Mini Reviews (sorta) - "Dakota Child," "Pregnesia," "Absolutely, Positively."

This weekend was a busy one for me, both work and reading-wise. First "The Ghost Exterminator" by Vivi Andrews, and then these three other books that I thoroughly enjoyed (Well.. at least two of them). I figured I will give you little review-ettes, instead of traditional reviews, partly because I'm a bit busy, and partly because I don't think traditional reviews would work for these books - especially the first, since my review is posted elsewhere (or will be).

First up, "Absolutely, Positively" by Heather Webber, book #3 in the Lucy Valentine series. I love this series, and I was so excited that I got to read this one for Romance Reviews Today. Since my review is for them, and not my blog, I can't go into detail here, but look for my review in the update posted on February 2nd, at Romance Reviews Today. I will say that it was another great installment, and I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoys mysteries, romances, and paranormals. That's right, it has a little something for everyone. =)

Be sure to check this one out, as well as book one, "Truly, Madly," and book two, "Deeply, Desperately." I have reviewed both on here. Aha! Found them. Here's the review for Truly, Madly,   and   Deeply, Desperately.



Next up is "Dakota Child" by Linda Ford. I am on the Tell Harlequin panel, which means they occasionally send me books, and ask me to read them and participate in reviews or questionnaires. Normally this is kind of cool. I enjoy reading a book and giving my opinion on the different Harlequin lines. In fact, there are several of their series that I would never have picked up if it wasn't for being on the Tell Harlequin panel. But you need to stay in good standing (read the books and participate in a timely manner) to continue to reap the benefits. So they sent me "Dakota Child." I knew after twenty pages I would not like this book. I was right. But I kept reading because I had to. I'm not a fan of Christian fiction, but generally I can make it through. But these characters could not take two steps without having to pray for the strength to go on. And instead of dealing with their problems head on and maybe finding happiness together, they just asked God to fix it all for them. Definitely not recommended unless hearing "God" every four words is your idea of a good time. I think religion is a beautiful thing, but there is a difference between having a strong faith, and going a little overboard in your writing.

Last, but definitely not least, is PREGNESIA!! That's right. I talked about just HAVING to read this book after reading the review on Smart Bitches, Trashy Books. So of course I bought myself a copy. And it definitely didn't disappoint. Am I saying it's the best book ever? Maybe. Am I saying it is written the best out of all? Definitely not. But I am saying it's full of win and genuine entertainment. I want the author, Ms Carla Cassidy, to know that I think she is amazing for her excellent response to the Smart Bitches' review, and that she has written a book that kept me smiling and amused for its entirety. Pregnesia is so going on the keeper shelf, right after I make several of my friends read it. You know a book has that little special something (for whatever reason) when you love it despite regularly hating that sort of thing. I usually dislike the types of romances where the female is pregnant during most of the book. I don't know why, I just do. But this one.. well, it was pure Romantic Gold. Pick up your copy of "Pregnesia" by Carla Cassidy today!!

I hope everyone has a good Tuesday! I'll be back tomorrow with another edition of "Whatcha Got Wednesday" - assuming I get anything, anyways. =)

As always, Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, aka Morning Glow ~!~

Review of "Deeply, Desperately" by Heather Webber

 I was lucky enough to receive an advanced copy of the first in this series, "Truly Madly," to review several months ago. You can find my review of that, here.

Disclaimer: I, the reviewer, purchased this book for myself. I did not receive this book, nor anything else, in exchange for a review.

Type: Cozy Mystery, Paranormal, Romance, Psychics, Matchmaking, Private Investigators

From the back of the book: "   Lucy wants to breathe new life into her family's Boston-based matchmaking company. But how? Even though she comes from a long line of ancestors blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, a freak accident left Lucy with only one special skill: finding things. Car keys, socks in the dryer, needles in the hay-stacks... and now, in a stroke of professional genius, lost loves! It's not long before Lucy's on a winning streak, helping old flames reunite and create new sparks. Business is booming. But when Lucy finds herself involed in a possible case of murder, she realizes she's in too deep. Enter Sean Donahue, Lucy's handsome fire fighter-turned-private eye neighbor, Sean is just the man she needs to help her on the job. Could he also be the man she's been looking for all along? When it comes to Valentine, Inc. falling in love is always serious business.  "

I absolutely loved the first book in the series, "Truly, Madly," so of course I jumped on the second one when it was released. And "Deeply, Desperately" didn't disappoint! Frankly, these books are great for almost any reader - there's hints of romance, mystery, detective stories, and paranormal aspects. Yes, resident psychic Lucy Valentine is at it again, now with her own business of finding lost loves, aided by her hunky boyfriend Sean. Not to mention a whole host of other loveable characters... and some new ones that I'm very excited about. No spoilers (because it's a big one!), but eeeek - I need to know more!

