Stacking the Shelves (59) 9.8.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   Purchased:   Mistress   by James Patterson This actually came out the beginning of August but due to me being on a book buying ban, I had to wait until September to buy the book – very happy it was still available in hardcover so I can add…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle (CLOSED)

Queen’s Gambit by Elizabeth Fremantle  Series: Tudor Trilogy, #1 Simon & Schuster  August 2013  Format: Hardcover, 432 pages  Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Widowed for the second time at age thirty-one Katherine Parr falls deeply for the dashing courtier Thomas Seymour and hopes at last to marry for love. However, obliged to return to court, she attracts the attentions of the ailing, egotistical, and dangerously powerful Henry…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: The Hero by Robyn Carr (CLOSED)

The Hero by Robyn Carr Series: Thunder Point, #3 Harlequin MIRA August 2013 Format: ARC e-book, 384 pages Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity With warmth and sensitivity, #1 New York Times bestselling author Robyn Carr shows readers that falling in love can be the bravest act of all.  In a moment of desperation, Devon McAllister takes her daughter and flees a place where they should have been safe and…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (9.2.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. September is here and while I love summer, I am looking forward to the fall…

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Month in Review: August 2013

Well, the summer is slowly dwindling away and while I’m sad that the long days are slowly becoming a thing of the past, I do admit I love the fall – crisp weather, pumpkins and falling leaves – and the perfect excuse to curl up on my porch with a blanket while reading.  In August, I participated in a month-long ban on buying new books and as tough as it…

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Stacking the Shelves (58) 9.1.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   Getting Rowdy  by Lori Foster   This is the latest in Lori Foster’s Love Undercover series and I can’t wait to read it…Rowdy has been an interesting character since the first book of this series. What did you get this week?

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Review: Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen

Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen Barnes & Noble Classics Oct 2004 (Originally published 1811) Format: Hardcover, 312 pages Source: Personal copy Jane Austen’s first published novel, Sense and Sensibility is a wonderfully entertaining tale of flirtation and folly that revolves around two starkly different sisters, Elinor and Marianne Dashwood. While Elinor is thoughtful, considerate, and calm, her younger sister is emotional and wildly romantic. Both are looking for a…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller – CLOSED

Big Sky Wedding by Linda Lael Miller Series: Swoon-Worthy Cowboys, #5 Harlequin HQN  August 2013  Format: ARC e-copy, 384 pages  Source: Netgalley via Little Bird Publicity The “First Lady of the West,” #1 New York Times bestselling author Linda Lael Miller, cordially invites you to Parable, Montana-where love awaits.   Wedding bells are ringing in Parable, Montana, but Brylee Parrish hasn’t enjoyed the sound since being jilted at the altar by…

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Review: Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand

Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand Reagan Arthur Books June 2013 Format: Hardcover, 416 pages Source: Library A summer wedding stirs up trouble on both sides of the family in this new novel from bestselling author Elin Hilderbrand. The Carmichaels and Grahams have gathered on Nantucket for a wedding. Plans are being made according to the wishes of the bride’s late mother, who left behind The Notebook: specific instructions for every…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (8.26.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Lately I feel as if I am all over the place with my reading. I…

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Bout of Books 8.0: Wrap-Up

My Goals: To read as much as possible this week To finish at least 4 complete books, plus the 1 that I need to finish What I accomplished: The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers – finished The Mephisto Club by Tess Gerritsen – completed A Fitting End by Melissa Bourbon – completed The Hero by Robyn Carr – started Sense & Sensibility by Jane Austen – started Banana…

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Review: The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley

The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley William Morrow Paperbacks February 2013 Format: Paperback, 432 pages Source: Personal copy Matt Beaulieu was two years old the first time he held Elle McClure in his arms, seventeen when he first kissed her under a sky filled with shooting stars, and thirty-three when he convinced her to marry him. Now in their late 30s, the deeply devoted couple has everything-except the baby…

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Review: Vanish by Tess Gerritsen

Vanish by Tess Gerritsen Series: Rizzoli & Isles, #5 Ballentine Books January 2005 Format: Hardcover Source: Library A blessed event becomes a nightmare for pregnant homicide detective Jane Rizzoli when she finds herself on the wrong side of a hostage crisis in this timely and relentless new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of Body Double. A nameless, beautiful woman appears to be just another corpse in the…

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Review: Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella (audio)

Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella Read by Rosalyn Landor Random House Audio March 2008 Length: 13 hours Source: Library When twenty-eight-year-old Lexi Smart wakes up in a London hospital, she’s in for a big surprise. Her teeth are perfect. Her body is toned. Her handbag is Vuitton. Having survived a car accident—in a Mercedes no less—Lexi has lost a big chunk of her memory, three years to be exact, and…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Three Little Words by Susan Mallery (CLOSED)

Three Little Words by Susan Mallery Series: Fool’s Gold, #12 Harlequin HQN July 2013 Format: ARC Paperback, 332 pages Source: Publisher via Book Trib Can first love turn into the real deal in a sizzling new Fool’s Gold story from New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery?  Isabel Carlisle thinks she’s cursed in the romance department. Her teenage crush, Ford Hendrix, ignored all her letters. Her husband left her for…

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Bout of Books 8.0: Updates

I’m going to use this post to keep track of my progress during the Bout of Books 8.0 Read-a-thon: My Goals: To read as much as possible this week To finish at least 4 complete books, plus the 1 that I need to finish My List of Books (a combo of review books, library books and fun books):  The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers – need to finish…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (8.19.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. Last week was a great week filled with lots of family-time! We spent three days…

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Stacking the Shelves (57) 8.18.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   The Spymistress by Jennifer Chiaverini   A new historical fiction set during the Civil War by Jennifer Chiaverini – I can’t wait to read this one. Covet by Tracey Garvis Graves This was sent to me along with the Jennifer Chiaverini book and sounds quite…

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Bout of Books 8.0: Sign-Up & Goals

This week I will be participating in another round of Book of Books. This is a great, no-pressure read-a-thon. Here is some info about the read-a-thon from the founders: The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 19th and runs through Sunday, August 25th in whatever time…

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Review: The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro

The Perfume Collector by Kathleen Tessaro HarperCollins May 2013 Format: Hard cover, 464 pages Source: Publisher/She Reads An inheritance from a mysterious stranger . . . An abandoned perfume shop on the Left Bank of Paris . . . And three exquisite perfumes that hold a memory . . . and a secret London, 1955: Grace Monroe is a fortunate young woman. Despite her sheltered upbringing in Oxford, her recent…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (8.12.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. The first part of August has been dedicated to getting any review books/library books read…

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Stacking the Shelves (56) 8.11.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   Queen’s Gambit   by Elizabeth Fremantle   I’m excited to be participating in the blog tour for this book – it sounds like a great Tudor read!               What did you get this week?

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Review: The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs

The Apple Orchard by Susan Wiggs Series: Bella Vista, #1 Harlequin MIRA April 2013 Format: e-book, 432 pages Source: Netgalley #1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs brings readers to the lush abundance of Sonoma county in a novel of sisters, friendship and how memories are woven like a spell around us. Tess Delaney makes a living restoring stolen treasures to their rightful owners. People like Annelise Winther, who…

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Blog Tour & Review: The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner

The Tudor Conspiracy by C.W. Gortner Series: The Spymaster Chronicles, #2 St. Martin’s Griffin July 2013 Format: Paperback, 352 pages Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Hunted by a shadowy foe in Bloody Mary’s court, Brendan Prescott plunges into London’s treacherous underworld to unravel a dark conspiracy that could make Elizabeth queen—or send her to her death. England, 1553: Harsh winter encroaches upon the realm. Mary Tudor has…

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Review: A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams

A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams Putnam Adult May 2013 Format: Hardcover, 357 pages Source: Personal copy Memorial Day, 1938: New York socialite Lily Dane has just returned with her family to the idyllic oceanfront community of Seaview, Rhode Island, expecting another placid summer season among the familiar traditions and friendships that sustained her after heartbreak. That is, until Greenwalds decide to take up residence in Seaview. Nick and Budgie…

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Can’t Help Falling in Love by Bella Andre (CLOSED)

Back in January, I was first introduced to Bella Andre when she did a whirlwind tour for the e-book editions of her Sullivan series. I was fortunate to receive e-copies of the first 7 books and of the ones I’ve had time to read (5 so far) I’ve loved them!!! Now, she has joined forces with Harlequin MIRA to provide the Sullivan books in print, with new content added to…

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Stacking the Shelves (55) 8.4.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For Review:   The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes   I’ve never read anything by JoJo Moyes, but have heard really good things about her books. Looking forward to reading this one!                 Purchased:   Shadowy Horses (e-book) by…

