Tag Archives: Barb’s Review

The Adversary by Thea Harrison – Dual Review

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The Adversary by Thea Harrison – Dual Review

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Description:
When Dragos and Pia move to the Other land of Rhyacia, they hope starting a new life will bring safety and freedom to their family, especially their young baby, Niall. And at first their new home seems perfect… but looks are deceiving.

Beneath Rhyacia’s idyllic façade an ancient, malevolent force lurks, waiting for the right opportunity to break free of its cage. When that opportunity comes, it strikes with devastating accuracy.

While Dragos has never backed down from a fight, he’s also never encountered an enemy like this one before. How can he fight a foe who doesn’t have a body? A foe who can invade and turn his own mind against him?

How can Dragos protect his family, when at any moment one of them may become the enemy?

As Dragos and Pia race against time to fight this unseen menace, they must also acknowledge a terrifying truth—when anyone can become the enemy, no one can be trusted.

An adversary who can trap the dragon poses a threat to everyone in Rhyacia, and that means no one is safe…

•••••••••

Barb’s Review:

The Adversary by Thea Harrison is the 2nd and final book in The Chronicles of Rhyacia.  The Adversary is a 2-book arc that is part of her wonderful Elder Races series.  The story is focused on our favorite couple, Dragos and Pia, and picks up immediately after the last book (The Unseen) left off.

We left off a cliffhanger, as Dragos was possessed by a malevolent being, who takes over his body and mind. Pia calls in all the Sentinels to help fight this new enemy.  She does get a brief glimpse of Dragos telling her to do whatever is necessary to try and stop this dangerous adversary; though Dragos is ultra-powerful, he has been unable thus far to find a way to take control back. 

Pia gives orders to all the Sentinels to hurt this new enemy, in hope to get the entity to leave Dragos’s body.   She was simply amazing, fighting off her fears, and stress, and using everyone to bring back Dragos; proving herself over and over that she was also a strong leader, and the perfect mate to Dragos.

We got to see Dragos fight this possession, as he uses all his knowledge, power, and even magic/spells to stop this takeover. It is a race against time to save Dragos; and just when you think all is well; they learn quickly that this evil being can move into someone else.  How can they stop this unseen being?

What follows is an exciting, riveting, non-stop action filled thriller, with a few twists along the way. I do not want to tell too much more, as you need to read this book, without spoilers.  I absolutely loved seeing all of our favorites again, which included Liam, Rune, Graydon, Eva, Aryal, Carling, Khalik, Grace, Bel, Morgan LeFey, baby Niall and Skeeter (dog). 

Dragos and Pia are such an amazing couple, who are one of the best in the literary world.  I never tire of seeing them in new stories.   The Adversary was a wonderful conclusion to this arc, and so very well written by Thea Harrison. If you are a fan of the Elder Races series, this is a must read. 

 

Sandy’s Reviews:

THE ADVERSARY is the second novella in Thea Harrison’s contemporary, adult ELDER RACES paranormal/ fantasy romance duet focusing on the former leader of the Wyr demes new in New York, Drago Cuelebre, and his mate Pia Giovanni. THE ADVERSARY should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the events and cliff hanger of book one THE UNSEEN.

SOME BACKGROUND: Dragos and Pia, along with 20,000 members of the supernatural Wyr leave New York to begin a new life in the Other land known as Rhycia but not all goes according to plan when an unseen force begins to cause a disturbance within the new society-misplaced items, collapsing buildings, and taking control over the mind, body and soul of our story line hero.

NOTE: If you have not read THE UNSEEN, there may be spoilers in my review. The author had plans to write a four-part novella series but at this time, I am unsure as to the number of instalments. Thea Harrison has left THE ADVERSARY open ended, laying the groundwork for future story lines.

Told from third person perspective (Pia) THE ADVERSARY focuses on the fight to ‘free’ Dragos from an ‘unseen adversary’. Dragos is no longer himself, in fact, he is often someone else. Struggling to free her mate from an ancient enemy, Pia and the Wyr, must formulate a plan in an effort to release the ‘unseen’ from her mate’s body but once released, the ‘unseen’ needs another host, and Pia and Dragos find themselves, once again, facing the prospect of losing someone they love. From Azreal, the angel of death, to the Seraphim, Dragos and Pia must accept that life and death are not theirs to control.

