The Billionaire's Pet

My review 

At first glance I liked the cover and then read what it was about, I thought ok I will read it. It hooks you as soon as you start the book. I'm glad they Rona realized that they loved each other all along, it just took Jacob longer to realize that what he was felling was love after all. Well they said their I love yous when big John all most got way with taking Abigail from the penthouse she was staying at. Good read

Release date 
March 1, 2017

Book Description 

Abigail
I was in big trouble. The biggest. Running out of time, I turned to him. Jacob Winters promised he'd solve all my problems. All I had to do was become his pet. With some men, that kind of deal might have been a nightmare. Jacob Winters was a dream come true.

I was raised to be a lady, not a man's plaything. But with Jacob, I almost had it all; pleasure like I'd never known and protection from the danger stalking me. Was it greedy to want more? I had his body, but I wanted his heart.

I told myself it was just sex. We were providing each other a mutual service, nothing more. Right? I couldn't possibly be foolish enough to fall in love with him.

Jacob
I must have been crazy. I'd wanted Abigail for years, I won't deny it. But I don't pursue married women, and her husband was a disaster waiting to happen. Everything about Abigail warned me to steer clear, including the lady herself. Some women might cheat, but not her. Abigail was too noble for her own good. Beautiful and untouchable. Then her husband was murdered and every dark shadow he'd held back came after Abigail at once.

She was on the run, and I was the only man who could save her. The best things come to men who wait, and I'd been waiting. Abigail was mine. I didn't want a girlfriend. I definitely didn't need a wife. I just wanted her. In my home. In my bed. I was going to own every inch of her elegantly curved body. I'd keep her for as long as I wanted her, and then we'd both walk away. What could possibly go wrong?

The Billionaire’s Pet is a standalone romance with a happy ending. It’s the third book in the Scandals of the Bad Boy Billionaires series, and reveals more about the notorious men of the Winters family. You can read it on its own, everything you need to know from the first book is explained, but once you get a taste of the Winters men you'll want to read the others 

Strictly No Elephants

My review 

This is a really nice book. Easy to read to toddlers and it holds their interest. There is an opportunity to talk about the sadness of being excluded and the happiness of including everyone. A nice lesson for children. Cute pictures.

Release date, October, 2015 

Book Description 

When the local Pet Club won’t admit a boy’s tiny pet elephant, he finds a solution—one that involves all kinds of unusual animals in this sweet and adorable picture book.

Today is Pet Club day. There will be cats and dogs and fish, but strictly no elephants are allowed. The Pet Club doesn’t understand that pets come in all shapes and sizes, just like friends. Now it is time for a boy and his tiny pet elephant to show them what it means to be a true friend.

Imaginative and lyrical, this sweet story captures the magic of friendship and the joy of having a pet.

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The breaking light

My review 

Perhaps I didn’t read between the lines of the book’s description. I was caught by the Science Fiction designation and the editor’s mention of one of the main characters being a wealthy socialite. It appears I should have paid more attention to the book’s description, although I only had “two teens” buried in the last paragraph to give any hint that this book is more of a YA than anything else.

The book barely fits in the science fiction genre. The author has created a world in the future, one that started as a mining planet and eventually degenerated in a class structure, where the upper class lives in the higher levels (and exposed to the life-sustaining rays of the sun) while other live in the Levels or in the original mines (the Undercity). Other than hovercars and phase guns, the rest of the book is pure YA.

The romance that blossoms appears forced, enveloping Arden and Dade in a matter of minutes (undoubtedly spurred by the knife tussle that goes on between the pair). After a few chance meetings between them that probably totaled all of 30 minutes or less, Arden professes her love for Dade. The two of them, of course, belong to totally different worlds, she being a denizen of the Undercity and he the wealthy socialite who lives with the upper class. Because of the short periods of time together, it is difficult to feel any sort of tension (let alone any worry about the characters’ Romeo and Juliet relationship), and thus (for me) the story flattened a bit.

