Review: The Wayward One by Danelle Harmon

The Wayward One by Danelle Harmon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ruaidri, an Irish seaman betrayed by England and Nerissa, an English Duke's little sister born into privilege are thrown together on an adventurous ride through the seas in the latest romance novel by Danelle Harmon. Nerissa is broken hearted after the man she loves doesn't marry her because her overprotective brother Lucien keeps him from her. She notices Ruaidri at her brother Andrew's party displaying his new invention, a powerful explosive. In an unexpected chain of events Nerissa wakes up on a ship with the attractive and enterprising Ruaidri.

Despite their initial dislike of each other I really liked the development of their relationship and I couldn't help but notice how perfect they really are for each other. He is proud but caring and she is stubborn and independent. I also felt really proud of Nerissa for standing up to her brother Lucien although his intentions were honorable he needed to let her find her own happiness. The meeting that Ruaidri had with her brother is one of my favorite parts of the novel because you see how much love Ruaidri truly has for Nerissa to go to the lengths he does to bring her brother and her back together.

I stayed up last night till 2:30 am because I just couldn't put it down and had to find out how it all ended! I am giving The Wayward One a solid 5 out of 5 stars. I have to admit I have a crush on Ruaidri now!

I received this book as an eARC through Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.


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Review: The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton

The Quality of Silence by Rosamund Lupton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Quality of Silence is a thrill ride that transports the reader to northern Alaska in winter time. I've never been to Alaska but after reading this story I feel like I've been there through the worst of winter storms there! The thrills and suspense keeps the reader on the edge of their seat from beginning to end. 

A mother and her deaf daughter are determined to find her dad believed to be dead in the Alaskan wilderness. Along the way, mother and daughter form a stronger bond than ever and the mother discovers the truth that keeps her family together.  Together they take charge against the elements and certain danger for love.  

I'm rating The Quality of Silence 5 out of 5 stars.   The writing is superb as I felt like I was right there in the truck with them through their harrowing and at times nail biting trip.  The development of the characters especially the mother makes me feel like her at times when I interrupt my daughter.  The ending is exactly what I was hoping for. 


I received this book as an ARC from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. 



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Review: The Study of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries

The Study of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Study of Seduction is a regency romance novel written by one of my favorite romance authors, Sabrina Jeffries. Her characters are always true to life and the chemistry between the main characters is always spot on. The story is based on Clarissa and her friend turned suitor Edwin who helps her discourage a creepy Frenchman set on marrying her. The tragedy Clarissa endured in her past haunts her every day and prevents her from getting close to any man. Edwin is just the man to mend her broken heart and make her feel all that life has to offer. To protect her from the unwanted advances of a French diplomat, her cousin ensures her safety under the guise of a faux engagement with her brother's friend Edwin.

I enjoyed this novel mostly for Clarissa's interaction with Edwin however the plot line was a little lackluster for me. That is why I have to give this story a 3 out of 5 star rating. The Study of Seduction had all the elements of a good romance and I honestly fell in love with Edwin's blunt and protective nature. However I felt that after they married I started to lose interest in their romance but I'm still happy I finished the book because I wanted to see why the French diplomat was so intent on pursuing Clarissa.

I received this book as an eARC from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.


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Review: To Lure a Proper Lady by Ashlyn Macnamara

To Lure a Proper Lady by Ashlyn Macnamara
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

To Lure a Proper Lady is a fun regency novel about a duke's daughter, Elizabeth who hires a bow street runner to find out if someone might be causing her father's sickness. The bow street runner or as he is commonly known as Dysart has a keen ability to sound and dress like one from high society and as a commoner which comes in handy with his profession. A proud and thorough investigator, Dysart can't help but be slightly distracted by the proper Elizabeth. By inviting Dysart to her house party she causes a stir among the guests, especially when someone from Dysart's past shows up. While hosting her party Lizzie can't help but start to fall in love with the mysterious Dysart.

I'm giving this story a 5 out of 5 stars as I was not able to put it down! I love the mix of mystery with a lot of romance. I like a man with a bit of wit and street smarts and that's just what you'll find in Dysart while Elizabeth is the responsible sister who knows how to run her father's estate. It's almost like an opposites attraction with those two. If you love regency romances as much as I do I would highly recommend reading this novel by Ashlyn Macnamara. I can't wait to read the romances of her 2 other sisters, Pippa and Caro!

