Stacking the Shelves (65) 10.20.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: For Review: The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris (e-book) by Jenny Colgan I saw this while perusing Netgalley and couldn’t resist requesting it. It was originally published this year, but is coming out in paperback in February 2014, so look for my review then! The Supreme Macaroni Company by…

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Review & Excerpt: Christmas At The Beach by Wendy Wax

Title: Christmas At The Beach  Author: Wendy Wax   Series: Beach #2.5 Published: October 2013 Penguin Group (USA) Format: ARC e-book, 52 pages Source: Netgalley  Wendy Wax entranced audiences with Ten Beach Road and Ocean Beach. Now, the ladies of Bella Flora are back in an all-new holiday novella. When Madeline Singer, Avery Lawford, and Nicole Grant first gained ownership of Ten Beach Road, they didn’t realize that remodeling the house…

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Big News from Carly Phillips Plus a Cover Reveal!!!

News from Carly:  Dear Readers, I know I’ve been teasing everyone for a while now about some exciting news that I have in the works. And I now have the official go-ahead to tell the world what’s coming next for me!   Are you ready? I’m so ready to share. I’ve been DYING to shout from the rooftops and have had a hard time keeping the news to myself. But here…

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It’s Monday….What Are You Reading? (10.14.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Well, my reading definitely took a hit this week but for a good reason –…

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Stacking the Shelves (64) 10.13.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: For Review: Christmas At The Beach (e-book) by Wendy Wax I first started reading Wendy Wax when I was sent a review copy of Ten Beach Road and then again in Ocean Beach. Well, the women are back in this novella, which sets the scene for the next full…

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Blog Tour, Review, Author Q&A & Giveaway: Getting Rowdy by Lori Foster (CLOSED)

Title: Getting Rowdy Author: Lori Foster Series: Love Undercover, #3 Published: September 2013 HQN Format: Paperback, 448 pages Source: Publisher via Meryl Moss Media Relations/BookTrib An alpha hero’s attraction to the one woman he can’t have could draw him into a killer’s snare in the sizzling new novel from New York Times bestselling author Lori Foster. Charismatic bar owner Rowdy Yates isn’t the kind of man women say no to.…

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Review: Let Me Be The One by Bella Andre

Title: Let Me Be The One  Author: Bella Andre Series: Sullivans, #6 Published: August 2012 Oak Press Format: e-book, 227 pages Source: Novel Publicity When Vicki Bennett saved Ryan Sullivan’s life as a teenager, it was the beginning of a close friendship that never wavered despite her failed marriage to someone else and Ryan’s well-earned reputation as a ladies man. So when she suddenly needs a pretend boyfriend to protect…

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Review: Hush Little Baby by Suzanne Redfearn

Title: Hush Little Baby Author: Suzanne Redfearn Published: October 2013, Grand Central Publishing Format: ARC Paperback, 368 pages Source: Author  Jillian Kane appears to have it all – a successful career, a gorgeous home, a loving husband, and two wonderful children. The reality behind closed doors is something else entirely. For nine years, she has hid the bruises and the truth of her abusive marriage in order to protect Addie…

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Review: The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

Title: The Girl You Left Behind Author: Jojo Moyes Published: August 2013 Pamela Dorman Books Format: Hardcover, 384 pages Source: Publisher/She Reads What happened to the girl you left behind? In 1916 French artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his wife Sophie to fight at the Front. When her town falls into German hands, his portrait of Sophie stirs the heart of the local Kommandant and causes her to risk everything –…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (10.7.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs.   Books Completed last week: Astor Place Vintage by Stephanie Lehmann (library book, book lovers…

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Stacking the Shelves (63) 10.6.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: From the Library:   Silencing Eve  by Iris Johansen This is the final installment of this year’s trilogy featuring Eve Duncan and I cannot wait to start reading this…the previous book ended with quite the cliffhanger!!! The Engagements (audio) by J. Courtney Sullivan I recently listened to Maine by…

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Review: Explosive Eighteen by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Title: Explosive Eighteen  Author: Janet Evanovich Series: Stephanie Plum, #18 Narrator: Lorelei King Published: November 2011 Random House Audio Length: 6 hours 13 minutes Source: Library Before Stephanie can even step foot off Flight 127 from Hawaii to Newark, she’s knee deep in trouble. Her dream vacation turned into a nightmare, she’s flying back to New Jersey solo. Worse still, her seatmate never returned to the plane after the L.A.…

