The Other Alcott

I don't know of any girl who hasn't heard or read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. In fact it is required reading in most homes because of the story line involving women who defy the odds despite grueling circumstances and forge ahead into an unknown future. With the success of her sister Louisa, now a well-known author in their small town of Concord, Boston, it seems that May Alcott (Amy March) is doomed to bear the guilt of living in her popular sister's notoriety even though she submitted her own drawings as illustrations. However while the book when on to be a world wide success, the reviewers were less than kind with their comments about May's illustrations. Enough so to crush her dreams if she only let them.

In the 1900's finding a suitable art school that would both teach and admit women was hard pressed to locate. May believed if she just had the right instructor to help her with human anatomy and refining her drawing skills, she might just make something of herself much like Louisa did. After all she didn't get published after her first novel. So perhaps it is just a matter of finding the perfect person to teach her. She befriends her ex-boyfriends childhood friend Alice who is wealthy beyond measure and never knows what it is like for someone like May who had to learn to make do with whatever they had, whenever they had it.

Alice inspires a dream within May that perhaps the perfect place to learn art is what the master's studied. In Paris, France. So manages to convince Alice and Louisa to join her, after all who wouldn't want to meet the author of Little Women on a world-wind tour of Europe, and that is something May can stomach as long as it meets her own objectives. She isn't about to let anyone tell her what she can and can't do, even her perspective suitor Joshua. She agrees that perhaps she isn't the one for him after all and packs up all her belongings and heads out on a ocean voyage to Europe. She just doesn't plan for her plans to change. With seasickness keeping her confined to her cabin most of the voyage, she finally thinks she can catch a breath of fresh ocean air, when she learns all passengers are confined to their cabins that to a smallpox outbreak on board. She also learns that Bismark has invaded Paris and most of the people there are starving, even eating rats if they can find them. So with a change of plans not letting these things deter her, she sets out more resolved than even to find her own life and her own future.

I received The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. I have found similar novels like this one where they expand on the lives of the secondary characters and in this case, this is May's story.  This is Elise Hooper's debut novel and I believe she does an great job in helping readers get to know the lesser known characters from the Alcott's Little Women novel. This is going to be a must read for fans of the original novel and I would give this one a 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion. There is even a Questions and Answers section for the author at the conclusion of this novel as well as Reader's Discussion Guide questions that would make this an wonderful book club novel.

For more information about The Other Alcott, Elise Hooper, or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

The Other Alcott by Elise Hooper

You can find Elise Hooper on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read other reviews on The Other Alcott, please visit Harper Collins Publisher's website. 

Ascension of Larks

I can't imagine living a life loving someone who loves you back but whom you can never truly be with. That is the life of Maggie Henry who spent her college years with her best friend Lena and Marco Firelli. A truer friendship none could find anywhere. Maggie was a talented photographer who has been gifted with the opportunity to travel all over the world showing the world what life looked like someplace else. Marco was so much like Maggie, craving the lime light of success as a budding architect who dreamed one day to have it all, a successful self made business and a wife and family. Maggie and Marco were so alike that is seemed natural that they would be a power couple, but soon it dawned on Maggie that Marco wasn't willing to settle for someone so much like himself that they would burn one another out. So he married Lena and broke Maggie's heart.

While he built a family and a business, Maggie stayed gone for as long as it would take for her heart to mend. Unfortunately it never would and soon, she found herself spending more time alone and leaving her truest friends behind. Just as she was about to finish up a photo shoot abroad, Lena calls her to tell her Marco is dead. A tragic accident that has left Lena and her three children all alone. Of course, Maggie heads back to San Juan Island to figure out just what happened and to help manage things for Lena while she struggles with her own grief. Unwilling to admit and acknowledge the death of her husband, Lena spends all her time, baking, canning and creating to keep the present day from dawning on her doorstep. Maggie knew that people needed their own way to grieve and when Lena woke up one morning, said goodbye and walked out the door, Maggie just assumed she was running errands. She never expected for Lena to attempt to take her own life driving her car into a wall hoping to put an end to the pain. Now locked away from her pain in a coma, Maggie works with Ellen, Lena's aunt to help the children deal with their grief not knowing in their mom will come back to them.

