Recent Reads - Fire and Ice

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Fire and Ice (Wild at Heart) by Mary Connealy - I had a lot of fun reading the first two books in this series that focuses on three sisters that homesteaded in the west following the Civil War - disguised as men! The Wilde sisters had all been bullied by their father into pretending to be boys and serving during the war. Then Pa moved them all out to the west where they could claim homesteads - still wearing britches and with their hair cut short. Younger sisters Kylie and Shannon left off their disguises and found husbands in the first two books, but big sister Bailey is determined to keep her britches and her independence on her homestead.

Trouble is, her homestead blocks the entrance to a prime grazing area in a canyon that belongs to her equally independent and stubborn neighbor, Gage Coulter, and during one of their confrontations, he discovers that Bailey is woman. And after a long and lonely winter, Bailey is even ready to consider Gage's crazy proposal for how they can share the canyon. Yes, it's a proposal of marriage, and Gage comes up with the idea because his over-protective mother is coming to visit! To complicate matters, they realize that some recent accidents are actually attempts on Gage's life - but who is behind the traps?

Bailey and Gage might even be able to trust each other and find love and happiness, but first they have to work together to stop their enemy and they'll also need to get Ma Coulter to go back to Texas before she drives them both crazy! This was another fun read from Mary Connealy, with quirky characters and wild adventures. And of course, a happy ending.

My only complaint is with the cover. That's gotta be Bailey on the cover, right? Great job on finding a model with the right sass and attitude. But the story is constantly mentioning Bailey's "golden" eyes and her curly hair, so why does the cover Bailey have blue eyes and straight hair?

By the same author: Now and Forever, Tried and True

From the publisher:

Saddle up for mysteries and laughs with the Wilde sisters!

Bailey Wilde is the oldest sister--and the one who takes care of everyone else in her family. But after her sisters marry and move away, her little homestead becomes bleak and lonely, especially during the long winter months. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan concocted by her neighbor, Gage Coulter.

Gage is an honest man, but he didn't make his fortune by being weak. He won't break the law, but he'll push as hard as he can within in. Five thousand acres of excellent grazing land is lost to him because Bailey's homestead is located right across the entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to this land--and he's got to go through Bailey to do it. So he makes a proposal...

Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders finally loosen up enough to earn each other's respect--and maybe find love in the process?

Visit the Baker Publishing Group for info on where to buy.

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Wordless Wednesday - Pennsylvania in Autumn

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Just recently I started doing Wordless Wednesday on Homeschool Coffee Break, but starting this week, I'm going to put my WW post here instead. Welcome!

Some fun stuff and some beautiful scenery at the Pennsylvania Welcome Center at Tioga.

This post is linked at Wordless Wednesday, hosted by Life at Rossmont.

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Teaser Tuesdays/First Chapter First Paragraph - Fire and Ice

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Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Jenn at A Daily Rhythm. To play along, just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include spoilers!
• Share the title and author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

"I need a wife because . . ." He paused, knowing he sounded as weak as water. Then he shrugged and went on speaking because there was no avoiding it. "Because my mother's coming to visit."
 ~Fire and Ice (Wild at Heart) by Mary Connealy, page 112

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

First Chapter/First Paragraph/Tuesday Intros is a weekly link-up hosted by Bibliophile by the Sea. To participate, share the first paragraph (or two) of a book you're reading, or thinking about reading soon.

OCTOBER 10, 1866
     The bullet spit dirt up in Gage Coulter's eyes, and he didn't even flinch.
     Wilde always missed him. Granted, he missed by inches.
     "Don't you ever sleep, Wilde?" Gage had come early, he'd come late. He'd come in peace, and now this was it--he was coming in war.
     "The only reason you'd ask that was if you wanted to sneak in here. Now get off my land." Another bullet, this one even closer to his toes.
     Gage ignored it. The shots were to keep him back. Trouble was, if he came closer, Wilde might stop trying to scare him and get serious.

Fire and Ice (Wild at Heart) by Mary Connealy

Here's the blurb:

Saddle up for mysteries and laughs with the Wilde sisters!

Bailey Wilde is the oldest sister--and the one who takes care of everyone else in her family. But after her sisters marry and move away, her little homestead becomes bleak and lonely, especially during the long winter months. In a moment of weakness, Bailey agrees to a wild plan concocted by her neighbor, Gage Coulter.

