Life in Review: “Arranged” by Catherine McKenzie
Arranged by Catherine McKenzie is a delightful and fun story about one woman’s search for her happily-ever-after.
Anne Blythe has worked hard to get where she is in her career. She has a great life, except for her dating relationships. She has a knack for always picking the wrong guy. After several failed relationships that always end in her getting hurt, she is ready to hang up the towel and just be alone for awhile. Except, suddenly everyone she knows is getting married. After her latest breakup while walking down the street she finds an unusual business card. The business actually has her name. Intrigued, she picks up the card and takes it with her. It appears to be some sort of dating service, so after much thought and debate, she finally gives them a call. When she makes an appointment and visits the agency, she finds out that it’s not a dating service, but a service that arranges marriages. Maybe she will just take their tests and see what happens.
I very highly recommend this book! The writing is outstanding with a story that is refreshing and touching. I loved Anne from the very beginning and I related to her character in so many ways. I was so completely hooked from the minute I started this book that I read the whole thing in a day and almost in one sitting. I could not put it down and I absolutely adored this book! The story is full of drama, romance, a little bit of mystery, and some twists and surprises along the way. I haven’t had the opportunity to read Ms McKenzie’s other novels yet, but I definitely want to now! I was thoroughly impressed with her writing and unique story that kept me totally glued to the pages.
Book Summary:
Anne Blythe has a great life: a good job, close friends, and a potential book deal for her first novel. When it comes to finding someone to share her life with, however, she just can’t seem to get it right. When her latest relationship implodes, and her best friend announces she’s engaged, Anne impulsively calls what she thinks is a dating service—only to discover that it’s actually an exclusive, and pricey, arranged marriage service. Anne initially rejects the idea, but the more she learns about the service, the more she thinks: Why not?After all, arranged marriages are the norm for millions of women around the world; maybe it could work for her.
A few months later, Anne is traveling to a Mexican resort, where, over the course of a weekend, she meets and then marries Jack. And initially, everything seems to be working out. . . .
Buy Arranged: A Novel
About Catherine McKenzie
Catherine McKenzie was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, where she now practices law. An avid runner and skier, she also sits on various boards and professional organizations, and has taught part-time at the McGill Faculty of Law.
Catherine’s Tour Stops
Wednesday, May 16th: “That’s Swell!”
Tuesday, May 22nd: Twisting the Lens
Wednesday, May 23rd: Creating Comfort
Thursday, May 24th: Book Journey
Friday, May 25th: Tina’s Book Reviews
Tuesday, May 29th: Life In Review
Wednesday, May 30th: Peeking Between the Pages
Thursday, May 31st: Colloquium
Friday, June 1st: Sara’s Organized Chaos
This book was provided for review by William Morrow Paperbacks & TLC Book Tours.
Happy Reading!
Michelle
A Love Forbidden by Kathleen Morgan is a beautiful story set in the old west about two people from two very different worlds who have been brought together again for a second time.
As a young girl Shiloh Wainwright’s best friend was a teenager who worked for her family who was half Ute Indian. In the west in 1870 people could be cruel and for a long time Shiloh was the only person willing to see Jessie for who he was. Then one day something terrible happened that caused Jessie to leave and Shiloh lost her best friend in the world. Nine years later, as an adult, Shiloh takes a job as a teacher for the White River Indian Agency. She longs to help the Ute Indian children, but the leaders of the Ute tribe want no part in their kind of education for their children. She and her new friend, Josie have their work cut out for them trying to convince the chiefs to let them teach their children.
I very highly recommend this book! The writing is outstanding with characters that will win your heart. There are a lot of books out there about the old west but not that many willing to tackle stories about Native Americans and how the US government took over their lives. This is a very touching story that is full of drama, mystery, suspense, and romance. The author weaves a beautiful message of faith and redemption. I loved Shiloh’s character from the start. She is strong and a bit stubborn, but she is also compassionate, caring, and determined to do the right thing. I have been a fan of Kathleen Morgan’s writing for a while and I will always look forward to anything she writes.
