Beyond Tuesday Morning by Karen Kingsbury

# of book read so far this year: 14

Title:Beyond Tuesday Morning

Author: Karen Kingsbury

Year Published: 2005

Rating (1-5): 5

Date Finished: 2/26/08

Genre: Christian Fiction

# of pages: Inspirational

Number in Series: 2

Where did the book come from: library

Why I read it: I read the first book in the series and enjoyed it so much that I wanted to read the sequel. I originally found this series when I was looking at the author's website and the plot caught my attention.

Blurb (story line): It is now 3 years since 9/11 happened and Jamie Bryan is trying to get over her grief. She still misses her husband terribly. She has become good friends with Aaron, Bryan's boss, but doesn't want the relationship to go any further than friendship. She Volunteers at the memorial for 9/11 victims, which is right across the street from where the Twin Towers Were.

My personal thoughts and comments: Eric Michaels has gotten back to work, although now he works out of his home so he can spend more time with the family. He and his wife, Laura seemed really happy, and toward the end of the book, Laura announces she's pregnant and thinks it's a girl. Eric's brother Clay has had to distance himself from Laura, and now wants someone to spend his life with. After killing a suspect, he is promoted to Detective and goes to New York for training with his buddy Joe. The reason why they go to New York as opposed to somewhere else is so Joe can find his ex-wife, who's husband died on 9/11. He was also a firefighter and was in the towers. So, one of the first things they do in New York is go to Ground Zero. When they are riding the ferry to Manhattan, Jamie is on that same ferry, on her way to volunteer when she is assaulted. Clay and Joe come to her rescue and arrest the two guys. Later, they are talking and the ferry is so loud that Jamie doesn't catch that Clay's last name is Michaels ......which would've made her realize that he could be related to Eric Michaels.....and clay doesn't think anything of it either. They realize that they are headed to the same place, and Jamie offers to give them a tour around. Oddly enough Michael only looks at half the buiding, and doesn't see Jake's picture....THE PICTURE OF THE GUY WHO LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE HIS BROTHER...Jamie is aware of the fact that he might be seeing Clay, but she wasn't quite ready for him to see his picture yet. It isn't until later when they find out who each of them really is. Eric is actually the first one who realizes it, but his wife assures him that it's impossible. As time goes by, sparks continue to fly between Clay and Jamie, and Jamie and Sierra even go to Los Angeles to spend Thanksgiving with Clay and his family----Eric, Laura, and their son. Everyone is nervous beforehand and things are awkward at first, but they all end up having a great time. Soon after Jamie and Sierra return to New York, Clay surprises Jamie by showing up at her house and asks her to marry him. Jamie and Sierra end up moving to Los Angeles and they get married the following summer. Through all of this, Jamie really struggles with what to do about her feelings for Clay, and also her memories of Jake. In reading Jake's bible, she realizes that he wants her to "choose life" meaning move on, and be happy. It takes her a long time to come to this conclusion and find peace with that conclusion.

My personal thoughts and comments: I think I liked this book better than the first book. The only thing I didn't like is how/when Jamie told Sierra the truth about what happened to Jake...I would've just told Sierra the truth in the beginning and it seems like it would've made things a lot easier later. I also felt bad for Aaron and felt like she was leading him on at times. I also knew, when Clay mentioned going to New York, that he was going to run into Jamie somehow. I find it hard to believe that they never talked about the past or Clay's brother until they actually made the discovery. I was glad Jamie realized she should move on and marry Clay. I think it did her some good to get away from New York and all the memories, especially volunteering at the memorial. Sometimes I think that made her feel worse.

Checking In

What I'm currently reading right now-

Table For Five by Susan Wiggs- I started this book on Saturday and I'm really enjoying it so far! I can't wait to read more

Beyond Tuesday Morning- I started this book Friday or Saturday also, this is the sequel to the book I just finished reading, One Tuesday Morning.....I'm anxious to find out what happens with Eric Michaels and Jamie Bryan.

