Review of Devil's Pass by Sigmund Brouwer

Rating - 4
Young Adult

Seventeen year old Webb is living on the streets of Toronto, Canada, alone except for his beloved guitar and the $2,000 in pre-paid bank cards he had stuffed against his body in a money belt. He was about to embark on a cross-country journey to the Northwest Territory on a mission for his grandfather. Two weeks ago, his beloved grandfather passed away. At the funeral, the lawyer showed the family a video that grandfather had filmed when he knew he was dying. Each of his 7 grandsons were sent on a mission, fully funded, by grandfather. Webb's journey would take him to Devil's Pass in Alaska. It was a long trip and along the way, Webb had plenty of time to think about his life thus far, his relationship with his family and would learn more about his grandfather's past. He also learned that the most dangerous animal on earth isn't a grizzly bear...it's a man.

Devil's Pass is one of seven books written by seven different authors all of which were released simultaneously in Oct. 2012. Each book follows one of David McLean's teenaged grandsons as they embark on missions all over the world, sent by their grandfather. The authors are well-known, recognized children's or YA book authors. Devil's Pass, written by Sigmund Brouwer, is exciting, with plenty of danger and adventure experienced by the teenage protagonist. The books will appeal especially to boys in grades 5-8.

Review of The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal

Rating - 3

After tragedy shatters her small community in Seattle, the Reverend Elsa Montgomery has a crisis of faith. Returning to her hometown of Pueblo, Colorado, she seeks work in a local soup kitchen. Preparing nourishing meals for folks in need, she keeps her hands busy while her heart searches for understanding.

Meanwhile, her sister, Tamsin, as pretty and colorful as Elsa is unadorned and steadfast, finds her perfect life shattered when she learns that her financier husband is a criminal. Enduring shock and humiliation as her beautiful house and possessions are seized, the woman who had everything now has nothing but the clothes on her back. But the two sisters are strong and their involvement in the local church's community garden in a very poor part of town allows them to heal and make decisions about moving on with their lives.  (Amazon desc.)
This was a pleasant read and allows the reader an inside look at the life of a Catholic priest. Much of the book explores the power of faith and how it affects people differently. The characters were very likeable and the plot kept me reading until the very end. I would recommend this book to readers who are looking for a "feel good" book and who are comfortable with discussions about faith and religion.

Review of Love Me to Death by Allison Brennan

Rating - 4

Six years ago, Lucy Kincaid was attacked and nearly killed by an online predator. She survived. Her attacker did not. Now Lucy's goal is to join the FBI and fight cyber-crime, but in the meantime, she's volunteering with a victim's rights group, surfing the Web undercover to lure sex offenders into the hands of the law. But when the predators she hunts start turning up as murder victims, the FBI takes a whole new interest in Lucy.With her future and possibly even her freedom suddenly in jeopardy, Lucy discovers she's a pawn in someone's twisted plot to mete out vigilante justice. She joins forces with security expert and daredevil Sean Rogan, and together they track their elusive quarry. (Desc. by Fantastic Fiction)

This is the first book I've read by Allison Brennan and I really enjoyed it. Romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres so I'm happy to have a new author to read. "Love Me to Death" is the first book in the Lucy Kincaid series. Luci and Seth have family members who appear in previous novels by Brennan, but this is their first book together. The novel has good character development, taut pacing and plenty of suspense. Highly recommended for romantic suspense lovers.

Review of Home for the Summer by Mariah Stewart

Rating - 3

Lucy Sinclair grew up in St. Dennis, a small town on the Chesapeake Bay. Her best friend was Clay Madison from the time she was in 3rd grade. But in high school, Lucy began to withdraw from Clay and the rest of her friends. After school she moved across the country to California to start a highly successful event planning business. Now, several high profile events are taking Lucy back to St. Dennis. While she is reluctant to return, she begins to be drawn in by her family, friends, her memories and especially by Clay. 

This is the 5th book in the Chesapeake Diaries series. The series is sweet and "feel good". It's fun to see previous characters in the book. A nice beach read.

Review of In the Bag by Kate Klise

Rating - 4
Release Date - 5/2012

Daisy and her daughter Zoe are traveling to Paris from St. Louis for Zoe's spring break. Daisy is a top-notch chef and recently left a restaurant job to clear her mind and decide what she wants to do next. Andrew and his ason are heading to Madrid for Andrew's job as an exhibit designer. On the plane, Andrew actually jostled a woman holding a glass of wine which spills on her silk blouse. Andrew feels terrible. The woman is very attractive and Andrew is drawn to her. Uncharacteristically, Andrew composes a note apologizing and asking her out for a drink when they are back in St. Louis. He stuffs the note in her open purse. When the parties arrive at their respective destinations, Zoe and Webb realize that somewhere during their journey, their bags have been switched. From this unpromising beginning, the four characters...Daisy, Zoe, Andrew and Webb...go about their business not realizing that everything they do is connected in some way.

