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By The Social Frog, on August 26th, 2010
Under The Christmas Tree by Robyn Carr
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 978-0778328377
Published: September 29, 2009
Pages: 336
Publisher: Mira
Synopsis
When the folks of Virgin River discover a box of adorable puppies under the town’s Christmas tree they call on local vet Nathaniel Jensen for help. But it’s his budding romance with Annie McCarty that really has tongues—and tails—wagging!
My Thoughts
Under The Christmas Tree is part of a Novella called “That Holiday Feeling”. It is a very nice, short but sweet edition to the Virgin River series. It might be about 100 pages. I have been excited to read it since it takes place during Christmas.
Annie is a busy hair dresser with no time for love or the desire to trust someone again. While visiting some family for the holidays in Virgin River there was a box of puppies found under the towns massive Christmas tree.
Jack called Nate, the area vet who normally takes care of livestock to take a look at the pups. Not only does he check out the pups but Annie as well. They both share the burden of making these pups healthy and somewhere in the middle find each other.
I felt this book was a wonderful edition to the series although the time span for a romance was very quick, it could also happen. You could go without reading this book or read it as a standalone as it does not seem to tie into the other books very much or characters, just a few select like Jack & Preacher. I highly recommend it as a nice Christmassy read.
By The Social Frog, on August 24th, 2010
Paradise Valley by Robyn Carr
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 978-0778326649
Published: April 01, 2009
Pages: 416
Publisher: Mira
Synopsis
Marine corporal Rick Sudder is home early from Iraq—his tour ended abruptly on the battlefield. The carefree boy is gone, replaced by a man who believes his future is as bleak as his mirror image. But can the passion and commitment of a young woman who has never given up on him mend his broken body and shattered heart?
As the people of Virgin River rally around Rick, another recent arrival tests the tightly knit mountain town’s famous welcoming spirit. Dan Brady has a questionable past, and he’s looking for a place to start over. He’d like it to be Virgin River…if he can find a way in. But he never expects to find it in the arms of a woman who was as much an outcast as himself.
For a favorite son returned from war and an outsider looking for a home, Virgin River offers them a chance to make peace with the men they once were…and to find the dreams they thought they’d lost.
My Thoughts
This is book #7 in the Virgin River series. Muriel lands another movie deal and Walt can not seem to handle her Hollywood lifestyle but at the same time Muriel does not make it out to be a big deal and she invites Walt to visit her on location.
Meanwhile Abby and Cameron decide that they need to stick together and do what is right for the babies but what they seem to figure out is that it’s more for them than just the babies. Abby’s ex comes out of nowhere which sends her into labor and sends her ex away in shock.
Ricky has been gone a while, doing a tour in Iraq which has had Jack and Mel on edge for a long time, knowing how dangerous it is. Sadly they find out some not so good news and their friendships are tested, there is pain, suffering and finding out that sometimes you need the ones you are trying to push away.
This is another great continuation in this series, as I’ve said before, the more books I read in this series, the more the characters develope and you become attatched to thier lives. I was not disappointed with this book and I highly recommend the whole series. This is not a stand alone book and the other books should be read before you pick this one up.
By The Social Frog, on August 20th, 2010
Temptation Ridge by Robyn Carr
Genre: Romance
ISBN: 978-0778312901
Published: Reissued Edition, July 2010
Pages: 400
Publisher: Mira
Synopsis
Shelby McIntyre has big plans—plans that include finding Mr. Right. Her dream man will have a clean-shaven jaw, creases in his pants and hopefully and advanced degree. What she gets is rugged Luke Riordan.
At twenty-five, after five years as her mother’s caregiver, it’s time for Shelby to experience freedom and adventure. Time for travel, college and romance. But when she visits Virgin River, she runs into Luke Riordan, decidedly not whom she has in mind.
A handsome Black-hawk pilot, Luke exited the army after twenty years, four wars and having been shot out of the sky three times. At thirty-eight he’s tough and jaded. His major was in one-night stands, with a minor in commitment avoidance.
Technically, these two are all wrong for one another. But sometimes what you want and what you need are two different things…two very good things.
My Thoughts
This is the 6th book in the Virgin River series. As the story continues on we meet Shelby & Luke. Shelby is Walt’s niece who had been taking care of her ailing mother instead of putting her in a nursing home. After her mother passes, she is looking for a break and some rest and peace in her life.
