort owner and is finishing a college degree in business with an eye to take over the resort when his parents retire. He has personal baggage also as his former girlfriend broke his heart to move to New York City. He sees Lauren as another “princess,” but is surprised to find her quite capable and unafraid to get her hands dirty.
An accident waylays their growing romance as Lauren loses her memory of four months of her life and their relationship. Jonah has to begin wooing her again.
A strong character-driven romance, Before We Were Us, moves back and forth between current events and what happened in the relationship before the accident. The reader is invited along as Lauren and Jonah struggle to find the compromise that will lead them both to a happy future. Will it be together or will Lauren pursue her dream job in Boston while Jonah manages Pinehaven Resort in New Hampshire preserving his family’s heritage? Does either one of them have sacrificial love for the other?
A nice touch and integral to the story is the renovation of an old barn on the property that Lauren wants to turn into an event center for weddings and other events. Imagine a rustic barn with fresh paint, fairy lights, and tulle. The barn project is just one of many successful ideas Lauren has to bring more money into the resort. Another fun part of the book is Lauren’s adopting of a stray dog, part Jack Russell. She names him Graham (Cracker) and he adores her.
I enjoyed this book and wanted the best for Lauren and Jonah. At times Lauren and Jonah seem “hard” and unfeeling, but there are reasons for their distancing themselves. There are certain plot lines that I would have enjoyed the author exploring more—Lauren’s mother; Carson, an intern at the hospital; and the community opening of the barn event center on New Year’s Eve.
Also, both characters have friends who support them, and it would be interesting to learn more about them.
Jonah proves himself to be a great listener and uses that skill in choosing gifts for Lauren. Have as much patience as Jonah and in the epilogue you will discover the sensitive meaning behind the book’s title.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Fiction, Romance, Women’s Fiction
Notes: standalone; clean
Publication: September 10, 2024—Thomas Nelson
Memorable Lines:
What if she was no good at this job? At life? What if she wasn’t meant for anything more than the trailer park from which she’d come? What if all the people who’d told her she wouldn’t amount to anything had actually been right?
“Sweetheart…we need to talk.” A weight dropped like a cement block in her stomach. Nothing good ever began with those words. She should’ve known better. This thing between them was too good to be true.
The feelings roiling through her were as powerful as a riptide. But undertows were dangerous and so was love. It was seductive and spellbinding. It held the power to drag you away from what mattered most.
Letters of Comfort–grieving and depression
Letters of Comfort
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
In Letters of Trust, Doretta encouraged her friend Eleanor through a difficult time in Eleanor’s marriage when her husband Vic sought relief from grief and guilt by turning to alcohol. In Letters of Comfort, Eleanor tries to support Doretta when her fiancé William passes away shortly before their marriage from an accident in which Doretta is also very badly injured. In her grief, Doretta draws away from God, friends, and family.
In her first book in the Friendship Letters Series, author Wanda E. Brunstetter addresses a more serious subject than is typical of her novels—alcoholism. In this second book, Letters of Comfort, Brunstetter attacks another difficult issue, depression. In a letter to the reader at the end of the book, she explains that her own mother suffered from bipolar disorder. Thus Brunstetter is all too familiar with depression and its symptoms. She encourages readers to seek help in a variety of ways from lifestyle changes to professional guidance.
In this book, Doretta’s life is complicated by a promise to her fiancé to never love anyone else. Will she change her resolve to keep that promise? Can William’s identical twin brother Warren move on from his grief? Both Warren’s and Doretta’s families have known each other since their children were little and all of them are grieving. Eleanor, pregnant with a second child, wants to help Doretta and encourages her as best she can from afar while Doretta is rejecting any efforts of help. Along the way there are complications as Warren tries to open the nutritional supplements store he and William were establishing and as Margaret, Warren’s girlfriend, struggles with priorities as her attachment to horses with behavioral problems increases.
This book is a little slow at times, perhaps to demonstrate that one does not “snap out” of grief and depression. It takes time. There are some key events towards the end that propel the plot forward more quickly. I did not have a strong emotional attachment to any of the characters, but I did appreciate the author’s conclusion. She provides appropriate and satisfactory closure for all. This is not a page turner, but I enjoyed it; and I do look forward to the next book in the series, Letters of Wisdom.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 3/5
Category: Christian, Romance
Notes: The book concludes with a recipe for apple muffins and a very well-written and thought provoking set of discussion questions.
