Tamara's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 10 Apr 2025 21:21:30 -0700 60 Tamara's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Never Leave Me (The Waters of Time, #2)]]> 58276971
When he locates two flasks, Ellen refuses to drink one of them because she believes the holy water killed her sister and father. In an effort to convince her to take it, Harrison ingests the contents first, and when Ellen witnesses the effects, she can no longer deny the power of the substance in the bottles. Dangerous criminals are also seeking the holy water, and Ellen soon learns they will go to any lengths to get the powerful drug--including sending her back into the past to find it for them.]]> 347 Jody Hedlund 0800738446 Tamara 4 4.04 2022 Never Leave Me (The Waters of Time, #2)
author: Jody Hedlund
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/10
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]]> The Nightmare Virus 205180538 Some viruses go after the body. But the Nightmare Virus goes after the mind.When dream technology goes wrong, a virus spreads across the globe, trapping people in a universal dreamscape. They call it the Nightmare Virus.Cain Cross is determined to find a cure . . . if he can decipher his brother’s chicken-scratch formula notes. But when he gets infected, he has only 22 days until he’s trapped in the mental prison forever. Now, every time he falls asleep, he must fight in a Nightmare Arena until he earns his freedom to live in the “new world� that exists only in the mind.Then he finds a way to manipulate the Nightmare—to change it by mere thought.Forced to navigate a world of nightbeasts, mistblades, and half-truths, Cain turns his focus to survival. When the Emperor offers him a LifeSuPod—and access to a cure—in exchange for a dangerous favor, Cain thinks he’s found a way out. But Cain’s new power threatens to take him on paths that jeopardize his very soul.Will he continue searching for a cure, or will he swear allegiance to the Nightmare? And the bigger question might be . . . will he even have a choice?]]> 368 Nadine Brandes Tamara 3 4.25 2024 The Nightmare Virus
author: Nadine Brandes
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
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Although this wasn't my favorite book, I couldn't stop reading after page 120.
]]> The Book of Lost Names 52762903 The Book of Lost Names.

The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II—an experience Eva remembers well—and the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago. The book in the photograph, an eighteenth-century religious text thought to have been taken from France in the waning days of the war, is one of the most fascinating cases. Now housed in Berlin’s Zentral- und Landesbibliothek library, it appears to contain some sort of code, but researchers don’t know where it came from—or what the code means. Only Eva holds the answer—but will she have the strength to revisit old memories and help reunite those lost during the war?

As a graduate student in 1942, Eva was forced to flee Paris after the arrest of her father, a Polish Jew. Finding refuge in a small mountain town in the Free Zone, she begins forging identity documents for Jewish children fleeing to neutral Switzerland. But erasing people comes with a price, and along with a mysterious, handsome forger named Rémy, Eva decides she must find a way to preserve the real names of the children who are too young to remember who they really are. The records they keep in The Book of Lost Names will become even more vital when the resistance cell they work for is betrayed and Rémy disappears.

An engaging and evocative novel reminiscent of The Lost Girls of Paris and The Alice Network, The Book of Lost Names is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of bravery and love in the face of evil.]]> 388 Kristin Harmel 1982131896 Tamara 3

The first half was slow and building, as you'd expect. But from the middle onwards, it felt like my opinions changed with every few chapters.

One thing that was consistent, though, was my annoyance with Eva's mother. The constant blaming got tiring to read, and I felt like Eva's character didn't handle it very realistically. Instead of getting angry, she shrank into herself and let it fester.

And then we got to the part about her mother's execution. Was anyone else flabbergasted with the way she seemingly changed her stance overnight? The entire book she had been droning on about how foolish Eva was and then, when the pistol was about to go off, she was suddenly "proud to have a daughter so brave". Excuse me, what! I think I snorted out loud when I read that.

On the other hand, I'm glad she ended up with Remy, but I would have liked to see more of their romance. I enjoyed the priest's character, as well as Remy's.

Overall, an okay book. Not the best WWII fiction I've read but not the worst. I got through it in less than a week and wasn't bored.]]> 4.41 2020 The Book of Lost Names
author: Kristin Harmel
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves:
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How do you rate something accurately when your rating changed with every part of the story?


The first half was slow and building, as you'd expect. But from the middle onwards, it felt like my opinions changed with every few chapters.

One thing that was consistent, though, was my annoyance with Eva's mother. The constant blaming got tiring to read, and I felt like Eva's character didn't handle it very realistically. Instead of getting angry, she shrank into herself and let it fester.

And then we got to the part about her mother's execution. Was anyone else flabbergasted with the way she seemingly changed her stance overnight? The entire book she had been droning on about how foolish Eva was and then, when the pistol was about to go off, she was suddenly "proud to have a daughter so brave". Excuse me, what! I think I snorted out loud when I read that.

On the other hand, I'm glad she ended up with Remy, but I would have liked to see more of their romance. I enjoyed the priest's character, as well as Remy's.

Overall, an okay book. Not the best WWII fiction I've read but not the worst. I got through it in less than a week and wasn't bored.
]]> They Thirst 462658 412 Robert McCammon 0913165603 Tamara 0 3.90 1981 They Thirst
author: Robert McCammon
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.90
book published: 1981
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Hell Hound 2768011
Such are the thoughts of Baxter, a sociopathic bull terrier on the hunt for the perfect master, as he contemplates the demise of his first victim.]]> 192 Ken Greenhall 0890833036 Tamara 0 3.86 1977 Hell Hound
author: Ken Greenhall
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1977
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Swan Song 11557
He is the Man with the Scarlet Eye, a malevolent force that feeds on the dark desires of the countless followers he has gathered into his service. His only desire is to find a special child named Swan—and destroy her. But those who would protect the girl are determined to fight for what is left of the world, and their souls.

In a wasteland born of rage, populated by monstrous creatures and marauding armies, the last survivors on earth have been drawn into the final battle between good and evil that will decide the fate of humanity....]]> 956 Robert McCammon 0671741039 Tamara 0 4.29 1987 Swan Song
author: Robert McCammon
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1987
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Katie 3001708
Ever so nimble at bashing heads with her little hammer, Katie Slapes was her parents' joy and certain fortune. As the cellar filled with corpses, the family coffers filled with cash.

Pretty young Philo Drax didn't have a family anymore. Katie had finished off her grandfather and her mother, and promised to put Philo out of her misery very soon now.

It was a hard, cruel world for an innocent girl alone, but Philo was glad to be alive, and eager to continue so. She had prospeccts of a romantic marriage to sustain her through her trials. While Katie, poor creature, had only her cunning... and her hammer.

DON'T EVER TURN YOUR BACK ON KATIE!]]> 295 Michael McDowell 0380801841 Tamara 0 4.12 1982 Katie
author: Michael McDowell
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1982
rating: 0
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]]> Occultation and Other Stories 7876300
He returns with his second collection, Occultation. Pitting ordinary men and women against a carnivorous, chaotic cosmos, Occultation’s nine tales of terror (two published here for the first time) were nominated for just as many Shirley Jackson awards, winning for the novella “Mysterium Tremendum� and the collection as a whole. Occultation brings more of the spine-chillingly sublime cosmic horror Laird Barron’s fans have come to expect.]]> 245 Laird Barron 1597801925 Tamara 0 4.08 2010 Occultation and Other Stories
author: Laird Barron
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Wolf Hunt 8649882 336 Jeff Strand 0843964650 Tamara 0 4.07 2010 Wolf Hunt
author: Jeff Strand
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Elizabeth 471412 160 Jessica Hamilton 1557850011 Tamara 0 3.44 1976 Elizabeth
author: Jessica Hamilton
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.44
book published: 1976
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> When Darkness Loves Us 868727
Sally Ann is a bright and bubbling farm girl, still caught in the thrill of a brand-new husband and a shining future ahead. When a careless exploration leaves her trapped underground, she learns to live again in the absence of everything she once knew. Even driven by love and light, Sally Ann finds the deepest darkness within herself in When Darkness Loves Us.

Beauty Is... - Old Martha Mannes has been a part of Morgan, Illinois since her birth. The whole town knows her as the dim-witted woman who was born without a nose, but Martha's mind wasn't always a blank slate. Unlocking the monster buried deep in her memories may bring back the sparkling child she once was... or it may send those around her crashing down into the nightmares of a little girl gone wrong.]]> 249 Elizabeth Engstrom 0688041752 Tamara 0 4.01 1985 When Darkness Loves Us
author: Elizabeth Engstrom
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.01
book published: 1985
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Black Ambrosia 868730
Angelina doesn't kill out of hatred or fear--she kills out of love, bringing solace to her victims, guided by the seductive Voice that speaks only to her.

Angelina offers you eternal peace--at the cost of your soul!]]> 341 Elizabeth Engstrom 0812517512 Tamara 0 3.75 1988 Black Ambrosia
author: Elizabeth Engstrom
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.75
book published: 1988
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Burnt Offerings 897717
But Mrs. Allardyce never seems to emerge from her room, and it soon becomes clear that something weird and terrifying is happening in the house. As the suspense builds towards a revelation of what really lies behind that locked door, the Rolfes will discover that their cheap vacation rental comes at a terrible cost...

The basis for a classic 1976 film adaptation and an acknowledged influence on Stephen King’s The Shining, Burnt Offerings is one of the most original and scariest haunted house novels ever written.]]> 246 Robert Marasco 0440009286 Tamara 0 3.79 1973 Burnt Offerings
author: Robert Marasco
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.79
book published: 1973
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> Let the Right One In 943402
But the murder is not the most important thing on his mind. A new girl has moved in next door—a girl who has never seen a Rubik's Cube before, but who can solve it at once. There is something wrong with her, though, something odd. And she only comes out at night....]]> 513 John Ajvide Lindqvist 1847241697 Tamara 0 4.08 2004 Let the Right One In
author: John Ajvide Lindqvist
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
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review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2)]]> 23807
Dr. Lecter is a former psychiatrist with a grisly history, unusual tastes, and an intense curiosity about the darker corners of the mind. His intimate understanding of the killer and of Clarice herself form the core of "The Silence of the Lambs"—an ingenious, masterfully written book and an unforgettable classic of suspense fiction.]]> 421 Thomas Harris Tamara 0 4.25 1988 The Silence of the Lambs (Hannibal Lecter, #2)
author: Thomas Harris
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.25
book published: 1988
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> The Collection 108565
This is The Collection—thirty-two stories of hot blood and frigid terror that could have come only from the mind of Bentley Little. And that's a scary place to be.]]> 464 Bentley Little 0451206096 Tamara 0 3.94 2002 The Collection
author: Bentley Little
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/14
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]]> <![CDATA[The Healing Summer (The Healing Series Book 1)]]> 57621015 Summer 1981

At the age of ninety-four, Maggie Howard’s final wish is to return to San Francisco and find out what happened to the young man who saved her life in 1906 after the disastrous earthquake and fires that devastated the city. They’d been trapped beneath a collapsed roof for hours, injured and unable to call for help. The morning of their rescue, Orlando Gallo promised he would find her again.

But Maggie hasn’t seen or heard from him in over seventy years, and now, widowed and childless, Maggie hopes to leave her estate to Orlando’s descendants. She invites her neighbor, forty-year-old Jo Sampson, to travel with her, and as the two women return to San Francisco to track down Orlando, they form a strong bond of friendship and healing that transcends time and place.


