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justjan

justjan

Well told

Hell No, We Won't Go: A Novel of Peace, Love, War, and Football - Jim Stevens

As I Canadian I think my view on this book may be different. I was in elementary school during the war in Viet Nam. I didn’t know much about the war.

I found the book to be fascinating. The story of a spoiled college football player and frat boy becoming a man with a conscience was well told. Some of the language used was ugly and unpleasant to read today, but it accurately portrayed language that was a part of everyday speech in that era. I don’t believe the words were used for shock value but were necessary to keep the story real. As was the violence, it happened and was integral to the story line.

It’s not a “rainy day at the cottage” book. But it is a book well worth reading.

I received a copy of this book for free in exchange for providing this honest review.

A good "who done it"

A Dead Red Cadillac - R.P. Dahlke

A good mystery. The author pulled me in at the very first paragraph and kept me in her grasp until the very end of the story. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep me guessing (mostly guessing incorrectly) until the very end.

I would have liked to have a little more of the character’s background revealed but that being said, they were likable people who were very real. I found them easy to connect with. I liked Lalla. We all have a past that has shaped who we are today and so do the characters in the story. That makes them human.

I appreciated the fact that the language was clean. I find that I am more likely to recommend a book to a friend when the characters are not dropping the F bomb every other sentence.

While I did receive a copy of this book for free in exchange for this honest review, I purchased the next book in the series before sitting down at the keyboard to write this review.

Timely and Excellent

Angel of Mercy (suspense crime mystery murder thriller) (A Matthew Cruze Investigation) - Tim Knox

In this era where reality television is almost routine programing Angel of Mercy hints at the concept of where it might one day go.
I love a good mystery.  I enjoy trying to solve it, am excited by all the twists and turns the plot takes and the best part for me is getting the answer wrong.  I hate the predictable.  This book hits all of the high points that make a mystery my favorite genre.
A reality show pays the estate of a terminally ill person a large sum of money in exchange for being permitted to film the doctor assisted suicide.  The star of the show is a doctor who had been accused of being an angel of death.  A newsman who had already penned a book covering the criminal case and firmly believed in the doctor's guilt is contacted by the show's producer and offered a huge sum of money to help write the star's autobiography. He agrees and it's while he is watching the filming of an episode that things start to get crazy.
The author makes the characters real.  The hero (Matthew Cruze) is likable, a man I wanted to see succeed.  The bad guys are delightfully evil.  They are so very easy to hate, each for their own personal flaws.  
The book is a hit and I am already looking forward the next book

War uf the Roses The Childreb

The Children of the Roses - Warren Adler

When the son  of the infamous Roses marries the daughter of a bitter divorced woman there is bound to be trouble.  The old quote "Children learn what they live" shows its truth here.  There comes a time when there is trouble in their marriage.
The characters are wonderful.  Josh Rose is incredibly likeable despite his lapse in judgement. Victoria Rose is a woman who sees life in black and white, there are no grey areas for her.  She seems so rigid you expect her to snap.  I wanted to dislike her but  I couldn't.  I found myself feeling pity for her.  Aunt Evie is lovable. Everyone should have Aunt Evie in their lives.  Victoria's mother is a bitter old shrew. She is very easy to hate.  I wanted to shake got her.
The story itself is captivating.  I was pulled in immediately and the book wouldn't let me go.  I kept saying to myself "Just one more chapter and I'll go to bed.".  It was suddenly 4:00 a.m. and there were no more chapters.

I loved it!

Short and Sweet

Love those Hula Hips (Kona Breezeway) (Volume 1) - Jackie Marilla

A nice little love  story set in Hawaii.  No love story is complete with a few misunderstandings and there were just enough of them to keep me wondering ... will she?  will he?  I enjoyed the sprinkling of Hawaiian culture.  We could learn a lot from some of the traditions explained here.

The perfect lazy summer afternoon read

The Advocate's Felony (Volume 6) - Teresa Burrell
I'm not going to give you a brief overview of the book because that has already been provided for you and to be perfectly honest there is so much to love about it that I'm afraid my summary would turn into a huge spoiler.
Another hit. I love this series of books! You don't have to have read the other books in the series to become absorbed it the book but if you haven't read them what are you waiting for? They all have the perfect amount of mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat, enough humor to make you giggle and enough romance to keep you believing that romance does exist. The language is clean and there are no over the top sex scenes. I would be comfortable giving a copy to my 90 year old grandmother or to my 12 year old niece.

Teresa creates characters that are so believable I think of them as friends. They are so real I find myself worrying about them while I'm waiting for the next book. I can see them in my mind's eye and I know who I would cast to play them. There are not many authors who have that skill.

I love the fact that some old characters come back and the I wonder how they are now questions are answered. Sabre does a little travelling in this book and I love her reactions to some of the places that she visits.

There are real life issues in each book and they are woven into the plot so cleverly that you don't feel like you are being preached to and still make you thankful for your own life. They inspire me to want to get involved and make a difference in a child's life.