Susan M Rose

I pre-ordered this book quite a while ago, and was thrilled to find that it had downloaded yesterday morning. Within a few hours, I was reading it, hoping it would live up to my expectations.

I was thrilled to find that I absolutely loved this book! I started reading and completely lost track of time until my husband came home to find me laughing on the sofa.

Obviously my laughter intrigued him, since he grabbed it as soon as I finished, eager to find out what was so funny for himself! :-)

Shay Fabbro's novel Dangerous Reflections is a spirited novel following a teenager as she deals with high school, dating, bulling, and a strange new ability that adds more pressure than everything else combined.

Alexis Davenport's life is torn apart when her father leaves and takes all of the money with him. Alex and her mom are forced to move across the state to live with her aunt, leaving their home and friends behind.

The always studious Alex struggles to adjust to her new school. She can't afford the fancy clothing and gadgets of the other students–not even a cell phone.

Before long, Alex catches the attention of the most popular girl in school–and not in a good way–when Alex is assigned as her boyfriend's lab partner. Convinced that Alex is out to steal her boyfriend, she sets out to make Alex miserable.

As if that is not enough, Alex has recently discovered a new talent–she can travel to other times in history. Unfortunately, she has no control over the power. It simply takes her from the present, transporting her through the mirror.

Alex quickly realizes she is being sent to these times in order to prevent another time traveler from changing the past. Not an easy task for anyone, especially a teen in a new school.

Alex tackles the challenges before her with the excitement and vigor of a child, the historical knowledge of a well-educated adult, and the attitude classic of a teen.

Fabbro creates engrossing, realistic characters. The historical locals were well researched, and managed to teach me a thing or two (which is not a bad quality for a book aimed at young adults).

One word of warning: the book is the first of a series, and the ending leaves you with the same feeling as those awful three words known to complete a season of so many television shows: to be continued.

I know I, for one, will be up front in the line for book two of the Alex Davenport series. :-)

In Memory of Greed is a wonderful thriller that shines a light on the consequences of corruption and greed in both the government and corporate realms. A creative writing professor once told me every author should strive for a main character that is “the perfect combination of loveable and flawed.” [a:Al Boudreau 4613582 Al Boudreau http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1299274012p2/4613582.jpg] managed to blend the two impeccably in Murhkin Mocado. While at times you want to hate this character's actions, you can't help but see the heart of gold hiding beneath the surface. I found myself rooting for him throughout the book. From the very first page, I was intrigued by how the story would play out. Full of action, there was never a dull point in the story. I found myself loosing track of time while reading this book, staying up until early morning without realizing it. Mocado unwilling gets sucked into a world of murder and mayhem in the name of money and power. He quickly realizes he is being used, but has no way of getting out of the situation. Boudreau weaved the different elements of the story together nicely, showing how they all worked together in the end. He paints a vivid description of Ireland and Kenya, allowing me to picture places I have never visited with ease. This is a must-read for thriller fans everywhere!

I recently read I Wish... by Wren Emerson, a fun story about a young girl coming to terms with who she really is.
Thistle Nettlebottom grew up in an RV, constantly on the road with her mother, grandmother, and family friend Shep. Being home schooled while on the road, she had no friends and dreamed of a normal life.
No one ever talked about any other family or where they were from in front of Thistle, so she was blown away to learn that her family was suddenly returning to the town where she was born in order to take care of her ailing great-grandmother, who she did not realize was alive.
Upon arriving in town, Thistle was blown away to find she had an aunt and uncle as well as two cousins living in the idyllic town of Desire. She was even more shocked to realize that she wasn't Thistle Nettlebottom at all. Her entire identity and life to this point had been a lie.
Within hours of entering Desire — her one chance for the normal life she had always hoped for — she realized that people in the town hated her just for her name. No one was going to take the time to get to know her.
I Wish... is a great story that really demonstrates the old saying “looks can be deceiving.” While Desire may look like the perfect town, Thistle quickly learns that it is not.
On top of the normal struggles of fitting in in high school, Thistle has to adjust to an unrecognizable matriarchal form of government, people who want her dead just because of her place in the family, and the idea that everyone female in town—including herself—is a witch, each with their own special power.
Thistle's journey to acceptance of these facts is believable and full of rebellion as she learns more about her place in the town.
This is a quick, fun read, invoking a mix of emotions, from humor to fear to sympathy.
My only complaint about the book was that then ending was a bit abrupt. Still, it left me looking for more, which is always a good quality for the first book of a series. :-)

