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Leslie (hugbandit7) - - Reviews

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32AA
32AA
Author: Michelle Cunnah
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 163
Review Date: 11/25/2007


this was a funny funny book, definitely a good read.


Ace of Hearts
Ace of Hearts
Author: Jean Holloway
Book Type: Perfect Paperback
  • Currently 4.5/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 6/22/2010


this was surprisingly good. I wasn't sure at first but as I got further into the book I liked the interaction between Von and Tony. The book is set in 1980 and the only thing I think that doesn't fit is that there is a mention of calling 911 and I don't think it was available at that time, at least not where I lived in the early 1980's!


Bad Boys Online: Hard Drive / Press Any Key / User Friendly
Bad Boys Online: Hard Drive / Press Any Key / User Friendly
Author: Erin McCarthy
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 128
Review Date: 5/22/2009


3 short stories that border on Erotica and involve men, women, computers and sex.

good stories, very enjoyable


Review Date: 9/7/2007
Helpful Score: 3


loved this book, funny, witty and sarcastic all rolled into one. definitely a book I would recommend!


Blue Blood (Debutante Dropout, Bk 1)
Blue Blood (Debutante Dropout, Bk 1)
Author: Susan McBride
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 87
Review Date: 5/8/2008
Helpful Score: 1


I just finished this book and really liked it! I think I like it because it is set in Dallas which is the area of Texas that I live (although not in Dallas!) that I can relate to many places they mention. I also like that she is a web designer (I do that on the side) but wish they would talk about that more than they do. I think there has been one "scene" that talked about it.

a very enjoyable cozy, needs a little more development of the characters but I'm sure the 2nd one will be better


The Brothers' Keepers (Parched) (Book 2)
The Brothers' Keepers (Parched) (Book 2)
Author: NLB Horton
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 2/28/2015


This is a follow up to the first book, When Camels Fly. While this could be read as a stand alone, it is best to read the first book to get a feel for the characters, their careers and what started in book 1 (water theft) continues in this book. It is a different plot with a familiar theme.

We see the return of the Madison family - Grace, Mark, Maggie, Jeff and the newest member, Becca. Between them they work or have connections to many government "spy" agencies - CIA, MI6, BBC (ok that one is a network), UNESCO and a tie to Mossad but not in the family...yet! Maggie is still single with 2 men interested in her with ties to various organizations.

I enjoyed this book better than the first one. I think probably because there weren't as many new characters and several characters were carried over from the first book so I was familiar with them.

The ending leaves you hanging a bit. You realize that the story isn't over yet BUT did they really figure out what Maggie thought she had uncovered in her water research? I'm guessing we will find out more in book 3 due out this fall.


A Case of Intent
A Case of Intent
Author: P. S. Barta
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 4/11/2010


Normally I will breeze through books in a day or two depending on my schedule, however this book took a little longer to read (which is not a bad thing!). There are several other story lines that are present in the first half of the book before the various parts start coming together and you get the full picture of what is going on in this novel. This can be confusing if you arent paying attention, hence why it took a few extra days to read this book. I liked that the main character, Nancy, was a confident women especially as you learned some details of her past. There is a romance with one of the James brothers that seemed a little crazy at the start of the relationship. The book is set in DC and Nancy is chasing her godparents dog and he manages to catch the dog until Nancy catches up. He invites her to dinner in his home and she accepts. While Nancy may have a certain awareness, was this really smart since she just met the man? He could have been a psychopathwhich really would have just been another twist to the story. And yes I know, this is a novel and not real life but I seem to get wrapped up in the characters and what they are doing and how I would react if I were in that position.

As the author answered in the above question, there are lies all throughout the book. These lies told to Nancy had an impact on who she was and what she decided to do with her life. The lies also put her and others into unnecessary jeopardy. Because it is a political thriller, some would probably say it is because it was for the security of the nation and others, but at what point does the lying stop? And even if it was to protect Nancy, she is a grown woman that should be able to decide for herself. Other characters realize this towards the end of the book that lying to Nancy just wasnt a wise move!

