Twilight (Twilight Saga, Book One)

 

STEPHENIE MEYER

Stats for my copy: Mass market paperback, Little Brown and Company, 2008.

How acquired: No idea.

First line: I’d never given much thought to how I would die – thought I’d had reason enough in the last few months – but even if I had, I would not have imagined it like this.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I’ve had this book since 2008, and do not remember how it came into my possession since I was never remotely interested in reading it. But I wanted an inconsequential easy read before starting the next book in my review queue and it was right there on the shelf, so I plucked it down and started reading.

I was pleasantly surprised right away that the writing was better than I had anticipated it would be. As I got further in, it got a little tedious, what with the super detailed minutiae of every facial expression when Bella and Edward talked, and especially when one or the other would suddenly whisper instead of talking like a normal person. Though Edward, of course, is not a normal person. From there it was enjoyable enough, definitely worth at least three stars. And then towards the end the action ramped up and it was actually pretty tense and gripping, which bumped it up to four stars. And now, much as I hate to admit it, I actually would like to watch the movie. I think I saw it way back when it was still fairly new, but while I was reading I remembered virtually nothing, so maybe I didn’t see it, or maybe I just didn’t care for it enough to be bothered wasting any memory space in my brain. 

Synopsis from Goodreads: About three things I was absolutely positive.

First, Edward was a vampire.

Second, there was a part of him—and I didn't know how dominant that part might be—that thirsted for my blood.

And third, I was unconditionally and irrevocably in love with him.

John Wayne and the Movies

 

ALLEN EYLES

Stats for my copy: Hardcover, A. S. Barnes and Co., 1976.

How acquired: Bought at a garage sale.

First line: John Wayne has seen the American dream come true.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: This is an interesting look at John Wayne’s movie career. The author basically gives a synopsis of each of his movies, in chronological order, along with a critical review. Some entries are short, while others are much more detailed. Actually, I don’t think every movie Wayne made is included, but there are 90 entries so quite a lot of movies! But there is a full detailed filmography in the back of the book. I was looking forward to the author’s take on Rooster Cogburn, and was disappointed to reach the end of the book, only to have the author mention, in the third to last paragraph, that at the time of this writing Wayne had made a sequel to True Grit that had not yet been released. It’s been a long time since I’ve watched any of Wayne’s movies, other than the wonderful Stagecoach which I saw a few weeks ago, and now I really want to revisit some of the ones I’ve seen, and find the ones I’ve missed, which is a lot of movies added to my want to watch list!

Synopsis from Goodreads: Here is a book for anyone who has ever fallen under the spell of Hollywood’s greatest star, a book that will enthrall all the fans of “the Duke” or “Big John” with its wealth of pictures, fact, and comment.

The author describes the evolution of Wane’s career from an extra in the silent period to star of the early sound Western, The Big Trail, through years of grinding out modest B Westerns to the enduring stardom that followed his portrayal of the Ringo Kid in Stagecoach. The development of Wayne’s screen image is brilliantly followed and tribute is paid to the actor’s very real acting accomplishments in such films as She Wore a Yellow Ribbon, Red River, The Quiet Man, and True Grit. Louise Brooks, famous star of the twenties, provides a short but memorable reminiscence of meeting Wayne in the thirties, and there is a chapter devoted to the star’s working relationship with other actors and directors.

This book also provides exhaustive detail about each of Wayne’s films with extended casts and much other invaluable, hard-to-find information, resulting in the first totally reliable guide to Wayne’s career, both as an actor and producer. And there is a lavish array of illustrations, carefully selected to provide contrast and including such rarities as a special frame enlargement of Wayne’s first known appearance as a film extra. In all, this book is a richly rewarding study of an outstanding subject.

Critical Alliance (Rocky Mountain Courage, Book Three)

 

ELIZABETH GODDARD

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, published 2022 by Revell.

How acquired: From Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Her world was spinning out of control.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: When this book came up for request from the Revell Reads Blogger Program, I hesitated briefly, as cybercrime/cybersecurity are not tropes (if they can be considered that) in the romantic suspense genre that I’m particularly interested in. But I loved the first two books in this series, as well as all of the author’s Uncommon Justice series, so decided I should trust her. And I’m so glad I did. It wasn’t all computers and online shenanigans. There was plenty of real action, real suspense, and real danger.

For some reason I wasn’t quite as drawn to the hero, Alex, a Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) agent, as I have been to previous heroes in Ms. Goddard’s books, but that doesn’t mean I disliked him. He was a really good guy, dealing with some emotional baggage after an op gone wrong. And while the heroes from the previous two books in this series also become involved in the story, they felt a little removed from how I remembered them.