Maggie meets Daniel and man that seems intent on keeping watch over the house and family but staying far away. She learns that he is serving out a self penance of sorts as he is the man responsible for Marco's death. He believes he is doomed to spend his life trying to write all the wrongs in his own life and it will take an experience like no other for all of them to find a way back to life and for healing to finally begin. But with so many unanswered questions Maggie isn't sure what is next in her life. She imagined Marco would always be there and now she spends her own solitude dealing with the feelings she had for him and how to resolve it now possibly having to raise three children all on her own. But soon she will learn that there are more secrets to Marco's life than she ever imagined and now she will have to deal with the possibility she could have had the life she might have always dreamed of before it was snuffed out much too soon.

I received The Ascension of Larks by Rachel Linden compliments of Thomas Nelson Publishers and TLC Book Tours. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise. This is such an exceptional novel once you get past the slow beginning. Trust me, hang in there it is so worth it when the novel picks up speed and gains momentum. I love the legend of the island that helps the family come to terms with their loss. "They were waiting for a sign, you see. They needed to know the soul had come back home and could now rest peacefully. The sign could be anything - a strange bird flying by the window, a whistle of wind that sounded like the deceased persons' voice. They just had to believe it was the sign they had been waiting for. Then they could go on about their lives, assured that their loved one was safely on his or her way to heaven. The sign will always come, you see, the island is full of surprises. Strange and wonderful things can happen here, things you can't explain, things that don't happen anywhere else."

This is so poignant because it deals with so many of those "what if" moments people have when they are suddenly faced with loss, even death. All those things unspoken, undone, and now they live with the regrets of a life of maybe's instead of simply moving on and accepting what is now. A skylark and their call was a song for travelers and weary pilgrims, for those who had lost their way and were longing for a place to rest. This sums up and the characters in this novel for they each needed to find their own way home and find a place to finally rest. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. Such a beautiful and truly heartwarming story of love, loss, regret and healing.

For more information about Ascension of Larks, Rachel Linden or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Ascension of Larks by Rachel Linden 

You can find Rachel Linden on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews of Ascension of Larks, please visit TLC Book Tour's page.

Royally Roma

I have to open this review up with the following disclosure that based on my own reviewer criteria and looking for great wholesome books that readers won't have to be shocked to read when it contains material that wouldn't ordinarily read in their selection of novels. That could be sexual content, profanity or anything you wish you could be advised of before picking up a novel and reading or purchasing it based on the premise on the back.

With Royally Roma by Teri Wilson, the premise of a private tour guide, Julia Costa, who unknowingly picks up Niccolo La Torre, Crown Price of Lazaretto for the day. It isn't until she presents him with her bill, that he attempts to sneak out of the hotel until she catches him and vows that until she gets paid, she isn't leaving his side. Sounds like something the Hallmark Channel might produce, until you read the novel. I was so hoping for just that, a wholesome novel about this quirky premise that lends some humor along with romance. The setting is perfect as well as the whole idea until you actually beginning reading the book.

What shocked me was that Teri Wilson's other novel Unleashing Mr. Darcy IS a Hallmark Original movie and she is in development for two other films. So where did this novel go wrong? The idea that one man's escapes about being with an entire women's swimming team is now front page news in London and the opening chapter of the book, has Julia waking up with a naked prince in her bed. All he thinks about is his next romance with an attractive female and when Julia shows up mistaking him as her private tour, he finds the idea intriguing of removing himself from all the royal scheduling that has been planned for him. Most of the story line is geared to what each of them think of the other in terms of more than just physical attraction and that is where I lost interest in this. You have Niccolo who loves to drink while entertaining his thoughts about Julia. It is all that he thinks about and that gets downright irritating.

