Review: A Thing of Beauty by Lisa Samson

Book Cover and Synopsis:
Former child star Fiona Hume deserted the movie biz a decade ago--right after she left rehab. She landed in Baltimore, bought a dilapidated old mansion downtown, and hatched dreams of restoring it into a masterpiece, complete with a studio for herself. She would disappear from public view and live an artist's life.

That was the plan.

Ten years later, Fiona's huge house is filled with junk purchased at thrift stores, haggled over at yard sales, or picked up from the side of the road. Each piece was destined for an art project . . . but all she's got so far is a piece of twine with some antique buttons threaded down its length.

She's thirty-two years old and still recognizable, but Fiona's money has finally run out. She's gotten pretty desperate, too, and in her desperation she's willing to do almost anything for money. Almost. So it is that she comes to rent out the maid's quarters to a local blacksmith named Josia Yeu.

Josia is everything Fiona isn't: gregarious, peaceful, in control without controlling . . . in short, happy. As the light from the maid's quarters begins to permeate the dank rooms of Fiona's world, something else begins to transform as well--something inside Fiona. Something even she can see is beautiful. 

My source for book: Review Copy

My Thoughts:

Coming from this author and publisher I was expecting this to be a Christian novel, so I was surprised to find it more secular in nature. While there's not really any objectionable scenes, it definitely has a more "worldly" feel and there is also some mild language through-out.

The story itself is fairly interesting, though I wouldn't call it upbeat. It gives a glimpse of the damage that Hollywood and fame can do to a person's emotional state--even years after leaving the business--and at the same time it serves as a great reminder that actors really are just normal people like every one else.

There is a very thin thread of romance in the story, but it's certainly not the main plot point and it's ultimately left slightly open ended... though it's kind of assumed that Fiona will end up with a certain guy. Strangely enough, this guy is completely the opposite of who I thought she would gravitate towards.

Overall, I have to admit that the story didn't give Fiona as much progress in her damaged life as I would've liked--and expected--to see. While she does make some life and attitude changes that result in her frame of mind and social skills improving, I was really hoping for a bit more. One of her difficult family relationships gets a sad "resolution" that I didn't care for, despite how difficult the person was to deal with. I think it all ultimately comes back to the fact that the story was more secular in nature, and I was hoping Fiona would find the solutions to her problems in God instead of just trying to not focus on the difficulties in her life. Alas...the only mention of God was the handful of times when His name was misused.

The story was a diversion from reality and held my attention fairly well, but I can't really say that I would recommend it. Maybe I'm missing the point of it....but regardless, it just wasn't what I expected and it was never able to convince me that the more secular angle was the best way to carry out the plot.

My Rating: 3 stars

Thanks to the publisher (Thomas Nelson) for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson

Book Cover and Synopsis:

Rita is living her dream of working as a hairstylist in Hollywood when her father calls with news that her mother has suffered a terrible stroke. When she gets home to Chicago, she finds her mother is healing but will need a lot of time to recover. Worse, without being able to run their family-owned salon, her mother could lose the business. Determined to help, Rita realizes what the struggling salon really needs is a complete make-over. Rita is determined to get the salon back to its former glory by Valentine's Day, which happens to coincide with the reopening of the nearby skating rink that she loved as a child. She only has her small personal savings and a short amount of time off of work to get the job done. But she also has the help of old friends, including Johnny, a former classmate who now works for Jolly Janitors, the company that cleans the salon. Rita is surprised at how well they connect and how much he is willing to do to help her. Though Rita believes Johnny is only being kind, with romance in the air their friendship may just fall into something more. 

My source for book: Review Copy

My Thoughts:

If cute stories are your thing, then this one will likely tickle your fancy. It leans a bit more towards "sweet" rather than realistic, but not overly so. While there are obstacles and various situations for Rita to overcome, most of the story just has a slightly candy-coated atmosphere; slightly more sweet than actual reality. It's light and generally entertaining, and the semi-short length (15 chapters) makes it a great weekend read.

