I am WAY late in posting my August reviews, but could not let another day go by without sharing these great reads! So, instead of my regular Monday Meanderings, I’m sharing my thoughts on these books. I’ll return with the Monday nonsense next week. 🙂 Sit back and enjoy and I hope you find something new to read!


MY REVIEW:
I shed more than a tear or two as I read this beautiful tribute to King Copper, a chocolate lab that gave so much love and joy to the author’s family. The poetry is heartfelt and poignant. Some of the poems speak of the happy times and some of the deep sadness at Copper’s passing. He came to their home in March with youthful spirit and left in March gaining angel wings with 13 years in between.
This is a touching story of unconditional love. Here is an example of poems that touched me deeply.
Young Lab
There once was a friendly, young lab
With energy delightfully fab
He loved belly rubs
Hated baths in the tub
He gave big, toothy smiles, never sad!
My Shadow
Feeling empty in my bones
walking from to room,
where is my shadow?
Those are just two very short examples of the deep heartfelt poetry in this book. The photos of the deeply cherished Copper and his family are an added bonus. If you’ve ever experienced the pain of loss and struggled to find a way to carry on, I recommend this short read to help you process. It touches on the reality of grieving and how hard it can be to keep putting one foot in front of the other. Yet, we do, as the author shows us.

MY REVIEW:
This is a light read that I enjoyed immensely. It’s a predictable love story, but the twists the author throws in along the way make it impossible to put down.
I loved the setting – a small town in Montana and an Indian reservation.
The characters drive the story! Sophie is alone in the world, except for one uncle, and is a super talented artist. She arrives in Montana with the goal of selling a golf course design to the locals. But she isn’t prepared for the opposition she will face, or on the sexy lawyer/cowboy, Jake, who knocks her off her feet, literally.
The story opens with a heart pounding race and narrow miss. And the pace never slows down. The love scenes are sexy and hot as the chemistry between Jake and Sophie is off the charts sizzling.
I enjoyed the plot, the setting AND the characters. If you’re looking for a quick, sexy read with some unexpected twists, this is the book for you! I highly recommend it! I will look forward to more books in this series.

MY REVIEW:
This is book one in a new series and I’m already in love with it. Cade McIntyre is such a wonderful character. He’s all grown up and has a burning desire to find his siblings that were scattered to the four winds after the massacre of their parents four years ago. But where to start? He has little of nothing to go on, but follows a slim lead that he hopes will take him to his sister, Summer.
Cade is stubborn and dedicated and he cares deeply for his family.
He faces every obstacle with courage, even when he’s accused of a crime he hasn’t committed. He’s forced into hiding and is shocked to find a beautiful girl with a young child in his soddy one day. Rain is in hiding as well and they bond over commonalities, as it turns out they’re hiding from the same evil. I loved every page of this story that drew Cade closer to his goal. That is if he can live to continue his quest. Falling in love wasn’t in his plans, nor was it in Rain’s. But the heart has a mind of its own! This is a beautifully written sweet romance set in a rugged unforgiving landscape. I highly recommend it!

MY REVIEW:
The setting for this multi-layered story drew me in from the start. Who doesn’t love Christmas Eve? I use the word multi-layered to describe this book because it’s the only word that fits. It reminds me of a patchwork quilt with so many different pieces that come together in the end as a beautiful creation. That’s what this story does.
One man’s desperate actions ripple across many peoples’ lives causing chaos, worry and even danger. Leon Mumford is done with it all and pulls his pickup and camper across all four lanes of traffic on the St. John’s Bridge causing multiple crashes and huge delays. Then he climbs over the railing to end his life on Christmas Eve, a time when joy should abound. Instead, disasters and happenstances are the result of his choice.
I loved all the characters who were affected and I couldn’t help but wonder how the author was going to bring them all together for a culmination.
Archer is the best negotiator the Portland Police Department has and he’s the one they call to talk Leon off the ledge. Nova is a nurse finishing up a long shift and anxious to get home and finish her last minute Christmas preparations. Ian is a young man who finally has a big chance at landing his dream job, if only he can get there. Kate is the woman who picks him up when he calls for a ride share. Rosalee is pregnant, in the middle of her last work day before the holiday, when she has to dash back home to get a file she forgot that morning and her phone. She never makes it home. Carter has a towing service so he’s busy trying to clear away wreckage caused by Leon’s actions. So what do all of these people have in common? Will Rosalee make it to the hospital in time to deliver this baby? As I said, this story has so many layers it’s hard to describe. I love the way the author divided the chapters into each character’s point of view. It gives the reader a big overall view into each as events unfold. I don’t want to leave any spoilers her so won’t give any more details. I will say this book grabbed me and didn’t let go. I finished it in two readings! I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a great well-written multi-dimensional story with a hint of romance and a lot of Holiday cheer!