I felt that its fine to let the reader know that both characters are initially attracted to one another, but it is as if every single paragraph alludes to the sexual attraction towards one another.There are some sex scenes that I can't believe Hallmark would include if this were to be made into a film. That is beyond tiresome to read over and over again. In fact one such comment from the press release states that this novel "is an enchanting retelling of the classic Audrey Hepburn film Roman Holiday." Yet this novel comes far from accomplishing that. I would have preferred to have a more classic version I guess with far less content dealing with each characters fascination with the other when it comes to romance. For me this one just fell flat with a 3.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. I received Royally Roma by Teri Wilson compliments of Pocket Star books, a division of Simon and Schuster Publishers. In accordance with the new FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, you should assume that every book reviewed here at Reviews From The Heart was provided to the reviewer by the publisher, media group or the author for free and were received, unless specified otherwise.

For more information about Royally Roma, Teri Wilson or where you can pick up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Royally Roma by Teri Wilson

You can find Teri Wilson on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Royally Roma, please visit Simon and Schuster's website. 

The Fire By Night

When we think of war survivors you might think of the Holocaust victims or even our war veterans from every war you could imagine, but often we overlook the women who served as nurses during any of the wars, especially WWII. In the debut novel by Teresa Messineo, she highlights the lives of two very important nurses who gave up everything to serve their country in one of the longest wars in history. Spending seven years in research, she wanted the lives of her fictional characters to be believable but also to transport the reader right into the heart of where she placed them. I personally feel, she has done that and more.

For Jo McMahon, she would find herself left behind as the surplus trucks pulled out of France taking the supplies, the nurses and most of the wounded men with them as she was instructed to wait behind with six patients for the trucks to return. She would need to do whatever it took to ensure that her patients survived and she managed to accomplish that and more, even when she learned that everyone who evacuated that night all died in a bombing run. No one remained alive. She has been instructed by the captain that she will need to do whatever she can until they can rescued even if it means going without food while their supplies continue to dwindle to nothing. Her only hope is believing that one day the war might end and she might get a chance to leave this muddy, unsanitary hell hole she now calls home and that she will do anything it takes to ensure that all of her sic patients survived against the odds against them.

Kay Elliot, was a fellow nurse to Jo and the two worked together until the war separated them. Now a POW living in an internment camp known as Santo Tomas where she doesn't know if she will live another day under the scrutiny of the Japanese soldiers. Little by little she does what she can for the women, children and injured men who occupy the tunnel like existence while dreaming of a time when she found and lost love in Pearl Harbor. She often gave Jo a hard time because of her idyllic paradise setting and how wonderful her life was going. Until December 7th, when everything was suddenly ripped apart and forever changed. She now witnesses the greatest atrocities to mankind as she watches her captors starve them day by day while disease and sanitary conditions claim even more lives. Now Kay wonders if she will ever see her friend Jo again and just who got the better of the two jobs as nurses in the war.

I received The Fire By Night by Teresa Messineo compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers. I am so glad I read this novel and really pushed to get a copy of it. It was perhaps for me, the most realistic novel of what life was life for the American nurses who found themselves serving along the front lines during WWII. You never really considered how difficult life was for them, not only by their fellow male service men, but being killed, injured or taken as a POW during WWII. I found myself relating to the life of Jo McMahon the most and often wondered while reading this, if I too, would have enlisted as a nurse during the war to help where it was most needed. To hold the hand of a dying man knowing somewhere back home, he was a son, a husband, or a brother of someone who would never get the chance to say goodbye to them. While the novel does contain profanity along the lines of the context of the war, it isn't enough to distract you from the novel's purpose and that is to take you into the heart of what war was like for nurses during the war, and for that I give this a 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Fire By Night, Teresa Messineo, or where you can preorder a copy of this novel today which is due out in January of 2017, please click on the links below:

The Fire By Night by Teresa Messineo

You can find Teresa Messineo on Facebook to stay up to date on all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on The Fire By Night, please visit William Morrow's website.

Love Gently Falling

Just when Rita Jansen thinks she finally has the perfect life all figured out, tragedy strikes with one phone call from her dad. Her mother has had a stroke and they aren't sure if she will recover but it doesn't look good. Now she will leave her life as a hair stylist in Beverly Hills to face the cold winter of Chicago to help her mother for the next two weeks. Her passion for hair began working with her mother at her salon Hair and Now, and it was her mother who funded the money to send her to school to get her license even though it was in California. Her mother had always been there to support her, now it was Rita's turn to help in any way she could.

