Sarah's Bookshelf

Just started reading this book by Kristin Higgins.  Although I may regret it because I’ll have the song in my head forever….More to come.

Today’s book was written by Erin McCarthy.  This is my first time reading McCarthy’s work, but I really enjoyed her.  She’s someone to check out if you like some serious comedy with your romance.  Similar in style to Jennifer Crusie’s shorter works or Kristin Higgins.

The story is simple: Dr. Hayes and Dr. Adkins work together in a hospital.  Both are attracted to the other, but neither seems to want to make the first move.  She’s the resident, he’s a more senior orthopedic surgeon.  Ultimately, they decide to have a fling, and due to circumstances beyond either of their control, they end up having to see each other outside of work more often than they originally planned.  Josie is the everywoman of romance: she’s curvy, short, fun, babbles, is the life of the party.  The one thing she is not is hot.  Perhaps she’s classically beautiful, in a very Botticelli kind of way, but she’s not tall or skinny.  Although Houston is the brooding, prototypical male lead, he has some pretty interesting quirks that I think will make this book a good one to pick up.  The side characters definitely leave a lot of room for future books, but based on what I could easily see from the author’s website, I’m not sure what books these would be.  Perhaps they are in the anthologies?  She’s done quite a few of those with Lori Foster.

Anyway, long story short–this is a book I thought was fun and I’d recommend you check out if you want some light, fun romance in your life.  Happy endings are always a plus in my book!

I’m giving Karen Kendall another chance with this book.  This is the third book in the Bridesmaid Chronicles.  More to come…

Today’s book was written by Dixie Cash.  Cash is actually two people; Jeffery McClanahan and Pamela Cumbie.

This book was billed as a contemporary romance, but the main relationship took a while to come together.  The main storyline is about DebbieSue and Buddy Overstreet, a divorced couple who are still dealing with some issues that split them apart initially.  I say that they are divorced, but the story was pretty light and funny–even the tricky relationship stuff.  If you need something funny and enjoy some Southern fun, check out this book and/or this author.

Just finished reading this book by Jill Shalvis.  This was a book given to me by a friend and was fabulous!  The story was about a murder, and subsequent investigation, that happened in a remote cabin in Nevada.  The hero is a burned-out vice cop from San Francisco and the hero is a bride that was left at the alter.  Not meaning to be at the cabin simultaneously, these two end up having to share the honeymoon suite during a huge snowstorm, during which they find a dead body in the cellar.

This story has a great romance, a little mystery, and some great comic relief.  This is an author I’m definitely going to check out in the future and will recommend in the future.  Check her out if you want a good combination of contemporary romance and some other genres.

Today’s book was written by Rachel Gibson.  This book was actually a re-release of her first published novel.  The story begins as a young almost-trophy wife, Georgeanne Howard, decides to leave her fiance at the alter.  Her fiance, a man old enough to be her grandfather, is also the owner of the Seattle Chinooks, a fictional professional hockey team, so naturally many of the players are present at the blessed event. Just as John Kowalski is ready to call it a day, a woman throws herself into his car.  Being the good Samaritan he is, he takes her in and the rest is history.  Oh, by the way, when they meet again seven years later Georgeanne has a six year-old daughter with suspiciously similar physical attributes to John.

Although this story line is used a lot, it never seems to get old to me.  I love the way Gibson creates the members of the Chinooks and the people surrounding both Georgie and John.  This was a fun book if you want a good mixture of comedy and drama.  Lexie, the young daughter, is definitely the comic relief in the book, with her flair for the dramatic and over-use of cosmetics.  The drama comes from the tenuous relationship between John and Georgie, but also because some problems that we find out have held Georgie back all her life.  Of all the books I’ve read by this author, I think she was my favorite character to date.  Very similar to Fancy Pants by Susan Elizabeth Phillips in story-line, but also very unique.

I started reading this book by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows, but I’m having a little trouble getting into it.  I’m putting it on the hold shelf for now.  It’s funny, but I’m just not in the mood right now…

Today’s book was written by Kristan Higgins.  This book was fabulous!  But what I’m finding out is that I have to ration the books I read by this author.  She doesn’t have that many left that I haven’t read yet, and since I read at the speed that I do, this is a major problem.

All her life Callie Grey has fantasized about having a relationship with town good-guy (and her boss) Mark.  Their little fling in New Mexico probably didn’t help her to get a grip, but when he finally tells her they’re done and he’s about to date Ms. Perfect California, it finally hits her that she needs to move on.  Surrounded by older (read: wiser) Vermonters, she takes some advise and introduces herself to the new town veterinarian, Ian McFarland.  Ian, still reeling from an earlier heartbreak, isn’t ready to date, but is interested in being friends with Callie.  Will he be able to hold that thought for very long?

I can’t really tell you what it is about Higgins that I can’t seem to get enough of.  Her books are just fabulous.  There really isn’t any other word for them.  The characters are warm, funny and interesting.  The plots are  simple, yet really draw you in early.  There really isn’t one thing that sticks out in my mind, but it’s truly the combination of all these things that makes her books so great.  I think this book (and others by this author) would be excellent book club picks.  If you want a great read anytime, I heartily suggest picking up anything by this author.  All her books are stand-alone novels, so no need to get up to speed on anything; just dive right in!

I read this book by Drew Brees and Chris Fabry while on the beach at Fire Island.  I’m a big fan of Brees and a new fan of football, but I was skeptical when I saw it on Amazon as a new book.  Sometimes books like this can be kinda cheesy and lacking in substance.  This book, however, was not only well-written, but also very timely.

The librarian nerd inside me, that cannot wait to share her opinion, wondered why this book was cataloged in the self-help section and not the biographies.  But there were definitely some pearls of wisdom that I took away from this book.  Not your prototypical sports-related one-liners, mind you, but real life advise.  It’s clear that Brees has “been there, done that” in many ways, and has some great advise for up-and-coming athletes, as well as regular people who’ve fallen on tough times.  I took away from this book that you need to pay attention to the signs that life gives you, whether you believe in a higher power or not.  If he had not gotten hurt when he did in high school, Brees never would have been recruited to Perdue, where he met his wife.  If he had not gotten hurt when he was playing for San Diego, he never would have been recruited to play with New Orleans, a city that really opened its arms to both him and his wife, and a team that clearly needed the leadership that he was ready to give.

The sap in me cried reading the introduction, because to read about someone so unsure of their ability to keep doing something they love when they are hurt is palpable.  But what I liked best about this book was that it wasn’t preachy.  Clearly, Brees had some wisdom to impart and I felt he did it with grace.  He’s clearly in love with his wife (to my great dismay…), but it’s refreshing to hear someone talk about someone they love the way Brees talks about both his wife and son.

This is a great book to pick up, whether you are a sports fan or not.  If you aren’t a football fan, then some of the plays might not make any sense, but the greater message in the book will.  It’s a great underdog story and one that I would recommend.

Just finished reading this book by Elizabeth Beverly.  This book is the first in a three-book series on OPUS and various characters who are involved in the organization.  It was a fun little romp.  I enjoy Beverly’s style and we’ll check out her other books in this series soon, too. I think what I liked best about this book was the dual plot lines.  I actually liked the side story a little better than the main story, but they were both pretty good.  This series is pretty funny, but not laugh-out-loud funny.  A solid read.