The Littlest Cowboy (The Texas Brands #1) by Maggie Shayne

The Littlest Cowboy (The Texas Brands #1)
By: Maggie Shayne

Published: July, 2014 (Originally Published: May 1996)

Published By: Thunderfoot Publishing 

Format Read: eBook, Kindle for PC

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Rating: 1.5/5

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Sheriff Garrett Brand and his siblings are awoken one night to find an abandoned baby on their doorstep.

Chelsea Brennan arrives in Texas to identify the body of her deceased sister, but learns that her 6 month old nephew is missing.

Meanwhile baby Ethan’s father a well-known criminal will stop at nothing to find his son. Even murder. 

The concept of this story with the orphaned baby, the family who take him and the aunt who comes to find him caught my interest. It had been quite a while since I read a cute contemporary romance. Or at least that is what I thought I was in for when I started reading The Littlest Cowboy. And there were parts that fit that bill, however Maggie Shayne threw in some elements of mystery and suspense as well. In some cases these elements work well together, but unfortunately this instance wasn’t one of them.

Although Garrett seemed like a very attractive man (who doesn’t enjoy a hot cowboy?) I felt like he was portrayed as too perfect. The main female character Chelsea was quite traumatized by her abusive childhood. This added depth to her story, however I felt that her personality traits and opinions were very inconsistent. She started out as a fierce woman, but became more of a damsel in distress. It was almost like she was two different characters. As I read along I began to dislike Chelsea and Garret more and more. Readers will discover the baby will take a backseat to strange relationship that would bud between his aunt and the man who took him in. 

I hung on and read to the end of this story, but unfortunately it never did capture me. The ending sealed the deal for me, earning The Littlest Cowboy a 1.5 star rating. 

Wishing You Were Here by Catherine Chant

Wishing You Were Here
By: Catherine Chant

Published: December, 2012

Published By: Catherine Chant

Format Read: Kindle for PC

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Historical Fiction, Historical Romance 

Rating: 4/5 

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I was sent a copy of Wishing You Were Here by Catherine Chant from the author in exchange for an honest review.

17 year-old Callie is rummaging through her Grandmother’s attic one day when she comes across a record of a 1950’s Elvis Pressley style musician by the name of Joey Tempo. As a music lover, she is surprised to have never heard of him before and is eager to learn more about the handsome man on the record cover. While listening to his songs, Callie is saddened to learn that Joey was killed in a plane crash shortly after his career took off in 1957. There was something about his songs that draw her in and captivate her like nothing ever had before. Then all of a sudden, like she had been hypnotized Callie is sent back in time to right before Joey was to step onto the plane that would seal his fate. She feels she must save the star thus ensuring further success in his career.

My kind of time travel:

The concept of time travel is something that intrigues me, but I admit that I am quite picky with the books I read that focuses on this idea. I am not a big fan of science fiction or fantasy, so technical time travel having to do with time machines and the like don’t really appeal to me. However I do like it when it involves a more fate based storyline, like Wishing You Were Here has. As a music lover myself, the idea of an Elvis Pressley style character also really caught my attention.

50’s charm:

Set in a small American town of Shelby Falls, Chant paints a picture of a typical 1950’s era setting. Complete with the small-town support, drugstore diners and ice cream shops. Think Grease. While others may find these descriptions cliché, I loved them all.

Make it or break it:

Although a cute romance, Wishing You Were Here examines the power the record industry holds over their artists. They can make or break a career with the snap of their fingers. This still rings true today, just as much as it did during the time period that this book was set in.

Oh Callie!

Callie was definitely a 2000’s girl with the ideals to match. This didn’t exactly bode well for a young woman trying to pass off as someone coming of age in the late 1950’s. There were times when I wanted to shake her for stepping outside the character she was trying to keep up. I found her attitude to boarder on disrespectful, like an angst-ridden teen. She was also quite meddlesome with Joey’s career, although I know she only wanted what was best for him.

How about that plot twist?

