Review: Season of Second Chances by Brighton Walsh

From Goodreads:

When a storm strands Claire Hanlin in Chicago on Christmas Eve, the last person she expects to come to her rescue is Logan Dawes, the man she almost married two years ago. The chemistry between them is dangerously potent, but with nowhere else to go, Claire accepts Logan's offer to stay with him for the night.

Back in the home they shared, surrounded by reminders of Logan and his young daughter, Claire begins to realize how much she misses the family she almost had. After a few cups of Christmas cheer, she falls right back into her ex's arms-even though she knows it means setting herself up for heartbreak all over again.

The magic of the season has thrown him together with the woman he's never stopped loving, and Logan's not about to pass up this gift. He's not the workaholic he was two years ago-his family comes first. Now all he has to do is prove it to Claire, before the snow stops and she flies out of his life for good.

My rating:  5 stars

I don't know what it is about this blog that makes me spill my guts, but I have another confession to make -- instead of being in the holiday spirit, I have been a bit more of a Grinch.  A Scrooge.  The grumpy foreman elf on the Rudolph Christmas Special.  Bah.  Humbug.   

But acknowledging a problem is the first step, so when I heard about this Contemporary Romance novella from Brighton Walsh, I jumped on the chance to read it.  I reviewed her Plus One a few months ago, and I absolutely love the way she tells a story.

That, and I'm really really excited for her.

So combine all of that with the fact that Season of Second Chances a holiday-centric story and reading this novella was an obvious choice.

And I loved it.

This is a story about, well...fate and second chances.  This wasn't a boy calling a girl up and asking for forgiveness.  Or an unavoidable run-in because of mutual friends.  This was a snowstorm and two canceled flights - neither one of which could Claire or Logan had any control over.  Maybe it is a little bit of the romantic in me coming out, but I am a huge believer in signs.

You don't fight fate.  Because you will lose every time.

Especially when fate brings you Logan.  Gah. 

Brighton Walsh knows her way around good swoon and she does not disappoint with Logan.  Typically I am not one to get all doe-eyed about a doting single dad, but there was something about this one that made me rethink my choices.  Just looking at a bottle of nail polish makes me all fluttery because omg, the cuteness!

I think what I loved most about this novella...besides Logan...was the way the characters all seemed to make sense.  They worked with each other.  The relationships were believable and there was no crazy drama that distracted from the intended path of this story.  This story could happen.

And by the time I finished it, I felt like this:

If you're looking for a fun, sweet, swoony read that will make sure to leave you with a serious case of the warm and fuzzies, I can't recommend Season of Second Chances enough.  You can thank me later.  

Blog Tour: Illuminating Gracie by Lisa C. Temple

 

As an old woman's lifeless body lies on a cold stone floor, her soul stands before an angel who offers her a miraculous opportunity: the chance to do it all again. But that is easier said than done. In order to change the path her life has taken, she must put aside years of self-loathing and pain, so she can help the young girl she once was become the woman she should have been. At 17 years old, Grace Bennett is a bitter young woman. Though blessed with a loving family, looks and brains to spare, she hides her light under a bushel, spending most of her time in the darkness of her mind with little more than sarcasm and self-pity to keep her company. But things are about to change for Grace. While delivering food for her family's bed and breakfast, she turns onto a desolate dirt road and drives straight into her destiny. It's on this isolated country lane that the damaged girl meets a strangely familiar old couple and two mysterious young men. Together the group fights the demons that surround Grace, and they teach her what it means to let her light shine. "Illuminating Gracie" is, at once, a metaphorical tale of the fight between good and evil and a spiritual saga of one girl's journey from darkness into the light. If you liked "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games," you will love the story of Gracie.