Heather B. Moore is a USA today bestselling author who writes sweet romance. Under H.B. Moore she writes historicals & thrillers. Under Jane Redd, she writes Young Adult. There are more than 9,000 5-star reviews for Heather's books on ŷ!]]> 233 Heather B. Moore Tamara 3 4.09 The Healing Summer (The Healing Series Book 1)
author: Heather B. Moore
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.09
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/14
date added: 2025/03/14
shelves:
review:
I was engaged with the beginning and middle of the story, the plot lines with Maggie and Orlando, and then the plot line of Jo and Maggie's journey to find Orlando, but wasn't super interested in the last half of the novel. I found myself half paying attention and wishing we could have spent more time in the other two plotlines.
]]> Confess 22609310
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?]]> 306 Colleen Hoover 1476791457 Tamara 5
This was my first Colleen Hoover book and I'm really glad I finally picked it up.



I think the beginning of the story and the end of the story flash back tied together perfectly. It was heartbreaking but uplifting all at once, and I loved how it unfolded.

]]> 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2015/09/27
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
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"That could be fate, you know" is a quote from the book that really stuck with me, especially after completing the novel and sitting back to think about the role that fate played in the story. I believe that I've had a few run-ins with fate myself in my personal life, so to a read a story that was so full of hints of it really captured my attention from start to finish.

This was my first Colleen Hoover book and I'm really glad I finally picked it up.



I think the beginning of the story and the end of the story flash back tied together perfectly. It was heartbreaking but uplifting all at once, and I loved how it unfolded.


]]> <![CDATA[A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #1)]]> 10697427
"Unlike any children's book I've ever read. [It] holds up to multiple rereadings, like the classic I think it will turn out to be." - New York Times Book Review]]> 288 Adam Gidwitz 0142419672 Tamara 2 3.97 2010 A Tale Dark & Grimm (A Tale Dark & Grimm, #1)
author: Adam Gidwitz
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2010
rating: 2
read at: 2015/06/16
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
I didn't realize this was considered a children's book before I began to read it, and upon finishing the book I wouldn't recommend this for young children. It's a retelling and combining of some brother's Grimm stories, and contains a lot of gore. I enjoyed it, but I think I would have liked it more if I was 13 or 14.
]]> <![CDATA[Come Back to Me (Waters of Time, #1)]]> 54405695
That's exactly what research scientist Marian Creighton has always believed about her father's quest, even if it does stem from a desire to save her sister Ellen from the genetic disease that stole their mother from them. But when her father falls into a coma after drinking a vial of holy water believed to contain traces of residue from the Tree of Life, Marian must question all of her assumptions. He's left behind tantalizing clues that suggest he's crossed back in time. Insane. Until Marian tests his theories and finds herself in the Middle Ages during a dangerous peasant uprising.

William Durham, a valiant knight comes to Marian's rescue and offers her protection . . . as his wife. The longer Marian stays in the past, the more she cares about William. Can she ever find her father and make it back to the present to heal her sister? And when the time comes to leave, will she want to?

Bestselling author Jody Hedlund is your guide down the twisting waters of time to a volatile era of superstition, revolts, and chivalry in this suspenseful story.]]> 384 Jody Hedlund 0800738438 Tamara 5 4.05 2021 Come Back to Me (Waters of Time, #1)
author: Jody Hedlund
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/31
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves:
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My only complaint was that it ended kind of ubruptly.
]]> <![CDATA[When the Day Comes (Timeless, #1)]]> 59627675
Libby has been given a powerful gift: to live one life in 1774 Colonial Williamsburg and the other in 1914 Gilded Age New York City. When she falls asleep in one life, she wakes up in the other. While she's the same person at her core in both times, she's leading two vastly different lives.

In Colonial Williamsburg, Libby is a public printer for the House of Burgesses and the Royal Governor, trying to provide for her family and support the Patriot cause. The man she loves, Henry Montgomery, has his own secrets. As the revolution draws near, both their lives--and any hope of love--are put in jeopardy.

Libby's life in 1914 New York is filled with wealth, drawing room conversations, and bachelors. But the only work she cares about--women's suffrage--is discouraged, and her mother is intent on marrying her off to an English marquess. The growing talk of war in Europe only complicates matters.

But Libby knows she's not destined to live two lives forever. On her twenty-first birthday, she must choose one path and forfeit the other--but how can she choose when she has so much to lose in each life?]]> 384 Gabrielle Meyer 0764239740 Tamara 4 4.37 2022 When the Day Comes (Timeless, #1)
author: Gabrielle Meyer
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/21
date added: 2024/12/21
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]]> How to Save a Life 27408218 Groundhog Day meets Grey’s Anatomy in this heartfelt novella with a hint of magic from the internationally bestselling author of The Sweetness of Forgetting and The Life Intended, in which a woman with only a short time to live discovers she can repeat the same day over and over until her life feels complete.When a pediatric oncology nurse receives a devastating prognosis—she has just weeks left to live—she finds unexpected comfort from a patient. Her young friend shares a life- and death-changing it is possible to live the same day over and over again until she’s experienced a truly full life. Thus begins a heartbreaking and joyful journey of love, friendship, and self-discovery, as the brave nurse only truly learns how to live in the face of death. Kristin Harmel, whose work has been called “immersive and evocative� (Publishers Weekly), “absorbing…well-paced and warmhearted� (Kirkus Reviews), and “absolutely enthralling� (Fresh Fiction), infuses her poignant, uplifting novella with a dash of magic and a hefty dose of heart.]]> 199 Kristin Harmel 1501122746 Tamara 4 3.95 2016 How to Save a Life
author: Kristin Harmel
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/17
date added: 2024/11/17
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]]> <![CDATA[Invitation (The Harbingers Series)]]> 56262331 THE CALL by Bill Myers, THE HAUNTED by Frank Peretti, THE WATCHMEN by Angela Hunt, THE GIRL by Alton Gansky. Five characters - with gifts they don't fully understand - are mysteriously brought together to fight growing pockets of darkness across the world: Brenda, the tattoo artist who walks the streets and sees images of the future. The teacher, the ex-priest atheist ruled by logic. Andi, the professor's brilliant-but-geek assistant, who sees inexplicable patterns. Tank, the big-hearted, naive athlete with a surprising connection to healing power. Daniel, the institutionalized ten-year-old boy who can see the supernatural world.
First brought together in "The Ring", the five soon realize that pockets of darkness are rising across the world. Whether it involves a mysterious house, the inexplicable death of animals around the world, or a supernatural little girl, each puzzle they solve brings them closer to the ultimate explanation of what's going on. But will they discover the truth in time?]]> Bill Myers 1664461361 Tamara 2 3.80 Invitation (The Harbingers Series)
author: Bill Myers
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.80
book published:
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/18
date added: 2024/11/14
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I just couldn't get through the second story.
]]> Forever Christmas 21556064 192 Robert Tate Miller 1401690637 Tamara 2 4.02 2014 Forever Christmas
author: Robert Tate Miller
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/07
date added: 2024/11/07
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]]> Can't Help Falling 29430781
Emelia Mason has spent her career finding the dirt on the rich and famous. But deep down past this fearless tabloid-reporter façade, there’s a nerdy Narnia-obsessed girl who still can’t resist climbing into wardrobes to check for the magical land on the other side. When a story she writes produces tragic results, she flees to Oxford, England—home to C.S. Lewis—to try and make amends for the damage she has caused.

Peter Carlisle was on his way to become one of Great Britain’s best rowers—until he injured his shoulder and lost his chance at glory. He’s determined to fight his way back to the top even if it means risking permanent disability to do so. It’s the only way he can find his way past failing the one person who never stopped believing in his Olympic dream.

When Peter and Emelia cross paths on her first night in Oxford, the attraction is instant and they find common ground in their shared love of Narnia. But can the lessons from a fantasyland be enough to hold them together when secrets of the real world threaten to tear them apart? Cobblestone streets, an aristocratic estate, and an antique shop with curious a wardrobe bring the world of Narnia to life in Kara Isaac’s inspiring and romantic story about second chances.]]> 373 Kara Isaac 1501117343 Tamara 2 4.14 2016 Can't Help Falling
author: Kara Isaac
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2016
rating: 2
read at: 2024/10/29
date added: 2024/10/29
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]]> <![CDATA[Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #1)]]> 55987278 How far would you go for happily ever after?

For as long as she can remember, Evangeline Fox has believed in true love and happy endings... until she learns that the love of her life will marry another.

Desperate to stop the wedding and to heal her wounded heart, Evangeline strikes a deal with the charismatic but wicked Prince of Hearts. In exchange for his help, he asks for three kisses, to be given at the time and place of his choosing.

But after Evangeline’s first promised kiss, she learns that bargaining with an immortal is a dangerous game—and that the Prince of Hearts wants far more from her than she’d pledged. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that will either end in the greatest happily ever after or the most exquisite tragedy...]]> 408 Stephanie Garber 1250268397 Tamara 0 to-read 4.06 2021 Once Upon a Broken Heart (Once Upon a Broken Heart, #1)
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)]]> 75513900 She is the very thing he’s spent his whole life hunting.
He is the very thing she’s spent her whole life pretending to be.

Only the extraordinary belong in the kingdom of Ilya—the exceptional, the empowered, the Elites.

The powers these Elites have possessed for decades were graciously gifted to them by the Plague, though not all were fortunate enough to both survive the sickness and reap the reward. Those born Ordinary are just that—ordinary. And when the king decreed that all Ordinaries be banished in order to preserve his Elite society, lacking an ability suddenly became a crime—making Paedyn Gray a felon by fate and a thief by necessity.

Surviving in the slums as an Ordinary is no simple task, and Paedyn knows this better than most. Having been trained by her father to be overly observant since she was a child, Paedyn poses as a Psychic in the crowded city, blending in with the Elites as best she can in order to stay alive and out of trouble. Easier said than done.

When Paeydn unsuspectingly saves one of Ilyas princes, she finds herself thrown into the Purging Trials. The brutal competition exists to showcase the Elites� powers—the very thing Paedyn lacks. If the Trials and the opponents within them don’t kill her, the prince she’s fighting feelings for certainly will if he discovers what she is—completely Ordinary.]]> 523 Lauren Roberts Tamara 0 to-read 4.17 2023 Powerless (The Powerless Trilogy, #1)
author: Lauren Roberts
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Frozen River 112975658 A gripping historical mystery inspired by the life and diary of Martha Ballard, a renowned 18th-century midwife who defied the legal system and wrote herself into American history.

Maine, 1789: When the Kennebec River freezes, entombing a man in the ice, Martha Ballard is summoned to examine the body and determine cause of death. As a midwife and healer, she is privy to much of what goes on behind closed doors in Hallowell. Her diary is a record of every birth and death, crime and debacle that unfolds in the close-knit community. Months earlier, Martha documented the details of an alleged rape committed by two of the town’s most respected gentlemen—one of whom has now been found dead in the ice. But when a local physician undermines her conclusion, declaring the death to be an accident, Martha is forced to investigate the shocking murder on her own.

Over the course of one winter, as the trial nears, and whispers and prejudices mount, Martha doggedly pursues the truth. Her diary soon lands at the center of the scandal, implicating those she loves, and compelling Martha to decide where her own loyalties lie.

Clever, layered, and subversive, Ariel Lawhon’s newest offering introduces an unsung heroine who refused to accept anything less than justice at a time when women were considered best seen and not heard. The Frozen River is a thrilling, tense, and tender story about a remarkable woman who left an unparalleled legacy yet remains nearly forgotten to this day.]]> 432 Ariel Lawhon 0385546874 Tamara 0 to-read 4.37 2023 The Frozen River
author: Ariel Lawhon
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: to-read
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]]> All the Light We Cannot See 18143977
In a mining town in Germany, Werner Pfennig, an orphan, grows up with his younger sister, enchanted by a crude radio they find that brings them news and stories from places they have never seen or imagined. Werner becomes an expert at building and fixing these crucial new instruments and is enlisted to use his talent to track down the resistance. Deftly interweaving the lives of Marie-Laure and Werner, Doerr illuminates the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.

