Body Heat by Brenda Novak

Book blurb: Twelve people have been shot at pointblank range and left to rot in the desert sun. It’s Sophia St. Claire’s job to do something about it. She’s Bordertown, Arizona’s new chief of police—and she’s out of her depth.

Help arrives in the form of Department 6 hired gun Roderick Guerrero. As far as Sophia’s concerned, his involvement only makes things worse. Maybe he’s managed to turn his life around. And maybe he’s a good investigator. But as the bastard son of a wealthy local rancher, he has a history he can’t get past. A history that includes her.

Rod refuses to leave town until the killer is caught. He’s not worried about the danger posed by some vigilante. It’s Sophia who threatens him. Because he’s used to risking his life–but his heart is another story.

~

My review: Brenda Novak’s latest Department 6 novel had me wondering who the killer was right up until the end.  She throws a few possibilities out there but I didn’t figure it out.  As in the first book, White Heat, Novak describes the Arizona setting perfectly.  I could almost feel the heat and taste the dust.

I enjoyed the main characters Sophia and Rod.  She’s trying to prove herself as worthy and capable of being the police chief of Bordertown, AZ. Rod has a chip on his shoulder a mile wide but he’s determined to find the killer even if it means working with someone who doesn’t want anything to do with him.

There are interesting supporting characters who fill in the background but Body Heat is Sophia and Rod’s story.  When they finally stop fighting each other they find out they make a great team.

The pace was rather slow to begin with but picked up in the second half.  It became quite a page turner.  I enjoyed it and look forward to the next book in the series: Killer Heat.

Review ebook from Harlequin/MIRA via NetGalley

In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday Aug.29/30

 

at The Story Siren

at Chick Loves Lit

~

For review from Harlequin/Mira via  NetGalley:

My buy:

The Island by Elin Hilderbrand

Goodreads synopsis: From New York Times bestseller Elin Hilderbrand, a new novel set on Tuckernuck, a tiny island off the coast of Nantucket. Four women-a mother, her sister, two grown daughters-head to Tuckernuck for a retreat, hoping to escape their troubles. Intead, they find only drama, secrets, and life-changing revelations.

~

My review: Listening to The Island was like taking a vacation.  Elin Hilderbrand’s novels usually take place on Nantucket but this time she takes us to the nearby island of Tuckernuck.

I found the relationships explored in the novel interesting.  There are two sets of sisters: Birdie and her sister India are in their 50s; Birdie’s daughters Chess and Tate are in their early 30s.  The dynamics are realistic and quite believable.  The story is told from all four points of view which always gives the reader a fuller understanding of the characters.

Birdie, recently divorced, planned a beautiful wedding for her daughter Chess and her fiancé only to have Chess call the whole thing off a few months before the event was to take place.  India, a widow, has recently experienced a personal relationship that made her uneasy. Chess called off her wedding and then received shocking news. Easy-going but workaholic Tate  is overdue for a vacation. They all decide to head to the Tuckernuck summer house that’s been in Birdie and India’s family for generations.  It has been thirteen years since the last visit but it is just as they remembered.

It was fun reading (listening) as they revisited favorite places on Tuckernuck, met friends who meant so much, and reminisced about past family trips to the island. Hilderbrand’s pace is good.  I liked how Chess’s story was revealed slowly through her journaling.  Most of the characters are enjoyable but  Tate wore a little thin at times.  I thought she was quite immature for a thirty year old woman but perhaps it was because she was back in the role of the younger sister/daughter of the group. There are a few twists along the way which make the story even more interesting. I can’t complain about the lack of an epilogue.  There is a lengthy one in which the author ties up all the loose ends.

Narrator Denice Hicks did a fine job.  Her lilting voice made listening a pleasant experience. The Island would be a great vacation read – exactly the kind of book I want when I’m going to the beach or at home wishing I was at the beach.

Review Audiobook from Hachette Book Group

1022 Evergreen Place by Debbie Macomber

From the book:

Dear Reader:

Guess what? I’m falling in love! With Mack McAfee.

My baby daughter, Noelle, and I have been living next door to Mack since the spring. I’m still a little wary about our relationship, since I haven’t always made good decisions when it comes to men. My baby’s father, David Rhodes, is testament to that. I’m so worried he might sue for custody.

