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

The Reunion

Sometimes life isn't about us. It's about the difference we make in the lives of people around us. Aaron Miller is one such person. Thinking he has little to offer the world as a retired Vietnam veteran, he spends his time working as a maintenance man for a little trailer park in Florida. Reflecting back on his life offers him the justification for the life he currently finds himself in. After serving in Vietnam and saving the lives of three men in his squadron, he was injured and thus found a way out of the way. Disabled in both body and spirit, Aaron tried to find his way back to his wife and children. When his PTSD symptoms and addictions to pain medications caused a division in his house, his wife told him that they would be better off without him.

So Aaron left, and spent the next few years eking out a living on the streets. When he finally found the strength to get clean, he tried to make his way back home for a second chance. His wife told him that his kids no longer asked about the whereabouts of their dad and it's for the best to give them a second chance at a better life with her new husband and now father to their kids. Heartbroken, Aaron found solace living in the storage shed while trying to save money to purchase a small trailer in the park he helped to maintain, but that seems to be a dream far out of his reach.

In the Reunion by Dan Walsh, restoration seems to be the theme. Aaron's old habits die hard and soon he finds himself helping people out around him who seem to be filled with no hope. Aaron becomes more than a hero to them. While he keeps his own past buried, he works to offer hope to those who need it the most. Dan Walsh is instrumental at getting this powerful message across in this wonderful inspirational book about looking at the lives of the men and women who serve in our military. It gives us insight into the details we may never fail to inquire about but a story that each needs to share if only given the chance. I think he does a wonderful job at conveying that just because they finish their tour of duty, these wounded men and women still have a much needed purpose in life. This is a book to be treasured and shared. Be warned however, this may require more than a boxful of tissues by the time you reach the end. A well deserved 5 out of 5 stars in my opinion.

For more information about The Reunion, Dan Walsh and where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Reunion by Dan Walsh

You can also find Dan Walsh on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books!!!

Paperback: 304 pages

Publisher: Revell; Original edition (September 1, 2012)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0800721217

ISBN-13: 978-0800721213

Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.8 x 8.5 inches 

Green Mountain Coffee - Wellness Collection

A good cup of coffee can do so many things - put a smile on your face, a skip in your step, and the good kind of taste in your mouth. But a great cup of coffee? It works harder to make things easier for you...at lest when it comes from the Green Mountain Wellness Collection.

Kick start your day or settle in with high-quality coffees you can look forward to drinking because they're delicious and part of the Green Mountain Wellness Collection! Finally, your wellness Collections includes innovative brews like Focus Blend and an Antioxidant Blend to inspire wellness without compromising on the taste. Wellness Brewed beverages are proof that wellness can be effortless.

Conveniently available in K-cup packs for your Keurig brewer, the Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection is all Fair Trade Certified, making that great cup of coffee feel even better. It is best brewed using the 8 oz setting on your Keurig brewer and retails for $18.49 for a 24 count box of Keurig K-Cup packs at your local retailer. It is also available for purchase online at GreenMountainCoffee.com and Keurig.com.

Green Mountain Coffee Focus Blend provides not only a great cup of coffee but also a balanced brew with 50mg of L-Theanine in every 8 fl.oz. serving.

Green Mountain Coffee Antioxidant Blend makes choosing a healthy cup of coffee even easier. Each 8 ounce serving is deeply satisfying and is a good source of the antioxidant vitamins C & E.

Both of these roasts are a engaging, medium-roast-taste of both the Focus Blend and Antioxidant Blend, Green Mountain Coffee blended with lightest roasts with mellow, darker roasts. A leader in the specialty coffee industry for more than three decades, Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection is the first wellness-focused line of its kind launched by a national coffee brand. They believe that a better cup of coffee means a better day for everyone it touches. It doesn't need to be complicated to get a good choice and great taste all in one cup!!!