But I loved Mackenzie. She’s spirited and feisty and brave. As a teen she got caught up in the world of hacking, and she and her friend Julian became embroiled in another hacker’s evil doings, which eventually led to Mackenzie and Julian turning themselves in to the authorities. While they came away from the whole event with their juvenile records sealed, when Mackenzie applied to the DSS, (where she met Alex and spent a day with him), she was ultimately not hired, and that has been one of the biggest regrets of her life. Now Julian has sent her a message that she is in danger, her family and their tech business, may be in danger, and she’s come home to warn her brother and sister.

I wondered if one reason I may have struggled to better connect with Alex was because of how secretive he was. He’s also come home to Montana, taking some enforced time off to visit his mother and recover emotionally from that failed op. Once Mackenzie comes back into his life and he finds himself protecting her from an unknown threat, he often wonders what he’s gotten himself into, but he won’t back down. She’s in danger, and he’s not about to leave her to face it alone. But he will not tell her anything about his own past and what he went through. On the other hand, Mackenzie won’t tell him what is going on, why a drone would be following her on a run in the woods, why someone would shoot at her in the woods. As the danger progressively increases, she still keeps him in the dark, and I actually got irritated at her for not trusting him enough to read him into the situation sooner than she did.

Anyway, as always, Ms. Goddard’s writing is wonderful. The scene in the woods, especially when they were trying to get away from the shooter, was pulse pounding. I’m sad that the series is over, but hoping Ms. Goddard has a new one in the works!

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Synopsis from Goodreads: Mackenzie Hanson's special set of skills opened the door to a successful career as a professor of cybersecurity at a Michigan university, allowing her to put her criminal past behind her. But when a long-ago partner in crime delivers a cryptic message about her father's tech company being under cyberattack, she heads for Montana to secure exposed assets, close security breaches, and hopefully save lives.

Diplomatic Security Services special agent Alex Knight is back home in Montana to decompress from a mission gone wrong. But even as he's trying to relax, he's drawn into another mystery, complete with suspicious deaths, lethal threats, and whispers of espionage that all have one thing in common--a beautiful cybersecurity expert with a dark past.

When the situation turns deadly, Alex and Mackenzie will have to work together to find the answers they need--before someone silences Mackenzie for good.

Where the Road Bends

 

RACHEL FORDHAM

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, published 2022 by Revell.

How acquired: From Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: The small band on her ring finger glistened in the sunlight as Norah King walked the family land she had nearly lost.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I’ve read all but one of Ms. Fordham’s books as they were published. Her first book, THE HOPE OF AZURE SPRINGS, remained my favorite. Until now. I believe WHERE THE ROAD BENDS is my new favorite.

Quincy and Norah are both lost souls, though Quincy much more so. Norah has been struggling to hold onto the family land since her father passed away, and in a last ditch effort to keep the bank from taking it, she is engaged to marry a man she doesn’t love but who has promised to work her land and get the farm back into shape. With no living family, the land Norah grew up on represents home and stability for her, and she is desperate not to lose it.

Quincy has been on his own since he was a young teen, barely supporting himself as a back alley street fighter. Their paths cross when Norah finds him on her farm, beaten and unconscious, and drags him to her home where she nurses him back to health and encourages him to make a better life for himself.

Two years later, Norah’s and Quincy’s lives have both changed dramatically. While neither knows the fate of the other, neither has ever forgotten the other. But Quincy has been carrying around guilt over a secret he kept from Norah, and he sets out to find her again and make things right.

I loved Quincy so much, but at the same time I had mixed feelings about that secret of his and what he did. But he has a good heart, and even the best of us are flawed, and he wanted to set things straight. I also loved Norah. Strong and independent, but living in a time when those values were not traditionally valued in a woman, and circumstances could be hard to rise above. Ms. Fordham’s writing just flows across the page, and even the supporting characters are individual and well written.

A beautifully written story of redemption, of finding one’s place, of letting go of the past and making a better future.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Synopsis from Goodreads: As Norah King surveys her family land in Iowa in 1880, she is acutely aware that it is all she has left, and she will do everything in her power to save it--even if that means marrying a man she hardly knows. Days before her wedding, Norah discovers an injured man on her property. Her sense of duty compels her to take him in and nurse him back to health. Little does she realize just how much this act of kindness will complicate her life and threaten the future she's planned.