[a:Elizabeth Ann West 5204939 Elizabeth Ann West http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1316118212p2/5204939.jpg]'s new novel, [b:Cancelled 12620569 Cancelled Elizabeth Ann West http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/410K22c66UL.SL75.jpg 17650174], looks at romance from a man's point of view. Jonathan is living out his dreams—he is the CEO of an engineering company he started with his two best friends, Alexis and Eric.  Even better, he and Alex are finally dating after he spent years harboring a secret crush.Just as things start to get serious and they start talking about living together and marriage, a one-night-stand from months earlier shows up in his office with news—she is pregnant with his baby.Jonathan spends the rest of the novel trying to balance the needs of the company and the woman he loves, with what is best for his child.  At times, he is successful.  More often, he can't balance it all, but he sure does try. Through it all, his heart of gold is obvious.West created a tale that is full of twists and turns, and kept me engrossed throughout.  Jonathan is a very sweet and likeable character, and it was fun to see him mature throughout the book.  The supporting characters were great, and were successful in keeping Jonathan on his toes.In all, this was a great book.  It is a quick read, and held my attention late into the night.  I would definitely recommend Cancelled to any fans of romance or chick-lit, and am looking forward to future novels from this author.

This was a great story about a couple who overcame inconceivable obstacles in order to find one another as their true love.

As Abbie's life is falling apart, she is pulled into a secluded new world. Andrew, the only inhabitant of a secluded house buried deep in the woods, resists Abbie's presence at first, too afraid to believe in her existence after decades alone.

Over time, they learn to trust each other and learn what true love really is–only to have it ripped away. Suddenly, Abbie finds she is willing to give up everything she has worked so hard for to get Andrew back.

I don't read a lot of paranormal stories, but this story quickly sucked me in. There was a strong, believable romance, loveable characters that you wanted to root for from the beginning, and plenty of suspense–what more can a romantic suspense fan ask for? I will definitely be looking for more from this author!

I am a huge fan of Baldacci, but this is not one of his normal suspense/thrillers. While it is not his normal genre (it reads more like Nicholas Sparks), Baldacci still excels.

A great story about learning to put your life back together after the loss of the person closest to you. Just a word of warning: this book is truly a tear jerker!

This book wasn't bad, but it wasn't the medical thriller I have come to expect from Robin Cook. While the story was about the two medical examiners that have become regulars in his books in recent years, they didn't embark on any true medical mysteries, with the book instead taking on a Dan Brown like feel in its inquiry into the validity of the Catholic Church. Additionally, the ending was very disappointing, but form the lack of emotion form the characters involved and the fact that it was just to neat and pretty for (almost) all involved.

FBI Special Agent Kim Otto has a special mission–find all she can about retired US Army officer Jack Reacher–for her very first lead assignment. She has almost no information other than a thin file that stops 15 years earlier and a specific location where to start her search for answers. She has no idea of what she is looking for or why.
Not long after she reaches her destination of Margrave, GA, she realizes that there is much more to the assignment than she was lead to believe. She is drawn into a string of murders, corruption, and money laundering that seem to be related to her assignment–she just isn't sure how.
This high-paced new series is a follow-up to Lee Child's popular Jack Reacher series. The story picks up in Margrave 15 years after Child's “Killing Floor.”
This is a great story with plenty of action to keep the reader engaged. I should point out that I have not read the original Jack Reacher series, but I still found the storyline easy to follow. I loved this novel–and I have added Child's series to my to-be-read list as well.

This was a fun, lighthearted read. A departure from the norm for Patterson, this Christmas romance's only mystery was who the bride would marry. Still, it was a cute story with likable characters.
In true Patterson manner, the short chapters made the book a quick read, great for fitting in between holiday festivities. A great read for the season!! :-)