Luke was in the military, he flew Black Hawks and seen many wars and he needed an escape, he bought some old cabins in Virgin River to restore, then he’s move along to another project. When he meets Shelby, his plans just might change, and hers too!
Also introduced to the plot is Abby, going through a odd divorce and a one night stand that takes her to Virgin River to get away from it all. Little did she know the one thing she was running from was knocking at her door.
I am enjoying the character developments through all the books. This one was a little heavy on cheesy intimacy and I did roll my eyes a few times but the story was great and I highly recommend it. Remember this is not a stand alone book, so you should read the other 5 books before picking this one up.
By The Social Frog, on August 12th, 2010
The Passage by Justin Cronin
Genre: Suspense
ISBN: 978-0345504968
Published: June 08, 2010
Pages: 784
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Synopsis
Starred Review. Fans of vampire fiction who are bored by the endless hordes of sensitive, misunderstood Byronesque bloodsuckers will revel in Cronin’s engrossingly horrific account of a post-apocalyptic America overrun by the gruesome reality behind the wish-fulfillment fantasies. When a secret project to create a super-soldier backfires, a virus leads to a plague of vampiric revenants that wipes out most of the population. One of the few bands of survivors is the Colony, a FEMA-established island of safety bunkered behind massive banks of lights that repel the virals, or dracs—but a small group realizes that the aging technological defenses will soon fail. When members of the Colony find a young girl, Amy, living outside their enclave, they realize that Amy shares the virals’ agelessness, but not the virals’ mindless hunger, and they embark on a search to find answers to her condition. PEN/Hemingway Award–winner Cronin (The Summer Guest) uses a number of tropes that may be overly familiar to genre fans, but he manages to engage the reader with a sweeping epic style. The first of a proposed trilogy, it’s already under development by director Ripley Scott and the subject of much publicity buzz.
My Thoughts
When I heard about this book I was immediately excited to read it. It is not something I would normally read but I am always looking outside my comfort zones. This book is book #1 in a trilogy. The almost 800 pages can seem and even be a little daunting but it is well worth it. For me this book is a spin on a “new” kind of vampire breed called ‘virals’. It all starts with a military secret project and a little girl named Amy.
Amy you find in the beggining of the book to be a little confusing and not sure where her place is but the things going on with her lead you to believe she is very important. Part way through the book though Amy disappears and it’s almost as if another story starts, which in a way it does.
The military project goes awry and it can not be controlled, it’s as if the world has ended. Not everyone gets sick and a group of people who survived form a colony and live in what seems like a fort they built to keep the virals out. They try to live a normal life that includes “watches” and everyone contributes to the colony either doing security or helping with children or riding out into what once was city looking for more batteries or clothes.
Lights seem to keep the virals at bay but soon they will run out of all battery power and life as they know it could end. One day a little girl walks to the gate of the colony and everyone tries to figure out who she is. She gives them some protection from the virals in a few different ways.
Law and order is disturbed in the colony and several have to flee outside the walls of the colony which is almost certain death. They take Amy with them in hopes of finding the source of the virals and maybe find a cure. Will Amy save them & help them find their way?
I absolutely loved this book. I have to say that the book could have been a few hundred pages shorter and still told an amazing tale, in some places things seem repetitive and you just want it to move along. In saying that this book is still a MUST read and I highly recommend it.
By The Social Frog, on July 30th, 2010
Keeping Her In The Light by Nicole Fuentes
Genre: Psychological Thriller
ISBN: 978-1926704968
Published: November 7, 2009
Pages: 98
Price: $5.95
Publisher: Eternal Press
Synopsis
First there was darkness… A young woman wakes up to find herself in the dark. She does not know how she got there; she does not know why she is there. She feels for a light switch, thinking the light heals all pain. Then there was light. Death is only an instant. What light reveals to her is way past death itself. Realization sets in, and it is made clear that escape is out of the question. For a puzzling madman holds her captive, her freedom at the palm of his hand. Now there is only a decision. He will kill her only if she exhibits signs of a certain syndrome, and as of now there are only two different ways of ending this madman’s reign: Kill him or stay alive. Staying alive requires tolerance to pain and despair. It asks of her a precise resistance to a syndrome-one she knows nothing about. If she doesn’t die, no one else has to. Killing him vanquishes all hopes of freedom, for the key will die with him. Killing him will make her the one monster she swore she would never be: The same beast responsible for building a definite barrier on the line that divides her past from present to possible future-one who has silenced her past forever.