I received an ARC of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.


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Review: Kissed by a Cowboy by Debra Clopton

Kissed by a Cowboy by Debra Clopton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Kissed by a Cowboy is a western romance in the Four of Hearts Ranch Romance series. The story is about Cassidy, a young woman who has given up on love after leaving her two-timing no-good husband. She decides to find her own happiness in a house out in the country her beloved aunt Roxie left to her. Determined to transform the house into a bed and breakfast and start a fruit farm, Cassidy has no plans to ever fall in love again. That's when Jarrod, her childhood friend and next door neighbor comes over to help her settle in to the country life. Once when they were younger, Jarrod ran away after sharing a heartfelt kiss with Cassidy. He wishes to fix that mistake when she comes back into his life. Jarrod shares with her his own problems of running a ranch and his troubled family past that nearly cost him to lose everything his grandfather had built. Jarrod wants to re-ignite the attraction that he and Cassidy once shared a long time ago before she married. Is Cassidy willing to open her injured heart to trusting again and will Jarrod finally have the courage to do the right thing the second time around?

I really liked this story because it is about reunited love between a cowboy and a reformed city girl. Jarrod and Cassidy are a match made in heaven as they are both very stubborn and determined to follow their dreams. I thought it was so funny how their friends and family could see the attraction between Jarrod and Cassidy long before they did! I also enjoyed the adventure they went on to find the cattle rustlers who keep taking Jarrod's cattle. I'm rating this book 5 out of 5 stars because it made me laugh at times and I enjoyed sharing in their discovery of love. This story is part of a series in which he is the last brother to fall in love. I'd really like to read his brother's stories from the series.
I was given this book by HarperCollins Publishers in exchange for my honest review.

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Review: Final Approach by John J. Nance

Final Approach by John J. Nance
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Final Approach takes the reader through the politics and mystery surrounding a devastating airplane crash in Kansas City that will keep the reader guessing to the end. The story begins when a plane comes down for landing during a dangerous thunderstorm with windshear. The plane crashes into another plane that was waiting to take off on the runway. Not only was the conditions outside treacherous for landing a plane, there were other issues that could have caused the plane to crash. This book investigates this mystery of who is at fault and what should be done afterwards to prevent accidents in the future. The different explanations are fully explored through the book until the revealing end. For example, did the pilot purposefully drive the plane into the other one or was there a conspiracy to murder a radical senator on board one of the planes? Were powerful radio transmissions turned on to disrupt the flight controls? These are one of several scenarios that Joe and his team explore.

I felt like this book truly has all the elements that make it a good suspense thriller. Between the budding attraction between Joe and Susan, tragedy and loss, mystery of who is at fault, drama between the characters and who they are representing, and finally justice for the survivors. One thing that I really like about the book is that it takes place in the Dallas area. In some of the parts I can see exactly where the character is at and what the scenery looks like down the highway - that was really neat! I never read anything from this author before Final Approach but I'd really like to read more from John J. Nance. I give Final Approach a 4 out of 5 stars. The story was a really long but good read. I received this book free of charge from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review


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Unplugged Diet UPDATE

       So it's been over a week and I guess you could say I only lasted one day without tv, computers, and my phone...pathetic I know! As my new years resolution I decided to limit how much time I spend on the computer, watching tv, and checking the phone. This day and age we waste so many hours staring at a screen and not paying attention to the real world.  I'm sure you've heard of people looking at their phones while walking and end up falling off the edge of a pier or cliff, crazy right?!  If you haven't heard about it google it.  
     Although I didn't stick to my original plan of tech time for one hour a day I have limited myself quite a bit each day.  I no longer pick up my phone to check email and facebook upon waking.  Putting my focus first on getting ready and chores done.  Another thing that I've changed is choosing to check my phone only a few times during the day for maybe 10 minutes at a time.  The tv stays off for most of the day until about 6pm or when it starts to get dark outside.  Since I've started this diet, more cleaning actually gets finished.  We spend more time outside enjoying the nice weather (I know it's February but the weather has been unusually mild so far), and more of my projects are getting done.  
       On Saturday I binged on the phone usage and I actually felt so guilty for wasting hours on it.  Why do I need to waste that time on Facebook when I could be out enjoying life.   I don't think I could completely cut the cord on technology but using my time wisely and being more aware of the time I spend on my phone/tv/computer makes my life more fulfilled.