Wildflowers from Winter by Katie Ganshert

Katie Ganshert's Wildflowers from Winter is the first novel in a new Christian Contemporary Romance series.  Wildflowers from Winter is a realistic story about life in general.  It explores the up's and down's of life and highlights the pain and joy everyone goes through as a human.

Bethany is a career women in her late twenties that seems to have everything going for her.  She has a great architectural job in Chicago and a hotshot lawyer boyfriend to complete her picture perfect life.  However, circumstances out of her control forces her to revisit her hometown, a quaint farming community where your business is everyone's.

Bethany left the small Iowa town behind ten years earlier, in the hopes of escaping painful memories from her past.  In running she abandoned her loving Grandfather and best friend Robin.  Ironically, it is news regarding both her Grandfather and Robin that draws Bethany back into town.  All hopes of a speedy visit seem to vanish as Bethany comes to realize it may not be possible to escape as easily this time around.

Even more frustrating is Evan, the man who runs and lives on her Grandfather Dan's farm.  Bethany and Evan clash during their first meeting and subsequently butt heads most of the other times they are thrown together.  However, they can't help but to be drawn towards each other as life throws them one curve ball after another.  Bethany also finds herself being pulled back into Robin's evolving life, something she did not think possible ten years ago.  Finding herself back in her hometown causes Bethany to feel emotions she thought she left behind long ago and she comes to realize her anger with God has not lessened. 

Wildflowers from Winter is told in 3rd person (with a few 1st person dialogues throughout the novel.)  It was refreshing to read a novel that did not just center around two characters, but many.  Because of this I was able to grasp the whole picture Ganshert was painting.  Ganshert also did a great job in developing 3 dimensional characters.  It was nice to watch Bethany grow throughout the novel and let her walls down as she let go of her long held anger.  Ganshert successfully wrote a story about the joys and struggles of life.  It is easy to see Ganshert's strong faith as a Christian women as Wildflowers from Winter unfolds.   

I definitely recommend Katie Ganshert's  Wildflowers from Winter and I look forward to reading Ganshert's second book in the series, Wishing on Willows.

• Author's Site
• More Info
• Read Chapter One
• Author Bio

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.

Bared to You by Sylvia Day

Bared to You by Sylvia Day is a steamy, sexy story that grabs you from the first page and doesn't let you go until the last.  Have you ever been sucked into a book so deeply that your spouse accuses you of neglecting him?  That was me!  Ever find yourself staying up late to read after your family is in bed (even though you have to get up at the crack of dawn) because you just can't put it down?  Me again!  How about doubling your workout time on the treadmill because you are so engrossed in what you are reading that you don't realize you walked (uphill) for an hour and a half?  Guilty as charged!  Let's face it, I very quickly became addicted to Bared to You to that point that I couldn't focus on anything else but reading this book.  One evening I actually got so into Bared to You that I forgot to make dinner and had to tell my husband that I was SO busy at work that there was no time to prepare dinner so I ordered a pizza.  Don't tell anyone that I just admitted that!  But yes, that is the true representation of me while reading Sylvia Day's newest book!

Day's Bared to You is Book One in a new series by the name of Crossfire.  I would describe it as being Contemporary Erotic Fiction, meaning OH MY WORD it is HOT HOT HOT!  Definitely not for the weak of heart, please be warned that this book is very sexually graphic.  That being said, it is an excellent read!  Not only does it have insanely hot scenes but beneath it all is a great story with memorable characters. 

Eva has moved to New York from California to begin a new job at an advertising agency.  Coming from a wealthy family, Eva wants to take care of herself without interference from her parents.  Gideon Cross is a millionaire businessman who just happens to own Crossfire, the building Eva will work in.  After a chance meeting after hours, Eva tries to fight the chemistry she has with Gideon, one of America's top bachelors.  When fighting it becomes impossible, both must try to make their relationship work while preventing their past secrets from being exposed to the public eye.

Bared to You is definitely not a book your want to miss out on!  It shows just why Sylvia Day is a National Bestselling Author with its realistic characters, entertaining and witty dialogue, and touching romance that sets readers on fire.  I am already counting down the days until I can read more of Eva and Gideon in Deeper in You, the 2nd novel in this Crossfire series that comes out in October.

Sylvia Day and BookPleasures.com has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, Bared to You, for the purpose of review. 

Gossip by Beth Gutcheon

Gossip, by Beth Gutcheon, is a novel surrounding a group of well to do friends living in Manhattan's Upper East Side.  The story is told from the view point of Lovie, an unmarried, sixty-something high end boutique owner.  Without a family of her own, Lovie considers her two best friends and their children her family.  Dinah is a well known and equally high maintenance gossip columnist/author/aspiring chef.  Quiet and dignified Avis is a successful high end art dealer.  In these three women Gutcheon is able to spin a realistic story about life, love, loss, and the everyone's ever present enemy- gossip.