Books I checked out from the library:

Virgin River- Robyn Carr--the first in the Virgin Rivers Series, I've head so much about this series I can't wait to read it for myself. I also there are some new books in this series coming out later in the year. So, I want to be ready.

Flamingo Diner- Sherryl Woods----I read one of her books and LOVED it, I can't wait to read more. I am very eager to start the Sweet Magnolia Series.

Nineteen Minutes- Jodi Picoult.

More than Words- this is an athology including stories by several authors I've been wanting to try------Diane Palmer, Carla Neggers, Emilie Richards, Susan Mallery, and Brenda Novak.

Get A Clue- this was mentioned in one of my book groups and it sounded good.

Diary of a Mad Mom to be- this is written in the form of a Diary, so I think I could probably finish this in a day. I also put Diary of a mad Bride on hold at the library.

Books I want to buy-

The Daddy Dilemma by Karen Rose Smith- This is a Silhouette Special Edition, and it looked very interested. This was alos a recommendation from the book groups and I figured it would be a quick read.

Dakota Born- I am very confused about one of the characters in this series, so I'd like to re-read this series and figure everything out.

I would also like to re-read the Heart of Texas Series.

Fighting For Tony- Mary Callahan

Aside from reading Romance novels and contemporary fiction, I also enjoy reading non-fiction sometimes too. I enjoy reading about people born with disabilities or birth defects, adoption and foster care, multiple births, and other subjects of interest. I also enjoy biographies and memoirs. I don't count these books toward my reading goals for the reading groups I'm in, but I do count them toward my personal goals and keep track of them in my reading log as well as here. I go on hunts at the library every once in awhile, and will check out several non-fiction books to read. I have several out right now, mostly having to do with the foster care system. However, the book I read most recently was about a little boy with Autism.


# of book read so far this year: 13
Title: Fighting For Tony
Author: Mary Callahan
Year Published: 1987
Rating (1-5): 5
Date Finished: 2/25/08
Genre: non-fiction
# of pages: 169
Number in Series: ~~~~
Where did the book come from: library
Why I read it: I enjoy reading books about children with different conditions, syndromes, and disabilities.
Blurb (story line): This book was about Tony, a little boy who was diagnosed with Autism. It told the story of his life from his birth to when he was diagnosed up until he was in elementary school and how his parents dealt with the diagnosis.
My personal thoughts and comments: It was an interesting story, although I'm sure things are different now, as far as treatment goes, than they were 10 years ago. The parents seemed a little ignorant at times, but they finally figured out how to help their son. It was sad to see that so many schools were so unwilling to help them.

One Small Boat: The Story of a little girl, lost then found- Kathy Harrison

# of book read so far this year: 12
Title: One Small Boat: The Story of A Little Girl, Lost Then Found
Author: Kathy Harrison
Year Published: 2006
Rating (1-5): 5
Date Finished: 2/23/08
Genre: non-fiction
# of pages: 201
Number in Series: ~~~~~
Where did the book come from: library
Why I read it: I had read this author's other book and I saw this when I was doing a search for books in the library catalog.
Blurb (story line): Kathy Harrison is a foster parent and this book tells her story of the foster children that came and left from her home.
My personal thoughts and comments: I really enjoyed reading Kathy Harrison's first book "Another Place At the Table". I was recently doing a search on the library catalog and came across this book and wanted to read it. I finished it a single evening and really enjoyed it. I don't know if I'd want to be a foster parent, but I'm always interested in reading foster care case studies.

More Than Friends- Barbara Delinsky

# of book read so far this year: 11

Title: More Than Friends

Author: Barbara Delinsky

Year Published: 1993

Rating (1-5): 4

Date Finished: 2/23/08 2:30 in the morning!!!!!