My Thoughts
This story is a twisted tale of a man, a serial killer who keeps a young woman hostage in his mansion to prove to himself that Stockholm syndrome is real.This is a short but very good read, especially for such a young writer. It is a psychological thriller that deals with a lot of mind games and mans desire to test a theory or two about human nature.
Some parts of the book were overly descriptive but did not take away from the story nor did it add to it. I felt the ending of the book was a little flat but at the same time it left me wanting to read more, to know more about this odd man, the killer. It leaves much to the imagination at the end.
I highly recommend this book, the positives outweigh any negatives and for being 16 years old at the time she wrote this, I do believe she has a great future ahead of her writing books!
By The Social Frog, on June 5th, 2010
I Promised You Daisies by Robert Benjamin
Genre: Autobiography/Memoir
ISBN: 978-0-9820605-3-7
Published: November 2008
Pages: 320
Price: $15.00
Publisher: Helm Publishing
Synopsis
For all of us who came of age during the time of Woodstock, hippies and Vietnam, our paths into adult life were more perilous than they might have been a few innocent years earlier. In 1966, although I had never heard a gun fired in anger, I was among the walking wounded of those days of political, intellectual and moral conflict. I was a fresh-faced, eager high school graduate about to embark on my journey of college, choosing a profession, and marrying my steady girl. No matter their sincerity, all of those dreams were broken and shattered. I faced difficult choices. I bore guilt I’d never imagined. I realized I had never learned how to give up. I Promised You Daisies is the second volume of my trilogy Imperfectly Ordinary. As a sequel to A Gift of Dreams, this is the story of my attempt to make sense of life during the disrupted decade that followed my boyhood in a contented traditional New England village. I recount meeting studious, serious-minded Karen Sandstrom, our discovery that we shared just about every opinion in life that mattered, and our student marriage. We were convinced our mutual support would enable us to accomplish more good things in the world than we might have managed on our own. We did not understand that questions we had not yet learned to ask and the emotional baggage we believed we’d each discarded were going to make our life together rougher, steeper and more perilous than the lives we’d traveled alone. When we met, Karen was studying to become a Registered Nurse; I was about to return to college to qualify as a public school teacher. In the end we achieved our goals, but our life together was frighteningly different from the one we’d dreamed of sharing.
My Thoughts
Reading this book took me back to a time when I was not even thought of yet, a time of war, free spirits, marrying young. Robert (Bob) takes us through several years of his young adult life. I was not aware when I excepted to read/review this book that it is book 2 out of a trilogy. I was afraid I might miss something, I was assured it could be read alone.
Although you need not read the first book, I felt as if I missed out on some key details of Roberts life with college and issues that led him from college in Brunswick, Maine back to a life in Boston, struggling to find his way after much failure.
Robert has a love affair with model planes and he talks about it a good deal in the book but it’s a pretty interesting hobby to some degree. He finds and falls in love with Karen, whom he thought was the love of his life but turned out to be one of his greatest mistakes. It’s kind of tragic from the start.
I am not sure I was inspired by the book but it was interesting to see how he picked himself up from all the failure but never seemed to really have any resolve by the end of the book. It leaves you wanting to continue his story, to know what happens next. He does have a 3rd and final book coming in the trilogy but I am not certain when it’s release is.
It was a very good book, had some slow parts and was a little heavy on model plane talk but aside from that I still highly recommend this book.
By The Social Frog, on May 29th, 2010
Misconception by Paul & Shannon Morell
Genre: Non-Fiction
ISBN: 978-1439193617
Published: May 04, 2010
Pages: 239
Publisher: Howard Books
Synopsis
In February of 2009, Shannon and Paul Morell were especially eager to bring a new life into the world. After years of infertility and miscarriages they had, in 2006, finally scrimped and saved enough to have in vitro fertilization. The result? Two dear daughters had been born, and six precious embryos had been frozen.
They counted the days until they could transfer the six remaining embryos. Until the fateful day of February 17, 2009, when the clinic called. “The doctor would like to you to come in today?”
Shannon writes, “Face to face with the doctor, I noticed that his face was gravely serious. ’There’s been a terrible incident in our lab,’ he said. ‘Your embryos have been thawed.’
A pause, as we both exchanged disbelieving looks, and he went on….
