REVIEW: CHASING RAINBOWS by Kathleen Long: Blog Tour Hosted by Chick Lit Plus

MY REVIEW:

"In life, you either choose to sing a rainbow, or you don't.  Keep singing."

CHASING RAINBOWS by Kathleen Long is a stunning novel that addresses loss on many levels and the strength and courage that comes from taking one step at a time.

"Steps were steps.  Steps were good.  Steps were the only things that were going to save me.  They were the things that were going to carry me forward, out of my old life and into my new one. " (Long, p.344, e-book)

Long's main character, Bernadette, was a flawed and grief stricken yet loveable character that any reader would root for.  "Bernie"  had a lot on her plate, with the sudden death of her father, news from a friend that forced her to face some hard truths and the struggle to find love after heartbreak.  CHASING RAINBOWS is about finding the happy moments and moving forward no matter how difficult it may be.

"Sometimes the happy moments of your life came in a rush, overwhelming in their lightness and brightness.  Sometimes those same moments lingered in the recesses of memory, assurances that no matter how bad things might seem, happier times would come again" (Long, p. 47, e-book)

I absolutely loved CHASING RAINBOWS (4 stars).  I felt lucky to witness Bernie letting go of the hurt and finding the happy moments in life a few steps at a time.  I highly recommend this read!!!

AUTHOR BIO:

A long time ago, in an elementary school far, far away, a very young Kathleen scribbled a story idea in her journal. Then she wrote another, and another. She added several poems, the lyrics to a song or two, a love letter to David Cassidy, and so on and so on. While her early writings never saw the light of day, many of her later works did. And while she did not marry David Cassidy, Kathleen did marry her own Prince Charming. Together, they are raising one drama queen and one obedience-challenged border collie mix in a kingdom divided between suburban Philadelphia and the Jersey shore.

Kathleen is the RITA^® nominated, RIO Award and two-time Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence winning author of fourteen novels of contemporary romance, romantic suspense and women’s fiction. Her additional honors include National Readers Choice, Holt Medallion, and Booksellers Best award nominations.

She divides her time between plotting her next book, bribing her little one to pick up her toys, and begging the dog to heel. Life is good. Very, very good.

Connect with Kathleen:

Kathleen's Page
Facebook 
Twitter

 

Buy the book:
Amazon 
Barnes and Noble

Head over to Kathleen's Tour Page at Chick Lit Plus to see more reviews!

REVIEW: A HIDDEN FIRE by Elizabeth Hunter...A blog tour hosted by AToMR

To see the rest of the tour stops, schedule and giveaways click HERE or to visit AToMR

My Review:  
A Hidden Fire: 4 stars

I was quite literally  blown away by A HIDDEN FIRE.  I have not read many books in this specific genre, so I was a bit hesitant.  But once I got started, I could not stop reading.  A HIDDEN FIRE has interesting and likable characters, villains that keep you on your toes and depth and intelligence that far exceeded my expectations.

I found the writing style rich and dialogue was compelling.  A HIDDEN FIRE was a novel that had a great story; with bits of mystery, romance and lots of unexpected twists and turns.  I cannot wait to continue reading this series.  I highly recommend A HIDDEN FIRE and rate it 4 stars.

Book Description via AMAZON 

"No secret stays hidden forever."

A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he'd abandoned years before.  He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract.  Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted.

A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers.  It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.

Buy is HERE  for the sale price of $.99 (Get it while you can!!!)



Other book in the series:


Beatrice De Novo thought she had left the supernatural world behind…for the most part. But when the past becomes the present, will she leave her quiet life in Los Angeles to follow a mystery she thought had abandoned her? Where has Giovanni Vecchio been, and why has he returned? Giovanni has his own questions, and he’s looking to her for answers.

The sequel to A Hidden Fire will reunite Beatrice and Giovanni to continue their search through the past while both wrestle with the future. When the world as you knew it has changed forever, is there any way you can turn back?

