A Book A Day...

Tiger's Curse and Tiger's Quest

2010-04-15T14:41:00.000-07:00

By Colleen Houck

Tiger's Curse
Meet Kelsey Hayes, a new graduate of high school, looking for a summer job. She finds temporary work as a worker at a circues in Oregon where she lives. Little does Kelsey know that taking this job will change her life. She becomes attached to a white tiger in the circus, Dhiren, and when he is sold, she is asked to be the tiger's caretaker on his trip to his new home in India. When Kelsey gets there she ends up stranded with the tiger in the middle of the jungle. She is stunned when the tiger transforms into Prince Dhiren from the seventeenth century who has been cursed by a magician. He needs Kelsey's help to break the curse. They travel through India seeking those people and places that can help them with the curse and along the way they fall in love.

Follow Kelsey on her journey to India and love. This novel will have you turning page after page until you finish it! Colleen Houck weaves a story of action, romance, danger and fantasy that you can't imagine! I could not put this book down until forced because I was so tired and couldn't read any longer. Then it was the first thing I picked up in the morning! A must-read for any avid book reader and romantic at heart. Kelsey's journey isn't your typical one, but it will leave you wanting more! Hooray for Colleen Houck who has created a new world for me to be a part of!

Tiger's Quest

This book is the sequel to Tiger's Curse. Amazingly, I found it even harder to put down than Tiger's Curse. This story is a continuation on the first. Kelsey has decided to give up her own happiness for her first love, Dhiren, or Ren and she calls him. She decides to move back to America and leave Ren behind in India. Kelsey loses herself in college life and eventually meets a great guy, Li, who has no siginificant drama in his life (such as being cursed as a tiger). When Kelsey is beginning to think she could be able to put Ren behind her, it seems that her past returns to bring her back into a life of romance and danger.

This series just keeps getting better and better! I can not wait for the next book, Tiger's Voyage, to come out. I don't want to wait two more months to see what will happen next in Kelsey's life. These books drawn you in from the first page and will have you reading until your eyes are burning with fatigue! But they are worth the pain! I highly recommend this series and promise that you won't be disappointed in it! Five stars for The Tiger's Series by Colleen Houck!!! These are my new favorite books!

I'll Know You By Heart

2010-04-01T20:39:00.000-07:00

I'll Know You By Heart by Kimberly Job
This novel is by a new author, Kimberly Job. The story is about a woman, Stephanie Roberts, and her struggle to overcome abuse from her husband. This is her journey as she tries to break free from him and start a new life. She meets a man named Jared Wakefield and he becomes a great friend and support to her. She isn't sure if she can give him what he needs as she is trying to trust again and overcome her own fears. Will she learn to trust again and can love overcome any obstacle?
If you want a page-turner, this is the book for you! I could NOT put it down! I was frustrated that I had to put it down at points to deal with real life. This story is gripping from the first few pages and will take you on a journey of heartache, pain, love lost and love found again. If you want a good read this IS the book! Congratulations Kim on a fabulous first novel! I enjoyed every page and look forward to the next great book! Thanks for the opportunity to read it!

What The Doctor Ordered

2010-02-23T19:02:00.000-08:00

This book that I read is by author Sierra St. James. The book is about a girl named Ellie who goes to take care of her eccentric Aunt Bertie for the summer. Her Aunt Bertie is convinced that Ellie and Dr. John Flynn are meant for each other. Aunt Bertie is constantly telling everyone that Ellie and Dr. Flynn are dating when the truth is that they aren't and they can't seem to get along at all.
In my personal opinion, the book was an enjoyable read, but left me completely wanting more. I felt the ending to the book left something to be desired. So although I enjoyed reading it, I wasn't happy with the amount of information the conclusion gave me. I have yet to find out if there is a sequel to this novel. It was written in 2004 and I have found other novels by the author, but am unsure whether they are a companion novel to this book.

High Country

2010-02-23T18:23:00.000-08:00

High Country by Jennie Hansen
I read this book by Jennie Hansen and at first it confused me. I was trying to figure out what was really going on with the characters. Laura is left fatherless after a bad car accident and her Aunt Alice takes her and her mother in to help raise her. After her Aunt passes away she discovers papers indicating that she is married and has been for years. Follow the story of Laura as she tries to find out if she is really married and entitled to half of her father's ranch. This story will keep you wondering what will happen up until the very end.
All in all, I liked this book. It was very different and at first, a bit confusing. But as you begin to sort out all of the details, you find yourself swept up in the mystery of Laura's supposed marriage and entitlement to her father's ranch. I do recommend this book to anyone who likes a book that will keep them wondering until the very end.

