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Hearts of Eternity by N Jay
About the book: When you are invited to dance with the muse of love, when you are driven to the edge by the pain of the past, when you hold the remedy for what ails you in your arms you will find yourself in the heart of eternity.
Set in the Blue Mountain’s town of Blackheath in New South Wales, Australia, the novel Heart of Eternity introduces two very different characters, Jay and Naida, who encounter each other at a challenging time in each of their lives. Their individual expressions of the feelings they provoke in each other give rise to a turmoil that could ultimately claim their lives. When two people understand so deeply the pain each other has faced will it force them into the abyss of darkness or will their combined need for healing allow love to enter both their hearts?
Mandy's Review: This is a story of the of two tortured souls. Its almost like a good soul person and a bad soul person struggling to reach the light. But in order to reach the light you have to rediscover who you really are. It is a unique tale set in Australia and beautifully written. This a short quick read that will intrigue the reader and keep them entertained. I give it 3 stars.
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Dancing on Rocks by Rose Senehi
About the book: Simmering beneath the skin and hiding around every corner are a family’s painful memories of a child who disappeared in the middle of the night 30 years ago.
Following her mother’s motorcycle accident, Georgie Haydock returns to the mountain tourist town at the foot of Chimney Rock State Park. But the summer is full of turmoil. As Georgie tries to perform her nursing duties, her mother thrashes in her bed, insisting that the strange woman stalking her store downstairs is Georgie’s missing sister. Meanwhile, Georgie aches to reunite with her childhood sweetheart, but she’s too ashamed of the guilt that drove her away 15 years earlier. For his part, Ron Elliott, the state park’s naturalist, doesn’t care what Georgie did all those years back. She’s the one creature he’s always yearned to possess.
Dancing on Rocks weaves through the network of memories, secrets, and mutual dependencies holding together Chimney Rock, an isolated community of 112 people tucked into Hickory Nut Gorge. Thousands of visitors stream through the tourist destination every week. But in reality, the people in the town have only each other
Mandy's Review: This is a story of Georgie Haydock who returns to Chimney Rock after being gone for 15 years. The tale that is told brings forth memories of the past, guilt, hope and most of the chance of love again. The author does a wonderful job of telling story with her wonderful artistic words. I really enjoyed this book. It was a great read that kept my interest. Well done Rose Senehi. I give it 4 stars.
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Etched on Me by Jenn Crowell
About the book: On the surface, sixteen-year-old Lesley Holloway is just another bright new student at Hawthorn Hill, a posh all-girls’ prep school north of London. Little do her classmates know that she recently ran away from home, where her father had spent years sexually abusing her. Nor does anyone know that she’s secretly cutting herself as a coping mechanism...until the day she goes too far and ends up in the hospital.
Lesley spends the next two years in and out of psychiatric facilities, where she overcomes her traumatic memories and finds the support of a surrogate family. Eventually completing university and earning her degree, she is a social services success story—until she becomes unexpectedly pregnant in her early twenties. Despite the overwhelming odds she has overcome, the same team that saved her as an adolescent will now question whether Lesley is fit to be a mother. And so she embarks upon her biggest battle yet: the fight for her unborn daughter.
About the book: On the surface, sixteen-year-old Lesley Holloway is just another bright new student at Hawthorn Hill, a posh all-girls’ prep school north of London. Little do her classmates know that she recently ran away from home, where her father had spent years sexually abusing her. Nor does anyone know that she’s secretly cutting herself as a coping mechanism...until the day she goes too far and ends up in the hospital.
Lesley spends the next two years in and out of psychiatric facilities, where she overcomes her traumatic memories and finds the support of a surrogate family. Eventually completing university and earning her degree, she is a social services success story—until she becomes unexpectedly pregnant in her early twenties. Despite the overwhelming odds she has overcome, the same team that saved her as an adolescent will now question whether Lesley is fit to be a mother. And so she embarks upon her biggest battle yet: the fight for her unborn daughter.
Mandy's Review: Wow. That's what I can say about this book, is WOW. Talk about an emotional ringer. This book takes a hard look at what 16 year old Lesley Holloway does to survive the abuse from her father. Lesley runs away from home and has the courage to seek out the help she needs to become a better person. The tale is heart wrenching, intense and makes you root for Lesley to have the strength to come out on top. There are some heavy subjects in this book but the author is brilliant in writing this story. Like I said this is an emotional ringer of book but it is worth the read. I give 4 stars.
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Angels Cry by Tina Glasneck
About the book: Cold-hearted detective Peter Lazarus loves to toe the line, and being an undercover cop, he enjoys his sanctioned criminalism. Going by the name of Shane Sterns, called in to gather evidence against a ruthless gang distributing and transporting black tar heroin up and down the East Coast, he's a man without anything to lose.
Until he walks into a bar run by the gang and sees Charlie.
Charlotte "Charlie" Palmer knows him from a different time and place. She can blow his cover with one look. While undercover, he married Charlie, and after getting too close, he abandoned her. There were reasons for it back then, but watching Charlie dance with dead eyes, he knows her downward spiral has been swift. Recognizing the bars on her gilded cage, he realizes he does have one big regret.
Shane says he's there for something else--and Charlie's got her own reasons to hate him and her own secrets to hide. He doesn't know everything about her--not by a long shot. Not only has her best friend disappeared, but Charlie knows she's next in line to die if she makes one false move. Loving him or hating him, trusting Shane is the only way she's going to live another day . . . and finally find their son.
Angels Cry is a dark, hard-edged suspense novella from the Spark Before Dying series.