From the highly acclaimed, multiple award-winning Anthony Doerr, the stunningly beautiful instant New York Times bestseller about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.

An alternate cover for this ISBN can be found here]]> 544 Anthony Doerr 1476746583 Tamara 0 to-read 4.31 2014 All the Light We Cannot See
author: Anthony Doerr
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Great Alone 34912895 Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents� passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights� lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.]]> 435 Kristin Hannah Tamara 0 to-read 4.44 2018 The Great Alone
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Nightingale 21853621 In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says good-bye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gaëtan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.]]> 564 Kristin Hannah 0312577222 Tamara 0 to-read 4.63 2015 The Nightingale
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.63
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[A Noble Masquerade (Hawthorne House, #1)]]> 24856069
When Marlow accidentally discovers and mails one of the letters to her unwitting confidant, Miranda is beyond mortified. And even more shocked when the duke returns her note with one of his own that initiates a courtship-by-mail. Insecurity about her lack of suitors shifts into confusion at her growing feelings for two men--one she's never met but whose words deeply resonate with her heart, and one she has come to depend on but whose behavior is more and more suspicious. When it becomes apparent state secrets are at risk and Marlow is right in the thick of the conflict, one thing is certain: Miranda's heart is far from all that's at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.]]> 365 Kristi Ann Hunter 0764214322 Tamara 4 4.05 2015 A Noble Masquerade (Hawthorne House, #1)
author: Kristi Ann Hunter
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/16
date added: 2024/10/16
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]]> Just Once 58438444 The #1 New York Times bestselling author “known for her deeply heartfelt novels� (Woman’s World) writes a sweeping and unforgettable World War II love story about a young woman torn between two brothers.

In 1941, beautiful Irvel Ellis is too focused on her secret to take much notice in the war raging overseas. She’s dating Sam but in love with his brother, Hank, and Irvel has no idea how to break the news when the unthinkable happens—Pearl Harbor is attacked. With their lives turned upside down overnight, Sam is drafted, and Hank wants to enlist. But Sam insists Hank stay home, where he and Irvel take up the battle on the home front.

While Sam fights in Europe, an undeniable chemistry builds between Irvel and Hank but neither would dare cross that line. Then a telegram comes, and the news is devastating. Hank enlists the next day and has just two weeks until he ships out. Will either brother make it home alive? Or will Irvel lose everything?

And can love find a way, even from the ashes of the greatest heartbreak?]]> 336 Karen Kingsbury 1982104449 Tamara 3 4.32 2023 Just Once
author: Karen Kingsbury
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/09/30
date added: 2024/09/30
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]]> The Princess 289747
To uphold the tradition of their country, Shelby and Nikolai agree to an arranged marriage. But while Nikolai is a perfect gentleman in public, he remains distant at home, leaving Shelby to wonder what is in his heart. Will the prince ever love her as he did his first wife? Can the faith they share overcome the barriers between them?]]> 300 Lori Wick 0736918612 Tamara 4 4.13 1999 The Princess
author: Lori Wick
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1999
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/27
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]]> <![CDATA[Stranded (Alaskan Courage, #3)]]> 17384515 When her friend vanishes from a cruise ship, reporter Darcy St. James isn't satisfied with their explanation that she simply left her job of her own accord. Something isn't lining up, and Darcy believes the only way to find the truth is to put herself in Abby's position. Within days, Darcy learns her friend wasn't the only person to disappear mysteriously. Last summer, a woman vanished under almost identical circumstances.
Gage McKenna has taken a summer-long stint leading adventure excursions for the passengers of various cruise lines that dock for a few days of sightseeing. He's surprised to find Darcy working aboard one of the ships, investigating a troubling report. Something sinister is going on and the deeper they dig the more Gage fears they've only discovered the tip of the iceberg.]]> 344 Dani Pettrey 0764209841 Tamara 4 4.32 2013 Stranded (Alaskan Courage, #3)
author: Dani Pettrey
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/13
date added: 2024/09/13
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]]> <![CDATA[When God Doesn't Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can't Live Without]]> 23217086 Is It Possible That Good Things Can Come Out Of Our Broken Dreams?

Worship leader and recording artist Laura Story’s life took an unexpected turn when her husband, Martin, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Their lives would never be the same. Yes, with God all things are possible. But the devastating news was that no cure existed to restore Martin’s short-term memory, eyesight, and other complications. The fairy-tale life Laura had dreamed of was no longer possible. And yet in struggling with God about how to live with broken dreams, Laura has found joy and a deeper intimacy with Jesus.

Laura helps us understand we aren’t the only ones whose lives have taken unexpected turns. She examines the brokenness of some of the heroes of our faith, and shows how despite their flaws and flawed stories, God was able to use them in extraordinary ways. And it was not because of their faith, but because of the faithfulness of their God. God may not fix everything. In fact, although your situation might not ever change or get better, with Jesus you can.]]> 304 Laura Story 0718036972 Tamara 5 4.47 2015 When God Doesn't Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can't Live Without
author: Laura Story
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.47
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/26
date added: 2024/08/26
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]]> <![CDATA[Shattered (Alaskan Courage, #2)]]> 15713049
Deputy Landon Grainger loves the McKennas like family, but he's also sworn to find the truth. Piper is frustrated with his need for facts over faith, but he knows those closest to you have the power to deceive you the most. With his sheriff pushing for a quick conviction, some unexpected leads complicate the investigation, and pursuing the truth may mean risking Landon's career.

With Piper waging her own search, the two head deep into Canada's rugged backcountry--and unexpected complications. Not only does their long friendship seem to be turning into something more, but this dangerous case is becoming deadlier with each step.]]> 364 Dani Pettrey 0764209833 Tamara 4 4.35 2013 Shattered (Alaskan Courage, #2)
author: Dani Pettrey
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/16
date added: 2024/08/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)]]> 17849112 Angelfall, the survivors of the angel apocalypse begin to scrape back together what's left of the modern world. When a group of people capture Penryn's sister Paige, thinking she's a monster, the situation ends in a massacre. Paige disappears. Humans are terrified. Mom is heartbroken.

Penryn drives through the streets of San Francisco looking for Paige. Why are the streets so empty? Where is everybody? Her search leads her into the heart of the angels' secret plans, where she catches a glimpse of their motivations, and learns the horrifying extent to which the angels are willing to go.

Meanwhile, Raffe hunts for his wings. Without them, he can't rejoin the angels, can't take his rightful place as one of their leaders. When faced with recapturing his wings or helping Penryn survive, which will he choose?

]]> 320 Susan Ee 1477867287 Tamara 5 4.09 2013 World After (Penryn & the End of Days, #2)
author: Susan Ee
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2016/05/28
date added: 2024/08/07
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]]> Yours Truly 23567768 My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece.

Fifteen-year-old Zoe has a secret—a dark and terrible secret that she can't confess to anyone she knows. But then one day she hears of a criminal, Stuart Harris, locked up on death row in Texas. Like Zoe, Stuart is no stranger to secrets. Or lies. Or murder.

Full of heartache yet humour, Zoe tells her story in the only way she can—in letters to the man in prison in America. Armed with a pen, Zoe takes a deep breath, eats a jam sandwich, and begins her tale of love and betrayal.]]> 288 Annabel Pitcher 0316335428 Tamara 4 4.22 2012 Yours Truly
author: Annabel Pitcher
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2014/12/07
date added: 2024/08/05
shelves:
review:
I was very happy with the ending. It was bittersweet and full of emotion, and I liked the way the story allowed you to get deep into Zoe's mind.
]]> Heart Land 36373294 Heart Land follows a struggling fashion designer back to her small Iowa hometown as she tries to follow her dreams of success and finding true love.

Grace Klaren has finally made her dream of living in the Big Apple and working in the fashion industry a reality. But when she’s unexpectedly fired and can’t afford the next month’s rent, Grace does something she never thought she’d do: she moves back home.

Back in Silver Creek, Iowa, Grace is determined to hate it. She rails against the quiet of her small town, where everything closes early, where there’s no nightlife, where everyone knows each other. She’s saving her pennies and plotting her return to New York when she almost runs over a man who’s not paying attention at a crosswalk. It turns out to be Tucker, her high school sweetheart whose heart she broke when she left ten years ago. They reconnect, and Grace remembers why she fell for him in the first place.

And her career begins to turn around when she finds a gorgeous but tattered vintage dress at a flea market. She buys it, rips it apart seam by seam, and re-creates it with new fabric, updating the look with some of her own design ideas. She snaps a picture and lists the dress online, and within a day, it sells for nearly $200. Suddenly, Grace has her ticket out of here.

But Grace can’t fight her growing feelings for Tucker. Sometimes when they’re together, Tucker paints a picture of what their future could be like, and it feels so real. And when she finally gains the funding to move her new business back to New York, Grace must decide where home really is—will she chase her long-held New York dream, or find a new dream here in the heartland?]]> 311 Kimberly Stuart 1501180568 Tamara 3 3.71 2018 Heart Land
author: Kimberly Stuart
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/16
date added: 2024/07/16
shelves:
review:
Cute story. Started to lose me in the last 1/4 due to all the talk of fashion design, but otherwise a quick, relatively entertaining story.
]]> <![CDATA[Taking a Chance (California Chances, #3)]]> 142994 176 Kelly Eileen Hake 1593101953 Tamara 3 3.84 2005 Taking a Chance (California Chances, #3)
author: Kelly Eileen Hake
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2005
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/21
date added: 2024/07/16
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Submerged (Alaskan Courage, #1)]]> 12882349
One single clue.

Bailey Craig vowed never to set foot in Yancey, Alaska, again. She has a past, and a reputation--and Yancey's a town that doesn't forget. She's returned only to bury a loved one killed in the plane crash, but then dark evidence emerges and Bailey's own expertise becomes invaluable for the case.

Cole McKenna can face dangerous rescue dives. He can face the fear a murderer may be threatening his town. But facing the reality of Bailey's reappearance is a tougher challenge. She broke his heart...but doesn't seem to be the same girl who left Yancey ten years ago. And he's not the same guy she left behind.

Racing against the clock and a rising body count, Bailey and Cole must move beyond the hurts of their pasts to work together until the truth of what is hidden in the depths finally surfaces.]]> 320 Dani Pettrey 1441271163 Tamara 4 4.03 2012 Submerged (Alaskan Courage, #1)
author: Dani Pettrey
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/16
date added: 2024/07/16
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[More Than Words Can Say (Patchwork Family, #2)]]> 42075360
Abigail Kemp needs a man's name on her bakery's deed. A marriage of convenience seems the best solution . . . if it involves a man she can control. That person definitely isn't the stoic lumberman who oozes silent confidence whenever he enters her shop. Control Zacharias Hamilton? She can't even control her pulse when she's around him.
When vows are spoken, Abigail's troubles should be over. Yet threats to the bakery worsen, and darker dangers hound her sister. Can she put ever more trust in Zach without losing her dreams of independence?]]> 368 Karen Witemeyer 0764234110 Tamara 5 4.34 2019 More Than Words Can Say (Patchwork Family, #2)
author: Karen Witemeyer
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/05/31
date added: 2024/05/31
shelves:
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]]> Head in the Clouds 7794600 When Gideon Westcott left his privileged life in England to make a name for himself in America's wool industry, he never expected to become a father overnight. And five-year-old Isabella hasn't uttered a word since she lost her mother. The unconventionality of the new governess concerns Gideon--and intrigues him at the same time. But he can't afford distractions. He has a ranch to run, a shearing to oversee, and a suspicious fence-cutting to investigate.
When Isabella's uncle comes to claim the child--and her inheritance--Gideon and Adelaide must work together to protect Isabella from the man's evil schemes. And soon neither can deny their growing attraction. But after so many heartbreaks, will Adelaide be willing to get her head out of the clouds and put her heart on the line?]]> 366 Karen Witemeyer 0764207563 Tamara 3 4.12 2010 Head in the Clouds
author: Karen Witemeyer
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/01
date added: 2024/05/01
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]]> Collision of the Heart 31129711
When the train bringing her back for her first major story crashes in a snowstorm outside town, Mia is stranded. Not even the survival of a fellow passenger, a toddler, can ease her heart’s sudden ache at seeing Ayden, now a history professor at the local college, courting someone else.

