Five Miles South of Peculiar

Darlene Caldwell has spent a lifetime tending Sycamores, an estate located five miles south of a small town called Peculiar. She raised a family in the spacious home that was her grandfather's legacy and she enjoys being a pillar of the community . . . until her limelight-stealing twin sister unexpectedly returns.

Carlene Caldwell, veteran of the Broadway stage, is devastated when she realizes that a botched throat surgery has spelled the end of her musical career. Searching for a new purpose in life, she retreats to Sycamores, her childhood home.

Haunted by a tragic romance, Magnolia Caldwell is the youngest of the Caldwell girls. Nolie spends her days caring for her dogs and the magnificent gardens she's created, but when she meets a man haunted by tragedy, she must find the courage to either deny her heart or cut the apron strings that tie her to a dear and familiar place.

Can these sisters discover who they are meant to be when life takes an unforeseen detour? In a season of destiny, three unique women reunite and take unexpected journeys of the heart.

Angela Hunt does such a good job with relationship stories. Each sister is dealing with issues that we can all relate to as well as each other.  I loved the small town dynamics and the suspense of the secrets the sisters were hiding. I liked Nolie (and her dogs) right away, Darlene and Carlene took a bit long to warm up to, as they were more cruel and secretive.  Another enjoyable book by this author.

About Angela Hunt
With nearly 4 million copies of her books sold worldwide, Angela Hunt is the bestselling author of more than one hundred books, including The Tale of Three Trees, Don't Bet Against Me, The Note, and The Nativity Story. Her nonfiction book Don't Bet Against Me, written with Deanna Favre, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She and her husband make their home in Florida with their dogs. Learn more about Angela at AngelaElwellHunt.com.



This complimentary review copy was received thankfully from Glass Road Public Relations and Howard Books and in no way influenced my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts and reactions to the reading of the book.

River's Call

What happens when the ties between generations are severed?

It is the 1960s and Anna's daughter, Lauren, is confused, broken-hearted, and pregnant. The difficult situation seems to bring out the worst in the selfish girl. When Lauren chooses to stay with her manipulative Grandma Eunice, Anna worries her daughter will never become a mature adult and the relationship between Lauren, Anna and Eunice becomes even more strained. However, when she hits the lowest point in her life, Lauren returns to her mother, the river, and the Inn and Shining Waters. As time passes, Lauren, now a mother to her own defiant teenager, faces a new crisis, one that puts the entire family at risk.

This is book two in a series. To understand the complex relationships it helps to read the first book, but it is not necessary.  I enjoyed reading more about the three generations of women in this series.   I am amazed at Anna's strength of character and appalled at the behavior of Eunice and Lauren.  As the story progresses we learn what contributed to their behavior.  The Inn At Shining Waters is a place I would love to visit.  I look forward to the final book in the series.

Melody Carlson published her first book in 1995 and she has been writing prolifically ever since. To date, Melody has published over 200 books, making her one of the top 20 most prolific authors of all time. With total sales of over 5 million her award-winning books include: Homeward, Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon; Limelight; the Diary of a Teenage Girl series; the True Colors series; and the Carter House Girls series.

In her professional life, Melody has worn many hats: from pre-school teacher to political activist to senior editor. Currently, she writes full-time, and freelances from her home. She has two grown sons and lives in Sisters, Oregon with her husband, Chris, and Audrey, her yellow lab. They enjoy skiing, hiking, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

Thank you to Glass Road Publications and Leann Hamby for this review copy.

3 Bears

River's Song

Her relationship with her daughter in shambles and tensions mounting with her mother-in-law, Anna Larson returns to her childhood home on the banks of the Suislaw River to sort out her parent's belongings and put the pieces of her own life back together.

Embracing her native heritage for the first time since childhood Anna transforms her old family home into Shining Waters Inn, a place she hopes will give her family a new beginning.

A wonderful beginning to a new series that takes place in Oregon.  Even though I really liked Anna, I was frustrated with how she allowed herself to be treated.  The MIL is easy to dislike, but you know there is more behind her story.  I look forward to book two of this series.

About the Author

Melody Carlson published her first book in 1995 and she has been writing prolifically ever since. To date, Melody has published over 200 books, making her one of the top 20 most prolific authors of all time. With total sales of over 1.4 million her award-winning books include: Homeward, Love Finds You in Sisters, Oregon; Limelight; the Diary of a Teenage Girl series; the True Colors series; and the Charter House Girls series.

In her professional life, Melody has worn many hats: from pre-school teacher to political activist to senior editor. Currently, she writes full-time, and freelances from her home. She has two grown sons and lives in Sisters, Oregon with her husband, Chris, and Bailey, her chocolate lab. They enjoy skiing, hiking, and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains.