Gutcheon begins her story in present day New York with Lovie working in her store.  Hiding Dinah in another room so that the New York gossip mongers and press leave her alone, Lovie begins flashing back to when she, Dinah, and Avis attended the same boarding school.  Lovie and Dinah were friends from the start.  However, Lovie and the older Avis did not grow close until adulthood.  With that said, Avis and Dinah were never friends.  It was during Avis's marriage to an alcoholic that Lovie really began to cherish her friendship with Avis.  While remaining unmarried, Lovie watched as Dinah and Avis had children of their own.  She became the Godmother to Dinah's little Nicky and was just as close to Avis's Grace.

It took me a little while to find my footing with Gossip.  It was hard for me to follow the flashbacks involving many unfamiliar characters right off the get go.  However, I'm glad I did not give up because Gossip had quietly hooked me by the time I read further into the novel- to the point that I didn't want to put it down.  Yes, that was me running on the treadmill at the gym reading this book.  Gutcheon did a great job in creating realistic and 3 dimensional characters.  I may not live the New York lifestyle as her characters, but I can still relate to their hopes, dreams, and nightmares.

Gutcheon triumphantly tackles many issues including September 11th, death, affairs, alcoholism, the recession and of course gossip.  The way Gutcheon wrote about September 11th particularly captivated me.  Dinah's ex-husband worked in the World Trade Center and because of being late he was not yet to work that morning.  However, he was in the middle of the chaos and Gutcheon does a fabulous job of describing not only his feelings, but also those of his children and ex-wife before they knew he was out of harms way.  In Gossip, the whole climate of the upper class transitioned from that of 'living the good life' to being face planted back into reality.

I was shocked when I read the ending of Gossip.  It takes a lot to catch me off guard, but Gutcheon was able to pull it off.  She definitely throws her readers for a loop with the conclusion of her novel.  I recommend Gossip to readers young and old.  In it you will find a heart warming and wrenching tale of life.  

William Morrow Publishers and BookPleasures.com has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, Gossip, for the purpose of review.

Betrayal by Michele Kallio

Michele Kallio’s Betrayal is a haunting novel based both in present day New Brunswick and in Sixteenth Century England.  Modern day Lydia is an intelligent, kind, and beautiful woman that leads a great life with her Physician boyfriend.  Raised by her cold father, Lydia never knew her mother or her mother’s family.  After her father’s untimely death Lydia begins having nightmares that seem all too realistic.  In her dreams, Lydia finds herself in the body of Elisabeth, a lady’s maid to Lady Anne Boleyn. Lady Anne happens to be the mistress (and later wife) of King Henry VIII.  Believing her dreams to be only nightmares, Lydia ignores them for as long as she can.  However, Lydia soon starts experiencing waking dreams and begins having strange sensations of deja vu.  The more she finds herself in Elisabeth’s world the more Lydia realizes that there are more to her dreams than meet the eye.  Could they be trying to tell her something about her past or is Lydia going insane? 

I thoroughly enjoyed reading every bit of Michele Kallio’s Betrayal.  Kallio did a terrific job in creating not one, but two different worlds.  Lydia’s life in modern day New Brunswick is very realistic.  Kallio painted her setting in a way that made it very easy to imagine.  I could visualize the restaurants, buildings, and scenery described.  Reading about Lydia’s adventures in Bar Harbor made me want to research the town.  (It is real and looks just as beautiful as Kallio described!)  It was the infusion of little details (like those mentioned above) that made Betrayal feel complete.  I was especially fond of the historical aspects of the novel.  Kallio’s knowledge of sixteenth century England was definitely noticed and appreciated.  Everything was well researched, from the various Sixteenth Century social stations and popular style, to religion and politics. 

Betrayal opened my eyes to a whole new world of dreams and the meanings behind them.  In the book, Lydia first starts seeing a Psychologist specializing in dreams.  After hearing her speak on a tape recorder about her dreams, the Dr. feels that they are more than typical nightmares.  Fearing that they are occurring because of a repressed memory, the Psychologist requests to hypnotize Lydia.  Lydia must decide if she really wants to know more about her past and if she is ready to deal with the consequences of what remains hidden. 

Betrayal easily switches between the lives of Lydia and Elisabeth.  I was surprised at how flawlessly each new chapter changed gears.  While reading about Elisabeth I found myself speculating on what would happen next with Lydia.  Furthermore, while reading about what Lydia was going through made me think about Elisabeth and her world.  As the book progressed, the story of the two women seemed to converge.  I feel that Kallio did a terrific job in meshing her two story lines together. 

