Cleda E

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“My review:

I love books that make me think. This is the type of novels that leaves you pondering things even after you finish the last page. I really liked how the story ended because it brought closure to everything. I also appreciated the realistic struggles that the hero and heroine...”

“My review:

I love books that make me think. This is the type of novels that leaves you pondering things even after you finish the last page. I really liked how the story ended because it brought closure to everything. I also appreciated the realistic struggles that the hero and heroine had. This author does a good job with stirring emotion in the reader and making hearts ache as well as rejoice. There were just enough "we think we've found out what happened" scenarios to make it seem suspenseful, even though it wasn't a suspense novel. There was also a mystery element to the book. It would be hard to sit around waiting when the trail seems to grow colder by the day.

The questions Mitch asked himself were legitimate ones. How do you know when it's time to let go? How do you get peace in a situation like this? Why did God let it happen and why did it take so long to find out the truth? Well, God knows what he's doing and if we tune into His will, we will find peace and a deeper relationship with Him, but we have to surrender our own plans first. It's really hard to talk about some of the characters' journeys without posting spoilers and this is the kind of book that you don't want to cheat and read the end first.

Half the beauty of reading the story is not knowing the outcome. The moral and spiritual dilemmas are more complex when the reader doesn't know the future... just like in real life. How many decisions would we change if we knew what the future held? It was a realistic and touching journey for me in that respect. I really enjoyed this story.”

MichelleSutton plans to read a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

MichelleSutton added a book. (see 3 more books added to shelf)

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“Not sure what to say about this book, but I'll do my best to express my thoughts and opinion. It was definitely interesting for the most part, but there were a few places I skimmed because the content was a bit blah. The story had some touching scenes, especially around the death of Ruthy's...”

“Not sure what to say about this book, but I'll do my best to express my thoughts and opinion. It was definitely interesting for the most part, but there were a few places I skimmed because the content was a bit blah. The story had some touching scenes, especially around the death of Ruthy's mother. At the same time, there were realistic doubts and conflicts between characters. I found that refreshing and honest. Everything wasn't painted as rosy and perfect. That's not real life.

There was some harsh language, but it tended to be mainly in the thoughts of the one pastor's wife who didn't believe in God, so she wouldn't filter her thoughts or clean them up anyway. It was hard to tell if the author of this book sees the church as a do-good charity type organization where people had good intentions - well, at least some of them - because at the same time she portrayed some of the characters as solidly religious, almost like they were crafty, narrow minded, or stupid - like blind sheep who followed power hungry people. Some of them just plain scared me because they were so controlling and hateful.

Even the Bible verses quoted by characters were in King James English. I don't know anyone who reads that version anymore because it's too hard to understand. Plus, usually when the verses were quoted, it was to make a point or to control someone through religious guilt. The fact that the core church in the book was a bit weird with the rock band, smoke machines, and dancing in the aisles, not to mention the ministry focused on "all religions leading to the same God," was a bit off-putting. Most churches are not in favor of a "one world religion" and are not filled with con artists. Then again, maybe I've just attended good ones where the focus is on growing closer to each other as a community, serving others, and loving the same Jesus.

Anyway, all that to say I wouldn't recommend this book. I never really connected with the characters. They felt shallow to me. I wanted to feel their pain and to connect with them. I understood their desire to run away at times and how they often felt abandoned by their husbands, but I never really "felt" a true connection with them. I wanted to relate to them like real people who could be my friends, but I just wasn't feeling it.
”

Lisa M finished reading a book.

MichelleSutton plans to read a book. (see 2 more books added to shelf)

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this story and the pictures the author included. The emotional bonding that took place between characters over various incidents that occurred at the fair was well done. I appreciated the insight the author had into a number of issues. One had to do with...”

“I really enjoyed the historical aspects of this story and the pictures the author included. The emotional bonding that took place between characters over various incidents that occurred at the fair was well done. I appreciated the insight the author had into a number of issues. One had to do with how the belief in someone's abilities and admiration of them as a person will increase their feelings for each other. Especially men. They want the woman they are attracted to also believe in them as a person and what they can do, not just the length of time they had known each other. That makes for a stronger kind of love; one that leads to a passionate marriage rather than just a comfortable one.