I admit that earlier on in this book, I found some passages to be repetitive making me roll my eyes. However I really enjoyed this story and was able to set aside the unrealistic more often than not. I enjoyed reading along as all was revealed and honestly didn’t see the plot twist coming near the end.

Further reading and recommendations:

I look forward to reading the follow-up novella, as well as the sequel to this series soon. Wishing You Were Here is a fun contemporary romance-style read with a time travel twist. I would recommend it to fans of that genre and think that it would make for an enjoyable beach read. 

Blaming the Wind by Alessandra Harris

Blaming the Wind
By: Alessandra Harris 

Published: May 2016
Published by: Red Adept Publishing, LLC.
Format Read: PDF, Kobo, eBook
Genre: Contemporary, Romance, Dramatic Fiction
Date Read: July 11, 2016

Rating: 4/5

I was sent a copy of Blaming the Wind by Alessandra Harris, from the author in exchange for an honest review. 

 Blaming the Wind follows two couples as they deal with their own individual life crises'. As neighbours they turn to each other for support and guidance. Sophia Douglas lost her high-paying job and discovers she is pregnant, something she is dreading sharing with her husband Terrance. With money already tight, he has some news of his own to tell. Meanwhile next door, Josh Fisher has taken on the role of stay-at-home dad, after a devastating work accident ends his construction career. His wife Tara becomes the sole bread-winner while fighting demons of her own.

This book came to me at just the right time, as it was exactly what I was in the mood for. My initial reaction to the cover was that this would be a darker suspense story, so I was surprised to discover that it read more like a contemporary. In fact I was reminded of Emily Giffen, an author who I just recently started reading. But don't let that contemporary comparison fool you, because Blaming the Wind does touch on some very serious subject matter.

Alessandra Harris offers a bit of a role reversal with her characters by portraying the male leads in a more compassionate light. This was a refreshing point of view as men are often made to look like the bad person. I actually preferred Terrance and Josh over their wives due to the decisions they made throughout the story.

The bonds of friendship was a strong link between the four characters. I loved how they supported each other during the turbulent events they all faced.

I really enjoyed this story, although it was slightly over-dramatic at times. By the final section I was glued to the pages and couldn't put it down due to a surprising turn of events.

I would definitely recommend Blaming the Wind by Alessandra Harris to fans of dramatic contemporary fiction.  

Smokin' Seventeen (Stephanie Plum #17) by Janet Evanovich

Title: Smokin' Seventeen (Stephanie Plum #17)
Author: Janet Evanovich
Published: November, 2011
Published By: Bantam
Format Read: Paperback
Genre: Contemporary, Mystery, Romance
Date Read: April 12, 2016
Rating: 3/5

Smokin’ Seventeen picks up where Sizzling Sixteen left off; where the bail bonds office once stood is now an empty lot awaiting to be rebuilt and Stephanie is still going from Ranger to Morelli. Then several bodies are unearthed in the empty lot and Stephanie’s mother tries to play cupid again.

Smokin’ Seventeen was an enjoyable continuation of the Stephanie Plum series. I enjoyed that Mooner played a role in this installment, but wished he had a bigger part.

The who-done-it mystery was easy to figure out, but that was to be expected. Unfortunately there wasn’t any character growth, which is also to be expected.

Still I will continue on with this series as I find it amusing. I would recommend this book to those who have read the previous 16+ in the series. 

Click the link below to be taken to the Stephanie Plum series listing on Goodreads:

Stephanie Plum Series by Janet Evanovich

Blog Tour: Breaking the Story by Ashley Farley

Breaking the Story

By Ashley Farley

Release Date: March 17, 2016

Genre: Suspense

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28793180-breaking-the-story

Buy Links:

Amazon

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 Passion, peril, and a scandal that will rock American politics.

Scottie Darden’s life is a disaster. Her marriage has become toxic, and her career as a photojournalist has stalled out. To attract the attention of the main players in the news industry, she needs a standout story with a unique perspective. What she finds is a scandal that could turn the 2016 presidential election upside down. But before she can release her damaging images to the media, Scottie must uncover the truth behind the photographs. She turns to handsome mystery man Guy Jordan for help. When they join the campaign trail in search of answers, their investigation quickly becomes deadly.