The science is iffy. The phase guns can kill, and vaporize inanimate objects well enough. Other times the damage done to humans is more like a bullet hole. The mines were originally covered by a thick glass (so sun could reach the miners? It was never fully explained) which now functions as an opaque walkway for the residents of the Levels. It all becomes unbelievable that a city (and a planet of cities) would be erected in this manner.

As far as the writing, the author does have talent. Sentence structure, description, and most of the action progresses in a logical manner. Apart from the instant undying love, the characters have some depth to them and their motivations are understandable. Ms. Hansen has also written a book that made it all the way from beginning to end without any offensive language or explicit sex scenes.

As a YA novel, there are probably thousands of readers who will enjoy this story. As I said, it is well written and although it is Book One in a series, there are enough strings tied together at the end that it does not qualify to be labeled a cliffhanger. For science fiction fans expecting something different, this book may be a letdown. As far as grading it star-wise, I felt to be fair I had to examine it a second time under the light of the YA genre (as written by the author in her Acknowledgment section when she thanked her children with “It’s so much easier to write YA fiction with you in my corner”). So strict sci-fi fans, be warned. YA fans, you will probably like this book…as a YA book, five stars.
Release date  April 1,2017

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In a stratified society where contact with the sun is a luxury reserved for the elite, those kept prisoner in the darkness will do anything to find the light. Arden—beautiful, street-smart, and cynical—is one of the citizens of the lowest Level, known as Undercity, of an off-world colony. A blackout band traps Arden in her district, but as sister to the leader of the most powerful gang in Undercity, she has access to Above.

There she meets Dade, one of the few lucky enough to be born into the sun-kissed families who reside in the Towers soaring above the rest of the city. But life isn’t perfect in the sky. Dade, desperate to escape his upcoming arranged marriage, has a secret of his own, and he’s willing to risk everything for it.

An unlikely romance develops between the two teens—but their love faces opposition from above and below. When her gang pressures Arden to help break the grip of the elite and end Dade’s interference with their drug trade, she is forced to make a deadly choice between love and family loyalty. But will the brewing class war destroy the world around them first?

The last paradise

My review 

Entertaining and educational. Filled with insight into human capacities.

Jack Beilis, finding himself in the midst of The Great Depression, hears about "The Last Paradise" in the Soviet Union. It turns out to be a farce, and he's forced to make a new life in that desperate society.

This book is another excellent release by Antonio Garrido, an award-winning historical novelist. This novel was released in his native Spanish (as "El último paraíso") in 2015, and the English version has been anticipated by readers of his previous novel.

Garrido doesn't disappoint. Although it contains many interesting historical details, giving us a real glimpse into the past, it's never slow. It's a thriller, complete with plot twists. The novel maintains realism throughout, and maintains your attention.

Wonderful character development and we enjoy watching the protagonist evolve despite betrayals. It's well-written and arouses many emotions, as the book contains so many important themes central to humanity. It's about friendship, survival, love, and much more.

The author includes a glossary, bibliography, and note about the development of the novel. I find that particularly interesting and will only mention a couple points here: Garrido informs us about the actual historical figures who inspired many of the novel's characters. He consulted with numerous historical experts to make this an accurate account.

I give it 4.7 stars.

Release date April 1,2017

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Book description 

Jack Beilis once lived the American dream: custom suits, new cars, and the best clubs. But by 1931, he has sunk so low he cannot feed himself or his ailing father. Now he barely has time to wipe the blood from his hands before he finds himself on a ship from New York to Moscow, running from a crime he never intended.

Desperate for an escape route, Jack wants to believe stories of a worker’s paradise in the Soviet Union. Maybe the distance between Ellis Island and Red Square will let him leave poverty—and his pursuers—far behind. Jack accepts an opportunity at the Gorky Ford Factory and embarks on a new life.

What he finds, though, is a surveillance society, empty store shelves, and a dangerous network of black markets. There seems to be no way out, until Jack meets Dr. Natasha Lobanova. Could this Russian beauty be his deliverance? When Natasha’s own dark history surfaces, Jack’s fate is threatened. With betrayals and secrets everywhere, Jack struggles to trust anyone or anything…even his own heart.

