Book Review: Miracle on 5th Avenue by Sarah Morgan

Book Review: Miracle on 5^th Avenue by Sarah Morgan

Publisher: Harlequin

            HQN Books

Cold weather? Check. Romance novel? Check. Warm blanket? Check. Cup of hot chocolate? Check. I was in the mood for a little light hearted romance and I found it in this book. Apparently this is the third book in a series but from my perspective this is a perfect stand-alone book. The characters are so well developed that you are drawn right in and my hot chocolate was soon forgotten and cold by the time I remembered it.

                                                

The leading lady in this book is a bright, sunny woman named Eva. She is one of those people that are a friend to everyone they meet and always find the positive in every situation. She’s struggling a bit with the anniversary of her grandmother’s death and being alone for the upcoming Christmas holiday. She’s hired to decorate a penthouse for Christmas by the grandmother of the owner while he is away on holiday and she feels the job will be a perfect distraction.

Lucas Blade, the famous thriller author, has other plans. He is not on retreat in Vermont finishing his next book. He is penthouse, hiding from the world and the memories of his deceased wife as well as suffering from a crippling case of writer’s block. His and Eva’s first encounter had me laughing out loud. I won’t spoil the details except to say I could almost picture it in a romantic comedy on the big screen.

Lucas is dark and moody and Eva is sunny and happy. The two polar opposites of their personalities make this fun and engaging story. They have the perfect example of a love/hate relationship. Eva begins to change Lucas and she doesn’t even realize that he begins to change her too. She falls for him but he takes longer to get there. Typical man. J

This is a quick, light hearted read but don’t mark it down as a piece of fluff. It has heart and characters that you will fall in love with. Sure, it’s a romance but it’s also a story of two people mending their broken hearts. I hope you give it a chance and love it as much as I did.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

You can find this review and more at:

http://shiningstarreviews.blogspot.com/

Book Review: Cover Me in Darkness by Eileen Rendahl

Book Review: Cover Me in Darkness by Eileen Rendahl

Publisher: Midnight Ink

Amanda Sinclair is an escapee from the cult that brainwashed her mother and caused her mother to murder her younger brother. She’s changed her name and taken a boring job as a lab tech at a cosmetics company in an attempt to avoid the spotlight. She’s thrown back in to the public eye when her mother commits suicide around the same time that the cult leader is due to be released from jail.

After examining her mother’s possessions, Amanda quickly concludes that her mother did not in fact kill herself but was murdered. Soon there are two mysteries to contend with as someone is falsifying documents are her job. This error could cause the possible deaths of thousands of customers. Was her mother’s death really a murder? Is the cult involved? Are the document errors at her job intentional or accidental?

I requested this book because of the cult aspect and I was left disappointed. The information about that cult is only garnered through flashbacks into Amanda’s past. There weren’t really enough details to keep me interested. The information about her job was a lot of scientific terms that just left me bored.

The story was extremely fast paced and to that end I felt it could have been fleshed out more. The conclusions to both mysteries felt rushed. When I was done with the book I felt like I had just read an episode of Law & Order.

It’s a quick read and somewhat enjoyable if you are looking for something to pass the time. It’s just not as in depth and suspenseful as I had hoped.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: If You Left by Ashley Prentice Norton

If You Left by Ashley Prentice Norton

Advanced Reading Copy

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Mariner Books

I am going to be completely honest. I did not like this book at all. Normally, I can find at least one or two things about a book that I can say “Oh, well at least that part was good.” With this book there wasn’t a single redeeming quality.

It starts out with Althea Willow, a wealthy housewife with several mental illnesses. Being someone who is familiar with mental illness, that part did not bother me at all. The first chapter begins with a suicide attempt that  Althea survives even though she ends up in a mental hospital. This is not her first admission. She is soon released and goes home to her adulterous husband and their adopted 9 year old daughter whom she barely knows.

The whole book is basically about how much Althea does not know a thing about her daughter Clementine and her half-hearted attempts to bond with her. This woman literally has no desire whatsoever to be a mother. She goes through the motions in an attempt to placate her insensitive ass of a husband. He’s overly critical, treats her like a child, and hits on women right in front of her face.

Althea barely exists. She has a ton of money, a husband she once loved, a career she once enjoyed and a daughter who is dying for an ounce of affection from her. You want to feel bad for her or feel some sympathy for her but you simply can’t. There is not even one thing about her that is remotely endearing. She has no spine except for one scene where she has an incident with one of her husband’s mistresses.

The only person I felt anything for in this book was Clementine. She was clearly a smart, vibrant young girl who wants her mother’s love. Even when she begs for it, speaks the words out loud, Althea is incapable of doing anything for her.

Don’t get me started on the ending. If this had been a physical book instead of an e-book that I was reading on my tablet I would have thrown it against the wall. It was THAT bad. All in all, I would recommend one thing about this book. Avoid it.

I received and Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley.com in exchange for my review.

As always if you have read this book and want to tell me how right or how wrong I am, please feel free to comment below.