Ayden’s never gotten over the fact that the most fascinating woman he ever met chose her career over marriage…and he let her go. But marrying the department director’s daughter could at least guarantee him a permanent job. It’s a satisfactory arrangement, yet his kind, pretty bride-to-be has one simple flaw: she’s not Mia.

As soon as the trains are running, Mia will be leaving again, unless she and Ayden can reconcile ambition and love—and take a leap of faith together.]]> 210 Laurie Alice Eakes 1503991261 Tamara 4 4.03 2013 Collision of the Heart
author: Laurie Alice Eakes
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/30
date added: 2024/03/30
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]]> <![CDATA[Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe]]> 22503252 192 Max Lucado 0718000900 Tamara 4 3.88 2014 Miracle at the Higher Grounds Cafe
author: Max Lucado
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/03/11
date added: 2024/03/11
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]]> <![CDATA[The Thief (The Living Water, #2)]]> 18144059
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?

Nissa is a Jewish woman with a sharp tongue and no hope of marriage. Abandoned by the God she once loved, her only recourse is to depend upon Mouse, the best thief in Jerusalem, to keep her blind brother, Cedron, fed and the landlord satisfied.

Longinus is a Roman centurion haunted by death and failure and is desperate to escape the accursed Judean province. Accepting a wager that will get him away from the aggravating Jews and their threats of revolt, he sets out to catch the thieves harassing the marketplace.

When a controversial teacher miraculously heals Cedron, Nissa hopes for freedom from her life of lies. But the supposed miracle brings only more misfortune, and Longinus, seeking to learn more about the mysterious healer, finds himself drawn instead to Nissa, whose secret will determine the course of both their futures.

Cedron, Longinus, and Nissa are unexpectedly caught up in the arrest, trial, and crucifixion of Jesus. As danger closes in on them from every side, they must decide if the love and redemption Jesus offers is true or just another false promise. How can the so-called Messiah save them from their shackles, when he cannot even save himself?]]> 368 Stephanie Landsem 1451689101 Tamara 4 4.56 2014 The Thief (The Living Water, #2)
author: Stephanie Landsem
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/25
date added: 2024/02/25
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]]> Host the Holy Ghost 142279560 Your intimacy with the Holy Spirit is the key to boldness and boldness is the key to miracles.

All believers in Christ have a relationship with the Holy Spirit, but not all believers have intimacy with Him. Holy Spirit was sent to lead you deeper in the knowledge of truth and give you the strength to overcome trials and the power to reach this world. In this book, Pastor Vladimir Savchuk takes you on a journey through discovering the communion with the Holy Spirit which belongs to everyone, not just the spiritually elite.

You will learn how

develop your relationship with the Holy Spiritwalk in true intimacy with Himcultivate the fruit of the Spirit in your lifeoperate in His power and anointingidentify the danger of appointing without anointingdiscern the true manifestations of the Spiritand much more!Host the Holy Ghost is a gem-filled work. Pastors and leaders, allow me to humbly suggest this as a small group or leadership curriculum.I encourage you to read this and often revisit the truths upon which it expounds.
- David Diga Hernandez, Evangelist, Healing Minister, TV host

I highly recommend this revelatory book to Christians everywhere. Host the Holy Ghost will transform your understanding about the Holy Spirit and intimacy with Him.
- Jeremiah Johnson, Apostolic Leader of the Ark Fellowship

This book brilliantly describes the desperate need we have as Christians to fellowship with the Holy Spirit! We cannot afford to live beyond or outside of God's presence. This writing will fuel your faith for radical Spirit-filled living.
- Ryan LeStrange, Founder and Apostolic Leader of TRIBE International Network of Ministries

To know the Holy Spirit as your friend is life's greatest treasure, and this book will inspire you to seek His friendship above all others.
- Andres Bisonni, International Evangelist

In this book, Vlad demystifies the mysterious veil religion has pulled over the Personhood of the Holy Spirit! This book is a revelation every believer must possess in their life - to host the Holy Ghost!
� Leon Du Preez, Founder and President of “The Prophetic Institute�

Pastor Vlad’s book Host The Holy Ghost is a powerful guide for believers seeking to grow a profound, transformative relationship with the Holy Spirit.
� Mike Signorelli, Pastor, Author, Founder of V1 Church

An entire book about the most important person in humanity. I can’t recommend this enough. If you feel stuck, like you’re struggling to connect with God, this book is for you!
� Isaiah Saldivar, Revivalist, Host of weekly podcast "Revival Lifestyle"

For many years I ministered without real power. I knew the Holy Spirit theologically but not practically. This book by Pastor Vlad will set your heart ablaze with a passion to know the Spirit of God and to long for deeper levels of His presence.
� Greg Locke, Pastor, Author, Film producer, Founder of Locke Media and Global Vision Press.

This book shows how to activate the power of God that is already within you by having a relationship with the Holy Ghost. Vladimir Savchuk does a great job illustrating how simple it is to access the Holy Ghost in your life.]]> 192 Vladimir Savchuk 1951201299 Tamara 3 4.81 Host the Holy Ghost
author: Vladimir Savchuk
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.81
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/14
date added: 2024/02/25
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]]> Smoke Screen 44441954 One father was murdered. Another was convicted of his death. All because their children fell in love.

Nate Beckett has spent his life fighting wildfires instead of the lies and rumors that drove him from his Colorado hometown. His mother begs him to come back now that his father has been released from prison, but it isn’t until he’s sidelined by an injury that he’s forced to return and face his past. But that means facing Brenna too.

Fourteen years ago, Nate was in love with the preacher’s daughter. When Pastor Strickland discovered Brenna defied him to sneak out with Nate, the fight between Strickland and Nate’s drunken dad was loud—and very public. Strickland was found murdered later that night, and everyone accused Roy Beckett. When the church burned down not long after, people assumed Nate set the fire to get even for his father’s conviction. He let the rumors fly and left town without looking back.

Brenna is stunned to learn that the man convicted of murdering her father has been pardoned. The events of that night set her life on a bad course, and now she’s fighting a brutal custody battle with her ex and his new wife where he’s using lies and his family’s money to sway the judge. Brenna is barely hanging on, and she’s turned to alcohol to cope. Shame and fear consume her.

As Nate and Brenna deal with the present—including new information about that fateful night and a wildfire that’s threatening their town—the past keeps igniting. Nate is the steady force Brenna has so desperately needed. But she’ll have to learn to trust him again first.]]> 352 Terri Blackstock 0310332591 Tamara 4 4.06 2019 Smoke Screen
author: Terri Blackstock
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2024/02/22
date added: 2024/02/22
shelves:
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]]> <![CDATA[Welcome to Wishing Bridge (Wishing Bridge, #1)]]> 36381581
Now Kelsey’s pushing thirty, and her life has taken a wrong turn. Pregnant and alone after loving the wrong man, she’s on her way to making another life-changing decision when a wicked blizzard strands her outside the sleepy town of Wishing Bridge.

After being rescued from a snowbank by handsome cop, she’s embraced by the welcoming village, but she still feels upside down. Fortunately, her frantic SOS brings her besties rushing to help sort things out. They soon find that Wishing Bridge has as many secrets as Kelsey does—and she’s connected to it in ways she couldn’t have imagined.]]> 283 Ruth Logan Herne 1542096693 Tamara 4 4.42 Welcome to Wishing Bridge (Wishing Bridge, #1)
author: Ruth Logan Herne
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/18
date added: 2024/01/18
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]]> Kilt Trip 150444412
Globetrotter Addie Macrae always follows her wanderlust. As a travel consultant, she jet sets around the world—anywhere but Scotland. But when she’s sent on assignment to help a struggling family-run tour company in the Highlands—and save her own job—Addie packs away her emotional baggage and turns on the professional charm.

Rugged as the land he loves, Logan Sutherland’s greatest joy is sharing the beauty of Scotland’s hidden gems…even if it means a wee bit of red ink on the company’s bottom line. The last thing Logan wants is some American “expert� pushing tourist traps and perpetuating myths about the Loch Ness Monster—especially when Addie never leaves her desk to experience the country for herself.

As they wage an office war, Logan discovers Addie’s secret connection to Scotland: a handful of faded Polaroids of her late mother. Hoping for a truce, he creates a private tour to the places in the pictures to help Addie find closure and appreciate the enchantment in less-traveled destinations, never expecting the off-limits attraction sparking between them. But Addie’s contract is almost up, and magic won’t pay the bills. They can’t afford distractions, but how can Addie do her job if she hasn’t explored all Scotland—and Logan—have to offer?]]> 336 Alexandra Kiley 1335009299 Tamara 0 to-read 3.43 2024 Kilt Trip
author: Alexandra Kiley
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: to-read
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]]> If Something Happens to Me 195790670
With no trace of Ali or the car, a cloud of suspicion hangs over Ryan. But with no proof and a good lawyer, he’s never charged, though that doesn’t matter to the podcasters and internet trolls. Now, Ryan has changed his last name, and entered law school. He's put his past behind him.

Until, on a summer trip abroad to Italy with his law-school classmates, Ryan gets a call from his father: Ali's car has finally been found, submerged in a lake in his hometown. Inside are two dead men and a cryptic note with five words written on the envelope in Ali’s handwriting: If something happens to me�

Then, halfway around the world, the unthinkable happens: Ryan sees the man who has haunted his dreams since that night.

As Ryan races from the rolling hills of Tuscany, to a rural village in the UK, to the glittering streets of Paris in search of the truth, he has no idea that his salvation may lie with a young sheriff’s deputy in Kansas working her first case, and a mobster in Philadelphia who’s experienced tragedy of his own.

In classic Alex Finlay form, If Something Happens to Me is told from several distinct, compelling characters whose paths intersect, detonating into a story of twist after pulse-pounding twist. The story cements Finlay as one of the leading thriller writers today.]]> 324 Alex Finlay 1250863791 Tamara 0 to-read 3.69 2024 If Something Happens to Me
author: Alex Finlay
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: to-read
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]]> Neena Lee Is Seeing Things 202354111
Fifty-six-year-old Neena Lee is determined to revive her career as a travel writer. Trouble is, the upstart editor at the travel magazine where she works has fired everyone else over the age of forty. Worse yet, Neena is still plagued by the panic attacks she’s been suffering since her brother’s death.

Despite her fragile condition, Neena’s flatlining bank account means she must go back to work. When the baby-faced editor finally offers her an assignment, she jumps at the chance. Even better: She’s being sent to the remote barrier island off the coast of Georgia where John F. Kennedy, Jr., and Carolyn Bessette pulled off a secret, paparazzi-free wedding.