Publication: August 1, 2023—Barbour Publishing
Memorable Lines:
“To be honest, I do not appreciate it when someone says a bunch of positive things that are supposed to cheer me up. It makes me feel like I don’t have the right to grieve.”
…since she didn’t have a job anymore and had been replaced by another school teacher, Doretta had no purpose in life—no reason to get up in the morning—and nothing to look forward to doing each day. She did not want to feel like this or entertain such negative thoughts, but thinking positive thoughts seemed to be an impossible task.
Doretta’s hope for marriage had been snatched away, as easily as a hawk pouncing on some poor unsuspecting little bird.
As Waters Gone By–rescued lives
As Waters Gone By
by Cynthia Ruchti
Emmalyn has in many ways a tortured life. Her husband was sentenced to five years in prison, but she has built a prison for herself—captive to her desires to have a baby. Even before the car accident that resulted in his imprisonment, Emmalyn and her husband Max had exhausted their financial and emotional resources. Emmalyn had been a top chef, but having lost her job when the restaurant closed, she finds herself starting life again at a rustic hunting cabin that needs a lot of work to transform it into a livable cottage on Madeline, one of the Apostle Islands near Bayfield, Wisconsin. Max had cut off communication with Emmalyn so she doesn’t know if he will want to remain married when he is released from prison. With five months to go, Emmalyn and Max need to learn to communicate all over again.
When Emmalyn (M) arrives by ferry, she is quickly befriended by locals. She initially stays at The Wild Iris, a guest house and restaurant owned by the generous Boozie Unfortunate, a great cook and manager, who dispenses common sense and Christian wisdom and love, blessing all who encounter her. Another new friend, Cora, wears many hats, including roofer. Emmalyn desperately needs her help in closing a gaping hole in the roof. Cora has a team of workers, contacts to get building supplies at a discount, and a son with a tracking ankle bracelet who needs someone to take a chance on him. Reflecting on her husband’s future needs when he is released from prison, Emmalyn hires Nick to paint her house.
Just when renovations in the cottage are coming to a close, there is a major plot twist that turns Emmalyn’s world upside down, but also leads her on a journey of self-discovery as she realizes mistakes she made in her marriage and is drawn again into a relationship with God. This dramatic twist will remain a secret as this is a spoiler-free review, but it adds depth, despair, and delight to the plot.
Reading As Waters Gone By was a pleasure. It has quirky, lovable characters and a strong moral base. This book was a page turner for me. As I review M’s situation, I realize this character’s issues beckon the reader to exchange places with M and ponder her choices from a personal perspective, because all of us can suddenly find our world upended. Will we be able to stand the course as God reveals the plan behind the circumstances so that one day we can say too (Job 11:16 NIV) that “You will surely forget your trouble, recalling it only as waters gone by.” ?
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian Fiction, Women’s Fiction
Notes: As one of the members of my book club said, “Although this is a Christian book, there is nothing “preachy” about it.” Several members commented on the rich descriptions. I agree with both assessments. It also had many instances of gentle humor that were very enjoyable.
Publication: 2015—Abingdon Press
Memorable Lines:
Introvert? Extrovert? Boozie fit under the Tidal Wave category. But with a gentle touch that made people forget they were being carried someplace other than where they were headed.
“We brought bacon, too, if that helps your mood.”…The moment christened the cottage with tears and a laughter chaser. “Smoked meat,” Emmalyn said between gasps, “fixes everything.” “The food world’s duct tape,” Cora added.
Hope’s laughter floated through the cottage, lighting the shadowed corners. No matter what age, a child’s laughter changes things.
“That’s the thing about messes,”…”It doesn’t matter what caused the trouble. The answer’s always the same. Call out to God. Watch His rescue. Then thank Him.” Emmalyn doubted it was that simple. But she’d seen it at work on the island. Her exile. Her refuge.
A Small Town Romance–writer of hurtful satire
A Small Town Romance
by Melinda Curtis
As the Love in Harmony Valley series continues, I have been looking forward to hearing more of Tracy’s story. We met her in the first book of the series, Dandelion Wishes. She had been Emma’s best friend and is Will’s sister. She has expressive (speech) aphasia as the result of an accident where Emma was driving. Her speech difficulty is hard enough in daily life, but imagine what it does to a marketing executive. She is currently working as a barista in the local coffee shop.