Norah's care does more than aid Quincy Barnes's recovery--it awakens his heart to possibilities. Penniless and homeless, he knows the most honorable thing he can do is head on down the road and leave Norah to marry her intended. But walking away from the first person to believe in him proves much harder than he imagined. 

Rachel Fordham invites you to experience the strength and beauty of love forged in the crucible of hardship in this heartwarming story.

Sunburst (Sky King Ranch, Book Two)

 

SUSAN MAY WARREN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, published 2022 by Revell.

How acquired: From Revell Reads Blogger Program.

First line: Ranger wasn’t here to get into trouble, but wow, she was pretty.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I loved the first book in this series, SUNRISE, so much. So so much. It was set in Alaska, and Alaska was very much one of the main characters of the book, which is a testament to the author’s descriptive powers. So I was very excited to get this book.

This one is initially set in Nigeria. Ranger and his brother, Dodge, are there running reconnaissance on a terrorist camp, where the third brother, Colt, is being held, along with several other prisoners, after having been kidnapped. One of the women prisoners makes a break for it, unknowingly giving Ranger and his team the opportunity to swoop in and effect a rescue. Ranger is shocked when he realizes that woman is Noemi, who he knew several years ago.

As with Alaska, the author provides a wonderfully evocative depiction of Nigeria, from the jungles, to the food, to a traditional Nigerian wedding. Though it’s a wonder Ranger could function day to day what with the multitude of injuries he sustains along the way. But I loved him as much as I had loved Dodge in the first book, as much as I know I will love Colt when his book comes out. And Noemi was a fiercely fascinating woman, strong and independent.

The narrative was a bit more...bouncy, for lack of a better word, than I remember from the first book, especially when the point of view was Noemi’s. Which was good, it was in keeping with Noemi’s character. There were also many, many, many instances of both Noemi and Ranger recalling past conversations or comments, with those lines interspersed in italics, which got tiring, especially the lines that were constantly repeated. For instance, in the first chapter, which describes Ranger and Noemi’s first meeting and swift relationship, they agree to meet somewhere, and Ranger says “I will find you”. That line was brought back time and time again, and yes, it has significance later, but it, along with all the other instances, got tiring.

Regardless, while I think I liked SUNRISE a little better, because I already had a thing for Alaska before I read it, I loved this book. I can’t wait for SUNDOWN, the third book, and I have got to hunt down more of this author’s work.

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Synopsis from Goodreads: When former Navy SEAL and lifelong bachelor Ranger Kingston is called upon to take part in a rescue mission to save his brother Colt, who has been kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria, he is shocked to find among the hostages a woman he knows and could never forget.

Noemi Sutton was attempting to return a young girl to her family in Boko Haram territory when she and the girl found themselves taken hostage, along with several others.

And while Ranger Kingston may be able to get the hostages away from their captors, he'll need Noemi's help if he ever hopes to get out of Nigeria alive.

Her solution? Pose as husband and wife. But when her uncle discovers the union, he insists on a traditional Nigerian wedding--binding Noemi to a man destined to break her heart. Worse, she's discovered the real reason she was kidnapped, and anyone around her is bound to be caught in the cross fire. Including her so-called new husband.

She'll need to figure out a way to leave the man she loves if she wants to save his life.

Black Hat/White Hat: A Tale of Good Is Evil

 

GLENN DELLA-MONICA

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, published 2021 by Glenn Della-Monica.

How acquired: From the author via Cozy Mystery Review Crew.

First line: This was Day One of a new era.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: The premise of this book caught my attention, and I debated whether to request it. The promise that, as the back cover copy says, “Romance between Cody and Haley ensues…” is what convinced me. We follow Alex and Lara as they explore the world of hitmen in gaming, then insert themselves into a mobster’s life and become actual hitmen, but with morals. And we follow FBI Agent Cody and Haley as they investigate a string of crimes committed against phone and internet scammers, and fall in love.

Alex and Lara are amusing as they banter with each other while punishing their hapless victims. There is plenty of action, and a lot of violence, but without being too graphic for those with weak stomachs. The contrast is well written as we are privy to both sides, the criminals and the cops. Alex and Lara put a ton of thought and detailed planning into each of their exploits, and then Cody and his team run detailed analysis of each crime scene, trying to connect dots in an effort to track down the culprits. The romance is lacking, as even the scenes that were supposed to be romantic weren’t particularly. There is not much characterization, as the two couples and everyone else are rather one note. When talking about people other than the main characters I didn’t always remember who was who.

Despite that, the story moves at a fast pace and is never boring, and there was a nice twist at the end that I didn’t see coming. If you don’t have any expectations for romance and just come along for the adventure, you’re in for a rollicking ride.

