Review - A Healing Spirit (Riverview #2) by Melissa A. Hanson

A freak ski accident brings nineteen-year old Mia Kinney within minutes of death. Hurt and scared, Mia is calmed by the southern drawl and clear green eyes of her rescuer.

Twenty-one year old Dylan Blackburn is one of the first Ski Patrol members on the scene. As his patient is airlifted to the local trauma center, he can’t shake her from his thoughts.

As Mia fights for her life, Dylan, is haunted by the blond hair beauty, and knows he needs to make sure she’s going to be okay.

With a troubled past Dylan has vowed never to completely open himself up to another girl, but Mia continues to knock down every wall he’s constructed. When his past arrives at his front door and threatens once again someone that he loves, will Dylan be able to save Mia yet again? Or will he be too late this time?

A story of love, friendship, and the determination to turn a horrible experience into something worthwhile.

"A Healing Spirit" is book 2 of the Riverview Series, however each is a standalone story.

I don't generally like to review a novel that's not first in a series without having read books before it. But A Healing Spirit by Melissa A. Hanson, book 2 in the Riverview series, is a standalone novel so I didn't have to worry about not being caught up with the story.

The long and short of it is this: Mia is seriously injured and has to be hospitalized and undergoes a few surgeries to try and fix all of her broken bits. Dylan is a member of the Ski Patrol and, along with his friend, saves Mia's life. Mia fights to come back from her accident but she can't get Dylan out of her head. It was his voice that sort of grounded her after her accident, kept her from giving in to the pain, so to speak. And Dylan can't get her out of his head. They kind of fall for each other but Dylan has a past he doesn't want Mia to know about.

I liked the story. It was very sweet. Dylan is a pretty stand up guy and Mia isn't some frail little girl who is begging to be rescued. Her friends are fantastic, even if one of them fancies himself more than a friend. What I liked about that was that it never really became a love triangle. Like a decent person, he realized Mia didn't feel the same way about him and he let her go. What a breath of fresh air.

Dylan is a wonderful, chivalrous, knight in shining armor without being completely egotistical about it. And instead of curling up in a ball and letting what happened to Mia overcome her, she's determined to try and use her experience to make a difference in the lives and safety of other people. I don't see that combo a lot in the stories I read. It made this story different and new.

Their families (well, part of Dylan's at least) are wonderful and accepting and friendly. There are no boyfriend/girlfriend/hateful family conflicts like I see a lot. Our main characters are pretty likeable so, in turn, everyone likes them. Yes, Dylan holds back a part of his life that inevitably puts a few lives in danger (the part of his life, not that he holds it back....) but he does everything he can to make it right, and Mia doesn't hold it against him.

The story seems extremely real. Not like it's a story. More like it's a narrative of things that are really happening. Completely believable. It even switches perspective quite a bit so we get to see inside a lot of the characters, rather than just the main 2. Everyone plays a part in the story so everyone gets a chance to tell part of the story. I was worried that switching back and forth and all over would get confusing, but it didn't. And it's loosely based on a true story.

I would definitely recommend this book to just about anyone. It's romantic, but not heavy. It's sweet but intense at times. And it's a pretty quick read because you get sucked in to the story from the word go. So check it out!

Review - Promises Kept by Scarlett Dunn

Lady of marriageable age with two young boys, in need of husband.

I am a good cook and hard worker.
Victoria Eastman grew up in a Texas saloon—an experience that made her tough, resourceful, and determined to forge a new life. So she places an ad in a gentleman's newspaper... and soon finds herself a suitable arrangement on a farm in Promise, Wyoming. Only problem is that her would-be husband turns up dead the day she arrives.

Rancher Colt McBride is known for his true grit and business smarts. Yet when it comes to his new neighbor, Victoria, he's stumped: Who is she, really? She's lovely to look at, of course, and has proven herself a gentle soul. She's even causing him to question his staunch bachelorhood. But any kind of future may be shattered when a stranger reveals a secret about Victoria's past—one that could destroy them both. Unless, together, they can take a leap of faith—right into each other's arms...

I love Historical Romances like Promises Kept by Scarlett Dunn. I love being able to see how things used to be even if through the eyes of a fictional romance. It's fun and it lets me forget the kind of world we're in now for just a little bit.