When Chad is fired from his position as a travel writer and head of company at the Bostwick Lampoon, he heads out to write his own caustic satire on the web starting with little Harmony Valley. The elderly residents are delighted that he is going to draw attention to their town bringing in tourists and new residents but are unaware of his satirical motives.
Tracy is attracted to the real Chad hidden inside the charming but deceptive exterior. He does have a kind heart and helps her with her speech. Unfortunately for their relationship, Tracy has done her research and is aware of the devastation he can bring to the little town and the people she loves in Harmony Valley.
A Small Town Romance provides a great look at these two characters. It shows the importance of self-confidence and helping others, putting their needs above your own.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Notes: 1. #7 in the Love in Harmony Valley Series. It could be a standalone but so many of the previously introduced citizens of Harmony Valley show up in this book that I think the enjoyment is enhanced by reading other books in the series.
2. This book is Tracy and Chad’s story.
Publication: July 18, 2023—Franny Beth Books
Memorable Lines:
Tracy used to love to flirt. She used to be the Queen of the One-Liners, the Princess of Comebacks, the Junior Miss of Verbal Jousting.
“It’s quite round.” Chad swirled the glass again and watched the wine drip slowly down the side. “And it has good legs.” Now he was speaking French. Liquid, people. It’s just liquid.
Mildred was no longer going to seize the day. She was going to walk in Martin’s and survive the day. Because that’s what one did after embarrassment in a small town. You held your head up and carried on.
A Small Town Memory–looking for a past and a future
A Small Town Memory
by Melinda Curtis
Jess shows up in Harmony Valley looking for her past. Specifically her husband or boyfriend. She is pregnant and had been in a car accident and lost her memory—retrograde amnesia. Seeing a newspaper clipping of the staff at the winery in Harmony Valley stirs her memory when she sees a familiar looking man. She meets him and discovers that he is not the baby’s father, Greg, but is his twin, Duffy.
Jess spent her childhood in a variety of homeless situations before her mother abandoned her to foster care, a loveless situation that left Jess longing for family and averse to anything that smacked of charity.
Harmony Valley could use a good bakery and coffee shop and Jess is a talented baker. Quitting her job and relocating to a new town when she is seven months pregnant, however, is a huge step to even consider.
I don’t want to include the many complications to the story that would be spoilers. Author Melinda Curtis does a great job of creating the scenarios and characters in A Small Town Memory. Duffy has good reasons for not wanting to have anything to do with Jess as do his parents. The elderly residents of Harmony Valley range from a curmudgeon with a shotgun to some sweet, nosy women who don’t mind encouraging romance while trying to save their town.
There are valuable lessons about giving and receiving kindness, forgiveness, and strength of character. Trust and family are also prominent themes. The protagonists, Jess and Duffy, are likable characters with hurts in their pasts. Goldie is a cute, spunky little dog that Duffy fosters. She teaches him that there are positives to responsibilities. The ever present silent character is “Baby,” as Jess refers to her unborn little one, saying things like “Baby doesn’t like spicy food.” The author describes the little one’s movements: “Baby bounced eagerly in her belly, ready for a sugar fix.” Duffy even learns to accept his neighbor Eunice with her gifts of odd foods and nosiness.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Notes: 1. #6 in the Love in Harmony Valley Series. It could be a standalone because the focus is on the new characters introduced in the series with previous characters just forming a background
2. This book is Jess and Duffy’s story.
Publication: June 20, 2023—Franny Beth Books
Memorable Lines:
Jessica’s heart wrenched. She would have loved to have been a part of a large family with a business like this one. She longed for such history. For family traditions and favorite recipes. For the simple state of belonging.
They drove to the vet’s office. Goldie rode on the truck’s center console as if she’d been riding in trucks all her life. For such a froufrou-looking dog, she had chutzpah.
Rose had rejection in her tone before the rejection ever came. “We’re so old, we don’t even buy green bananas. Taking in a pet at this point in our lives wouldn’t be wise.”
Dandelion Wishes–friendship in times of hardship
Dandelion Wishes
by Melinda Curtis
First published in 2012, Dandelion Wishes was reedited and republished by author Melinda Curtis in 2023. Meanwhile, it has also been made into a video as Love in Harmony Valley.
