Catching Fireflies #9

CATCHING FIREFLIES #9                              SHERRYL WOODS
Posted: June 28, 2013


Catching Fireflies (The Sweet Magnolias, #9)When bullying threatens to destroy a teen's life, painful memories resurface for dedicated high school teacher Laura Reed and pediatrician J. C. Fullerton. With the support of the Sweet Magnolias, they bring the town together to ensure that a promising student's future isn't ruined. And to establish once and for all that bullying has no place in Serenity, South Carolina. Both J.C.'s and Laura's passion for the cause is deeply personal, and their growing feelings for each other are just as strong. But with so many secret hurts to overcome, can these two vulnerable lovers find the strength to believe in happily ever after?

MY REVIEW:



JC & Laura, what an interesting journey to romance they had. They were a fun loving couple by nature but still carried residuals of their past that makes them gun shy to have anything that looks like a relationship. All the time they spend together was mainly to champion support for Misty since she is being bullied. Very good book you will enjoy it.

Secrets of the Heart

SECRETS OF THE HEART                        TRACI STOREY
Posted: June 28, 2013


Secrets of the HeartOne minute everything seemed perfect, the next minute Elizabeth's life was turned completely upside down. Now she's on her way back to Oak Tree, the town where she grew up, to stay with the sister she's never gotten along with. One way or another, she's determined to turn her life around and make it on her own, but life has other plans. Elizabeth is about to find out that life is never what we expect it to be, but if we open our hearts, it will become what it was meant to be...





MY REVIEW:

What a intricately woven love story. There were so many dynamics in play in this story that when the author would add unnecessary fluff it was irritating. It only happens a few times & it happened when she was describing interior and exterior of character's homes. It was as if the author is a frustrated interior decorator. Other then that this is some fantastic story telling that keeps you wanting to see what each character was going to say or do next. The one who steals the book from the main character is Rebecca she is just wicked but with hope...

A Wedding Story

A WEDDING STORY                                    DEE TENORIO
Posted: June 28, 2013

A Wedding StoryRuth Anne Barbellis—unhappily nicknamed "Rhubarb" by her lifelong enemy, Bobby Wichowski—is in Wedding Hell. Why?

Her sister is marrying Bobby's brother.

She's trussed up in a bridesmaid dress that must have been designed originally as a Victorian Torture Chamber.

To teach them a lesson, she and Bobby have been assigned to the Kiddie Table.

And that's only the beginning...


MY REVIEW:


I really enjoyed this to short of a story. Fell in love with the characters right away because I have so known couples just like this one. I laughed at the whole dress nightmare thingy it was just to funny. But being the good Catholic girl that I am I just about died when they were caught by the priest & he passes out. But when Bobby made his big revelation on how he felt about her you could just imagine her expression. I loved it! It was funny, great character development & a lot of excitement. A lot old fashioned family fun but - Just not long enough.


Clear As Mud

CLEAR AS MUD                                           ALLISON MERRITT                                          
Posted: June 28, 2013

Clear As MudTorie and Ryan have been battling over the pit at MudFest for three years. Every year his team, the Earth Movers, beats her team, the Mud Moppets.

Sure, tug-of-war is for fun and to benefit their respective charities, but just once she'd like to hold the MudFest Cup. But this year, things are a little different, because her feelings for Ryan aren't just competitive anymore.




MY REVIEW:

Ok, very cute ESSAY. Can't really truly call this a short story can you now. Albeit a very sweet creative writing assignment my daughter might have written. But with love story qualities when it matures to a full grown story. Until then it is a very sweet fun essay. I am really glad I read it & hope you do too but would like to see the author develop it much more so we can see where these characters go.

Finding Home (Brookfield Series #1)

FINDING HOME                                          LACEY WOLFE
Posted: June 28, 2013


Finding Home (Brookfield Series, #1)


 
An unexpected pregnancy brings Julie Miller home to Brookfield, Wyoming to get guidance from her mother. But when she returns to the home she grew up in, her mother isn’t there. Instead Julie finds Mark Thomas, who is renting the house while her mom travels the country. If that isn’t bad enough, a blizzard hits the town, keeping her locked in with the hunk who happens to have a secret of his own, which Julie just has to know.