Victoria Eastman is a strong woman. For much of the book it seems like she doesn't even fathom just how strong she is. And to be honest, while I love the cover, according to the descriptions of her in the book it does her no justice. So here we have this gorgeous woman who tries like hell to hold her own and provide for her boys. She's willing to go so far as to advertise her need/want of a husband. Someone who can help take care of her and the kids.

Colt McBride is the dreamy sort of cowboy that every woman, or at least a lot of them, fantasize about at least once in their lives. The kind that will step in and defend you. The kind that will take care of you. The kind that will treat you with the utmost respect. And the kind that will make you melt like a popsicle on the pavement in July. He's a hard worker and he's a good, kind man. He takes care of people and they love him for it.

But both of them are stubborn as hell. And it gets frustrating at times. Victoria has sworn off cowboys all together and Colt swears that he's never going to get married. Ever. Haven't fictional characters figured out yet that they shouldn't do that sort of thing? I suppose it's good that they did, or else we'd not have fantastic stories like this to read.

Not everything is biscuits and gravy though. There's a man in town who wants the land that was left to Victoria, and all of the land around it, and has decided he will stop at nothing until he owns it all. This includes stealing and killing off cattle... and people. He even goes so far as to try and "court" Victoria but things turn sour and she's not sure how to save herself, or her boys.

I loved this book. I think I may have mentioned that already. I love period novels. Just love them to death. Promises Kept delivers the window in to history along with the romance and the suspense all rolled up together. There are a lot of wonderful characters that we get to meet and see fleshed out quite a lot. Even if they seem like they're just background, they're not. No one is just a "bit part". I think that's wonderful. Lots of well rounded people to love and read about.

If you love historical romances, this is definitely the book for you. If you love Christian or inspirational fiction, this is the book for you. Even if you don't, this is still a wonderful story to read because it's not an overwhelming aspect of the book at all.

I am definitely looking forward to reading others in this series!

Review - Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

“Dead girl walking”, the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret”, the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.

Lia and Cassie are best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies, competitors in a deadly contest to see who can be the skinniest. But what comes after size zero and size double-zero? When Cassie succumbs to the demons within, Lia feels she is being haunted by her friend’s restless spirit.

Laurie Halse Anderson explores Lia’s descent into the powerful vortex of anorexia, and her painful path toward recovery.

It's been a couple of months since I wrote up a review. And a couple of months since I read this Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson. It's not a novel that's easy to review to be honest. I've read Fever 1793 and Speak by Anderson and while Speak was by no means a happy story to read, Melinda's ordeal was one that I was, unfortunately, familiar with... so it made it easier.

Lia and Cassie have eating disorders. But we don't see much of Cassie at all in the story. At least not in a conventional way. She's more... haunting... than anything else. She sort of manifests as one of Lia's demons.

The writing in this book is definitely different. Not told in solid story form but mainly through the jumbled thoughts of the main character. And I can tell you, it was so frustrating to read. So frustrating that I KNEW all this girl needed to do was eat... and so frustrating that she REFUSED even though she knew that was what she needed, too.

But eating disorders are never that easy. You can't just look at someone with bulimia and tell them to stop throwing up their food. You can't look at someone with anorexia and say "Here, have a sandwich," and expect everything to get better. It's a battle. And not a battle between you and that person, but a battle between that person and whatever demons are waging battle in their heads. Clearly Lia had many. And it was sad.

I'd seen a movie like this once. Long ago and far away. Best friends become anorexic... they literally compete to see who can eat the least and get the skinniest and then... one of them dies. The other is left with the guilt on top of the disease and her family's insistence that she seek treatment and "get better".

Lia has a family who knows what she's doing... in a way. They know she has a problem. And they believe they're monitoring it correctly. But Lia lies and manipulates her way in to "seeming" normal. The anger and irritation at seeing her lie conflicts with the sadness and the heartache of "watching" her waste away...

It's a hard book to read.

If you've read any of Anderson's other novels... I'd suggest giving this one a go. I'd probably recommend it for highschool and up because unfortunately, I know how easy it is for younger kids to read or see something like this book and "identify" with it to the point where they think they're experiencing the same issues... again, something I'm familiar with personally, sadly. So... less easily influenced minds are probably better suited for this particular type of story.