MY REVIEW:
I had no idea what to expect when I started reading this book, and as the story progressed, at times, I was confused as to what was real versus imagined.
By the time I finished, everything made sense and the brilliance of the storytelling shone.
The story opens in modern day time. It occurs to me as I now write this review, I never knew the name of the narrator, and it is not important. What is important is how this character, drawn by some inexplicable force ventured to the ruins of what was once the hospital facility of Beelitz-Heilstatten to see where she was born. The hospital is reputed to be haunted and I’d have to say, after reading the story, it is beyond any shadow of a doubt very haunted. While the character is exploring the ruins, she suffers a head injury and falls backward in time to the year of 1918. In that time period, we learn her name is Marion. She is a nurse in the hospital and falls in love with a young handsome doctor, but toward the middle of the book, things turn very dark and sinister, evil lurking. I made sure to read this with the lights on. An Austrian who is a patient in the hospital scares everyone and at the end of the book when is identity is revealed, it is with good reason he strikes terror in every heart. The historical accuracy of the book is without reproach. The author must have spent countless hours doing research to create this tale, which turns out to be a romance, psychological thriller, time travel and historical. What a mashup!! The writing is brilliant and kept me engaged while the main character grappled with all she uncovered while backward in time, and forward into the present. It was a lot. If you are a history buff and lover of great story telling, you will enjoy this book!

MY REVIEW:
Texas Winds is set on a large Texas ranch with two characters who have both suffered devastating heartbreak.
Jake is a widower raising a four-year old little girl, who I immediately fell in love with. And while he loves the child, there is always a whisper in the back of his mind. Was she really his? Mary, his wife, had announced she was filing for divorce and that she’d found someone else. But a fatal accident is where that ended, except that Mary was pregnant and the little girl was born, although premature.
Alexa (Lexie) is finally taking a much-needed vacation after years of hard work. But she’s been dumped at the altar and trying to escape from her own heartache.
The two meet when Lexie’s car hydroplanes during a heavy rainstorm and she winds up in a ditch, injured and scared. She’s not only frightened for herself, but for her loyal dog, Biscuit, who also appears to be injured. Jake comes to the rescue and takes them to his ranch for medical attention. But sparks fly and they are both challenged to acknowledge the possibility of love at first sight. I have to say that Jake’s little girl, Kate, and Biscuit really steal the show. Kate’s is a side story that deserves a happy ending. The author did such a great job portraying this sweet little girl.
While Jake and Lexie navigate their feelings, Kate becomes attached to both the dog and his owner. This is a feel-good story that tugs at the heartstrings. It’s easy to see why this book has won multiple awards! If you love a romance with way too many obstacles to ever work out, this book is for you. I read it in two sittings.
There you have it. Thanks for visiting. Did you find something new? I hope so. I enjoyed each of these books!
Thanks for sharing your reviews with us, Jan. I hadn’t heard of The Bridge. It sounds like a great read for the upcoming holiday season!
It was such a multi-layered book, Priscilla. The author did a great job of weaving this holiday story together. I think you’ll enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Jan, these are great reviews. I have two of these books on my TBT. Marina’s book sounds fascinating. I’ll take a look at that one.
Thank you for visiting, Robbie. Marina’s book was truly fascinating and historically accurate for sure. I think you’d enjoy it.
What a list–dogs and cowboys. I’m with you on these, Jan!
So glad you dropped by, Jacqui. I agree about dogs and cowboys!
Thank you for your reviews, Jan. They do sounds good reads.
I’m glad you enjoyed the reviews, Esther. Thanks for stopping in!
These all sound like intriguing and wonderful reads, Jan! Thanks for sharing. 😃
My pleasure, Mary. I just love sharing good books!! 🙂
Oh my goodness! I didn’t know you’d put Cade’s Quest up. Thank you so much, Sister. I’m glad you liked the story and found it worthy to be mentioned with these other talented authors. It’s truly an honor.
Well, of course, I’d put it up. It was an August read. 🙂 And it’s definitely worthy of the review! Such a good story and I know the readers can’t wait for the next one. Love you, sister!
It’s so nice of you to share these great reviews, Jan!
Happy to share, Tim. Thanks for visiting!
Like you I also loved King Copper and you wrote a beautiful review for it. The other books also sounded very interesting especially the spooky Beelitz-Heilstätten book.
These books sound amazing, thanks for sharing! I’m definitely checking some of these out
Fantastic, Quantumkindy! Thank you so much for dropping by and glad you saw something that got your attention!!
Thanks so much for including King Copper in this wonderful group of reviews, Jan. I love what you wrote and how my collection resonated. My review of A Noble Bargain and Cade’s Quest is live on my blog today. LOL The other books sound great too, so thanks for more recommendations, and Congrats to the other authors. xo
Great reviews, Jan 🙂 I loved Linda’s, Marina’s and Lauren’s too and found new stories to read.
Thank you for dropping by, Denise!!
You’ve been reading a lot, Jan! I read King Copper and thought it was beautiful, but all the rest are new to me! How fun is that?! Congrats to all the authors on the fabulous reviews.
I loved Lauren Scott’s book! It helped me when we had to have our cat put down.