Gage is an honest man, but he didn't make his fortune by being weak. He won't break the law, but he'll push as hard as he can within in. Five thousand acres of excellent grazing land is lost to him because Bailey's homestead is located right across the entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to this land--and he's got to go through Bailey to do it. So he makes a proposal...

Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders finally loosen up enough to earn each other's respect--and maybe find love in the process?

What do you think? Would you continue reading?

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

What I'm Reading - October 19, 2015

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This weekly reading list meme has been faithfully hosted at Book Journey, and beginning today, will move its home base to Book Date. Join in to see what others are reading and maybe get some ideas of what to read next!

I recently finished reading...

Unequal Affections: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling by Lara S. Ormiston - I finished this last week, but didn't get the review done until this past weekend. You can read it HERE.



Ruby (Dakotah Treasures #1) by Lauraine Snelling - I finished this a few days ago, and reviewed it for September's #collaboreads HERE.


I'm currently reading...

Fire and Ice (Wild at Heart) by Mary Connealy

Murther and Walking Spirits by Robertson Davies



The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux - just started this last night.
 

  Next on the stack...

I was about to say Dracula by Bram Stoker, but I'm not sure where my copy is. I do, however, have Frankenstein by Mary Shelley sitting here, so I may read that one for my #collaboreads October choice. I love both, but Dracula is the clear favorite for me. My daughter will be reading Frankenstein for her Brit Lit course this year, so it's probably good for me to refresh my memory of it.

   

And STILL on the to-read pile are these:

Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer
The Fatal Tree (Bright Empires) by Stephen R Lawhead
The Darcys of Pemberley by Shannon Winslow

   



On my blogs last week...

Here on Just A Second:
Recent Reads - Ruby
Scripture and a Snapshot
Recent Reads - Unequal Affection

And on my homeschool blog, Homeschool Coffee Break:
Homeschool Weekly - Autumn Edition
Do You Believe? (A DVD from FishFlix.com - A Schoolhouse Crew Review)
Virtual Refrigerator - Angel
Homeschool Weekly - Unexpected Edition

What are you reading?

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads - Ruby

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Ruby (Dakotah Treasures #1) by Lauraine Snelling - Ruby Torvald has been governess to a family in New York City, and her young sister Opal lives with them. Their mother died many years ago, and they've had no contact with their father since he left them with a grandmother and moved west. Then Ruby receives a letter from her father - he is very ill and near death, but wants her and Opal to come to him in the Dakota territory so he can see them and they can claim their inheritance. The two travel out into unfamiliar territory, and do get to see their father briefly before he passes away, but he charges Ruby with "taking care of the girls" and leaves his hotel, Dove House, to her. To Ruby's shock and dismay, Dove House is not a simple hotel - it is a saloon and a brothel. As the new owner, though, she puts an end to all whiskey sales and "hospitality services" and is determined to turn Dove House into a reputable dining room and hotel. The employees all stay and the girls are grateful for a second chance and the hope of becoming respectable, and they all discover that they have skills such as cooking and sewing that can be put to use in making Dove House a success... if only they can overcome the reputation and scorn it's earned in the past, and the opposition that Belle - and perhaps others - have to operating Dove House without the more lucrative but disreputable aspects of the business.

I chose this book for my September #collaboreads selection. September's theme was "back to school" and as Ruby was teaching a family of children and her own sister when the book opened, I thought it would suit. A few chapters in, and Ruby is trying to run a hotel rather than acting as a teacher! She does later teach the young maid, Milly, how to read and write, but it turned out not to be a big factor in the story. Oh well - it's my #collaboreads contribution anyway!

Riveting. {What part of the book could you NOT get enough of?} Honestly? I can't think of anything. While there wasn't anything I actually disliked about the story, it never reached out and grabbed hold of me either.

Elements. {How did you relate to/care for the characters?} I liked Charlie and the girls at Dove House, and I felt that each of them had a complex and mostly untold story about how they had wound up where they were. Stories that must have included some tragedies and deep hurts. I would have liked to know Rand Harrison better, as he also seemed to have the potential to be a truly interesting character with lots of background to explore. I disliked Belle from the start, which is, I think, what the author was going for. Unfortunately, I didn't have any warm fuzzies for Ruby or Opal. With Ruby being the main character, I wish I could have developed more empathy for her, but I never related well to her and thought her humorless and unimaginative, even as I admired her determination, loyalty, and commitment to doing the right thing.

