by Jasmyn | Sep 24, 2019 | Book Reviews, Contemporary Fiction, Readers
Now That You Mention It was a bit different than what I expected. When I first meet Nora, she seems a little insubstantial. Like there was really nothing to her personality. She’s a successful doctor, dating another successful doctor – until she gets hit by a car – and then dumped while she believes she’s actually a ghost. The scene was devestating for her, but Kristan Higgans gave it just a bit of a lighthearted feel somehow.
The bulk of the story takes place when Nora returns to her roots – Scupper Island. Everything and nothing has changed, and Nora still feels like she doesn’t belong. Throw into the mix her mother, who still can’t seem to show any affection, and her niece, a moody and withdrawn teenager whose mother is in jail, and Nora puts on a brave face and starts to pretend that everything will just be OK.
But, of course, it isn’t. There are old high school rivals, bullies, and mean girls to contend with. And a few are still holding a very serious grudge. But Nora tries not to let that get to her. She’s determined to make the most of what she has – even if it doesn’t seem like much at times. I loved how determined Nora was, while still showing a vulnerable side, and I really loved how much she loved her family and was willing to do just about anything to reconnect with them.
In the long run, Nora grows into someone far more complex and likable that she was at the beginning. There a a few fantastic twists and turns with the people around her, and I was really surprised be a couple of them. I highly recommend this book. It was an enjoyable, relaxing listen with just enough excitement laced throughout.
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Title: Now That You Mention It
Author: Kristin Higgins
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
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One step forward. Two steps back. The Tufts scholarship that put Nora Stuart on the path to becoming a Boston medical specialist was a step forward. Being hit by a car and then overhearing her boyfriend hit on another doctor when she thought she was dying? Two major steps back.
Injured in more ways than one, Nora feels her carefully built life cracking at the edges. There’s only one place to land: home. But the tiny Maine community she left fifteen years ago doesn’t necessarily want her. At every turn, someone holds the prodigal daughter of Scupper Island responsible for small-town drama and big-time disappointments.
With a tough islander mother who’s always been distant and a wild-child sister in jail, unable to raise her daughter–a withdrawn teen as eager to ditch the island as Nora once was–Nora has her work cut out for her if she’s going to take what might be her last chance to mend the family.
But as some relationships crumble around her, others unexpectedly strengthen. Balancing loss and opportunity, a dark event from her past with hope for the future, Nora will discover that tackling old pain makes room for promise…and the chance to begin again.
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by Jasmyn | Aug 29, 2019 | Book Reviews, Readers, Romance
I really enjoyed And Then He Kissed Me by Kim Amos. The heroine, Audrey Tanner, sang to my soul and want to be her best friend. She was smart, spoke her mind, and willing to work hard to make her dreams happen (once she figured out what those dreams were). Her journey to find her dreams took a bit of an unconventional turn along the way, but that’s how life can be sometimes.
Her job as a showroom model at the Harley Davidson store had me cringing on her behalf, and when she turned it around into something so much better, I cheered. The only thing standing in her way was the man that broke her heart and drove off into the sunrise without her, Kiernan Callaghan.
Kiernan has a past he’s trying to atone for, and hoping to avoid the girl he left behind years ago. Here’s where the tricky part comes into play. The reason he left, isn’t the reason Audrey thinks. There’s sooooo much more to it. This is the big “mystery” of the story, and Kim Amos does a great job of revealing it and showing the fallout of some very bad decisions made by several people.
The town of White Pine was a lot of fun to visit. I’ll have to return again to see how everyone is doing.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
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Title: And Then He Kissed Me (White Pine #2
Author: Kim Amos
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Small Town Romance
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PLAYING WITH FIRE…
Five years ago, Audrey Tanner flung caution to the wind and herself into the arms of an emerald-eyed bad boy biker she met at the White Pine Asparagus Festival. Two blissful weeks together convinced her that Kieran Callaghan was The One-until The One blew town without a word, leaving her brokenhearted. Now, starting a new job at the new Harley Davidson showroom, Audrey is floored to meet her new boss: Kieran. He’s still hot as hell, but she won’t fall for his sexy smile again. This time, she’s calling the shots.
…OR PLAYING FOR KEEPS?
Kieran never thought he’d return to White Pine, Minnesota, much less see Audrey again. Gorgeous and smart as ever, she’s just as irresistible as he remembered. She still doesn’t know why he had to leave-or that he’s missed her every day since. But he can’t deny he wants more than the no-strings fling Audrey proposes. As things between them heat up, Kieran must choose between the secret he’s sworn to keep and the woman he never stopped loving…
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by Jasmyn | Aug 26, 2019 | Book Reviews, Readers, Science Fiction, Fantasy
I really loved this book. It was a mix of sci-fi, psychological thriller, suspense, and police procedural mystery. The different aspects wound around each other very nicely, with none really outshining the others overall.
It did take a few pages longer to completely get into the story though. There are lots of characters from the get-go, and the technology of the masques and their various add-ons was something you started to understand as you went through the story instead of right away.
I found the whole concept of the masques fascinating. Changing who you were on a whim and a few credits (if you had them). Masques were a way to set apart the rich from the poor, the Legacies from the Unders. The ultimate status symbol – and a key piece of evidence in the murder of a high-profile tech company owner.
The investigation leads you into a mix of stories including a divorced police detective, twin masque designers, and Legacies that feel they are above the very law itself. There’s even a side story that’s a touch of romance with a paranormal-ish element. I’d really like to see more of where that one went.
The mystery remained unsolved until that one key piece of evidence was finally found – and I really liked it that way. I was guessing right along with the detective, and I followed every single one of his thoughts and swore he’d figured it out – until things changed. A great story that I think many will fall in love with.
**I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book**
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Title: Inside the Masque
Author: R.T.W. Lipkin
Genre: Science Fiction, Mystery
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When everyone wears a masque, anyone could be a killer.
In a future where everyone wears a masque, no one needs a phone, a credit card, or any ID. The masque itself is everything to everyone.
But as exquisite as a masque might be, it can’t keep you safe. Nothing can. Nothing will.
And when everyone wears a masque, anyone could be a killer.
Now it’s up to Chief Inspector McNair and his team of dedicated experts to find that killer. They must uncover the secrets and lies that dwell inside every beautiful masque. And they’ll stop at nothing until they find the truth—no matter how ugly it turns out to be.
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