Love on a Whim by Aubrey Mace

Six months out of law school, Rachel Pearce is completely disillusioned by her job hunt. Despite pounding the pavement with her Ivy League degree in hand, her job prospects are no brighter than the day she graduated. Then in a chance meeting with a former acquaintance, eccentric young millionaire Henry Walker, Rachel finds an unexpected opportunity: Henry is looking for a personal secretary. Swallowing her pride, Rachel sets aside her law firm aspirations for what she envisions as secretarial work—mountains of paperwork and filing. But when she finds her most demanding duty to be daily cookie runs for her new boss, she’s baffled by her unconventional job responsibilities. As she’s pulled into Henry’s delightful whims, caught in a whirlwind of private jets and fancy dinners, Rachel finds herself inexplicably drawn to this handsome and charismatic man. But reality always has a way of intruding, and logic tells her that this adventure can’t last. When real life inevitably comes calling, Rachel must decide if she’s willing to trade in her dream of success in the courtroom for a chance at love.

    This book was a pretty fast and easy read.  It had a cute writing style but the storyline I felt was a little predictable.  Plus the fact there were only a few character of the book. Like when Rachel works at the office for Henry, it seems they are the only two people ever there. I found that a bit odd.  But I would recommend it.

   I did read that this book is a kind of sequel to another book by Aubrey Mace.  This book stands alone but I would look into reading the first one which is about her friend, Shannon (Entitled: "Before the Clock Strikes Thirty")

Deep in the Heart of Trouble by Deeanne Gist

A Texas-Sized Tale of Unexpected Love. Essie Spreckelmeyer is the last woman anyone in Corsicana, Texas, expected to see with a man on her arm. Independent and outspoken, she's known more for riding bicycles in outrageous bloomers than for catching a man's eye. And the last man who seems willing to give her a second glance is Tony Morgan, newly hired at Spreckelmeyer's oil company. The disinherited son of an oil baron, Tony wants most to restore his name and regain his lost fortune--not lose his heart to this headstrong blonde. She confounds, contradicts, and confuses him. Sometimes he doesn't know if she's driving him toward the aisle or the end of his rope. That's how life is...Deep in the Heart of Trouble.

     I found this book in the library, like many of my other great books.  This book took a little longer than I expected to get through, only because my son took up a lot of my time. That and work. Such is the life of a busy working mother and wife.  This writing style was good and it seemed a little familiar. I found out halfway through the book that I had read another book of hers called, "Love on the Line". I would recommend this book to someone who loves a chick flick with a little adventure and mystery. 

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mark her face, her beauty is said to be even more breathtaking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won't approve of her feelings for her childhood friend--the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn't as weak as Levana believes her to be and she's been undermining her stepmother's wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that's been raging for far too long.

Can Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter defeat Levana and find their happily ever afters? Fans will not want to miss this thrilling conclusion to Marissa Meyer's national bestselling Lunar Chronicles series.


This book, the whole 823 pages, was good to the last page. I was excited to be able to finish the series and see how it all came to end. I really wish this series would have continued though. I could have read at least a few more. I hope that if anyone else reads this series that they enjoy it as much as I did.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer

 In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series. 

I really enjoyed reading this book and it was a fairly quick read. I was warned before that if I read this book that I might feel sympathy for Levana before reading the whole series. But I figured if the book was labeled 3.5 so I should read it before reading "Winter".  I think it fit pretty well in this spot and it made things click into place. I didn't really end up feeling too much sympathy for her but I can see where someone could think that.    

Cress by Marissa Meyer

In this third book in the Lunar Chronicles, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, now with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they're plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, a girl imprisoned on a satellite since childhood who's only ever had her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker. Unfortunately, she's just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue of Cress goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a higher price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing prevent her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only hope the world has.



While this book took me a little longer to get through doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it to the fullest.  My life this last little while has been filled with a busy work schedule and a very active little toddler in my life.  This book was a bit longer than the previous two (550 pgs). But it was so good and I hated putting it down.  This series is so imaginative and by the time I had finished this book I had already put the next two on hold because I don't want to wait longer to find out what happens.

I'm going to attach a Youtube video of a review of this book. She does throw out some spoilers, so only watch the entire video if you want to get the spoilers.  Cress Book Review

I Said Yes by Emily Maynard Johnson

Millions know Emily Maynard Johnson from her unprecedented double appearances on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette. Millions also know that neither of the relationships from those shows lasted much longer than a commercial break.

Overcome with embarrassment following her nationally televised failures at romance, Emily finally committed her heart to the only one she knew would never leave her empty and alone. Abandoning her desire to be chosen by men and finding peace in the fact that she was already chosen by God, Emily found the joy she had been looking for in serving God.