I enjoyed the book because it really made me think and try to understand why things happen the way they do in government. While this is a novel, Im sure that situations like this do happen that the public does not know about. If you decide to read this book, make sure you take your time to be able to understand all of the characters and the various subplots.


Crashers: A Tale of Cappers and Hammers
Crashers: A Tale of Cappers and Hammers
Author: Lindy S. Hudis
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 7/26/2014


Insurance fraud is real but can also be a dangerous pursuit as Bryce, Shari and Nathan come to find out in this book. Shari may not have had an easy life but it wasn't bad...until she is fired as a waitress for being 5 minutes late (amongst other things) and involved in an accident. Her boyfriend, Nathan, is also a rising star in the investment firm he works for until a slimeball coworker changes everything.

This story looks at what life is like for those living on the edge of the law and how the thought of quick cash can turn a person from a sane normal person to one that is out of control. The author does a great job of bringing the character to life and it had me on the edge of my seat wondering how certain events were going to turn out.

There were just a few too many F bombs for my taste but I tried to ignore them because the book was really good and enlightening


Dead Canaries Don't Sing (Reigning Cats and Dogs, Bk 1)
Dead Canaries Don't Sing (Reigning Cats and Dogs, Bk 1)
Author: Cynthia Baxter
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.6/5 Stars.
 125
Review Date: 11/25/2008
Helpful Score: 2


I'm not used to cozies being so long but it was a good book. There were many different curves thrown out and I started to suspect who the killer was by the end of the book. sometimes the main character, Jessie, is a bit annoying but not often

I'll definitely be continuing this series!


Dobie The Canine Saint
Dobie The Canine Saint
Author: Dr. Paul Greenbaum
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4.7/5 Stars.
 3
Review Date: 11/10/2008
Helpful Score: 1


This is a true story based on a specific time in Dr. Greenbaums life beginning in 1985. He had recently lost his dog, Big Pal, and was visiting a friend to go camping, when this friend showed him puppies that lived next door that were not being cared for, or at least not very well. His friend encouraged him to take one so it would have a better life. Paul resisted, but something told him to go ahead and take the female puppy, Vicious, home with him. Vicious was misnamed; she wasnt vicious at all, in fact she was very scared of everything around her, as Paul quickly realized on the car ride home.

Eventually the puppy was renamed Dobie and what followed for the next 13 years was nothing short of a miracle for Paul. Dobie overcame her fears and phobias and Paul learned what it meant to truly love someone. While he helped to heal Dobie, Dobie returned the favor and helped Paul heal and learn how to truly love.

This isnt a long book; its only 127 pages, but what is in those pages had an impact on this reader. I have always loved dogs, and know that there is something to be said for the unconditional love that a dog shows for its owners. This is one of my favorite quotes from this book and I think that it sums up what the author is trying to convey:

Love is more powerful than death. In fact, love transcends death. When the sacred chord is struck that opens two hearts to pure love, it matters not if theyre together for the full cycle of a lifetime or for just an instant. It is something that exists for eternity.

If you love dogs or have a special connection to any animal, I recommend this book. You will appreciate your pet even more and perhaps create the same type of bond that Paul had with Dobie.

Reviewed for RebeccasReads (6/08)


The Dog Diet, A Memoir : What My Dog Taught Me About Shedding Pounds, Licking Stress and Getting a New Leash on Life
Review Date: 11/28/2008
Helpful Score: 1


If you are reading this book as another "diet" book, then don't. If you want to read it for a fun story and what happened when an "uptight" women is adopted by a dog then do. Don't get me wrong, the principles in the book are the same you have heard many times - eat less and exercise. The author found out all of these things by adopting a dog and the challenges you have with a puppy (and I know, we've have 2!)

All in all, it was a good book for the story but when she talked about basically not eating the first few weeks, I had to shake my head because that is not healthy at all. Plus why was she always giving in to the dog?