Michele Kallio has a gem in her novel, Betrayal.  Embedded in it you will find a great deal of history, romance, mystery, and suspense.  I recommend Betrayal to anyone looking for a great read!  Good luck putting it down!

iUniverse and BookPleasures.com has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, Betrayal, for the purpose of review.

Eat, Drink, and Be Married by Rebecca Bloom

Eat, Drink, and Be Married, by Rebecca Bloom, is one of the funniest, most realistic books I have read in ages.  Centered around four best friends that are completely different in lifestyle, personality, and background , Eat, Drink, and Be Married is a book that you eagerly tell your friends about.  Written in a lighthearted and quirky style, I found myself sucked in within the first couple of pages.

In Bloom's Eat, Drink, and Be Married, Hannah has brought her friends together in Lake Tahoe for her dream wedding.  Zoë, her best friend/makeup artist extraordinaire/pink haired bridesmaid has the job of keeping Hannah's panic attacks at bay and making sure Bridezilla doesn't emerge.  Nina and Kate travel from New York to reunite with their college bff's and celebrate Hannah's big day.  However, when the four women get together seams rip apart, truths come out, and closely guarded emotions are unleashed.

Eat, Drink, and Be Married is a book for any modern day woman.  Bloom does a terrific job in creating an entertaining world in which I would love to be a part of.  Her characters seem real and loveable and at times I found myself wishing I could call them my friends.  Just two chapter's into Eat, Drink, and Be Married and I had already called my closest friends and told them that there is a new book out that they MUST read.  The only thing that would have made my reading experience more enjoyable would have been laying on a hot beach instead of wrapped in my snuggie as the snow fell outside my window.   

I believe that Bloom did a great job in creating four women that most readers can identify themselves with.  Hannah is the organized/OCD princess-like bride who is on the verge of a breakdown from wedding stress.  Zoë is the loud, funny, eccentric beauty that has covered herself with tattoos and pink hair to keep people from really seeing her.  Kate, the once full of life beauty, has been beaten down by love and is a shell of her former self.  Finally, Nina is the happily married career women that has just found out that she is expecting.  With a jubilant husband she must battle her inner voice which is filling her head with terror and regret.  It takes the friends coming together to heal wounds and release the hauntings of the past.

I wholeheartedly recommend Eat, Drink, and Be Married, by Rebecca Bloom, to any fan of romance and comical fiction.  It's more rich and profound than your average chick-lit and I guarantee that as you journey through Eat, Drink, and Be Married you will find yourself laughing, getting teary eyed, cringing, and smiling all at once.  Start the New Year off right and pick up a copy of Rebecca Bloom's Eat, Drink, and Be Married, you won't regret it!

iUniverse and BookPleasures.com has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, Eat, Drink, and Be Married, for the purpose of review.

Lost in Time by Melissa De La Cruz

Lost in Time, by Melissa De La Cruz, is the 6th (and 2nd to last) book in the popular YA Vampire series, Blue Bloods.  Lost in Time starts off where De La Cruz's last Blue Bloods book, Misguided Angel, ends.  I do believe that you need to be familiar with the other books in the series before picking up Lost in Time.  Also, if it has been a good amount of time since you read the last book I recommend picking up Misguided Angel to refresh your memory.  There is so much going on in the Blue Bloods world that it helps if you can recollect everything that has happened.

At the end of Misguided Angel, Schuyler and Jack had decided to have a bonding ceremony (they got married to us Red Bloods.)  Jack's sister/nemesis Mimi, after losing her love Kingsley Martin to the Demons of Hell, had decided to make the journey through the Gates of Hell with Oliver to get him back.  Finally, Charles and Allegra (Jack's father and Schuyler's mother) had disappeared leaving the New York Coven in shambles.

Lost in Time is written from the point of view of 3 characters: Schuyler, Mimi, and Allegra.  Each character is involved in their own individual story.  While the happenings of Schuyler and Mimi take place in current time, the chapters revolving around Allegra go back to before her Comatose state.  De La Cruz allows her readers a closer look at Allegra's relationships with Charles and Ben and how the consequences of her actions unfolded.

In Lost in Time, Schuyler is able to convince Jack to help her find Catherine of Siena and the Gate of Promise before facing his blood trial with Mimi.  They find themselves on a wild goose chase throughout Alexandria and Cairo searching for the Gate Keeper.  After each wrong turn the couple comes closer together as they realize just how important it is to find her secrets in order to save their world from Lucifer.

Mimi, the current Regent of the Coven, looks on as the chaos in the Blue Bloods world grows.  She comes to realize that to be an effective leader she first has to be happy.  She and Oliver decide they have no choice but to enter Hell to save Kingsley.  With determination and many struggles Mimi finds the man she loves.  However, Kingsley has changed due to his time in the Seventh Circle of Hell.  This unexpected realization puts Mimi and Oliver in danger, as well as the New York Coven.   

