A Woman Called Sage, a review

A Woman Called Sage
"purchased" from Amazon's free list

Sage has a husband who loves her and a baby on the way. Everything in her life is as she hoped it would be. Until strangers storm her Colorado ranch demanding money from her husband. When her husband refuses she loses everything, except her life. When she heals, at least physically, she begins searching the Colorado wilderness as a bounty hunter hoping one day to come across her husband and unborn baby's killers. Is she prepared to find out just why her husband was killed?

Sage was written as a strong willed woman making a living in a man's world. She goes back to the Native American roots of her Ute mother and learns to read the land and has an affinity with animals. But she grew up in the "white man's world" because of her father. She tried to bring both sides of her life together, her father's Christian God and the gods of her Native American Heritage. It was an interesting view point and struggle. Sage, though strong willed, still struggled with every day things and was unwilling to fall back on her faith. That is until she sees no other way out of a situation, she feels the calmness of God flowing through her and finds a new sense of strength.

I was engaged in Sage's story from the beginning. She lost her family, she became a strong woman to help her cope with that loss. But in the end she realized she couldn't do this on her own. She needed the help of other people, but most importantly she needed her faith and God to lean on. While there are Christian themes in this novel it is tastefully done and you don't get beaten over the head with scriptures. Instead the sheriff of the town she has been staying in has a strong faith and encourages Sage to trust in God.

All in all I would give this novel 4 out of 5 stars. It was well written, engaging, and fun.

Series continuations I can't wait for:

Dead Reckoning (Sookie Stackhouse, Book 11) by Charlaine Harris
May 2011

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting inside Sookie's mind, just as she does everyone else! She is a fun and witty character and I can't wait to see where her adventures take her next.


The Kane Chronicles, The, Book Two: Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan
May 2011

Riordan broke onto the scene with his Greek mythology series about Percy Jackson. In the Kane Chronicles we follow a brother and sister team, and the focus is on Egyptian mythology. Other than Anubis and Ra I was unfamiliar with any Egyptian mythology. I think Riordan is doing great thing with both his series' by introducing young readers to mythology they would learn a bit about in school but in a fun and exciting way.


Smokin' Seventeen: A Stephanie Plum Novel by Janet Evanovich
June 2011

Stephanie Plum makes me laugh out loud. I cannot read these books in public or I'll get strange looks. Her antics, her love triangle, her cars blowing up!! If you have not found this series you should try it out. It is not crucial to start with number one but things will make more sense if you do!


Heroes of Olympus, The, Book Two: The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan
October 2011

I enjoy escaping into YA fiction at times. It's much simpler and easier to delve right into. The Percy Jackson series was quick paced and fun, and I learned a lot about Greek mythology, stuff I didn't learn in the classroom. Riordan continues this story, in part. The main characters are new but Percy and Annabelle and a few other of the cast from the original series are right in there. I can't wait to see if the two camps come together or if the start an all out war!


What series do you read? Are there any new installments coming out that you are looking forward to? I always love to find new authors and stories, feel free to share some of your favorites.

Love on a Dime; a review

Love on a Dime
(I "purchased" this book from Amazon's list of free titles for the Kindle)

3.5/5

Lilly Westbrook and Jackson Grail are young and in love. Jackson has proposed to Lilly, however Lilly comes from the upper echelon of society and Jackson is from the working class. Before Jackson even asks Lilly's father for permission he counts himself out leaves Lilly standing in his dust. Fast forward a few years and Lilly is making a name for herself, as dime novelist Fannie Cole. Women of the era that were from the upper class were not to make their own money, hence why Lilly uses a nom de plume. Jackson Grail has been busy making a name for himself as well, and has just purchased the publishing company of Fannie Cole's books. Fannie Cole's identity is a mystery but it is rumored she is from Lilly's high society. Jackson wishes to earn Lilly's affection away from another man, and hopes to also find out the identity of Fannie Cole at the same time.

