Review: Love At Any Cost by Julie Lessman

Love At Any Cost by Julie Lessman

The Heart of San Francisco Series: Book One

Revell / 2013

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

He's looking to take care of his family. She's looking to take care of her heart.

Trouble is . . . love's looking to take care of them both.

Cassidy McClare is a spunky Texas oil heiress without a fortune who would just as soon hogtie a man as look at him. Jilted by a fortune hunter, Cassidy travels west hoping a summer visit with her wealthy cousins in San Francisco will help her forget her heartache. But no sooner is she settled in beautiful California than Jamie McKenna, a handsome pauper looking to marry well, captures her heart. Can love prevail when Jamie discovers that Cassidy is poorer than he is? And can Cassidy ever learn to fully trust her heart to a man?

Bestselling author Julie Lessman brings the delectable Gilded Age to life in this sumptuous new series. Join your favorite romantic storyteller as she moves to the hills of San Francisco for more romance, passion, and surprising revelations.

Book Trailer:

My rating:

Did Not Finish
(Read to page 145)

My thoughts:

After reading Julie Lessman's Daughters of Boston series (loved them!), A Love Surrendered, and A Light in the Window, I was looking forward to reading Love At Any Cost. I feel horrible, but I just couldn't connect to this book and found myself not wanting to continue reading at all. I finally gave up after 145 pages.

The main reason for my not finishing Love At Any Cost was the passion. I just got really annoyed with how the characters kept thinking how good looking someone was and with all the other passionate things. I'm fine with some passion, but it almost seemed to border on lust (at least to me). Here's an example of what I mean:

"His gaze traced from the curve of her neck to the hollow of her throat, and his breathing thickened at the thought of his lips doing the same." - Page 144

I also found myself not caring about the characters (in fact, Cassidy kind of annoyed me) or what was going to happen with them.

I've read other bloggers' reviews and it seems like a lot of people LOVED this book, so please don't go by just my opinion.

*I received a complimentary copy of this book for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

“Available April 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

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Review: Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins

Double Blind by Brandilyn Collins

B&H Books / 2012

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:


Twenty-nine-year-old Lisa Newberry can barely make it through the day. Suddenly widowed and a survivor of a near-fatal attack, she is wracked with grief and despair. Then she hears of a medical trial for a tiny brain chip that emits electrical pulses to heal severe depression. At rope’s end, Lisa offers herself as a candidate.

When she receives her letter of acceptance for the trial, Lisa is at first hopeful. But—brain surgery. Can she really go through with that? What if she receives only the placebo?

What if something far worse goes wrong?

Written in the relentless style for which Brandilyn Collins is known, Double Blind is a psychological thriller with mind-bending twists. Lisa faces choices that drive her to the brink, and one wrong move could cost the lives of many.


My rating:

My thoughts:

I've read most of Brandilyn Collins books (I think all but her Bradleyville series) and I've yet to be disappointed. She is definitely one of my favorite authors. I was somewhat curious going in to Double Blind, as it's a psychological thriller and I had little to no idea what to expect... well, it was a fantastic read!

From the first page (literally) I felt for Lisa and all she had gone through. Not only did she suffer three miscarriages, then lose her husband in a car accident, but she was also attacked and almost killed by her attacker. I can completely understand why she deals with depression after going through all that, and it's no wonder she's thinking about participating in a medical trial to heal the depression.

I have to say, the story was really... bizarre. I loved how it was so weird and I couldn't guess the ending. Seriously, there were so many times I "thought" I knew what was going on but I was so very wrong. There were just so many twists.

There were a couple times I was a little confused and I wish the ending would have had a bit more closure. I also didn't like how a character would hear/feel a reply from God (it's one of my pet-peeves).

Still, Double Blind was a very good read and I did not see the ending coming AT ALL! Such a shocker. :) If you enjoy psychological thrillers or suspense novels with some weird elements, I definitely recommend Double Blind.

*I received a complimentary eBook copy via Netgalley for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. I also received a print copy from a blogging friend (thanks!). All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

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Review: Through the Fire by Shawn Grady

Through the Fire by Shawn Grady

Bethany House / 2009

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

Firefighting burns in Aidan O'Neill's blood. The son of a fireman, O'Neill has a sixth sense about fire and often takes dangerous risks. When one act of disobedience nearly gets a rookie killed, O'Neill is suspended. His weeks off are supposed to be a time to reflect but instead he escapes to Mexico, where another rash act of bravery actually kills him. But only for a few minutes. 

Called back to Reno, he's now haunted by visions of hell and paralyzed in the face of fire. And at the worst time, because an arsonist is targeting Reno. With a growing love interest with one of the investigators complicating everything, Aidan must discover where his trust rests as the fires creep ever closer.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Through the Fire, Shawn Grady's debut novel, is the first book I've read of his, though I've been wanting to read his books for a while (especially Tomorrow We Die).

I thought the story was good and I was shocked by the ending (did not see it coming at all). I've read some books about firefighters, but not a lot, so I liked that aspect of Through the Fire. A few times the firefighter terms were hard for me to follow; that, and the fact that it took a little bit for me to get into the book were pretty much the only things I didn't like.

The characters were fine, but none of them were real favorites or stand out as ones I really liked. The suspense was good and really picked up towards the end.

Overall, a good book that I enjoyed reading. I look forward to reading more of Shawn Grady's books in the future. If you like books with suspense that also deal with firefighters, I recommend Through the Fire.

*I did not get this book for review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

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Review: Flora's Wish by Kathleen Y'Barbo

Flora's Wish by Kathleen Y'Barbo

The Secret Lives of Will Tucker: Book One

Harvest House / 2013

Find on: Amazon, Goodreads

About the book:

From bestselling author Kathleen Y'Barbo comes a brand-new series of romance, adventure, and hidden identity.

May 1887--Flora Brimm is determined the fifth time is the charm. Back home she has a reputation as "Fatal Flora," a woman whose previous four fiancés died in untimely accidents. Flora is desperate to marry, because producing an heir is the only way she can keep her family's estate. She's confident this visit to Eureka Springs with her grandmother will help her land a husband.

Pinkerton detective Lucas McMinn is hot on the trail of Will Tucker, the thief who broke his sister's heart. When he discovers the slippery fellow with Flora, he thinks they are in on the devious plot together. Will Flora be able to convince Lucas of her innocence? Will Lucas catch the elusive Mr. Tucker?

And, more importantly, will Lucas survive if he pursues Flora's heart?

An engaging story of how God can move circumstances to bring love, joy, and lasting fulfillment to the most hopeless heart.

My rating:

My thoughts:

Flora's Wish is the fourth book I've read by Kathleen Y'Barbo and another great read! I loved the whole Pinkertons aspect in the story. I always seem to enjoy books with those types of agents (or really just any detective agents) in it.

I loved the main character - Lucas McMinn! I thought all of the gadgets/inventions he had were really cool. I also liked how, at times, he held his ground with Flora - though she did tend to do things her own way which led to some funny scenes.

While I did like Flora Brimm, she did annoy me a little when she kept things regarding Will Tucker to herself and didn't tell Lucas. I also got a little frustrated with her when she blatantly went against what Lucas told her to do. So my favorite character was definitely Lucas and my second favorite was either Kyle or Flora's grandmother.

The ending was so good! It did kind of have a cliffhanger, which just makes me want to read the next book in this series, Millie's Treasure, ASAP - though it doesn't release until August of this year.

Overall, Flora's Wish was a great read that I really enjoyed. The story was a little slow at times, but nothing too bad. I recommend it if you enjoy historical books with some suspense/mystery. 

*I received this book for free for my review. I was not required to write a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*

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