I received Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection compliments of Green Mountain Coffee and BzzAgent for my honest review. As a person who needs to have her coffee each morning to get my day going, I feel great about a product that provides not only a truly satisfying cup of coffee but with something healthy to make my body more productive as well. For all of you that must have coffee, you have to try Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection, either Focus Blend or Antioxidant Blend for your needs. I tried both and they are truly amazing. Not only does the coffee taste great but knowing I'm doing something great for my body as well all in one cup of coffee is well worth it for this busy mom. I personally would rate this product a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information on Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection please click on the links below:

Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection

You can also find Green Mountain Coffee Wellness Collection on Facebook by clicking here.

You can also get $3 off your order online when visiting Green Mountain Coffee's website and entering the code "GMCBEWELL".

The Intercept - Giveaway and Review

July 4th is usually a time when most of us are looking forward to spending some time with our families, but when an attempted airline hi-jacking on Scandinavian Flight 903 is stopped by six heroic passengers and crew, it seems there is more there than just an ill conceived plan. Jeremy Fisk, a detective assigned to NYPD's Intelligence Division believes it may have just been a diversion to a much deeper terrorist plot. Having worked with bringing down Osama Bin Laden and deciphering clues from his network, he believes that something big is going to happen in New York and soon. As he works with other agencies to break down the passenger manifest to see if anyone interacted with the hi-jacker while in route to New York. He soon finds another man on the plane, Baada Bin-Hezam, has terrorist backgrounds but seems his plan was to stage the hi-jacking with another man so he could find his way into New York to simply disappear until it was time.

Now it's a race against time for Jeremy Fisk and his team to try and find a proverbial needle in the haystack before his terrorist plan is attempted. On the heels of the biggest 4th of July celebration planned along the Hudson River, there is also the dedication ceremony for the new Freedom Tower at Ground Zero. If Jeremy and his team can't locate Baada Bin-Hezam in time, he wonders which target may have the greatest threat. Will it be a bomb, a deadly viral assault, or will it be bigger than any of them could ever possibly imagine? It's simply a race against time and the clues are getting harder and harder to find.

In the latest suspense thriller from Dick Wolf, the legendary talent behind the iconic Law & Order TV drama, he makes his literary debut with this extraordinary tale filled with the ingenious twists and high-wire drama that we have come to expect from this master storyteller in The Intercept. The reader is in for a roller coaster ride as each new lead that Fisk chases soon fizzles to another dead end while the time continues to edge closer to the 4th of July. If you love suspense action thrillers, then this will be a must read for you to pick up and enjoy.

I received The Intercept by Dick Wolf, compliments of William Morrow, a division of Harper Collins Publishers for my honest review. The storyline was amazing but the thing I didn't care for was how much the book jumped around between different aspects of the story in the beginning. At one point he is working with Osama Bin Laden and the next chapter they are working with trying to find clues amongst his affects and it's apparent he is now dead. There needs to be a little bit more continuity to help the reader maintain that connection, and I found myself flipping back pages to see if I missed a page along the way. Yet all in all by 1/3 of the way through the storyline is gripping and soon your buried deep with Detective Fisk to uncover the plot before it's too late. In my opinion, I'd rate this one a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information about The Intercept, Dick Wolf or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Intercept by Dick Wolf

You can also stay on top of the Jeremy Fisk novels by Dick Wolf on Facebook. 

Now the fun part....

William Morrow is providing a giveaway copy to one lucky follower of my blog. Here's all you need to do to enter to win:

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

2. "Like" my Facebook Reviews From The Heart Page. 

3. Must live in the 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 by email when the giveaway ends on January 6th.

Coricidin HBP Cold & Flu Product Review

Did you know that...

67 million Americans have high blood pressure...

But not all high blood pressure sufferers understand the potential impact decongestants can have on their condition. If you have high blood pressure, choose your over-the-counter cold medication wisely. Coricidin^® HBP provides powerful cold relief without raising your blood pressure. Each of the six products is decongestant-free. They are safe and effective for the treatment of cold and flu symptoms when taken as directed. All six Coricidin HBP formulats are decongestant-free and safe and effective for the treatment of cold and flu symptoms when taken as directed. It's the #1 pharmacist recommended cold brand designed for people with high blood pressure. A cold shouldn't get in the way of managing your or a loved one's blood pressure.