In the meantime, the World War II letters I found are a wonderful distraction. Both Mack and I are trying to learn what happened to the soldier who wrote them and the woman he loved.

Come by sometime for a glass of iced tea and I’ll show you the letters. Plus I’ll tell you the latest about Grace and Olivia, my brother Linc and his wife, Lori (who tied the knot about 5 minutes after they met!), and all our other mutual friends. Oh, and maybe Mack can join us…

- Mary Jo Wyse

~

My review: Debbie Macomber’s latest Cedar Cove novel ties up some loose ends from 92 Pacific Blvd. and continues a few story lines.  I really enjoyed the mystery of the WWII letters that Mack and Mary Jo are trying to solve.  Their story is sweet and really the main focus of the novel.

We also get to see what’s new with:

Gloria Ashton and Chad Timmons:   They’ve had a start and stop relationship and now Gloria is faced with a decision that could change a few lives.  Her father gets wind of what’s going on and decides to step in before history repeats.

Bruce, Rachel, and Jolene Peyton: Bruce and Rachel are newlyweds. Bruce’s daughter Jolene once worshiped Rachel who took her shopping and did girl things together. But now that she is her step-mother Rachel is seen as competition for Bruce’s affections.  Jolene hates Rachel and wants to go back to life the way it was before.

Linc and Lori Wyse: they met and married within a few weeks.  Lori’s wealthy and controlling father is livid about the situation and wants to make Linc go away.

There are more updates of favorite Cedar Cove residents and a few joyful events. Reading the latest book in the series is like catching up with old friends.  Debbie Macomber has built a small town and filled it with characters who are easy to relate to.  They have heartaches and happiness like  anyone and Macomber reveals all in her easygoing style.  If you’re looking for a relaxing, enjoyable book start with 16 Lighthouse Road.  Read the series in order so you can get to know the characters from the beginning.

Note:  I appreciate the list of characters (and short description) at the start of each book.  There are so many characters that the “refresher” helps a lot.

1022 Evergreen Place will be released on August 31, 2010

Review copy from Harlequin/MIRA via NetGalley

She’s Gone Country by Jane Porter

When Shey Darcy’s marriage ends she takes her kids home to Texas where they’ll be surrounded by her family.  Problems don’t magically disappear with the move and she finds herself facing new issues.  Her oldest son wants to go back to New York and his old school.  Her middle son is fighting depression and her youngest wants to learn how to ride bulls.  And if all that isn’t enough she sees a lot more of Dane – the guy who used to be her crush more than twenty years earlier.

I thought Jane Porter did a good job addressing the usual concerns of a family going through divorce.  While not delving real deep she didn’t gloss over them either.  Her characters are real – they have flaws and struggles.  The supporting characters (Shey’s brothers and mother) have a lot going on in their lives as well.  Porter gives enough glimpse into each that it’s easy to understand their motivation relative to Shey.

I enjoyed the story and the pace.  It was a quick read and an entertaining novel.  This is the first book by Porter that I’ve read and I look forward to reading her backlist.  I recommend She’s Gone Country.   A reading group guide is included.

Review copy from Hachette Book Group

In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday – Aug. 22/23

at The Story Siren

at Chick Loves Lit

~

What to Wear For the Rest of Your Life (Hachette Book Group)

Giveaway won at Libby’s Library News

Show Me 5 Saturday – Real Life & Liars by Kristina Riggle

at Find Your Next Book Here

~

1 Title:  Real Life & Liars by Kristina Riggle

2 Words that describe the book:  Family reunion

3 Settings or characters:

*  Mira Zielinski – wife of Max and mother of Katya, Ivan, and Irina.

*  Katya – the totally together, on top of everything wife, mother, daughter, sister.  She’s about ready to crack.

*  Irina – the youngest child of Mira and Max who arrives home with two big surprises

4 Things I liked/disliked about the book:

*  I liked how real Kristina Riggle’s characters are -the Zielinski siblings especially.

*  I enjoyed how while reading it I felt like I was watching a movie.  The descriptions and dialogue were great.  I really liked the anniversary party scene.

*  Each chapter is about or from a different character’s perspective.  The details revealed about the characters filled in a lot.

*  I liked how the title worked into the plot at what seemed like the right time.