The hero, Cullen, was very likable, but also quite manly. The description of his physique was quite hot, actually. I enjoyed how the author used the need for him to learn how to lip read as a way to meet the woman he became attracted to and make it difficult for him to learn from her by putting them in a number of private situations. That was great when it came to developing tension between them. His fierce protectiveness of her made me love him more. He was a good guy and cared deeply about a number of things, including loyalty. One of his most intense issues was his need to put out fires to save lives. He got to the point where he had to rely on God to see him through some tough issues. I loved that he grieved along with Della during a tragic time at the fair. It helped bond them even more. That was very well done.

The heroine, Della, was a sweetheart as well. The way her feelings slowly developed for the hero was touching. The scene with the little girl in her class was a tear-jerker, but it really made Della think about what the kids experienced from being separated from their parents. Della had her own frailties, but she was a tough lady. Her response to seeing the hero's buff physique made me smile. I felt like I was touching those ripped muscles. And that first kiss... whew! Great romantic tension. She got a bit skittish at times when she felt like she couldn't trust him, but she came around and that made me admire her more. Very enjoyable story.”

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Lisa M now owns a book.

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“I absolutely loved this book. Over 80% of it was read to me by my Kindle Fire HD, but I had no trouble understanding it because it was in the first person POV and there was only one character to track while listening. Anyway, I bought this book to find out more about Scott and to see what...”

“I absolutely loved this book. Over 80% of it was read to me by my Kindle Fire HD, but I had no trouble understanding it because it was in the first person POV and there was only one character to track while listening. Anyway, I bought this book to find out more about Scott and to see what happened. I was not disappointed. Things just really took off and now I'm feeling bummed that the next book isn't out yet. I loved how the author wrote life like she saw it for this character and wasn't worried about being PC when it came to conversations and actions. These characters acted like real people would.

I love the setting because I was young in the 1980s and when computers first came out. I remember the chat rooms and going dancing with friends. Some people might take issue with them drinking champagne a few times, but they never got drunk so it didn't bother me. Beth, AKA Phoenix did get drunk in the first book, but she wasn't a believer and her boyfriend made her drink too much. I liked this book better even though the first book sets the foundation for her past, which helps you understand the second book. I found this story compelling and very interesting. The faith elements became a pleasant surprise I hadn't seen coming. I am definitely going to buy the third book.

One last thing... This book was published by the author via Amazon and is a great example of what stories can be like when written from the heart without all of the editing that often removes the heart and soul of the story.”

Lisa M is now following Read Along Publishing.

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“Catherine's Pursuit is the conclusion to a series about the three McKenna girls - also identical triplets - who were separated at birth and found each other again. I do love adoption stories and particularly ones that focus on a search to find biological parents and/or siblings to help one better...”

“Catherine's Pursuit is the conclusion to a series about the three McKenna girls - also identical triplets - who were separated at birth and found each other again. I do love adoption stories and particularly ones that focus on a search to find biological parents and/or siblings to help one better understand family roots and genetic traits. The original story of what happened to them was part of a previous book and I found it quite heartbreaking. It didn't get rehashed in this story so people who haven't read previous books might feel a bit of deprivation there. The history was touched upon, but in a very light manner.

Overall the story was heartwarming but also a bit warm and fuzzy. There were a few scenes with a bit of action, like when Collin went to the bar and ordered a drink so he had to deal with some demons from his past, but for the most part this story moved at a slower pace. This seemed to fit the time period and character development. I enjoyed experiencing Catherine's transformation as well as Collin's. The way the author showed Catherine's change from a pretty spoiled young lady to a woman who understood hardship worked well. I wasn't feeling the connection between the hero and heroine for most of the book, but when they finally came to realize the love growing between them it played out in a very sweet scene. The fact that Collin also changed over time to become more confident was rewarding as well. All in all, this was a nice, sweet historical romance. ”

MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“Having read the other two books in the Deadly Reunions series prior to this one, I wondered how it would all wrap up. I ended up being very satisfied with the outcome. All three books were excellent and had enough suspense to keep me turning the pages. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed...”

