Knitting Block by Block by Nicky Epstein

Let me start out by saying I am not a novice knitter nor a super expert knitter.  The patterns are not written with a novice in mind or even someone like myself who has done quit a bit of knitting.  I would say you would need to be an expert knitter to follow a lot of the instructions.  I had to look up several of the abbreviations as I didn't know what they meant. I didn't find the directions to always be clear.  I am also challenged with any knitting project as I am left handed and have to reverse a lot of patterns.

That being said, the book is presented in a very pleasing fashion.  Good color photos.




I was given this book by the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

From the Start by Melissa Tagg

Kate Walker used to believe in true love and happily ever after. While her own love life may have left her brokenhearted, it hasn't kept her from churning out made-for-TV romance movie screenplays...until a major career slump and a longing to do something meaningful send her running back to her hometown of Maple Valley.

Permanently sidelined by an injury, former NFL quarterback Colton Greene is temporarily hiding out in a friend's hometown to avoid the media and the reminders of all he's lost. Maple Valley seems like the perfect place to learn how to adjust to normal life. The only trouble is he's never really done normal before.

While Kate plays things safe and Colton is all about big risks and grand gestures, they both get what it's like to desperately need direction in life. An unexpected project gives them both a chance to jumpstart their new lives, but old wounds and new dreams are hard to ignore. Starting over wasn't part of the plan, but could it be the best thing that's ever happened to them?

Let me preface my review with the statement that most of the books I read are suspense books.  That being said I did enjoy the book but it didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat.  I did enjoy Kate and Colton’s characters.  They were both in limbo and not sure what the next phase of their lives would be.  They had plan A or B in their minds and were trying to decide which one to choose.  Only thing is they didn’t put God into the equation to see what he wanted them to do.  Maybe it was plan C or D.  It opened my eyes to how many times I do the same thing with my life decisions. I would give this book 3 ½ stars because as I stated I’m more of a suspense reader.  I look forward to the other books in the Walker family series.

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

Betting on Hope by Debra Clopton

At the last minute Maggie Hope is sent to interview champion horse trainer Tru Monahan because the person who was suppose to do it was taken ill.  Maggie never dreamed she would meet let alone talk with Tru.  She is an advice columnist not a reporter so she is really nervous.  But to save her column she does what she is told.  During the interview things get out of hand and she bets Tru that he can’t teach her, the city girl, how to ride a cutting a horse.  Did I mention that Maggie is very klutzy?

Tru is determined to teach Maggie how to ride a horse. He believes Maggie set him up so she could get a good story.  It has happened to him before as he is a Champion horse trainer.  Maggie’s background has taught her not to trust anyone but herself and Tru has had some bad experiences along the way also.  As he is teaching her to ride, the attraction between to two of them grows.  Both of Maggie and Tru have secrets that they think will destroy the relationship if it is told.  Therefore, they have trouble trusting each other.

This is a Christian book but the only mention of God was the occasional reference to attending church.  It was a clean book with no language.  It didn’t seem like Maggie and Tru were relying on God to get them through the tough situations they were facing.  It tackled some tough issues like child abuse, living on the streets, and gambling and their consequences.

I found the story to be a quick easy read.  One I enjoyed.  I am looking forward to the next story in the series.  I would recommend this book to anyone.

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

After a Fashion by Jen Turano

Miss Harriet Peabody dreams of the day she can open up a shop selling refashioned gowns to independent working women like herself. Unfortunately, when an errand for her millinery shop job goes sadly awry due to a difficult customer, she finds herself out of an income.

Mr. Oliver Addleshaw is on the verge of his biggest business deal yet when he learns his potential partner prefers to deal with men who are settled down and wed. When Oliver witnesses his ex not-quite-fiance cause the hapless Harriet to lose her job, he tries to make it up to her by enlisting her help in making a good impression on his business partner.

Harriet quickly finds her love of fashion can't make her fashionable. She'll never truly fit into Oliver's world, but just as she's ready to call off the fake relationship, fancy dinners, and elegant balls, a threat from her past forces both Oliver and Harriet to discover that love can come in the most surprising packages.

I found this book to be entertaining.  Harriet’s trying to learn the ways of the social was quite comical at times.  Also, how she stood up for herself with Oliver.  Oliver could be a tyrant if Harriet would have allowed him to be. He was use to being in control and everyone doing as he says as he was very wealthy. 

The part I disliked about the book was that Harriet was always being referred to as the hat girl and her lower than low position in society.  It was repeated way too often. 

The ending came as quite a surprise to me.  I would never have guessed it. 

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a light read.

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

By Your Side by Candace Calvert

ER nurse Macy Wynn learned essential, gritty lessons in the California foster care system: land on your feet and trust no one. She’s finally located the fellow foster child she loves like a sister, but the girl’s in deep trouble. Macy’s determined to help, no matter what it takes. Her motto is to “make it happen” in any situation life throws at her—even when she butts heads with an idealistic cop.

Deputy Fletcher Holt believes in a higher plan, the fair outcome—and his ability to handle that by himself if necessary. Now he’s been yanked from Houston, his mother is battling cancer, and he’s attracted to a strong-willed nurse who could be the target of a brutal sniper.

When everything goes wrong, where do they put their trust?

Macy is as tough as nails after growing up in foster care.  She believes in God but doesn’t consult him on some of biggest decisions of her life.  The same can be said about Fletcher. Only he grew up in a loving family.  This is the story of their journey.  The journey is rocky at times as they find out the ones they thought they could trust the most is not who they thought they were.  Fletcher has to realize that he is not in control of his mother’s cancer.  Macy has to learn what happiness means.

This is not a high suspense novel.  I was expecting more. The sniper did make it suspenseful in some parts.  Overall it was a good book. One I would recommend to someone who likes light suspense with romance thrown in. 

I was given this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.

The Trouble with Patience by Maggie Brendan

Patience Cavanaugh has lost hope in romance. The man she yearned to marry is dead and her dreams are gone with him. Now she is consumed with the restoration of a dilapidated boarding house in order to support herself. Despite her desire for solitude, Jedediah Jones, the local sheriff with a reputation for hanging criminals, becomes an ever-looming part of her life. It seems like such a simple arrangement: Patience needs someone with a strong back to help her fix up the boardinghouse, and Jedediah needs a dependable source of food for himself and his prisoners. But Patience gets more than she bargained for as she explores the depths of the "hanging lawman"--and finds both betrayal and love.

Patience is an independent woman whose walk with God is something to be admired.  Her forgiving spirit gave me something to think about.  It was interesting watching her and Jedediah’s romance blossom. Jedediah has some issues of his own.  He has to learn how to forgive himself for things he has done in the past. 

This a pretty predictable book as I knew pretty much how it would end.  There were some twists that I did not see coming.  I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a light read. It is not one that I will probably read again. But a good book none the less. 

I received this book from the publisher for an honest review.  I was not compensated in any way.