A story of a young love that never dies, and of forgiveness after a broken heart. I found Lilly to be endearing and independent. She feels that her gift of writing and the ability to do so is by the grace of God, and so she donates most of her proceeds to charity. She was a wealthy woman who grew up in want of nothing, and her faith helped her to see past it and gave her the want to help others. Jackson has spent the last few years making himself worthy of being among Lilly's upper class circle. But has he come too late? She is very close to be engaged to someone else, if that happens all of his hardwork will be for naught.

At times I found the story to drag on, and the interaction between Lilly and Jackson to be somewhat over written in how they skirted the issue. Everyone informs Lilly that Jackson still has feelings for her, and she cannot seem to see it. She sees his advances as just a way for him to find Fannie Cole, not as advance of affection. In the end Jackson comes to the rescue of Lilly after she finds herself in a precarious situation. With him by her side and their mutual faith in God they will be able to face anything, together.

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair

The Betrayal of Maggie Blair

Author: Elizabeth Laird
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
360 pages

Rating: 3.5/5

*Received as an ARC for an honest review

Product description from Amazon:


In seventeenth-century Scotland, saying the wrong thing can lead to banishment—or worse. Accused of being a witch, sixteen-year-old Maggie Blair is sentenced to be hanged. She escapes, but instead of finding shelter with her principled, patriotic uncle, she brings disaster to his door. 

Betrayed by one of her own accusers, Maggie must try to save her uncle and his family from the king’s men, even if she has to risk her own life in the process.

Originally published in the UK, this book has a powerful blend of heart-stopping action and thought-provoking themes.

 My Thoughts:

When I was looking through the list of available titles, this cover caught my eye. The lone girl standing in a shallow bed of water, the wind whipping her dress and hair, it was well put together and the colors made it seem dark and dreary. Then I read the title and the cover seemed that much darker. Yet, I was intrigued. 

I have to say the book started out, well, weird. A dead whale washed up on the beach of a small Scottish isle. Weird, and creepy. It took me awhile to get into the story, but once I did I enjoyed it. Although I have to admit there were some periods in the middle where I felt like skipping paragraphs because there was too much filler and not enough action.

The characters were fun and intriguing. The title's namesake was well developed. Maggie Blair begins the story as unsure young teenager who finds herself in a precarious situation; Maggie and her grandmother are named as witches. Granny does not help her cause, and at times I was wondering if she had the gift of the dark arts or not. Granny and Maggie are tried and found guilty, and sentenced to hanging and being burned at the stake. However, Maggie escapes the night before the sentencing is to be carried out and runs away to the mainland to her only other living relatives, her dad's brother and his family. The remainder of the story lies with Maggie finding her strength as an individual, and she goes through many more precarious situations to get there. The villain of this story was a vile young woman by the name of Annie, and let's just say she was very unlikeable. 

In the end I think this was a good overall read. There were some slow parts in the narration but the characters were well written and fun. It gives a brief look into 17th century Scotland and the trials the devout Christians faced to serve their Saviour. For a young reader it would be just enough knowledge with just enough laughter to balance out nicely. 

I'm a fan of my Kindle...for so many reasons!!

I love books. I love the feel of having a book in my hand and flipping through the pages. The idea of being the first one to open my book, when the pages are all crisp and clean, is invigorating. I have always loved to read. My bookshelves are overflowing and I keep adding more to them.

At first the idea of the e-reader was great. Then as I thought about it a little more I was unsure of how I would like it. Would I enjoy it as much as having a book in my hand? The answer is No, I still love having a book to flip through. However, I decided that the e-reader had it's place. I travel, I love traveling, I do so every chance I get. This is where an e-reader is very handy. Whereas I use to have to carry 3 or 4 books for a week long trip, now I just have my nice sleek Kindle with as many books as I want! And I enjoy reading on it much more than I thought that I would.

