Book Review - This Is Where It Ends by Cindy K. Sproles

 

 

This Is Where It Ends by Cindy K. Sproles is about an old woman who is coming to terms with nearing the end of her life and a secret that makes her question everything she holds dear. Minerva Jane Jenkins married when she was just 14 years old. She loved her husband, Stately Jenkins, very much. So much, that when he moved her to an isolated part of the mountains, she didn’t have any objections. She went along with his plans like she believed a good wife should.

When Stately Jenkins passed away fifty years later, he made her promise that she wouldn’t tell anyone about the small box he kept hidden. He told her it was filled with gold and that’s all Minerva knew about it. She promised Stately that she wouldn’t tell a single soul about the box and the treasure within.

Minerva is now ninety four years old and she feels that she is nearing the end of her life. She feels happy that she is going to die because she leads a lonely existence.  She is proud that she managed to keep Stately’s promise of keeping the box a secret, which proved to be harder when a journalist showed up to her door.

Del Rankin is a reporter and wants to know about her story and Stately’s involvement in the gold that went missing.  He promises Minerva that he is only interested in the people involved in the story.  Del’s friend, Colton, made it obvious that he is only interested in finding the location of the gold by any means necessary. Both men think that Minvera is a pushover and would tell them what they need to know, but little did they know Minvera is a firecracker and will stop at nothing to protect her promise to Stately.

The book took a bit for me to get into. Minerva narrates the book in her Appalachian dialect and I had a hard time understanding what she was saying at times. A few times, I would have to go back and reread the same sentence over and over again. The story was slow and plodded along without much happening. However, there were a few heartwarming moments between Minvera and Del that caused me to tear up. The book did have a few surprises and twists towards the middle and end of the book. It also had some humor sprinkled throughout the book. I am glad that I decided to stick it out and not give up halfway through like I originally planned on doing. If you like Christian fiction that takes place in the Appalachian mountains, then you might enjoy this one.

 

Book Review - Promises of Gold by José Olivarez

 

The book is a collection of poems from Mexican poet, Jose Olivarez. It contains a mixture of poems dedicated to people and experiences from his life. The book had two versions of each poem, one in Spanish and one in English. There was a translator note explaining the different nuances for translating a poem from English to Spanish as it can take away some of the author's meaning. I thought the poems were an interesting but, some I felt that I didn't quite understand the references. If you are a fan of poetry and a familiar with Mexican culture, I believe you will thoroughly enjoy these poems.

Book Review - Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour

  

 Mila is used to being alone. She is eager to find her own place to belong. Perhaps, this is why she agreed to a second chance at a remote farm surrounded by waves and flowers. However, Mila didn't know that the place was haunted by ghosts.

Mila just graduated from high school and has aged out of the foster care system. She is offered a teaching job and a place to live on an isolated farm near the Northern California coast. Mila is excited to have a home that she can calls hers. However, she didn't know that the place is haunted by the past and her old memories are resurfacing.

The novel was a quick and interesting read. I like that the author created an interesting story of how Mila needed to let go and accept her past before she can find a place to belong. I found that the some of the characters were mysterious or overly friendly or "aggressive" without including Mila in the reason why. I did find that the novel was a quick read and felt that the author could have gone into more detail about certain things. However, I am excited to read books by the author.

 **Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - You Let Me In by Camilla Bruce

 

Cassandra Tipp is an infamous and eccentric bestselling novelist. She is known for her vivid imagination.  She is a famous recluse and one day she is gone but, leaves behind a final manuscript.

Everyone in town remembers the events that lead to her infamous trial. She has been acquitted with the insanity defense. Her husband died mysteriously and has never been solved. A few years later, her brother and father died in a murder-suicide.  

In her final manuscript, Cassandra details her life history. She details what happened in the happens and what she believes happened to her husband. However, her story comes with a price.

This novel is an epic waste of time. It took forever to get anywhere and the author filled the book with useless details. I read more than half of the novel but, just lost interest in it. I feel like there was nothing really keeping me tethered to the book and to read more. I tossed this book to the side and started reading something that I actually cared to read.

  **Disclosure -  This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Book Review - Blame the Dead by Ed Ruggero + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Eddie Harkins is a Military Police lieutenant during World War II in Sicily. Eddie was a cop in Philadelphia when he decided to enlist.  On his way back to base, Eddie and his driver are flagged down to help solve a murder at the US Army's 11th Field Hospital. Eddie has to solve the murder of Dr. Stephenson and who would want him dead. Eddie and his childhood friend, nurse Kathleen Donnelly, will need to work together to solve the mystery.

