The Good Sister Offered by HarperCollins Publishers Price: $6.44
A Long Drawn Out Adaption Of "Carrie", September 25, 2013 This review is from: The Good Sister (Kindle Edition)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 24, 2013In New York Times bestselling authorWendy Corsi Staub's electrifying new thriller,a mother races to save her daughter beforeher darkest nightmare comes true.Sacred Sisters Catholic girls' school has hardly changed since Jen Archer was a student. Jen hoped her older daughter would thrive here. Instead, shy, studious Carley becomes the target of vicious bullies. But the real danger at Sacred Sisters goes much deeper.The only person Carley can talk to is "Angel," a kindred spirit she met online. Carley tells Angel everything—about her younger sister, about school, about the sudden death of her former best friend. Angel is her lifeline. And Angel is closer than she knows.When another schoolgirl is found dead, Jen's unease grows. There are too many coincidences, too many links to her past. Every instinct tells her that Carley is the next target. For someone is intent on punishing the guilty, teaching the ultimate lesson in how to fear . . . and how to die.

If you have read Stephen King's "Carrie" Carrie (Movie Tie-in Edition): Now a Major Motion Picture then you have already read this book. "The Good Sister" is pretty much identical just with an updated twist (i.e. - social media, Twitter, Facebook, cel phones etc.).

This book is a very slow moving, unnecessarily complicated, even boring jumble of words. It takes about 50% of the book before anything of interest happens and what comes before it is a constant rehashing or words and ideas and whining and moaning...The denouement is sort of interesting, but by that point nothing shocked me anymore.

This book was one big treatise on how a parent can either do too little and mess up their kids, or do too much and mess up their kids. It drives home the point that this generation is not called the "entitled" generation for nothing.

This book, in its own clumsy way -shows us that kids and young adults are becoming isolated an unable to deal with flesh and blood people.

This book also, in a peripheral way, alsodeals with pedophilia and child abuse...but it doers it in such an oblique way that you are never 100% sure what the heck is going on.

The ending as I said, is sort of interesting, yet it is also something that you are going to have to really stretch your disbelief for, and I mean REALLY stretch it. It is almost as if the author knew that this book wasn't disturbing enough so she felt as if she had to throw in something really off the wall to liven it up and make the killer even more evil and misunderstood.

So Tough to Tame by Victoria Dahl

 

So Tough to Tame (Hqn) by Dahl, Victoria (Sep 24, 2013)

Formats		Price
Kindle EditionAvailable for Pre-order. This item will be released on September 24, 2013.		$6.15
Mass Market PaperbackAvailable for Pre-order. This item will be released on September 24, 2013. Pre-order Price Guarantee. See Details		$4.79

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2013Tough to tame, but not too tough to love… Charlie Allington is supposed to be on the fast track to the top—a small-town girl who was making it big in her career. Instead, she's reeling from a scandal that's pretty much burned all her bridges. Now, out of options, she needs a place to lick her wounds and figure out her future. True, working at a ski resort in rugged Jackson Hole, Wyoming, isn't her dream job. But if there's one perk to coming back, it's a certain sexy hometown boy who knows how to make a girl feel welcome. Cowboy Walker Pearce never expected a grown-up Charlie to be temptation in tight jeans. She's smart and successful—way out of league for a man like him. But he's not about to let that, or his secrets, get in the way of their blazing-hot attraction. Yet when passion turns to something more, will the truth—about both of them—send her out of his life for good…or into his arms forever?

Some authors can be a little timid when adding sex to their stories, but Ms Dahl has absolutely no problems with that in this new novel.  In fact, in the first third of this novel there is a whole lot of sizzle going on, but no steak to back it up. It takes nearly a third of the novel to get to the meat of the story and it took even longer than that to get to a scene that was not reminiscent of teen-agers fumbling in the back seat of their car, but with a lot   dirtier words, actions and imagery.

Essentially Charlie Allington had made some huge mistake with her former employer – but of course, she was innocent of any sort of wrongdoing.  Now she has come home to a new job   and is trying to stay low for a while.  However, does she?  Of course, not; since the man she had had a crush on in High School is living across the hall from her!

Walker Pierce has a bit of a problem trying to keep his man bits in his pants, he feels he really doesn’t have a whole heck of a lot to offer and is now trying to fend off his latest mistake when Charlie comes back into town.  Now his mind   and his male bits think of nothing else but Charlie.

