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Heather D. - Reviews

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As Sure As the Sun
As Sure As the Sun
Author: Anna McPartlin
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 32
Review Date: 8/18/2010
Helpful Score: 1


This thoroughly engaging novel centers around Harri Ryan, who is making her second attempt to marry on her 30th birthday. She doesn't make it the second time around because she ends up in the emergency room as she had a panic attack. Her fiance is devastated to have been left at the altar a second time, and packs his belongings and moves out of their shared apartment. Meanwhile, Harri's twin brother is certain that their parents are hiding something that may have something to do with Harri's panic attacks. Their parents finally come out and reveal a secret that they've kept from their children. Harri, her twin brother George, their parents, and their close-knit group of friends try to come to grips with this secret and what it means to Harri and those she loves.

This is an engagingly, well-written novel. The characters feel real, each with their own strengths and flaws. Harri's friends all have their own stories and issues that serve as subplots to the main story. The author has come up with a story that features 6 couples at different stages in their relationship.

If you enjoy hopeful romantic stories with interesting characters go get this book.


Assumption of Guilt
Assumption of Guilt
Author: Harold Mehling
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 1/17/2009


The quiet town of Hudson Ferry, which its residents see as a refuge from the turbulence of big-city life, is rocked by the news that Laurie Coles, a teacher at the Snug Arms Nursery School, has been charged with sexually molesting four- and five-year-old children. The prosecutor is district attorney Peter Harmon, graduate of Harvard Law School, whose housemate, Serena Wiley, also a lawyer, shares his interest in the case. The court-appointed defense attorney is Harry Hull, a beer-guzzling, meat-and-potatoes lawyer with little experience in criminal law. It's an open-and-shut case, and Harry takes it knowing that his job is simply to go through the motions so that Judge Mathes can ensure a quick conviction. He begins to dig deeper, however, when it becomes clear that Mathes, known as "the hangman," has no intention of giving Laurie a fair trial. The author clearly knows law from the inside, and provides a multitude of perspectives--parents, jurors, lawyers, even a few courtroom buffs--in order to depict the complexities of the case. This taut and topical legal drama, filled with convincing details, is a terrific read.


The Blue Bottle Club
The Blue Bottle Club
Author: Penelope J. Stokes
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.8/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 6/6/2009


On the eve of the Depression, four girls confide their dreams on paper and commit them to posterity by storing them in a blue bottle in an attic. Sixty-five years later, a jaded female television reporter finds their girlhood wishes and determines to track the women down. While the plot may sound predictable, the characters are not; they are some of the strongest, most appealing women characters ever to appear in an evangelical fiction. The novel has a happy ending, but not in the traditional sense written for a female audience: no godly hero comes riding in on white horse to rescue the women from poverty, abandonment and despair. Their stories involve broken dreams, betrayed hearts, unconditional love, and their lifelong friendships with other women.


Breakpoint
Breakpoint
Author: JoANN Ross
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 9
Review Date: 9/13/2009


They were adversaries in a military courtroom years ago. However, now former JAG officer Julianne Decatur and ex-Air Force combat controller Dallas O'Halloran work for the government's top secret THOR group. Although on the same side, there remains a bit of antagonism due to her efforts to court-martial some of his brothers in arms. Yet they are also attracted to one another.

They have been assigned to investigate the apparent suicide of a Navy pilot. The pair quickly finds contrary proof affirmed by two other suspicious deaths. Julianne and Dallas begin to wonder if a serial killer or a conspiracy to conceal something is leading to military murders. At the same time each understands the irony of them falling in love with one another as not so long ago they were natural enemies.

This is an action-packed thriller that never decelerates until the finish. A true page-turner, and who-done-it, readers will find the excellent characterization and plot stunning to follow. I especially loved the dialogue between these two complex characters and the sexy way they think together as they try and figure out the murder.