THE ADVERSARY is a story of family and friendships, power and control, loss, love, desperation and revenge. Thea Harrison pulls the reader into an action packed, emotional and intense tale of magic and the supernatural, of other worlds and the paranormal, of the power of love for mate and child. The premise is strong and impassioned; the characters are numerous, familiar and charismatic; the romance is magical-the love is palpable.

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The Queen’s Weapons by Anne Bishop – Review & Giveaway

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The Queen’s Weapons by Anne Bishop – Review & Giveaway

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Description:
They are Warlord Princes, men born to serve and protect. They are the Queen’s Weapons, men born to destroy the Queen’s enemies–no matter what face that enemy wears.

Daemonar Yaslana knows how to be bossy yet supportive–traits he shares with his father, the Demon Prince, and his uncle, the High Lord of Hell. Within his generation of the family, he assumes the role of protector, supporting his sister Titian’s artistic efforts and curbing his cousin Jaenelle Saetien’s more adventurous ideas. But when a young Eyrien Queen, someone Titian thought was a friend, inflicts an emotional wound, Daemonar’s counterattack brings him under the tutelage of Witch, the Queen whose continued existence is known only to a select few.

As Daemonar is confronted by troubling changes within and around the family, he sees warnings that a taint in the Blood might be reappearing. Daemonar, along with his father and uncle, must uncover the source of a familiar evil–and Daemon Sadi, the High Lord of Hell, may be forced into making a terrible choice.

 

 

Review:

The Queen’s Weapons by Anne Bishop is the 11th book in her fantastic Black Jewels series. I am a huge fan of Anne Bishop, as I have read all her series.  Black Jewels has always been one of my favorite all time series, and every time Anne gives us a new book, I cannot wait to savor it.  The Queen’s Weapons was such a fantastic read, I could not put the book down, as this was a masterpiece similar to book 2 and 3 of the initial trilogy. 

Daemonar Yaslana, Lucivar’s son, who is now old enough to join his father and uncle in protecting their family against any enemies.  When he is approached by a young queen with threats of sexual obedience, a red flag arises and he tells his father, who in turn alerts Daemon. Hundreds of years have passed when the war against the evil female enemies from Terreille were destroyed, but some things are beginning to reappear, and they go on alert. 

Jaenelle Saetien, Daemon and Surreal’s daughter, wants to go the same school that her cousin Titian is going to learn art; another young Queen (Zoey), very well liked, and has become close to Titian will also attend. In a short time, Jaenelle befriends some of the girls, who are not very nice, but she finds herself wanting to be part of their group, and keeps her distance from her cousin and Zoey.  I will say that in this entire story, I did not like Jaenelle Saetien, as she became very much like her new friends, a b***h. Her treatment of her mother, Surreal was terrible, and Janelle thought nothing of being nasty, and pushing her mother away, and just about alienating everyone, accept her new friends. Daemonar, worried about his sister at the school, decides to enroll, so that he can protect her. 

What follows is Daemon, Lucivar, Surreal and Daemonar begin to investigate what is happening, and become centered on Jaenelle’s friends, both girls and boys, and the danger escalates, especially after Jaenelle defends them as doing nothing wrong.  Zoey, who is destined to become a major Queen, is very much in danger by this group that is called the Coven of Malice. But to get to Zoey, the coven push Jaenelle to have a party bringing everyone together, and be friends; which is far from the truth.

The last half of the book was sensational, exciting, intense, with heart shattering moments that do not allow you to put the book down, as you become totally enthralled.  I will say I absolutely loved seeing our favorites come forth to fight a new battle, as it was great to not only have Daemon, Lucivar, Surreal, Tersa, Marian, but I also loved seeing Karla play a bigger part, especially Jaenelle (Witch) to help them, and of course, the return of kindred. It has always been a joy to spend time with these wonderful strong characters written by Bishop.

The battle to destroy the evil that is rising, was an amazing race to the finish that I held my breath throughout.  They all join hands to stop the destruction, and it is Daemon, as the High Lord of Hell, who will make them pay their debts. How far will he go?  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and I do not want to ruin it for you, as this is a must read. I loved that the last few chapters gave us a look at what happens to those who survived, and what the future holds for all of them.