Book Summary:
They’re from two different worlds. Can love cross the divide?
Moved by a compassionate heart and the desire for adventure, twenty-year-old Shiloh Wainwright impulsively accepts a teaching position at the White River Indian Agency in northwestern Colorado. Eager to use her skills to help improve the lives of Ute Indian children, she looks forward to a fulfilling, independent life on the Colorado frontier.
But her new job isn’t what she imagined it would be, and Shiloh soon finds herself caught in the cross fire between the Utes, their unyielding Indian agent, and a demanding US government. Her unexpected encounter with a half-Ute childhood friend, Jesse Blackwater, only complicates matters as they battle their growing feelings for each other amidst spiraling tensions that threaten to explode into a catastrophic uprising.
Set amongst the wilds of the Colorado Rockies in 1879, this tale from bestselling and award-winning author Kathleen Morgan explores the transformational power of forgiveness, compassion, and God’s healing love with artistry and authenticity.
Read an excerpt HERE.
Buy this book HERE.
Available May 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Author Bio:
Kathleen Morgan is the award-winning author of many novels, including those in the bestselling Brides of Culdee Creek series. She lives in Colorado.
Visit Kathleen’s website: http://www.kathleenmorgan.com/
This book was provided for review by Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
Happy Reading!
Michelle
The Secrets of Mary Bowser is a beautiful and captivating story about a real historical figure who courageously fought for the abolition movement during the Civil War.
Mary grew up as a slave in Richmond, Virginia where her parents were also slaves. Their owners didn’t treat them as poorly as some slaves were treated, but it was still a difficult life without freedom. Then the woman who owned Mary and her mother decides to take up the cause of abolition and makes a grand gesture of freeing all of her slaves. Virginia law prohibited them from staying in the state after they were freed, so Mary was sent up north to Philadelphia to get an education. When she has completed school, Mary realizes that she isn’t treated any better in the north where she is supposed to be free, and she wants to go home, so she travels home to Richmond again. When war breaks out, Mary goes to work doing all that she can to fight for the abolition of slavery.
I very highly recommend this book! The writing is outstanding, blending historical fact and fiction into an amazing story that will stick with you long after you have finished the book. I was hooked from the very first page of this compelling story. I liked Mary immediately, even when her character was just a child. I was rooting for her the whole way through the story. I love a story that has real historical figures and this author does a fantastic job of blending fact and fiction. The characters are so vivid and realistic. By the time I finished the book I felt like Mary was a friend I had known. The story is full of drama, mystery, suspense, and romance. It is a fairly long book, but I was engrossed and it is fast-paced at times. Even when the story isn’t particularly fast-paced, the writing is so beautiful and I was so captivated by the characters that I didn’t want to put it down. This is an amazing debut novel for Ms Leveen and I will be looking forward to more from her in the future.
Book Summary:
Based on a remarkable true story, The Secrets of Mary Bowser is an inspiring tale of one daring woman’s willingness to sacrifice her own freedom to change the course of history
All her life, Mary has been a slave to the wealthy Van Lew family of Richmond, Virginia. But when Bet, the willful Van Lew daughter, decides to send Mary to Philadelphia to be educated, she must leave her family to seize her freedom.
Life in the North brings new friendships, a courtship, and a far different education than Mary ever expected, one that leads her into the heart of the abolition movement. With the nation edging toward war, she defies Virginia law by returning to Richmond to care for her ailing father—and to fight for emancipation. Posing as a slave in the Confederate White House in order to spy on President Jefferson Davis, Mary deceives even those who are closest to her to aid the Union command.
Just when it seems that all her courageous gambles to end slavery will pay off, Mary discovers that everything comes at a cost—even freedom.
Buy The Secrets of Mary Bowser: A Novel
About Lois Leveen
Award-winning author Lois Leveen’s work has appeared in the New York Times, on NPR, and in literary journals and anthologies. A former faculty member at UCLA and Reed College, she lives in Portland, Oregon.