‘Your embryos have been transferred into another woman.’”
The Morells have a story to tell. A cautionary tale of medical errors, unexpected miracles, sincere mourning, and grateful bonding with their son. Amazingly, theirs is also a story of joy-filled thanksgiving . . . a story of life—life that is precious, sacred, and treasured.
My Thoughts
This book was a book I just could not put down, had I not stopped myself I would have finished it in one sitting, so I divided it into two.
I can not imagine being in Paul & Shannon’s position. They wanted a beautiful family and for reasons unknown they could not stay pregnant and decided to go with IVF and they had twin daughters.
Several years later as their daughters were close to 3 years old they had decided it was time to add another little one to their family. They had frozen eggs from when they had the twins and so they were counting on using those.
Shock and horror ensues when they are told that their potential babies were implanted in another women’s uterus due to human error. What happens next is inspiring to me, how Shannon and Paul dealt with this and drew all their strength from believing that God was with them every step of the way.
From something that could have been very tragic, came the miracle of life. I loved this book and I highly recommend it.
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By The Social Frog, on May 27th, 2010
The Last Child by John Hart
Genre: Mystery/Suspense
ISBN: 978-0312642365
Published: March 09, 2010
Pages: 432
Publisher: Minotaur Books
Synopsis
Thirteen year-old Johnny Merrimon had the perfect life: a warm home and loving parents; a twin sister, Alyssa, with whom he shared an irreplaceable bond. He knew nothing of loss, until the day Alyssa vanished from the side of a lonely street. Now, a year later, Johnny finds himself isolated and alone, failed by the people he’d been taught since birth to trust. No one else believes that Alyssa is still alive, but Johnny is certain that she is—confident in a way that he can never fully explain.
Determined to find his sister, Johnny risks everything to explore the dark side of his hometown. It is a desperate, terrifying search, but Johnny is not as alone as he might think. Detective Clyde Hunt has never stopped looking for Alyssa either, and he has a soft spot for Johnny. He watches over the boy and tries to keep him safe, but when Johnny uncovers a dangerous lead and vows to follow it, Hunt has no choice but to intervene.
Then a second child goes missing . . .
Undeterred by Hunt’s threats or his mother’s pleas, Johnny enlists the help of his last friend, and together they plunge into the wild, to a forgotten place with a history of violence that goes back more than a hundred years. There, they meet a giant of a man, an escaped convict on his own tragic quest. What they learn from him will shatter every notion Johnny had about the fate of his sister; it will lead them to another far place, to a truth that will test both boys to the limit.
Traveling the wilderness between innocence and hard wisdom, between hopelessness and faith, The Last Child leaves all categories behind and establishes John Hart as a writer of unique power.
My Thoughts
I don’t normally go for fictional crime stories, then again I have never really sat down and read one. The story is gripping, a child goes missing, the case goes cold. Family gets tired of waiting for the law to do something, so they take it into their own hands.
Johnny, a 13 year old boy happens to be the one to take the weight of the world on his shoulders. The beginning of the story was very slow reading. I had to put the book down several times.
The story is somewhat believable but the language sometimes does not sound like something a kid would say, but of course they are in the south, so it might be common talk there. Even though the story was slow it made up for it in the second half.
The chase, who did it, with what & where, was when it got very interesting and I was pleased with the twist in the story and the ending. I did not see it coming! Even though it was a partial slow read I would still recommend this book.
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By The Social Frog, on May 17th, 2010
I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali
Genre: Nonfiction
ISBN: 978-0307589675
Published: March 2nd, 2010
Pages: 192
Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Synopsis
Chosen by Glamour magazine as a Woman of the Year in 2008, Nujood of Yemen has become an international hero for her astonishingly brave resistance to child marriage. Sold off by her impoverished family at the age of 10, continually raped by her husband before she even reached puberty, Nujood found the courage to run away, and with the help of an activist lawyer, sympathetic judges, and the international press, she divorced her husband and returned home. Her clear, first-person narrative, translated from the French and written with Minoui, is spellbinding: the horror of her parents’ betrayal and her mother-in-law’s connivance, the “grown-ups” who send the child from classroom and toys to nightmare abuse. She never denies the poverty that drives her parents and oppresses her brothers, even as she reveals their cruelty. Unlike her passive mother, she is an activist, thrilled to return to school, determined to save others, including her little sister. True to the child’s viewpoint, the “grown-up” cruelty is devastating. Readers will find it incredible that such unbelievable abuse and such courageous resistance are happening now. –Hazel Rochman
My Thoughts
I am always captivated by true stories of overcoming great tragedy and this story is one of those. Nujood has been through so much in her short 10 years of life, promised to a 30 year old man because her father could no longer feed another mouth, the man promises not to touch Nujood for a time.