Anne Bishop not only creates such wonderful leading characters, her secondary characters continue to be to be equally memorable. Black Jewels has always been one of my top favorites, especially all those people we loved, and Anne Bishop continues to bring joy to our lives with these fantastic characters. Bravo to Anne Bishop for giving us another masterpiece in this series.  I want more.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

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The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton – a Review

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The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton – a Review

 

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Description:
Mason “Mace” Reid lives on the outskirts of Chicago and specializes in human remains detection. He trains dogs to hunt for the dead. Reid’s coming off a taxing year—mourning the death of a beloved springer spaniel as well as the dissolution of his marriage. He adopts a rescue dog with a mysterious past—a golden retriever named Vira. And when Reid begins training Vira as a cadaver dog, he comes to realize just how special the newest addition to his family truly is…

Suddenly, Reid and his prize pupil find themselves hurled into a taxing murder case, which will push them to their very limits. Paired with determined Chicago Police Officer Kippy Gimm, Mace must put all his trust in Vira’s abilities to thwart a serial killer who has now set his sights on Mace himself.

 

 

Review:

The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton is the first book in his new Mace Reid K-9 Mystery series.  The story starts off with the police being called into an abuse case, and the abuser was unconscious from carbon monoxide fumes.  The detective, Kippy Grimm, notices a poor dog laying down almost dead, and she manages to help rescue the dog.  Our hero, Mason (mace) Reid is called in to possibly acquire and train the golden retriever, as Mace trains dogs for drugs, missing persons, explosives and mainly as a cadaver dog (dead bodies-human remains). 

Mace works well with the police in Lansing and Chicago, and has a number of dogs. He names the golden retriever puppy, Vira (short of Elvira), and has three other dogs (Sue, Maggie, Delta).  Kippy visits Mace to inquire about Vira, whom she hoped to adopt, but sees how happy the dog is, and a friendship bond develops between Mace and Kippy.  Chicago police asks for his help in finding a serial killer targeting women, and Kippy becomes involved in the case with her partner, Wabs.  She enlists the aid of Mace, and when investigating a suspect, both Mace and Kippy come across the missing girl and both are injured in the process, but our young Vira saves them and proves to be such a wonderful extraordinary dog, with abilities way more then expected.

Though the case seems closed, Mace will discover that someone is trying to kill him, and all clues point to someone else involved in the serial murder case.  There is a 3rd POV of the culprit, which I felt could have been minimalized, as this killer had no redeeming qualities, though as we come close to the end, it was a surprise. It is this murderer who ups the ante, as the race is on to find him, before he kills again.

What follows is a wonderful exciting mystery, non-stop action, edge of your seat suspense, with a few twists along the way.  To tell too much more would be spoilers, and this is the kind of book you need to read to enjoy.  I will say I loved the scenes with the dogs, as they were fun and even humorous.  I also liked Kippy and I hope in the upcoming books of this series, they act on a possible romance.  Mace was a wonderful hero, and I really liked him.  But the star of this book was Vira, who not only was smart and sweet, but she was an extraordinary and amazing dog, who was loyal to Mace and Kippy, but also one step ahead of the team; especially with her senses and knowing up front who the bad people are, saving their lives in the process. I cannot wait to read more about our wonderful Vira.

The Finders by Jeffrey B. Burton was a great start to this new series, as the story was exciting, suspenseful, intriguing and very well written.  If you enjoy murder mystery thrillers, with great characters and wonderful specialized dogs, you need to read this book.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Patient One by Shelley Shepard Gray – a Review

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The Patient One by Shelley Shepard Gray – a Review

 

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Description:
When word had gotten out that Andy Warner had committed suicide, everyone in Walnut Creek, Ohio, had been shocked. For seven men and women in their twenties, some Amish, some Mennonite, and some English, each of whom had once counted his or herself as one of Andy’s best friends, it had been extremely painful.

And, maybe, a source of guilt.

Years have passed since they’d all been together last. Some of them got into trouble. A couple got into arguments. Eventually they all drifted apart. But even though none of them really saw each other anymore, there was a steadfast certainty that they’d always have each other’s backs—even when no one else did. Their bond was that strong…until Andy did the unthinkable.

Now the seven remaining friends, still reeling from Andy’s death, have vowed to look after each other again. As far as they’re concerned, it doesn’t matter that they’re now in their twenties and have drifted far apart. They need to connect again…for Andy.