Lois’ Tour Stops
Wednesday, May 16th: Man of La Book
Tuesday, May 22nd: A Cozy Reader’s Corner
Wednesday, May 23rd: A Chick Who Reads
Thursday, May 24th: Life In Review
Friday, May 25th: “That’s Swell!”
Monday, May 28th: Peeking Between the Pages
Tuesday, May 29th: Just Joanna
Wednesday, May 30th: Book Journey
Date TBD: Bookworm’s Dinner
Date TBD: Unabridged Chick
This book was provided for review by William Morrow Paperbacks and TLC Book Tours.
Happy Reading!
Michelle
Slant Of Light by Steve Wiegenstein is an amazing historical story about a group of people who set out to start a Utopian society in a time when the country is divided and headed into war.
James Turner is a lecturer with grand ideas. He leaves his new wife at home and heads into the Ozarks of Missouri where a man has offered his land for Turner’s social experiment. He plans to start a new society of people who would be united in ideals and work together to form their own private community. Charlotte doesn’t want to wait for James to send for her, so she makes her own way down to join him. It’s going to be a difficult life with a lot of hard work getting the community set up, but James and Charlotte are determined. When the country goes into Civil War, even this secluded, private society cannot avoid the war.
I highly recommend this book! The writing is excellent and the story is unique and gripping. It was a little slow in the very beginning but it only took a few pages until the story picked up and I was hooked. One of the things that made this story really special for me is the setting. I grew up in Missouri and I have family who live in the Ozarks. I spent summers with my grandparents and aunts when I was growing up, and it’s home to me. It was wonderful to see this historical story set in areas that I know well. At one point they are traveling down the Missouri river and they dock in Boonville. I can’t tell you how many times I have crossed the Missouri River in Boonville! The author also mentions Greene County, which is where Springfield is located. I know that because I graduated college from Missouri State in Springfield. Anyway, I could go on with several more examples, but I’m sure I’m boring all of you non-Missourians!
I really liked Charlotte from the very beginning and I was rooting hard for her. She’s a strong character with high values. She always took the high road, even at times when I didn’t want her to. However, I knew if she hadn’t, then she would no longer be that character I admired. I wanted to like Turner but I really had trouble liking him. The story has a lot of great characters and it’s filled with drama, mystery, suspense, and romance. At times it’s an emotional roller coaster and there are some parts of the story with very intense suspense. This is a fantastic debut novel for Mr. Wiegenstein and I look forward to more!
Book Summary:
With the nation moving toward Civil War, James Turner, a charming, impulsive writer and lecturer, Charlotte, his down-to-earth bride, and Cabot, an idealistic Harvard-educated abolitionist, are drawn together in a social experiment deep in the Missouri Ozarks.
Inspired by utopian dreams of building a new society, Turner is given a tract of land to found the community of Daybreak. But not everyone involved in the project is a willing partner and being the leader of a farming community out in the middle of nowhere isn’t exactly the life Turner envisioned. Charlotte, confronted with the hardships of rural life, must mature in a hurry to deal with the challenges of building the community while facing her husband’s betrayals and her growing attraction to Cabot. In turn, Cabot struggles to reconcile his need to leave Daybreak to join the fight against slavery and his desire to stay near the woman he loves.
As the war draws ever closer, the utopians try to remain neutral and friendly to all, but soon find neutrality is not an option. In the wake of a deadly bushwhacking, Turner discovers that he too has the capacity for ferocious violence. When war finally breaks out, Missouri descends into its uniquely savage brand of conflict in which guerrilla bands terrorize the countryside while Federal troops control the cities, and in which neither side offers or expects quarter. Ultimately, each member of Daybreak must take a stand—both in their political and personal lives.
For more information about Slant of Light and its publisher, Blank Slate Press, check out their website, blankslatepress.com, and their Facebook page.