But when Neena arrives at the tiny church on Cumberland Island where the fairytale wedding took place, she’s shocked to see John F. Kennedy, Jr. himself waiting for her in the back pew…even though he’s been dead for almost twenty-five years. Though Neena is sure she’s hallucinating, John begs her to hear him out—and to help him reunite with his wife.

Thanks to John’s continued presence and trademark charisma, one mission soon leads to another, and soon Neena has befriended a dead man. Nevertheless, she knows she needs to get back to the harsh realities of her real life if she’s going to save her job, her reputation, and her home.

But the more Neena interacts with John, the more he pushes her to confront her own demons—encouraging her to worry less about not having saved her brother…and more about saving herself.

A clever, thought-provoking novel that will resonate with those looking for peace amidst the overwhelm of life.]]> 293 Sheila Athens Tamara 0 to-read 4.11 Neena Lee Is Seeing Things
author: Sheila Athens
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Good Half Gone 136340537 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Never Never and The Wives

Iris Walsh saw her twin sister, Piper, get kidnapped—so why does no one believe her?

Iris narrowly escaped her twin sister’s fate as a teen: abducted in broad daylight and long gone before she could convince the cops there was anything to investigate. With Piper presumed a runaway and no evidence to go on but Iris’s scattered memories, the case quickly goes cold.

Ever since that terrible day, Iris� search for Piper has bordered on obsession. Chasing leads across years and following clues that all seem to point to a single name, Iris does everything she can to get close to the only person who might know the answer to the question that still haunts her: where did Piper go? And if the police still won’t help, she’ll just have to find the answer herself--using her criminal psychology degree to intern at the isolated psychiatric hospital on Shoal Island, where secrets lurk in the shadows and are kept under lock and key. But Iris soon realizes that something even more sinister is simmering beneath the surface of the Shoal, and that the patients aren’t the only ones being observed…]]> 304 Tarryn Fisher 152580488X Tamara 0 to-read 3.39 2024 Good Half Gone
author: Tarryn Fisher
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.39
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Embers in the London Sky 182093333
When German bombs set London ablaze, BBC radio correspondent Hugh Collingwood reports on the Blitz, eager to boost morale while walking the fine line between truth and censorship. But the Germans are not the only ones Londoners have to fear as a series of murders flame up amid the ashes.

The deaths hit close to home for Hugh, and Aleida needs his help to locate her missing son. As they work together, they grow closer and closer, both to each other and the answers they seek. But time is running short—and the worst is yet to come.]]> 391 Sarah Sundin 0800741854 Tamara 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Embers in the London Sky
author: Sarah Sundin
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Summer Book Club 150453918 � No sad books
� No pressure
� Yessssss, wine!

Besties Laurel and Paris are excited to welcome Cassie to the group. This year, the book club is all about fill-your-heart reads, an escape from the chaos of the everyday—running a business, raising a family, juggling a hundred to-dos. Even the dog is demanding (but the bestest boy).

Since Laurel’s divorce, she feels like the Worst Mom Ever. Her skepticism of men may have scarred her vulnerable daughters. Cassie has an unfortunate habit of falling for ridiculous man-boys who dump her once she fixes them. Paris knows good men exist. She’s still reeling after chasing off the only one brave enough—and foolish enough—to marry her.

Inspired by the heroines who risk everything for fulfillment, Laurel, Paris and Cassie begin to take chances—big chances—in life, in love. Facing an unwritten chapter can be terrifying. But it can be exhilarating, too, if only they can find the courage to change.]]> 416 Susan Mallery 1335448667 Tamara 0 to-read 3.71 2024 The Summer Book Club
author: Susan Mallery
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/01/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Before I Called You Mine 46161058
Joshua may be a substitute teacher by day, but Lauren finds his passion for creating educational technology as fascinating as his antics in the classroom. Though she does her best to downplay the undeniable connection between them, his relentless pursuit of her heart puts her commitment to stay unattached to the test and causes her once-firm conviction to waver.

With an impossible decision looming, Lauren might very well find herself choosing between the two deepest desires of her heart . . . even if saying yes to one means letting go of the other.]]> 368 Nicole Deese 0764234951 Tamara 4 4.24 2020 Before I Called You Mine
author: Nicole Deese
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2023/12/11
date added: 2023/12/11
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[To Bring You Back (Rhythms of Redemption Romances #1)]]> 58332299 Broke in more ways than one, the last thing Adeline Green can afford is for her now-famous high school crush to descend on her quiet life.

People in the small town of Lakeshore, Wisconsin, think of her as the hard-working church secretary or as the local food truck's lunch-hour cashier. They'd never suspect the shame she's hiding.

She attended high school with both the lead singer and the drummer of the rock band, Awestruck. In fact, she used to play in the band herself, but that was back before Awestruck made it big—and before her relationship with lead singer Gannon Vaughn took a turn that ultimately led to tragedy and heartbreak.

She's living a different life now, but when Gannon shows up, he brings with him a public spotlight that threatens to expose her deepest regret. The closer she gets to him, the more she risks the carefully curated life that's finally brought her a measure of peace.

Gannon Vaughn and his rock band, Awestruck, have conquered the music industry, but he can’t overcome his feelings for Adeline.

She may have been right to cut off contact between them years ago, but thanks to the grace of God, he's a changed man. When he hears Adeline’s struggling, he sets out to turn her life around and win back the love he lost to poor choices eight years ago.

But when Gannon’s fame and their mutual regrets jeopardize their relationship anew, will grace be enough to bring them back to God and each other?

A meaningful Christian romance with a side of fame and fortune for readers who enjoy faith-filled escapes and happily-ever-afters where no one is beyond hope of redemption. Start reading today!]]> 355 Emily Conrad Tamara 0 to-read 4.32 2023 To Bring You Back (Rhythms of Redemption Romances #1)
author: Emily Conrad
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Just As I Am (Unfailing Love #1)]]> 72402936
Declan King has lived a life of solitude and duty for the U.S. Army. When the deaths of his grandparents bring him home to his family farm, he is forced into contact with people who know too much about his past to simply leave him alone.

Adeline Rhodes makes a daring escape from her controlling boyfriend, planning to hide out in the small town of Carson, Georgia. When Addie’s past catches up to her, she finds herself thrust into a fake relationship to protect her from her vengeful ex.

As Addie and Declan’s chance meeting begins a journey that heals old wounds, they struggle to stay ahead of the danger and deny their growing attraction to each other.

Declan will do anything to protect her, and failure isn’t an option when Adeline’s life is on the line.

Welcome to the small town of Carson, Georgia where a group of friends vow to do whatever it takes to protect the women they love. Just as I Am is a gripping romantic suspense with an inspiring happily ever after]]> 294 Mandi Blake Tamara 3
I also loved the strong faith and Christian elements.]]> 4.31 Just As I Am (Unfailing Love #1)
author: Mandi Blake
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.31
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2023/11/09
date added: 2023/11/19
shelves:
review:
It was a little insta-lovey, but it's a short novel so it's to be expected. I'm not usually a fan of insta-love but this one was actually super sweet!

I also loved the strong faith and Christian elements.
]]> <![CDATA[Pumpkin Everything (An Autumnboro Sweet Romance, #1)]]> 41042035 Now a Hallmark Channel Original Movie starring Taylor Cole and Corey Sevier! Set against the scenic backdrop of the White Mountains, New Hampshire, Pumpkin Everything is a small town, sweet romance, and the perfect way to kick off the fall season! A pumpkin spice latte wouldn’t hurt, either. ]]> 194 Beth Labonte Tamara 4 3.71 2018 Pumpkin Everything (An Autumnboro Sweet Romance, #1)
author: Beth Labonte
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2023/11/19
date added: 2023/11/19
shelves:
review:

]]> The Summer After You and Me 23299562
Then Superstorm Sandy tears apart her barrier island, briefly bringing together a local girl like herself and a vacationer like Connor. Except nothing is the same in the wake of the storm. And day after day, week after week, Lucy is left to pick up the pieces of her broken heart and broken home. Now with Memorial Day approaching and Connor returning, will it be a summer of fresh starts or second chances?]]> 304 Jennifer Salvato Doktorski Tamara 3 3.69 2013 The Summer After You and Me
author: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2016/08/05
date added: 2023/11/07
shelves:
review:
Easy to get through, and a good beach read.
]]> <![CDATA[A New Shade of Summer (Love in Lenox, #3)]]> 34830299
Davis Carter may be the town’s favorite animal whisperer, but his experience is limited when it comes to understanding his preteen’s rebellious behavior. Desperate for a breakthrough, he follows the lead of a free spirit who claims to know the way into his son’s closed-off world. Soon, Davis isn’t the only one caught up in the hope of a new beginning.

Just as Callie considers trading her unattached existence for a life rich with promise and permanence, an unexpected visit from the past threatens to send her packing once again. Davis and Callie must learn to surrender their fears so they can find a love that will outlast the summer.]]> 336 Nicole Deese 1542096685 Tamara 4 4.48 2017 A New Shade of Summer (Love in Lenox, #3)
author: Nicole Deese
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/27
date added: 2023/10/27
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A December Bride (A Year of Weddings, #1)]]> 18221496 A year’s worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed.

What started as a whim turned into an accidental—and very public—engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the façade in Chapel Springs this holiday season—for the sake of her career...and his heart?

Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy—the best friend of Layla O’Reilly’s ex-fiancé—would be the last person she’d marry. But the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency—a coup that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map.

Seth has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best friend. Maybe she’ll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their engagement farce until she’s landed her client.

For Layla, it’s the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it’s his last chance to win her heart.]]> 133 Denise Hunter 0310338743 Tamara 4
The only issue I had with this novella is that she used the dreaded "I released the breath I didn't know I was holding" twice in various forms.]]> 3.92 2015 A December Bride (A Year of Weddings, #1)
author: Denise Hunter
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2023/10/12
date added: 2023/10/12
shelves:
review:
Another sweet romance from Denise!

The only issue I had with this novella is that she used the dreaded "I released the breath I didn't know I was holding" twice in various forms.
]]> <![CDATA[A Lineage of Grace: Biblical Stories of 5 Women in the Lineage of Jesus - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, & Mary (Historical Christian Fiction with In-Depth Bible Studies)]]> 6515205
The Bible is filled with inspiring stories of unlikely candidates God chose to change eternity. This bestselling compilation in one volume contains five novellas about such people―women in the family tree of Jesus Christ.

Tamar. Rahab. Ruth. Bathsheba. Mary.

Each was faced with extraordinary―even scandalous―challenges. But they had courage. They lived daring lives. Sometimes they made mistakes―big mistakes. And yet God, in His infinite mercy, used them to bring forth the Christ, the Savior of the world. Their stories still hold great meaning and inspiration for us today.

Tamar risked her life and her reputation to be the woman she was called to be. See how God uses our circumstances and our steps toward Him, however faltering, to fulfill His plan.

Rahab was exploited by men who saw only her beauty, yet she held fast to her faith in God and was rewarded. Discover how God seeks and finds those whose hearts are tender toward Him, no matter how far away they are.

Ruth’s loyalty, especially toward her mother-in-law Naomi, helped her to persevere in the face of tragedy, and God gave her a second chance at love. Be encouraged that God will provide even when all hope seems lost.

Bathsheba’s scandalous affair with David did not end in one night. Learn that God is willing to restore those lost in the depths of despair who call out to Him.

Mary is one of the most revered women in history. But first, she was an ordinary woman striving to please God in the same way that women still do today. When God spoke, Mary responded in obedience which changed the world forever.

