Review: Mouthful by C.R. Grissom

Life after high school still blows

Between a judgmental beauty advice columnist mom who sends clothes several sizes too small, and social media sex-shaming her senior year of high school, Faith Lacerna needs a self-confidence boost. Being a freshman at Fortis University in Silicon Valley will be fine, as long as she doesn’t attract attention. Except wearing oversized hoodies in sunny California isn’t the best choice for blending in.

When football jock Caleb St. John shows interest, she recommits to studying anything but the hot tight end. Caleb wants to lose himself in football, avoid his unfaithful ex-girlfriend, and – unlike his cheating dad – live his life with integrity. He knows there’s more to Faith than baggy clothes. Her humor and audacity spark more than Caleb’s competitive nature.

Faith doesn’t want to be interested, but Caleb’s kindness and sense of adventure has her hooked. She soon realizes she needs to confront her hurts and fears if she wants to embrace a relationship with Caleb and not let the past intercept her future.

My Review:

This book pulled me in from the start and I had a hard time putting it down. 

Faith Lacerna had it rough from the start.  Her mother left her when she was young and through the years when Faith needed her most, she wasn’t there except to insult her weight and nitpick everything about her life.  Faith grew up with low self esteem and when she finally found a boy that paid attention to her, he used her and posted an embarrassing photo on social media which only made Faith’s life worse.

Faith was glad to start college some place where no one knew who she was or what she had done.  When she met Caleb St. John she still didn’t trust boys, but Caleb had a way of convincing Faith that he was different and really was interested in her.  They started dating and soon fell in love.  But the past reared its ugly head and Faith soon found herself in another embarrassing situation that ruined their relationship.  With the help of her new friends, Faith finally sees what they have all been seeing in her all along.  Now it’s up to her to finally put the past to rest and make amends with Caleb and move forward with their life.     

I really enjoyed this book.  I was able to identify with Faith and the things she went through as I felt the same way growing up.  To this day I still struggle with self-esteem issues and social anxieties.  I liked seeing how Faith was able to move on and finally find love and a new life in college.  I have never read any of this author’s books before and will definitely be looking for more in the future.  She went into depth with her characters and their stories, along with their friends and family issues.  Everything just added up to a unique and inspiring book. 

 

Review: Midnight Son (True Alaskans Book 2) by Michelle Pace

Screams. Flames. Shivering alone in the bitter Alaskan night – That’s all I can remember from before.

I don’t know where I came from or who I am, and I’m fairly certain I don’t want to. I am absolutely certain about Andi Campbell, though; she’s my light at the end of the tunnel, but I can’t tell her that.

Most of True, Alaska, still shuns me because I won’t speak, but not The Campbells – and that would change if they ever found out what Andi and I did when her mother was missing last summer. Andi seems to agree, and we steer clear of each other now.

But Andi’s sister Delilah is getting married, and it’s impossible to avoid one another at Hennessy Cove, the secluded inn the bride and groom booked for their intimate ceremony. From the moment we touch down, something about the place fills me with dread. And every time I cross paths with the smiling innkeeper, I break out in a cold sweat.

Knowing Andi’s sleeping in the room next door just makes that fever worse.

My Review:

Life isn’t always what you think it is.  People aren’t always who you think they are.  And in an instant, your entire world can change.  

Boone and Andi grew up together but they weren’t related.  Boone was found living on the streets and scrounging for food in True, Alaska.  He didn’t know who he was or where he came from.  LuAnn, Andi’s mother, took him in and raised him as family.  Even though Boone was mute, him and Andi became very close.  Andi always knew what he wanted to say or do.   As Boone and Andi got older, an attraction grew between them, but they were afraid to act on it as they were raised like brother and sister.  As adults they still fight the attraction. 

A wild fire is burning out of control and it causes Boone to have a flashback that confuses him.  But there is no time to dwell on it as he is helping evacuate his friend Conner’s house before the fire takes it over.

Andi’s sister Delilah and Conner are getting married at an Inn on Hennessy Island.  When the plane is about to land, Boone has another flashback and it leaves him wondering if the answers he is seeking are on the island.  Will he have time to figure it all out before danger arrives and causes everything to spiral out of control?  And in the heat of the moment, Andi and Boone give in to the temptation they have fought their entire lives.  But will it be enough to keep them together, if they even survive the night?

