Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd

Ann is in love with her boss, Jasha. She decides to go to his home and seduce him. She is tired of buying gifts for his girlfriends and thinks he needs to look closer to home for love. When Ann arrives Jasha is not at home, a little while later she hears something and goes down the stairs to see a wolf in the living room. In the next few minutes the wolf turns into Jasha and Ann tries to run away. Jasha catches her and realizes that Ann is his mate. While they are in the woods, Ann finds an icon that Jasha's family needs to break a curse and save his father. His father's family is trying to kill them all and make sure they don't get all four icons together. With Ann's help Jasha finds his cousins and puts a stop to them this time.

I have read other Christina Dodd books but they were more chick lit than this one. I loved this book and am currently reading the second in the series. Ann and Jasha were a perfect match for each other. Although he scared Ann, Jasha also facinated him. The sparks flew through the whole book and made me eager to read the next installment. This is a very good book.

Shiver of Fear by Roxanne St. Claire

Devyn Sterling want's to find her birth mother. Something her late husband knew could potentially hurt her mother. So, she travels to Ireland to find her. The Guardian Angelinos are approached by an old friend of Marc Rossi from his FBI days. He wants them to get Devyn out of Belfast as soon as possible. So, Marc goes to Ireland and meets Devyn. She is not happy when she finds out what Marc is really there for, but she tells him that she will give him information about her father if he helps her find her mother. Devyn wants to find herself and what her gene pool has in it because it was the excuse her husband gave her for not wanting children. He said since they didn't know about her background they could not possibly bring children into their lives. Of course, he was having an affair the whole time that Devyn found out about later. Since this weighed heavily on her mind she was not sure she wanted to get involved with Marc other than using his help.

The second installment in the Guardian Angelino's series. I liked it as much as the first one in which Marc had a small part. The book just flowed for me and I could wait to finish it. Loved the description of the towns in Ireland that they visited. Some of the same characters from the first book were mentioned again and had bit parts, which was nice to see familiar people again. Marc and Devyn were a fiery couple, they shot sparks from their first meeting. The interaction between the two was great and kept the pages turning. The cover is nice, not sure it lends a lot to the story but it's a good picture.

Welcome to Last Chance by Hope Ramsey

Wanda Jane Coblentz is running for her life. She got in with a seedy guy and now the people after him are after her. She buys a bus ticket and head's to Last Chance, South Carolina. The first night she meets Clay Rhodes. After spending the night together, he decides that she is not what he needs. His mother, however, hires Jane to work as a manicurist in her shop and gives her a place to live over the shop. Clay and Jane keep running into each other and they can't deny there is a spark there. Then Jane and Clay's niece Haley are kidnapped after his mother Ruby is injured by the bad guys. Jane thinks that Clay will only think badly of her since his mother was hurt because of her and his niece was kidnapped. Jane kept Haley safe but she sees herself as not being loveable.

This is the first book I have read by this author. It was a pleasant read with lots of charming minor characters. The story was a good one and very believeable and showed how much Jane changed from the beginning to the end. Also Clay went through some changes too. The main characters although they did not think they were good for each other made a perfect pair. Could not help rooting for them through the book and I think that's what kept me turning the pages. Really liked the cover that it showed a typical small southern town. Very appropriate to the storyline in every way. This is one book that I think I will read over again to see what I missed the first time.

The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

Tara Daniels has inherited an Inn and Marina with her sisters. Sisters that she really doesn't know that well. Tara grew up with her father, as did her sister Maddie. Chloe was the only one that was with their mother. Coming back to Lucky Harbor also brought Tara back to her first love Ford. In seeing him again she had to deal with their past and the guilt again of giving up their child. At seventeen Tara realized she was too young to care for a baby. As Tara is dealing with Ford, her ex husband Logan arrives and tells her he wants her back. Then on top of everything her daughter shows up wanting some answers from and to get to know her birth parents. Tara tries to form a relationship with her daughter and sort out her feelings for the two men in her life.

This book was ok, not a page turner for me. I just could not get into the story until it was over half way through. I don't know why it didn't grab me but I found I could put it down for periods of time and not have the urge to pick it up and finish it right away. I did like the main characters of Tara and Ford, they had good chemistry between them. There were several minor ones that were appealing Mia, Carlos and Chloe. The cover was good and since they owned and operated a marina too, it fit the book well. Maybe if there was more of a pull in the beginning of the book I would have liked it better. I didn't dislike, it just wasn't one of the better reads i've had lately.

From the Potter's Wheel by Althea V. Smithson

Filled with praise, prayers and just random thoughts this book is very thought provoking. Each one can touch a person's heart and mind or it can bring comfort and healing words to a troubled heart. Several of my favorites are She Walked with God, Because My Name's Been Written Down, Wagon of Faith, A Denarius a Day and Wisdom & Peace. Each one of these spoke to my heart especially She Walked with God.
Reading several a day is very uplifting and starts the day out right. This book could easily be used as a devotional along with Bible readings.

I loved this book and will be reading it over and over again. The insight in some of the missives is astounding. Ms. Smithson has a gift for putting into words what has been thought through the ages. There is hope, wisdom, knowledge and understanding in each poem. Loved the random thoughts too, each was something to ponder on and gain understanding from. Not only was the book a volume of seeing what God has and wants from us, but it also gave a glimpse into the heart and feelings of the author. The cover was very appropriate for the book with the potter's wheel and the hands working the clay, just as God works the clay of our lives each day. This book is a keeper to me and one to be treasured and shared with my family. I highly recommend this book to everyone.