5 Stars or less for the rating:  4/5

Back of the book:  For Mirabelle Zielinski’s children, happiness always seems to be just out of reach.  Her polished oldest daughter, Katya, clings to a stale marriage with a workaholic husband and three spoiled children.  Her son, Ivan, so creative, is a down-in-the-dumps songwriter with the worst taste in women.  And the “baby”, impulsive Irina, who lives life on a whim, is now reluctantly pregnant and hitched to a man who is twice her age.  On the weekend of their parents’ anniversary party, lies will be revealed, hearts will be broken . . . but love will also be found.  And the biggest shock may come from Mirabelle herself, because she has a secret that will change everything.

The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle

Back of the book: Veterinarian Cami Anderson has hit a rough patch. Stymied by her recent divorce, she wonders if there are secret ingredients to a happy, long-lasting marriage or if the entire institution is outdated and obsolete. Couples all around her are approaching important milestones. Her parents are preparing to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. Her brother and his partner find their marriage dreams legally blocked. Her former sister-in-law—still her best friend—is newly engaged. The youthfully exuberant romance of her teenage daughter is developing complications. And three separate men—including her ex-husband—are becoming entangled in Cami’s messy post-marital love life.

But as she struggles to come to terms with her own doubts amid this chaotic circus of relationships, Cami finds strange comfort in an unexpected confidant: an angry, unpredictable horse in her care. With the help of her equine soul mate, she begins to make sense of marriage’s great mysteries—and its disconnects.

~

The Blessings of the Animals is a novel about relationships – mostly marriage but also parental, sibling, and friends.  And then there’s the love of and responsibility to animals. Katrina Kittle shows the beauty of  being faithful to the people (and animals) in one’s life and the fallout when that doesn’t happen.  She also shows that being faithful to someone and making him/her content are not the same thing.  In the end, we are responsible for our own feelings of contentment.

The animals in the book are wonderful.  They made me laugh out loud and also had me tearing up.  I don’t want to give away any of the joy in learning about them so I’ll just say I felt as emotional about them as I did the human characters. Cami is a veterinarian and there is nothing she won’t do for the animals.  What the animals give to her is what she would hope to receive from the people in her life.  It would have been so easy for her to just shut down when her life changes abruptly but Kittle gives us a woman who rises to meet her responsibilities to her daughter, her friends, and her job.  It’s hard but she gives it her best and in doing that she starts her life moving in a new direction.

I didn’t plan to read this book as quickly as I did but I was hooked from the first page. I enjoyed all the characters and adored the animals.  The Blessings of the Animals will be on my 2010 Favorite Books list.  It would be a great selection for a book club.

Review copy from Harper Perennial

The Life You’ve Imagined by Kristina Riggle

Anna, Cami and Amy were classmates in Haven, Michigan.  Before they graduated Amy photocopied a magazine clipping meant to inspire and gave a copy to her two friends:  ”Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.  Live the life you’ve imagined.”   More than fifteen years later the three find themselves thrown together again and life is definitely not what they’d imagined.

Anna is staying with her mother Maeve while on bereavement leave from her Chicago law firm.  Cami has returned to her father’s home after a breakup caused by her secret addiction.  Amy never left Haven and is looking forward to her wedding day.  All three have serious issues that need to be faced before they can move forward.  The young women  become almost unwitting accomplices in helping each other gain the confidence necessary to make positive changes in their lives.  Another character  needing to move forward is Maeve.  She was abandoned by her husband twenty years earlier and still holds on to the hope of his return.  Life is changing for her too.  Her lease has been cancelled leaving her without a job and a place to live. At fifty-two she has to figure out a new future.

Each chapter is from a different perspective rotating between the four main characters.  I liked that because it gave me a better understanding of each woman and allowed the author to fully unfold their history.  The voices are distinctive and move the story forward at a good pace.    When I finished reading the book I  felt satisfied with how the author wrapped things up.

I enjoy novels about small towns and the people who live there.  The Life You’ve Imagined did not disappoint.  I look forward to reading more from Kristina Riggle.

Review copy from HarperCollins

In My Mailbox/Mailbox Monday – August 15/16

 

at The Story Siren

at Chick Loves Lit

~

The Island (audiobook from Hachette)

The Blessings of the Animals (from Harper Perennial and Book Club Girl)

Casting About (from Terri DuLong)