Thank you to Glass Road Publications and Leann Hamby for this review copy.

The Fine Art of Insincerity

Three Southern sisters with nine marriages between them — and more looming on the horizon – travel to St. Simons Island to empty their late grandmother’s house. Ginger, the eldest, wonders if she’s the only one who hasn’t inherited what their family calls “the Grandma Gene”— the tendency to enjoy the casualness of courtship more than the intimacy of marriage. Could it be that her sisters are fated to serially marry, just like their seven-times wed grandmother, Lillian Irene Harper Winslow Goldstein Carey James Bobrinski Gordon George? It takes a “girls only” weekend, closing up Grandma’s memory-filled beach cottage for the last time, for the sisters to unpack their family baggage, examine their relationship DNA, and discover the true legacy their much-marrying grandmother left behind.

Every woman can identify with one of (or all) three characters in this book. Each one suffers from insecurity in one form or another, and look for security in the wrong places. Ginger thinks it comes from being in control with a plan, the one with responsibility/duty.  Penny looks for it in new love and leaving before they leave you.  Rose thinks it lies in having children .  As they come together they find out that what they believe about themselves and their siblings is not the truth, and that healing comes in places they never thought to look.

Angela Hunt is the bestselling author of more than 100 books, including The Tale of Three Trees, Don't Bet Against Me, The Note, and The Nativity Story. Her nonfiction book Don't Bet Against Me, written with Deanna Favre, spent several weeks on the New York Times bestseller list. She and her husband make their home in Florida with their dogs. You can learn more at AngelaHuntBooks.

Thank you to Glass Road Public Relations and Howard Books for this review copy.

The Topkapi Secret

American professor Angela Hall's world is falling apart. Left with two things: her money and her job, she sets out to research women's issues in The Middle East. Until she crosses paths with Mohammed Atareek...

Mohammed is a man on a mission. Raised in the Muslim faith, he has learned something no Muslim is supposed to know: the Koran of today is not the original. Could it be true? Mohammed will risk his life to find out.

When Angela's and Mohammed's worlds collide, sparks fly--both from their hearts and the tempers of the terrorists following them.

I was drawn to this book for it's history, as it is a subject that I know so little about. I enjoyed the author's descriptions of the sights, sounds and beauty of the Middle East. I felt it was more an adventure mystery with a smattering of romance.  The romance between the characters was not the focus of the novel and could have been left out as I kept waiting for something more to happen. Overall a good read.

Author: Terry Kelhawk
Published: September 2010
Pages: 402
Genre: Fiction
Source: Glass Road PR (Thank you for this review copy)
2 Bears

Almost Heaven

Billy Allman barely survived the flash flood that swept through his holler, taking many a life. Truth be told, it took his daddy's life, too. Daddy's body kept living after the flood, but his mind never left the waters that snatched two little girls from his arms and held them until they were in the loving arms of Jesus.

The only thing Billy saved was his daddy's mandolin and it is his ability to make that instrument sing that God allows to bring about Billy's destruction...and his ultimate redemption.

Some people say Billy Allman has a heart of gold. Others say he's a bit odd. The truth is, they're all right. He's a hillbilly genius—a collector, a radio whiz—and he can make the mandolin sing. Though he dreams of making an impact on the world beyond the hills and hollers of Dogwood, West Virginia, things just always seem to go wrong.

But however insignificant Billy's life seems, it has not gone unnoticed. Malachi is an angel sent to observe and protect Billy. Though it's not his dream assignment, Malachi always follows orders. And as Billy's story unfolds, Malachi slowly begins to see the bigger picture—that each step Billy takes is a note added to a beautiful song that will forever change the lives of those who hear it.

This book caused me to think, ponder and wonder about the many times I know, beyond a shadow of doubt, that I or a family member survived or made it through a situation is because of the intervention a guardian angel.  An emotional novel that has you feeling like you are right there with Billy, it grabs your heartstrings and doesn't let go. This book stands alone well even though it is part of the Dogwood, Virginia series.

About the Author:
Chris Fabry is the host of Chris Fabry Live!, an hour of spiritual encouragement from his backyard radio fence. The program challenges listeners to think biblically about their spiritual journeys. Chris is also the author of the Christy Award-winning novel Dogwood, and his latest fiction release, June Bug. He and his family live near Tucson, Arizona. You can learn more about Chris at his website.

Read the first chapter here

Thank you to LeAnn Hamby and Glass Road Public Relations  for this review copy.