This book is a light, entertaining and funny read. It is told through the POV of each character. The reader sees the interconnections among the characters which adds to the fun and fast pace. It's really two stories...Daisy's and Andrew's, both looking for something more in their lives...and Webb and Zoe's...both on the brink of adulthood and trying to stand on their own. Teens  will enjoy this book as much as adults will. It's a perfect beach book!

Review of Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald

Rating = 5

Tamila Soroush comes to America ostensibly to visit her sister, but hoping to find someone to marry so she can stay in America. Her sister tries to arrange a marriage between Tami and a Persian man, but all efforts fall through. On the last day before she must go back to Iran, Tami opens her hotel door to see Ike, an American man she has come to love. Ike knows about her need to marry and so he marries her right away.  Even though Tami and Ike love each other, many people don't believe it, instead choosing to believe that Tami only married Ike for a green card. His parents are particularly hostile to Tami.  But Ike and Tami continue as a couple, even starting a business together, but the time for Tami's immigration interview is getting closer and she is getting nervous.  Will she get to stay in America or will she lose Ike and her freedom completely?

Dreaming in English is a sequel to Fitzgerald's previous book, Veil of Roses, the story of Tami's sister. Either book can stand alone, but it's nice to read both.  I liked Dreaming in English. The story is told by Tami in first person, present tense. The reader knows what Tami is seeing and thinking at all times. Sometimes funny and sometimes sad, she paints a powerful picture of the reason so many people leave everything and everyone they know to come to this country. Tami is a wonderful character and I didn't want the book to end. Highly recommended.

Review of Call Me Irresistible by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Rating = 5

Meg Koranda is in the the small town of Wynette, Texas to be in the wedding of her best friend, Lucy Jorik to Ted Beaudine. As soon as Meg sees them together, she knows that Ted isn't the right person for Lucy. She helps Lucy realize it too and on the day of her wedding, Lucy tells Ted the wedding is off and leaves town. Despite the fact that Meg's parents are famous and rich, Meg herself has no money. Her parents have cut her off, expecting her to quit drifting and make something of herself. Now she's stuck in the small town of Wynette without a penny to her name and where everyone hates her for ruiniing the wedding of their favorite son, Ted Beaudine. And the one who hates her more than anyone is Ted himself!

SEP is probably my favorite comtemporary romance novelist. "Call Me Irresistible" features characters from several of her previous novels. Ted, Meg and Lucy werre young children when we met them previously. "Irresistible" features Phillips' hallmark strong, complex characters, humor and lots of romance. I can't wait for her next novel.

Review of Casting About by Terri DuLong

Rating = 3 

Monica and Brad have been married only a few months when Brad learns his ex-wife has been in an accident and he will have full custody of his 11 year old daughter, Clarissa. Monica has never been sure she wanted children and now must learn to care for an 11 year old child. Clarissa's life with her mother has been unstable since her mother is an alcoholic and it takes time for her to learn to trust Brad and Monica. Now Monica has her hands full being a newlywed, raising a pre-teen and running her own business, a yarn shop in the small town of Cedar Key.

This is a sweet, entertaining story of life in a small town, the importance of family and friends and the many faces of love. The dialog spoken by the characters seemed to be a southern dialect, maybe, but it didn't ring true and seemed stilted at times. Although this second book in the Cedar Key series can be read as a stand alone title, I think it would be more entertaining to read the books in order.  I'm looking forward to going back and reading book 1, Spinning Forward.

Review: Salting Roses by Lorelle Marinello

Rating: 4

Gracie Lynn Calloway was left on a doorstep in her small Alabama town as a baby. She was raised by her two "uncles", Ben and Artie and by her "aunt" Alice, Ben's wife. Although her upbringing was unusual, she never doubted that she was loved. Now, at 25 years of age, she learns that Ben, Artie and Alice aren't related to her at all. In fact, she is a kidnapped heiress. In addition, she learns that her real father has been watching her over the years and that Ben knew it all along. Now Gracie feels as if she doesn't know herself or those she loves and trusts at all. AND, she has to decide if she wants to accept the millions of dollars that are now hers and all of the hoopla that goes along with it. To add to her confusion, the "messenger" from her New England family is, Sam Fontana, a tall, dark and handsome Yankee who literally takes her breath away everytime his eyes meet hers.
Gracie Lynn Calloway is a stong, engaging heroine who is thrust into a situation totally beyond her experience. Her relationship with her uncle Artie is warm and tender and her battles with Aunt Alice are funny and definitely believable. "Salting Roses" will make you laugh, cry and cheer but will also make you think about your own values and foundations and what would happen if that foundation suddenly fell away.