Associate. {What other books are like this one? Does it remind you of a TV show or movie with its themes and characters? Did it serendipitously line up with things going on in your life or in the news right now?} I kept thinking about the movie The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, although of course the storylines are not very similar! 

Design. {You know you judged this book by the cover. What did you think of it? How did it relate to the contents of the novel?} The cover art didn't particularly impress me, and that may be why this book sat unread on my Kindle for so long. The building in the background is a good portrayal of Dove House, and once I had reached that point in the novel I could see the potential that Ruby saw in the place, thanks to the cover. The title character herself is very much like her picture on the cover - pretty and proper, but very serious and not many smiles.

Stars. {How many out of five do you give this book? Would you recommend this book to a friend?} Since this one was only an "okay" read in my opinion, and didn't turn out to be quite my cup of tea, I'm giving it two-and-a-half stars. There really is nothing "wrong" with the book, and I don't have any sharp criticisms - it just wasn't exactly what I was expecting and not exactly my style. What disappointed me most was the sense that the story wasn't finished. Of course it is the first of a series, and naturally the author would want readers to be drawn to read the next one, but I would have much preferred a satisfying ending that gave some sense of completion to Ruby's story, while offering a teaser that urged me to find out more.

This review will be linked at Rachel A. Dawson for #collaboreads (September's theme was "Back to School")

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Scripture and a Snapshot - October 17, 2015

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Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice! 

Tell all the nations, "The LORD reigns!" 

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise,

for the LORD is coming to judge the earth.

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

~I Chronicles 16:31-34~ 

Scripture & a Snapshot is hosted by A Glimpse of Our Life.

Weekend Whispers is hosted by Barbie Swihart.


Verse of the Week is hosted by Counting Pinecones.

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/

Recent Reads - Unequal Affection

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Unequal Affection: A Pride and Prejudice Retelling by Lara S. Ormiston - I had never heard of this delightful Pride and Prejudice retelling before I entered a giveaway, but I was intrigued by the blogger's enthusiastic praise for it. To my great surprise, I won the giveaway and was excited to read the book. It has become an instant favorite of mine, and in my opinion, ranks among the very best of the P&P inspired retellings and sequels.

The story picks up in Hunsford, at the moment Mr Darcy has finished making his first proposal to Elizabeth, and diverges from Austen's original by having Elizabeth pause, think, and calm herself before responding. Elizabeth is still in shock that Darcy would care for her at all, never mind making an offer of marriage, and she is still deeply offended by his manner of proposing and the slights made to her and to her family. But instead of the impassioned and adamant refusal along with the enumeration of Darcy's faults, she questions him further, considers the possibility that she's misunderstood some of their previous interactions, and realizes that if she does accept his hand she will be in a position to influence Jane's future happiness and protect her mother and sisters when her father passes. To that end, Elizabeth requests some time to make her decision, and Darcy seizes upon hope and begins courting her in earnest.

Elizabeth's eventual acceptance of Darcy's suit is accompanied by her honesty that she does not yet love him, and Darcy believes that he can win her love, but of course they are cautioned that happiness may be difficult for both of them in a marriage of unequal affection. Because Elizabeth was less forthcoming about Darcy's attitudes and demeanor that had offended her in the first place, there are many bumps along the road in their relationship, including some quarrels and more misunderstandings. The way the rest of the story plays out is, of course, different - Elizabeth doesn't travel to Pemberley with her aunt and uncle, and Lydia is stopped from making her disastrous trip to Brighton. That doesn't mean that Lydia doesn't cause all kinds of trouble, however! Despite the awkward social situations, the embarrassing behavior of the Bennet family, Lady Catherine's interference, Elizabeth's hesitance, and Darcy's stubbornness, true love still runs its course!

Unequal Affection remains true to Austen's style, and retains the characters as Austen introduced them. The story is well-written and enjoyable in its own right, and I should also mention that it is clean as well. One that I would be glad to have my teenage daughter read, and I probably will offer it to her soon!

©2008-2015 Just A Second. All rights reserved. All text, photographs, artwork, and other content may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written consent of the author. http://justasecondblog.blogspot.com/