In I Said Yes, Emily tells the story of her life before and after reality TV fame, describing the profound new reality she discovered when she forsook fame in favor of the Lord. At the end of a long, fruitless search for a man, this courageous young woman found the truest love of all waiting right in front of her. To that love, Emily said yes.

I found this book while browsing in the library and came across a few biographies, but this was seemed to stand out.  I watched her season when she was on the Bachelor and when she was on the Bachelorette.  But this book goes deeper and I learned about what it was like growing up for her and how to succeeded in being happy and finally finding her true love.  I would recommend this book to any friend looking for a good biography.

I found these videos on youtube. One is a teaser for the book and one is an interview she did.  Youtube Teaser.   Interview

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Cinder, the cyborg mechanic, returns in the second thrilling installment of the bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive. 

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she is loath to trust this stranger, but is inexplicably drawn to him, and he to her. As Scarlet and Wolf unravel one mystery, they encounter another when they meet Cinder. Now, all of them must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen Levana, who will do anything for the handsome Prince Kai to become her husband, her king, her prisoner.


I was really excited to read this next installment in the Lunar Chronicles.  Even though it has 400+ pages I completed it in less than a week.  The writing helps me so much visualize the characters, which make the book even better.  And it helps me escape to a nice place after a long work day or dealing with a temperamental toddler.

Here is a link to a fan made video about the book.  Scarlet

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. 

Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom’s judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them. 

M. L. Stedman’s mesmerizing, beautifully written novel seduces us into accommodating Isabel’s decision to keep this “gift from God.” And we are swept into a story about extraordinarily compelling characters seeking to find their North Star in a world where there is no right answer, where justice for one person is another’s tragic loss. 

The Light Between Oceans is exquisite and unforgettable, a deeply moving novel.


I really enjoyed this book.  It felt really emotional and was easy to picture as I was reading along, even though I have not seen the movie that was made about this book yet. I could feel with the characters with their joys and sorrows.  These days I am finding it hard to find time to read, but when I was reading this I didn't want to put it down and I finished it under a week, so it had to be good.

For those who want a preview of the movie click here to watch it. A Light Between Oceans

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl…

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

I found this book at the library when browsing one day. I have loved reading about fairy tales and different twists on them.  I loved reading this book and yesterday I spent several hours just sitting on the couch reading it.  I was sad when it ended because I immediately wanted the next one. But due to today being a holiday the library is closed, so it will have to wait at least another day.  I really liked the authors writing style and it was fun to envision this story. I would recommend this book to a person who likes a twist on fairy tales and wants a fairly quick read....but who is also prepared to read the rest of the series.

Here is a link via youtube that shows a fan-made preview of what they thought would be a good preview for the book. Cinder Youtube Preview

A Noble Masquerade by Kristi Ann Hunter

Lady Miranda Hawthorne acts every inch the lady, but inside she longs to be bold and carefree. Entering her fourth Season and approaching spinsterhood in the eyes of society, she pours her innermost feelings out not in a diary but in letters to her brother's old school friend, a duke--with no intention of ever sending these private thoughts to a man she's heard stories about but never met. Meanwhile, she also finds herself intrigued by Marlow, her brother's new valet, and although she may wish to break free of the strictures that bind her, falling in love with a servant is more of a rebellion than she planned. 

When Marlow accidentally discovers and mails one of the letters to her unwitting confidant, Miranda is beyond mortified. And even more shocked when the duke returns her note with one of his own that initiates a courtship-by-mail. Insecurity about her lack of suitors shifts into confusion at her growing feelings for two men--one she's never met but whose words deeply resonate with her heart, and one she has come to depend on but whose behavior is more and more suspicious. When it becomes apparent state secrets are at risk and Marlow is right in the thick of the conflict, one thing is certain: Miranda's heart is far from all that's at risk for the Hawthornes and those they love.


     I found this at a local book swap a group of women was holding in my neighborhood. It took me a while to start it as my life is pretty busy taken over by my little munchkin these days.  But I do say that from the first chapter this book had me hooked and I took with me everywhere and in my free moment. I especially loved the writing style of this book as it flowed very easily and I was totally able to envision this book playing out in my head like a movie.  I also found out that this author has books as this is a series and this was the first book.  I will definitely be checking out the other books.  

I've attached the link for the author of this book if you want to read other comments about this book or any other ones in the series:  Kristi Ann Hunter . 

Here is also a link to a youtube video that was created as an inspirational playlist for this book: Inspirational Playlist