What ensuse is a disgusting and a horrific nightmare for a young child who is trapped and finds her way to a courthouse in search of a judge. When she finds one she asks for a divorce. This story is amazing. I found myself wondering what would I have done in her situation.
The only thing that I can say that was negative about the story/book was I had a hard time believing some of the dialogue since she was 10, and some of it sounded like something an adult would say, not a child. I do understand though, that the book was edited and obviously she had help writing the book.
This was great read, and I highly recommend this book.
By The Social Frog, on May 13th, 2010
Mortuary Confidential by Todd Harra & Ken McKenzie
Genre: Non-Fiction
ISBN: 978-0806531793
Published: May 01, 2010
Pages: 288
Publisher: Citadel
Synopsis
When the casket reached the front of the sanctuary, there was a loud cracking sound as the bottom fell out. And with a thump, down came Father Iggy.
From shoot-outs at funerals to dead men screaming and runaway corpses, undertakers have plenty of unusual stories to tell–and a special way of telling them.
In this macabre and moving compilation, funeral directors across the country share their most embarrassing, jaw-dropping, irreverent, and deeply poignant stories about life at death’s door. Discover what scares them and what moves them to tears. Learn about rookie mistakes and why death sometimes calls for duct tape.
Enjoy tales of the dearly departed spending eternity naked from the waist down and getting bottled and corked–in a wine bottle. And then meet their families–the weepers, the punchers, the stolidly dignified, and the ones who deliver their dead mother in a pickup truck.
If there’s one thing undertakers know, it’s that death drives people crazy. These are the best “bodies of work” from America’s darkest profession.
“Sick, funny, and brilliant! I love this book.” –Jonathan Maberry, multiple Bram Stoker Award-winning author of They Bite! and Rot & Ruin
“As unpredictable and lively as a bunch of drunks at a New Orleans funeral.”–Joe R. Lansdale
My Thoughts
If you are looking for something a little different, maybe a little morbid that will make you laugh and possibly cry, this book is for you. I was wanting to read a little outside my normal box and came across this little gem.
I was impressed with the collection of stories in this book. Each “chapter” is a new story, some are chilling, some are sad and some are down right humorous. The book also gave a good look into the lives of undertakers and what they deal with and who they deal with on a daily basis.
It was a great read and I highly recommend it!
By The Social Frog, on May 6th, 2010
Rooms: A Novel by James L. Rubart
Genre: Christian Fiction
ISBN: 978-0805448887
Published: April 1, 2010
Pages: 400
Publisher: B&H Books
Synopsis
On a rainy spring day in Seattle, young software tycoon Micah Taylor receives a cryptic, twenty-five-year-old letter from a great uncle he never knew. It claims a home awaits him on the Oregon coast that will turn his world inside out. Suspecting a prank, Micah arrives at Cannon Beach to discover a stunning brand new nine-thousand square foot house. And after meeting Sarah Sabin at a nearby ice cream shop, he has two reasons to visit the beach every weekend.
When bizarre things start happening in the rooms of the home, Micah suspects they have some connection to his enigmatic new friend, Rick, the town mechanic. But Rick will only say the house is spiritual. This unnerves Micah because his faith slipped away like the tide years ago, and he wants to keep it that way. But as he slowly discovers, the home isn’t just spiritual, it’s a physical manifestation of his soul, which God uses to heal Micah’s darkest wounds and lead him into an astonishing new destiny.
My Thoughts
I really wanted to like this book and was very disappointed that no matter how much I tried, I could not get into the book. The story line could have been great but it was a let down. The beginning of the book was honestly the best part, before things got to descriptive.
I found that things were so specific and descriptive, that it left nothing to the imagination. I knew before I was given the book that it was Christian fiction and I took no issue with that but it was odd, some parts almost sci-fi with rooms shape shifting and not much of the story is believable and it drags on.
I know many people have likened this book with The Shack, but I honestly see no connection of the sort and so it gives people the wrong idea about the book. It is not a quick or easy read but if you are interested I say go for it but, you will be left feeling let down.
