Wednesday, October 29, 2008

“For the Roses” by Julie Garwood

For the Roses” by Julie Garwood
1995, Pocket Books
ISBN: 0-61-01498-6

For the Roses” by Julie Garwood is a terrific book. It’s sort of heavy on the sex, but, hey, what’s a romance without some sex in it? Anyway, this is a western romance. It’s about 4 young boys who are on their own in New York City right before the Civil War. They’ve formed their own gang and watch out for each other. The oldest one, Adam, is a runaway slave from down South and at 13 he assumes responsibility for the 3 younger ones.

One night Adam, Travis and Cole are asleep in their alley. Douglas has remained awake as lookout. It just isn’t safe to have a life on the streets. Douglas observes a fancy carriage, a gentleman and a woman in close conversation. A basket is handed to the woman and an envelope. The carriage leaves and the woman furtively makes her way to their alley. She throws the basket on a trash heap and runs. Douglas whistles to awaken the others, tells them to look in the basket and takes off on foot after the woman. He prides himself on being a very, very good pickpocket.

The boys get to the basket just as rats are swarming over it and find a 4 month old baby girl inside. That was the day they stopped being a gang and became a family.

They all moved West and carved out a life for themselves.

Years and years later someone comes in pursuit of Mary Rose. Lo and behold she was kidnapped as a baby and is a long lost heiress.

For the Roses” is just a really terrific story. All the characters are colorful and the story is a gripping one. You just won’t be able to put it down. This is a terrific book.

And, the icing on the cake? This was made into a movie by Hallmark called, “Rose Hill
” and aired on television in 1997. We belong to Netflix and I was able to “save” the DVD. Netflix doesn’t have it yet, but you could go to Amazon and buy it there if you can’t wait for Netflix.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

"Fearless Fourteen" by Janet Evanovich

"Fearless Fourteen" by Janet Evanovich
2008, St. Martin's Press
ISBN: 978-0-312-34951-6

Have you ever laughed so hard that you started crying? I did while I was reading, “Fearless Fourteen” by Janet Evanovich. I’m going to have to make a list of all the books I’ve read in the Stephanie Plum series so I’ll know which one to get next. I read a whole bunch of them out of order, though this one is the latest to come out in 2008. It doesn’t matter that I read them out of order because each and every one of them are fabulous as a stand alone book.

What’s so cool about Stephanie Plum is she’s got this quirky way of looking at life. I’m sort of matronly now at 53 and I really admire her pluck. Like I wish I was that way too. Maybe I should take notes while I’m reading. Ha.

Stephanie is a bounty hunter. She lives in New Jersey and loves Joe Morelli. He’s a cop, which comes in handy because in her line of business she needs the cops. A lot. Her side kick in bounty hunting is Lula who files in the bounty hunter office run by Stephanie’s cousin Vinnie. But, Lula would rather be out doing the bounty hunter thing. She’s real enthusiastic about it and while Stephanie usually forgets her gun, her handcuffs and her stun gun Lula always remembers.

What’s going on in this book starts in with Loretta who has failed to appear. They call that FTA in the business. It’s Stephanie’s job to go track her down, take her to jail and get another bond for her. As Loretta gets led off she makes Stephanie promise if she’s not out in time to pick her son up from school that Stephanie will go get Zook. That’s his code name. He’s into gaming and this is the first time I’ve ever gotten close to how gamers act. It was fascinating.

The problem is that nobody wants to put up the bail for Loretta. So, Stephanie assumes the responsibility of taking care of Zook. The first thing that happens is that he spray paints Bob. Bob is Joe Morelli’s dog. Then he spray paints Stephanie’s car.

Finally, Loretta gets bonded out, but then she disappears. And, if the story hadn’t taken off before it really takes off at this point. Time is of the essence. Bad stuff is happening. And, I really couldn’t put this book down. I started it this morning and finished it tonight. Just a terrific book.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

“Mary Modern” by Camille DeAngelis

Mary Modern” by Camille DeAngelis
2007, Shaye Areheart Books
ISBN: 978-0-307-35258-3

If you only read the first paragraph of this review, take away with you my recommendation that “Mary Modern” by Camille DeAngelis is a book to read. Somebody else on the Internet (I don’t remember who) wrote a glowing review and recommended the book. Consequently, I ordered it up from my library. Once I opened it up two days ago I couldn’t put it down.

It’s a novel, but it almost defies a simple classification and becomes more than that. It’s got love story, and science fiction, and horror all rolled in together. “Mary Modern” reminds me a little of my own first novel that was everything I wanted to read at the time and couldn’t find anywhere else…so, I wrote my own book. Should you be interested, “Secret of the Stones” is gathering dust under my bed. I am not near as good a writer as Camille DeAngelis so the fact that I’ve never been published doesn’t bother me. Not much anyway. But, love of writing is love of writing and love of reading isn’t far behind it and when I read something somebody has spent a lot of time on, has bled into and poured parts of themselves into it I appreciate it.