Each novella includes an in-depth Bible study perfect for personal reflection or group discussion.]]> 560 Francine Rivers 0842356320 Tamara 0 biblical-historical-fiction 4.48 2001 A Lineage of Grace: Biblical Stories of 5 Women in the Lineage of Jesus - Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, & Mary (Historical Christian Fiction with In-Depth Bible Studies)
author: Francine Rivers
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.48
book published: 2001
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/15
shelves: biblical-historical-fiction
review:

]]> A Life Once Dreamed 52536770
When childhood friend and former sweetheart James Harris accepts a position as the town doctor, Aggie's pleasantly predictable days suddenly become anything but. James wants to know why Agnes left behind the life they had dreamed of creating for themselves--but he is the one person who can never know.

In the shadows of the Black Hills, can a healing light be shed on the past? Or will the secret Agnes can't seem to outrun destroy her chance at happiness?

Fan-favorite Rachel Fordham brings to life the dusty streets of an 1880s frontier town in this story that affirms where you come from matters far less than where you're going.]]> 336 Rachel Fordham 0800735390 Tamara 3 4.10 2020 A Life Once Dreamed
author: Rachel Fordham
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2023/09/15
date added: 2023/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> Yours Until Dawn 40720861
Prim nurse Samantha Wickersham arrives at Fairchild Park to find her new charge behaving more like a beast than a man. Determined to do her duty, she engages the arrogant earl in a battle of both wit and wills. Although he claims she doesn't possess an ounce of womanly softness, she can feel his heart racing at her slightest touch. As Samantha begins to let the light back into Gabriel's life and his heart, they both discover that some secrets -- and some pleasures -- are best explored in the dark ...]]> 384 Teresa Medeiros 0061795925 Tamara 2
The plot twist that so many of us didn't enjoy was fine for me; it was the way Gabriel reacted to it that made the whole situation unbelievable.

I would have loved a more realistic reaction upon finding out that he had been utterly betrayed by the woman he loved...TWICE.

Otherwise, a solid historical romance novel with awesome relationships and a fun story.]]> 4.01 2004 Yours Until Dawn
author: Teresa Medeiros
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2004
rating: 2
read at: 2023/01/21
date added: 2023/09/15
shelves:
review:
I'll give it 5 stars because it was a great book overall. The last 1/4, though, might be more accurately rated a 3.75 or a generous 4.

The plot twist that so many of us didn't enjoy was fine for me; it was the way Gabriel reacted to it that made the whole situation unbelievable.

I would have loved a more realistic reaction upon finding out that he had been utterly betrayed by the woman he loved...TWICE.

Otherwise, a solid historical romance novel with awesome relationships and a fun story.
]]> <![CDATA[Bring it on Home (Misfit Inn, #4)]]> 52931272 That girl who got knocked up in high school.

Maggie Reynolds moved all the way to Los Angeles to escape that reputation, but she still hears the whispers of old scandal every time she comes home to small town Tennessee. For twelve long years, she's lost herself in work, determined to prove that she's more than one foolish, teenage mistake. But as each of her sisters has found love, she's feeling the keen edge of loneliness.

After losing his chance with Maggie to tragedy years ago, Porter Ingram has contented himself with the friendship they've rebuilt. His love for her is an open secret she refuses to see. But when Maggie's forced to take a sabbatical from work and comes home to Eden's Ridge, he knows it's time for her to face more than the demons she left behind.

Though he's been her steadfast rock for years, Maggie's blindsided by Porter's declaration--and seduced by the second chance he offers. As they navigate the rocky path from friends to lovers, Maggie faces the local gossip with her head held high. But the painful past they've put away is full of secrets that just might destroy the foundation of their forever.]]> 252 Kait Nolan Tamara 3 4.46 2019 Bring it on Home (Misfit Inn, #4)
author: Kait Nolan
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/10
date added: 2023/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Toward the Sunrise (Until the Dawn, #0.5)]]> 25630592
Formal and straight-laced, Ashton Carlyle is not pleased to see an expelled Julia arrive at his Manhattan office. His position as a junior attorney for the Vandermark family's world-famous shipping empire entails taking care of the Broeders, longtime employees of the Vandermark family. But Ashton has no intention now of using his employer's resources in defense of Julia's impulsive and reckless actions.

What Ashton did not expect was a scathing reprimand from none other than the Vandermark family patriarch or the bewildering resistance from Julia herself when he's forced to change his tune. At an impasse, Ashton and Julia never anticipated the revelations that arise or the adventure that awaits them.

In this novella, award-winning novelist Elizabeth Camden introduces readers to the world of the grand Hudson River Valley estate Dierenpark and the enigmatic Vandermark family. Includes an extended preview of Until the Dawn, Camden's full-length Dierenpark novel.]]> 131 Elizabeth Camden 1441269827 Tamara 3 4.03 2015 Toward the Sunrise (Until the Dawn, #0.5)
author: Elizabeth Camden
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2023/02/21
date added: 2023/09/12
shelves:
review:

]]> The Red Tent 4989 The Red Tent combines rich storytelling with a valuable achievement in modern fiction: a new view of biblical women's society.]]> 324 Anita Diamant 0312353766 Tamara 0 biblical-historical-fiction 4.21 1997 The Red Tent
author: Anita Diamant
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1997
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/09/06
shelves: biblical-historical-fiction
review:

]]> The Last Unicorn 8890606 167 Peter B. Gillis 1600108512 Tamara 5
]]> 4.36 2011 The Last Unicorn
author: Peter B. Gillis
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2015/04/16
date added: 2023/07/31
shelves:
review:
This graphic novel makes me want to re-watch one of my favorite childhood movies. The art was beautiful and just for the art itself, the novel gets 5 stars. The Red Bull looked exactly how I remember it from the movie and there are parts of the novel that I remember watching and loving as a child. The story was a bit confusing to me, though.


]]> Step Back In Time 17793097
When single career girl Jo-Jo steps onto a zebra crossing and gets hit by a car, she awakes to find herself in 1964. The fashion, the music, her job, even her romantic life: everything is different. And then it happens three more times, and Jo-Jo finds herself living a completely new life in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. The only people she can rely on are Harry and Ellie, two companions from 2013, and George, the owner of a second-hand record store.

If she's ever to return from her travels, Jo-Jo must work out why she's jumping through time like this. And if she does make it back, will her old life ever be the same again?

Step back in time with this fabulously fun and feed-good comedy of time travel and romance, from the author of From Notting Hill with Love . . . Actually]]> 384 Ali McNamara Tamara 0 to-read 3.89 2013 Step Back In Time
author: Ali McNamara
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/07/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Season to Love (Love in Lenox, #2)]]> 27159485


Patrick, a thrill-seeking world traveler and temporary resident of Lenox, Oregon, sets out to show Willa the value of adventure, even within her tiny town. But just when their friendship shows signs of turning into something more, Patrick’s life as a traveling doctor calls him back. Will his last days in town signal the end of their journey, or will Patrick and Willa find the courage to transform a single season into a lifetime?]]> 316 Nicole Deese 1503950506 Tamara 4 4.43 2016 A Season to Love (Love in Lenox, #2)
author: Nicole Deese
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2023/07/06
date added: 2023/07/06
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mulberry Hollow (Riverbend, #2)]]> 58429269
But as Avery and Wes spend time together, their friendship begins moving into unexpected territory. Soon they both begin to question their plans for the future. But will Wes be able to let go of the debt he owes his best friend? And will Avery find the courage to risk everything for love?]]> 336 Denise Hunter 0785240535 Tamara 4 4.21 2022 Mulberry Hollow (Riverbend, #2)
author: Denise Hunter
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2023/05/12
date added: 2023/05/12
shelves:
review:

]]> The Heart of the Mountains 61153503 Returning from the devastation of World War 1 emotionally damaged, Jeb McAdams struggles against the rampant mountain alcoholism to soothe his nightmares. It’s easy to hide within the mountains, or it was, before Cora Taylor arrives. Now, she seems to show up at every turn, bringing her ideas, curiosity, and beautiful eyes with her. Their mutual understanding of the costs of war leads to an unspoken bond that develops into a hesitant friendship. As Cora turns her nursing experience and determination on establishing hygiene and education for women in the Appalachian community while also attempting to rescue Jeb from his own ghosts, Cora and Jeb’s partnership turns into a project of celebrating the gifts within Appalachia. But when the past sweeps back into their lives and an outbreak of scarlet fever threatens the future, will Cora and Jeb find a way to work together � even if it means unplanned matrimony � or will their different lives and brokenness tear them apart.]]> 256 Pepper Basham 1636093272 Tamara 0 to-read 4.52 2022 The Heart of the Mountains
author: Pepper Basham
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/02/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Truth Project 50496883
All she has to do is mail in her DNA sample, write about her ancestry results and breeze through the rest of senior year. Done, done and done.

But when Cordelia’s GeneQuest results reveal that her father is not the man she thought he was but a stranger who lives thousands of miles away, Cordelia realizes she isn’t sure of anything anymore—not the mother who lied, the life she was born into or the girl staring back at her in the mirror.

If your life began with a lie, how can you ever be sure of what’s true?]]> 400 Dante Medema 0062954407 Tamara 2 4.02 2020 The Truth Project
author: Dante Medema
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2023/01/10
date added: 2023/01/10
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mistletoe Promise (Mistletoe #1)]]> 23058989 A love story for Christmas from the #1 bestselling author of The Christmas Box and The Walk.

Elise Dutton dreads the arrival of another holiday season. Three years earlier, her husband cheated on her with her best friend, resulting in a bitter divorce that left her alone, broken, and distrustful.

Then, one November day, a stranger approaches Elise in the mall food court. Though she recognizes the man from her building, Elise has never formally met him. Tired of spending the holidays alone, the man offers her a proposition. For the next eight weeks—until the evening of December 24—he suggests that they pretend to be a couple. He draws up a contract with four rules:

1. No deep, probing personal questions
2. No drama
3. No telling anyone the truth about the relationship
4. The contract is void on Christmas Day

The lonely Elise surprises herself by agreeing to the idea. As the charade progresses, the safety of her fake relationship begins to mend her badly broken heart. But just as she begins to find joy again, her long-held secret threatens to unravel the emerging relationship. But she might not be the only one with secrets.]]> 219 Richard Paul Evans Tamara 4 4.18 2014 The Mistletoe Promise (Mistletoe #1)
author: Richard Paul Evans
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2022/12/28
date added: 2022/12/28
shelves:
review:

]]> The God Portal 18500797 ASIN B009BEGNM0 moved to the most recent edition here

It began as a vacation out west for Jim Wagner and his family…until Jim discovers his brother, particle physicist Dr. Warren Wagner, is missing from his Nevada home.

The mystery leads to the desert laboratory of corporate giant Forsythe-Hammond. There Jim discovers the truth behind Warren’s disappearance and its connection to the company’s deepest secrets, a technology where faith and science collide. It’s the beginning of a thrilling and dangerous adventure to rescue his brother.

Jim is joined by the affable Lyle Bumgardner, particle physicist and atheist at heart; and by Dr. Lawrence Macklin, devout Christian and Biblical scholar. Their odyssey becomes destiny, a struggle for survival and a quest for truth, leading them to a place where Christian faith and secular atheism alike will be put to the test. Their journey puts them on the trail of the historical Jesus…]]> 404 Tim Ferguson Tamara 0 christian-fiction 4.21 2012 The God Portal
author: Tim Ferguson
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/05
shelves: christian-fiction
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany]]> 46012005
Since the day Filomena Fontana cast a curse upon her sister more than two hundred years ago, not one second-born Fontana daughter has found lasting love. Some, like second-born Emilia, the happily-single baker at her grandfather’s Brooklyn deli, claim it’s an odd coincidence. Others, like her sexy, desperate-for-love cousin Lucy, insist it’s a true hex. But both are bewildered when their great-aunt calls with an astounding proposition: If they accompany her to her homeland of Italy, Aunt Poppy vows she’ll meet the love of her life on the steps of the Ravello Cathedral on her eightieth birthday, and break the Fontana Second-Daughter Curse once and for all.