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Review: Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Smokin’ Seventeen by Janet Evanovich Series: Stephanie Plum, #17 Read by Lorelei King Random House Audio 2011 Length: 6 hours, 22 minutes Source: Library Where there’s smoke there’s fire, and no one knows this better than New Jersey bounty hunter Stephanie Plum. Dead bodies are showing up in shallow graves on the empty construction lot of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds. No one is sure who the killer is, or why…

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August is Conquering the Book Stacks month! #ctbs

  For the month of August, I will be participating in “Conquering the Book Stacks” – where I plan to read my own books that have been sitting on my bookshelf and try really hard not to buy any new ones. This all came about from a discussion on twitter between a bunch of avid book readers who seem to constantly have too many books to read and not enough…

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Month in Review: July 2013

How is it that it’s already August already? This summer sure is flying by! I’m a bit behind on some of the reading challenges I’m participating in, so I’m quite excited that there’s a lot of bloggy events happening this month to help… Here’s a list of what I’ll be participating in: Conquering the Book Stacks – hosted by T over at Traveling With T…the goal is to read books…

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Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: The Queen’s Rivals by Brandy Purdy (CLOSED)

The Queen’s Rivals by Brandy Purdy Kensington June 2013 Format: Paperback, 368 pages Source: Publisher via Historical Fiction Virtual Book Tours Their ambitions were ordinary, but they were born too close to the throne… As cousins of history’s most tempestuous queens, Ladies Jane, Katherine, and Mary Grey were born in an age when all of London lived beneath the Tower’s menacing shadow. Tyrannized by Bloody Mary and the Virgin Queen,…

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Review: Wedding Belles by Beth Albright

Wedding Belles by Beth Albright Series: Sassy Belles, #2 Harlequin MIRA July 2013 Format: ARC, e-copy, 336 pages Source: Netgalley via Kaye Publicity The Sassy Belles are back…and this time, wedding bells are ringing! Seven months pregnant and head over heels in love, Vivi Ann McFadden is busy pulling together the final details for her wedding to Lewis Heart, famous play-by-play announcer for the Crimson Tide. But with two wedding-planners-gone-wild,…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (7.29.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. My nephew came for a sleepover this week – he was with us for four…

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Stacking the Shelves (54) 7.28.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   Won: Final Sentence by Daryl Wood Gerber I won this over at Traveling With T and I’m looking forward to reading it. This is the first in Daryl Wood Gerber’s newest cozy mystery series, a Cookbook Nook Mystery…I just love cozy mysteries. Thanks T for the contest!!! From…

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Review: Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Sizzling Sixteen by Janet Evanovich Series: Stephanie Plum, #16 Read by Lorelei King Macmillan Audio 2010 Length: 7 hours Source: Library Trenton, New Jersey, bounty hunter Stephanie Plum has inherited a “lucky” bottle from her Uncle Pip. Problem is, Uncle Pip didn’t specify if the bottle brought good luck or bad luck. . . . BAD LUCK: Vinnie, of Vincent Plum Bail Bonds, has run up a gambling debt of…

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Book Spotlight & Giveaway: The Shadow Tracer by Meg Gardiner (CLOSED)

Yesterday I posted my review of Meg Gardiner’s latest thriller, The Shadow Tracer. You can find my thoughts on the book here. Today, I’m pleased to announce that thanks to Cassie at Dutton Books, I have one copy of the book to offer my readers. The Shadow Tracer by Meg Gardiner  Dutton Adult  June 2013  Format: Hardcover, 368 pages  Source: Publicist An explosive stand-alone thriller from the Edgar Award–winning writer…

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Review: The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley

The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley Atria Books June 2013 Format: Paperback, 416 pages Source: Publicist An aristocratic French family, a legendary château, and buried secrets with the power to destroy two generations torn between duty and desire.  La Côte d’Azur, 1998: In the sun-dappled south of France, Emilie de la Martinières, the last of her gilded line, inherits her childhood home, a magnificent château and vineyard. With the property…

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Review: The Shadow Tracer by Meg Gardiner

The Shadow Tracer by Meg Gardiner Dutton Adult June 2013 Format: Hardcover, 368 pages Source: Publicist An explosive stand-alone thriller from the Edgar Award–winning writer Stephen King called “the next suspense superstar”. Can a person ever really disappear for good by going off the grid? And what happens when vanishing is no longer an option? Sarah Keller is a single mother to five-year-old Zoe, living quietly in Oklahoma. She’s also…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (7.22.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. I’m glad the heat has finally broken here in NY. Last week was brutal and…

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Mini-Bloggiesta…It’s a Wrap!