About the book: Cold-hearted detective Peter Lazarus loves to toe the line, and being an undercover cop, he enjoys his sanctioned criminalism. Going by the name of Shane Sterns, called in to gather evidence against a ruthless gang distributing and transporting black tar heroin up and down the East Coast, he's a man without anything to lose.
Until he walks into a bar run by the gang and sees Charlie.
Charlotte "Charlie" Palmer knows him from a different time and place. She can blow his cover with one look. While undercover, he married Charlie, and after getting too close, he abandoned her. There were reasons for it back then, but watching Charlie dance with dead eyes, he knows her downward spiral has been swift. Recognizing the bars on her gilded cage, he realizes he does have one big regret.
Shane says he's there for something else--and Charlie's got her own reasons to hate him and her own secrets to hide. He doesn't know everything about her--not by a long shot. Not only has her best friend disappeared, but Charlie knows she's next in line to die if she makes one false move. Loving him or hating him, trusting Shane is the only way she's going to live another day . . . and finally find their son.
Angels Cry is a dark, hard-edged suspense novella from the Spark Before Dying series.
Mandy's Review: Tina Glasneck does a great job with this novella. There were lots of twists and turns, and the plot was very interesting. We have detective Peter Lazarus who loves being an undercover cop. Then we have Charlotte Palmer who knows Peter from a different time. Their worlds collide again and it’s a fight to the end to see who will survive. There is a dark edge to this entire story, so be forewarned. This story was a short quick read but I enjoyed it very much. I give it 3 stars.
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Romance is My Day Job by Patience Bloom
About the book: Who knows the ins and outs of romance better than a Harlequin editor? A surprising and exhilarating look into Patience Bloom’s unexpected real-life love story.
At some point, we’ve all wished romance could be more like fiction. Patience Bloom certainly did, many times over. As a teen she fell in love with Harlequin novels and imagined her life would turn out just like the heroines’ on the page: That shy guy she had a crush on wouldn’t just take her out—he’d sweep her off her feet with witty banter, quiet charm, and a secret life as a rock star. Not exactly her reality, but Bloom kept reading books that fed her reveries.
Years later she moved to New York and found her dream job, editing romances for Harlequin. Every day, her romantic fantasies came true—on paper. Bloom became an expert when it came to fictional love stories, editing amazing books and learning everything she could about the romance business. But her dating life remained uninspired. She nearly gave up on love.
Then one day a real-life chance at romance made her wonder if what she’d been writing and editing all those years might be true. A Facebook message from a high school friend, Sam, sparked a relationship with more promise than she’d had in years. But Sam lived thousands of miles away—they hadn’t seen each other in more than twenty years. Was it worth the risk?
Finally, Bloom learned: Love and romance can conquer all.
At some point, we’ve all wished romance could be more like fiction. Patience Bloom certainly did, many times over. As a teen she fell in love with Harlequin novels and imagined her life would turn out just like the heroines’ on the page: That shy guy she had a crush on wouldn’t just take her out—he’d sweep her off her feet with witty banter, quiet charm, and a secret life as a rock star. Not exactly her reality, but Bloom kept reading books that fed her reveries.
Years later she moved to New York and found her dream job, editing romances for Harlequin. Every day, her romantic fantasies came true—on paper. Bloom became an expert when it came to fictional love stories, editing amazing books and learning everything she could about the romance business. But her dating life remained uninspired. She nearly gave up on love.
Then one day a real-life chance at romance made her wonder if what she’d been writing and editing all those years might be true. A Facebook message from a high school friend, Sam, sparked a relationship with more promise than she’d had in years. But Sam lived thousands of miles away—they hadn’t seen each other in more than twenty years. Was it worth the risk?
Finally, Bloom learned: Love and romance can conquer all.
Mandy's Review: From high school to middle age, Patience Bloom does an awesome job of recounting the history of her relationships throughout her lifetime. These relationships encompass everything from the business side, her family and her romantic one too. Patience is an Editor at Harlequin books; as a result she brings her knowledge from this into her witty stories and the ups and downs of her life. Patience does not throw any punches – she is honest about her trials (painful experiences) in life even when they cause setbacks in her life. Throughout this book there is humor, laugh out loud moments, sadness, and how her relationships influences her life and growth. This is an awesome book to read. Bravo Patience Bloom on a great book. I give it 4 stars.
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About the book: Latesha Thomas is a beautiful, young African-American woman who lives with her handicapped father. She is in her final year of university and they are having a hard time making ends meet. She decides to start a matchmaking service to make a little extra money, though she has no experience and it turns out to be a disaster. She does, however, meet a client, a handsome white man named Peter Elsworth. The sparks fly immediately, but there’s a huge problem. Her father, and his mother, are vehemently opposed to an interracial relationship. This leads to tremendous conflict, but their love will not be denied. They grow closer, yet the closer they become, the more the tension rises. In time a secret connection between their two worlds become clear and this adds another dimension of conflict and complexity. But love is color blind and they are irresistibly drawn to one another.
Mandy's Review: You would think during this day and age humanity as a whole would be open to interracial relationships and not have so many preconceived notions about life. Unfortunately this is not always the case. Jim Powers does a fantastic job of showing how true love can conquer all. This story was realistically written and made you feel for the couple. This is a romance between Latesha Thomas and Peter Elsworth. A romance that blossoms into something wonderful and against all the unwritten rules of society. This story will open you heart and minds to all the possibilities of true love. I highly recommend this book. It is a well written, heartfelt story that can inspire us all to be better. I give 4 stars.
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Thank you so much for your wonderful review of Etched On Me, Mandy!
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