MY REVIEW:

What a truly endearing book. Julie moves in with her boyfriend & not two months after being there she finds out she is pregnant. She tells him & the prick says have an abortion or get out. So, being the smart girl she is she leaves & goes home to mom. But surprise mom's on a trip & sexy Mark is renting her house. So before you can figure out what to do you are in the middle of a blizzard with Mark. Boy do you get to stay warm in the best of ways but also get to find the kindest of hearts in a man you just met. You will just love this book & love to find out if Mark can love Julie & her baby. Just know this book will leave you fanning yourself in a few spots during the story just so you know

All's Fair

ALL'S FAIR                                                   SUZIE QUINT
Posted: June 28, 2013

All's Fair (A McKnight Romance, #1.5)Sol McKnight has trouble letting go of his ex-wife. If that means he has to torpedo her love life, then so be it. After all . . . All's fair in love and war.

NOTE: This is a prequel to the upcoming McKnight Romance, A Dark and Stormy Knight.





MY REVIEW:


A very cute short story that just drew me in right away with the way Sol is a joker. The chemistry he has with his ex just rolls of the page as written. I just loved the way he played her date for an idiot & how angry she got that was just to funny. You could see it all in your minds eye. Then the climax happens & chemistry explodes. Then boom, it just ends. Nothing? Really? No resolve? No follow through no nothing? That's why only 3 1/2 stars. :'(

An Afternoon with Aunt Viv

AN AFTERNOON WITH AUNT VIV         T.K. CARTER
Poster: June 28, 2013

An Afternoon with Aunt Viv



 
After the death of her father, Jade visits her Aunt Viv in search of any truth behind the rumors in town. Jade discovers more than she bargained for when she finds herself face-to-face with Maggie, the woman who nearly destroyed their family years earlier.

(Short Story)

http://www.amazon.com/An-Afternoon-Au...



MY REVIEW:

What an emotionally charged read. This book & its characters grab you from the get go. You feel Aunt Viv's apprehension as she waits for her niece to get there. She knew this subject needed to come out in the open & in the first person. Since she is one of the extended parties left she must be the one to set the record straight. She knows her niece will not want to hear the news she must tell her but she must for Viv's brother's memory. Heart wrenching candid discussion but so worth reading. All done with love & out of love. The result are a healing for all. As a child of divorce this story was very eye opening and touching.


Love For Lenore

LOVE FOR LENORE                                 REGINA L. TITTEL
Posted: June 28, 2013

Love For LenoreA busted wagon wheel strands Lenore and her family on an isolated pass. Her search to find help results in a marriage to Heston Miller, a trapper who's forced to marry or lose his land.
Lenore had always determined she'd never settle for less than love, but love is an untamed emotion, and one can never tell where it might bloom - even in a frozen wilderness.

This short-story is 10,000 words in length.






MY REVIEW:

This was one of the sweetest spiritually based short stories I've read in awhile. The characters were so pure in spirit & shy in a love that they just stumbled upon. It gives you so much food for thought yet in such a sweet way you don't even realize the lesson has been taught. I thought the storyline was very nicely developed it just wasn't long enough. Would have liked to have read more. Heston is such a powerful presence that his gentleness, gratefulness & prays of thanks to God for sending Lenore.  Both are just so endearing. You will just fall in love with these two people & end up Asking for more.


Waiting Forever

WAITING FOREVER                                   LAURIE KELLOGG
Posted: June 28, 2013

Waiting Forever (Return to Redemption, #0.6)A SHORT short story starring Steve, one of Matt's POW friends, from Laurie's award-winning novel, The Memory of You. This short story includes a sneak peek at the Prequel to The Return to Redemption Series, The Memory of You.

Only two reasons could make Kathy Sullivan's usually responsible daughter elope to Vegas with a man Kathy has never met--insanity or pregnancy. Neither possibility is one Kathy cares to consider. Even though things turned out okay for her in the end, the last thing she wants is to see her child repeat her mistakes.