This was a highly addictive book.  I couldn’t wait to see how the story played out.  When it was over, I craved more.  This is the second book in True Alaskans series.  It can be read on its own, but I would suggest reading True Gold first so you get to know the characters better.  You are going to want to know Delilah and Conner’s story. 

 

Review: Homeward Bound, Cowboy (Blood Brothers, #2) by Debra Holt

Should he stay, or go…

Nurse Dee McNamara knew heartbreak and tragedy. She’s a survivor but has built high walls to protect her heart. She takes care of everyone but herself, yet never imagined finding another man she’d be able to trust until one day she offered a ride to a tall, darkly handsome cowboy whose eyes hold the same pain and mistrust.

Rio Montez is a man with secrets, and he arrives at Braxton Ranch on a mission to find answers about his father. He thinks the truth will finally give him the peace to finally move on. He never counted on finding the woman who offered answers to his questions.

Rio’s always had a plan until now. Does he leave Braxton Ranch or stay and build a life he never dreamed possible with a woman he’s afraid he’s falling hard for.

My Review:

Horse trainer, Rio Montez, had a secret and it's what brought him to Texas to work Braxton Ranch.  He just wanted to get the information he was seeking and then he would move on to where ever the wind took him.  But when he met Dee McNamara, he found a reason to stick around.  Or so he thought.

Dee had been hurt in the past and didn't trust men.  Just when she starts to trust Rio, she finds out he kept a secret from her and she calls it quits.  They both end up hurt before they finally find a way back to each other.  And it was a very sweet and memorable reunion.

I really liked how this book played out.  The initial meeting between the characters was a lot of fun and different.  I liked the small town ranch life background and how the romance took its time building up.  I really didn't know what to think Rios's secret was until it was finally revealed.  It took me by surprise.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes a cowboy romance.  This is the second book in the series but can be read on its own. 

 

Review: The Grace Kelly Dress by Brenda Janowitz

Two years after Grace Kelly’s royal wedding, her iconic dress is still all the rage in Paris--and one replica, and the secrets it carries, will inspire three generations of women to forge their own paths in life and in love.

Paris, 1958: Rose, a seamstress at a fashionable atelier, has been entrusted with sewing a Grace Kelly--look-alike gown for a wealthy bride-to-be. But when, against better judgment, she finds herself falling in love with the bride’s handsome brother, Rose must make an impossible choice, one that could put all she’s worked for at risk: love, security and of course, the dress.

Sixty years later, tech CEO Rachel, who goes by the childhood nickname “Rocky,” has inherited the dress for her upcoming wedding in New York City. But there’s just one problem: Rocky doesn’t want to wear it. A family heirloom dating back to the 1950s, the dress just isn’t her. Rocky knows this admission will break her mother Joan’s heart. But what she doesn’t know is why Joan insists on the dress--or the heartbreaking secret that changed her mother’s life decades before, as she herself prepared to wear it.

As the lives of these three women come together in surprising ways, the revelation of the dress’s history collides with long-buried family heartaches. And in the lead-up to Rocky’s wedding, they’ll have to confront the past before they can embrace the beautiful possibilities of the future. 

My Review: 

This book was beautifully written.  The story revolves around three generations of women in the same family and the wedding dress that is passed down with each generation.  I was completely swept away by each of their stories, which alternate throughout the book.    

Rose originally designed the dress while working for a top wedding dress designer in Paris.   It was passed down to her daughter, Joan and eventually to Rocky, bringing the story up to current date.  Each woman had a unique story about the love of their life and it was fun to see each one play out all the way to Rocky’s big day. 

I enjoyed every minute of this book.  The author’s writing style made the book feel very real.  The way Joan and Rocky changed the design of the dress to fit their personalities was interesting.  Personally, I don’t know if I could have done that to a family heirloom, but I do understand each person is different and making the dress uniquely their own was important for their big day.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading women’s fiction and romance.  

Thank you to Harlequin-Graydon House Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.