Hop on board for a wild ride of adventure where desire ignites, lives are threatened, and secrets are revealed.

About the Author:

Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

HER SISTER'S SHOES—June 24, 2015—is a women's novel that proves the healing power of family.

MERRY MARY a heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need released October 15, 2015.

Social Media:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Tour Giveaway:

One winner will receive a 50.00 gift card to Amazon or Paypal. Open Internationally

Giveaway

Entry-Form

Rating: 5/5

Well Scottie has gone and got herself into trouble yet again. Picking up several months after the novella Merry Mary left off, the photojournalist is now covering the election. It was nice to be reunited with the characters that readers were briefly introduced to before. I enjoyed getting to know more about Scottie, her brother Will and her loving parents. 

This full length book allowed me to get a better understanding of Ashley Farley’s writing style. She was really able to go into detail with her characters, the setting and the story. 

Breaking the Story is a contemporary political suspense with some romance thrown in for good measure. As someone who doesn’t care much for politics I was worried that this would overshadow and dominate the story. However the face pace plotline and sexual tension between Scottie and Guy made for an enjoyable reading experience. In fact I couldn't put it down.

Scottie is put into a situation where she has to decide between getting her big break as a photojournalist or possibly ruining the lives of many people. This brings up a good question to readers about what they would do in a situation like this. Would you compromise your own integrity if it meant furthering their career? 

I would recommend Ashley Farley’s Breaking the Story to other fans of contemporary fiction. I look forward to reading more from this author and hope for more featuring the characters in this book.


Check back tomorrow (March 17) for a guest post from Ashley Farley and an excerpt from Breaking the Story. 

Anne and Henry by Dawn Ius

Title: Anne & Henry
Author: Dawn Ius
Published: September 2015
Published By: Simon Pulse
Format Read: Hardcover
Genre: Young Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Date Read: November 11 2015
Rating: 2/5

I won a copy of Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius from Goodreads, in exchange for an honest review.

After the death of his older brother Arthur, Henry Tudor has basically inherited his life. The perfect girlfriend, Student President and the expected Ivy League education and life in politics. However when a new girl moves into his elite town of Medina, he is captivated by her seduction. Can the troubled and provocative Anne Boleyn fit or will she steer Henry in a totally different direction in life? Author Dawn Ius was inspired by the tragic history of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to recreate a modern day imagining with an American setting.

My Initial Impression
The idea of a modern day reimagining of Henry and Anne’s story intrigued me and I thought that this could get quite dark. Then I became a bit sceptical after learning that it was set in an elite high school. So I went into this book with slightly lower expectations and a lot of curiosity as to how it would play out. 

Is it just me or..

Is it just me or has Young Adult fiction become extremely sexual? Now I know what goes on in high school. I’m no saint myself. But reading this book left me feeling a bit uncomfortable. I am familiar with the real story of Anne Boleyn and how she wooed the King away from his wife, but that was a different time. This fictional character felt so over sexualized that it didn’t feel believable. It really made me begin to wonder if at 28 years old I am too old for this genre. Or perhaps this book just wasn’t for me. I felt that the 14 and up age recommendation was far too young for the content in this book. Despite my reservations I did continue on to complete it and there were parts that kept my attention.

Anne and Henry

Henry’s point of view was the most enjoyable to me. His character felt the most believable of the pair. Despite his social status, he really was just a teenage boy with a world of expectations resting on his shoulders. I can see why he feel head over heels for Anne, but I can’t say that I was rooting for them to be together. The truth is that Anne was a mess. A slutty mess. I never could understand her character or why she did the things she did. And oh the angst. 

I’m not an expert on Tudor history, but I don’t think that either of these characters are a good representation of their infamous counterparts. For this reason I don’t think that history lovers would enjoy this book. If I were to recommend it to anyone, I would say perhaps older teens who enjoy smutty romances.