 

 

 

Review:

The Patient One by Shelley Shepard Gray is the 1st book in her new Walnut Creek series. The Patient One was a nice story revolving around a group of friends who come together after the tragic suicide of one of their group.  However, the group went their own way for a number of years, hardly seeing each other, and now with the suicide, they each feel the guilt that they should have been around for their deceased friend.  Those who left Walnut Creek return and they are determined to unify their close friendship and help one another.  The mixed group of 7 men and women, are  Amish,  Mennonite, and English, but that never bothered them, as they all remain good friends.

The 7 friends each deal with their grief, but this story centers around John (Amish) and Marie (English) as they rekindle the attraction they had for each other.  John deals with his desire to become more English, and leave the Amish life.  He lets his family know, and they accept his desire, knowing that he will remain close to them, as they knew this was his desire  long ago.    Marie having moved back to Walnut Creek, learns later about John‘s decision and is very happy.  Together they will work on their future, as well as learn how to deal with the grief of losing their friend.   The other 5 members are close to John and Marie, and they all help support one another.

There was also a side story showing the friendship building between John’s 16 year old sister, Molly who due to an accident is confined to a wheel chair, and Danny, a local 17 year old boy.  Danny befriends Molly, who works part time at the library, and despite John’s negative reaction, their friendship grows.  This was a nice feature to see Danny bring out Molly to go out and enjoy her friends.  There was also another accident with some students which also bring about handling the loss of life.

The Patient One was a story of friendship, bonding, guilt, grief, love and struggling to deal with the emotions of tragedy.  I this was a nice simple story of life, and well written by Shelley Shepard Gray.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk – a Review

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The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk – a Review

 

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Description:
Music brought Autumn, Shay, and Logan together. Death wants to tear them apart.

Autumn always knew exactly who she was—a talented artist and a loyal friend. Shay was defined by two things: her bond with her twin sister, Sasha, and her love of music. And Logan always turned to writing love songs when his love life was a little less than perfect.

But when tragedy strikes each of them, somehow music is no longer enough. Now Logan can’t stop watching vlogs of his dead ex-boyfriend. Shay is a music blogger struggling to keep it together. And Autumn sends messages that she knows can never be answered.

Each of them wonders: How different would my life be if this hadn’t happened? And now that it has . . . what’s next?

 

 

Review:

The Beauty That Remains by Ashley Woodfolk is a standalone YA novel about a group of young people brought together by music, and separated sadly by death. The story follows the POV of three people who have lost someone very close to them. We follow them as they grieve over the deaths that have left them emotionally damaged, with each dealing with it their own way.

Shay has lost her twin sister, Sasha, to cancer, and though she knew this was coming, she has a hard time dealing with her loss.  As she says: she is now ‘twinless”

Autumn lost her best friend, Tavia, in a car crash. She releases her grief by writing emails to her dead friend daily telling her about life without her.

Logan has lost his ex-boyfriend to an overdose.  Though a few months have passed since his boyfriend, Bram, dumped him, Logan has trouble dealing with his death.  He will need the help of a psychologist to eventually help him.

All three of them know each other through music and band, though they are not together to help each other.  Grief is always sad and emotional for everyone and their family or friends.   The story gives us a look at their grief, and how they are emotionally affected by the loss, which also has them cutting themselves from their other friends; as we get to see their pain, anger and at times their self blame.

We also get to meet each of their families and/or friends who are also affected by the deaths, and in time they will each come together in their love of music, and the band that was the link between them.  This is a difficult review to write, as it is a story that needs to be read.

Though at times I did find it a bit slow, the story was very well written, and grief can be depressing.  Even with this subject, Woodfolk did a very good job keeping this emotional story moving and not allowing it to stagger.   I thought this was a good story, though not my type of book.  If you like YA novels with action, suspense and exciting, then this is not for you. 

The Beauty That Remains is a well written story, with an excellent cast of characters that must find a way to get past their grief’s and move forward in life.  Essentially they need to see the beauty that remains in life.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Celta Cats by Robin D. Owens – Review & Giveaway

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Celta Cats by Robin D. Owens – Review & Giveaway

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Description:
Smart Cats know what they want. And on the world of Celta, they are very smart. They can be Familiar Animal companions, bonded with a person. These stories are seen from the cat’s very own eyes, and are six never before published Cat Stories, including the first Top Cat of Celta, Peaches; as well as a trio of stories about that favorite Fam, Zanth.