I received my Kindle as a gift for Christmas. I did some research and had narrowed it down between the Nook (by Barnes & Noble) and Amazon's Kindle. I'm a big hands on person, I like to see and touch most things before I buy them. I think that was part of why I had been leaning toward the Nook, I would mess around with it every time I walked into Barnes & Noble, I would peruse the covers and cases for them and had the one I wanted picked out. However, so many reviewers chose the Kindle and liked it better so I was still holding back on purchasing a Nook. Then the new Kindle 3 was released, and Best Buy had them available in store to look at. I was sold.

The Kindle 3 came in the dark graphite color, whereas the Nook only came in white. White always gets dirty, and once dirty it will never look sleek and clean again. I steer away from white electronics and cars because no matter how careful I am they always get dirty, and fast. The graphite color helps hide the dirt nicely. The Kindle was also slightly lighter and thinner than the Nook, at least to my feel. I liked the way it felt in my hand better than a Nook.

The one draw back I saw at the time was that the Nook used page numbers, whereas the Kindle did not. This meant that if I wanted to compare notes with someone or they told me to look at a specific passage, I had no reference to go off if they had the printed copy of the book. Amazon has just recently released an update for page numbers in books, I haven't noticed it on the last books that I've read but I'm hoping it will help things go smoother between the electronic editions and print editions of books.

I am very happy with my Kindle. One thing I enjoy most about Amazon is the number of free books that they offer for the Kindle. I have over 100 books and have only purchased about a dozen, and even with that I have only spent about  $30. There are numerous free titles, from classics to more current reads. The website and free list are updated hourly. I check it every few days and almost always add a title or two that sounds interesting. And when they are free, why not?? If I don't love it I don't have to worry about having spent any amount on it. Amazon also offers a number of books for under $5, in all genres. It's great. Having inexpensive and free novels to read is a great way to discover new authors or new genres in which you are interested.

I highly recommend the Kindle :-)

Stuck in the Middle; a review

Stuck in the Middle (Sister-to-Sister, Book 1)


Joan is a middle sister, she's 25, and she's living with mother and grandmother. Joan had thought she had life figured out, until her boyfriend of 9 years leaves her and marries another woman. That was almost a year ago and she hasn't dated, or wanted to date since. That is until a handsome young doctor rents the house next door. 

I thoroughly enjoyed Joan. She was believable and her struggles were real. The dynamics between her and hew two sisters were witty and charming. The relationship between Joan and Ken, her neighbor doctor, was well written out. I related to Joan and her struggle to find a real relationship with God. Joan has always been a church-goer, a "Sunday Christian." It's not until she hears a missionary speak, and Ken comes into her life that she's realizes what she's missing and longing for. It is a great story on how to overcome past losses of loved ones and focus on the one constant in our life, God. There were a few key scriptures that were worked nicely into the story-line. I would recommend this book to anyone who's having those same struggles.


This was a great free selection on Amazon's free books list for Kindle.


*All opinions are my own. I received no compensation for this review.

Fools Rush In: Weddings by Bella; a review

Fools Rush In (Weddings by Bella, Book 1)

Bella Rossi is a gal in her late twenties still living and at home and has just taken over the family business, a wedding facility. The book follows her first wedding as the manager, a boot-scootin' cowboy themed wedding. Bella comes from a large family of Italians, and while they own the wedding facility they have never done themed weddings, until now. Bella is hoping to take the wedding facility into a whole new direction. The book follows Bella from one incident to the next as she tries to pull of a cowboy style wedding, when she knows nothing about cowboys or country western.

I found this book to be an entertaining read, quick and simple. The Rossi family dynamics were hilarious to watch. The romance between Bella and her cowboy is endearing. One thing to note is this is a Christian themed book. When Bella begins to fall on hard times she leans on her family and her faith to get her through it. I thought this was great start to the series. It will be interesting and fun to revisit the Rossi and Neeley families and watch them come together.

*At the time of this review, Fools Rush In is still on Amazon's Kindle free books list. If you own a Kindle be sure to check this list often as they are always adding new books to it.

All opinions are my own. I am not receiving any compensation for this review.