Reviewed books:
![[SHOWME5.jpg]](https://i0.wp.com/1.bp.blogspot.com/_rD7rob9H2Zo/Sv5LVhXWsVI/AAAAAAAAAew/C96wH-6cdEo/s1600/SHOWME5.jpg)
Gabe has no idea how she is going to balance her new responsibilities as a Guardian being a painter by day and a bartender by night. Having just been contracted for her new “Enter the Light” series, Gabe tries to handle it all.
But it seems like her luck has run dry when she’s ill trained to take her proper place as guardian, having a dry spell at painting, and for some reason can’t help but fall for Rhys Llewellyn, the sexy Brit who offers his help in more ways than one.
Although her past was marked by bad choices, Vanessa has found that coming to St. Dennis is the best decision she’s ever made. Bling, her trendy boutique, is a success with tourists as well as with the townspeople. She’s made friends, has a home she loves, and has established a life for herself far from the nightmare she left behind. The last thing she’s looking for is romance, but the hot new man in town is hard to resist. And when Vanessa’s past catches up with her, Grady finds that he’s unwilling to let her become a victim again. As together they fight her demons, Grady and Vanessa discover that life still holds some surprises and that love doesn’t always have to hurt.
I’m joining the Reagan Arthur Books Challengehosted by Kathy/Bermuda Onion & Julie/Booking Mama.
Some specifics:
* The goal is to read the Reagan Arthur Books. Order doesn’t matter and we are defining “reading” as print, audio, or e-book. You don’t have to read all of the books, but we encourage you to read all of those that appeal to you!
* Begin the challenge when you write your challenge post. The challenge is perpetual and does not have an end date.
* Submit the links to your reviews (or your reviews if you don’t have a blog) to rabookschallenge(at)gmail(dot)com.
* Help spread the word. We will be using the hashtag #rarthurbooks on twitter.
* There are prizes!
Challenge Books:
1. The Unnamed by Joshua Ferris – review – 2010
2. Marriage and Other Acts of Charity by Kate Braestrup – review – 2010
3. The Island by Elin Hilderbrand – review – 2010
4. 13 rue Thérèse by Elena Mauli Shapiro – review – 2011
5. The Arrivals by Meg Mitchell Moore – review – 2011
6. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson – review – 2013
Though Reginald Mason, Senior, wishes to use Annabelle to propel his family up the social ladder, his son does not wish to marry her, preferring instead to live the wild, single life he is accustomed to. With this, Reginald Senior serves his son an ultimatum: marry Annabelle, or make do without family funds. Having no choice, Reginald consents, and enters into a hostile engagement in which the prospective bride and groom are openly antagonistic, each one resenting the other for their current state of affairs while their respective fathers revel in their suffering.
So begins an intoxicating tale rife with dark secrets, deception, and the trials of love—a story in which very little is as it seems.
The past is never over. It just gets dusty.
Lisa Shewmaker was a rising star in a prestigious law firm in Lexington, Kentucky; that is, until the firm went bankrupt and she lost her job. With an ailing mother to care for, Lisa takes the first position she can find: research assistant to District Attorney Scott Buchanan. Scott is as disagreeable as he is sexy, and Lisa suspects the only reason she got the job is because of her privileged upbringing as the daughter of a wealthy federal judge.
While reviewing cold cases in the Fayette County courthouse a particularly thick manila envelope draws Lisa’s attention. The details of the case are engrossing: An entire family – father, mother, and two children – disappeared more than twenty-eight years ago. Except that’s not all: The mother in the photo could have been Lisa’s twin, and the toddler in the picture bears an uncanny resemblance to Lisa herself. Before Lisa can learn more about her past a series of catastrophes strike close to home. Lisa confides in Scott, and their relationship develops into something completely different. Together Lisa and Scott unravel a terrifying web of criminal connections that could destroy the very fabric of Lisa’s life – if she lives long enough, that is.
![[SHOWME5.jpg]](https://bookfanmary.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/showme5.jpg?w=124)
Visitors to the town often remark about the valley’s peace and beauty—both of which are plentiful. Unlocked doors, front porches, pies cooling in the windows—this is country life at its finest. But visitors don’t always see what lies at the heart of a community. Or just beyond…
June Hudson grew up in Grace Valley, the daughter of the town doctor. Leaving only to get her medical training, she returned home and followed in her father’s footsteps. Some might say she chose the easy, comfortable route…but June knows better.
For June, her emergency room is wherever she’s needed—or wherever a patient finds her. She is always on call, her work is her life and these people are her extended family. Which is a good thing, since this is a town where you should have picked your husband in the ninth grade. Grace Valley is not exactly the place to meet eligible men—until an undercover DEA agent suddenly starts appearing at all sorts of strange hours.
Everybody has secrets down in the valley. Now June has one of her own.
Brava, Valentine begins on a day filled with happiness in Tuscany. The sparkling snow that falls reflects the spirit of the Roncalli/Angelini family. Their beloved matriarch Teodora is marrying Dominic Vechiarelli. The octogenarians kept their relationship a secret for many years but finally decided to marry. Adriana Trigiani had me laughing at the family antics as they prepare for the wedding. Dominic’s son is at the wedding. Gianluca Vechiarelli made quite an impression on Valentine on her last trip to Italy (Very Valentine). She definitely feels something for him when she sees him at the church but things don’t go as she would hope. From the reception on, surprises seem to come at her full force. Life is changing.
Teodora will live with her new husband in Italy while Valentine takes the reins at the Angelini Shoe Company back in Greenwich Village. There are challenges to be faced: a new business partner; a long-time employee who hints at retiring; the need for a business loan to launch a new shoe line; a possible new branch on the family tree to check out; and a long-distance romance. Valentine is full of energy and up to the challenges at work but something is missing in her life. Gianluca (17 years her senior) is very interested in her as she is in him yet how can they make it work? He is in Italy and she is across the Atlantic. He sends romantic letters that get her attention but can she possibly be the woman he seems to idolize?
Trigiani takes the reader to Italy, New York, and Buenos Aires. I loved the descriptions of the different locations. It was also fun to read about Valentine’s friend and new roomie Gabriel as he redecorated the living space above the shoe company. The rooftop garden never looked so good! I also enjoyed the descriptions of shoe design and manufacturing.
This is a very romantic book – I loved it. I can’t wait for the next book in this wonderful series.
Brava, Adriana Trigiani.
Review copy from HarperCollins
Mark Moretti is burned-out after finishing his father’s legacy project, the multimillion-dollar Grove Marketplace in downtown Boise. He’s ready for a break from the family construction business—maybe for good. And a summerlong fishing trip looks like just the ticket.
When a canceled flight leaves Mark stranded in Ketchikan, he finds himself at the Blue Note. One look at the exotically beautiful Dana and he decides to stay in town. But her fierce independence not only could jeopardize Mark’s help with renovations—it could also bring their mutual attraction to a screeching halt. (Goodreads synopsis)
Bookfan 