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Review: The Good Wife by Jane Porter

Title: The Good Wife  Author: Jane Porter Series: Brennan Sisters, #3 Published: September 2013 Berkley Trade Format: Paperback, 432 pages Source: Personal copy Is it possible to love someone too much? Always considered the beauty of the family, the youngest Brennan sister, Sarah, remains deeply in love with her husband of ten years. Boone Walker, a professional baseball player, travels almost year-round while Sarah stays home and cares for their…

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Review & Giveaway: Gilt Trip by Laura Childs (CLOSED)

Title: Gilt Trip Author: Laura Childs Series: Scrapbooking Mystery series, #11 Published: October 2013 Berkley Hardcover Format: ARC Paperback, 320 pages Source: Author Louisiana businessman Jerry Earl Leland served only a fraction of his five-year sentence for white-collar crime, thanks to some political connections and a few greased palms. But he won’t have long to enjoy his freedom… After Jerry Earl’s early release, his wife, Margo—a much-married Garden District doyenne—throws…

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Month in Review: September 2013

September has come and gone and my reading has picked up!!! I’m getting a bit anxious that I might not complete all the reading challenges I signed up for, so I will be strategically picking books to read that will go towards those challenges. I still have 3 months and am not giving up yet! I also signed up this month to walk for at least 30 minutes a day…

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Review: The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Title: The School of Essential Ingredients  Author: Erica Bauermeister Published: January 2010 Berkley Trade Format: Paperback, 261 pages Source: Personal copy Once a month, eight students gather in Lillian’s restaurant for a cooking class. Among them is Claire, a young woman coming to terms with her new identity as a mother; Tom, a lawyer whose life has been overturned by loss; Antonia, an Italian kitchen designer adapting to life in…

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Review: The Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty

Title: The Husband’s Secret  Author: Liane Moriarty  Published: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam Format: Hardcover, 416 pages Source: Publisher/She Reads At the heart of The Husband’s Secret is a letter that’s not meant to be read My darling Cecilia, if you’re reading this, then I’ve died… Imagine that your husband wrote you a letter, to be opened after his death. Imagine, too, that the letter contains his deepest, darkest secret—something with the…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.30.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. This past week was relatively quiet and I was able to get a lot of…

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Stacking the Shelves (62) 9.29.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: From the Library: Only Mine by Susan Mallery Only Yours by Susan Mallery Only His by Susan Mallery The Keepsake by Tess Gerritsen  What did you get?

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Review: Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan (audio)

Title: Maine  Author: J. Courtney Sullivan Narrator: Ann Marie Lee Published: June 2011 Random House Audio Length: 17 hours 15 minutes Source: Library For the Kellehers, Maine is a place where children run in packs, showers are taken outdoors, and old Irish songs are sung around a piano. At the cottage, built by Kelleher hands, cocktail hour follows morning mass, nosy grandchildren snoop in drawers, and decades-old grudges simmer beneath…

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Review: Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Bella Andre

Title: Kissing Under the Mistletoe  Author: Bella Andre Series: The Sullivan’s, #10 Published: September 2013 Harlequin MIRA Format: ARC e-copy, 400 pages Source: Netgalley For Mary Sullivan Christmas is, and always has been, about family. And this year is no different. As she awaits the arrival of her eight children and their partners at the cottage in Lake Tahoe, she hangs the ornaments that they made for her over the years.…

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Blog Tour and Review: The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini

Title: The Spymistress Author: Jennifer Chiaverini Published: October 2013, Dutton Adult Format: ARC Paperback, 368 pages Source: Publisher New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Chiaverini is back with another enthralling historical novel set during the Civil War era, this time inspired by the life of a true Union woman as true as steel” who risked everything by caring for Union prisoners of war — and stealing Confederate secrets. Born to…

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Review: Sleigh Belles by Beth Albright

Title: Sleigh Belles  Author: Beth Albright  Series: Sassy Belles, #3   Published: September 2013 Harlequin MIRA  Format: ARC, e-copy, 336 pages  Source: Netgalley Join the Sassy Belles this holiday season—it’s Christmas, Southern-style! With her hair perfectly coiffed, nails freshly manicured and a heavy trail of perfume wafting behind her, local news reporter Dallas Dubois is sure she’s about to kick her career—and maybe her love life—into high gear. The director…

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Review: The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan

Title: The Other Woman  Author: Hank Phillippi Ryan Series: Jane Ryland/Jake Brogan, #1 Published: September 2012 Forge Books Format: Hardcover, 416 pages Source: Publicist Jane Ryland was a rising star in television news…until she refused to reveal a source and lost everything. Now a disgraced newspaper reporter, Jane isn’t content to work on her assigned puff pieces, and finds herself tracking down a candidate’s secret mistress just days before a…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.23.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. What a week!!! I went to two author events, getting to meet both Hank Phillippi…

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Bloggiesta…Finish Line

Another Bloggiesta has come to an end! This event couldn’t be more timely as I been neglecting my blog lately due to life getting in the way. Now if only I can figure out a way to stay caught up on some of the more mundane housekeeping things on a regular basis, some of these tasks won’t need to keep showing up on my to-do list! I ended up completing…

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Stacking the Shelves (61) 9.22.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: For Review: The Husband’s Secret by Liana Moriarty Hush Little Baby by Suzanne Redfearn  Royal Inheritance by Kate Emerson  The Perfect Match (e-book) by Kristan Higgins Purchased: The Wrong Girl by Hank Phillippi Ryan  W is for Wasted by Sue Grafton  These Few Precious Days: The Final Year of…

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Author Meet & Greet: Sue Grafton

Last night, I went to another author event – this time with Sue Grafton, who is the author of the Kinsey Millhone series, or as they are probably better known – the alphabet series! She is currently on tour with the release of her newest book, W is for Wasted.  I have to admit that I’ve only read the first 5 books in the series – A through E, so…

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Review: Banana Split by Josi S. Kilpack

Title: Banana Split Author: Josi S. Kilpack Series: A Culinary Mystery, #7 Published: February 2012, Shadow Mountain Format: Paperback, 372 pages Source: Personal copy Welcome to Paradise! We hope you enjoy your stay her in Hawai’i. If you’ve never visited the islands before, treat yourself to a delicious slice of grilled pineapple, take a walk along the beach or sample the tasty cuisine offered at one of our famous luaus.…

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Bloggiesta…My To-Do List and Updates

This weekend I will be participating in Bloggiesta! This event couldn’t be more timely as I been neglecting my blog lately due to life getting in the way.  This is a great weekend blogging marathon being hosted by Suey at It’s All About Books and Danielle at There’s a Book.   The premise of the bloggiesta, for those that haven’t participated before, is to spend the entire weekend working, updating,…

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Review: The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen

The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen Series: Rizzoli  & Isles, #6 Ballantine Books August 2007 Format: Paperback, 429 pages Source: Personal copy PECCAVI The Latin word is scrawled in blood at the scene of a young woman’s brutal murder: I HAVE SINNED. It’s a chilling Christmas greeting for Boston medical examiner Maura Isles and Detective Jane Rizzoli, who swiftly link the victim to the sinister Mephisto Club, a cult of…

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Author Meet & Greet: Hank Phillippi Ryan

Last night, I had the privilege of meeting Hank Phillippi Ryan, author of the best-selling books The Other Woman and The Wrong Girl, among others. She is currently on tour promoting her newest release, The Wrong Girl, and lucky for me, one of the stops wasn’t too far from my house. Unlike last weeks author event, this was much more intimate – there were only 7 of us there, plus…

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Review: The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers

The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers Atria Books February 2013 Format: Hardcover, 323 pages Source: Library Happiness at someone else’s expense came at a price. Tia had imagined judgment from the first kiss that she and Nathan shared. All year, she’d waited to be punished for being in love, and in truth, she believed that whatever consequences came her way would be deserved. Five years ago, Tia fell…

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Review: A Fitting End by Melissa Bourbon

A Fitting End by Melissa Bourbon Series: A Magical Dressmaking Mystery, #2 Signet February 2012 Format: Paperback, 320 pages Source: Personal copy Former Manhattan fashion designer Harlow Jane Cassidy has a gift for creating beautiful dresses. But when Harlow becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation, she’ll need more than her sewing skills to unravel the mystery… Business is booming at Harlow’s custom-dressmaking boutique, Buttons & Bows, even with…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.16.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. I had a great week last week – got to meet Jojo Moyes and got…

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Stacking the Shelves (60) 9.15.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got: For Review:   Gilt Trip by Laura Childs This is the newest in Laura Childs’ Scrapbooking Mystery series and I’m so excited I got an early copy!!!   Purchased:   Me Before You by Jojo Moyes I actually had the pleasure of meeting Jojo Moyes this week and picked…