Review - Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater

found.
Cole St. Clair has come to California for one reason: to get Isabel Culpeper back. She fled from his damaged, drained life, and damaged and drained it even more. He doesn't just want her. He needs her.

lost.
Isabel is trying to build herself a life in Los Angeles. It's not really working. She can play the game as well as all the other fakes...but what's the point? What is there to win?

sinner.
Cole and Isabel share a past that never seemed to have a future. They have the power to save each other and the power to tear each other apart. The only thing for certain is that they cannot let go.

Ok, so I finished Sinner by Maggie Stiefvater almost 3 weeks ago but I was putting off actually getting online and typing up a review because I am exhausted. Well, I'm less exhausted now than I was before... but still. So, sorry there hasn't been much activity on the blog as of late.

I was super stoked when I heard Sinner was coming out. I loved the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and I was so sad when it was all over. I was even more stoked when I learned that this one would be following Cole and Isabel. I love the Grace/Sam story with all my heart, but I wanted to know where Cole's story went.

Cole has gone to Los Angeles to find Isabel. In the process he's also supposed to be filming some kind of reality show and making a new record with a new band. Or at least, mostly new. Isabel is happy to see him, and she isn't happy to see him at the same time. She doesn't want to fall in love with him because she doesn't want to be hurt and she thinks that Cole is definitely the kind of person who is going to hurt her.

I have to admire Cole and his persistence. And the fact that even in the face of blatant temptation he didn't let his former addiction overcome him and cause him to undo all of the things that he's accomplished since becoming a wolf. I loved his carefree attitude and I loved being able to just be inside his head. He was trying so incredibly hard with Isabel.

Isabel kind of ticked me off a bit, but then I had to remember that she was putting up with a lot when it came to Cole's reality show. A lot that she didn't really have to put up with at all. And she was doing so quite well for the most part. I cut her some slack even though a few things she did still irritated me. Like insisting that Cole was doing things he shouldn't without really giving him a chance to plead his case.

She'd put up a wall though. One that she wasn't sure she wanted to put down for Cole. Well, in a way, she desperately wanted him to bust right through it and sweep her off her feet and carry her off in to the sunset with his mustang... but the rational part of her wanted to keep the wall in place because the lifestyle he was accustomed to (and she wasn't) was one that normally would have lead him to tear her heart to pieces and leave her broken on the ground. He had to prove himself. Over and over again. And I think he did that with flying colors. I love Cole. I really do.

And it doesn't hurt that when I read his chapters I hear Dan Bittner's voice in my head.

This was a great installment in the series. A definite deviation from the normal back and forth between Sam and Grace and their sort of ... innocence. Both Cole and Isabel are world weary and tired of the phoniness of people and the hurt they've gone through where as Sam and Grace were full of hope. Cole and Isabel hold each other up, though. They kind of find a new strength in each other and it makes the world not seem as bad.

If you've read the rest of the series, you should absolutely pick this one up. It's a fantastic read.

Review - Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.
Mothers can disappear.
Visions can mislead.
Certainties can unravel.

Blue Lily, Lily Blue is book 3 in the Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater. And, as I love all things Maggie Stiefvater, I had to read this. Although, I have put it off because book 4 is not scheduled to come out until February of 2016 so I didn't want there to be a million days in between reading this and reading that but... as with all things... I am impatient. And I had to stop procrastinating and get to reading.

Blue and Co. (Or Gansey and Co. however you want to look at it) are so close to finding Glendower's tomb that they can taste it. Sort of. But Maura is gone and there are curses on caves and Greenmantle is now teaching at Aglionby and Adam has to go to court to testify against his father and things just aren't working out the way they're supposed to be.

Some finagling has to be done to gain access to certain places and to make other things go away... it's getting scary. They're getting so close but everything is upending and they're not quite sure what to do next.

*

That was the best summary I could give without giving much away. As this is still a relatively new book.

First of all, I would like to say that I would love Blue's sense of style. I really would. But unfortunately I am the type of person that can really only rock jeans and t-shirts and still look like some semblance of a human being.

Moving along. This book has a lot of surprises in it. Some interesting. Some incredibly sad. One in particular I didn't see coming at ALL. Not at all. I guess that's kind of how surprises work though. You don't see them coming.

