See Me by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis:   See me just as I see you . . .

Colin Hancock is giving his second chance his best shot. With a history of violence and bad decisions behind him and the threat of prison dogging his every step, he's determined to walk a straight line. To Colin, that means applying himself single-mindedly toward his teaching degree and avoiding everything that proved destructive in his earlier life. Reminding himself daily of his hard-earned lessons, the last thing he is looking for is a serious relationship.

Maria Sanchez, the hardworking daughter of Mexican immigrants, is the picture of conventional success. With a degree from Duke Law School and a job at a prestigious firm in Wilmington, she is a dark-haired beauty with a seemingly flawless professional track record. And yet Maria has a traumatic history of her own, one that compelled her to return to her hometown and left her questioning so much of what she once believed.

A chance encounter on a rain-swept road will alter the course of both Colin and Maria's lives, challenging deeply held assumptions about each other and ultimately, themselves. As love unexpectedly takes hold between them, they dare to envision what a future together could possibly look like . . . until menacing reminders of events in Maria's past begin to surface.

Rich in emotion and fueled with suspense, SEE ME reminds us that love is sometimes forged in the crises that threaten to shatter us . . . and that those who see us for who we truly are may not always be the ones easiest to recognize.

Nicholas Sparks is at it again with this book. At first reading the description I wasn't sure I was going to like it, but as I had liked other Nicholas Sparks books I thought I'd go for it. As  I was listening via audiobook after the first section I was hooked. I had to see where the book went. And while the characters didn't mesh at first they began to grow on me and it was like a movie was playing in my head as the words went across my mind.  This wasn't like his typical books he had written before, but I think it is good if an author can mix it up a little bit from time to time. 

The Major's Daughter by Regina Jennings

Synopsis: Caroline Adams returns to Indian Territory after tiring of confining society life. She wants adventure, and when she and her friend Amber come across swaggering outlaw Frisco Smith, they find his dreams for the new territory are very persuasive. With the much-anticipated land run pending, they may just join the rush.

Growing up parentless, all Frisco Smith wanted was a place to call his own. It's no wonder that he fought to open the Unassigned Lands. After years of sneaking across the border, he's even managed to put in a dugout house on a hidden piece of property he's poised to claim.

When the gun sounds, everyone's best plans are thrown out the window in the chaos of the run. Caroline and Frisco soon find themselves battling over a claim--and both dig in their heels. Settling the rightful ownership will bring these two closer than they ever expected and change their ideas of what a true home looks like.

This is the 3rd book in the Fort Reno Series. Although you could read this one before the other two previous ones, I would still read the other ones first as it builds the characters and you grow to love them even more. It was fun to see how Caroline grows up and what she wants to do with her life.  It was fun to imagine the scenery and new characters portrayed in this book. I would love it if one day Regina Jennings wrote another book that followed Caroline's sister a few years down the road. 

The Lieutenant's Bargain by Regina Jennings

Synopsis: Hattie Walker dreams of becoming a painter, while her parents want her to settle down. As a compromise, they give her two months to head to Denver and place her works in an exhibition or give up the dream forever. Her journey is derailed when a gunman attacks her stagecoach, leaving her to be rescued by a group of Arapaho . . . but she's too terrified to recognize them as friendly.

Confirmed bachelor Lieutenant Jack Hennessey has long worked with the tribe and is tasked with trying to convince them that the mission school at Fort Reno can help their children. When a message arrives about a recovered survivor, Jack heads out to take her home--and plead his case once more.

He's stunned to run into Hattie Walker, the girl who shattered his heart--but quickly realizes he has a chance to impress her. When his plan gets tangled through translation, Jack and Hattie end up in a mess that puts her dreams in peril--and tests Jack's resolve to remain single.

This is the 2nd book in The Fort Reno Series. It was fun to see how this book went hand in hand with the first one but was a completely different story in its own right.  With each novel I fell in love with each of the characters and how they were written and portrayed. I also love the bit of mystery in the book and it kept me guessing and wanting more. 

Cara Putman rated it it was amazing

I expect to smile a lot while reading Regina's books and that definitely happened with this one. However, there was a depth to this on--maybe because the heroine meets with tragedy early and then finds herself in what she thinks is an untenable situation. The hero has loved her from a distance for years, which creates its own set of challenges. Add in all kinds of misunderstandings and mishaps, along with a school full of children that stole the heroine's heart and min, and it is another thoroughly enjoyable romp through Fort Reno. I love the fresh take on a marriage of convenience. A delightful historical romance.

Cara's Review was found on www.goodreads.com

True Believer by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis: Jeremy Marsh is the ultimate New Yorker: handsome, almost always dressed in black, and part of the media elite. An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in Scientific American, he's just made his first appearance on national TV. When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before--take a giant leap of faith. A story about taking chances and following your heart, True Believer will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.

As I was listening to this book via audiobook it was a little hard to get into at first and a little hard to follow, but as I kept going and got past the first couple of chapters it got more interesting.  It is a bit of a mystery book with some romance in it. I am not sure what drew me to read this story, if it was because it was written by Nicholas Sparks or what, but I can say I really enjoyed this read and it left me wanting to find out more.  As I sit here writing this I have also discovered there is a sequel to this novel and I can't wait to read it and find out how their story continues. 

Holding the Fort by Regina Jennings

Synopsis: When dance hall singer Louisa Bell visits Fort Reno to see her brother, she is mistaken for the governess that the harried Major Daniel Adams is waiting for. Between his rowdy troops and his two daughters, he has more responsibility than he can handle alone. Eager for the opportunity, Louisa sets out to show the widower that she is a perfect fit. 

When I first read the synopsis about this book I thought it was going to be a cheesy romantic book, but I am always a fan of historical fiction so I thought I'd give it a try.  This book surprised me by keeping me guessing about what was going to happen. It was fun to imagine the story and the characters as I listened to this story via audiobook.  I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.  Plus there are more books in this series, that I'm hoping will be just as good. 

The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis: After thirty years of marriage, Wilson Lewis, son-in-law of Allie and Noah Calhoun (of The Notebook), is forced to admit that the romance has gone out of his marriage. Desperate to win back his wife, Jane's, heart, he must figure out how to make her fall in love with him... again. Despite the shining example of Allie and Noah's marriage, Wilson is himself a man unable to easily express his emotions. A successful estate attorney, he has provided well for his family, but now, with his daughter's upcoming wedding, he is forced to face the fact that he and Jane have grown apart and he wonders if she even loves him anymore. Wilson is sure of one thing--his love for his wife has only deepened and intensified over the years. Now, with the memories of his in-laws' magnificent fifty-year love affair as his guide, Wilson struggles to find his way back into the heart of the woman he adores.

         This is a book I listened to via audiobook. It was so good that I didn't want to put it down. I loved it when I read the Notebook years ago and so when I found out this was a kind of sequel to it I knew I had to read it.  I have always been a fan of Nicholas Sparks and his writing.  I love the way he writes and describes moments so vividly you can image.  Plus the ending is so worth it that you won't want to pass it up.