Due to Lack of Interest Tomorrow has been Cancelled
Due to Lack of Interest Tomorrow has been Cancelled
Author: Irene Kampen
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 3.5/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 12/28/2008
Helpful Score: 1


This is a seemingly true story about the author, Irene Kampen, going back to college to finish that last semester and graduate from college. It is set in 1968 and things are definitely different from when she left in 1943. After all, 1968 is the "hippie" time frame and students are in to peace and love. And it doesn't seem to matter that she is 45 in this book, she still has to abide by the unmarried students rule and has to get a letter from her mother saying she can live off campus.

All in the the book was good and amusing to see it from another perspective. It was a fairly quick read. It isn't necessarily a blockbuster but it was interesting to see how life at college might have been in 1968


Eggs in Purgatory (Cackleberry Club, Bk 1)
Eggs in Purgatory (Cackleberry Club, Bk 1)
Author: Laura Childs
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 183
Review Date: 4/5/2009
Helpful Score: 5


This could be a really good new series for Laura Child. I really enjoy her tea series and am just so-so on the scrapbooking ones. This series includes tea but not to the extent of her other series.

This is about 3 women that run the Cackleberry Club which is a diner, book nook, knitting room and they also sell local homemade goods.

The local lawyer is killed behnd the restaurant and Suzanne finds the body and of course has to figure out who did it. She also gets involved because the city council is accusing her dead husband of taking a $4 million kickback from the building of the new prison in town.

It is an enjoyable book and I look forward to the next in the series


Explosion in Paris
Explosion in Paris
Author: Linda Masemore Pirrung
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 2.5/5 Stars.
 2
Review Date: 7/4/2009


"Explosion in Paris" is the newest romantic suspense novel from this author. Angie has been married to Mitch for seven years and of those seven, only the first year was a good one. Mitch has a very controlling personality and subtly forced Angie to resign from her job as a teacher stating that he needed her at home to maintain their home and assist him with his career as an architect. Eventually his actions over the years become those of an abuser, both emotionally and physically. Angie knows she needs to get out but doesn't have the confidence any more to know that she can make it on her own. That is until a chance meeting with Ross. It started with Ross accidentally wandering onto their property from the woods behind their home to a chance meeting at a local restaurant. From that moment on, Angie feels a kinship with Ross and they start spending more time together as friends which eventually turns into more.

During this time Angie thinks that Mitch doesn't know about her friendship with Ross but she later finds out she is wrong. Mitch has a business trip to Paris and Angie must go along with him. Mitch has other plans for this trip besides business which include killing his wife in a boat explosion. What Mitch doesn't realize is that Angie wasn't on the boat when it exploded, that she managed to get off before that happened. The up side to this is that she is able to start a new life in Paris without Mitch, but this also means a life without Ross.

The story continues with her experiences in France, the messages she is sending Ross without him realizing it and how she confronts her past without having to forfeit her future. I don't want to spoil the rest of the story so you will have to read the book for the rest of the details!

When I first started reading this book I wasn't sure what to expect. At first I didn't like the storyline because I saw that Mitch was an abuser and that didn't sit well with me. But as I continued reading I saw that Angie blossomed from her friendship with Ross and that it was most likely that she would have left Mitch if he hadn't tried to kill her. I was glad to see that Mitch didn't escape punishment from his actions. There were times when I felt that the descriptive language could have been trimmed back and nothing would have been lost from the story or the imagery that the author created.

Overall I would recommend this book. The description on the back of the book does not do this storyline justice and I think you will be pleasantly surprised at all of the story lines come together. I also found it to be a fairly fast read and it was hard for me to put down because while I guessed what happened next in many places, there were also parts of the story that I didn't see coming and it surprised and delighted me to read those chapters.

