The month of January ends tomorrow and so does my month long vacation in warm, sunny Florida.  I now know that I definitely want to be a snowbird.  Lucky for me, the southwestern Florida RWA has invited me next January, so I have something to look forward to.  Can you hear me whining over the internet?  I don’t want to go home to cold, dreary Wisconsin.  Good thing the WW Ladies have offered up some good reads while I huddle in my house the rest of the winter.

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Some Kind of Fairy Tale by Graham Joyce

Listened to by joysann

After having gone missing as a teen twenty years before, Tara Martin turns up on her parent’s doorstep looking much the same as she did when she left. She can say where she’s been, but everyone thinks she’s crazy, what with her believing it’s only been 6 months since she went away to a very strange place. As her brother and her former boyfriend try to understand this lost girl they loved, Tara tries to find her real way home.

The poignant story told here totally captivated me. Well read for audio by John Lee, it would be nearly as fascinating had I read it on my own. Between joy and heartache and dreams lost and found, Some Kind of Fairy Tale is an enchanting story I highly recommend.

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Bride of the High Country: A Runaway Brides Novel by Kaki Warner

Read by Ashley

Margaret Hamilton escaped the Irish slums in New York and heads west to make a fresh start. She finally stops in Heartbreak Creek, Colorado, where she finds a new purpose and great friends. But two men from Margaret’s past are on her trail. One is seeking revenge and the other is seeking the truth. Now Margaret has to choose between the town and friends that she has come to love or the man that might capture her heart.

Bride of High Country is an emotional rollercoaster! It’s a tale of revenge, redemption, and romance all swept up into one amazing love story. This is one romance I won’t soon forget! I love western historical romances and this series might just be my new favorite! A must read for historical readers looking for a different era, to fall in love with.

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Blizzard Ball by Dennis Kelly

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Read by Heidi

Christmas Day in Minnesota is even more exciting with the drawing of Blizzard Ball and a $750 million dollar prize. During a convenience store robbery and death of it’s owner, the winning ticket is taken, and the hunt is on for the ticket. Agent Kirchner is assigned to the case with a tech-savvy partner; and they discover this isn’t a typical robbery and insider scheming is at the heart. They must work quickly before the tickets get into the wrong hands and ruin of lottery and the state’s finances.

I was so intrigued with the concept of the $750 million dollar prize of the Blizzard Ball lottery and since it was set in the Midwest. However, the biggest joy I had was figuring out who had that winning lottery ticket, since it seemed to keep bouncing from one dishonest person to another. And because  you never knew who was in on the take and who’s life was in jeopardy, this story kept me on my toes until the very end. Plus, since pink is my favorite color, it was especially cool to have all the lottery tickets that color, and whoever heard of pink lottery tickets, right?

 

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A Touch of Crimson by Sylvia Day

Read by Joan

Lindsay Gibson knows she is somewhat different from other people, after all, she knows when someone is evil and has been trained to kill these beings, and when she meets Adrian Mitchell, her whole world is changed and begins to make sense. Not only is Adrian far older than his handsome 30+ years, he is also the leader of the group of angels known as the Seraphim, whose task is to carryout the punishment of the Fallen. Adrian is immediately drawn to Lindsey as she is the reincarnation of his one love, Shadoe, for whom he has been waiting to be reborn.

Sylvia Day has created a fascinating world in which there are Vampires, Lycans, Angels and other creatures. I enjoyed the story a lot and cannot wait to read the next two books in the Renegade Angels series. The story line is good and keeps me wondering who or what is causing the trouble brewing between these many different beings.

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Night Seeker: An Indigo Court Novel by Yasmine Galenorn

Read by Ashley

Ages ago, vampires turn to the dark Fae in order to harness their magic, only to create a demonic enemy more powerful than the anyone has ever seen before. Cicely Waters is an owl shifter and wind witch who rescued the Fae Prince Grieve, at a great personal cost. Now the vampires and the Summer Fae are no longer allies in Cicely’s fight against the Winner Fae.  Together Cicely and Grieve must enter the heart of the Myst Realm and fight a very powerful enemy.

Night Seeker is a unique magical world that had me completely engrossed. A very engaging thriller for any paranormal or fantasy reader! This book left me begging for more of this series!

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Aftershock by Jill Sorenson

Read by joysann

When San Diego is struck by a major earthquake, paramedic Lauren Boyer finds herself trapped in a junction of collapsed freeway overpasses with injured and dying people, a pregnant woman about to give birth, and the released convicts of a prison transport bus. Fortunately there is also strong, capable Iraq War veteran Garrett Wright who jumps right in to make the most of their situation. As the danger increases and things get really tough, their increasing attraction becomes both strength and weakness, and secrets are the most dangerous things of all.

This exciting story hit all the right buttons to make this a fine romance, to my way of thinking. The characters are likeable, the dangers, both natural and human, are scary enough, and the resolutions satisfying. I’ll be watching for Jill Sorenson’s next romantic thriller involving one of these characters.

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Bottom Line:  Tomorrow is Inspire Your Heart with Art Day, so I’d like to leave you with one of my favorites from my son, the artist.