When she arrived at the airport intending on finding her own transportation to get to the hospital, she is more than surprised when an old friend from school, Johnny Hollister, is there to pick her up. This way her family can stay at the hospital and not have to worry about Rita. They share a great reunion in the drive there and she learns that Johnny has added her mother's salon to his growing number of clients for his janitorial company. She also learns that her childhood best friend has opened her own shop in the same mall as the salon.

When Rita arrives, she learns that her mother's recovery and stroke was worse than she imagined and it will take about six months to get her back on her feet again. Until then, it's long hours of physical therapy to get her speech and movement back. Rita vows to spend those two weeks renovating her mother's outdated salon to something she would be proud of. But how will she be able to manage it with only two weeks and a very limited budget. All she knows is she has to try because by the looks of things if she doesn't her mother may be out of business before she can return to the salon again.

I received Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson compliments of Center Street Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions contained here are strictly my own. This is such a beautiful contemporary romance perfect for Valentine's Day! The love that abounds not only for Rita's family and friends but even for her own childhood skating rink comes full circle by the conclusion of this book and teaches us that it's never to let to find love in the places we might least expect it. This one is worthy of 5 out of 5 stars.

For more information about Love Gently Falling, Melody Carlson, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Love Gently Falling by Melody Carlson

You can find Melody Carlson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

To find more reviews on Love Gently Falling, please visit Center Street Publishers website. 

Up At Butternut Lake

Sometimes the hardest thing for anyone to do is to move forward in a difficult situation like losing the love of your life when you least expected it. Even well meaning friends and family often times mean well with what they say, but it's still a bitter pill to swallow. Especially when you have a young son to put your best face on for. How do you find the strength to go on? Do you simply walk away from all those memories, your home, your friends? Or do you stay put and hope that one day it will hurt less than the day before?

For Allie Beckett, losing the only man she ever loved to a war on foreign soil seemed to occupy all her thoughts. Everywhere she looked, there were reminders of Gregg. Now she simply needed a break, a way to catch her breath. So she sold her home and moved into the families cabin on Butternut Lake. Was it the smartest decision she could make? For now, it was. Her son, Wyatt, needs to start over as well. He needs to realize that while his dad can't always be there he knows that he is watching over him in all he does from heaven. At first it was just Allie's cabin on the lake, but now she realizes she has a new neighbor, Walker Ford who manages the local boatyard.

Walker is dealing with his own issues with his failed relationship with Caitlin and dealing with his unresolved feelings of guilt and pain. She was the only women that he had wanted to make things work with even if the circumstances surrounding their marriage was left than perfect. But then again, that is what life has to offer. It doesn't come in cardboard boxes all wrapped up neat and pretty, more than likely it is an unexpected surprise in the making. Now he find himself drawn towards Allie as he spends time fishing with her son Wyatt and learning a bit about himself in the process. Something that he had never considered until he met Wyatt. Will they be able to forge a bond that will allow them both to heal from the pain of their pasts?

I received Up At Butternut Lake by Mary McNear compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed in this review are strictly my own. I love the small town feel of the town of Butternut Lake that Mary has so beautifully created. From the warmth from Caroline and the coffee shop she runs while dealing with her own empty nest to Allie's best friend Jax she knew growing up spending her summers at the lake. Now that Jax is happily married, she too must come face to face with her past which may very well jeopardize the happy ever after life that everyone believes she has with her husband Jeremy and their four kids. It seems that everyone in this charming novel finds healing through helping one another realize that sometimes we all need to rely on others to help us move forward on our own. The death of a loved one, deception, a failed marriage, the darker parts of our past - all of these things can threaten the present and overshadow the future unless we can confront them head-on, and this is what each of these characters do in this novel. I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars and hope that Mary McNear will chose to add more novels with her characters from this novel in future books!