 

Praise for Illuminating Gracie: "A well-paced fantasy story of redemption and self-improvement." ~Kirkus Review (Sept. 1, 2013 Magazine) "Just the right amount of love story to the action packed plot line left this book a perfectly balanced read." ~Maryann (Amazon “Top 1000” Reviewers) "The story also contains little mysteries that keep you turning the pages, as gems of insight turn up along the way. It is a story of hope and redemption, and a beautiful request of each of us to let our light shine brightly." ~Kimberly Raadt Higgins (Amazon Review) "On a personal level, I can relate to Grace in so many ways. As I read, a lot of memories and feelings from my teenage and young adult years have come flooding back, some a little painful, others fun and exciting, even hopeful. Yet it also has me contemplating where I am today as a middle-aged adult; am I who I thought I would be, who I want to be?" ~N.J. Collar (Amazon Review) "The plot is masterfully drawn and keeps the reader guessing until the end. This book tells the story of the fight between good and evil in a young woman's life. It is brilliant in its use of humor and emotion to draw the reader into the characters." J. Pitts (Amazon and Goodreads)

  About the Author:

Author Lisa C. Temple On thirty-nine Senior scrolls, the Headmaster of author, Lisa C. Temple's, small, private school wrote "Good Luck and best wishes for a prosperous future!" On the fortieth and final scroll, which was Temple's, the Headmaster penned the words, "Lisa, I can't wait to see to what use you put your unusual talents!" Temple spent the next 30 years trying to assuage her former leader's curiosity - and her own. She sold BMWs in her hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, and hillbillies (as a booking agent) in Nashville, Tennessee. In an effort to escape the enforced servitude of the Junior League, she even attended and was graduated from law school and passed the Alabama State Bar exam in 2002. Through it all, she battled problems and illnesses, many of her own making. But, it wasn't until her father - her hero - was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS), that Temple found her true calling - the "talent" that she finds joy in putting to use. "Illuminating Gracie," is loosely autobiographical and born from a desire to, if only, metaphorically right the wrongs of Temple's own past. It tells the story of a miserable old woman who is given the opportunity - by an angel - to go back in time and help the young girl she once was become the woman she should have been. "Illuminating Gracie," is the first book in a four-book series. The second book, "Instigating Gracie," is due for release in December 2013. Temple laughs when saying she has a loving and complicated husband she deserves, and a wonderful son and two loving stepchildren that she does not. She also shares her life with her beloved pets: Pomeranian, Phebe; Bordernese, Flash; and Tabby cat, MInx.

 

Giveaway:

 $25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 12/31/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

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Book Blast: Skipping Stones by JB McGee

Title: Skipping Stones
Author: JB McGee
Genre: Contemporary Romance / Coming of Age
Publication Date: September 16, 2013
Event organized by: Literati Author Services, Inc.


Synopsis

They say there are five stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
Not everyone will grieve in this order, nor will everyone go through every stage. It’s during the stage of denial when Alex Hart meets Andrew Foster. He takes her one-step closer to acceptance: the stage when new, meaningful relationships are formed. The stage when the realization occurs that this is now the new state of normal.

Just when Alex thinks she is on her way to healing, she enters the bargaining phase. That’s the phase where you wonder what you could have done differently. You wonder “what if?” Specifically, what if the ones you loved hadn’t left you?

Leaving…this is what makes heading off to war so difficult and frightening for Alex. She knows all too well what it’s like to be the one on the losing end of life, which is why she’s made it her personal mission in life to save as many lives as possible. The extreme high she gets from treating trauma victims turns into Alex’s own form of therapy, or so she thinks.

When faced with her world being turned upside down, Alex may just find that her true therapy is in the one who has always saved her.

For the first time since its release, Skipping Stones will be on sale for $.99 from 12/3 – 12/9.

Purchase Links: Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Kobo * Smashwords

About the Author

J.B. McGee was born and raised in Aiken, South Carolina. After graduating from South Aiken High School, she toured Europe as a member of the 1999 International Bands of America Tour, playing the clarinet. While attending Converse College, an all-girls school in Spartanburg, South Carolina, she visited Charleston often. It quickly became one of her favorite vacation spots. She met her husband, Chad, during Christmas break her freshman year, and they married in 2001 and she moved back to her home town.

In 2005, the couple welcomed their first son, Noah. J.B. finished her Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of South Carolina-Aiken in 2006. During her time studying children’s literature, a professor had encouraged her to become a writer.

In 2007, she welcomed their second child, Jonah, and she became a stay at home mom/entrepreneur. In 2009, the found out their two children and J.B. have Mitochondrial Disease. In 2011, a diagnosis also was given to Chad. Please take a moment and learn more about Mitochondrial Disease. Awareness is key to this disease that has no cure or treatments.
J.B. McGee and her family now reside in Buford, Georgia, to be closer to their children’s medical team. After a passion for reading had been re-ignited, J.B. decided to finally give writing a shot. Broken (This Series), is her first book and first series.