If you're like me and with the cold and flu season under way, you are concerned with the number of products on the market dealing with relieving runny nose, sneezing, body aches and pains and fever all without the added risk of raising your blood pressure. I was super excited to receive Coricidin HBP Cold & Flu to try compliments of simply being a BzzAgent. I've been diagnosed as having high blood pressure already and the last thing I need to do is to take a product that could potentially raise my blood pressure more.

With our cold winter weather setting in, I developed a cold and in the past have had to deal with products that offer less than promising results. Either they don't work on the symptoms or I have to deal with the racing heart and jitters that usually accompany most over the counter cold medicines. Thankfully Coricidin offers the best of both world in my opinion. Not only does this product deliver as promised, I don't have the side effects of the racing heart and jitters. I am able to find a cold product now that delivers what it promises. Since there are six different ones, I can tell you, it gives me hope the next time a cold or flu strikes my own home. Normally you go around feeling overly medicated but not in this case. I can personally tell you that it works!!!

The best part is that this product is available over the counter and at your local drug store or retailers without a prescription. Finally a product that doesn't over do it when it comes to cold or flu relief. I plan on keeping this in my medicine chest for when the next cold or flu strikes my family. I received this product compliments of BzzAgent and Coricidin HBP for my honest review and this one gets a 4 out of 5 stars.

For more information on Coricidin HBP products, please click on the links below:

Coricidn HBP Formulas

You can download a $ 2 off coupon for Coricidin HBP by clicking here.  

You can also visit the American Heart Associations Website and test your blood pressure IQ. 

Febreeze Holiday Collection ~ Giveaway and Review

Now that the holidays are almost over, I wanted to share with you an amazing offer I had the opportunity to review and try over the Christmas holiday and to also share a little of the goodness after the gifts have long been opened under the tree. I love it when the gifts keep on coming.

Febreeze Holiday Collection is a unique series of signature fragrances that are only available for a limited time. You can freshen your home up with one of six unique and completely unforgettable fragrances, Apple Spice & Delight (available online only), Cranberries and Frost, Glistening Alpine, Winter Magic and Glow, Holiday Bloom and Cheer, and Cozy Vanilla Sugar, the one I tried and absolutely LOVE!!! I received a wonderful gift pack to sample and enjoy. It included One Febreeze Air Effects Spray, One Febreeze Candle, One Twin-pack of Febreeze NOTICEables, and Two NOTICEable refills.

The NOTICEables are basically your plug in oil fragrance with a perfect sweet blend of two fragrances that simply compliment one another. Since I received the Cozy Vanilla Sugar collection, this contained a blend of Cozy Vanilla and Vanilla Bean. I decided to use this in our guest bath which also contains our cat box. The best part of this, is the smell. It's not overly sweet and just the right blend to keep all my bathroom odors at bay. Since the NOTICEables contain a switch on the back, you can choose just how strong you want the fragrance dispersed. I kept mine on low since the bathroom is relatively small. My kids actually fought over who would get my second dispenser and we opted to keep it in the kitchen which worked out perfect to keep our kitchen odors under control.

I used the Cozy Vanilla Sugar candle in our family room for the entire family to enjoy while watching our Christmas movies. It lasted about a week but we really burned it for a long period of time. Again the fragrance was amazing and it worked out perfect whenever guests came to visit. They actually thought we were baking sugar cookies. Finally we tried the Cozy Vanilla Sugar Air Effects spray which worked to get rid of smells quickly. I didn't much care for the fragrance in this one because to me it smelled like baby powder instead of the similar vanilla fragrance from the other products.

“The Febreze product, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Febreze.”. This entire collection was amazing and I can't wait to pick up some of the other fragrances just to keep on hand when I want to bring back the Christmas memories we shared this year, all year long. But remember, this collection is limited and you'll want to pick yours up before they are gone. Trust me, you'll want to pick up a few spares to keep on hand til they are available again. If you love the simplicity of something quick and easy to remove odors instantly, you'll want to pick up the Febreeze Air Effects Spray. If you want something to last a bit longer, try the Febreeze candle or the no-hassle Febreeze NOTICEables oil plug ins. I personally rate this entire collection a 4 out of 5 stars. These products are available at your local retailer and remember the Apple Spice & Delight is only available on line!