I liked Rita fairly well, and even though I found it slightly odd that she spent so much of her vacation time at the salon instead of visiting with her recovering mom, at the same time I could also see why she wanted to "fix up" the out-dated salon as a gift of love for her mom. As for Johnny, I liked him as well and I could easily see why Rita was interested in him... although he actually seemed slightly "too good" and "too nice", as if he didn't really have any huge flaws. While this would obviously be great, it's not extremely realistic and it made him seem a bit flat to me--though still "nice".

The ending is a happy one that most romantics will appreciate, though I do have to admit that it seemed rather abrupt. Some things are left a bit open ended, though it's not hard to imagine the likely outcome. Still, I would've liked to see 1 or 2 more chapters to give a bit more closure.

Overall, the story is pretty cute and very clean; it would be appropriate for basically any age person who has an interest in it. The mall setting (where the salon is located) is kind of unique and I liked the fact that many of the business owners were familiar with each other, which gave it something akin to a small town feel. I do have to admit that there was ultimately more about the salon--and less about the Rita/Johnny relationship--than I would've preferred, but overall I still found the story as a whole fairly entertaining.

My Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to the publisher (Center Street) for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Christmas Roses by Amanda Cabot

Book Cover and Synopsis:

Celia Anderson doesn't need anything for Christmas except a few more boarders, which are hard to come by in this small mining town. She certainly doesn't have a husband on her Christmas wish list. But when a wandering carpenter finds lodging at her boarding house, she admits that she might remarry if she found the right man--the kind of man who would bring her roses for Christmas. It would take a miracle to get roses during a harsh Wyoming winter. But Christmas, after all, is the time for miracles . . .

My source for book: Personal Library

My Thoughts:
This is a sweet historical romance novella. The short length makes it ideal for reading during the busy holiday season, while the pacing and character development actually make it seem more like a full length novel. This is a win-win scenario!

I really liked both Celia and Mark, the two main characters. I do admit that it seemed like Celia had too many men chasing after her, but this didn't dampen my enjoyment of the story. The relationship development between Celia and Mark was done very well and didn't seem rushed at all. Mark's difficult past had left him emotionally scared, but I greatly appreciated how it was shown that the hard times were necessary to bring him to where he was ultimately meant to be.

The story takes place in the later part of the year, but it's not completely centered around Christmas. I feel it would be fine to read at any time of the year, but if you're like me, you'll probably want to read it at Christmas anyway. :) Though I don't think the story will be very memorable for me in the long run, I did enjoy it and it's one of the better Christmas stories I've read this year.

My Rating: 4 stars

Review: The Christmas Project by Amanda Hamm

Book Cover and Synopsis:

Hartford is full of small-town Christmas traditions and Gaby Bryant puts herself in the center of all of them. She loves Christmas and she loves things that stay the same. She spends most of the season engaged in one project after another, all intended to squeeze joy and beauty into the holiday. The fact that her friend Owen only reluctantly joins her preparations somehow adds to her fun.

But this year Owen has a project of his own. He wants to convince Gaby that not all change is bad and that if she’d stop thinking of him as “only” a friend, Christmas could be a whole lot merrier.

My source for book: Review Copy

My Thoughts:
I'm a sucker for a cute Christmas story, and while it's true they're a dime a dozen, this one is better than most of what's out there. It has a cute factor that's fun, but it's not over the top cheesy like many are. It stays grounded with the humorous realistic scenarios that are mixed in, such as Owen's extreme aversion to glittery decorations. (I have an Uncle who is even worse about glitter!)

