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My rating: 7 /10 (Enjoyable) Lauren and Ryan have been together for eleven and a half years.  Over the years their relationship went from an amazing love and respect for each other to a dull and resentful marriage.  The reader enters the story at it's peak of resentment and then we are taken back to the beginning of the relationship.  We learn bits and pieces of how their love has evolved and came to where it is today, to the point of no return.  Lauren and Ryan decide to live a year apart, with no contact.  Anything goes, in one year they will revisit their marriage in the hopes of being able to find their way back to each other and save their marriage. I have to admit when I first picked this book up I was annoyed by the premise.  Being a newlywed, I can't imagine not loving my husband to the ends of the earth.  But I've also been divorced so I know how a marriage can go downhill and resentful fast.  I never got the feeling that Lauren an...

Two Truths and a Lie by Ashley Stoyanoff My rating: 7/10 stars (enjoyable), 3.5/5 rounded to 4 on Goodreads/Shelfari A well written romantic suspense manages to have it all and more.... 1) A sexy, strong, alpha male lead who gets to be the hero. 2) A storyline that has mystery, intrigue and danger. 3) complex characters with troubled pasts 4) a great supporting cast 5) a good woman who needs saving 6) sexual tension that you can cut with a knife ... To name a few. When you find a good one, there really is nothing better for me. Two truths and a lie by Ashley Stoyanoff has all of this.  Elena is on the run from her "fiancé" cop boyfriend.  In hiding, She has been missing for a year now and ready to stop running.  She wants her life in New York back and her family back, but she needs help.  A helpful friend she met along the way has lead her to Jason, a man with a team, who can help anyone in a jam.  Their first meeting doesn't go so well, but...

Angelfall by Susan Ee My rating: 5 of 10 stars, C+ - Above Average Series: Penryn & the End of Days Series (Book 1) There are Angels here on Earth and they aren't here for good of man.  As the book starts it's been six weeks since the Angel's have been on earth and wreaking all kinds of havoc.  Penryn, her wheel-chair bound sister, Paige, and their paranoid mother are just trying to survive in this new world.  When they come upon an Angel fight and Penryn steps in where she doesn't belong, Paige gets kidnapped.  The Angel left behind broken and maimed is called Raffe.  As he heals, Penryn tries to get information about where Paige is.  Penryn is determined to do anything to get her sister back, even going into the Lion's den, the Angel "Aerie".  Since both Raffe and Penryn need to get to the aerie for different reasons, they form a pact and over time form a bond that will help them through quite a few trials and experiences along the way. I thin...

Ruby by Cynthia Bond My rating: 5 of 5 stars (Deep Breath) Where to begin??!?? This is one of the best yet one of the most horrific novels I've ever read. If it were not for the brilliant poetic writing of the author, I am not sure I would have been able to get passed all the abuse/rape/horrific acts in this book. It is full of such tragedy and horror that it should be noted as a warning when diving in, however; it's a story that screams to be read and heard if you can give it a chance to get through the tough scenes. I read this as a buddy read with a friend without ever knowing what it was about, and if I had - I probably would have said no - so thank you Annette. If you can get through all the horrific scenes in this book you are rewarded with such fabulous story telling, wonderful character development, and an imagery that reminds me of the best poetry. This is truly an amazing story of Survival and Love, not just by Ruby and Ephram but the town and each of the tow...

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda My rating: 4 of 5 stars Kavita and Jasu, Have given birth to her second little girl in a village in India. Given how her first girl child was taken away abruptly by her husband, Kavita has secretly taken the baby to an orphanage in Mumbai where she can have a life and a future, and not suffer the same fate as her first daughter. Krishnan and Somer, married and living in San Francisco have tried for years to have a baby, after a few miscarriages they decide to adopt a 1-yr old child from India. In Secret Daughter, we follow the lives of these two couples and the mutual child they share, Asha, as she grows up and goes in search of her heritage. I truly enjoyed this story. I enjoyed following both couples, their lives and relationships and I absolutely loved the ending. It was a great ending to a fabulous book. This is Gowda's debut novel and I look forward to reading more from her. View all my reviews

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green My rating: 4 of 5 stars For me this was not a book about dying but about living. Hazel is a 16-year old girl living with a form of lung cancer, she has a terminal diagnosis but for now she is living and forced to attend a weekly cancer support group by her parents. This support group is where her life takes a turn and she meets Augustus Waters, a cancer survivor. As I was reading this book, I felt like I was watching real life unfold for the characters and instead of reading, I was watching. Watching Hazel and Augustus bloom, seeing life in their eyes. I was able to picture the characters and events in my mind and almost felt like I was eavesdropping into someone's life. The only character that annoyed me was Van Houten, but he was written that way so you can't fault him for that. This book for me was just shy of perfect, I can't really put my finger on why though. I am looking forward to seeing the movie and see how they compa...

Making Marriage Work: New Rules for an Old Institution by Lynn Toler My rating: 5 of 5 stars I am a newlywed with an amazing husband... who thinks - way too much! But in most cases, this is a really good thing. Because he is so concerned that we have the best marriage possible that he has us reading all types of marriage counseling books together. We are talking and getting to know each other on a deeper level and this is a good thing. So far we've dabbled in a few other books but this by far is THE BEST BOOK for couples who are about to get married, newly married, or even married for many many years. It covers the gambit and it really opens up your mind to catching difficulties in a marriage before they even become issues. This books helps you reflect within yourself to help you see how maybe you are perceived by the other person and how you can help them deal with you, and vice versa. I plan to read every book by Lynn Toler that is available. Whether it's related to marria...

The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott My rating: 3 of 5 stars Tess was a maid/seamstress in England and needed a fresh start. She managed to find her way on the Titanic and come into the employment of renowned fashion designer, Lady Duff Gordon. This story tells of the experience being on the Titanic as it goes down and then Tess in the weeks following the tragedy in New York City. I liked the titanic elements and the historical truths of names, places, and events related to the titanic. I do not know much about the historical truths so I am not too worried about the history being 100% accurate. The real feel was there for me enough to not need to fact check. I was very interested in how this story would play out. I was not thrilled with the writing or the story as I was reading but I continued to read on because I was interested to know how it would end for Tess. So the book definitely kept my interest. However, I found myself at the end feeling disappointed that there wasn't mo...