By Love Or By Sea

2009-12-21T12:06:00.000-08:00

My sister-in-law lent me some books and I had time to read one last night. It is called "By Love Or By Sea" by Rachel Rager. It is about a young woman named Alice. When she was a young girl she fell in love with a boy and then later he was lost and sea and everyone presumed he had died. Fast forward to the present where she is dating a young man named Clarence Hielott who intends to marry Alice. Then a young sailor walks into town one day and is hauntingly familiar to Alice. He remind her of the young boy Caleb, she was once in love with. She later learns that he is indeed the young boy she once loved. Now Alice finds herself falling for him again and must choose which path her life will take.
I absolutely loved this book!!! I couldn't put it down! I stayed up until I finished it. It keeps you guessing as to what will happen next and if Alice will end up with the true love of her heart. Rachel Rager weaves a tale of love, heartache, and understanding in this book about finding out what true love really is. This is a must read for any hopeless romantic!

The Twilight Saga

2009-11-24T20:24:00.000-08:00

I must recommend the Twilight Saga to anyone and everyone. I read these books about two years ago and I absolutely love them! I have read them over and over again and they get better with every read. For those of you who are skeptical, know this! I too was skeptical. I too thought that a book about vampires was not going to be good. But I was completely wrong. These books will transport you into another world where you can't stop turning the pages to find out what will happen next. Take a trip into the cold rainy forests of Forks, Washington, and you too will become a fan of vampires!

Dawn's Early Light

2009-11-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

Dawn's Early Light is book three is Laurie Lewis' Free Men and Dreamer's series. It is set during the War of 1812 and is a historical fiction novel. I have not read the prior two books in the series, but I understood what was going on and the list of characters in the beginning was helpful to understand who was who. This book makes a fine stand alone, but now that I have read it, I want to read the other two books.
A brief bit about the book:
Dawn's Early Light focuses primarly on a "family" who live in Maryland on a plantation called The Willows. I say "family" because although there is a married couple who live there, there are also many others who are family to them but are not blood related. The entire story revolves around this couple and their "family" at The Willows. Jed Pearson is the owner of the plantation and is a lieutenant in the Maryland militia. Hannah Pearson is Jed's bride and was once engaged to Jed's rival. Frannie Pearson is Jed's sister and then there are numerous former slaves whom Jed has freed who are a part of the family on the plantation. The book focuses on Jed and Hannah and also Frannie and her romantic interests.
All in all I really enjoyed this book. I was worried that I wouldn't be able to follow the story having not read the prior two books, but that wasn't a problem. The history in this novel was great and really gives you a sense of what people went through during this war. Laurie Lewis does a great job of showing the attitudes and prejudices of that time period. She beautifully weaves a story of love and friendship that goes beyond blood relations. I was easily swept up into their world and could feel their pain and heartbreak and also their joy.
I recommend that you take a journey back through time into the lives of Jed and Hannah Pearson and all of their family at The Willows. You too will be crying with them and hoping with them. Congratulations Laurie on a job well done!

Daydreams

2009-10-26T21:44:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Daydreams, by Marcia Lynn McClure last week. I am a big fan of hers and was excited to get my hands on another of her books. A bit about the book:

"Saylor Christy knew chances were slim to none that any of her silly little daydreams would ever actually come true-especially involving Mr. Booker, the new patient-the handsome, older patient convalescing in her grandfather's rehabilitation center. Yet, working as a candy striper at Rawlings Rehab, Saylor couldn't help but dream of belonging to Mr. Booker-and Mr. Booker stole her heart-perhaps unitentionally-but with very little eeffort. Gorgeous, older, andentirely unobtainable-Saylor knew Mr. Booker would unknowingly enslave her heart for many years to come-for daydreams were nothing more than a cruel joke inflicted by life. All dreams-daydreams or otherwise-never came true. Did they?"

Daydreams was not what I expected at all. I thought it would be a whirwind romance with Saylor and Mr. Booker falling in love, dating, getting married, the whole nine. But Marcia Lynn McClure throws some unexpected turns in there. Christy is a young girl just out of high school working for the summer until she starts college. Mr. Booker becomes a patient where she works and she falls head over heels for him. But their age gap becomes an issue and when Mr. Booker leaves, Christy doesn't see him again for years.
When they do meet again, it is under very different circumstances and sparks begin to fly. Marcia Lynn McClure writes a beautiful story where two people have to swallow their fear and trust enough to show their true feelings for the other. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is a hopeless romantic at heart like I am. I really felt like I could relate to the character because there is an age gap between my husband and I. A great read, Daydreams will keep you turning page after to page to see if there can be a happily ever after!