For more information about Up At Butternut Lake, Mary McNear or where to preorder a copy of this book which is slated for release in April of 2014, please click on the links below:

Up At Butternut Lake by Mary McNear

You can find Mary McNear on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Up At Butternut Lake, please visit William Morrow's website. 

• Series: The Butternut Lake Trilogy (Book 1)
• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (April 8, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0062283146
• ISBN-13: 978-0062283146
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.3 x 0.9 inches

Once Upon A Winter's Heart

As Emma Burcelli heads home to her Nona's after learning of the death of her Poppi, she wonders if the last of the true romantic men has truly died as well. It seems like her Nona and Poppi's marriage was the perfect role model of what a happily ever after marriage really looked like, and after all the men she has ever met, there has been no one like Poppi. Guess all the good ones really are gone.

Leaving her marketing job in Seattle far behind after sensing this truly wasn't the dream job for her, she now has more than enough time to help her Nona get settled and help with the funeral arrangements. When she arrives at her Nona's home in the mountains, the last person she expected to see there was her mother. Thinking the worst, she heads inside only to learn that her mother has left her father. It seems that even her own parents couldn't make romance and love work in their own marriage living more like room mates than husband and wife. Oh sure, they could make it look good on the outside for appearances sake, but to those that really knew them like family, it was only a matter of time before things took a toll on either of them.

But her Nona's home wasn't situated for both of them to sleep properly and knowing her mother, Emma only believed it was a matter of time before her mother high tailed it back home. Without all the luxuries she had come to enjoy, living in a simple fashion hardly suited her mother including sleeping in a twin sized bed alongside Emma. Knowing that Valentine's day was truly something to be celebrated at her grandfather's bookstore, Nona asks Emma to help make sure all the decorations are up. But with romance and love being the furthest thing from her mind, Emma is the epitome of the Valentine's Day grouch. But when Lane Forester shows up late one rainy night, she wonder if the man her grandfather was mentoring could truly be her prince charming after all. The only thing standing in her way, is that her perfect blonde sister Anne has already claimed Lane as her boyfriend and has asked Emma to back off. But is it really that simple?

I received Once Upon A Winter's Heart by Melody Carlson compliments of Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Groups and Christian Fiction Blog Alliance for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This is such a charming and heartwarming book perfect as a gift for Valentine's day or anytime you want that wonderful feeling of falling in love all over again. Grab a glass of wine, some of your favorite chocolates and don't forget to add just the right music, Dean Martin and you've got the perfect recipe for love! I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about Once Upon A Winter's Heart, Melody Carlson or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Once Upon A Winter's Heart by Melody Carlson

You can also follow Melody Carlson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Once Upon A Winter's Heart, please visit Christian Fiction Blog Alliance Book Tours

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Center Street (January 7, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455528110
• ISBN-13: 978-1455528110
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches

Once Upon A Winter's Heart

As Emma Burcelli heads home to her Nona's after learning of the death of her Poppi, she wonders if the last of the true romantic men has truly died as well. It seems like her Nona and Poppi's marriage was the perfect role model of what a happily ever after marriage really looked like, and after all the men she has ever met, there has been no one like Poppi. Guess all the good ones really are gone.

Leaving her marketing job in Seattle far behind after sensing this truly wasn't the dream job for her, she now has more than enough time to help her Nona get settled and help with the funeral arrangements. When she arrives at her Nona's home in the mountains, the last person she expected to see there was her mother. Thinking the worst, she heads inside only to learn that her mother has left her father. It seems that even her own parents couldn't make romance and love work in their own marriage living more like room mates than husband and wife. Oh sure, they could make it look good on the outside for appearances sake, but to those that really knew them like family, it was only a matter of time before things took a toll on either of them.