I didn't want to put this one down. I brought it with me to babysit, to dog sit... I brought it to read while I was waiting for my daughter's band concert to start... I read it outside, inside... everywhere and anywhere and all the time. That is how magnificent this installment is. It's also frustrating in a way. Everyone seems so stubborn and no one seems to give anyone the credit that they deserve.

The crew makes some new friends in this story. One I enjoyed immensely and I thought was just absolutely fantastic. Another was... different. Although I'm not sure yet whether or not that's a bad thing. I guess we will have to wait for the 4th book to find out for sure.

I loved Blue Lily, Lily Blue. But then, I love all of Maggie's books. It's fun to read about stories that are set close to home with names of places that I've been to. It had enough suspense without making the entire thing one big ball of "Oh my gosh what's going to happen!?" and the characters (Blue especially) had enough sass to keep things funny. We get a look at how strong they can truly be when bad things happen, and boy do they happen in this one. We also get to see just how magical things are the closer they get to their goal. It's pretty incredible. And I'll just warn you now, you'll get a punch to the gut in the end. Just saying.

If you've read the other 2 in this series, you HAVE to give this one a go. If you haven't, I suggest reading books 1 & 2 first before even attempting this one. You'll be completely lost if you're not all caught up on things. I can't wait for The Raven King to be released!

Review - Just Like Elizabeth Taylor by LuAnn Brobst Staheli

Twelve-year-old Liz Taylor has known for a long time that she would escape—escape the abuse against herself, and against her mother. She just didn’t know how or when.

Then the perfect opportunity comes—money left of the table by her mother’s abuser—and Liz is on the run. But a girl her age doesn’t have many options when it comes to hideouts, making a K.O. A. Kampground and a nearby middle school her perfect choices.

If only she can keep to herself, Liz, now using the name Beth, knows she can make it on her own, until things change, and she realizes she must face her situation head on if she is to save herself and her mom.

I wasn't sure what to expect when I decided to read Just Like Elizabeth Taylor by LuAnn Brobst Staheli. It was not a long winded book so I quickly found out the meat of it shortly after beginning.

Liz and her mother are being abused. Her mother by her boyfriend, and Liz by the boyfriend's son. Liz can't understand why her mother doesn't leave, but she won't. Liz decides she can't stay anymore and so she takes the boyfriends money and takes off. She parks herself at a KOA and enrolls in the school nearby. She's never reported missing. No one ever comes looking for her. She sets up camp in a shed at the KOA and does odd jobs in order to keep her money supply up so she can buy food, clothing, and things like a space heater to keep her warm during winter months.

She originally planned on keeping her head down and keeping to herself. But things don't always end up as planned.

*

My heart absolutely broke for Liz. And for her mother. But mostly for Liz. I know what it's like to be in an abusive relationship and so while I can relate to her mother... it makes me angry that she put her daughter in that situation with no real intention of getting her out of it. It makes me mad that Liz, who is the same age as my oldest daughter, would have to get herself out of harms way and live all by herself in an area completely foreign to her. No one to help her. No one to take care of her. No one to really care.

It's sickening.

BUT... I was kind of peeved at Liz too, for not telling her mother about the abuse from the son. Who knows. Her life could have been completely different had she said something. Maybe mom would have snapped out of it and decided her daughter was worth more than being in a relationship just for the sake of not being alone. But then again, maybe not. You never know.

She was so strong. Liz was. So much stronger than I think I ever could have been at her age. Having to go through what she did and then having to fend for herself for the better part of a year. Not falling apart despite all she'd been through. Knowing that no one had cared enough to even report her missing. Not that I think she should have gone back to that hell hole... but just the fact that it seemed no one wanted her.

I'm glad she was able to make a friend. Even if she didn't want to at first. Everyone needs a friend. Not a lot. But one special one. Liz was lucky enough to make two. Well, three by the end of it all. And every one of them played a part in saving her. Helping her truly save herself.

It was a very short story. Easy to read. Length wise. Subject matter is another story. It was good. It definitely hit close to home, but it was good. And kudos to LuAnn for being able to pack such a story in such a short time and still manage to develop all the characters thoroughly and satisfactorily.

I'd recommend this book to readers age 12-13 and up. But with the younger end of the spectrum I'd definitely set aside time to warn them about what they were about to read and then talk to them about it. It's not light subject matter. In the slightest. Liz goes through some horrible things.

