True Heart by Tawsha Nichols a Book Review

True Heart is the first book by the young author Tawsha Nichols.  It is slated to be the first in a 4 books series based on the life of a wolf pack and 3 foxes. The book consists of 222 pages and flows easily making it a quick read. 

In reading this I was able to actually visualize the scenery and each of the characters as their descriptions were so thorough.  I was quickly drawn into the surrounding and felt as if I was sitting on a ledge watching all of the action from above.

In the beginning we are introduced to 3 little foxes out in woods hunting and travelling together when they come upon a lone wolf sunning himself on a rock in a clearing.  From this one encounter the whole story unfolds before your eyes as we learn one of the foxes, by the name of Drigger, life story as he tells it to the wolf in an attempt to not become prey.

You travel with this unlikely band of friends as they track down and meet Drigger's den-mate, a wolf himself.  From there their life unfolds as they work to become part of his den-mates pack.  In the meantime though you meet another pack lead by a sadistic alpha and his female companions.  You will experience and read about the horrors of his reign over his pack which is in great contrast to the other packs lifestyle.

I don't want to spoil the story for anybody wishing to read it.  I will say that it is worth the read and I am now anxiously awaiting the second installment in the series.

On a side note.  There are a few grammatic errors and some typos and I think that with a proper proof reading and editing this book would have been flawless. This book can be purchased from www.Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle format.

Close Your Eyes by Ellen Wolf a Book Review

This story is a romance set in England and it involves a set of wealthy privileged old money brothers and one girl named Meg.  The brothers, named Ry and Matt meet Meg the very first day of Kindergarten when Ry is dropped off by his Mother.  Matt, the younger brother, is screaming hysterically and making a spectacle of himself not wanting to be separated from his older brother.  Meg takes this scene all in with interest and notices Ry when he goes and comforts his little brother.  It is at this time that she decides she is going to marry Ry.

We fast forward to present day, with everybody grown and living their lives intertwined.  Meg and Ry are dating and in love and Meg is planning the perfect proposal in her mind egged on by her best friend and business partner.  Meanwhile, we learn the Matt has been secretly in love with her for years. 

The book has a good story and flows well.  It would be a great read while curled on a couch in front of a crackling fire.  It is a typical romance novel and I suspect that the boys were modeled after the Prince's William and Harry as I had images of them throughout the entire story.  With that being said, I would recommend this book if you are either a fan of the Royal Family or you just like a good romantic story.

Backyard Bones by Nancy Lynn Jarvis a Book Review

This book is a mystery written by a realtor named Nancy Lynn Jarvis.  The book is one of a series that she has written titled the Regan McHenry Mystery Series.

In this installation we find Regan,who is a realtor herself, dropping in to visit some clients that recently bought a home.  While dropping off a welcome basket, the new owners children run in with a skull and declare that they had just dug it up from the back yard.  And the story takes off from there. 

After that discovery is declared to be an Indian burial, the family finally gets back to their lives and Regan sells the house next to theirs to a Wiccan couple.  As you can imagine this causes a big uprising especially from a Pentecostal neighbor.  The next thing we know there is another body found on the original property and  again the boys have dug it up.  This time it is a whole different story, this girl is young and Regan knows the young girl to be a former friend of her son's.

Regan is apparently an amateur sleuth and she takes it upon herself to get involved and solve the murder.  She works with a friend that is involved in the law enforcement community where they live.  The case takes us down several wrong paths until we finally reach the conclusion with the correct murder. 

While this book was a quick read, it was only a mediocre book for me.  And to be honest, the entire time I was reading this book I was having flashes of Murder She Wrote.  My recommendation would be that if you enjoyed Angela Landsbury then give these books a try.  If you enjoy something a little deeper and more realistic then pass on this one.

September Fair by Jess Lourey a Book Review

This is a young lady by the name of Mira who has left the big city of Minneapolis and moved to Battle Creek to find herself.  She works at the local library and also writes part time for the local newspaper.

In this book we find Mira covering the Milk-Fed Mary Queen of the Dairy contest at the Minnesota State Fair.  On her first day there covering she witnesses the murder of Ashley the much hated newly crowned Milk-Fed Mary.  Ashley is sitting in a refrigerated booth having her likeness sculpted out of butter as is the tradition and the power goes out.  Once the power is restored we find Ashely dead in the booth with the sculptor.  The story takes off from there.

We meet a whole string of comical characters as well as serious contenders for the title of murderer. The story takes us on a journey as Mira deals with her own issues as well as tries to solve the murder for Ashley's grieving Mother.

The book is an entertaining, sometimes funny read and I enjoyed it enough to read it in a matter of 3 a few days.  It would be a good book to read for fun on a long weekend or short vacation.

I, Michael Bennett by James Patterson a Book Review

I LOVED this book!  And I have decided that I like Michael Bennett as much as Alex Cross.  This story starts out in New York City with Detective Bennett and a joint task force getting ready to take down a drug king pin from Mexico.  The drug lord, Perrine, is coming to the city to watch his daughter graduate from NYU Law School and Bennett has set a plot to capture him.  Obviously, it all goes wrong and the attempt fails and leaves several dead to include Bennett's best friend Hughie.

The story takes off from here with an extensive man hunt as well as murder for hire.  There are all sorts of exciting twists and turns that made this a real page turner for me.  The most exciting part was the end.  I found myself saying what the heck and looking for the next Micheal Bennett book.  I need to know what is happening and what is going to happen.  I will be one of the firsts in line to purchase it!  Write faster Mr. Patterson because enquiring minds want to know the fate of this family and that nasty drug lord!

Definitely a thumbs up from me!  Happy reading all!

A Cowboy For Christmas by Kristen James a Book Review

This story is set on a horse ranch in Oregon and begins with a young woman, Missy, showing up to meet the lawyer that is handling her brothers estate.  Her brother that she hardly knew has recently died in a tragic accident and he has left his half of the ranch to her much to his business partner and bestfriend, Brent's dismay.

This book is a piece of romantic fluff complete with horses, ranch hands,an overly handsome business partner and secret pasts.  They flirt, they fight, they make up, they get confused, they spill their hearts and you know what happens next.  There are a few steamy scenes that are fun to read and they sure make you wish that you had your own chiselled cowboy to play with. As with all of the romantic novels that we women love to read, they end up in wedded bliss living happily ever after.

If you want something that is an easy read that you don't have to put alot of thought into then this is your book.  The story is predictable but sweet and I enjoyed reading it.  It was the perfect rainy weekend book and I wasn't disappointed with my choice.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn a Book Review

Wow!  What a roller coaster ride!  I thought that I had this all figured out and then wham, a twist that I did not see coming.  I read more and yet another twist and then the biggest twist of all on the very last page!

This was one of the best books that I have read in a while.  I thoroughly enjoyed the story line and read parts of it with my mouth hanging open in disbelief.  It took me a total of 2 days to read this novel because I could not bear to put it down.  It has been a long time since I have had that experience.

This story starts in New York City with a young couple that meets at a mutual friends party one evening.  They lose touch but later reconnect and marry and it becomes fairly obvious pretty quickly that they really don't know each other.  For that matter the reader doesn't really know them either.  The plot takes you from NYC to Carthage, Missouri, much to Amy's dismay.  It is here in Nick's boyhood home, which comes complete with sick parents and a twin sister that Amy's true self begins to surface.  And let me say that she is one crazy individual, but don't get me wrong because Nick comes with his very own set of issues.

There is no way for me to go much deeper into this plot without really giving away parts of the story that the reader needs to discover for themselves.  I will say that I highly recommend this book to anybody that enjoys a good mystery complete with lots of unexpected twists.