But her Nona's home wasn't situated for both of them to sleep properly and knowing her mother, Emma only believed it was a matter of time before her mother high tailed it back home. Without all the luxuries she had come to enjoy, living in a simple fashion hardly suited her mother including sleeping in a twin sized bed alongside Emma. Knowing that Valentine's day was truly something to be celebrated at her grandfather's bookstore, Nona asks Emma to help make sure all the decorations are up. But with romance and love being the furthest thing from her mind, Emma is the epitome of the Valentine's Day grouch. But when Lane Forester shows up late one rainy night, she wonder if the man her grandfather was mentoring could truly be her prince charming after all. The only thing standing in her way, is that her perfect blonde sister Anne has already claimed Lane as her boyfriend and has asked Emma to back off. But is it really that simple?

I received Once Upon A Winter's Heart by Melody Carlson compliments of Center Street, a division of Hachette Book Groups for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. This is such a charming and heartwarming book perfect as a gift for Valentine's day or anytime you want that wonderful feeling of falling in love all over again. Grab a glass of wine, some of your favorite chocolates and don't forget to add just the right music, Dean Martin and you've got the perfect recipe for love! I easily give this one a 5 out of 5 stars!

For more information about Once Upon A Winter's Heart, Melody Carlson or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

Once Upon A Winter's Heart by Melody Carlson

You can also follow Melody Carlson on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Once Upon A Winter's Heart, please visit Center Streets Website. 

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Center Street (January 7, 2014)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1455528110
• ISBN-13: 978-1455528110
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 0.5 inches

Citadel

Like all great things, sometimes the U.S. is the last to receive them. This is very true of the latest novel from author Kate Mosse, Citadel. Released in the U.K. before it's debut here in the states, Citadel takes historical novels to a completely different level. This book isn't slated for it's U.S. release March of 2014. This is a definite must read for fans of historical fiction that involve strong female lead characters. Not the kind to sit back and wait for a historic rescue, the women you find in Citadel are the ones taking charge and moving forward in the Resistance movement in World War II, which was different from previous historical novels I have had the opportunity to read and review.

This was one that was definitely on my must read list and was not disappointed even though the size of the novel was larger than I had anticipated, it was worth every single page. For once, it didn't end too early for me and instead kept me engaged with the characters. Having not read the previous novels that background Citadel, there is a brief prologue to catch the reader up to speed to the present day. The first novels Labyrinth and Sepulchre take the reader back into more of a late historical past to arrive at where we find our current characters today.

This novel takes readers back to 1940's during the Nazi occupation of France and where a group of women work as Resistance Fighters code named Citadel. These are the women who find courage and fortitude to what they can to take back their country and go completely against the stereo type female characters of literature. These are the women who are armed and ready for action standing alongside men to fight back against the Germans who wanted to occupy France during the World War. It shows the character of these women who were willing to fight for what they believed in and that allowed them in places that no man could ever go. I mean if you really consider it from a writers stand point, imagine the ability of a woman to infiltrate places men would already be deemed as suspicious? It already gives credibility to just what you will find lurking beneath the covers of this book.

It gave life to something I had never considered before when you think about the role of some women during the wars. They simply didn't cower inside their homes waiting for their men to take on the war. These were women who fought just as bravely as their men counterparts and thus a major reason for me wanting to pick this one up. The writer gives a breath of reality in this novel as well as she illustrates beautifully just what these women were up against and it wasn't simply an easy way to aid in the war efforts. Even these women in Citadel often died the very same way men did, through being captured and executed by the enemy. They were not shown any favoritism simply because they were women. That was one of the things I enjoyed most about this novel.

I received Citadel by Kate Mosse compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions expressed here are strictly my own. Being a huge fan of anything having to do with WWII historical fiction, I LOVED this one because it gave a different spin on what I was used to reading and not only that opened my eyes up to a different role women played in the war efforts as Resistance Fighters. I easily give this one a 4.5 out of 5 stars in my opinion. This book will be available to order in the United State in March of 2014 but for now you can find copies on the internet through third party book sellers. Trust me if you love historical fiction as much as I do, you'll definitely want to carve out some time to read this one.

For more information about Citadel, Kate Mosse or where you can preorder up a copy of this novel today, please click on the links below:

Citadel by Kate Mosse

You can find Kate Mosse on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest novels.

To read more reviews on Citadel, please visit William Morrow's website. 