Why such strong characters needed to be led around by hormones and gonads is beyond my comprehension.

I’m afraid that Ms Dahl has given up writing a good story for writing something that is only one step below erotica.  Mind you, I have no problems with sex in my stories, nor do I have any problem whatsoever with erotica, but I do so want a good story to back it up.  In addition, I do want that story to happen a lot sooner.  I need something to hook me in and make me not want to put the book down to do laundry.

------------àSPOILRISHß-----------------

Walker has dyslexia, but instead of coming off as someone who has a hard time with reading and writing, he comes across as unintelligent.  I am having a real difficult time reconciling what I know about the dyslexic people in my life and Walkers character.

Christmas on 4th Street

Formats		Price
Kindle Edition Available for Pre-order. This item will be released on October 4, 2013.		$8.57
Hardcover Available for Pre-order. This item will be released on September 24, 2013. Pre-order Price Guarantee. See Details		$10.17

Other Formats: MP3 CD;  Audible Audio Edition

Christmas on 4th Street (Fool's Gold Romance) by Mallery, Susan (Oct 1, 2013)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2013

There's nowhere better to spend the holidays than with New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery in the town of Fool's Gold, where love is always waiting to be unwrapped…
Noelle Perkins just got a second chance at life, and she intends to make the most of every minute. That's why she ditched a frustrating legal career to open her own store in Fool's Gold, California. The Christmas Attic celebrates everything that's magical about her favorite season. Business is booming, and as a bonus, gorgeous army doctor Gabriel Boylan has offered to help out during the holiday rush.
Gabriel's memories of Christmas past contain more sour grapes than sugar plums, thanks to a drill sergeant father who ran his home like a boot camp. Spending the holidays with his family while he recuperates from injury sounds as appetizing as last year's eggnog. Still, there are some enjoyable distractions in town, including sunny, sexy Noelle…and the red-hot mistletoe kisses they can't stop sharing.
Gabriel didn't think he was made for happily-ever-afters. But when fate hands you a love as sweet and surprising as this, only a fool could refuse….

Christmas on 4^th Street by Susan Mallery

This novel was lacking some of the sizzle that Ms Mallery’s romances usually have.  I don’t know if that is because this is a Christmas book or because she has suddenly changed her writing style.    Written in the third person, the characters are well fleshed but wishy –washy and the story is interesting, but it doesn’t grab you by the throat and demand that you pull an all-nighter reading it.   

Gabriel has just too much going on with his psyche   for me to do much more than worry about him.  Noelle was just a little too perky and perfect for me to put myself in her shoes.

While this was  a  heavier read than I would like, it was a somewhat cute story and in the end they both get what they need and deserve.

The Bride Wore Size 12 by Meg Cabot

The Bride Wore Size 12: A Novel by Cabot, Meg (Sep 24, 2013)

Formats		Price		New	Used
Kindle EditionAvailable for Pre-order. This item will be released on September 24, 2013.		$7.59
PaperbackAvailable for Pre-order. This item will be released on September 24, 2013. Pre-order Price Guarantee. See Details	$14.99	$8.99

Other Formats: Audible Audio Edition

Book DescriptionPublication Date: September 24, 2013Heather Wells is used to having her cake and eating it too, but this time her cake just might be cooked. Her wedding cake, that is.With her upcoming nuptials to PI Cooper Cartwright only weeks away, Heather's already stressed. And when a pretty junior turns up dead, Heather's sure things can't get worse—until every student in the dorm where she works is a possible suspect, and Heather's long-lost mother shows up.Heather has no time for a tearful mother and bride reunion. She has a wedding to pull off and a murder to solve. Instead of wedding bells, she might be hearing wedding bullets, but she's determined to bring the bad guys to justice if it's the last thing she does . . . and this time, it just might be.

First time readers of this series may want to think twice before starting with this book.  Ms Cabot does a wonderful job with giving us back-story and theoretically you could start here with no problems, but what fun would that be?

There has been some discussion that this might be the last Heather Welles book, but frankly, I don’t think so. At least I hope not! The last line in the book, when Cooper says to Heather after she asks him, “What do we do now?”  “Now?” Cooper looks back at me with a joyous grin. “Now we live happily ever after.” can be taken several ways.  I am choosing the path that says they will still live and work at what they both love and keep on solving nasty murders.

This book did tie many loose ends up and Heather resolved a lot of her past conflicts with her parents.  It was not perfect and these resolutions could have taken up a bit more of the book than it did, but I’m satisfied.