Connect with JB: Facebook * Twitter * Goodreads * Website * Blog * Pinterest * LinkedIn




Tour-Wide Giveaway

Waiting on Wednesday - Landline by Rainbow Rowell

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems besides the point now.

Maybe that was always besides the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

After meeting Rainbow Rowell at Yallfest and after reading and LOVING both Eleanor & Park and Fangirl, moving this book to the top of my "WANT" list was a no-brainer.  

So...what are YOU waiting on?  

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a meme hosted by the lovely bloggers at Breaking the Spine - head on over and see what other readers can't wait to read.    

Review: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

From Goodreads:

Regret was for people with nothing to defend, people who had no water.

Lynn knows every threat to her pond: drought, a snowless winter, coyotes, and, most importantly, people looking for a drink. She makes sure anyone who comes near the pond leaves thirsty, or doesn't leave at all.

Confident in her own abilities, Lynn has no use for the world beyond the nearby fields and forest. Having a life means dedicating it to survival, and the constant work of gathering wood and water. Having a pond requires the fortitude to protect it, something Mother taught her well during their quiet hours on the rooftop, rifles in hand.

But wisps of smoke on the horizon mean one thing: strangers. The mysterious footprints by the pond, nighttime threats, and gunshots make it all too clear Lynn has exactly what they want, and they won’t stop until they get it….

With evocative, spare language and incredible drama, danger, and romance, debut author Mindy McGinnis depicts one girl’s journey in a barren world not so different than our own.

My Rating:  4.5 out of 5 stars

I'm just going to jump right on in and put it out there - Lynn is a badass. 

Raised by her mother after being abandoned by her father, Lynn takes care of what is hers.  And while she does wish things were different, the fact of the matter is that things are what they are and the world is not a kind and gentle place.  You do what you have to do to survive.

“Do you want to die like this?" Mother had asked, that night and every night since then.

Lynn's answer never changed. "No."

And Mother's response, their evening prayer. "Then you will have to kill.    

Water is precious and rationed.  And guarded.  To maintain their independence from "city life", Lynn and her mother guard the pond on their land from scavengers - both four-legged and otherwise.  Every day, every minute is a battle to survive...whether Lynn is gathering firewood, or worrying about the snow, or scanning the perimeter for threats.  There was little time for fun, for chit chat, for getting to know your neighbors, much less trust them.

Until something happens that makes it necessary.  

If you've been following my blog, or even my Goodreads account from my pre-blogging days, I make no secret of my disdain for spineless heroines.  I have a 9 year old daughter and the very last thing I want her to read is a book that makes her think that she can't take care of herself. 

Makes. Me. Rage.

And this book had none of that.  

But being tough as nails comes at a price.


Lynn isn't an easy character to get to know.  Emotions are a luxury that she rarely allows and even as a reader, this made me struggle with how I felt about her.  She is sterile and abrasive and cold...and then I realized that Ms. McGinnis is a genius.  I wasn't just a reader at that moment, I was experiencing the story.  That I had to claw and cling to any little bit of information I could get was just a little glimpse into how life in this society works.  Nothing is easily given.

Because things can be easily taken away as one particular moment made sure to remind me.  I may or may not have had to read it a few times and then ask somebody if that really happened. 

And that's all I'm going to say about that because well...because.  
  
You'll know what I'm talking about when you get read it.  Believe me. 

I am completely enthralled by the way Mindy McGinnis tells this story and creates a world that both terrifies me and fascinates me at the same time.  And the characters -- gah.  Not just Lynn, but her mom, and Stebbs, and Eli, and Lucy.  I pulled for the good guys - absorbing the pain of their struggles and their joy during the few precious moments when they allowed themselves to celebrate.  I hated the bad guys.  Hated them hard.  While the descriptions and emotions in this book are relatively bare bones, that doesn't take away from the intensity.  Flowy and frilly and pretty has no place in this book. 

I read this book back in mid-August and I'm still completely wow'd by it.  If forced to describe it in 15 words or less, I say think of a mash-up of Little House in the Prairie and The Hunger Games but it really is more than that.  It is dystopian, but different.  Romantic, but not pushy.   Action packed, most definitely.  Gritty and raw, certainly.   

Worth the read, absolutely.