The novel was an engaging and thrilling read. The author included vivid details of the atmosphere along with capturing the chaos and mayhem on the battlefield. However, there were a few times when I felt like the author went too much in details and the story took to long to progress. I am interested in reading other books by the author.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. This post may contain affiliate links which means I earn advertising and/or referral fees if you purchase an item through my link. Please note, there will be no extra charges to you. Thank you for your support.**

Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Forge Books (March 3, 2020)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1250312744
ISBN-13: 978-1250312747

Praise for BLAME THE DEAD

“The title of this riveting, finely crafted novel may be Blame the Dead, but I blame author Ed Ruggero--for keeping me up at night, reading "just one more" chapter then another and another. Whether your interests lie in a well-wrought mystery, a classic cop story, historical settings or first-rate military fiction, this thoroughly enjoyable novel set during World War II checks the block. Great pacing, compelling characters, solid research and a fiendishly clever plot add up to non-stop reading excitement.” ―Ralph Peters, author of Cain at Gettysburg and Judgment at Appomattox

“This book is a lot of fun, written with an insider's feel for the U.S. Army and its history.” ―Thomas E. Ricks, author of The Generals and Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq

“Ruggero's story sets itself apart with the vividly rendered field-hospital setting and the focus on the battle-hardened nurses. A solid choice for WWII-thriller fans.” ―Booklist

“At the start of this exceptional WWII mystery and series launch, Lt. Eddie Harkins, an MP who was once a Philadelphia beat cop, comes across a murder scene near Palermo, Sicily.... Ruggero plays fair with his readers and makes the carrying out of a homicide inquiry in wartime both exciting and plausible.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Ruggero uses his military expertise to create a vivid and unconventional setting for a murder mystery, crafting an intriguing quagmire of institutional corruption to challenge his everyman hero.” ―Library Journal

The nurses of the US Army's Field Hospitals, mobile units that operate just behind the battle lines, contend with heat, dirt, short-handed staffs, the threat of German counterattack and an ever-present flood of horribly wounded GIs. At the 11th Field Hospital near Palermo, Sicily in the bloody summer of 1943, nurses also live with the threat of violent assault by one of their own--at least until someone shoots Dr. Myers Stephenson in the head.

Enter Eddie Harkins, a tough former Philadelphia beat cop turned Military Police lieutenant, who is first on the scene. Although he has never been a detective, Harkins soon finds himself the lone investigator, either because the Military Police are under-staffed or because someone in power thinks this rank amateur will never get close to the real killer. When the hospital commander tries to derail Harkins' investigation by transferring or harassing key witnesses, it becomes clear to Harkins that the unit is rotten to its core, that the nurses are not safe, and that patients who have survived Nazi bullets are still at risk after they arrive at this place that is supposed to save them.

Harkins fights--and worries that he is losing--multiple battles. He is driven to give hope to nurses who just want to do their life-saving work, to right at least a few of the wrongs around him, and to do penance for sins in his own past. The one bright note for Harkins is a rekindled relationship with Kathleen Donnelly, a nurse from Harkins' old neighborhood; but even that is complicated when Donnelly becomes a victim.

You can purchase Blame the Dead at the following Retailers:

        

Photo Content from Ed Ruggero

Ed Ruggero has studied, practiced, and taught leadership for more than twenty-five years, helping organizations develop the kinds of leaders people want to follow. His client list includes the FBI, the New York City Police Department, CEO Conference Europe, the CIA, the Young Presidents Organization, Forbes, the SAS Institute, Hugo Boss USA, CitiFinancial, and Time, among many others. He has appeared on CNN, The History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and CNBC and has spoken to audiences around the world on leadership, leader development and ethics. Ed is a senior advisor to McKinsey & Company and has been a panelist for The Washington Post’s On Leadership series. He also has been a guest speaker at Harvard Business School and the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Ed is the author of eleven books, including Duty First: West Point and the Making of American Leaders, a study of leader development at the US Military Academy; and Combat Jump: The Young Men Who Led the Assault Into Fortress Europe, July 1943, which became a one-hour docudrama on The History Channel. Ed is also the co-author of The Leader’s Compass, a fictional story of how one leader developed a personal leadership philosophy. His most recent book is The First Men In: US Paratroopers and the Fight to Save D-Day.

After his graduation from West Point, Ed received his commission in the United States Army and served as an infantry officer in a variety of leadership positions, followed by an assignment teaching at West Point. After his service, Ed continued to share his insights about leadership, leading to his career as an author, public speaker, and trainer.

Ed is the founder and principal of The Gettysburg Leadership Experience, The Concord Leadership Experience, The Valley Forge Leadership Experience and the Normandy Leadership Experience, four distinct experiential learning programs in which participants walk the grounds of great military struggles and learn battle-tested leadership lessons that will help them meet today’s business challenges.