By The Social Frog, on April 29th, 2010
The Time Of My Life by Patrick Swayze
ISBN: 978-1439158586
Published: September 29, 2009
Pages: 247
Publisher: Atria; First Edition edition
Synopsis
In a career spanning more than thirty years, Patrick Swayze has made a name for himself on the stage, the screen, and television. Known for his versatility, passion and fearlessness, he’s become one of our most beloved actors.
But in February 2008, Patrick announced he had been diagnosed with stage IV pancreatic cancer. Always a fighter, he refused to let the disease bring him to his knees, and his bravery has inspired both his legion of fans and cancer patients everywhere. Yet this memoir, written with wisdom and heart, recounts much more than his bout with cancer. In vivid detail, Patrick describes his Texas upbringing, his personal struggles, his rise to fame with North and South, his commercial breakthroughs in Dirty Dancing and Ghost, and the soul mate who’s stood by his side through it all: his wife, writer and director Lisa Niemi.
A behind-the-scenes look at a Hollywood life and a remarkable love, this memoir is both entertainment and inspiration. Patrick and Lisa’s marriage is a journey of two lives intertwined and lived as one–throughout their years in Hollywood and at home on their working ranch outside Los Angeles, and culminating in the hope and wisdom they’ve imparted to all who know them. This book will open the door for families, individuals, and husbands and wives to grow, bond and discover entirely new levels of love and sharing, proving that life shouldn’t be lived as a series of endings, but rather as the beginning of greater strength and love.
My Thoughts
I was really looking forward to reading this book as I have always enjoyed Patrick’s movies and was saddened by the news of him having pancreatic cancer. I must admit that I cried before I even got to Chapter 1! I knew it was going to be a great book from the start.
He starts by talking about what was going on with him just prior to finding out he was sick, a few days before. The first chapter is filled with so much emotion and feeling, I felt as if I was going through the same things. The book then tones down a bit and goes back to Patrick’s younger years, his parents and his desires.
I was thrilled to find things out I had never known about him, from very personal things to his career choices. He really did do just about everything in the life he had. He talks about meeting his wife Lisa for the first time when she showed up at his mothers dance studio and how they did not get along.
Reading this book was like taking a journey and it is very detailed, especially about his career, family life, whom he met, interacted with, those who helped him along. There is life but also death, he talks about his fathers death like it just happened recently, it is very raw and deep.
He talks about being married to Lisa, all there struggles that almost broke them apart. It is a gripping book and very honest. I really loved this book, the only thing I would have wanted to know more about was his battle with the cancer. He does go into it here and there but it left me wanting to know more of his feelings, her feelings about it.
I highly recommend this book to everyone.
By The Social Frog, on October 6th, 2009
Replacement Child, A Memoir by Judy L. Mandel
Memoir
ISBN: 978-0982514603
Published: September 1, 2009
Pages: 256
Publisher: Schlesinger Books
Synopsis
Honest. Funny. Heartbreaking. A plane crash-the injury of a two-year-old girl- the impossible choice a mother must make- leave a hole in the family that threatens to tear it apart. Replacement Child is a story of love and transformation as you follow one woman’s brave path to recovery-sometimes through laughter, sometimes through tears-as she embraces the love that allows her to finally forgive.
My Thoughts
I was deeply touched by this story from the very beginning. It is a gripping true story of the life of Judy L. Mandel. A horrible tragedy took the life of one family member and ruined several others all on one swift slam.
Her mother could not fully come to terms with the tragic events that happened which led her husband to take her to a psychiatrist whom suggested that maybe having another child would help heal their little family.
Judy is born, sensing at a young age that things were different in her family, things she did not understand at a young age. Judy’s older sister Linda was hurt horribly in the tragedy and she suffered much, attaining most of their parents attention and love.
Judy was constantly trying to win over her father’s love not understand where she fit in. This caused her many troubles in her young life and carried through to relationships she had with men. Judy eventually wanted to find out who her parents were, what her role was in their life. What she found was painful and raw but at the same time allowed Judy to forgive and love freely, and find some closure.
This was a wonderful read and I am glad I was given the opportunity to read it. I did not want to put it down. This book really takes you on a journey of one persons struggle to examine who they are and where they came from. I highly recommend this book.