For more information about the Febreeze Holiday Collection, please click on the links below:

Febreeze Holiday Collection

You can also find Febreeze on Facebook by clicking here. 

Now for the best part. I get to offer a giveaway to one lucky follower of my blog, Reviews From The Heart. The winner of this giveaway will receive a $10 Febreeze Coupon Book and a $15 Visa Gift Card. Here's all you need to do to enter:

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

2. "Like" my Facebook page, Reviews From The Heart and leave a comment while you're there.

3. If you have already "Liked" my Facebook page, simply leave me a comment there.

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

5. Leave a comment below telling me which fragrance you'd love to try and which product type you'd be interested in using in your home. Don't forget to leave me your email so I can contact you if you're the lucky winner. You can use the words (at) and (dot) instead of the symbols.

The giveaway will end on January 7th and I'll notify the winner by email at that time.

“The Febreze product, information, and additional gift pack have been provided by Febreze.”

NOTE: Febreze® does not represent or warrant the accuracy of any statements or product claims made here, nor does it endorse any opinions expressed within this blogsite.

The Time Keeper

"A man sits alone in a cave. 

His hair is long. His beard reaches his knees. He holds his chin in the cup of his hands. He closes his eyes. He is listening to something. Voices. Endless voices. They rise from a pool in the corner of the cave. They are the voices of people on Earth. They want one thing only. Time.

Sarah Lemon is one of those voices. 

A teenager in our day, she sprawls on a bed and studies a photo on her cell phone: a good-looking boy with coffee-colored hair. Tonight she will see him. Tonight at eight-thirty. She recites it excitedly - Eight-thirty, eight-thirty! - and she wonders what to wear. The black jeans? The sleeveless top? No. She hates her arms. Not the sleeveless. "I need more time," she says.

Victor Delamonte is one of those voices. 

A wealthy man in his mid-eighties, he sits in a doctor's office. His wife sits beside him. White paper covers an exam table. The doctor speaks softly. "There's not much we can do," he says. Months of treatment have worked. The tumors. The kidneys. Victor's wife tries to speak, but the words catch. As if sharing the same larynx, Victor clears his throat. "What Grace wants to ask is....how much time do I have left?"

His words - and Sarah's words - drift up to the faraway cave, and the lonesome, bearded man sitting inside it. This man is Father Time. 

You might think him a myth, a cartoon from a New Year's card - ancient, haggard, clutching an hourglass, older than anyone on the planet. But Father Time is real. And, in truth, he cannot age. Beneath the unruly beard and cascading hair - signs of life, not death - his body is lean, his skin unwrinkled, immune to the very thing he lords over. Once, before he angered God, he was just another man, fated to die when his days were done. Now he has a different fate: Banished to this cave, he must listen to the world's every plea - for more minutes, more hours, more years, more time.

He has been here an eternity. He has given up hope. But a clock ticks for all of us, silently, somewhere. And one is ticking even for him. Soon Father Time will be free. To return to Earth. And finish what he started." (pg 3-4).

In The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom, we are immersed in the lives of two people who one man has been asked to intervene and help in their quest for more time in very different aspects of their lives. It takes the reader into their own personal question of what are they doing with time, are they wasting it, do they value it the way they should, and how can they begin to change their seconds and minutes moving forward. There are truly so many things to take away from this book in retrospective and great quotes worth keeping. I know for me, I'll be taking this one out time and time again to make sure I am living my life as it should be, a gift, that's why it's called the present. I would easily rate this one a 5 out of 5 stars and makes the perfect gift for those that wish things were different or as an inspiration to make their lives truly better beginning today!

For more information on The Time Keeper, Mitch Albom, or where to pick up a copy of this book today, please click on the links below:

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom 

You can also find Mitch Albom on Facebook to stay up to date with all his latest books!!!

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion; BOOK CLUB edition (September 4, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401322786
• ISBN-13: 978-1401322786
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 4.8 x 1 inches