Genre: Contemporary Romance

# of pages: 484

Number in Series: -------

Where did the book come from: the store

Why I read it: I enjoy reading books by Barbara Delinsky, so I'm sure that caught my attention when I saw it in the store

Blurb (story line): The Popes and the Maxwells are best friends and neighbors. The Pope's Son John and the Maxwells Daughter Leigh, are an item. The Pope's Daughter Zoe, and the Maxwell's Daughter, Jana are best friends. The Maxwells also have a 13 year old son named Michael. One afternoon, Same Pope has just won a huge case and goes home to find Annie so they can celebrate. When Annie's not at home, he goes to Teke Maxwell's house, who is Annie's best friend. Teke is a little distraught at the moment because she has just recieved a letter from a past lover named Grady. Teke and Sam get caught up in the moment and end up making love. Unbeknownst to them Michael comes in, wanting to ask his mom for money to buy concern tickets.....he sees them and rushes outside and across the street. As he is crossing the street, he is hit by a car that he ran out on front of. The driver of the car happens to be Grady. Michaels recovers from the accident, once he wakes up from his coma,.......one of the first things he remembers is seeing Teke and Sam. This is one of the first things out of his mouth. This results in J.D. and Teke getting divored, and it takes a while for Jana and Leigh to trust Teke again. Annie is not sure whether or not she can ever forgive Sam, but after an incident with Jason, her TA, she realizes that maybe she can. Sam and J.D. were partners in the law firm, along with J.D.'S dad. Sam ends up resigning from the firm and is appointed Judge. He and Annie start to working on repairing their relationship. And John and Zoe start to trust him again. Meanwhile, Jon and Leigh announce they are expecting a child, which brings the families close again.

My personal thoughts and comments: I thought J.D. was a jerk in the beginning, but did notice that after the divorce he started acting more like a father. I was hoping Annie would Forgive sam throughout the whole book. I really liked Grady could tell that he had deep feelings for Teke. They seemed like a much better match than Teke and J.D. The only thing I did not like about this book was that it seemed a bit slow moving at times which is why I only gave it a 4. Other than that, I enjoyed it. I thought it would be more like The Woman Next Door, but it wasn't. It focused on many other issues besides just the infidelity.

One Tuesday Morning- Karen Kingsbury

# of book read so far this year: 10

Title: One Tuesday Morning

Author: Karen Kingsbury

Year Published: 2003

Rating (1-5): 5

Date Finished: 2/21/08

Genre: Fiction

# of pages: 351

Number in Series: 1

Where did the book come from: library

Why I read it: I was looking online at Karen Kingsbury's website and the plot of this book interested me

Blurb (story line): This book was set in the days and months surrounding 9/11. It went back and forth between Jake Bryan, a FDNY Firefighter, who lives nearby with his wife Jaime and 4 year old daughter, Sierra. Also Workaholic Eric Michaels, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife Laura, and son Josh. When the World Trade Center was hit, Eric was on the 64th floor finishing up a business transaction, and Eric was helping in the line of duty. While Eric was trying to get out of the building, he came face to face with Bryan, who was going up to rescue people. It was then that they realized they looked almost identical to each other. The captain of the fire department thought they had found Jake under the fire truck, and he was rushed to the hospital. Jake woke up a few days later, but could not remember anything, including his wife Jamie. The only person he remembered was Sierra. As time went on, he got well enough to go home. Meanwhile, Eric was thought to be dead. As the months went on, people started questioning whether Jake was really Jake. Jamie discovered that the this guy did not have the same blood type as Jake, but the doctors and nurses shrugged her off when she brought it to their attention. Finally, Jake started having flashbacks of getting out of the building, seeing Jake, and seeing the picture of Sierra inside his helmet. He also had a flashback of the white haired guy in the office, which would end up being the turning point in discovering his identity. Finally he saw a commercial on tv for the company he worked for and everything started coming back. Jamie called the company, and figured out who he really was. He went home to Los Angeles to be with his wife and Son. His marriage had been in trouble for quite some time, so he was hoping to work on that as well as work on the relationship he had--or didn't have--with his son.