Reviewed for RebeccasReads.com 6/09


Good Man Hunting
Good Man Hunting
Author: Lisa Landolt
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 12
Review Date: 2/20/2009
Helpful Score: 2


I really enjoyed this book! it had some funny parts and a few twists that I didn't see coming. I'm not sure on the genre, it isn't really chick lit and there is a little suspense. it is set in Dallas and since I live here I recognized many of the places so that is always a nice touch


Greasing the Pinata (Cape Weathers, Bk 3)
Greasing the Pinata (Cape Weathers, Bk 3)
Author: Tim Maleeny
Book Type: Hardcover
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 9/10/2008


Reviewed for Rebeccasreads.com

The players:
Cape Weathers - former reporter turned PI
Sally - an Asian orphan that was raised and trained by the Hong Kong Triads and is a deadly force.
Rebecca Lowry - the Senator's daughter that is searching for her missing brother and father
Chief Inspector Oscar Garcia - Mexican policeman, or is he?
Luis Cordon and Antonio Salinas - heads of opposing drug cartels in Mexico

In this installment, PI Cape Weathers is hired by a former Senator's daughter, Rebecca Lowry, to find her brother and father. Her father disappeared a few days after her brother went missing. The news isn't good, both her father and brother were found dead (and missing body parts) in Mexico and under suspicious circumstances.

What follows next is a web of lies and deceit by politicians, heads of drug cartels and even the Mexican police inspector. What is their plan? What are they trying to cover up?

While not having read the first two books of this series I wasn't sure if I would be able to keep up with the characters or understand their background. The author did a great job of filling in the background on the characters so that you were drawn into their lives within the story and could only wonder what more there was that hasn't been revealed. Cape Weathers has a dry sense of humor that almost gets him killed several times, but he manages to sidestep that danger just in the nick of time. Sally is definitely a deadly force not to be reckoned with if you wanted to stay alive. The heads of the drug cartels have their own agenda and wouldn't mind taking over the other's territory.

This is an intriguing political thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what could possibly happen next and who was behind the deaths of the Senator and his son? Would they be brought to justice? And if so, what sort of justice? Of course the twist near the end of the story was not expected and that just brought up more questions for this reader.

This is definitely a must read for those that enjoy a story that has so many twists and turns that you feel like you are on a rollercoaster and aren't sure what is around the next corner.


The Great Scot
The Great Scot
Author: Donna Kauffman
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.7/5 Stars.
 81
Review Date: 9/7/2007
Helpful Score: 4


I tried reading this book and didn't make it much past about 7 chapters. While normally this type of book would have been read very quickly, it seemed slow and really failed to grab my attention. Others may enjoy this book, but it wasn't one I could even finish.


Hawaii The Big Island Revealed: The Ultimate Guidebook (Hawaii the Big Island Revealed)
Review Date: 11/25/2008


This was a very helpful book for figuring out what to see while on the island. I have used several of their books and while I don't always agree with some of their comments I find that 99% of the time they are dead on.

These books are considered the "blue bible" when visiting any of the Hawaiian islands so definitely check any of them out for your next visit.


Hello, Gorgeous! (Gorgeous, Bk 1)
Hello, Gorgeous! (Gorgeous, Bk 1)
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 3.8/5 Stars.
 147
Review Date: 12/29/2008
Helpful Score: 1


While I enjoyed this book, I didn't enjoy it as much as some of her other series. It is still a good read but I laughed through the first book of the Alaskan Royals and this one, not until near the end.

still a good book and worth a read


Her Ghost Wears Kilts
Her Ghost Wears Kilts
Author: Kathleen Shaputis
Book Type: Paperback
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 1
Review Date: 10/27/2014


This is an interesting twist of genres - romance, comedy, paranormal and even a little bit of mystery.

Baillie is being haunted by a ghost from Scotland but doesn't know why or that it is even a ghost until she goes to a renaissance faire and meets a fortune teller. Who knew that it would turn out to be an ancestor?!

I don't want to give away too much but this was a fun book to read and you never knew exactly where the story was going...you might thing down one path and then the author would make that sharp left and you were going down another path in the story. It kept me intrigued throughout and there were even a few heart stopping moments for me near the end.

The cast of characters was interesting since it included several drag queens (that impersonated Beyawncee and Jaello) and Baillie's good friend Gillian who is gay but a whiz at all things electronic.

There were some errors in research as others have pointed out, but since I don't live in England or Scotland I wouldn't have necessarily caught the errors.


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