But she's so brave. To go through what she did and come out on the other side mostly in tact. She had more courage than most adults would when faced with the same type of situation. But she was also able to realize and understand that sometimes it was ok to rescue and it was also ok to accept a rescue.

Review - Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson

It's late summer 1793, and the streets of Philadelphia are abuzz with mosquitoes and rumors of fever. Down near the docks, many have taken ill, and the fatalities are mounting. Now they include Polly, the serving girl at the Cook Coffeehouse. But fourteen-year-old Mattie Cook doesn't get a moment to mourn the passing of her childhood playmate. New customers have overrun her family's coffee shop, located far from the mosquito-infested river, and Mattie's concerns of fever are all but overshadowed by dreams of growing her family's small business into a thriving enterprise. But when the fever begins to strike closer to home, Mattie's struggle to build a new life must give way to a new fight-the fight to stay alive.

I picked up Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson because of the cover originally. And the author. The blurb on the back totally sucked me in. I love historic fiction. Absolutely love it. Even a story as sad as this one.

Mattie's town is stricken with yellow fever. Her mother falls ill and orders Mattie out of the house and out to the country. Her grandfather, ever the military man, promises to deliver her to her destination and protect her with his life. But not long after leaving Mattie's grandfather also appears ill. They're kicked out of the wagon that's supposed to drive them and it takes off with everything but the clothes on their back.

Mattie, too, becomes extremely ill but manages to pull through to find that her grandfather is, more or less, well and ready to journey on. They decide to go back home to find Mattie's mother, but she's gone. And there's no way to find her. With so few people even willing to come out of their homes there's not even anyone to ask. So they find themselves back in the coffee house waiting to see what happens next.

*

Like I said, I love historic fiction. I love period stories with a passion. And Fever 1793 was fantastic. It's got enough in it to keep you turning page after page and before you know it, you'll be finished with it. The story is based on the actual yellow fever epidemic that swept through Philadelphia and displaced thousands of people, killing thousands more.

I love the actual history peppered throughout the entire book and how well it was fused with the life of Mattie Cook and her family. We got to see the plague through the eyes of someone who was there. Fictionally speaking, of course, but how many girls like Mattie lived in Philadelphia at that time? How many people had to go through the things she went through. The prospect of first love. The loss of a friend. Having to leave home after finding out she may also lose her mother. Her bird disappearing. Falling ill but recovering only to lose her grandfather during a burglary.

That was the part that got me. That hit me the hardest.

It was sad when her mother sent her away. When all she could see, hear, and smell around her was pestilence and death. But it broke my heart to pieces when her grandfather left her. Absolutely broke it to pieces. Big, mushy, blubbering pieces.

He had such a big heart. He was such a hero to Mattie. And she was a hero to him. He loved her so much and was determined to protect her and care for her with everything he had in him. I'm glad that this wasn't a story where the teenage main character was irritated and horrible to the grandparent that was only there to care for them. I think that would have been horrible.

But Mattie, she loved her grandpa every bit as much as he loved her. She rescued him every bit as much as he had rescued her. Unfortunately, for both of them, the last rescuing took too much of him. I cried. I will admit it. And it was bad because it was in the dentist's office. So I'm sure I looked like an idiot, but that's ok. Books that can pull emotion out of nowhere are the best books to read.

I liked that this book did not really end with a "and they lived happily ever after". As sad as that is. No one bounced back to where they'd been before the fever hit. It took its toll on everyone. Young and old. Strong and weak. It was realistic in its portrayal of the survivors. While I would have loved a happily ever after for some of the characters, life isn't always like that. Mattie found out how strong she was, despite her young age. Eliza, her friend and the cook for the coffee house, was able to move up in life to a position not many people of her color were able to reach during that time. Mattie no longer seemed scared of herself or worried about how to behave properly. She no longer worried about whether or not people viewed her as a child. She had found her place and earned her right to be where she was in the end. She worked hard.

I think that was about as happy as it could end. Through horrible illness and loss, she found out who she could be and how strong she was in the process. She became herself, instead of trying to fit everyone else's image of a girl her age.

This was a middle grade book. One that I might have read in 5th - 8th grade. It's definitely age appropriate, and I believe it's got enough in it to keep even the most reluctant reader reading. I'd recommend this to people of any age though. Not just children. Like I said, it's based in actual historical fact so you just might learn something you never knew before if you give this one a go!