Thursday, August 30, 2018

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen by Sarah Bird


Here is what it is about...


Here’s the first thing you need to know about Miss Cathy Williams: I am the daughter of a daughter of a queen and my mama never let me forget it.

Though born into bondage on a “miserable tobacco farm” in Little Dixie, Missouri, Cathy Williams was never allowed to consider herself a slave. According to her mother, she was a captive, bound by her noble warrior blood to escape the enemy. Her means of deliverance is Union general Phillip Henry “Smash ‘em Up” Sheridan, the outcast of West Point who takes the rawboned, prideful young woman into service. At war’s end, having tasted freedom, Cathy refuses to return to servitude and makes the monumental decision to disguise herself as a man and join the Army’s legendary Buffalo Soldiers.

Alone now in the ultimate man’s world, Cathy must fight not only for her survival and freedom, but she vows to never give up on finding her mother, her little sister, and the love of the only man strong and noble enough to win her heart. Inspired by the stunning, true story of Private Williams, this American heroine.



Here is what I thought...

     This is an amazing story of a woman's courage, determination and fortitude and I was very much looking forward to reading this story that I knew nothing about.  
     I enjoyed Cathy's story and her sense of humor and, most importantly, her strength.  Cathy is unbelievably brave and smart and definitely a part of history that everyone should learn about-especially young women.
     What I didn’t like about this book was the fictionalized romance thrown in between her and a Union soldier, which is a major part of the novel.  I wish that we could have a story about this brave young woman without reducing it to something she did because of a man but simply because she was amazing.  3/5 stars

Monday, August 20, 2018

Not Her Daughter by Rea Frey


Here is what it is about...


Emma Townsend. Five years old. Gray eyes, brown hair. Missing since June.

Emma is lonely. Living with her cruel mother and clueless father, Emma retreats into her own world of quiet and solitude.

Sarah Walker. Successful entrepreneur. Broken-hearted. Kidnapper.

Sarah has never seen a girl so precious as the gray-eyed child in a crowded airport terminal. When a second-chance encounter with Emma presents itself, Sarah takes her—far away from home. But if it’s to rescue a little girl from her damaging mother, is kidnapping wrong?

Amy Townsend. Unhappy wife. Unfit mother. Unsure whether she wants her daughter back.

Amy’s life is a string of disappointments, but her biggest issue is her inability to connect with her daughter. And now Emma is gone without a trace.
As Sarah and Emma avoid the nationwide hunt, they form an unshakeable bond. But what about Emma’s real mother, back at home?

Here is what I thought...


I really wanted to enjoy this book because it had an unusual premise but I just couldn't get into it and there were just too many implausible things.  I feel the author is a good writer but this plot was just ridiculous at times and could have been better.
First, lets just say someone without mental health issues would actually do this how exactly do they just keep not getting caught?  Secondly, everyone she knew knew where she was but yet when the police see her car and license plates, no one clues in to what she has done? There are many more instances like this that just don't make any sense and it got ridiculous.

The characters are unlikable especially Amy, the mother.  I wish that I could have in some way identified with Sarah but I just could not.  I finished it but just barely.  2/5 stars 

Monday, August 13, 2018

Ike and Kay by James MacManus



Here is what it is about...


     In 1942, Kay Summersby’s life is changed forever when she is conscripted to drive General Eisenhower on his fact-finding visit to wartime London. Despite Eisenhower’s marriage to Mamie, the pair takes an immediate liking to each other and he buys Kay a rare wartime luxury: a box of chocolates.


     So begins a tumultuous relationship that, against all military regulation, sees Kay traveling with Eisenhower on missions to far-flung places before the final assault on Nazi Germany. The general does dangerously little to conceal his affair with the woman widely known as “Ike’s shadow,” and in letters Mamie bemoans his new obsession with “Ireland.” That does not stop him from using his influence to grant Kay citizenship and rank in the US army, drawing her closer still when he returns to America. When officials discover Eisenhower’s plans to divorce from his wife they threaten the fragile but passionate affair, and Kay is forced to take desperate measures to hold onto the man she loves . . .

Based on the scandalous true story of General Eisenhower’s secret World War II love affair, Ike and Kay is a compelling story of love, duty, sacrifice, and heartbreak, set against the backdrop of the most tumultuous period of the twentieth century. 


Here is what I thought...

     This is a lovely story of wartime friends who cared for and trusted each other for a long time before falling in love even when everyone was against it.
     The writer obviously has a bit of a biased towards Kay in this story.  Mamie is painted as the uptight, whiny, alcoholic wife at home and Ike is also portrayed as a bit of a bad guy in the end.  While I do feel Kay wasn’t treated fairly, she was not innocent. 
     About 45% into the story the characters get lost amid all the war and politically talk.We get them back but it threw me a bit right in the middle.  This is a very interesting part of history I knew nothing about and while I liked Kay I felt a bit more depth was needed in her feelings during the relationship and not just after.  3/5

Thursday, August 2, 2018

SALE from Melanie Harlow!


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Only You, a sexy and emotional second chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Melanie Harlow, is $2.49 for a limited time only! 

Grab your copy today! 
Amazon Universal: http://mybook.to/OnlyYouMH

Nate Pearson is ridiculously handsome and wears the hell out of a suit and tie, but I’ve seen the parade of beautiful women leaving his apartment across the hall—a different one every time—and I want no part of it. When it comes to romance, I’m looking for something real, something that will last: the happily ever after. 

As a divorce attorney, he loves to tell me there’s no such thing.

As a wedding planner, I choose to disagree.

We disagree on almost everything, in fact. Everything except James Bond. The only time we really get along is when we’re watching 007 flicks together, and I’ll admit—he has rescued me from a disaster or five. So when one of the baton twirlers from his parade leaves a baby girl at his door with a note that says “I’ll come back for her” and he begs me for help, I can’t turn him down.

But it’s a mistake. 

Because watching him with his daughter, I start to see another side of Nate, a side that has my breath coming faster, my body craving his, my heart longing for him to change his mind about love and tell me there’s a chance for us. 

I don’t want to be just another girl leaving his apartment in the morning.

I want to be the one he asks to stay.

*Amazon Only*