My personal thoughts and comments: Unlike other books, I really didn't dislike anyone from this book. I did have a feeling that Jake would end up being Eric, but I really wasn't sure. When I read that scene on the stairs where they saw each other, that kind of gave it away, but then other things happened, so I was honestly surprised at the ending. There is a sequel to this book, and I'm eager to read that to find out what happens. This was my first time reading any of Karen Kingsbury's novels, and although I don't normally read Christian Fiction, I am looking forward to reading more of her books.

Mending Fences by Sherryl Woods

# of book read so far this year: 10

Title: Mending Fences

Author: Sherryl Woods

Year Published: 2007

Rating (1-5): Based on the fact that I was so engrossed in this story within the first hour, and didn't even realize I was already page 75 by then, I'm going to give it a 5

Date Finished: 2/14/08

Genre: Contemporary fiction

# of pages: 387

Number in Series: ~~~~~

Where did the book come from: the store

Why I read it: honestly I picked it up and just from reading the back cover, this story sounded good.

Blurb (story line): The Carters and ' have been best friends since the Carters moved into the neighborhood, their backyards face each other. Their children have grown up together and are also best friends. The older children (both boys) of each family are the same age and the Dobbs' daughter, Dani, is two years older than the Carters daughter, Caitlyn. When Evan Carter is in his first year of college, he is accused of raping this girl named Lauren. Dani has kept a horrible secret for a long time, that Evan raped her too when she was 16, a year before he is accused of raping Lauren. During the investigation, Danielle finally talks, and testifies against Evan. During this time, Dani's relationship with Caitlyn and Emily's (Dani's mom) relationship with Marcie (Evan and Caitlyn's mother). At first Marcie does not want to believe her son is capable of such a crime, but eventually realizes everyone is right. This also makes her realize a lot of things about her marriage, and how horribly her husband has treated her all these years. Marcie and her husband end up getting divorced and Marcie and Caitlyn move across town. The Carters and Dobbs' remain friends. Lauren and Dani agree to a Plea Bargian, and Evan pleads guility and is sentenced to 1 year in jail, and years of probation on the condition that he seeks professional help.

My personal thoughts and comments: This was my first book by Sherryl Woods, and within an hour of starting this book, I was so engrossed in the book, I was on page 75 in less than an hour. I did not like Ken (Evan's dad) at all and was so happy that Marcie finally stood up to him in the end. I personally thought they were too lenient on Evan, I thought he should've been sentenced for a lot longer, even with a plea bargain. I am so glad Dani finally spoke up. I personally thought it was kind of sleazy for Emily to get with Grady (the detective in charge of the investigation) as good as they were together. I'm glad that the ending wasn't focused on them. I thought the scene where Dani and Emily were telling Marcie what Evan had done to Dani was a bit fake, I can't see a real person changing their reaction that quickly. Marcie denied everything then 2 seconds later, she believed everything they were telling her. I guess in her heart she knew that it was really true, based on hints earlier in the book. I could tell from early on that Caitlyn believed her brother was guilty.

Bungalow 2 by Danielle Steel

# of book read so far this year: 7

Title: Bungalow 2

Author: Danielle Steel

Year Published: 2007

Rating (1-5) 5

Date Finished: 2/11/08

Genre: Romance

# of pages: 338

Number in Series: ~~~~~~

Where did the book come from: library

Why I read it: I always like to read Danielle Steel's new books

Blurb (story line): Tanya Harris lived in Marin with her husband and 3 teenage children. She was a Freelance Writer. She got the opportunity of a lifetime when she was asked to write the script for a movie, something she'd always wanted to do. This required her to move to Los Angeles for 9 months. At first she didn't want to go, but her husband encouraged her to go. While she was in Los Angeles, her husband had an affair with her best friend. That ended up costing them their marriage. She then got together with Douglas, the Producer of the movie. He was very controlling and always had to win in order to be happy, and hated children, which was one of the things that ended their relationship. Then there was Gordan a happy-go-lucky actor who went through girlfriends like they was no tomorrow. Tanya had fallen in love with him when she came home and caught him in bed with another women. After that, she decided she was done with Los Angeles and writing movies and went back home to Marin. It was then that she was asked to write another movie, this time based in San Francisco. She met Phillip and he had two children. They were from England. They soon fell in love also and moved to Florence and at the end of the book, they were going to see where things went with their relationship.