A Stop in the Park - Giveaway and Review

I love it when I find opportunities to review really great books and when authors personally reach out to me and ask. Such is the case in the latest book I've been glued to since I started it. I literally can't put it down. What's the pull you ask? I guess for me, because this book feels so real. The situations and characters within the pages under a beautiful cover are as real as the people that I know. There is some safety in watching them deal with a difficult situation, literally a marriage hanging by a thread, that will affect not only the husband and wife, but the children and everyone in their lives. You feel like you are eaves dropping on what is a very private matter and something most of us never see, but none the less is happening all around us. Probably more than we would like to admit.

In the novel, A Stop in the Park by Peggy Panagopoulos Strack, we are immediately involved in the lives of Michael Stolis, an up and coming highly stressed and overworked Washington D.C. attorney and his wife, Jamie who is your stay at home mom of two busy young girls, Megan and Emily. While he holds down the financial fort working long days and often with very little time out, he literally snaps by the time he makes it home. What used to be his peaceful sanctuary is now filled with loud children's television, messes throughout the home and a wife who finds solace in the Internet. On top of dealing with working out, driving in traffic, and dealing with meeting deadlines, Michael's been attending marriage counseling with Jamie in hopes of finding a workable solution to keep their marriage intact. He's been diagnosed with anger management issues and can't seem to find a way to get control of things before he literally explodes on his wife and kids.

Even though they are not the source of his problems, he doesn't have a way to unwind at the close of the day and after 15 years of marriage, things have grown distant between Jaime and Michael. They are now more like strangers living in the same home than the loving parents Megan and Emily need. On top of Michael's busy work schedule there are family social obligations, soccer practice and all kinds of weekly scheduled events from golfing on Sunday just to keep his work connections content to meeting with friends and neighbors for dinners and Bar-B-Ques he can't stand for the sake of getting out of the house to please his wife.

When Jamie issues an ultimatum for a trial separation, Michael knows things have gone too far. Either they must change or they will face divorce. It's during a stop at the park on the way to dinner with the family one evening that Michael meets the man who is about to change his life, Rufus, a retired bus driver who spends the afternoons playing blintz chess. Rufus tells Michael his life sucks and instructs him on a crash course for fun, one I think we all need more of. Rufus tells him it all has to do with how you view your time on this planet. You see, he tells him, I pretend. Now, pretending is fun. I pretend that before I came to earth I had a conversation with Saint Peter or God or Jesus or Buddha - don't matter who - and whoever said, 'You're going to earth for one hundred years, at the most. I'm going to put you in the United States, so you'll have a lot of opportunity. I think I'll make you black, as that may give you a bit of a challenge with some in that country. It'll make you stronger. I'll give you a special talent - up to you to find it. Pay attention and you'll figure it out. Now go and have fun. It's a real neat place - some problems, but always solutions too. Again, up to you to find them. Remember you only got one hundred years, at the very most. When you come back, I'll be waiting, and I'll want to hear all about your trip.'

Sounds like a very wise man, Michael found through a fortuitous walk in the park one day but one that is going to literally change him from the inside out. All the things he was because of how he was raised became his excuses for his behavior and how he treated people around him. He felt that was simply how he is, but when he sees that taking small steps outside of his comfort zone provide him with much more lasting peace, he decides like an addict, he must simply have more. But will his family buy into the belief he has really change or will divorce still be the end of Michael's marriage?

I received A Stop in the Park by Peggy Panagopoulos Strack compliments of the author for my honest review. At times it was hard to believe I was simply reading a novel and not someone's memoir, but one I delighted in taking my time to enjoy. It literally made me appreciate my own marriage and husband more and books like this one are a rare treasure indeed. I highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with their own issues in marriage as it provides a different insight being an observer rather than a participant and perhaps you'll find some wisdom in Rufus' words. I rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and caution readers its a very realistic look at some problems in marriage including the possibility of tempting fate with an affair and that's why I recommend this book to those that may be struggling for answers. Peggy is also donating ten percent of the profits of this novel to the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation, an organization that keeps music alive in schools by donating musical instruments to under-funded music programs. It's well worth reading and it's now found a permanent place on my library shelf.