Lucy Morrigan is a scientist. A mad scientist. But, she is also very aware of her biological clock tick, tick, ticking away. Does she do something about it? Yes. She does. She goes and clones her grandmother Mary. Lucy thought she would be getting a baby. What she gets is her grandmother as a young woman. And, Mary is asking questions.

This is a story of love and attraction at so many different levels. When you say to somebody, “I’ll love you forever and ever.” did you ever think that such a thing could really come to pass?

Plunk yourself down. Be prepared to miss a few tv shows. Be late to work. Prop this book up and eat your lunch around it. You really won’t be able to put it down.

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

“Jericho’s Road” by Elmer Kelton

“Jericho’s Road” by Elmer Kelton
2004, A Tom Doherty Associates Book
ISBN: 0-765-30955-6

Jericho's Road” by Elmer Kelton is a continuation in the saga of Andy Pickard, who grew up as a Comanche. They kidnapped him when he was a toddler after his mother was killed. When he was about ten years old he was rescued and had to learn to live in western society. He brings to these stories the wisdom of two races. In this story he and Farley Brackett are both Texas Rangers who get assigned to patrol some really rough country; right on the border between Texas and Mexico.

Andy and Farley generally get on each other’s nerves, but they link together in this story to help the folks living along the borders. There are cattle barons on both sides of the Rio Grande and they are mostly all very tough customers. It doesn’t help that the people who are in charge of the Rangers are crooked as all get out.

A large part of the country in Texas is controlled by Jericho and people live uneasy lives. Into this already tense situation enters a blood feud between Jericho in Texas and Lupe Chavez in Mexico.

Before the war the Chavez family had extensive holdings in Texas, but they retreated across the river to Mexico and the holding in Texas was acquired by a Texan, Big Jim McCawley who married Lupe’s sister Juana. Once upon a time Lupe and Jericho had been friends, but times had changed.

Now, the feud and Andy and Farley are in the thick of it. One son dies and revenge is all that is on their minds. Both Andy and Farley show what they are made of when they come to the rescue of the people they’ve sworn to protect.

This is the third book I’ve read in this series. It doesn’t matter that I’m reading them out of sequence at all. I’m enjoying each and every one of them and it’s getting to where I know I’m going to be reading a really good western when I crack open a book by Elmer Kelton.

Sunday, October 5, 2008

“Twenty Wishes” by Debbie Macomber

“Twenty Wishes” by Debbie Macomber
2008, Mira
ISBN: 978-0-7783-2550-5

If you made a list of twenty things you would most like to have in your life how soon do you think it would take before they would start coming true? In “Twenty Wishes” four widows still in the throes of grieving for their husbands meet and talk about making a list of twenty wishes.

This is their story; Barbie and her mother Lillie, Anne Marie and Elise. Debbie Macomber shows us how women can move away from the sadness and grieving that comes when a spouse dies to friendships and on to new relationships and in the process discover that love can happen more than once in a lifetime.

This was a gentle story that I just could not put down once I’d started it. I think you will enjoy this touching romance.

Saturday, October 4, 2008

“Someone to Love” by Jude Deveraux

“Someone to Love” by Jude Deveraux
2007, Atria Books
ISBN: 978-0-7434-3716-5

“Someone to Love” by Jude Deveraux was delicious. It was just delicious. This is a mystery/romance with ghosts and love and a mystery that you won’t figure out until the end.

Jace Montgomery has been grieving for the last 3 years, ever since his fiancĂ© was said to have killed herself just before they were to have been married. It just doesn’t add up and Jace has been unable to move forward.

Poking around he happens to find a picture of an English mansion with a note to his fiancĂ©, Stacy, with arrangements made to meet her the day before she died. He can’t tell who wrote the note; it is not signed.

But, he is determined to discover what drove her to her death. This is the first clue he’s had that something was going on in Stacy’s life. He moves to England and buys the house.

With the house comes the village of Margate full of eccentric folks. They all want to know what he is doing and try their hardest to ferret out any information about him. He is just as determined that his quest remain private.

Into all of this comes a reporter, Nigh, short for Nightengale. She is home to Margate from 10 years of reporting all over the world. She is tired and has seen more than she needs of violence and death. But, the reporter in her won’t stop.

And, then there are the ghosts who appear to both Nigh and to Jace. You can guess who falls in love here? "Someone to Love" is a terrific book. You won’t want to put it down.

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