Hero at Large by Janet Evanovich

Product Details
Pub. Date: March 2010
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN-13: 9780062000163
ISBN: 0062000160

Synopsis
It seems like good luck when gorgeous and mysterious Ken Callahan stops to help single mom Chris Nelson with her car. But then she breaks his arm...then his toe...and then his heart. Not easily discouraged, Ken moves into her basement...cooks her potholder in the spaghetti sauce...attempts to seduce her with cookies...and destroys her favorite pan by trying to make a roast in it. All may seem lost for Chris and Ken, until a meddlesome Aunt Edna, a ride on a Zamboni and a genuine love of family all conspire to turn their luck around.

My thoughts:
I really enjoy Evanovich's novels, they are full of wacky situations and often car problems. This one was re released in March and was one of the first ones she wrote years ago before developing the Stephanie Plum series. Both of the main characters were likable. For some reason I had a hard time getting into the book and even put it down for quite a while, but then when I picked it back up I finished it in a couple of days. It reads very fast. This would be a great book to read at the beach, perfect for a summer day relaxing even though it is set in the fall. All the ice skating might make you feel cooler by the pool!

Montana Destiny by R.C. Ryan

Product Details
Pub. Date: May 2010
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 352pp
ISBN-13: 9780446548632
ISBN: 0446548634

Synopsis
They're the McCords...three rugged, sexy cowboy cousins who'll inherit the family range--if they seek the treasure hidden on it. But even more precious are the women who can tame their wild hearts...

Emergency medic Marilee Trainor likes her freedom and lives for trouble. But when she stumbles upon a clue to the legendary McCord gold, she 's suddenly in a mysterious killer's sights--and the arms of irresistible playboy Wyatt McCord. This McCord cousin has been everywhere, yet the ranch is the only place he feels at home. Now Marilee's courage and independence make him want to protect her, win her heart, and finally settle down. But trust is the one thing Wyatt and Marilee can't easily give. And their survival and everything they cherish depends on whether they can surrender to each other--to fight for their...

My thoughts:

I received this book for review through Hatchette Books and their book tours. I love finding new authors to read and enjoy. I requested to take part in this tour because it reminded me of Linda Lael Miller's various series about cowboys and ranches and I loved the fact that it contained a mystery. While I do enjoy romance I always enjoy it a bit more with a mystery thrown in there to add to the story.

I liked Wyatt and Marilee, they are likable characters. This is book two in a series, but even though I had not read the first one I had no problems picking up the series at this point and enjoying it. I've never read one of Ryan's books before either. On their first date the couple share a pizza and here is something I loved about it, they both really ate! You always read about people eating one slice of pizza and being full which may be very true for some people, but not for all. They each ate two slices and then had a third and that made it seem real to me. Plus I loved that they weren't considering how many calories they had eaten or anything like that, each time they went out to eat, and they went out a lot, they ate what they wanted and as much as they wanted and I loved it. Silly of course, and not the point of the story at all, but that element made these characters more real to me.

Finding out the back story of the small town, their families search for the missing gold, and pat relationships and how they affect the present, while watching this couple get to know each other and overcome their own obstacles due to their own pasts made this book and enjoyable read!

The Spiderwick Chronicles: Lucinda's Secret Book 3

We had to take a break from reading for a few days because our regular library did not have this book on the shelf. My children were so sad on Thursday when we came home with just books 4 and 5. They paged through them and read some picture captions and such, but I decided to wait until we had read the third to keep going. On Monday we went to a different local library to borrow their copy which was available. In book three we meet Aunt Lucinda or Aunt Lucy who owns the house the children are staying and is currently living in an institution because she is believed to no longer be sane. Lucy knows about the fairies and has been treated unkindly by them because they want her to give them the field guide. Even though Jared found it in the attic of the house she never had in all of her years living there alone. Aunt Lucy is very worried for the children and shares some history they were unaware of, her father who wrote the guide disappeared one day years ago when she was a child. He went out for a walk and never came back. This changes the children's perception of what kind of man Arthur was during his time.

More fairy creatures appear in this installment as well such as a phooka, a unicorn and wood elves. More beings are wanting to find the book to either destroy it or use it.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone Book 2 by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Seeing Stone Book 2 by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Book 2 starts right where the first one left off and continues on from there. In this installment the children meet more magical creatures including goblins, a hobgoblin, a troll and a griffin and start using some of the knowledge they discover in Arthur's Field Guide. The children start needing to work together more to face the challenges they come upon and you can see their relationships starting to improve with each other, although their mother is left out and in the dark about the happenings. It has been interesting reading the books since I did see the movie a few years ago. Until now I would have said the movie was too scary for my children to watch, but since we will have read all the books soon I am thinking that I may let them watch it. Hopefully the way the creatures are done won't be too much for them. I enjoy comparing the book to the movie when possible so they can see how movies most times don't have all the details and elements of the book since they have to be made to fit into a set amount of time.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide Book 1 by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide Book 1 by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black

Last week I listened to this book with my children. We had been looking for a new book or series to start and I saw this on the rack at the library. It really grabbed them right from the beginning and captured all of us. I really like how each chapter begins with, "In Which...". To listen to the book on cd or read the book aloud each of the ones we've read so far has taken about an hour which is a good length of time for my children, not too short and not too long. I know that there are parents and teachers who aren't fans of series, but I like that with this one they make a new discovery and add to their knowledge of fairies but the book isn't crammed full of too much. Each new book lets us discover more and get further into the story without overwhelming them with too many details. Each time we reach the end of one they start begging me to start the next one.

In book one twins Jared and Simon and their sister Mallory move to an old, run down home that belongs to their great-aunt from their apartment in the city. Their father has left the family and Jared especially is carrying around a lot of anger about that. They discover a brownie or boggart living in the walls of the house, as well as a guide book from their great-great-uncle that details many more magical creatures and beings. The illustrations really add to the story and are done quite well. Along with a table of contents for the chapters there is a list of full page illustrations at the front of the book. The world created in the book feels very real and authentic and is fun to read!