Peaches Arrives on Celta, Plenty of problems for Peaches to fix: challenges to his status; people lying about Peaches’ human companion and Peaches himself; Grandma’s acting mean…and there’s that very real concern that the Ship just might not land safely, fear he must overcome…
Zanth Gets His Boy, Zanth’s meeting with a noble boy running from evil people changes both their lives in ways he couldn’t imagine

Pinky Becomes A Fam, Pinky is a smart enough cat to know that there is a difference from being a regular cat and a Familiar Companion Cat, and bonding better with his boy. He’s determined to make the leap from cat to Fam, but didn’t realize exactly what that meant…

Zanth Claims Treasure, Yes, the southern estate smells great, even better smelling is the glass orb full of magic that he finds, and will fight to keep…

Baccat Chooses His Person, Life on the streets in the winter isn’t what Baccat deserves, and he’s determined to find a good person to take care of him. After all, he has so much to offer…but does he really deserve what he gets?

Zanth Saves The Day, A FamCat on a beach just can’t sleep with all that odd hatching and squeaking going on. Zanth finds new friends and defends them against bullies…

 

 

Review:

Celta Cats by Robin D. Owens is a collection of short stories in the Pov of her wonderful Fams, from  her fantastic Celta series.   This book is a pure fun enjoyable read, especially for fans of this series. I have said in many of my reviews on the Celta series that my most favorite things are the Fams we get to meet in each and every book.  The cats are in the majority, but there have been many other animal species.

Fams can talk to their human companion out loud or telepathically, and they are fiercely loyal to their human.   They also have magic flair that enables them to do various things, including teleporting; though not all Fams are the same.  They are all so much fun and add so much to the overall story.

When I heard Robin was going to do a book on some of the Fams we know, especially Zanth, with short stories in their POV, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the book, and I thoroughly loved each story.  I will not write a review of each story, as they are short and the above description gives you an idea what each is about.  Celta Cats was a fun lighthearted book to read, and as I said before, if you are a fan of this series, it is a do not miss.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy supplied for review

 

 

Giveaway

Robin is offering an e-copy of CELTA CATS to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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A Wedding Tail by Casey Griffin – a Review

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A Wedding Tail by Casey Griffin – a Review

 

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Description:
TIL DEATH DO US BARK…

Wedding planner Zoe Plum has brides from all walks of life vying for her services. The only problem is: happily-single Zoe doesn’t actually enjoy weddings—but that might change when she meets the singer of a local band playing at one of her weddings. His name is Levi Dolson and he’s too gorgeous for his own good. And now he’s gone ahead and charmed her new dachshund. . .

It’s no secret that Zoe doesn’t believe in fairy tales, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to make sweet music with Levi. While she’s convinced she doesn’t need a man, when someone starts setting one trap after the next to make sure she never plans a wedding ever again, she might need Levi in more ways than she could have imagined. But just how far is Zoe’s hidden enemy willing to go? The only thing Levi knows for sure is that he will do everything in his power to protect the woman who brings music to his soul. Maybe that will prove to Zoe, once and for all, that he is a man worthy of her heart. . .

 

 

Review:

A Wedding Tail by Casey Griffin is the 3rd book in her Rescue Dog Romance series. I did enjoy the previous books in this series; however I had mixed feelings about this book.  I will go into that later.

Zoe Plum, our heroine, is a wedding planner, and a friend of our previous heroines (Addison & Piper). Zoe loves planning weddings, though she has sworn off men since she was left at the altar years before.  The story begins with Zoe in the midst of making sure the wedding she is doing goes well, but it will turn out to be the wedding from hell, as everything goes wrong, which includes the best man claiming he loves his best friends bride to be.  Needless to say, the wedding did not go off, but it will haunt Zoe for most of the story. 

Levi Dolson ,our hero, is a musician with his own band. He is scheduled to be a groomsman, but he also does side things to make extra money, like play a piano, ride a horse or sing anything.  Levi considers himself a catch or a womanizer, and he does everything to get Zoe’s attention.  Though she has no interest, and with everything falling apart, Levi will be there every step of the way to try to help Zoe, and win her over. Levi also gets a kick out Zoe’s side business (selling sex toys).