  This weekend I participated in a mini-Bloggiesta! I got a ton done and felt that it was very low-key and relaxed. I didn’t even keep track of how much time I spent on my to-do list as I usually do, but still managed to get a lot done!  I ended up accomplishing most of what I had on my list: Write up all outstanding reviews that I need to…

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Review: Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight

Reconstructing Amelia by Kimberly McCreight HarperCollins April 2013 Format: Harcover, 384 pages Source: Personal copy When Kate, single mother and law firm partner, gets an urgent phone call summoning her to her daughter’s exclusive private school, she’s shocked. Amelia has been suspended for cheating, something that would be completely out of character for her over-achieving, well-behaved daughter. Kate rushes to Grace Hall, but what she finds when she finally arrives…

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Stacking the Shelves (53) 7.21.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For review: Big Sky Wedding (e-book) by Linda Lael Miller The latest in Linda Lael Miller’s Swoon-Worthy Cowboy series…can’t wait to start reading this one! Three Little Words by Susan Mallery This is the latest in Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series – a series I am working my…

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Review: Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery

Finding Perfect by Susan Mallery Series: Fool’s Gold, #3 HQN Books August 2010 Format: Paperback, 346 pages Source: Library When Pia O’Brian’s best friend dies, Pia expects to inherit her cherished cat. Instead, the woman leaves Pia three frozen embryos. With a disastrous track record in the romance department and the parenting skills of a hamster, Pia doesn’t think she’s meant for motherhood. But determined to do the right thing,…

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Austen in August Announcement & Reading List

I am so excited to participate in “Austen in August”.  To date, I have only read one Jane Austen book – Pride and Prejudice, which I’ve read three times. I have several of her books sitting on my bookshelf just waiting to be read.   This event is being hosted by Adam over at Roof Beam Reader and this is what he has to say about it: The Goal: To read as…

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Review: Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery

Sister of the Bride by Susan Mallery Series: Fool’s Gold, #2.5 MIRA Books August 2010 Format: e-book, 77 pages Source: Personal copy When Katie McCormick finds out that her sister is marrying her ex, she finally agrees to a setup for the big day. To her surprise, Jackson is a catch. But when wedding catastrophe ensues, will their sparks fizzle or ignite into flames? My thoughts: This cute novella was…

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My Bloggiesta Weekend Plans

Bloggiesta is here and while it’s a mini-version, it’s still a great time to get around to doing those pesky tasks on your blog that you’ve been putting off!  And what better motivation than to be working on these tasks while a bunch of others are doing the same! So what do I plan to do this weekend?  Well…knowing this was coming up, I’ve purposely held off on doing some…

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Review: Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich (audio)

Finger Lickin’ Fifteen by Janet Evanovich Series: Stephanie Plum, #15 Read by Lorelei King Macmillan Audio 2009 Length: 7 hours Source: Library The spiciest, sauciest, most rib-sticking Plum yet. Recipe for disaster: Celebrity chef Stanley Chipolte comes to Trenton in a barbecue cookoff and loses his head – literally. Throw in some spice: Bail bonds office worker Lula is witness to the crime, and the only one she’ll talk to…

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Blog Tour & Review: The Queen’s Vow by C.W. Gortner

Last year, I had the opportunity to read and review The Queen’s Vow: A Novel of Isabella of Castile by C.W. Gortner when it came out in hardcover. Now, the book is available in paperback and C.W. is once again touring the blogosphere with the book. The Queen’s Vow: A Novel of Isabella Castile by C.W. Gortner Ballantine Books July 2013 416 pages No one believed I was destined for…

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It’s Monday…What Are You Reading? (7.15.13)

It’s Monday What Are you Reading , hosted by Sheila, is the perfect way for me to begin my week and allows me to focus on what needs to be read and to see what I have or have not accomplished the previous week. I also enjoy discovering new books by visiting other participants blogs. We ended up heading up to our cabin this past weekend and it was so…

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Stacking the Shelves (52) 7.14.13

Tynga of Tynga’s Reviews is starting a new meme to spotlight the books we receive each week.        Here’s what I got:   For review: The Other Woman by Hank Phillippi Ryan This will be my first Hank Phillippi Ryan book and I can’t wait to read it…it’s also the first in a series! From the library: Beautiful Day by Elin Hilderbrand Summer means a new Elin Hilderbrand book and I…

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