For more information about A Stop in the Park, Peggy Panagopoulos Strack, or where you can pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

A Stop in the Park by Peggy Panagopoulos Strack

You can visit her blog, Kick Back Moments by clicking here.

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (July 31, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1475150997
• ISBN-13: 978-1475150995

Thanks to Peggy Strack's generosity, she is providing a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. Here's your guidelines to enter:

1. Be a follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. 

2. "Like" Peggy's Facebook page and while you're there, leave her a comment!

3. You must be a resident of the US or have a US Shipping address. Please No P.O. Boxes.

4. Leave a comment below telling me why you'd love to win a copy of this book along with your email address. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

I will notify the winner of the giveaway by email once it ends on January 16th! 

Home For the Summer

There is a reason for Lucy Sinclair to stay away from her childhood home in St. Dennis, it simply holds too many memories she wishes desperately to forget. It's also a reason she hasn't told anyone and doesn't plan on it if she can help it. If only the nightmares didn't keep her up all night and her mother didn't want her to come home for the holidays more. Being a successful wedding planner as a joint owner in her own company Shaefer & Sinclair, she stayed more than busy in her office in Los Angeles. Now after the biggest celebrity wedding she hosted for Dallas MacGregor in her hometown of St. Dennis, the phones were literally ringing off the hook with business.

But things are going to get even more interesting as Lucy gets another big boost to her business when billionaire Robert Magellan wants the exact same wedding set up for her new bride Suzanna and he will spare no expense to ensure she has the true wedding of her dreams. Their's won't simply be a one day affair, they want a week long event and they want it all to take place at her family's historic inn in St. Dennis. Knowing she can't possibly turn down an opportunity this grand, Lucy does what she can to hop back and forth from L.A. to St. Dennis to attempt to coordinate this wedding. However Susanna isn't the type to deal with phone calls and emails. She wants the personal face to face contact with Lucy and she won't deal with anyone else.

Now Lucy has to try and find some way to work through the many details of pulling together a wedding of a life time in only 5 short months while trying to manage her ever increasingly busy business back in L.A. Her partner Bonnie is now commuting to Sacramento to help her ailing ex-husband back to health and finds herself falling in love with him once more. Will Lucy be able to handle all the increasing work load on both coasts or will she have to find a way to cut something lose before she loses her sanity.

In book 5 of The Chesapeake Diaries series by Mariah Stewart, Home for the Summer will require a balancing act for poor Lucy Sinclair of epic proportions to make her business a success and still give her elite clients exactly what they desire. Along the way, Lucy befriends her childhood friend, Clay Madison and soon finds that there is more there than simply friendship with someone she has grown up to respect and possibly love. But is that enough to warrant leaving her successful business in L.A.? Only time will tell as the romance continues to grow between some of the most wonderful characters in St. Dennis. If you haven't had the opportunity to pick up this series, may I suggest starting at the beginning with Coming Home? This is an unforgettable series and I for one am more than thrilled that Mariah is keeping this one going when most authors end a series after three books.

I received Home For The Summer by Mariah Stewart compliments of Ballantine Books and TLC Book Tours for my honest review and the saddest part about her books is when you get to the last page. It's hard to let go of the characters you honestly come to love and get to know. From the always quirky Inn owner and editor of the St. Dennis Gazette Grace, to the fun-loving ice cream shoppe owner, Stef, you are just bound to connect to someone in this delightful and truly charming series. I personally rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and while it's not a stand alone book there is certainly enough given in the book, that you could read it as a first, but trust me you'll want to pick up the entire series! I absolutely LOVE it and highly recommend it! Now I'm am anxiously awaiting, the Long Way Home which is due out in January 2013!!!

For more information about Home For The Summer, Mariah Stewart or where to pick up a copy of this book, please click on the links below:

Home For The Summer by Mariah Stewart

You can find Mariah Stewart on Facebook to stay up to date with all her latest books.

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Ballantine Books (May 29, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0345531221
• ISBN-13: 978-0345531223
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 1 x 6.9 inches