Meant for Each Other by Lee Duran

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Summary:

Frankie Hale doesn't believe in love at first sight… until she meets Johnny Davis. And hours after that first meeting, he carves their initials into a tree, joining them forever. If only it were so easy.

From the very beginning, their on-again, off-again romance makes them the talk of their small Missouri town. It's clear that Frankie and Johnny are meant to be together, so why do they have to struggle to make this relationship work? Or are they learning the hard way that a love worth having takes a lifetime to build? 

Review:  Frankie and Johnny take the saying "if at first you don't succeed try, try again"to a whole new level.  This young couple meets in the 60's and carries on an endearing romance that will tie the reader to them and root for they as a family, and as a couple to win in the end.  Through life changing "brownie moments", and teenage mistakes that are all too real for teens in any era this heart warming story will tug at your heart strings as a reader, and keep you up at night so don't make long term evening plans if you pick up the book after seven pm ;).  Frankie might be straight laced, and Johnny might be more of a show man but one thing that they never lose sight of is their love for each other. It does get tested, but in the end you cannot change what is "meant to be" ;) 

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By: Mary Freels Rosborough Novel from the 1940's/1950's.

Summary: The wind in the tall pines made a pleasing murmur on the mild January day at Fish Hawk's Landing, but True Martin did not hear it. She stood in the doorway and stared moodily at the river purring placidly along. Her eyes were very blue and tipped up at the corners in a way that might have been roguish if they hadn't been sad. She hated this new place. She saw nothing of its charm, the caretaker's cabin, artfully constructed of logs, nestling in the trees on the riverbank. To her the river was only a menace, tempting Pop to stop working and go fishing. Her father and little brother were coming down the road......

Review: Jump Williams comes back from World War II with the intention of buying back his farm, and  winning the hand of his childhood sweetheart  True.  True can hardly believe her eyes when she first encounters her one and only childhood love Jump, who has come back to claim her, and she will continue to have trouble believing all the surprises and obstacles that fate has in store for the young couple before they can be married and have a home of their own which is all True really craves.  With characters that call you back to a simpler time and wording that makes the reader think of lemonade on a hot summers day in the late fifties this is a book that can take you away for awhile, and that I enjoyed.

Isn't It Rich? By Sherryl Woods

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Summary: Straitlaced tycoon Richard Carlton suspects that his Aunt Destiny has more than business matters on her mind when she insists he meet klutzy PR executive Melanie Hart. Melanie might be brilliant--and beautiful--but Richard won't open his wounded heart to any woman, no matter how much she might make his pulse race.

Yet when the press mistakenly reports that they're a couple, Richard convinces Melanie to pretend that they're engaged--to bolster his reputationand to teach his matchmaking aunt a lesson, for once and for all. But is this relationship just a charade, or do opposites really attract--for keeps?

Review: Richard can't keep his Aunt Destiny out of his love life, and Melanie, doesn't trust herself with her own love life after being hurt by men in her past.  The only thing Richard and Melanie can agree on is that they are workaholics, and cannot seem to stop running into each other in work-related situations which they  seem to think is somehow related to Richard's aunts scheming.  But when the two try to trick Richard's aunt they find that her plot to bring them together has worked for much more than just a work-related relationship.  This was a lovely little book to read, its in a series I think; it's easy to follow the characters are fun, and plot wasn't complicated.  For a Sunday, rainy day read, I'd recommend it.

False Promises by Violet Hamilton

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Summary: (from eye on romance website) Lovely, titian-haired Verity Howard had disliked & womanizing Capt. Alastair Glendenning on sight, despite her brother's admiration. She was all too familiar with men of his stamp--men like the stepfather she had fled to Brussels to escape. And when she learned her brother was killed at the Battle of Waterloo, her dislike turned to hatred. For even as the brash commanding officer delivered the tragic news, his eyes were raking appraisingly over her, and his offer of help sounded suspiciously like an invitation to his bed!