*I received a free copy of this book from the author and have voluntarily reviewed it*

Synopsis from Goodreads: Tired of endless robocalls? Victimized by ransomware attacks? Triggered one too many virus-laden spam emails?

Revenge is at hand!

Follow mob hitmen Alex and Lara Cutter as they are dispatched by a nebulous organization to visit cybercriminals around the world. But not to kill them. Alex and Lara leave them with a cell phone shoved exactly where you thought of shoving one the last time your dinner was interrupted by a spam caller.

FBI Special Agent Cody Smutters, aided by the beautiful psychologist Dr. Haley Briggs, is trying to identify the mystery pair in black. Romance between Cody and Haley ensues, but it leads to a nexus of massive proportions. Cody is read into a conspiracy between government leaders, corporate titans, mobsters, and even Black Hats temporarily turned White Hats. Is he powerless to do anything but accept it?

Right Before Your Eyes

ELLEN SHANMAN

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Delta, 2007.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: Had I not joined Parrot for dinner that night, everything would have been different.

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I thought this was going to be a book along the lines of what’s often referred to as “women’s fiction”. I mean the title sounds like that’s what it will be. To my surprise, it was much more along the lines of “chick lit”. Not that there’s anything wrong with that - I’ve read and enjoyed a lot of chick lit in my day, though not recently, and it’s not something I seek out these days. But I gotta tell you, I loved this.

First off, Liza’s best friend is named Parrot. I mean, how perfect is that? No explanation of how she came to be named Parrot, or even if that is indeed her given name and not a nickname, though I believe it’s the former.

Liza is your typical chick lit heroine, and yet she’s not. She’s a playwright, though she has no career yet to speak of and supports herself temping. She’s funny, self-deprecating, everything a chick lit heroine is, and yet she’s a little deeper than many. Her aunt is a famous actress, and as much as she loves and admires her aunt she’s also a little put out that her aunt has not offered to use any of her connections to help Liza’s career move along. See, she may be a playwright, but she hasn’t actually written anything that anyone has seen.

Anyway, Liza and Parrot are at a restaurant one night where their conversation catches the attention of the preppy Wall Street Ivy League guys at the next table who snicker, then invite them to a bar. Parrot latches onto one of the guys, leaving Liza standing at the curb with another, George, and anxious to get away, she slips and wrenches her ankle. George insists on taking her to the hospital, and while sitting in the waiting room they bicker and bicker, until finally Liza is called back and George leaves. And now she meets Dr. Tim. And wow, he’s just awesome, and they have some cute banter.

Since Parrot is now dating George’s friend Kirk, George and Liza occasionally cross paths, and he’s an ass and Liza hates him. He always seems to be laughing at her, and she always seems to look like an idiot in front of him. I liked Dr. Tim, I did, but the more Liza saw of George the more I looked forward to seeing him again. I’m a big fan of bickering banter, and Liza and George were both pros at that.

“Parrot told me.” “I was afraid you were inside my head.” “Not yet. I’m not going in there unarmed.”

But it’s not all about Dr. Tim and George. There’s Liza’s career, as someone finally wants to put on one of her plays, and then a reality TV show about the theater wants to focus an episode on the director and follow him through the casting process, rewrites, etc., to the opening, but things don’t go quite as Liza expects. I guess she doesn’t watch reality TV, because who in the world would thing that’s going to end well.

I’ll stop now. I realize this book isn’t for everyone, but it was definitely for me, and I’m really sad the author apparently only wrote one other book.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Outspoken playwright Liza Weiler left Yale with everything she thought she needed to make her mark on the New York stage. So why, nearly a decade later, is she answering phones in a convent, sharing an apartment with a sanctimonious museum curator, and waiting for her “real” life to finally begin? The truth is, Liza is a little too close to the specter of failure, standing in the shadows of her legendary actress aunt and firebrand best friend, Parrot, and constantly comparing herself to any number of people who just seem braver, happier, and more sure-footed than she is.

But like any great drama, Liza’s life only needs one good twist. Which is exactly what happens when she turns her ankle on the way out of a downtown nightspot and falls into the arms, nearly simultaneously, of a suspiciously gallant Wall Street prince and a practically perfect ER doc. Suddenly Liza not only has a couple of men in her life, but her play has fallen into the hands of an uber-hip theater director. All this is pointing toward a spectacular ending, but perfection isn’t Liza’s thing. So now she’s going to discover how much of a mess she can make of a seemingly good thing...and how terrifying, slightly tragic, and utterly hilarious a little success can be.