Burning The Map (Red Dress Ink)
Burning The Map (Red Dress Ink)
Author: Laura Caldwell
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 82
Review Date: 3/13/2008
Helpful Score: 1


Casey Evers is on a dream vacation to Italy and Greece with her two best friends, Kat and Lindsey, but it isn't quite turning out the way she expected. Kat and Lindsey resent the fact that Casey has distanced herself from them since she started dating John two years ago, and Casey is hurt that Kat and Lindsey don't seem to include her the way they used to back in college. Kat and Lindsey are furious when Casey ditches them on their last night in Italy to spend a romantic evening with a handsome Italian man; then, when Casey finds her feelings for John growing murkier, she can't even turn to her two best friends. Things seem to improve once the girls get to Greece, but when a guy Lindsey is interested in turns his attention to Casey, their friendship faces yet another challenge. At its best when it focuses on the girls' friendship and not on the myriad men who strain it, Caldwell's book is a fun, easy read.


Certain Prey (Lucas Davenport, Bk 10)
Certain Prey (Lucas Davenport, Bk 10)
Author: John Sandford
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 5
Review Date: 6/15/2007


Attorney Carmel Loan is preternaturally beautiful, intelligent, and ambitious. When she becomes infatuated with fellow barrister Hale Allen, she isn't going to let a little thing like his being married get in her way. A quick meeting with an ex-client sets up the hit on Hale's wife, Barbara. The professional killer, Clara Rinker, is one of the best in the business. Smart, attractive, with a gentle Southern drawl, no one would suspect her of being a top Mafia hit man... er, hit person. When she takes the Allen assignment, she figures it will be easy money for a day's work. But things go wrong from the beginning. Loan's ex-client made a tape of the meeting, and is shaking her down for money. Worse, the shooting of a witness--a cop--brings deputy inspector Lucas Davenport into the case. Somehow Davenport has not only linked Loan to the killing, but seems to have a lead on Rinker as well. Carmel and Clara team up to clean up the loose ends, which includes getting Davenport off their back by whatever means necessary.


Change Your Attitude
Change Your Attitude
Author: Tom Bay
Book Type: Paperback
  ?
Review Date: 6/2/2008


This book is easy reading and delivers a power packed punch! Although it covers basic principles, the book delivers a message that never gets old. It is filled with delightful anecdotes about people whose attitudes have made a difference, and is organized in a way that makes it easy to understand and apply to your life.


A Crazy Kind of Love: Mike's Story (The Marconi Sisters, Bk 2)
A Crazy Kind of Love: Mike's Story (The Marconi Sisters, Bk 2)
Author: Maureen Child
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 105
Review Date: 3/13/2010
Helpful Score: 1


Smart aleck, local plumbing contractor Mike Marconi has her eyes set on some pristine property~~an old Victorian house that she wants to fix up and eventually live in, as she is tired of living in the family homestead. The only problem is newcomer Lucas Gallagher bought it. Her family's construction firm is hired to make the renovations, and Mike makes constant modifications to the architect's plans...Lucas finds himself fighting with her regarding the changes as well as the attraction they have with one another.
Can love conquer all? How will the Marconi family react to a secret their father has kept over the last decade?

This is Maureen Child's second book in the Marconi trilogy. Mike and Lucas first traded barbs in "And Then Came You," the first book. Child has maintained that frenzied relationship picking up where they left off.

The story is fresh with believable dialogue and the humor is ever-present. The characters are dynamic, and the Marconi sisters while fiercely loyal to one another are distinctive in their own right.


Deadly Harvest (Flynn Brothers, Bk. 2)
Deadly Harvest (Flynn Brothers, Bk. 2)
Author: Heather Graham
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.9/5 Stars.
 306
Review Date: 9/20/2010


An awesome book to read just before Halloween/Fall!


Developing the Leader Within You
Developing the Leader Within You
Author: John C. Maxwell
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4.2/5 Stars.
 20
Review Date: 6/1/2008


There are lots of gold nuggets of information in this book. If this is your first book on leadership, you'll love it. It's a great place to start. Among the important topics covered by Maxwell are how to build coalitions to effect change and how to nurture your employees to become leaders in their own right. Maxwell brings to bear psychological studies and anecdotes to motivate the reader to become a better leader. Perhaps the best part of this book are Maxwell's stories (Maxwell's leadership principles are backed up by humorous anecdotes from Benjamin Franklin, Abe Lincoln, and others).


Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss what Matters Most
Review Date: 6/1/2008
Helpful Score: 3


There's nothing like the difficult conversation that has to be done. You may have to tell a friend something that you know will hurt them deeply, you may have to tell the boss that you are quitting after many years of a friendly working environment, you may have to break off a relationship or who knows what else. Difficult conversations are a part of life and often a staple part of life with a teenager. That is where this book comes in. The authors discuss the structure of these conversations and how you can get to the heart of the matter with compassion and clarity so that each party gets through it as a team or with a minimum of emotional pain. It also examines why they are difficult conversations. In short it teaches how to examine situations in terms of how each person perceived what happened, how each person feels about the situation or is likely to feel when they are confronted, and the identity issues that are involved when discussing the subject. A fine book that will help many people learn how to deal with a difficult conversation...


Driven by Desire
Driven by Desire
Author: LuAnn McLane
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 12
Review Date: 8/23/2009


The sparks between Jayden and Alexia burn hot and deep, however, they have a lot to deal with (from the past) if they ever hope to go forward in the present. The hurts run deep on both sides, besides the secret that Alexia has kept from everyone...When Jayden finally finds out, will he be able to give her the support she needs and work past it? The secondary romance between Colin and Brianna is a bonus for the reader as it unfolds. I liked this story~~it's about putting the past behind you, learning from your mistakes, and taking a second chance at love. This book is a true romance in every sense...


The Fifth Discipline: The Art & Practice of the Learning Organization
Review Date: 6/1/2008


This book is a must read for anyone interested in improving the way their organization or department functions. The The Fifth Discipline shows how to review and improve systems. It is also teaches how develop Shared Visions within an organization and create long term goals.


Finding You / Knowing You (Candellanos, Bks 1 - 2)
Finding You / Knowing You (Candellanos, Bks 1 - 2)
Author: Maureen Child
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 4.1/5 Stars.
 87
Review Date: 1/26/2010


Fall in love with two unforgettable new novels in one extraordinary volume!

Meet the Candellano family: Angela, the matriarch; Tony the oldest son and town sheriff; Nick and Paul, the twin brothers with completely different personalities; and Carla, the beautiful daughter whom Mama is still trying to fix up. And though Mama's brood is all grown up, they still gather every Sunday around her kitchen table-where anyone who falls for a Candellano had better be prepared to share laughter, love and the best lasagna in town...

FINDING YOU
Carla Candellano has faced a tragedy she'd like to put behind her, but no one has been able to penetrate the wall she has built around herself until she meets six-year-old Reese Wyatt. Reese hasn't spoken since her mother died last year, and it's friendship at first sight for Carla and little Reese. But it's the girl's worried father, Jackson, who arouses Carla's curiosity, and passion, in ways she never imagined...

KNOWING YOU
Ever since Stevie Ryan was a young girl, she was in love with her best friend Carla's older brother Nick Candellano. But Nick had to complicate things by growing up gorgeous-and breaking Stevie's heart. Now she's convinced that forgetting him is the way to go. And it's working out fine until she and Nick's brother, Paul, spend one sultry night together. Has the right brother been under Stevie's nose all along?


First Things First: To Live, to Love, to Learn, to Leave a Legacy
Review Date: 6/1/2008
Helpful Score: 3


This is a must read for professionals in any walk of life. Covey and the Merrill's (the coauthors) promote a principle centered leadership style focusing on personal leadership. Their philosophy is that you can't lead others unless you can lead your own life first. The authors promote that when a person aligns his or her life with internal principles, then that person is able to focus on what's important, not what's urgent. Why? Because many times things become urgent due to a lack of prioritization in our lives. The authors title the initial chapter "How Many People on Their Deathbed Wish They'd Spent More Time at the Office?" Aptly describing the urgency addiction that many people face in today's hectic lifestyle, Covey and the Merrills walk through a methodology that shows how to reconnect with our core beliefs and then to live accordingly. Not that there aren't days when you should be working long hours, but those hours should be spent on important issues that yield quality of life results. People should not be mired in frivolous paperwork and detail that doesn't impact their life and those around them in a positive way. Covey and the Merrills write an inspirational book that should be used as a resource to refer to time and time again. The insight embodied in their work transcends much of the consumerism and materialistic values of modern life and reconnects us with the wisdom literature of the ages. Anybody preparing for, or currently in, a leadership position should read this book.