        

WEEK ONE

MARCH 2nd MONDAY JeanBookNerd INTERVIEW

MARCH 3rd TUESDAY Movies, Shows, & Books EXCERPT

MARCH 4th WEDNESDAY Ya It's Lit REVIEW

MARCH 5th THURSDAY Two Points of Interest REVIEW

MARCH 5th THURSDAY TTC Books and More EXCERPT

MARCH 6th FRIDAY BookHounds INTERVIEW 

WEEK TWO

MARCH 9th MONDAY A Dream Within A Dream EXCERPT

MARCH 10th TUESDAY Insane About Books REVIEW 

MARCH 11th WEDNESDAY Gwendalyn's Books REVIEW

MARCH 12th THURSDAY Casia's Corner REVIEW

MARCH 12th THURSDAY Zenithmeridian REVIEW 

MARCH 13th FRIDAY Crossroad Reviews REVIEW

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Book Review - The Captured Bride by Michelle Griep + Giveaway

Photo Credit - Amazon

Mercy Lutton is a woman with divided loyalties. She is half English and half Mohawk. Mercy was born with a rare gift of keen eyesight, which she uses to help scout against the French. She agrees to accompany a traitor and two soldiers protecting precious cargo against the French. Elias Dubois is the condemned traitor, who jumped at the chance of gaining his freedom. Elias is conflicted on what doing what is right and what needs to be done. Both Mercy and Elias have different motives with no plans on settling down. However, they both find themselves attracted to each other. Will Mercy and Elias be able to put their differences aside?

The novel was a great and informative read. I like the dictionary with the translation between the two languages. I found the characters realistic and lovable. I kept rooting for them until the very end. However, I found some parts of the book to be a bit slow. A great book for anyone who is a fan of historical romance novels.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Title: The Captured Bride
Author: Michelle Griep
Release Date: June 1, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance
A war-torn countryside is no place for a lady—but Mercy Lytton is a lady like none other. Raised amongst the Mohawks, she straddles two cultures, yet each are united in one cause . . . to defeat the French. Born with a rare gift of unusually keen eyesight, she is chosen as a scout to accompany a team of men on a dangerous mission. Yet it is not her life that is threatened. It is her heart.
Condemned as a traitor, Elias Dubois faces the gallows. At the last minute, he’s offered his freedom if he consents to accompany a stolen shipment of French gold to a nearby fort—but he’s the one they stole it from in the first place. It turns out that the real thief is the beguiling woman, Mercy Lytton, for she steals his every waking thought.
Can love survive divided loyalties in a backcountry wilderness?

Michelle Griep’s been writing since she first discovered blank wall space and Crayolas. She is the author of historical romances: The Innkeeper’s Daughter, 12 Days at Bleakly Manor, The Captive Heart, Brentwood’s Ward, A Heart Deceived, Undercurrent and Gallimore, but also leaped the historical fence into the realm of contemporary with the zany romantic mystery Out of the Frying Pan. If you’d like to keep up with her escapades, find her at www.michellegriep.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Michelle is giving away a grand prize of

a signed copy of The Captured Bride and a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card!!

Click below to enter. https://promosimple.com/ps/d06e/the-captured-bride-celebration-tour-giveaway

Book Review - Pursuing Gold: A Novel of the Civil War by Cynthia L. Simmons and Rene Holt

Photo Credit - Amazon

Peter Chandler inherits a bank after his father's untimely death and his father's business partner on his death bed. Peter just recently graduated college and has no experience running a bank. He finds guidance in his partner's daughter, Mary Beth Roper but they both struggle to keep the bank afloat during the Civil War.  However, their problems deepen when they find counterfeit bills in circulation.  Will they be able to work together to save the bank? Who is circulating the counterfeit bills?

The novel is an interesting perspective of the Civil War. It doesn't just give the views of the North and the South but also the people who are caught in between and are trying to live their lives. I was entranced by the novel but after a few chapters in, the novel became boring. The story line was interesting but not enough action. A majority of the novel could have been left out and you wouldn't even miss it. The characters seemed to aloof and mild -- I couldn't see myself rooting for any of them. The novel seemed a bit disjointed that writing didn't seem to flow smoothly. A decent read but I don't see myself picking up this book again.

**Disclosure - I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion**

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner - Gilded

The creamy eye liner goes on smoothly and stays put. It doesn't fade or budge throughout the day. The gilded color is a golden bronze color with a hint of shimmer. The only downside, some of the smudge stick doesn't turn very well and get stuck.

Tocca Candela - Violette

The 10.6oz candle provides 60 hours of burn time. Springtime in Paris was the inspiration for this sweet scented candle.  It has notes of African violet, black currant, and cashmere musk. The candle is house in a white glass with delicate gold-screening. The hand poured wax candle has a soft delicate scent. I love the candle but sadly I would not be purchasing again unless its 50% off as the candle doesn't burn evenly and once it is extinguished the scent dissipated in the air.

Jane Iredale 24KT Gold Dust - Rose Gold

Ever wonder what is at the end of a makeup rainbow? This little beauty is there waiting for you. The multi-use product is literally a pot of gold at your finger tips.  The shimmering powder can be added to cheeks, eyes,  and lips for a gilded look. Or if mix it with a bit of moisturizer and apply to bare skin or with a favorite hair product and apply to your hair. The powder creates a nice ethereal look with minimum effort. And the best part, it doesn't take up much space! It's a great way to add a bit of glitter to your life without looking childish.