My personal thoughts and comments: Contrary to reviews I had read of this book, I really enjoyed it. I had read that Tanya's husband had an affair with her best friend (thats the last time I read reviews before reading the book!) but I still didn't know what events would lead up to it, so it didn't actually ruin it for me. Personally, I felt that Tanya deserved to go to Los Angeles and do something for herself for a change....although I wasn't quite expecting Peter to have an affair. Because he was after all the one who encouraged her to when she wanted to turn down the offer. I actually felt sorry for him in the beginning until he had his fling. And I hated Alice from the beginning. Megan was a selfish brat who seriously deserved to be smacked. I'm glad she finally came to her seneses though. I didn't like Douglas at all, I loved Max, in fact, at first I thought Tanya was going to get together with Max. I though Gordon was really immature. And I thought Phillip and Tanya were perfect for each other, and personally I wasn't ready for the story to end. I wanted to read about their wedding.

book rating system

So I came with a better way to rate books....instead of giving them a 1-10, based on how I felt reading the book. This new scale I made will be a more accurate reflection of how I felt and how I liked the book



5- loved it!!!
4- A little slow at parts, would definitely recommend to others
3 didn’t really like it, but didn’t really hate it either, SO-SO
2- wouldn’t recommend to anyone
1- didn’t like it at all. Didn’t finish reading

The Manning Sisters by Debbie Macomber

# of book read so far this year: 7

Title: The Manning Sisters

Author: Debbie Macomber

Year Published: 2008

Rating (1-10): 8

Date Finished: 2/9/08

Genre: Romance

# of pages: 523

Number in Series: this is the first ....there are still two more books about this family coming out later this year

Where did the book come from: I always like to buy Debbie Macomber's new books. I bought this very soon after it came out.

Why I read it: Because it's a Debbie Macomber book...why wouldn't I read it!!!!

Blurb (story line): This book included two stores: The Cowboy's lady and The Sheriff Takes A Wife. The Cowboy's lady was about Taylor, originally from Seattle, WA, who has just moved to Montana to try to get over a recent breakup. She is a schoolteacher, and is very popular with the students. She meets Russ, a man who's a Ranch Foreman, and very set in his ways and has very strong opinions. He is also the guardian of his 13 year old sister, since their parents have died. Taylor and Russ deny their attraction to each other for the longest time, but finally admit their true feelings and elope to get married, and eventually have a little boy, Eric.

The Cowboy's Lady starts off right when Taylor is giving birth to her little boy. Her sister Christie (who happens to be engaged to her fiancee James) comes to help out while Taylor is recuperating. She meets the sheriff, Cody Franklin, and hides the fact that she's engaged to James, and doesn't even tell James she's falling in love with someone else. She decides she wants to call off the wedding and be with Cody and waits until the last possible moment to tell James. When she goes back home to Seattle, she plans to tell James everything, but she arrives home to find out her mom has planned this huge surprise engagement party for them, and says nothing. They even set a wedding Date. She finally tells James the truth and is pretty crushed. Christie's parents don't take the news so well either- they really liked James- but they come around when Christie least expects it.

My personal thoughts and comments: The Cowboy's Lady- I didn't care for Russ in the beginning at all. I thought he was a male chauvanist. I thought Taylor was sweet and I thought Mandy, Russ's sister, was hilarious. She was definitely not afraid to stand up to Russ.

The Sheriff takes a wife- really the only thing I have to say about this story was that I thought Christie was really selfish and didn't seem to care about anyone's feelings but her own. Though she kept saying she did everything for to avoid hurting everyone else, what did she end up doing to James????? leading him on and devastating him in the end. I will say I didn't really think they were a match, but that does not excuse the way she treated him.