Against the backdrop of wandering Venetian canals, rolling Tuscan fields, and enchanting Amalfi Coast villages, romance blooms, destinies are found, and family secrets are unearthed—secrets that could threaten the family far more than a centuries-old curse.]]> 400 Lori Nelson Spielman 1984803166 Tamara 0 to-read 4.17 2018 The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany
author: Lori Nelson Spielman
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/12/05
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Honey-Don't List 51086670 Alternate cover edition of ISBN-13: 9781982123918, ISBN-10/ASIN: 1982123915

Carey Duncan has worked for home remodeling and design gurus Melissa and Rusty Tripp for nearly a decade. A country girl at heart, Carey started in their first store at sixteen, and—more than anyone would suspect—has helped them build an empire. With a new show and a book about to launch, the Tripps are on the verge of superstardom. There’s only one problem: America’s favorite couple can’t stand each other.

James McCann, MIT graduate and engineering genius, was originally hired as a structural engineer, but the job isn’t all he thought it’d be. The last straw? Both he and Carey must go on book tour with the Tripps and keep the wheels from falling off the proverbial bus.

Unfortunately, neither of them is in any position to quit. Carey needs health insurance, and James has been promised the role of a lifetime if he can just keep the couple on track for a few more weeks. While road-tripping with the Tripps up the West Coast, Carey and James vow to work together to keep their bosses� secrets hidden, and their own jobs secure. But if they stop playing along—and start playing for keeps—they may have the chance to build something beautiful together…]]> 308 Christina Lauren Tamara 3 3.47 2020 The Honey-Don't List
author: Christina Lauren
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.47
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/12/05
date added: 2022/12/05
shelves:
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]]> Pet Sematary 33124137 This is an alternate Cover Edition for ASIN: B00K3NEE56. When the Creeds move into a beautiful old house in rural Maine, it all seems too good to be true: physician father, beautiful wife, charming little daughter, adorable infant son-and now an idyllic home. As a family, they've got it all...right down to the friendly car. But the nearby woods hide a blood-chilling truth-more terrifying than death itself-and hideously more powerful. The Creeds are going to learn that sometimes dead is better.]]> 580 Stephen King Tamara 3 4.21 1983 Pet Sematary
author: Stephen King
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.21
book published: 1983
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/31
date added: 2022/10/31
shelves:
review:

]]> Seed 11422798
In the vine-twisted swamps of Louisiana, the shadows have teeth.

Jack Winter has spent his entire life running from something no one else can see. His childhood is his darkest secret, but after a near fatal accident along a deserted road, the darkness he was sure he’d escaped rears its ugly head� and smiles.

But this time, he isn’t the only one who sees the soulless eyes of his past. This time, his six-year-old daughter Charlie leans into his ear and whispers: Daddy, I saw it too.

And then she begins to change.

Faced with reliving the nightmares of his childhood, Jack watches his daughter spiral into the shadows that had nearly consumed him twenty years before.

But Charlie isn’t the only one who’s changing.

Jack never outran the darkness. It’s been with him all along.

And it’s hungrier than ever.

A new breed of dark fiction: the subtlety of Seed will haunt you, and the end will wickedly satisfy.]]> 246 Ania Ahlborn Tamara 5 3.75 2011 Seed
author: Ania Ahlborn
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2022/07/21
date added: 2022/10/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Ghost Beach (Goosebumps, #22)]]> 125543 Then the other kids tell him a story. A story about a ghost who is three hundred years old.
A ghost who comes out when the moon is full.
A ghost ... who lives deep inside the cave!
Jerry knows that it's just another silly made-up ghost story....
Isn't it?]]> 160 R.L. Stine 0439568307 Tamara 2 3.76 1994 Ghost Beach (Goosebumps, #22)
author: R.L. Stine
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.76
book published: 1994
rating: 2
read at: 2022/09/17
date added: 2022/10/16
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Stay A Little Longer (Misfit Inn, #3)]]> 52938336
Logan Maxwell's life is a world away from the Windy City. His hands are full keeping his organic farm thriving and in the black, but that hasn't stopped him from reliving last summer's passionate wedding fling with the notoriously prickly, award-winning chef. But it's the glimpse of her vulnerability when she returns that has him craving more.

Small towns are like small kitchens, everyone's constantly bumping into each other and sooner or later something's bound to boil over. Maybe that's why Logan finds it so hard to resist Athena. Well, that and the fact that he's never been able to walk away from a woman in distress. An unexpected confidant, Logan reminds Athena of her roots, and in turn, she begins to question everything she’s worked for. But can love win out over the temptation of redemption, when her old life comes calling?]]> 246 Kait Nolan Tamara 3 4.27 2019 Stay A Little Longer (Misfit Inn, #3)
author: Kait Nolan
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2022/09/29
date added: 2022/10/16
shelves:
review:

]]> Brother 23492624 Brother follows a teenager determined to break from his family’s unconventional—and deeply disturbing—traditions.

Deep in the heart of Appalachia stands a crooked farmhouse miles from any road. The Morrows keep to themselves, and it’s served them well so far. When girls go missing off the side of the highway, the cops don’t knock on their door. Which is a good thing, seeing as to what’s buried in the Morrows� backyard.

But nineteen-year-old Michael Morrow isn’t like the rest of his family. He doesn’t take pleasure in the screams that echo through the trees. Michael pines for normalcy, and he’s sure that someday he’ll see the world beyond West Virginia. When he meets Alice, a pretty girl working at a record shop in the small nearby town of Dahlia, he’s immediately smitten. For a moment, he nearly forgets about the monster he’s become. But his brother, Rebel, is all too eager to remind Michael of his place…]]> 319 Ania Ahlborn 147678373X Tamara 3 3.89 2015 Brother
author: Ania Ahlborn
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2022/10/16
date added: 2022/10/16
shelves:
review:

]]> The German Wife 59576959
America, 1989: Turning the pages of the newspaper, Annaliese gasps when she recognizes the face of a man she thought she’d never see again. It makes her heart skip a beat as a rush of wartime memories come back to her. As she reads on, she realizes the past is catching up with her. She must confront a decades-old secret � or risk losing everything�

Germany, 1942: Annaliese’s marriage is beginning to crumble. Her husband, Hans, has grown cold and secretive since starting his new job as a doctor at Dachau. When a tall, handsome Russian prisoner named Alexander is sent from the camp to work in their garden, lonely Annaliese finds herself drawn to him as they tend to the plants together. In snatched moments and broken whispers, Alexander tells her the truth about the shocking conditions at the camp. Horrified, Annaliese vows to do everything she can to save him.

But as they grow closer, their feelings for each other put them both in terrible danger. And when Annaliese falls pregnant she has to make an impossible decision between protecting herself and saving the love of her life…]]> 388 Debbie Rix 1800195478 Tamara 2
This book was a rolle coaster for me. The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of cut scenes in the beginning portion...one minute we were following our main character as she did grocery shopping and then the next paragraph we were with her as she was suddenly at home in the garden, for example. It bugged me.

The middle got better! Much more interesting once the happy couple arrived at Dachau...until she net Alexander and then instantly fell in love with him upon seeing his face. I found it hard to believe that she truly grew to love him (enough to turn him into a bit of an obsession)when we were hardly shown any interactions between the two. Even the steamy scenes felt forced and flat, as did the conversations.

The end. I jut could have done without most of the end half of the book. In my opinion, it should have ended with the liberation of Dauchau -- or maybe an epilogue, but it didn't need an entire 200+ pages after the climax.

Don't get me started on Anneliese. I hated the way she acted with Alexander...particularly once he started to distance himself. She came across as needy and obsessive.

On a positive note..

The story the author told was a good one. I enjoyed the premise and that we got to see an entire timeline take place during the story.]]> 4.36 2022 The German Wife
author: Debbie Rix
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2022
rating: 2
read at: 2022/10/04
date added: 2022/10/04
shelves:
review:
I just didn't love it.

This book was a rolle coaster for me. The first thing I noticed was that there were a lot of cut scenes in the beginning portion...one minute we were following our main character as she did grocery shopping and then the next paragraph we were with her as she was suddenly at home in the garden, for example. It bugged me.

The middle got better! Much more interesting once the happy couple arrived at Dachau...until she net Alexander and then instantly fell in love with him upon seeing his face. I found it hard to believe that she truly grew to love him (enough to turn him into a bit of an obsession)when we were hardly shown any interactions between the two. Even the steamy scenes felt forced and flat, as did the conversations.

The end. I jut could have done without most of the end half of the book. In my opinion, it should have ended with the liberation of Dauchau -- or maybe an epilogue, but it didn't need an entire 200+ pages after the climax.

Don't get me started on Anneliese. I hated the way she acted with Alexander...particularly once he started to distance himself. She came across as needy and obsessive.

On a positive note..

The story the author told was a good one. I enjoyed the premise and that we got to see an entire timeline take place during the story.
]]> The Iliac Crest 34552743 On a dark and stormy night, two mysterious women invade an unnamed narrator’s house, where they proceed to ruthlessly question their host’s identity. The women are strangely intimate―even inventing together an incomprehensible, fluid language―and harass the narrator by repeatedly claiming that they know his greatest that he is, in fact, a woman. As the increasingly frantic protagonist fails to defend his supposed masculinity, he eventually finds himself in a sanatorium.
Published for the first time in English, this Gothic tale is “utterly weird yet deeply resonant in its portrayal of gendered violence� ( The Millions ). Through layered and haunting prose, Cristina Rivera Garza unravels the cultural and political histories of Mexico, probing at the misogyny that fuels the disappearance of women in literature and in real life.

"Astounding and thought-provoking." � Publishers Weekly (starred review)
“An intelligent, beautiful story about bodies disguised as a story about language disguised as a story about night terrors. Cristina Rivera Garza does not respect what is expected of a writer, of a novel, of language. She is an agitator.”—Yuri Herrera, author of Kingdom Cons]]> 200 Cristina Rivera Garza 1936932067 Tamara 0 to-read 3.64 2002 The Iliac Crest
author: Cristina Rivera Garza
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2002
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Slade House 40611069 Keep your eyes peeled for a small black iron door.

Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you’ll find the entrance to Slade House. A stranger will greet you by name and invite you inside. At first, you won’t want to leave. Later, you’ll find that you can’t. Every nine years, the house’s residents � an odd brother and sister � extend a unique invitation to someone who’s different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a recently divorced policeman, a shy college student. But what really goes on inside Slade House? For those who find out, it’s already too late...

Spanning five decades, from the last days of the 1970s to the present, leaping genres, and barreling toward an astonishing conclusion, this intricately woven novel will pull you into a reality-warping new vision of the haunted house story—as only David Mitchell could imagine it.]]> 241 David Mitchell 0812998693 Tamara 0 to-read 3.79 2015 Slade House
author: David Mitchell
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.79
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> White Is for Witching 6277227
Slipping away from them -

And when one dark night she vanishes entirely, the survivors are left to tell her story.