Buy Slant of Light
About Steve Wiegenstein
Steve Wiegenstein grew up in the eastern Missouri Ozarks and roams its back roads every chance he gets. The Black River and the Annapolis Branch Library were his two main haunts as a kid, and they remain his Mecca and Medina to this day. He is a longtime scholar of the 19th century Icarian movement in America, which provided the inspiration for Slant of Light. He particularly enjoyed weaving the real-life story of Sam Hildebrand—the notorious Confederate bushwhacker who murdered one of Steve’s ancestors–into the novel. Steve and his wife, Sharon Buzzard, both academics, live in Columbia, MO. Slant of Light, the first book in his Daybreak series, is his first novel.
Steve Wiegenstein’s TLC Book Tours TOUR STOPS:
Monday, May 14th: Unabridged Chick
Wednesday, May 16th: WV Stitcher
Monday, May 21st: Life in Review
Wednesday, May 23rd: So Simply Sara
Thursday, May 24th: Bookish Habits
Monday, May 28th: Historical Tapestry – guest post
Tuesday, May 29th: A Novel Source
Thursday, May 31st: Life is Short. Read Fast.
Monday, June 4th: Chaos is a Friend of Mine
Wednesday, June 6th: Just One More Paragraph
Saturday, June 9th: Colloquium
This book was provided for review by Blank Slate Press and TLC Book Tours.
Happy Reading!
Michelle
The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones is a unique and delightful story of a day in the life of a family in the English countryside when a birthday party turns into a day they will never forget.
It’s Emerald Torrington’s twentieth birthday. There is a party planned at Sterne, the manor where the family lives. There is already a bit of a damper on the day because the fate of Sterne is uncertain. It is home for Emerald, her older brother Clovis, younger sister Smudge, her mother and step father. The children’s father died tragically a few years ago and left the family in serious debt. Edward, who is step-father to the children, is trying to do everything he can to save their home, but things are looking very grave. So, while Edward leaves town on a mission to save their home, the rest of the family plans for Emerald’s grand party. Only the family and a few friends are expected, but when an unexpected event brings a whole house full of uninvited guests, the day suddenly turns crazy.
I highly recommend this book! The writing is beautiful with detailed and vivid descriptions that bring the story to life. I can picture Sterne vividly as if it’s a place I had visited. The characters are so well developed that I feel as if they are people I know. The story was a little slow in the very beginning but it wasn’t long until it picked up and I really got into the story. It’s not really a fast-paced story, but you really get to know the characters and experience the details of this incredible day in their lives. This one day is such a powerful event that by the end of the story you see the changes in the characters from their experience. It’s a delightful story that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Book Summary:
With some apprehension, the Torrington family is about to celebrate the twentieth birthday of Emerald, the second of three children. Their housekeeper, Florence, plans an elaborate dinner for the family and a few close friends. Charlotte and her children—the romantically handsome and callow Clovis; nine-year old Imogen, known as Smudge, who plots a “Great Undertaking” for the evening; and Emerald herself—are disconsolate at the thought of losing Sterne, their beloved family home. Originally purchased by Horace Torrington, Charlotte’s first husband and the children’s father, Sterne has become too expensive for the financially strapped family to maintain. Since Horace’s death and Charlotte’s remarriage to Edward Swift, the house remains an important link to the past, a symbol of the family’s position that is intertwined with their sense of identity. As Edward sets off for Manchester in hopes of obtaining a loan, the rest of the family begins preparing for the dinner party. An evening unlike any other awaits them. Little can the Torringtons imagine, that more than just a few intimate friends are about to arrive at Sterne . . . “What opens as an amusing Edwardian country house tale soon becomes a sinister tragi-comedy of errors, in which the dark underbelly of human nature is revealed in true Shakespearean fashion. Sadie Jones is a most talented and imaginative storyteller, andThe Uninvited Guests a very clever novel.” — Jacqueline Winspear “The Uninvited Guestsis at once a shimmering comedy of manners and disturbing commentary on class. It is so well-written, so intricately plotted, that every page delivers some new astonishment. It is a brilliant novel.” — Ann Patchett, New York Times bestselling author of State of Wonder“What a delicious read! Like something written by a wicked Jane Austen…I was completely captivated by its madcap nature and then, utterly unprepared for the strange fruit that the story became. Passing like a spring fever, here is a fairy tale that stays with you long after it is gone. I couldn’t put it down.” — Sarah Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Postmistress “I settled in with The Uninvited Gueststhinking I knew what kind of Edwardian pleasures were in store…The novel has all of those delightful things, but it also defied every one of my expectations. I saw none of it coming. I read it in one breathless sitting, and finished wanting to give it to everyone I know.” — Maile Meloy, Nationally Bestselling Author of Both Ways Is the Only Way I Want It
Buy The Uninvited Guests: A Novel
About Sadie Jones
Sadie Jones’s first novel, The Outcast, won the UK’s coveted Costa First Novel Award and was a finalist for the Orange Prize and the Los Angeles TimesBook Prize for First Fiction. She lives in London.