Giraffes Can't Dance

My review 

Cute book about dancing - not an easy topic to find for toddlers who love dancing. Good read-aloud level for 2 year old, nice pictures, easy to follow story and a great John Travolta/Saturday Night Fever pose by Gerald at the end. Includes peer group of animals who laugh at the giraffe for not being able to dance, which is a social concept that I had reservations about exposing to our 2 year old but may be okay for an older preschooler. So, I read it with reservations at first, but it seems to be okay for him. However, he's not enjoying the book as much as I am and hasn't been interested in hearing it much beyond the first couple of times
Release date 1st March, 2012

Book Description 
The bestselling Giraffes Can't Dance is now a board book! Giraffes Can't Dance is a touching tale of Gerald the giraffe, who wants nothing more than to dance. With crooked knees and thin legs, it's harder for a giraffe than you would think. Gerald is finally able to dance to his own tune when he gets some encouraging words from an unlikely friend. With light-footed rhymes and high-stepping illustrations, this tale is gentle inspiration for every child with dreams of greatness.

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A Criminal's Defense

My review 

Details. The devil is in the details. And this author's knowledge of the criminal justice system makes the story sizzle. I shouldn't enjoy the lead character as much as I do. But flaws make every one of the novel's characters compelling. There are no unrealistic good guys; there are no irredeemable bad guys. Even the murder victim is flawed. You are caught up from the very first in a mystery you have to pick at constantly. Who is lying? Who is hiding unwelcome truths? What exactly is going on? I wanted to know who done it! And even when I was sure I did know, I only had part of the story. The author gives you plenty of clues. He makes sure you know there is more going on in this murder trial than meets the eye. Still, the ending is as unexpected as it can possibly be. In fact, it left me breathless. I'm going to search for another novel by this author immediately. And that is high praise from a reader with a low tolerance for mediocre writing.

Release date 1st April, 2017 

Losing the trial of his life could mean losing everything.

When a young reporter is found dead and a prominent Philadelphia businessman is accused of her murder, Mick McFarland finds himself involved in the case of his life. The defendant, David Hanson, was Mick’s close friend in law school, and the victim, a TV news reporter, had reached out to Mick for legal help only hours before her death.

Mick’s played both sides of Philadelphia’s courtrooms. As a top-shelf defense attorney and former prosecutor, he knows all the tricks of the trade. And he’ll need every one of them to win.

But as the trial progresses, he’s disturbed by developments that confirm his deepest fears. This trial, one that already hits too close to home, may jeopardize his firm, his family—everything. Now Mick’s only way out is to mastermind the most brilliant defense he’s ever spun, one that will cross every legal and moral boundary.

The things we wish were true

My review 

The story is told through multiple POV chapters of characters living in a close-knit suburban town - some of whom have never left and others who have had to return after years of being away. The chapters are short, slowly building up the story from various perspectives, and effectively ease the reader into the underlying mystery of the town and leave you wanting to keep reading the book to find out exactly what is going on. The characters are 3-dimensional, and their chapters noticeably differ in tone and writing style. I have been disappointed with some of the Kindle First books I've selected in the past because the writing was too bland and predictable, and good writing is very important to me. This book was well-written, pleasant, and a nice quick read.

Release date September 1,2016

From the outside, Sycamore Glen, North Carolina, might look like the perfect all-American neighborhood. But behind the white picket fences lies a web of secrets that reach from house to house.

Up and down the streets, neighbors quietly bear the weight of their own pasts—until an accident at the community pool upsets the delicate equilibrium. And when tragic circumstances compel a woman to return to Sycamore Glen after years of self-imposed banishment, the tangle of the neighbors’ intertwined lives begins to unravel.

During the course of a sweltering summer, long-buried secrets are revealed, and the neighbors learn that it’s impossible to really know those closest to us. But is it impossible to love and forgive them?