Marie Reviews Prior Engagements by Sarah Goodwin

Prior Engagements by Sarah Goodwin

BOOK DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:

Annie is not enjoying her roaring-twenties as much as she should be. She’s been jilted at the altar by Stephen-the-indecisive, is paying off a mountain of wedding debt by holding down two jobs, and her flat is mostly made of cardboard and spackle.

Then at work she meets a man in need of a date to his ex-fiancée’s wedding. Annie goes, and one wedding and four bottles of wine later, she finds herself getting married in Vegas to Dorian, an erotic illustrator.

Of course, it’s all great and romantic, until someone loses an eye, which here means, ‘until Annie gets home, and realises that her best friend (and boss) Will, has kind of been working up to popping the question himself. Will is not happy to see Annie married, in fact he’s willing to trade his Mohawk and every Ke$ha CD he owns to get Dorian out of the way.

As if that wasn’t enough to make things tense at work, Annie’s best-work-friend Yvonne (who knows something really fun you can do with a rugby player, some roller skates and chocolate spread) can’t resist getting involved in Annie’s love life. Neither can Dorian’s kleptomaniac sister Fifi, Dorian’s ex-bride and Annie’s mother.

In between breaking into cafés, having her door kicked down by the police and trying not to kill each and every one of her friends and relatives, Annie tries to work out how the hell her life got so complicated.

MY REVIEW:

Where to begin with this book? I am stuck somewhere between two and three stars. It was okay, but there were parts that were very good.  I don't think I have ever read about so many uniquely crazy characters between the covers of one book before. Over the top, strange, and completely unbelievable at times – like a daytime drama – such is Annie's life. The author has an exceptionally creative imagination. I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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Marie Reviews Defiant Heart by Marty Steere

Defiant Heart by Marty Steere

BOOK DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:
In the spring of 1941, young Jon Meyer’s family dies in a tragic accident, and he is sent to live in a small Indiana town. He arrives to find himself unwanted and shunned.

Mary Dahlgren is the mayor’s daughter. A pretty girl, she could have the pick of the boys in town, including Vernon King, the star of the vaunted high school basketball team. To the chagrin of her friends, though, Mary has always been more interested in books than boys. That is, until she meets Jon.

But Jon and Mary are kept apart through the efforts of Mary’s father, who perceives their relationship a threat to his political aspirations, and Vernon, to whom Jon is a rival for Mary’s affections. For months Jon is subjected to a painful ostracism. Then, just when the young man’s earnestness and perseverance begin to win over many of the townsfolk and it appears that love may conquer all, tragedy strikes.

As the country is caught up in war, so too are the young lovers swept up in events beyond their control, leaving both fighting for their very lives. If, against the odds, they are to be together, each will need to find the strength, the courage and the resourcefulness that beat only in a defiant heart.

MY REVIEW:

I very much liked this book. There are many levels to this story. Mary - the mayor's daughter who doesn't agree with the way Jon is treated and is attracted to him - is one half of a sweet innocent love story that grows strong and wise beyond the couple's years and is sure to last a life time. The small town basketball coach, who allows and enables hostile treatment of Jon drew my ire. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Jon is forced to take a stand against him, through conditions set up by the coach, and it backfires on the despicable man who ends up getting his just desserts. I don't want to give away too much of the story, but I assure you that it will make you cheer. The relationship between John and his grandmother most intrigued me as I learned the circumstances behind her seeming indifference to the boy, and watched him earn her approval and gain her love. The things he goes through on a daily basis wrench my heart. He has a spirit than can not be squelched through racism, discrimination, bullying, violence, or even war. It is sure to endear him to every reader, as it did me. There is so much going on in this book, especially behind the scenes, that will keep you entertained and interested until everything is revealed. I strongly recommend it.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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Marie Reviews The One Who Got Away by Amy Gamet

The One Who Got Away by Amy Gamet

BOOK DESCRIPTION ON AMAZON:

Colin Mitchell's been in love with Gwen Trueblood for fifteen years.

He's finally going to have his chance to win her heart.

Gwen gets the shock of her life when she learns her husband David was murdered, not killed accidentally as everyone believed. Unbeknownst to her, he was placed in the Witness Protection program when he was just six years old, the son of a mobster who testified against his buddies in organized crime.

Gwen needs answers, but to find them she must go through Colin, her husband's dear friend and the last person in the world she wants to see.  Before she married David, the chemistry between her and Colin was electric, causing a painful rift between David and Colin that lasted until David died.

As a U.S. Marshal, Colin was in charge of the investigation into David's death, and he's floored to discover he let the other man's killer get away. In the shadow of Boston's mafia underworld, Colin will seek the truth of what happened to David as he fights to win the love of the woman he could never forget.

Is there room in Gwen's heart for both of these men? Can she forgive herself for the attraction she felt for Colin when David was alive, or will she continue to blame herself for the good friends' separation?

MY REVIEW:

I have read several books by this author. I liked them all. This book was quickly read, and enjoyed, but I also believe that it could have been a little more in depth. I had already learned a little bit about Gwen in a prior book, that hinted at the "feelings" she gets, but nothing that would explain how she could rescue trained officers in a shoot out or kill a man with a well placed high heel shoe. I like the fact that she is strong, smart, and independent - there was a U.S. Marshall in the mix and he was usually the one in need of saving.
She was so in love with her husband, David, and believed he died in an accident - only to find out later he was murdered and she has to solve the mystery. There is also the point that she and Colin shared an attraction a lifetime ago that she did not act on because she was marrying David. We find out a lot about Colin and David's past. Great ideas, interesting plot. It would be an even greater story to get into what makes Gwen tick.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review.

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