Speed Reviewing (Honey, I'm home!)

I am back from a 2 week vacation and have some reviewing to catch up on! So here goes -

"Home Sweet Home"

Kim Waters

4 1/2 Stars 

Finally ready to settle down, Abby Bancroft has just inherited a place to put down roots. But her hopes for a successful bed-and-breakfast are placed on hold when she learns that her grandparents' run-down inn is in serious need of TLC. So is Cole Preston, the handsome contractor who offers to help make her dream a reality. His past mistakes won't let him consider settling in the close-knit town. Yet as he and Abby work together to repair the house, they also begin to mend each other's hearts. And they just may find that consulting their hearts is what creating a home is all about.

I liked the other book of Kim's I read - "On the Wings of Love" but I really liked this one so much better! I could totally relate to the whole book. First of all it was about remodeling an old Victorian house - been there, done that. My house is a Queen Anne Victorian built in 1870 that we had to totally re-do before we even moved in. Second - the characters in this book were very real to me and relatable (I don't think that is a word??). I liked Abby from the start. It was a nice love story that flowed very well. I got this book from Kim herself, and she even signed it for me! What a sweetie!

"June Bug"

Chris Fabry

4 1/2 Stars!

June Bug believed everything her daddy told her. That is, until she walked into Wal-Mart and saw her face on a list of missing children. The discovery begins a quest for the truth about her father, the mother he rarely speaks about, and ultimately herself. A modern interpretation of Les Miserables, the story follows a dilapidated RV rambling cross-country with June Bug and her father, a man running from a haunted past. Forces beyond their control draw them back to Dogwood, West Virginia, down a winding path that will change their lives forever.

Oh my gosh, what a wonderful book! I loved it. It was sweet, sad, touching, and very heartfelt. I absolutely loved June Bug! What a wonderful little girl! I wish I could read more about her.
This was a free download from B&N for my nook. Unfortunately it is now $9.59. But never fear! It is a "lend me" book so if you have a nook and would like to barrow it, let me know!

 "Life without Summer"

Lynne Griffin

4 Stars!

When Tessa Gray's four-year-old daughter, Abby, is killed by a hit and run driver, there are no witnesses. From first meeting, Tessa distrusts the detective assigned to the case and, with her journalism background and ties to newspapers in nearby Boston, she begins to dig for her own answers to the identity of Abby's killer. Meanwhile, she vents her grief with Celia, a compassionate but reserved therapist. Celia's story, with its tragic undertones, unfolds parallel to Tessa's: Celia has a second marriage, a secretive teenage son and an ex-husband who makes her current family circle impossibly tense. At the office, Celia is practical and pulled together, but her home life buzzes with strife. Outside therapy, Celia's and Tessa's narratives remain separate until they shockingly intersect and lead the way to hard-won healing for both.

Very good book. I liked the way it takes you into the lives of both the mother and the counselor.  Both parts are equally interesting! Then as the story starts to weave together with the shocking ending...
Well, you don't expect me to you what happens do you? Just read the book!

"L.A. Candy"

Lauren Conrad

4 1/2 Stars!

After high school, two best friends move to Los Angeles hoping to start "a new and amazing life," but their existence is anything but glamorous. Jane is an intern for a famous event planner and Scarlett is a freshman at U.S.C. However, things change quickly when a TV producer asks them to be in a new reality series along with Madison and Gaby, following their lives as they try to make it in L.A. After signing on, the two friends move into a posh apartment and get into the hottest clubs. Scarlett is skeptical about all the attention, but Jane enjoys being in the limelight. When Jane becomes the show's star, Madison is jealous and plots to bring her down. By story's end, Jane learns that having cameras follow you everywhere isn't what it is cracked up to be. The cliff-hanger climax indicates that there will be more to come.

 Yes, this is from "The" Lauren Conrad, stared in the reality shows - "The Hills" and "Laguna Beach" also fashion designer (clothes sold in Kohls). I know, I know! me liking a Lauren Conrad book? I'm even surprised myself! I never watch those kind of reality shows (I prefer - Survivor and dancing shows) but I loved this book! and I am so totally hooked I just ordered the next 2 in the series from the library!

 Its been a good summer for reading so far!