Brunette Ambition

 

Brunette Ambition, by Lea Michele, from Glee is a great summer read to get some lifestyle tips for the summer season. Although I don’t watch Glee, I really like Lea Michele’s music, so I thought I’d read this book. It was really a good book that combined memoir with an overall style guide. The chapters are broken down into things like The Biz, Red Carpet Fashion, Hollywood Glam, Friendship, My Life with Glee, and Living the Fit Life. There are some really good tips in this book.

 

I think my favorite thing about this book is that Lea Michele does not come off as “better than” her readers. She didn’t seem to be talking about things that are above what normal people can afford or learn how to use. I think anyone would enjoy this book, but it would especially be of interest for people who are fans of Glee.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

While Love Stirs

Charlotte Gregory, in Lorna Seilstad’s newest book, While Love Stirs, is a young girl who just graduated from Fannie Farmer’s School of Cookery. She soon finds herself giving cooking demonstrations on the gas stove, while lecturing and traveling the country since she was unable to find a chef position in any kitchen. As you can imagine in a historical romance book, she finds herself torn between two different men. Lewis is also working at the demonstrations she gives-he is a singer. They get along great but have no chemistry. On the other hand, there is Dr. Joel Brooks. Dr. Brooks and Charlotte fight constantly, but you can tell they have feelings for one another.

 

This book was great, and the characters were really entertaining. I liked that it was a nice, easy read while still being entertaining. The relationship between the characters really interested me, and I wanted to see Dr. Brooks and Charlotte together from the first interaction I read about between the two. Although this is not the first book in the series, you do not have to read the others to easily follow the story.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Avenged

Avenged, by Janice Cantore, is a book in the Pacific Coast Justice series, that follows spouses Officer Carly Edwards (a police officer in the city of Las Playas) and Sergeant Nick Anderson (a detective in the gang unit). After Carly and her partner find a gang shooting, she and Nick work together to find out the reason for this killing, which seems to be pointing to keeping Carly from testifying in court. Add in a lot of drama and suspense, as Carly has to fight to keep her name clear after she is accused of murder, and Nick is kidnapped.

 

I really enjoyed this book, and the fact that it had just the perfect amount of suspense. I also liked the fact that it was written by a retired police officer. This made me believe the suspense and situations were more realistic to what police officers go through on a daily basis.     

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Tyndale as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Echoes of Mercy

Kim Vogel Sawyer is one of my absolute favorite authors, and I really enjoyed her recent book Echoes of Mercy, which takes place in Sinclair, Kansas in the 1900s. Carrie Lang takes a job at Dinsmore’s Chocolate Factory as a toter. She finds herself falling for Ollie Moore, a janitor at the factory, and he has the same feelings. Neither of them knows the other has a secret.  Carrie is actually an undercover investigator for the Labor Commission, while Ollie is the owner’s son. They are both undercover for different reasons. Carrie is investigating an accident, while Ollie is trying to find out how the company is run before he takes it over.

 

This was a great story, and I loved the romance between the two main characters. As can be expected, when you’re dealing with two characters who are not who they are pretending to be, there are some misunderstandings between both of them. They are able to eventually work together to dig deeper into what is going on at the factory.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One More Last Chance

One More Last Chance is written by Cathleen Armstrong, and is a part of the A Place to Call Home series. Sarah Colley finds herself moving back home to Last Chance, New Mexico, after her engagement ended. Meanwhile, Chris Reed recently purchased a restaurant, called the Dip ‘n’ Dine. People in the small town are hesitant to embrace the changes he’s making to the diner. When Chris finds himself caring for his young niece, Olivia, his well made plans seem to change.

 

I really liked the characters in this book, and the fact that it can be read as a stand-alone book. You don’t have to have read the first book in the series to begin to really care for the characters in these stories. Also, I liked that Sarah was truly concerned about finding the person God had chosen for her to spend the rest of her life with, as opposed to just settling in her relationship. This is the perfect romantic book for a summer read.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Fatal Exchange

Fatal Exchange, by Lisa Harris is a great book in the Southern Crimes series that you won’t want to put down. I read this book in only a few days, and it was a very fast read for me. Emily Hunt has a family of police officers, but she chose to become a high school history teacher. When her classroom is taken hostage by Rafael, a young boy who is connected to the drug cartel through his brother, Emily finds herself in the middle of a situation connecting her to Mason Taylor. Mason was the best friend of her recently deceased older brother Michael, and some people (specifically Emily Hunt’s sister Avery North) believe Mason had something to do with Michael’s death.

 

I really liked the fast pace of this story, which made me feel like I didn’t want to put the book down. It covers the span of only about a day, but there is a lot of great details and in depth descriptions in this book. Although I don’t often read contemporary fiction books, I was really glad I read this one, and I will definitely be recommending it to my family members who like to read.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Revell Publishing as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One Perfect Spring

I normally read historic fiction books, so it was a nice change to recently read One Perfect Spring by Irene Hannon. This book looks at Claire Summers, a single mother to an 11 year old daughter named Haley Summers. Haley decides to help Maureen Chandler find her son she gave up for adoption by writing a letter to David McMillian, after learning that he is a very philanthropic person. When David McMillian sends his assistant, Keith, to help on this mission, the romance begins between Keith and Claire. Soon, Maureen and David begin to form a relationship as David responds to Haley’s letter.

 

I really liked the focus on the relationships throughout this book. Each character was perfect for one another, and I always like to read a book with a happy ending. I liked reading about their faith and the focus of forgiveness.  This is the perfect vacation summer read for anyone who is looking for a good book.     

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Revell as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

The Pelican Bride

Genevieve Gaillain and her younger sister travel to America in the early 1700s in search of a husband in The Pelican Bride (Gulf Coast Chronicles) by Beth White. Once Genevieve meets Tristan Lanier, you can immediately tell they are meant to be with each other, but Genevieve did not come to America to just find a husband. She is actually looking to practice her faith without being persecuted for her beliefs.

 

I really thought the historical aspects of this book were great. I didn’t really know anything about this time period, and it was interesting to read about the relationship between the Native Americans and French during that time. The characters were likeable, and I was really interested in reading about them throughout the whole story. The only thing I had trouble with was keeping all of the names straight in this book. There were a lot of confusing French and Native American names that I struggled with. But overall, I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the others in this series.  

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book from Revell as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."