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Sadie’s Tour Stops
Tuesday, May 1st: “That’s Swell!”
Wednesday, May 2nd: Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
Thursday, May 3rd: Jenny Loves to Read
Monday, May 7th: A Chick Who Reads
Tuesday, May 8th: Paperback Princess
Thursday, May 10th: Stiletto Storytime
Monday, May 14th: Broken Teepee
Tuesday, May 15th: Amused By Books
Wednesday, May 16th: Unabridged Chick
Thursday, May 17th: Picky Girl
Monday, May 21st: Life In Review
Tuesday, May 22nd: Wordsmithonia
Wednesday, May 23rd: Colloquium
Thursday, May 24th: Wandering Thoughts of a Scientific Housewife
Monday, May 28th: My Bookshelf
Tuesday, May 29th: The House of the Seven Tails
Wednesday, May 30th: A Library of My Own
Thursday, May 31st: Chaotic Compendiums
This book was provided for review by Harper and TLC Book Tours.
Happy Reading!
Michelle
Life in Review: “Wish You Were Here” by Beth K. Vogt
Wish You Were Here by Beth K. Vogt is a delightful and refreshing sweet romance that will capture your heart.
Allison Denman is getting ready for her wedding in just a few days. She has been dating Seth for six years, ever since they were just teenagers. Then, just a few days before the wedding something happens that shocks her and awakens her. She begins to realize that marrying Seth may not be the right life for her. She has never dated anyone else and has been with Seth for so long that she’s not sure she would know what to do without him. Determined to go through with the wedding, she puts on the disaster of a wedding dress that was picked out for her, and she walks down the aisle. Will she be able to say ‘I do’? If she doesn’t, what will happen to her?
I very highly recommend this book. The writing is superb and with characters that became like friends to me. I adored this book! I was hooked from the very minute I started and could not put it down until the very end. When I reached the end I was sad that it was over and wanted more. The story is full of drama, mystery, suspense, and romance. I liked Alli from the start and was rooting for her the whole way through. The story is threaded together with a beautiful message about faith, love, and redemption. This is a fantastic debut novel and I can’t wait to see more from this talented author in the future.
*Be sure to click on the giveaway button in the sidebar to enter the ipad giveaway!
Book Summary:
Allison Denman is supposed to get married in five days, but everything is all wrong. The huge wedding. The frothy dress. And the groom. Still, kissing the groom’s brother in an unguarded moment is decidedly not the right thing to do. How could she have made such a mistake? It seems Allison’s life is nothing but mistakes at this point. And pulling a “Runaway Bride” complete with stealing, er, borrowing her best friend’s car doesn’t seem to solve her problems. Can Allison find her way out of this mess? Maybe she just needs to stop orchestrating everything. Allison prefers being the one in control, and giving it up is not going to be easy. But to find her way again, she will have to believe that God has a plan for her and find the strength to let Him lead.
Buy Wish You Were Here: A Novel
Author Bio:
Beth K. Vogt believes happy endings aren’t limited to novels.