Honestly, I wasn't sure if I would end up liking this book when I first started reading, but now after finishing it, I'm definitely looking forward to reading The Manning Brides, which comes out in August and The Manning Grooms which comes out in December.

Dear Stranger, Dearest Friend

# of book read so far this year: 6

Title: Dear Stranger, Dearest Friend

Author: Laney Katz Becker

Year Published: 2000

Rating (1-10): 10

Date Finished: 2/9/08

Genre: Contemporary Fiction

# of pages: 285

Number in Series: ~~~~~

Where did the book come from: I found it while looking for books at the library

Why I read it: It looked entertaining

Blurb (story line): This was about two women-Sue and Lara....Both who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, Lara more recently, and Sue is in remission. Sue helps Lara get through her chemotherapy and treatment. They meet through an online support group. And even though they have never met in person, they form a very strong bond with one another. The books in the form of emails that they write back and forth to each other. They not only talk to each other about Cancer, they also talk about their families and they lives.

My personal thoughts and comments: I really enjoyed this book...I finished it all in one day. I don't have Breast Cancer, and don't know anyone close to me that has Cancer, but I was still able to relate since I belong to several online support groups and realize how valuable it is to have someone who has walked in your shoes.

Who's Who At Willow Lake

When I started Winter Lodge, it had been awhile since I'd read Summer At Willow Lake, and I had a hard time remembering who was who. Since the next book in this series won't be out until 2009, I thought it would be a good idea to post a who's who list of everyone in Willow Lake, and so I'd be able to remember who was related to who and who lived and/or worked where.

Jane Gordon Bellamy- Married to Charles Bellamy on 8/26/56 at the Gazabo on Spruce Island on Willow Lake. They met at Camp Kioga. Celebrated their 50th Anniversary at a very special party at Camp Kioga on August 26, 2006. Camp Kioga has been privately owned by Jane's family since 1932. Their childre are Phillip, Greg,

Jenny Majesky- born on 3/23/78. Daughter of Phillip Bellamy and Mariska Majesky. Eventually marries Rourke McKnight. Owns the Sky River Bakery. She was raised by her grandparents, Leo and Helen Majesky. They were the original owners of Sky River Bakery. Lived at 472 Maple Street.

Olivia Bellamy- has a job as a real-estate Stager. Owned her own Company Transformations, in Manhattan. Sometimes referred to as "Lolly" daughter of Phillip Bellamy and Pamela Lightsey. Eventually marries Connor Davis. Has a dog named Barkis

The Lightseys own a Jewelry Company, Lightsey Gold and Gem.

Julian Gastineaux- Connor's younger brother.

Greg Bellamy-Youngest of the Bellamy childre. Was married to Sophie Lindstrom. They have two children Max And Daisy, and one Grandson, Emile Charles. They are now divorced. Greg is Now married to Nina Romano, and Sophie is Now married to Noah. Greg is a Landscape Architect, and eventually becomes owner of the Inn At Willow Lake.

Daisy Bellamy has a son named Emile Charles. Logan O'Donnell.

Nina Romano eventually marries Greg Bellamy and has one daughter named Sonnett, who happens to be good friends with Daisy. She holds the position of city Mayor for a term, and then becomes General Manager at The Inn At Willow Lake.

Sophie Bellamy and Noah Shepherd adopted two children, Uba and Aissa, a brother and sister, ages 3 and 6 from Umoja. Sophie is a Lawyer and practices International Law. Noah is a veterinarian.

Tina Calloway is one of Noah's Neighbors.

Gayle snd Adam wright- live nearby. Own Windy Ridge Flower Farm. They have 3 children.

Laura Tuttle is the manager of the Sky River Bakery.

Zach Alger is the son of Matt Alger. He is a friend of Daisy, and former friend of Sonnet Romano. Also has a job at Sky River Bakery.