The Prologue introduces the three protagonists as children. Emma Willoughby is adventuresome and plows ahead regardless of potential disaster. Her inseparable best friend Tracy Jackson is with her every step of the way. Tracy’s brother Will is four years older and sees it as his job to keep the girls out of trouble.
When you fast forward to the current time, disaster has struck the trio in the form of a car accident. Emma was driving, but although the fault was not hers, Will can not forgive Emma and Emma can not forgive herself. He kept the pair separated for the six months Tracy was in rehab. She has come a long ways, but she still has speech aphasia. Emma still suffers from the accident, but with unseen injuries that plague her.
Woven into the backdrop is a financially highly successful trio consisting of Will and his two business associates who are trying to revitalize their hometown of Harmony Valley and are in conflict with the town council. Emma’s Grandma Rose has always been an eccentric, but she is now displaying some traits that have her friends and family worried. Perhaps the most important thread is the unexpected attraction Will and Emma feel for each other despite the chasm in their relationship.
Forgiveness, understanding, and independence are major themes. Will any of the protagonists be able to put their lives together after the emotional and psychological damage they suffered? Will the residents of Harmony Valley find a way to age gracefully as individuals and as a town?
There are nine books in this series, and I am looking forward to reading more about the characters introduced in this first book. Melinda Curtis has a way of providing gentle clean romance that doesn’t shy away from the harsh realities that confront people in their daily walks.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Women’s Fiction, Romance
Notes: #1 in the Love in Harmony Valley Series
Publication: January 17, 2023—Independent
Memorable Lines:
“But this man wants to convert Harmony Valley from a peaceful, small town into a soulless tourist destination.”…”And then he’ll leave.” Rose went on. “Men always leave. And the opportunistic ones take whatever they can with them.”
In the eyes of her brother, Tracy was handicapped, disabled, incapable of living independently. Tracy felt as insignificant as a plain number two pencil in a mechanical pencil world.
Sometimes, waiting to see what Granny Rose did next was like sitting in the front car of a roller coaster at the top of the first big hill, anticipating a stomach-dropping ride because there was no effective brake.
Not a dandelion, but very similar. This plant is a wildflower found in northern New Mexico.
The Mockingbird’s Song–love rises from the ashes
The Mockingbird’s Song
by Wanda E. Brunstetter
The saga of the King family, an Amish family that suffers the tragic loss of three males in the family in an accident, continues in The Mockingbird’s Song, the second book in Wanda Brunstetter’s trilogy called the Amish Greenhouse Mysteries. The women in the family are the focus as they try to work through their grief and decide when it is time to move on. Amish men are important to the story as well in their interactions with these women.
Most of the characters are likable and the book is a pleasant relief from more intense genres. Several characters are a puzzle. Maude is a homeless woman who goes a step too far in taking things that don’t belong to her. Monroe held a romantic interest as a teenager in Belinda, the recently widowed matriarch of the King family. Now he reappears in her life with renewed attentions, but she is unsure of his motivations. Virginia is a non-Amish character. She seems to have had a rough life, but she is currently self-centered and prejudiced. Could any of these characters be behind the vandalism, destruction, and threats the King family is enduring in what seems to be a plot to destroy their greenhouse business? The answers will be found in the third and final book in the series, released March 2021.
I would like to extend my thanks to NetGalley and to Barbour Publishing (Shiloh Run Press) for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 5/5
Category: Christian, Mystery
Notes: #2 in the Amish Greenhouse Mysteries, but the author does a good job of reviewing the main points in the previous book.
Publication: August 1, 2020—Barbour Publishing (Shiloh Run Press)
Memorable Lines:
Belinda felt the emptiness in her house, all the way to her bones.
Getting the first month’s rent and giving Dennis a key to the home she used to share with Toby made his death seem so final—like coming to the end of a novel. Only, Sylvia didn’t feel the satisfaction that came from reaching the end of a book. Her heart ached more than ever.
Thought all I needed was a happy life with the woman I love. I’m beginning to realize I can never find true happiness until I’ve learned to forgive.
A Man Called Ove–tale of a curmudgeon
A Man Called Ove
by Fredrik Backman
Ove is a puzzle of a man—a man you will grow to love, as his wife Sophia did, as you learn more about him. Almost any details about Ove’s background would be spoilers. Let’s just say that his father was a good role model for him, he came from a loving home, and he found himself on his own too soon.
In Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove, the main character Ove runs his life according to routines and has undeniable moral standards and an impeccable work ethic. His wife is the color in his black and white life, and he loves her completely, always trying to do things that will please her. Sophia can tease him about things they don’t agree on, and she is the only one who can do so without angering him.
This novel is filled with interesting characters who bring out the best in Ove who might be described as a curmudgeon. Of special note is Parvaneh, the Iranian, pregnant mother of two, who is persistent in her attempts to bring Ove out of his shell and interacting with neighbors. Gradually, as the plot develops, more characters are introduced, and we learn how things came to be the way they are—why the kitchen counters and cabinets at Ove’s house are all low, how his neighbor Rune and Ove over the many years have both cooperated and feuded, and why Ove feels so passionately about the government “white suits.”
I smiled, laughed, and cried my way through A Man Called Ove. It is impossible to read it without reaction. Backman has a talent for relating Ove’s character and actions in a humorous way. The story is told in the third person, but in such a manner that the reader feels present. The narration goes back and forth between the present and the past with fluidity. New chapters begin with no segue or introduction. The reader is dropped abruptly into the action and setting as in Chapter 21 which begins with “Of course, the bus tour was her idea. Ove couldn’t see the use of it.” This style of writing works well in relating the tale. In concluding the story of the unforgettable Ove, the plot threads all tie together nicely and there is closure with a feeling of satisfaction and hope.
Rating: 5/5
Category: General Fiction (Adult)
Notes: 1. Originally published in Swedish.
2. Contains some foul language, but it is appropriate to Ove’s character, and he attempts to curb it around children, etc.
Publication: 2012—Simon & Schuster (Washington Square Press)
Memorable Lines:
And then he utters seven words, which Parvaneh will always remember as the loveliest compliment he’ll ever give her. “Because you are not a complete twit.”
“What sort of love is it if you hand someone over when it gets difficult?’ she cries, her voice shaking with sorrow. “Abandon someone when there’s resistance? Tell me what sort of love that is!”
…Ove had probably known all along what he had to do, whom he had to help before he could die. But we are always optimists when it comes to time; we think there will be time to do things with other people. And time to say things to them. Time to appeal.
Fearless–stalkers in the land of bluebonnets
Fearless
by Fern Michaels
Anna Campbell, who pieced her life together after the unexpected death of her husband, is a busy and successful blogger able to support herself and her teenage daughter. Rich, famous, and kindheartedly generous, she is also a target for stalkers and scammers. Her business manager and best friend Mandy convinces her to go on a singles cruise. What should have been a fun adventure rapidly leads her down paths she will regret.
The main characters in Fern Michaels’ Fearless are well-developed, and the plot is interesting. I liked the Lubbock, Texas, setting and touring Anna’s large suite on the cruise ship and her expansive gated home with vlogging studio.I enjoyed the mix of romance with mystery. When I had to put the book away, I was always eager to return. Fearless includes criminal activities that require the characters and the reader to puzzle out events, identities, and motivations. The resolution of this story is disappointing. It is too rushed without enough explanation of the characters’ motivations many of which reach way back in time and others that are current. For example, there are two instances of the use of a date-rape drug. The usage is clear, but the motivation of the second attempt is unclear. This hurried ending resulted in less enjoyment for me. I will try another book by this prolific author in the future for comparative analysis.
I would like to extend my thanks to Netgalley and to Kensington Books for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
Rating: 4/5
Category: Women’s Fiction
Notes: 1. Includes a recipe for Anna’s Rib Rub.
2. Has a sprinkling of mild swearing
Publication: March 31, 2020—Kensington Books
Memorable Lines:
She looked out through the gates at the sweeping fields of bluebonnets that surrounded her house. Nothing made her feel more at home than those bluish purple flowers stretching out for miles. A uniquely Texan sight.
As she was standing eye to eye with him, she saw someone else. A man who was quick to anger, quick to judge. Not the man she thought she knew. Ryan had a temper, she realized. He’d shown it on multiple occasions, so why she was just now realizing it was beyond her comprehension…
“…he seemed cold to me, like his eyes were empty. Does that sound crazy or what?”
education pathways 