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Review: The Witness by Nora Roberts (audio)

The Witness by Nora Roberts Read by Julia Whelan Brilliance Audio April 2012 Length: 16 hours 30 minutes Source: Library Elizabeth Fitch’s short-lived teenage rebellion began with L’Oreal Pure Black, a pair of scissors, and a fake ID. It ended in blood… Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange…

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Author Meet & Greet: Jojo Moyes

Last night, I had the privilege of meeting Jojo Moyes, author of the best-selling books Me Before You and The Girl You Left Behind, among others. She is currently on tour in the U.S. and the Greenwich Public Library in Connecticut was her first stop. I have not read any books by Jojo Moyes yet, but a few weeks ago I received a copy of The Girl You Left Behind…

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Review: Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair

Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair Series: Vintage Magic Mystery series, #5 Berkley Prime Crime July 2012 Source: Personal copy There’s nothing Maddie loves more than fabulous vintage clothes, but the visions she gets while touching them are starting to wear her down. Even so, when a beautifully dressed girl comes to Vintage Magic in search of her past, Maddie isn’t about to turn her away, especially since she bears…

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Review: Hunting Eve by Iris Johansen

Hunting Eve by Iris Johansen  Series: Eve Duncan #19  St. Martin’s Press  July 2013  Format: Hardcover, 400 pages  Source: Library She’s broken free. But danger is in hot pursuit. And rescue is nowhere in sight…  Eve Duncan is on the run. Kidnapped by Jim Doane, a mysterious man who wants her to complete a sinister forensic sculpture, she now has no time to savor the victory of escaping from him.…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.9.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. The mantra for this week has got to be “Get those reviews done!!!” I am…

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Stacking the Shelves (59) 9.8.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   Purchased:   Mistress   by James Patterson This actually came out the beginning of August but due to me being on a book buying ban, I had to wait until September to buy the book – very happy it was still available in hardcover so I can add…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle (CLOSED)

Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle  Series: Tudor Trilogy, #1 Simon & Schuster  August 2013  Format: Hardcover, 432 pages  Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Widowed for the second time at age thirty-one Katherine Parr falls deeply for the dashing courtier Thomas Seymour and hopes at last to marry for love. However, obliged to return to court, she attracts the attentions of the ailing, egotistical, and dangerously powerful Henry…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: The Hero by Robyn Carr (CLOSED)

The Hero by Robyn Carr Series: Thunder Point, #3 Harlequin MIRA August 2013 Format: ARC e-book, 384 pages Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity With warmth and sensitivity, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr shows readers that falling in love can be the bravest act of all.  In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.2.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. September is here and while I love summer, I am looking forward to the fall…

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Month in Review: August 2013

Well, the summer is slowly dwindling away and while I’m sad that the long days are slowly becoming a thing of the past, I do admit I love the fall – crisp weather, pumpkins and falling leaves – and the perfect excuse to curl up on my porch with a blanket while reading.  In August, I participated in a month-long ban on buying new books and as tough as it…

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Stacking the Shelves (58) 9.1.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   Getting Rowdy  by Lori Foster   This is the latest in Lori Foster’s Love Undercover series and I can’t wait to read it…Rowdy has been an interesting character since the first book of this series. What did you get this week?

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Review: Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen Barnes & Noble Classics Oct 2004 (Originally published 1811) Format: Hardcover, 312 pages Source: Personal copy Jane Austen’s first published novel, Sense and Sensibility is a wonderfully entertaining tale of flirtation and folly that revolves around two starkly different sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. While Elinor is thoughtful, considerate, and calm, her younger sister is emotional and wildly romantic. Both are looking for a…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller – CLOSED

Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller Series: Swoon-Worthy Cowboys, #5 Harlequin HQN  August 2013  Format: ARC e-copy, 384 pages  Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity The “First Lady of the West,” #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, cordially invites you to Parable, Montana-where love awaits.   Wedding bells are ringing in Parable, Montana, but Brylee Parrish hasn’t enjoyed the sound since being jilted at the altar by…

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Review: Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand Reagan Arthur Books June 2013 Format: Hardcover, 416 pages Source: Library A summer wedding stirs up trouble on both sides of the family in this new novel from bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. The Carmichaels and Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a wedding. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride’s late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every…

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