This book is written with Ms Cabot’s usual expertise and flair.  We have wonderful and complex characters, a timely story, realistic dialogue and a murder that had me thinking everyone but the one who actually did it – did it!

The book starts with Cooper and Heather counting down the days until their wedding.  At the same time Heather is getting Fischer Hall ready for Freshman Orientation  and some students, including a “Very Important Resident” are getting settled in early. Unfortunately, this year Heather classes haven’t even started before a murder occurs.

While this series isn’t perfect, it *is* solid and I am very glad that I picked up the very first books ages ago and have kept up with it!  I think you will be happy to read this intriguing, funny and realistic semi-cozy mystery series too. *ARC SUPPLIED BY PUBLISHER*

White Christmas: Woman Hater\The Humbug Man by Diana Palmer (Sep 24, 2013)

Formats		Price		New	Used
HardcoverAvailable for Pre-order. This item will be released on September 24, 2013. Pre-order Price Guarantee. See Details	$16.95	$10.17

"Master storyteller DIANA PALMER delights readers with timeless romances featuring unforgettable heroes. Cozy up to the fireplace with these two tales of love set during the merriest time of the year…"

"WOMAN HATER—Everyone in Nicole White's office described their boss's mysterious older brother as a real woman hater. So when Nicki had to tag along with her ailing employer to his brother's Montana home, she was prepared for the worst.To her surprise, what she found was a man more roughly masculine than any she'd ever met. But Winthrop Christopher's distrust of women ran straight to the bone. Nicki knew she should steer clear of him, but she couldn't hide the feelings he stirred in her. Could she ever teach him to love again?THE HUMBUG MAN—Montana rancher Tate Hollister was the grouchiest widower Maggie Jeffries had ever met. But, as the holiday season progressed, Maggie discovered that Tate wasn't completely immune to the Christmas spirit. In fact, his loving embrace might just be the gift of a lifetime…"

 This novel is comprised of two separate reprints of novellas.   “The Humbug Man” is from 1986 and “Woman Hater” is from 1987.  These are very sweet stories and the titles say a lot about them.  These are about men who are so damaged by women, that they swear they will never love again and pretty much show to the women around them that they basically hate women. However, do they really?

The stories withstood the test of time, but not perfectly.  The values, morals and storytelling are a lot ‘sweeter’ than the usual romantic fare we read mainly now. There is heat and passion, but it is more banked – less fiery.  The men are really just looking for that proverbial ‘good woman’ to come and teach them that they can love again, although there are huge difficulties with these new relationships.

Brilliant Breakout Book

Charming (Pax Arcana) by Elliott James (Sep 24, 2013)

John Charming isn't your average Prince...

He comes from a line of Charmings -- an illustrious family of dragon slayers, witch-finders and killers dating back to before the fall of Rome. Trained by a modern day version of the Knights Templar, monster hunters who have updated their methods from chain mail and crossbows to Kevlar and shotguns, John Charming was one of the best--until a curse made him one of the abominations the Knights were sworn to hunt.

That was a lifetime ago. Now, John tends bar under an assumed name in rural Virginia and leads a peaceful, quiet life. That is, until a vampire and a blonde walked into his bar...

This was by far and away one of the best breakout books I have read in this genre in ages.  It is not to say that Mr. James does not have a few kinks to work out, but with time, I think he really is going to be an author to watch.

If you like the books and character types of authors like Kevin Hearne, Ilona Andrews and  Rob Thurman, then I really think you are going to enjoy the world building and dry humor of this new series.

This book is split into almost equal parts between   mythology/world building and action.  There is a bit of romance thrown into the mix also and I for one cannot wait to see how Mr. James is going to handle this aspect of the series.

I did find myself laughing my socks off at the sly humor in this book and I find it interesting to see an author of Mr. James youth (I am assuming) and his use of history from my generation to fine-tune his dry wit.  It really works since this character John was born in 1937 and to have him just spout modern language and jokes would have been annoying at best.

If there is anything that I am disappointed with, it is that there are some huge information dumps.   These dumps can be a little dry, and dare I say, at times a bit boring.  They are necessary for the story itself but I hope it is just going to be something we only see with this set up novel.

The author has taken his time with his research and it shows.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book.   May I just say I really hated how some of the others treated John on occasion?  I know it had to be this way or this wouldn’t have been as realistic a novel, but it still affected me emotionally.