"Miri I conjure you "

This is a spine-tingling tale that has Gothic roots but an utterly modern sensibility. Told by a quartet of crystalline voices, it is electrifying in its expression of myth and memory, loss and magic, fear and love.]]> 256 Helen Oyeyemi 0330458140 Tamara 0 to-read 3.54 2009 White Is for Witching
author: Helen Oyeyemi
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2009
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Souls of Lost Lake 58322679
In 1930, Ava Coons has spent the last ten years carrying the mantle of mystery since she emerged from the forest as an eight-year-old girl, spattered with blood, dragging a logger's axe. She has accepted she'll never remember what happened to her family. When a member of the town of Tempter's Creek is murdered, rumors spread that Ava's secret is more malicious than previously imagined.

Both women discover that to save the innocent, they must face an insidious evil.]]> 383 Jaime Jo Wright 0764238329 Tamara 0 christian-fiction 4.24 2022 The Souls of Lost Lake
author: Jaime Jo Wright
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/10/01
shelves: christian-fiction
review:

]]> Just Like The Other Girls 57789653
CARER/COMPANION WANTED FOR ELDERLY LADY

YOUNG FEMALE PREFERRED

COMPETITIVE SALARY

ROOM AND BOARD INCLUDED

She thought she was safe. So did the others . . .

At loose ends after the devastating death of her mother, Una Richardson responds to an advertisement for a ladies' companion, a position that leads her into the wealthy, secluded world of Mrs. Elspeth McKenzie.


But Elspeth's home isn't the comforting haven it seems.

Kathryn, her cold and bitter daughter, resents Una's presence. More disturbing is evidence suggesting two girls lived here before her.

What happened to the young women?

Why won't the McKenzies talk about them?

What are they hiding?

As the walls begin to close in around her, Una fears she'll end up just like the other girls . . .


]]> 400 Claire Douglas 0063138115 Tamara 3 3.77 2020 Just Like The Other Girls
author: Claire Douglas
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/05
date added: 2022/09/29
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)]]> 45047384
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.]]> 394 T.J. Klune Tamara 5
I absoloutely adored this novel! TJ Klune came through once again.

I fell in love with the children and Arthur right alongside Linus and wouldn't have it any other way.]]> 4.37 2020 The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)
author: T.J. Klune
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2022/09/29
date added: 2022/09/29
shelves:
review:
Finally a book that lives up to the hype.

I absoloutely adored this novel! TJ Klune came through once again.

I fell in love with the children and Arthur right alongside Linus and wouldn't have it any other way.
]]> Promises to Keep 30753703
Fortunately, Amélie has made a powerful ally. Having survived his own harrowing experience at the hands of the English, Corporal Connor MacDonnell is a reluctant participant in the British plan to expel the Acadians from their homeland. His sympathy for Amélie gradually evolves into a profound love, and he resolves to help her and her family in any way he can—even if it means treason. As the last warmth of summer fades, more ships arrive to ferry the Acadians away, and Connor is forced to make a decision that will alter the future forever.]]> 336 Genevieve Graham 1501142879 Tamara 0 to-read 4.00 2017 Promises to Keep
author: Genevieve Graham
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Letters Across the Sea 54396860
If you’re reading this letter, that means I’m dead. I had obviously hoped to see you again, to explain in person, but fate had other plans.

1933

At eighteen years old, Molly Ryan dreams of becoming a journalist, but instead she spends her days working any job she can to help her family through the Depression crippling her city. The one bright spot in her life is watching baseball with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus, and sneaking glances at Hannah’s handsome older brother, Max.

But as the summer unfolds, more and more of Hitler’s hateful ideas cross the sea and “Swastika Clubs� and “No Jews Allowed� signs spring up around Toronto, a city already simmering with mass unemployment, protests, and unrest. When tensions between the Irish and Jewish communities erupt in a riot one smouldering day in August, Molly and Max are caught in the middle, with devastating consequences for both their families.

1939

Six years later, the Depression has eased and Molly is a reporter at her local paper. But a new war is on the horizon, putting everyone she cares about most in peril. As letters trickle in from overseas, Molly is forced to confront what happened all those years ago, but is it too late to make things right?

From the desperate streets of Toronto to the embattled shores of Hong Kong, Letters Across the Sea is a poignant novel about the enduring power of love to cross dangerous divides even in the darkest of times—from the #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child .]]> 384 Genevieve Graham 1982169346 Tamara 0 to-read 4.23 2021 Letters Across the Sea
author: Genevieve Graham
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Birth House 171102 The Birth House is the story of Dora Rare, the first daughter to be born in five generations of the Rare family. As a child in an isolated village in Nova Scotia, she is drawn to Miss Babineau, an outspoken Acadian midwife with a gift for healing and a kitchen filled with herbs and folk remedies. During the turbulent years of World War I, Dora becomes the midwife's apprentice. Together, they help the women of Scots Bay through infertility, difficult labors, breech births, unwanted pregnancies and even unfulfilling sex lives.

When Gilbert Thomas, a brash medical doctor, comes to Scots Bay with promises of fast, painless childbirth, some of the women begin to question Miss Babineau's methods - and after Miss Babineau's death, Dora is left to carry on alone. In the face of fierce opposition, she must summon all of her strength to protect the birthing traditions and wisdom that have been passed down to her.

Filled with details that are as compelling as they are surprising-childbirth in the aftermath of the Halifax Explosion, the prescribing of vibratory treatments to cure hysteria and a mysterious elixir called Beaver Brew- The Birth House is an unforgettable tale of the struggles women have faced to maintain control over their own bodies and to keep the best parts of tradition alive in the world of modern medicine.]]> 408 Ami McKay 0676977731 Tamara 0 to-read 4.00 2006 The Birth House
author: Ami McKay
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> At the Mountain's Edge 40539184
In 1897, the discovery of gold in the desolate reaches of the Yukon has the world abuzz with excitement, and thousands of prospectors swarm to the north seeking riches the likes of which have never been seen before.

For Liza Peterson and her family, the gold rush is a chance for them to make a fortune by moving their general store business from Vancouver to Dawson City, the only established town in the Yukon. For Constable Ben Turner, a recent recruit of the North-West Mounted Police, upholding the law in a place overrun with guns, liquor, prostitutes, and thieves is an opportunity to escape a dark past and become the man of integrity he has always wanted to be. But the long, difficult journey over icy mountain passes and whitewater rapids is much more treacherous than Liza or Ben imagined, and neither is completely prepared for the forbidding north.

As Liza’s family nears the mountain’s peak, a catastrophe strikes with fatal consequences, and not even the NWMP can help. Alone and desperate, Liza finally reaches Dawson City, only to find herself in a different kind of peril. Meanwhile, Ben, wracked with guilt over the accident on the trail, sees the chance to make things right. But just as love begins to grow, new dangers arise, threatening to separate the couple forever.

Inspired by history as rich as the Klondike’s gold, At the Mountain’s Edge is an epic tale of romance and adventure about two people who must let go of the past not only to be together, but also to survive.]]> 368 Genevieve Graham 1501193392 Tamara 0 to-read 3.88 2019 At the Mountain's Edge
author: Genevieve Graham
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/09/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Those Sweet Words (Misfit Inn, #2)]]> 52938231
Enter Flynn Bohannon, the sinfully sexy Irish musician in town for her sister's wedding. He's led the kind of life Pru can hardly imagine. He's no one's idea of stability, but he's the perfect guy for a crazy fun fling before her life changes. When Pru proposes a no-strings affair, Flynn's all on board. But when unexpected complications endanger the adoption, the two find themselves in a phony engagement.

Now they have to convince a sharp-eyed, skeptical social worker, a teen who's too smart for her own good, three dubious sisters, and one protective brother-in-law that Flynn's willing to give up the gypsy life and settle down. But in convincing everyone that this relationship is real, will they convince each other as well?]]> 235 Kait Nolan Tamara 4 4.39 2019 Those Sweet Words (Misfit Inn, #2)
author: Kait Nolan
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2019
rating: 4
read at: 2022/09/15
date added: 2022/09/15
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The View from Rainshadow Bay (Lavender Tides, #1)]]> 34460566
When her business partner is murdered, his final words convince Shauna that she’s in danger too. But where can she turn? Zach Bannister was her husband’s best friend and is the person she blames for his death. She’s barely spoken to him since. But right now he seems her only hope for protecting her son.

Zach is only too happy to assuage his guilt over Jack’s death by helping Shauna any way he can. But there are secrets involved dating back to Shauna’s childhood that more than one person would prefer to stay hidden.

In The View from Rainshadow Bay, suspense, danger, and a longing to love again ignite amid the gorgeous lavender fields of Washington State.]]> 336 Colleen Coble 0718085760 Tamara 2 3.97 2018 The View from Rainshadow Bay (Lavender Tides, #1)
author: Colleen Coble
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2022/02/13
date added: 2022/08/20
shelves:
review:

]]> Sleeping Dogs Lie 57600318
From the internationally best-selling author of My Lovely Wife and He Started It comes a twisted, entertaining novella about a dog walker swept into a criminal investigation when her client winds up dead.

Shelby works as a dog walker in Northern California, and she’s just finished up her biweekly trip to the park with a husky named Pluto. When she brings him back to his house, she finds his owner—Todd Burke, a well-known local businessman and founder of an organic supplements company—dead on the bathroom floor. As a detective interviews Shelby, a medical examiner inspects the body, and more cops search Todd’s home, it becomes clear that the victim’s life was less picture-perfect than his clean-cut persona might lead you to believe.]]> 2 Samantha Downing Tamara 2 3.58 2021 Sleeping Dogs Lie
author: Samantha Downing
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at: 2022/05/07
date added: 2022/08/20
shelves:
review:

]]> No Good Asking 39082348 A profoundly moving exploration of our capacity to heal one another.

Ellie and Eric Nyland have moved their two sons back to Eric's childhood farmhouse, hoping for a fresh start. But there’s no denying it, their family is falling apart, each one of them isolated by private sorrows, stresses, and missed signals. With every passing day, Ellie’s hopes are buried deeper in the harsh winter snows.

When Eric finds Hannah Finch, the girl across the road, wandering alone in the bitter cold, his rusty police instincts kick in and he soon discovers there are bad things happening in the girl’s house. With nowhere else to send her, the Nylands reluctantly agree to let Hannah stay with them until she can find a new home after the Christmas holidays. But Hannah proves to be more balm than burden, and the Nylands discover that the only thing harder than taking Hannah in may be letting her go.]]> 300 Fran Kimmel 177041438X Tamara 3 3.95 2018 No Good Asking
author: Fran Kimmel
name: Tamara
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/20
date added: 2022/08/20
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Kiss Doesn't Lie: A Small Town Bodyguard Romance]]> 57530111
Pop star Melissa Maddox has kept her identity hidden for almost a decade, but she’s yearning for something real. A visit to her hometown is a welcome reprieve—until an attempt is made on her life. Whisked away to a secluded beach house, Melissa must pretend to be married to her handsome bodyguard until the threat is eliminated.

Spoiled celebrities are not Reed Donovan’s client of choice. Still, he is determined to do his job and protect the difficult—and far too alluring—Melissa. Their time in close-quarters has Reed realizing there is more to the pop princess than meets the eye.

With a potential killer hunting Melissa, love is a distraction neither of them can afford. But it becomes clear that it isn’t just their lives at stake. Their hearts are on the line, too.

Welcome to Sparrow Hill, Texas:
Where strangers become friends and friends become family.
A community of hope and second chances.
A place where love always wins.

Each book in this small-town series comes complete with a happy ending and no cliff-hangers, though previous couples do make an appearance in subsequent books. Each sweet romance is sure to warm your heart and leave you wanting more.]]> 203 E.J. Dean Tamara 0 to-read 4.55 A Kiss Doesn't Lie: A Small Town Bodyguard Romance
author: E.J. Dean
name: Tamara
average rating: 4.55
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2022/08/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>