What follows is a slow build romance, as well as a suspenseful story about who is trying to destroy Zoe by sabotaging everything she is involved in; whether it is destroying her van, framing her for various attacks, stealing her assistant, and destruction of her business and reputation.  Zoe can’t seem to get a break, as she becomes a suspect in a possible murder.  Levi will be there for her, as he is very persistent and a calming influence on her; slowly she begins to have feelings for him.  We will also be introduced to Zoe’s new pet, as she ends up adopting a dachshund, Freddy, who was cute.

This had a good storyline, and the last third of the book was very exciting; especially with Zoe right in the middle of trying to save her friend from a serial murderer.  I also loved Zoe’s two friends, whom we had met previously.  What I had mixed feelings about was the wild craziness in the first half of the book, and the emphasis on the sex toys, which was intended to be funny, but it annoyed me more than making me laugh.  I also did not really like Zoe, nor Levi early on.  When the murder mystery element of the storyline picked up, I got to like our couple better and the suspense was very well done.  Overall, this was a good story, but some of  the early humor was a bit over the top.
Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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Someone to Hold by Mary Balogh – a Review

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Someone to Hold by Mary Balogh – a Review

 

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Description:
Humphrey Wescott, Earl of Riverdale, has died, leaving behind a fortune and a scandalous secret that will forever alter the lives of his family—sending one daughter on a journey of self-discovery…

With her parents’ marriage declared bigamous, Camille Westcott is now illegitimate and without a title. Looking to eschew the trappings of her old life, she leaves London to teach at the Bath orphanage where her newly discovered half-sister lived. But even as she settles in, she must sit for a portrait commissioned by her grandmother and endure an artist who riles her every nerve.

An art teacher at the orphanage that was once his home, Joel Cunningham has been hired to paint the portrait of the haughty new teacher. But as Camille poses for Joel, their mutual contempt soon turns to desire. And it is only the bond between them that will allow them to weather the rough storm that lies ahead…

 

 

Review:

Someone to Hold by Mary Balogh is the 2nd book in her Westcott series. In the first book of this series, Camille Westcott lost her inheritance because her deceased father was a bigamist, having been found to have been married before. Our than heroine, Anna Snow, who grew up in an orphanage, was the rightful heir and assumed the family fortune.  Anna always wanted a family, but the mother, two sisters and brother refused to acknowledge Anna, even if she wanted to share the fortune.  Personally, I did not like Camille at all in the first book.  But, in Someone to Hold, we get to see Camille living with her grandmother, in a nice comfortable house, not too far from the Orphanage that Anna used to live in. Camille always presented herself as a lady, to be perfect in every way, and feelings did not count for anything.  Whereas, her sister Abby was happy, Camille was miserable.  She was betrothed to a man of wealth, until he dumped her after she lost everything.

Camille trys to rediscover herself; she decides to get a job working as a teacher at the same Orphanage.  Along the way she meets, Anna’s best friend, Joel Cunningham, who is an artist, and also teaches art a few days a week to the students.  Joel has disliked Camille, since he did not like how she treats Anna, but slowly he will begin to see a different side hidden under her severe & abrasive appearance.  Joel watches with amazement how Camille steps in and without any experience, does wonders with the children. Joel begins to talk more to Camille, to help give her more confidence and in time they will find their company enjoyable.  Camille puts herself in Anna’s shoes, how she lived all her life growing up and eventually working at the orphanage.  This will help her understand Anna’s situation, as well as slowly begin to open her cold heart, as she starts to have feelings for some of the children, especially young Sarah.  Camille has never known how to love, only to be the perfect lady, which was expected of her in as a Westcott heir.

As Joel and Camille start spending more time together, each of them discover their feelings change to more romantic, which will gradually become love.  But both of them believe there is no future, as they are both very stubborn.  Joel was a great hero, very nice and sweet to Camille; but he doesn’t see himself ever marrying.  His life later in the book, will also take a turn, similar to Anna’s in the last book. Will this help bring Camille and Joel together?

What I really enjoyed about this story was watching Camille slowly begin to learn all about love; learn her own value, rediscover life and hope.  It was great to see Anna and Avery again, as well as the other family members that played a big part in the first book.  It was very enjoyable to watch Camille rise up from losing everything to change, falling for Joel, and to accept her new sister.  Mary Balogh did an outstanding job giving us a heartwarming story that also teaches us the little things in life that we take for granted.  Well done.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

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