She provides her readers with a happily ever after woven through with humor, reality, and God’s lavish grace. Married to her husband Rob for 31 years, as the mom of three adult children and one 10-year-old, Beth embraces her less-than-perfect life. Her degree in journalism helped establish her as a nonfiction writer.
Beth was the editor of Connections, the leadership magazine for Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPS) International, for four years and continues to be a consulting editor, as well as a bimonthly columnist for MOMSnext, their ezine for moms of school-age children. After focusing on magazine writing and her book Baby Changes Everything: Embracing and Preparing for Motherhood after 35 (thanks to a surprise pregnancy at 41), Beth turned a season of burnout into her debut novel, Wish You Were Here.
Win an iPad2 from @BethVogt!
Celebrate with Beth by entering her Wish You Were Here Giveaway!
- A brand new iPad with Wi-Fi (The must-have, do-everything gadget!)
- Wish You Were Here by Beth Vogt (Swoon worthy.)
- $15 iTunes Gift Card (Music, books, apps, & more.)
Hurry, the giveaway ends on 6/4/12. The winner will be announced 6/6/12 on Beth’s website!
Just click one of the icons below to enter! Tell your friends about Beth’s giveaway on FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.
*Click on the LitFuse logo to follow the entire blog tour schedule.
This book was provided for review by Howard Books & LitFuse Publicity.
Happy Reading!
Michelle V
Life in Review: One Day Blog Hop for “Michael (Book 2 in the Ariel Saga)” by Aaron Patterson & Chris White
Finally! Michael (Book 2 in the Airel Saga) by Aaron Patterson & Chris White is now available. I have not had a chance to read it yet but I’ve been really anxious for it to be available and I can’t wait to read it. There are links below to buy the book and also for a contest where you can win copies of Airel and a Kindle. You can follow the blog hop HERE.
Book Summary:
Michael did the unthinkable to save Airel from death, but now he must live with the choices he has made–both good and evil. Tortured by his past and haunted by what he believes might be his future, Michael seeks redemption–but will the past prove to be too strong? How can he break free of it and be the man he longs to be for Airel? If only he had never…
Airel. Michael’s one true love. He had forced her to drink in new life only to find that old wounds and deep scars do not heal overnight. Can she truly forgive Michael, can she truly love him? And can he accept that forgiveness? Or is it all for nothing, and has he gone too far already? As the darkness of past choices closes in on them, chases them, intercepts them, coming at them from everywhere at once, how can their love possibly survive?
Buy Michael (The Airel Saga, Book 2)
Buy Airel (The Airel Saga, Book 1)
*Click HERE & enter to win copies of Airel and a Kindle
Author Bio:
Aaron Patterson is the author of the best-selling WJA series, as well as two Digital Shorts: 19 and The Craigslist Killer. He was home-schooled and grew up in the west. Aaron loved to read as a small child and would often be found behind a book, reading one to three a day on average. This love drove him to want to write, but he never thought he had the talent. His wife Karissa prodded him to try it, and with this encouragement, he wrote Sweet Dreams, the first book in the WJA series, in 2008. Airel is his first teen series, and plans for more to come are already in the works. He lives in Boise, Idaho with his family, Soleil, Kale and Klayton. His daughter had an imaginary friend named She.
Chris White has an award for reading 750 books in one school year — from the 3rd grade. So yes, he’s more of a nerd than Aaron. Chris loves history, Sherlock Holmes, and anything that’s not virtual, like old motorcycles and mechanical typewriters. He also doesn’t get why we have these things called “smart phones” when all they do is make people dumber. Chris recently celebrated 10 years of marriage with his wife, April, and has two boys: Noah, age 8, and Jaden, age 3, who inspired the Great Jammy Adventure series; the OK-to-color-in picture books. Chris is working on a short story called The Marsburg Diary that will further explore the prologue to Airel, and he is finishing up his first novel, entitled K: phantasmagoria, due out in 2011. Chris has a major crush on Audrey Hepburn, who is now dead. His wife is okay with all of this.
Happy Reading!
Michelle V