“Having read the other two books in the Deadly Reunions series prior to this one, I wondered how it would all wrap up. I ended up being very satisfied with the outcome. All three books were excellent and had enough suspense to keep me turning the pages. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed reading suspense novels as much as I did this series. There was a faith element that was skillfully planted into the plot as well. Of course, most people fearing for their lives will suddenly pray, "help me, God" but there was more to the story that impulsive cries for divine assistance.

There were a lot of twists and turns that kept me guessing. Toward the end I figured out what happened, but I loved that the author kept planting more issues that clouded everything as the mystery unfolded. This was a complex story with enough terrifying scenes to keep a reader biting their nails. The author has mastered the "think about what needs to happen and make it worse" concept and implemented it well. I have only high praises for this series and this book. I enjoyed the destination that concluded this journey.”

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• Rated 5 stars

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MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“The Heiress of Winterwood was interesting enough for me to read in less than two days. It had the typical 1800s intrigue often found in novels about England during that time period. There was a dashing captain, who was very heroic and likable, and then there was Amelia, who had many good...”

“The Heiress of Winterwood was interesting enough for me to read in less than two days. It had the typical 1800s intrigue often found in novels about England during that time period. There was a dashing captain, who was very heroic and likable, and then there was Amelia, who had many good qualities as well. She did the usual annoying things like putting herself in danger by not listening when told to stay put. A lot of the elements were predictable, but it was still an enjoyable read.

I loved how you weren't quite sure who the bad guy was in the end and how a few people turned out to have ulterior motives that you didn't see coming. In essence, this was like a historical mystery because of the plot elements. But I did love the romance between the main characters. What started out as a practical plan that the hero resisted ended up being the thing that pulled their hearts toward each other. And he was very tender toward his baby. Gotta love a man who is soft around any child, even if it's his own.

The core spiritual theme had to do with not trying to fix things ourselves or solve problems in our own strength. That's always a good element and core theme for a story. The issue of learning to let go and trust God was demonstrated throughout the conflict. While not an overpowering theme, it was subtle, yet present. I didn't connect as much to the characters as I would have liked, but it was still a good story. ”

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MichelleSutton reviewed a book.

“This was a really enthralling story that kept me reading to the end. It held my interest for a number of reasons, and honestly, Carl was a pretty spectacular hero. I totally loved him because his personality was a big draw for me. Yeah, he was a bit snobbish at first, but that was pretty minor....”

“This was a really enthralling story that kept me reading to the end. It held my interest for a number of reasons, and honestly, Carl was a pretty spectacular hero. I totally loved him because his personality was a big draw for me. Yeah, he was a bit snobbish at first, but that was pretty minor. Overall he was a nice guy pretty much from the beginning. I totally adored him.

The heroine, Annalisa, was precious, too. The author made her very likable and you couldn't help feeling sorry for her many struggles. She wasn't ridiculously stubborn like some heroines are made out to be. She had a balanced attitude and I loved that she didn't believe in fairy tale love at all and thought marriage was mainly for practical reasons. But the more she got to know Carl and saw how he exemplified sacrificial love, the more she saw that true love was possible in marriage.

The way Carl was with the Annalisa's children was simply heart-warming and the tenderness there made me want to sigh several times. I loved how he introduced a whole new level of respect and self-respect to Annalisa by his example. He helped her realize she was worthy of love and should be cherished. How can you not love a guy like that? I could see the temptation Carl would have to do something involving his education that was less physically taxing, but I liked how the author showed that hard work builds character. Carl learned to respect the hard working people whose back-breaking labor was how the wealthy made their money. He learned that they were not lazy but were actually tough and quite strong.

I think my favorite part of this book was the developing love between the characters and how Annalisa came to realize that her opinion mattered, that she was worth listening to, and more than that, that she was worth loving. I thought it was touching how Carl helped her deliver her baby, how he saved the dog and a ton of other things he did that were genuine and sensitive. He was simply the most emotionally attractive hero I've read about in a long time because of his tender heart. Great story! ”

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