I really liked the apartment building setting, with Gaby and Owen being next door neighbors on their floor. Their habit of often eating or watching tv together in the evenings was cute, and it really displayed the closeness of their friendship. Of course the "friends-turning-into-something-more" angle is fairly common, but it's one that I like and never get tired of--providing it's done well. This one is pretty good, and it's actually better than many I've recently read. Though they both wonder about the other's feelings, they don't spend pages and pages obsessively analyzing things. (Yay!) The sneaky Christmas-themed test that one of them comes up with to test the other's feelings is really cute and creative, and surprisingly the scene didn't turn out at all like I expected.

Overall, Gaby's love of all things Christmas is pretty fun, and I was quite amused how she continually tried to sneak Christmas decorations into Owen's decoration-free apartment. Though I do think I liked the other books in the Hartford series slightly better, I still enjoyed this one and was sad to leave the characters when the (neatly wrapped up) end came. Though it's part of a series, it stands alone perfectly fine. It's really a cute Christmas romance, and very clean as well. I'm glad to have read it, and I can easily recommend it if you're looking for a cute and clean Christmas story.

My Rating: 4 stars

Thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy in exchange for my honest opinion. 

Review: The Wishing Season by Denise Hunter

Book Cover and Synopsis:

She daydreams of whipping up sauces and souffles in her own restaurant. His heart is set on helping foster children. Both dreams are at stake. So are their hearts.

With grand plans to open her own bed & breakfast in Chapel Springs, PJ McKinley can't afford the most crucial part: the brick and mortar. But when the owner of a local historic home announces a contest and promises her property to the worthiest candidate, PJ makes a fervent wish and tosses her name into the hat.

Cole Evans is cool, confident, and successful, but he'll never forget his roots. He's thankful for how far he's come and knows his life could have turned out drastically different. If he can win the stately old mansion, he'll turn it into a home for children aging out of the foster system.

When the eccentric house owner narrows the entries down to only two applicants, she extends the contest, giving PJ and Cole one year to prove which one of them can make the best use of her beloved home. As the pair competes in close proximity, something deeper than rivalry sparks between PJ and Cole. And in this battle, they're likely to lose their hearts.

My source for book: Review Copy

My Thoughts:

I really liked PJ and her extremely talkative personality. I couldn't help but grin at some of her rambling speeches which were most prevalent when she got nervous. Considering her profession as a chef, I really appreciated that she didn't seem uppity about her tastes or knowledge, and the dishes she prepared, though fancy, weren't things I'd never heard of. Usually when chefs are in novels I find there is too much fancy terminology used, but that was not the case with PJ at all. She is very down-to-earth and easy to relate to, despite having refined tastes.

I also really liked Cole, and I felt so bad for the things he went through as a child. At the same time, I also sort of wanted to slap some sense into him and tell him that the things he blamed himself for weren't valid... BUT, nevertheless I did still like him. The work he did with the older foster kids was awesome, and it serves to shine a light on an important issue that is often overlooked or forgotten.

The book title and cover design initially gave me the impression that it would be a Christmas or winter centered story, but that's not really the case. The story covers the span of about one year, so while winter is included, it plays no larger part than any other season. The story is appropriate to read at any time of the year, so don't let the cute snowy cover image hold you back. 

Something I thought was unique was how one of the major relationship conflicts was resolved in an untraditional manner, with a third party getting involved to try to fix the issues. Often times novels with a large romantic element seem very cookie-cutter in their flow, but this angle brought a unique feel to the resolution of the story that I really liked.

Denise Hunter certainly doesn't shy away from the hard issues, but I really admire how she weaves everything together. The inclusion of difficult and touchy topics gives a very realistic atmosphere, while the grace with which they're handled keeps things from feeling overly gritty. Her characters are flawed with past mistakes--some larger than others--that makes them very easy to relate to and sympathize with. Though "The Wishing Season" doesn't top the previous Chapel Springs book (Dancing With Fireflies, which is one of my all-time favorite novels), it's still a very solid story with a good message and high entertainment value. I can easily recommend it if you are looking for a good read!

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Thanks to the publisher (Thomas Nelson) for providing me with a review copy via NetGalley.