Melissa De La Cruz does a great job in weaving an entertaining story filled with lust, suspense, and heartache.  She describes Hell in a way that I have never seen done.  Her Hell is not just a place with lakes of fire and demons.  De La Cruz creates a world inhabited by fallen Angels, Demons, Trolls, the dead, and Hellhounds.  Each level of Hell is different and miserable in its own unique way.  Oliver discovers that the clothes are itchy, the buildings are too hot or too cold, the food is too sweet or rotten.  Nothing is right.

I really enjoyed watching Mimi and Oliver's friendship grow.  They started off despising each other in the beginning of the series and grew to truly enjoy each others company.  De La Cruz shows in Lost in Time how they have come to know each other better than almost anyone else.  Mimi no longer just worries about herself and what is going to make her life easier, she now views Oliver as a true friend which as a result changes her and her relationship with Kingsley.

When I found Schuyler and Jack's story start to drag Mimi and her escapades lifted me back up.  De La Cruz really handles the Mimi/Oliver/Kingsley storyline well.  It is witty, quickly moving, and hot (in more ways than one!)

I recommend Melissa De La Cruz's Lost in Time to all YA literature fans.  De La Cruz does a great job of leaving her readers asking for more.  My countdown is on for January 2013 when the final Blue Bloods novel, The Gates of Paradise, is released.  I'm excited to see how the story turns out for Schuyler, Jack, Mimi, Kingsley, Oliver, Allegra, Charles, Bliss and all of my other favorite Blue Bloods characters. 

Hyperion and BookPleasures.com has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, Lost in Time, for the purpose of review.

The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken by Mari Passananti

The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken, by Mari Passananti, is a funny, chic, and poignant novel about a modern day woman searching for her Prince Charming.  Zoë lives in New York and has a complex job that is nowhere close to what her College degree is in.  Still, things seem mostly perfect in her life.  She is planning the wedding of the year, lives in a terrific apartment, and has two best friends that have been with her since her freshman year in college.  However, Zoë's world is turned upside down when she is dumped by her fiancé.  After a good deal of wallowing in self-pity, her best friends, Angela and Kevin, are determined that Zoë put down the ice cream, take a shower, and not become the deranged Cat Lady everyone knows.  Things start looking up for Zoë when she finds herself with a secret admirer.  On the outside Oscar seems like the perfect man...or is he?

 I thoroughly enjoyed Passananti's, The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken.  It is the perfect beach, vacation, or 'I need to escape reality' read.  The 3-diminsional characters felt real, as did their individual situations.  Passananti did a great job in weaving the lives of Angela, Kevin, and Oscar around her main character, Zoë.  Ultra chic Angela has a great job in the fashion world and is on all of the up and coming lists.  Smart and charming Kevin runs the mayoral campaign for a popular candidate.  Oscar, Zoë's rich boyfriend, has a past he keeps hidden, an ex-wife that keeps showing up unexpectedly, and secrets that Zoë finds hard to ingnore.   Top it off with Carol, Zoë's boss from Hell, and you have a hilarious, romantic, and edge of your seat read.

Angela, Kevin, and Carol all went through major changes throughout the book.  However, the character that went through the biggest change was Zoë.  Zoë started out as a woman who found her self worth in men.  She always had a significant other and did not know who she was without one.  When she found herself alone, Zoë became depressed and helpless.  All of the day to day chores seemed pointless and complicated. Throughout the book Zoë starts to transform into an independent women who realizes that she has to be happy with herself before she can be happy with a significant other.  This is a great lesson for all women today.

Passananti did a great job in creating and breathing life into her New York high society world.  Everything felt real from the fashion, restaurants, clubs, parties, and even the New York landscape.  Passananti was also able to create a world for Zoë and her friends to reside in that resonates with what I actually believe New York living to be like.  However, my favorite parts of the book came when Zoë was at her job.  I found myself laughing out loud at the situations Zoë and her colleagues found themselves in.  Furthermore, there were more than a few times that I had to pick my jaw up from the floor after I read about some of Carol's antics.     

Passananti's, The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken is a book that I will definitely recommend to all of my girlfriends.  If you are looking for a light, funny, quick read, The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken is for you!  

Rutland Square Press and BookPleasures.com has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book, The Hazards of Hunting While Heartbroken, for the purpose of review.

<div style="background:url('http://tools.blognation.com/bn/tools/favorite/image/48ee300bd05e98cfb83a976355596978.png') no-repeat -1px -1px;">I selected this post to be featured on <a href="http://www.bookreviewblogs.com" target="_blank">Book Review Blogs</a>. Please visit the site and vote for my blog!</div>