Five Days in Paris
Five Days in Paris
Author: Danielle Steel
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 101
Review Date: 6/15/2008


Danielle Steel writes another interesting romantic novel about Peter Haskell, president of a pharmaceutical empire who meets Olivia Thatcher, wife of a famous senator. They meet in Paris and begin a love-affair that surpasses any expectations that they might have. Once they lay their emotions and thoughts out candidly to each other, they cannot go back to their old mundane lives. The book challenges all to seek for true passion and not settle for anything less.


Friends Forever
Friends Forever
Author: Lyn Andrews
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 6/15/2007


Best friends Bernie and Molly are just seventeen when they set off from Ireland in 1928, heading for Liverpool. They quickly find jobs and rooms; soon both women are in love with local men. Tragically, though, Biddy is widowed when she's still barely an adult, while Molly has chosen a bad 'un and faces the deepest shame when he deserts her. But, this difficult start only reinforces the bond between the women, and gives them the strength to build a brighter future...


Gerald's Game
Gerald's Game
Author: Stephen King
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 554
Review Date: 2/25/2008
Helpful Score: 1


Jessie Burlingame has become ever more tired of her husband Gerald's kinky sex games, however, when he suddenly dies during a session, leaving her handcuffed to a bed in a remote house, the game becomes deadly. And now Jessie finds herself caught like a spider in a web, unable to move, afraid of the monster that may lie right outside the house (or inside for that matter!). However, listening to the voices in her own head, she begins to find that not all of the monsters are "out there," some are right inside her own mind!

This is an intense book, a book about horror, but not knife-wielding killers. Instead this is a deep and intense look at the horrors that people inflict on others and on themselves. I found this to be a challenging book~~hard to keep reading, but impossible to put down. It's not a happy book, but it is a fascinating and horrifying read, one that will keep you on the edge of your seat!


Heaven's Price / Breakfast in Bed / Send No Flowers
Heaven's Price / Breakfast in Bed / Send No Flowers
Author: Sandra Brown
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 23
Review Date: 6/8/2008


Heaven's Price is the story of Blair Simpson, a professional dancer who thought she knew her destiny, until an injury shows her that fate -- and her heart-- have something else in store.

In Breakfast in Bed, when Sloan Fairchild opens the door to her bed-and-breakfast inn to her best friend's fiance, she ends up opening her heart to an unexpected and forbidden love that turns her world upside down.

Send No Flowers is the sensual tale of a young widow and mother of two who is rescued by a handsome and mysterious stranger, a man whose secret could shatter her life.


Hot Stuff (Cate Madigan, Bk 1)
Hot Stuff (Cate Madigan, Bk 1)
Author: Janet Evanovich, Leanne Banks
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 692
Review Date: 2/25/2008


An aspiring teacher, Cate studies by day and bartends by night, living in the arty South End of Boston with an often-absent drag queen named Marty Longfellow. It's the perfect living arrangement~~*a big strong roommate...no interest in women*, plenty of alone time and low rent-turns wholly suspicious when Marty disappears, leaving behind a lovable bullmastiff. Cate's sexy love interest, barroom regular Kellen McBride, is an *independent recovery agent* who believes that Marty is responsible for a string of one-of-a-kind jewelry heists. After Marty's place gets tossed, Cate teams up with him to track down the missing Marty before whoever's after him comes after her. Like other Evanovich novels, there's a madcap race to the finish while mysteries are solved and hearts are stolen; also like other Evanovich novels, it makes for a highly satisfying read.


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