Review: Prom by Laurie Halse Anderson

Rating - 4
Young Adult

Ashley Hanigan is a senior in high school and will just barely graduate if she serves all of her detentions and pays her library fines. As for her future plans, she and her boyfriend, TJ, are going to move in together after high school. TJ didn't finish high school...in fact, he was kicked out of high school. Ashley has no interest in any school activities, preferring to spend her time with TJ.  When one of the high school teachers steals the Prom funds, the students find out that the prom will be cancelled unless they can come up with the money to fund it. Ashley's best friend and head of the Prom committee, Natalia, is devastated but determined to have a prom no matter what. She ropes Ashley into helping her pull it off.  In the process, Ashley begins to realize that she really isn't a slacker after all...she has talents and skills and suddenly, leaving high school to live with TJ and work in dead end jobs her whole life doesn't sound so satisfying.
I don't think I've ever read a Laurie Halse Anderson book I didn't like. She understands the adolescent psyche and seems to speak their language. She is able to look at issues facing teens today and tell the story from their perspective. This book was written in 2005, but is just as relevant now.
I listened to the audio version of this book. The reader is Katherine Kellgren, who does a great job of being Ashley's voice (as well as all of the other characters).

Review: Almost Perfect by Susan Mallery

Rating - 3

Liz Sutton was the girl from the wrong side of the tracks, but when she met and fell in love with Ethan Hendrix, she believes that her life can be different. But when Ethan says hurtful things about her to some other guys, she is heartbroken. Realizing she is pregnant, she runs away, vowing never to return to Fools Gold. Five years later, she is forced to come back on family business, bringing her 5 year old son with her. Ethan still doesn't know he has fathered a son and won't be happy that he missed out on the first 5 years of his son's life.

This is the second book in the Fool's Gold series. Mallery has the perfect recipe for contemporary romance...alpha males, strong women, conflict, sexual tension with a dash of humor and hot sex. This is an entertaining and fast-paced read.

Review: Dreamland by Sarah Dessen

Rating - 4
Young Adult Novel

It is Caitlyn O'Koren's 16th birthday when her older sister, Cass, runs away. It is the beginning of her junior year of high school and all people can talk about is Cass. Cass was the "perfect" daughter...involved in everything, accepted at Yale, popular. Caitlyn has always been in her shadow, but she and Cass have always been close. With her parents focused on finding Cass, Caitlyn becomes "invisible". This is her chance to become the person she wants to be, away from the shadow of Cass. She joins the cheerleading squad with her best friend, Rena, something Cass never did. She doesn't really like it, but it's different. Then she meets Rogerson. He is so different from the jocks she and her friends hang out with. He is mesmerizing and maybe a little dangerous. He has a reputation for doing drugs and has been arrested before. Soon Caitlyn and Rogerson are spending all of their time together. Rogerson has easy access to the drugs he sells, and turns Caitlyn on to smoking pot. Then one day, when she turns up late for a date with him, he punches her in the face. It is shocking and painful and Caitlyn isn't sure what to do. She loves him. Afterwards, he is tender and loving toward her and promises it will never happen again. But it does, over and over again. Caitlyn hides it well, but she becomes a different person, hiding her bruises from everyone who cares about her. quitting the cheerleading squad, hanging out with Rogerson's friends, smoking pot. She needs to tell someone; she wants to talk to Cass desperately, but Cass is gone and Caitlyn is sliding away.

This book by Dessen is about 6 years old, but as always, right on the mark. The phenomenon of date abuse (not rape) is not openly discussed, but in fact 1 in 11 high school students report being abused on a date. Teens who read this should have their eyes open to the signs of someone being abused and what to do if you are the one abused. The teen characters are well-drawn and believable, and the story is still very timely.

Review: A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Rating = 5

This brilliant novel is based on a true story about Salva, one of the almost 4,000 Sudanese "lost boys", many of whom were flown to the United States in the mid 1990's. The story is told in alternating points of view: Salva's story about becoming one of the "lost boys" and Nya's story, a young girl who lives in the same area during the present time. Park's imagery is so vivid you can imagine living in Sudan; needing to bring water to your family day after day, some of it contaminated. Her depiction of the realities of living with constant war and the unimaginable sacrifices made by these young boys who travelled thousands of miles on foot to reach safety is heartbreaking.

This is one of the most succinct depictions of life in Africa during the last few decades. The story is suitable for 5th through 7th graders, but should be read by teens and adults as well. It is certain to foster a better understanding of a culture with which many are unfamiliar.
(E-book via netgalley)