A Cowboy for Keeps (Colorado Cowboys, Book One)

 

JODI HEDLUND

Stats for my copy: Trade paperback, Bethany House, 2021.

How acquired: Bought.

First line: “Stop or we’ll shoot!”

(Goodreads synopsis below.)

My thoughts: I’ve read two books by Jodi Hedlund previously, COME BACK TO ME and NEVER LEAVE ME, both from her Waters of Time series, both featuring time travel, and both of which I loved. So I went searching her back log to see if she had any other time travel stories, but alas, no. However, her Colorado Cowboys series caught my eye, and since I love cowboys as much as I do time travel, I bought this one, the first book. And I think I loved it even more than the other two books.

Set in 1862, Greta and her young half-sister have been orphaned, and rely on other family members to support them. Nine year old Astrid has consumption, and Greta feels she and Astrid are a burden to her sisters-in-law, who get angry and irritated when Astrid can’t stop coughing. Rescue comes in the form of a man in Colorado, who pays the way for Greta and Astrid to travel to Fairplay, Colorado, where Greta will be his mail order bride. But things don’t go as planned. The stagecoach is robbed and she loses all of her savings, and then learns that her fiance has died, leaving her stranded in Fairplay, homeless and penniless. But the mayor has a plan. He wants to make the town more family friendly so his wife will finally be willing to join him with their child. Wyatt McQuaid needs a loan to buy cattle. So he makes a deal with Wyatt. He’ll loan him the money, if Wyatt marries Greta and starts a family.

I adored Wyatt. He’s struggling to get his fledgling ranch up and running. He wants to get to a position where he can send for his ma and his siblings to come live with him, to get them away from his cruel stepfather. He’s tried various other ventures since leaving home, and they have failed. He’s filled with guilt for not being able to protect and provide for his family. His self-esteem is low, he feels like he is a failure at everything. A wife is the last thing he needs or wants right now, but he desperately needs some good cattle. Fairplay is a mining town, and he buys cattle off the new miners when they arrive, whenever he can, but those cows are all skinny and run down, and he’s struggling to come up with money even for them. On top of all that, he has an enemy, a neighboring rancher determined to run Wyatt out of town, because he wants Wyatt’s land. He feels a little bit of guilt for not telling Greta about the deal he made with Steele, but he doesn’t know how to bring it up. She thinks he’s marrying her to be chivalrous and keep her from being homeless, because of his close friendship with her late fiance.

I loved Greta also. She’s strong and determined. She agreed to be a mail order bride and come to Colorado not just to get away from the family who didn’t want her around, but also because she hoped the climate in Colorado would be good for Astrid’s health. She intends to be a good wife and make herself useful in Wyatt’s home, and she’s surprised when he gives her and Astrid the bedroom and he sleeps in the barn. But he doesn’t want to push her into a marital relationship, and tells her he’ll wait three months, and then if she wants to leave, she can. And she agrees to that, because if Astrid’s health is not improved in those three months, she intends to take her to a hospital in Denver, even though she has no idea how she’ll pay her care.

I like the author’s writing, and her descriptions of both the beauty and the desolation of the land is evocative. I had a little trouble connecting with young Astrid at first. She’s very precocious, and if we hadn’t been told early on that she is nine years old I would’ve thought she were eleven or twelve. But eventually she won me over, just like she wins over almost everyone she meets.

But it’s the slow build up of the friendship between Wyatt and Greta that is the heart of the story. As they get to know each other, they come to admire and respect each other, and of course to eventually love each other. They respect each other so much, in fact, that it gets in the way of the relationship growing. Sometimes I wanted to say talk to each other! Share your thoughts and feelings! Don’t let each other go!

Towards the end there’s an unexpected revelation that nearly ruined everything for both of them, but of course it all comes out right in the end, and I can’t wait to find the next book in the series.

Synopsis from Goodreads: Greta Nilsson's trip west to save her ailing little sister, Astrid, could not have gone more wrong. First, bandits hold up her stagecoach, stealing all her money. Then, upon arriving in Fairplay, Colorado, she learns the man she was betrothed to as a mail-order bride has died. Homeless, penniless, and jobless, Greta and her sister are worse off than when they started.

Wyatt McQuaid is struggling to get his new ranch up and running and is in town to purchase cattle when the mayor proposes the most unlikely of bargains. He'll invest in a herd of cattle for Wyatt's ranch if Wyatt agrees to help the town become more respectable by marrying and starting a family with Greta. But when old insecurities and surprising revolutions arise, can a union born out of desperation survive?