Since her husband's death only ten months ago--the second time Kathy has lost a man she loved--she feels her life is over. While waiting to meet her daughter and new son-in-law for dinner, she discovers destiny still has a few wonderful surprises in store, and it's never too late for a second chance at love.

Waiting Forever was first published by New
Love Stories magazine in the May/June 2009 issue.


MY REVIEW:

What a very sweet short story. This is one of those very fast shorts where at the end you have a smile & go "Ahhhh!" The characters have heart & personalities. They are funny & they win you over right away. A feel good story you will want to read and read again. It is hard to believe in this throw away society but there was a time when we kept things even our first loves. Even if they are dead you still move on with life, needs, & wants for yourself because guess what you are still alive. We all react differently & move on sooner then others but love stays just to what degree.

Cowboy's Heart

COWBOY'S HEART                                      PATTI ANN COLT

Cowboy's HeartDue to popular demand, COWBOY'S HEART has been expanded so you may spend more time with Jess and Amy Rose! (Second Edition: August 2012)

JESS O’HARE has loved Amy Rose Adams since high school. Even though asking her out took him too many years, he finally made her his. A successful family rancher in Copper Canyon, Texas, he’s a hardworking and simple man who adores taking care of the woman he plans to be his wife. But Amy Rose won’t commit. She is constantly trying to live up to her parent’s commands for her future. Those dictatorial expectations scare him to death, because they lead her away from him!

AMY ROSE ADAMS has struggled for years with her parents’ unrelenting demands. Only with Jess can she be herself. And yet, he’s pressuring her to stand up to her parents, knowing full well it will destroy her relationship with them. After a hurtful and temper-filled argument, she is devastated and despairs that Jess won’t ever support her choices, much like her parents. But she’s fiercely loved Jess forever and now that she’s carrying his baby, the stakes have just changed.


MY REVIEW:

I just loved the interaction of all the characters with one another. The family feel & country hometown atmosphere. Where everyone helped everyone to the point where all the family members felt it was their God given right to meddle. I liked how you knew how much these two loved each other & for how long. You also knew just how mad they were at each other through their self dialog. Yet, what I was displeased with was there was no real closure with her parents after words were spoken. I would have liked to have seen how the parents reacted to her after she stood up to them & her dads threats. Otherwise, a very sweet down to earth book looking forward to seeking out more books from this author.

An Unexpected Date

AN UNEXPECTED DATE                            SUSAN HALTER
Posted: June 28, 2013
An Unexpected Date (Better Date Than Never, #2)

Holly loves living in her cozy mountain town and all the surrounding beauty soothes her soul. She treasures beading jewelry for her own small business while watching nature and its amazing creatures outside her window. But, her mom begs her to move back to the city so she can find a man to marry. Holly doesn’t want to give up on her dreams, but does that mean she’ll have to give up on love?

MY REVIEW:

What a very sweet wholesome very short story. This is the chance meeting of Holly & Dave at a craft fair. Their families pressuring them to come home so they can start families. But loving where they live they stay. Which is good because their special time to meet would never have happened if they left.

The Rent A Groom

THE RENT A GROOM                                 JENNIFER BLAKE
Posted: June 28, 2013

The Rent-A-GroomEven though Gina cancels her wedding mere days before the ceremony, she’s determined to keep her reservation for a famous honeymoon suite in Dallas.

Enter Race, a Texas cowboy who cleans up rather well, and who declares himself her substitute groom for the week.

Thinking her best friend hired Race, Gina goes along with the fun – at first. But is Race really who he seems? Why is Gina’s ex-fiance staying at the same hotel? And just how far is Gina prepared to go with Race and that model-worthy face of his on their "honeymoon"?



MY REVIEW:

Ok, yes there could have been just a little more character build up. Yet it was still an enjoyable read. Compared to some of the other free short stories that I have gotten to read, this one was extremely long. I really enjoyed Race & Gina's chemistry, guarded yet easy going enough to have fun at the expense of her ex. Who insisted on bringing his new girlfriend to spy on her. The other character I enjoyed was Etta she was a hoot with a soft heart. Race is more then meets the eye.