This Same Earth is the second book in the Elemental Mysteries series. It is a paranormal romance/mystery for adult readers.

Buy it here



Other info:


See more on the series HERE.  There is information on book three in the series as well as the book trailer and so much more!!!

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

I have to read this....

Book Description via AMAZON

Publication Date: June 7, 2011

A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs.

It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores its abandoned bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that the children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow—impossible though it seems—they may still be alive.

A spine-tingling fantasy illustrated with haunting vintage photography, Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children will delight adults, teens, and anyone who relishes an adventure in the shadows.

What the TIARAS are reading...THESE THINGS HIDDEN by Heather Gudenkauf

THESE THINGS HIDDEN by Heather Gudenkauf

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Book Description via AMAZON

Publication Date: January 18, 2011

When teenager Allison Glenn is sent to prison for a heinous crime, she leaves behind her reputation as Linden Falls' golden girl forever. Her parents deny the existence of their once-perfect child. Her former friends exult her downfall. Her sister, Brynn, faces whispered rumors every day in the hallways of their small Iowa high school. It's Brynn—shy, quiet Brynn—who carries the burden of what really happened that night. All she wants is to forget Allison and the past that haunts her.

But then Allison is released to a halfway house, and is more determined than ever to speak with her estranged sister.

Now their legacy of secrets is focused on one little boy. And if the truth is revealed, the consequences will be unimaginable for the adoptive mother who loves him, the girl who tried to protect him and the two sisters who hold the key to all that is hidden.

Happy 108th Birthday...

Theodore Seuss Geisel!!!!

List of Dr. Seuss Books via seussdude.com Theodor Geisel wrote over 60 childrens books during his life. He used the pen name Dr. Seuss for all of the books that he both wrote and illustrated. The pen name Theo LeSieg (his last name spelled backwards) was used for books he wrote but others illustrated. Full list of all books written by Dr. Seuss. Classic Seuss The 500 Hats of Bartholomew Cubbins And To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street Bartholomew and the Oobleck The Butter Battle Book The Cat in the Hat Songbook Daisy-Head Mayzie Did I Ever Tell You How Lucky You Are? Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book Gerald McBoing Boing Horton Hatches the Egg Horton Hears A Who! How the Grinch Stole Christmas Hunches in Bunches I Can Lick 30 Tigers Today! and Other Stories I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew If I Ran the Circus If I Ran the Zoo The King’s Stilts The Lorax McElligot’s Pool My Book About Me Oh, the Places You’ll Go! On Beyond Zebra! Scrambled Eggs Super! The Sneetches and Other Stories Thidwick the Big-Hearted Moose Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories Bright and Early Books The Foot Book Great Day for Up! Hooper Humperdink…? Not Him! In a People House Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? The Shape of Me and Other Stuff There’s a Wocket in My Pocket The Tooth Book Would You Rather Be a Bullfrog? The Eye Book Dr. Seuss Nursery All Aboard the Circus McGurkus Circus McGurkus 1, 2, 3! Dr. Seuss’s Circus McGurkus Squirt! Happy Birthday, Baby Horton Hears a Who! Can You? One Fish, Two Fish, Three, Four, Five Fish Up, Up, Up with the Cat Wet Pet, Dry Pet, Your Pet, My Pet Beginner Books The Cat in the Hat The Cat in the Hat Comes Back The Cat in the Hat in English and French The Cat in the Hat The Cat’s Quizzer Dr. Seuss’s ABC Fox in Socks Green Eggs and Ham Hop on Pop I Am Not Going To Get Up Today! I Can Read With My Eyes Shut! I Wish That I Had Duck Feet Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! Oh, Say Can You Say? One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish Ten Apples Up On Top! Wacky Wednesday The Cat in the Hat Beginner Book Dictionary Please Try to Remember the First of Octember!

 

Another good one....

It has been a tough day....