Connor Davis- married to Olivia Bellamy. Connor proposed to Olivia on her grandparents 50th anniversary: August 26th 2006

Terry Davis- Connor's father. Caretaker at Camp Kioga

Gertie Romano- Nina's mom. was once head cook at Camp Kioga.

Ceci, Frankie, and Dare- 3 Bellamy cousins.

Ceci was the oldest cousin.

Dare is Professional Event Planner. Daughter of Aunt Peg and Uncle Clyde.

Popular Landmarks in Avalon:

Avalon is in Ulster County in New York.

Camp Kioga- Opened and closed September 15th 1997

Artisan and Antique Wherehouse

Clark's Variety Store

Agway Feed & Hardware

Palmquist Jewelry

Sky River Bakery- Owned by the Majesky Family. Owned by Leo and Helen Majesky since 1952. Opened on July 4, 1952. Old fashioned family bakery with glass cases and a brass cash register. Known for it's bread, Cinnamon rolls, pies, donuts, and Kolaches

Sky River Bridge- Built in 1891. Crosses the Schuyler River

Lookout Rock

Moss Creek

Watch Hill

Sentry Rock

Saddle Mountain

Sunrise Mountain

Treaty Oak

Meerskill Bridge

Snowfall At Willow Lake

# of book read so far this year: 5

Title: Snowfall At Willow Lake

Author: Susan Wiggs

Year Published: 2008

Rating (1-10): 9

Date Finished: 2/3/08

Genre: Contemporary Romance

# of pages: 439

Number in Series: 4

Where did the book come from: I rushed to Target the day this book hit the shelves and snatched one right up

Why I read it: I loved every other book in this series I wanted to continue reading.

Blurb (story line): After a Terrorist incident at the Hague, Sophie realizes what (and who) is really important to her, and she decides to return to Avalon to try to repair her relationship with her children. She meets Noah, a Veterinarian, who actually rescues her from a snowstorm her first night back in town. They soon fall in love, and despite some differences- their difference in age for one- their relationship grows stronger as time goes on. They eventually get married and even adopt two children from Umoja. Greg and Nina also got married and are starting their lives together. Jenny Majeski's book is finally getting published. She's publishing a book of recipes from the bakery. Daisy and her baby are doing well...they live in a little duplex and Daisy goes back to school to take some classes in photography.

My personal thoughts and comments: I liked this book....the beginning was a bit slow, the ending was shocking....definitely not what I was anticipating, but in a good way. I'm happy that I've finally finished the series, but a little sad that I have to wait all the way until 2009 for the next book, but at least I'll be ready.

Next, I'll be posting my blog: Who's Who at Willow Lake And I'm moving on to read The Manning Sisters by Debbie Macomber

Dockside- by Susan Wiggs

# of book read so far this year: 4

Title: Dockside

Author: Susan Wiggs

Year Published: 2007

Rating (1-10): 10

Date Finished: 1/29/08 (or somewhere around there)

Genre: Contemporary romance

# of pages:408

Number in Series: 3

Where did the book come from: I bought it after reading Summer At Willow Lake...I'm pretty sure I bought it the day it came out, because by then I already knew I loved this series.

Why I read it: Because I really enjoyed the other two books before this in the series and wanted to continue.

Blurb (story line): some of the major things that happened in this book were: (In no particular order) Sonnet Romano and Daisy Bellamy graduate from highschool. Sonnet goes to live with her dad for the summer then goes off to college. Greg Bellamy buys The Inn At Willow Lake, something that Nina Romano had her heart set on doing once her term as City Mayor came to an end. She becomes the general manager at the Inn....as a result her and Greg start spending a lot of time together, the Inn re-opens and is a huge hit. Greg and Nina admit the mutual attraction for each other. Olivia Bellamy and Connor Davis get married at last, and Daisy goes into labor during the reception, and gives birth to Emile Charles Bellamy.

My personal thoughts and comments: I liked this book a lot....it was especially interesting reading about the history between Sophia and Greg and how their marriage came to be. I really like Nina, and I think she and Greg are good for each other.