Heat in the Kitchen

HEAT IN THE KITCHEN                             SARAH FREDRICKS
Posted: June 28, 2013

Heat in the Kitchen (Duval-Adams, #1)Orphaned at eighteen, identical twins Matt and Zander Duval-Adams assumed responsibility for their twelve year old identical twin sisters, Tess and Ronnie.

'Heat in the Kitchen', the first book in a series of four, introduces you to Matt fourteen years after the death of their parents. Matt is a two Michelin starred, internationally renowned chef who has cooked for royalty and presidents all over the world.

As Matt settles in for an evening of creativity in the kitchen he discovers that Tess has lent his professional kitchen to her friend, Ella. Despite being disgruntled at the invasion, his 'big brother' instinct kicks in and he ends up helping her out of the jam she's landed in.

Ella is his baby sister's friend and out of bounds in Matt's eyes but that doesn't stop the raging attraction he feels towards her. As her life spirals out of control, Matt's 'big brother' act becomes just that, an act.

Ella is an internationally acclaimed pianist, fighting for her half-sisters' love, struggling to come to terms with her father's recent presence in her life and forced to confront a nightmare from her past.

She has secretly loved Matt for more than half her life but is panicked by the reality of their mutual attraction. Does she see Matt as someone who can only be a good friend and nothing more, or does his attention finally inflame a passion and love that neither can continue to deny?


MY REVIEW:


I truly enjoyed this story. This was a romantic erotica if ever there was one. This book had characters with depth & personalities & a storyline that you could follow. It was excitingly funny, painfully sad, suspenseful & frustrating as HELL. Matt was the all around guy that you want to either grow old with & marry or have your daughter marry. Ella was his sisters friend that he becomes attracted to on site. He's never known she loved him since she was 14. (She is six yrs. Younger). They have both been through a lot but through this connection a healing starts along with something Matt can't seem to name. A very good book can't wait to read next installment.



Lorenzo's Book Song



The love that this little boy expresses in this piece not only for what he is doing but for his grandfather is just priceless.  He is wise beyond his years and the love just pours off the page.  His grandfather paid the dues that this young man may go on to do great things, he is well on his way. I wish I could play half as well has he can.  Bravo!!!

Honeymooning

HONEYMOONING                                      RACHAEL HERRON
Posted: June 27, 2013

Honeymooning: A Cypress Hollow Yarn Short Story with Bonus MaterialWhen cashmere-mogul Janet marries the cowboy, she knows she'll have a lot to learn about roughing it. Tom lets her pay for the wedding, but he insists on handling the honeymoon. The budget-minded Tom, however, chooses a tropical destination which might be a little too…casual. If a newly-married couple spends their first week as man and wife trying to keep their clothes on, can the sparks still fly? Includes excerpts to the first two books in the Cypress Hollow Yarn series: How to Knit a Love Song and How to Knit a Heart Back Home.

MY REVIEW:
Tom a hired cowboy on a sheep farm marries Janet. She happens to be a divorced successful business woman who falls head over heels for Tom. Tom has issues with Janet having more money then him & that she keeps proposing to him. So, instead he moves in with her. One day he finally pops the question. He tells her he wants to make the honeymoon plan with his own money she is leery but agrees. Boy oh boy when they get to their cottage in Hawaii that is when the fun begins. As well as the true discussion that Tom never wanted to have about a joint checking account. This is a very cute short story. The characters just flowed which made it believable

Relentless

RELENTLESS                                               CINDY STARK
Posted: June 27, 2013

Relentless (Aspen, #1)Lily Chandler lost her job and lost her apartment. The last thing she wants is to lose her heart to a small-town sexy cowboy who is known to love 'em and leave 'em.

Rumored bad boy Luke Winchester needs to shed the reputation he hasn't earned if he wants more than a stolen kiss from Lily. Unfortunately, the scorned woman who stands in his way happens to be Lily's best friend.

Lily intends to steer clear of temptation and remain loyal to her friend, but Luke's subtle yet relentless pursuit weakens her with each encounter. If she gives in, will she become another notch in his belt or find the love she's always longed for?