SHE WAS NO LADY
Glendenning did not know what had possessed him to give his word to the dying young soldier that he would look after his sister. But give his word he had, and he would not go back on it -- no matter how the little chit resisted his efforts. After what he had heard about her relationship with her stepfather, it was no use trying to gammon him with her air of innocence. He knew damn well that beneath her icy disapproval beat a heart as warm and willing as any woman's -- at least, where a man like him was concerned!

Review: This is not a book that I would read again or recommend to anyone under the age of fifteen or sixteen years of age.  The main character Verity is thrust into a compromising position from the very first page of the book with her step-father who acts in an inappropriate way towards her, this is followed by her escaping her family home and moving from place to place with the British army because her brother is an enlisted soldier.  Alastair, her brother's superior  enters the plot as Verity is attending a ball with her brother right before the battle of Waterloo. Alastair and Verity  have several heated encounters which are followed by Alastair "supposedly" not being able to control himself because Verity has pushed him beyond his limit with her sassiness and cutting words, so he overpowers her and takes her by force.  After this the plot goes on to say that Alastair feels guilty so the couple marries and gets involved in other intrigues and supposedly end up in love as the book closes.  I don't approve of what the book implies about women, or of how the plot unfolded, I finished because I don't like just putting down a book.  Some words were poorly used, and the characters seemed very flat at times.  Do yourself a favor and pick a different book.  This piece of literature does a disservice to women everywhere. 

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By: Lynda Trent

No Summary Available

Review: Kate O'Connell is a young woman who had a rough childhood growing up with her Mother who made a living working as a prostitute.  At twelve years of age Kate escaped into the sanctuary of the life of a convent and now she is on the verge of taking her vows to become a full fledged nun.  Her life takes a dramatic turn when she is sent out of her cloistered nunnery into the world to deliver a holy relic to a sick priest who happens to he her uncle.  Her party is robbed and left for dead and she is rescued by Jess Darnell a man with secrets of his own who will be her ultimate savior or the death of her dreams of becoming a proper Benedictine nun.   This story had very good build up, character development, and it was refreshing the way the reader slowly learned about each character's past and was fed bits and pieces throughout the story.  The only criticism I have is that it did jump around from place to place a bit in some of the chapters a bit abruptly from one environment and group of characters to another other than that great novel.

A Certain Smile By Marjorie Lewty

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Summary:  It was a whole new world for Amanda.... Meeting her father for the first time at the age of eighteen was quite and experience for Amanda Dawson. She was catapulted from life on a quiet Devonshire Village into the urbane sophistication of her father's world. Amanda's fresh innocence had not prepared her for wealth, tycoons, or wild parties. Nor was she prepared for a man like Blair Craddock, her father's business partner. It was easy to fall in love with him - but he was planning to marry his lovely colleague, Juliet! 

Review: When Amanda loses her Grandmother her world spirals out of control as she is taken out of the small village she was raised in and plopped down into the opulent world of her business tycoon Father.  Bewildered at first by all the changes taking place things begin to brighten in the young girls world when Blair Craddock enters her life in an unexpected and compromising meeting. While character development happened rather fast, its hard not to root for Amanda as the lead 'actress' in the book, and Blair is cast as the protective male heroine.  The things I liked were the characters of Amanda, Juliet who was fun and sassy, and Amanda's Father who had better character build up.  Some wording was more difficult because of the timing of when the book was published but overall a good romantic harlequin. 

Hi everyone =) I've been thinking reviewing books whether online or in a newspaper / magazine of some sort is something I'd really love to pursue professionally. I know that I'd need original viewpoints and a style of writing that could keep my readers interested but I really feel I have the interest and talent to pursue this line of work. I read not just as a hobby but as a way of life. Any advice on this topic would be appreciated so PLEASE feel free to comment.

I will also be putting up more reviews asap I have been in and out of the hospital over the last few months so it has been difficult to keep up with my reviewing. Regards <3

Liz