Winter Lodge by Susan Wiggs

# of book read so far this year: 2

Title: Winter Lodge

Author: Susan Wiggs

Year Published: 2007

Rating (1-10): 7

Date Finished: 1/23/08

Genre: Contemporary Romance

# of pages: 402

Number in Series: 2 in the Lakeshore Chronicles Series

Where did the book come from: I believe I got it at the used bookstore

Why I read it: I read Summer At Willow Lake, which is the first book in this series, and I enjoyed that book so much that I wanted to continue with this series.

Blurb (story line): The book starts with Jenny's house burning down, then she ends up staying with Rourke McKnight, the police chief, and also someone from Jenny's past. The book floats between present day and the past when Jenny and Rourke were growing up. Olivia Bellamy is getting married to Connor Davis, and Greg Bellamy moves to Avalon, New York, with his two children Max and Daisy. They are still trying to deal with the divorce. Daisy also discovers she's pregnant.

My personal thoughts and comments: I honestly didn't like this book as much as Snowfall At Willow Lake. I felt really bad for Jenny....she seemed like such a sensitive soul, having survived so much loss recently. I was glad that she found love with Rourke. I really enjoyed how these books flow between present day and the past. Based on the time frame in these books, Jenny, Rourke, are really not much older than me. So it was interesting reading about when there were teenagers/young adults. I like how everyone in this town is connected/related to someone in some way another. I'll be posting a blog explaining who's who in Willow Lake very soon.

Change of Heart by Tracy Stern

# of book read so far this year: 3

Title: Change of Heart

Author: Tracy Stern

Year Published: 1997

Rating (1-10): 10

Date Finished: 1/25/08

Genre: fiction

# of pages: 249

Number in Series: ~~~~~

Where did the book come from: LIBRARY

Why I read it: I had seen this book before, and actually checked it out, but never read it.....I suddenly had the urge to check it again, and this time I actually read it.

Blurb (story line): Kerry is newly engaged to her boyfriend Brad....they are in a long distance relationship and see each other on holidays and every once in awhile. On on of Brad's trips to see her, he is killed in a bad car accident. Kerry has just found out she's pregnant with their child, but hasn't had a chance to tell Brad yet, because she wanted to tell him in person. Kerry can't decide whether to keep the child or put it up for adoption. She goes to live with her grandmother, who she is really close to, during the pregnancy and after she gives birth. Before she gives birth she has decided to put the baby up for adoption. There is this couple, Chris and Matt, who lives in her grandma's apartment, who have fertility issues and want to adopt Kerry's little boy. The night that Kerry has the baby, she goes to see him in the nursery and suddenly changes her mind and decides she wants to keep him. Chris comes the next morning, thinking she will be picking up her son, only to find out Kerry has changed her mind. Then her grandmother comes and again, talks her out of keeping the baby, and Kerry changes her mind again, and this time Chris and Matt take the baby home. A little while later, Kerry changes her mind again and petitions with the court to stop the adoption. She wins and Chris and Matt must give the baby back to her. However, the day that she goes to their house to pick up the baby, she realizes she really can't take the baby from them, and changes her mind yet again.

Chris and Matt, have a rocky relationship as it is, because of the fertility issues they've been dealing with. They also almost adopted another child, but the birthmother changed her mind in the end, which hurt them deeply. So deeply that Matt didn't even want to go through with this adoption.

My personal thoughts and comments: I liked the story, and the writing style of the author....I will definitely be reading her other books in the near future. I liked Kerry and thought she seemed like a mature person. I did not care for the adoptive couple, especially Chris....I thought she was really selfish, especially when she didn't even consider Matt's feelings about the whole adoption and basically forced him to go along with it. Once she found out Kerry was pregnant and was putting her baby up for adoption, she basically fought her way in and put the idea in Kerrys head that giving her her baby was the right thing to do....rather manipulative in my opinion.