By The Social Frog, on October 3rd, 2009
Second Chance Pass by Robyn Carr
Romance
ISBN: 978-0778326465
Published: February 01, 2009
Pages: 416
Publisher: Mira
Synopsis
In the space of a few months Vanessa buried her husband, Matt, and gave birth to their son—breaking her heart while filling it with a whole new kind of love. But the one man she longs to share this love with now acts as if she doesn’t exist.
Paul Haggerty lives by the marine motto: Semper Fi. Ever faithful to his best friend, he’s done right by Matt’s widow as best he can…considering he’s been secretly in love with her for years. Now, just as he’s about to make his move, another woman has staked her claim on him—a claim that will be tough to escape.
With courage, humility and not a little meddling from the good folks of Virgin River, Vanni and Paul might just get a second chance to have the love they both desire and deserve.
My Thoughts
This is the 5th book in the Virgin River series. In this continuation we pick back up with Paul & Vanni and a new character joins the group in Virgin River, her name is Muriel a has been movie star, looking for retirement.
Out of all the Virgin River books so far this one has felt the most jumbled to me. I was happy that Robyn picked up with Paul & Vannie as I was wanting them to get together. Some of the book felt odd to me, there was so much talk of breast feeding. I have nothing against it but it did overtake the book a little.
I did enjoy the beginnings of a new friendship with Vannie’s father Walt and Muriel, they are two older people in the Virgin River community. Walt being a widower and Muriel a divorcee of 5 times!
Paul brought some drama to the story early on by making a mistake and having to come clean to Vannie about it nearly tears them apart. Vannie’s brother heads off to West Point, while little Ricky whom isn’t so little anymore comes back for a visit on leave, shocking Jack & Mel by letting them know he is now on his way to Iraq for one year.
Paul’s close friend and former Marine Joe starts to spend more time in Virgin River as Preacher and Paige are expecting their first child and they need to expand their living quarters. Around the same time Vannie’s friend Nikki is just getting over a disastrous relationship when she catches Joe’s eye.
Tragedy strikes Virgin River several times in this story and it really keeps you emotionally attached to the characters, their lives. While I felt there were parts of the story that were lackluster it was still a very entertaining read. Not one of my favorites in this series but I do recommend it and remember this not a stand alone book and should be read after the first 4.
By The Social Frog, on September 30th, 2009
A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr
Romance
ISBN: 978-0778325734
Published: November 2008
Pages: 320
Publisher: Mira
Synopsis
Last Christmas Marcie Sullivan said a final goodbye to her husband, Bobby. This Christmas she’s come to Virgin River to find the man who saved his life and gave her three more years to love him.
Fellow marine Ian Buchanan dragged Bobby’s shattered body onto a medical transport in Fallujah four years ago, then disappeared as soon as their unit arrived stateside. Since then, Marcie’s letters to Ian have gone unanswered.
Marcie tracks Ian to the tiny mountain town of Virgin River and finds a man as wounded emotionally as Bobby was physically. But she is not easily scared off. As Marcie pushes her way into his rugged and reclusive life, she discovers a sweet but damaged soul beneath a rough exterior.
Ian doesn’t know what to make of the determined young widow who forces him to look into the painful past and, what’s worse, the uncertain future. But it is, after all, a season of miracles and maybe, just maybe, it’s time to banish the ghosts and open his heart.
My Thoughts
This is the 4th book in the Virgin River series and it just seems to keep getting better with each book I read. A few more characters are introduced into town. Don’t worry, Jack & Mel and many other towns people are brought back in this story but not the main focus.
This story is about Marcie & Ian. Marcie has had a rough couple years, her husband being wounded in Iraq and all the suffering and wear and tear it took on her is horrific. Marcie comes to Virgin River in hopes of finding a Marine whom served with her late husband & actually saved him from immediate death.
What Marcie finds is not exactly what the fantasy was she has had building in her mind for the last few years. Marcie has many questions for Ian. She could not grasp how he saved her husbands life but then up and disappeared, where no one could find him.
Ian has been on vacation with a pitty party for a few years and does not want to be found or at least he thought so until Marcie shows up on his doorstep. What transpires is healing, comfort & joy as it is Christmas in Virgin River after all!
This was an amazing book, a fun read and I highly recommend this book and remember this is not a stand alone book and should be read after the first 3 although I think you could get away with reading this one alone. I will say though, if you do, you miss out on a lot of great history between all the characters.
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