MY REVIEW:

Lies are the hardest things to out run & this is one story filled with them. Yet, none are true & they have taken on a life of their own. Hannah is the one that started the rumors about Luke out of anger over 6 years ago but she cannot let it go she truly believes them now to the point where when her & her friend Lily have to move home to her family's farm, which she has to after they lose their jobs. She is not happy about moving home, she gets caught up in the meanness of those lies. To the point where she wants Lily to hate Luke too. Which will be really difficult. Because the moment Luke & Lily meet sparks fly like the 4th of July. Out of respect she plans on staying away from Luke. Yet, Hannah's story of what happened is not adding up. This is a very well thought out storyline. With characters who have real personalities & depth to them. The story has a nice flow to it also with no boring spots that I could see.

Bride by Design

BRIDE BY DESIGN                                ALICIA ROBERTS
Posted: June 27, 2013

Bride By Design: Flights of Fancy (Taken By The Billionaire, #1)Lisa has just lost her job. Her career as an aspiring designer seems to be going nowhere and she doesn't need any more complications in her life right now.

She especially doesn't need a passionate encounter with her crush on a midnight flight from LA to New York. She doesn't need him to pursue her, she doesn't want to be confused about his motives, and she doesn't want to get entangled in a world she knows nothing about.

But life has a strange sense of humor, and when her crush turns out to be billionaire real estate investor Colin Anderson, she finds herself manipulated into a strange web of deceit…

Extract:

He moved closer to me and began to run his lips slowly up the side of my neck.

I whimpered softly in anticipation and fear. "We shouldn't be blocking this bathroom for so long."

He nibbled my ear gently. "Everyone else in First Class is asleep."

I didn't believe him, though I desperately wanted to. A warning bell sounded in a distant part of my brain, but he was so close to me, his lips burning up my skin, and I wanted more of him. I wrapped my arms around him, pressing my fingertips down and running them along his strong back.

Warning: The material in this book is for mature audiences only and contains graphic sexual content. It is intended only for those aged 18 and above.

This is a short story of approximately 10,000 words.


MY REVIEW:

Colin & Lisa remind me of two puppies in love but circling each other. They so want to be with each other but have so many trust issues it is hard to take anything at face value. Colin being famous is use to getting what he wants when he wants it also others also wanting things from him. Lisa lost her parents & has had to take care of her brother since their passing & now he is a grown man with drug issues in rehab & she still is but with no job now since it ends in days. So the dance begins for Colin & Lisa in this quirky love story that is way to short. Hope to read part two soon. Glad I was able to read this for free. There is a semi mile high scene. LOL

Falling in Love

FALLING IN LOVE                                      SUSETTE WILLIAMS
Posted: June 27, 2013

Falling in Love (Seasons of the Heart, #1)Katie Morgan has her future planned. It doesn’t include becoming serious about anyone before she achieves her goals, not even her handsome boss. Just because she does not have time to date, doesn’t mean her boss shouldn’t. Her new mission…to make her boss happy, whether or not he wants to be.

Wade McAlester fell in love with Katie the first day she walked into his clinic looking for a job. He hired her, content to settle for friendship until she lives out her dream of becoming a vet. Against his better judgment, Wade allows her to fix him up with a couple of her friends. The dates are disastrous. He can’t believe the kind of women Katie seems to think he’d enjoy spending his life with. However, when Wade’s old colleague, Dr. Laura Redmond shows up, Katie is rethinking how happy she wants her boss to be, and with whom. Definitely not the gorgeous doctor.


MY REVIEW:


Katie wants to be a Vet. More then anything, so she has major tunnel vision.  So much so that she has no idea that her boss & mentor Wade is madly in love with her. She just wants to finish school and meet her goals. Knowing this & not wanting to spook her Wade goes along with her plan. Until one day he just can't. Does she see it? Feel it? Return it?The love he so much wants to give & get? You'll so enjoy it I am sure & the excerpt for the next book looks good too.

                                                                      Back to You #1 Hard Crush HARD CRUSH                                  ...