"Deeply, Desperately" had so much going on, so much action and mystery packed into three hundred pages. I'll admit it, during scenes with a lot of dialogue, I tend to skip the in-between parts and just focus on what the characters were saying. But I quickly learned to stop when reading this book. As I said, there is a lot of stuff going on, and just skipping a sentence inbetween paragraphs of dialogue will leave you feeling lost later on down the road. It's a fast-paced novel, and you have to pay attention. But with everything going on in the plot, Lucy's story will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I just want to take a second to talk about the cover. I absolutely love it. The colors are cheery, and though there are definitely some un-cheery moments in this book, I feel like it reflects Lucy's sometimes-overly-opptomistic outlook on life in general. And the ivy flowing down from the rooftop just ads a nice touch.. especially the leaf that hangs over the girl's head. Maybe it's just me.. but that particular leaf looks a heart.

I'm going to give "Deeply, Desperately" by Heather Webber a FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). I loved it, of course, and I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series "Absolutely, Positively," due out in February of 2011.

Read one or both of the Lucy Valentine books? Tell me your thoughts in the comments. Want to check them out? Find them at Amazon.com! Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Review of "Truly, Madly" by Heather Webber

I just finished another book, which means - yay! Another review! And I'm super excited about this one! Not only have I found a new series that I know I'll enjoy, but I've actually gotten a chance to meet Heather Webber when she came to my local library to speak. On with the review!

Release date: February 2, 2010

The synopsis:

Lucy Valentine is as smart as can be, as single as you can get, and so not qualified to run a matchmaking service. But when her parents temporarily step down from the family business, Valentine, Inc., it’s Lucy’s turn to step up and help out—in the name of love.
Plus, her rent is due.
Here’s the problem: Lucy doesn’t have the knack for matchmaking. According to family legend, every Valentine has been blessed by Cupid with the ability to read “auras” and pair up perfect couples. But not Lucy. Her skills were zapped away years ago in an electrical surge, and now all she can do is find lost objects. What good is that in the matchmaking world? You’d be surprised. In a city like Boston, everyone’s looking for something. So when Lucy locates a missing engagement ring—on a dead body—she asks the sexy private eye who works upstairs to help her solve the perfect crime. And who knows? Maybe she’ll find the perfect love while she’s at it…

I received this book via Librarything.com's Member Giveaway program, in exchange for a review. It wasn't until I was showing the book to my mother and commenting on how I was excited to read it (I loved the beginning, interesting/funny way to start a book) that she reminded me that Heather Webber was one of the local authors I had a chance to meet a year or so ago. She was extremely nice, and of course, I'm always up for supporting a local author! In fact, you can find her webpage here , including a link to her blog.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Truly, madly".. in fact, I practically inhaled it. I loved the character of Lucy Valentine, she was extremely believable. And the delicious private eye? Yum. I believed, and am now a huge fan of, all the characters, and I really can't wait for the second book ( "Deeply, Desperately" ) which is supposedly set to be released in August of 2010. The plot was intriguing, kept adding little twists and turns, all without confusing the reader, which is a definite plus. In fact, as for the big mystery, it had me guessing until the end! And what a good ending it was. It's books like these that make me want to go out and do something like be a private investigator, or, in Lucy's case, be involved in matchmaking that leads to private investigating and solving a murder.

For fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, this is a great book to pick up. It has more of a supernatural edge (being that Lucy is a psychic), but I did see some similarities. But while the Stephanie Plum series is starting to have it's moments of complete stale-ness, Lucy Valentine is something new and fresh, and a character I don't see myself getting tired of.

I'm going to rate this book a solid FIVE out of FIVE. I loved it, I can't wait for the next one, and I will definitely recommend it to.. pretty much everyone. I think there is something for most, if not all, readers to enjoy in "Truly, Madly" by Heather Webber.

I hope you all get a chance to read "Truly, Madly" by Heather Webber when it is released February 2, 2010. And then "Deeply, Desperately" when it is released later this year!
Happy Reading!
~!~ Morning Glow

Book received in exchange for review.
Photo courtesy of Heather Webber's website.