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Silver Linings By Kaylee Baldwin

Grade: A
Rating: 5 Stars
Recommendation: Read this series


Here's me doing a happy dance for being the first one to receive a signed copy!  Yayee!

Kaylee Baldwin is a fantastic writer!  I enjoy all of her stories and will pretty much buy anything she's ever written.  What's neat about this book is that it is part of a series.  So if you like this book, and I think you will, there are five other books you can enjoy!  Kaylee did a great job of creating a great story and setting up the next story in The Ripple Effect Romance Novella Series (I can only imagine how difficult it would be to do that!).

Silver Linings is about Drew Westfall and Eden Torresi.  Drew Westfall stumbles into Silver Linings one night after a series of unfortunate events.  Eden discovers him and the romance takes off from there... except, well... there are a few complications!


What I liked:

SO much!  I love how Kaylee is able to create such a visual with her words.  I was able to picture the snow and the old house.  I could see Silver Linings and the people who lived there, and it was all so beautiful.  This story was a sweet romance.  Totally clean and cute and fun, but so completely romantic at the same time! I loved Drew.  He started off a little gruff but as soon as he got all cleaned up, I saw the cute, wonderful amazing Drew.  I loved that he really cared about Eden.  He didn't just say that he loved her (like so many romance books seem to do) but he really showed her!

And I loved Eden.  She was so giving and caring and put other first.  She was a likable MC and I really rooted for her to get her HEA.

What I didn't like:
Um... It ended? ( Luckily, I get to read Jace's story next!)

Such a great story, I can't wait to read Jace's story next!

The Skeleton in My Closet Wears a Wedding Dress by Sally Johnson

Grade: B
Rating: PG


SUCH A CUTE COVER! Right?! So, I really love contemporary LDS fiction books that discuss difficult subjects. I love that author's and publisher's (of LDS fiction) are publishing books that talk about real-world situations!

What I liked:
I loved the concept of this book.  A girl trying to overcome her past so she can have a future. And I think that the author did a good job of writing about depression.  In some ways, the tone of this book reminded me of Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster. 

The MC, Sophia 19, is just returning to BYU after a messy divorce. I think, the author did a great job conveying the MC's depression after returning to school...From the ward activities, to her roommates, to dealing with her own feelings in therapy, the author created a realistic picture of what life would be like for a 19 year-old divorcee.  Because Sophia is going through such a hard time, it would be easy to get bogged down in the sadness of her situation (because it is sad) but, the the MC's voice was sarcastic and funny and made the story feel light. There were few parts of this book that took my by surprise too! 

What I didn't like:
There were parts of this story that were frustrating. Sometimes the MC made decisions that I just wanted to shake her for. But realistically, were probably very accurate, so it's hard to nit-pick over this.  Her roommates, oh my... I'll leave it at that. And Travis... Oh Travis!  As much as his decisions were so incredibly infuriating, I found myself wanting him to spit out his side of the story!  I wanted answers to questions like:  What was up with the mom?  Why was he always running away?  Did he change at all?  Why did he want out of his marriage to Sophia so badly? Was HE depressed?  What did Sophia not know/understand about their marriage/past? But this wasn't Travis' story, so those questions weren't so important either I suppose.  

Overall:

This was a good book that I would recommend it.  Not as light hearted as some LDS fiction books, but has some good meat and morals. 

If you liked this book also try: Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster

The Selection Trilogy

Grade: A-/4.75 Stars

Rating: PG (books 1 and 2 PG/ book 3 is PG-13)

Cautions:  Mostly clean. A few instances of violence... And one scene they get close to the line in book three.

This book is a cross between Hunger Games and the Bachelor.  I know, it sounds impossible, right?  Just think of this book as the dystopian version of the Bacherlor TV series.  Oh and add in Prince Charming and maybe Lancelot.  I think that will pretty much cover it.  I absolutely am a fan of this series.  I adore it and highly recommend it. 

So in Book One, we are introduced to America Singer.  She is in a very low social caste and lives in a place that is heavily regulated.  She has no intention of joining The Selection (a dating "contest" to win the hand of the Prince Maxon), but her boyfriend Aspen Leger insists that she do it. Of course they get into a big fight, she is chosen and leaves broken hearted.  I was super sad at first, but then I met the prince and forgot all about Aspen.

Book Two, We learn more about the characters the story advances and America starts to make a decision, to question that decision and finally come to terms. We learn more about the countries roots and founders and more about both of the love interests.  This book served mostly as a bridge between books one and two.  It was good, but it also frusterated me a few times... Okay several times.  Mostly because I hate cliffhangers.

Book Three, Has solidified this series' spot on my "favorites shelf." Now this does not mean that this book is without flaws, because they are there, but, I still really enjoyed it. 

America does have a tendency to do things that make me uncomfortable (ie. not telling Maxon sooner about Aspen) But Maxon pretty much makes up for that. Cause he's awesome. Don't get me wrong he has flaws, but they maybe that's why I like him. He feels so real. The end was wrapped up a little too quickly. There are a few things that I don't feel were thoroughly explained or brought to light. But, I guess that book was mostly about the love story, not the rest of the world as it was in the first two books, so really no surprise there. So... It's forgivable. 
There were a few things that I didn't love which is why I couldn't give these books a solid 5 stars.

(SPOILERS BELOW)
1. The scene where the almost get too physical (not necessary and kinda took away from the innocent love thing they had gong on... Thank you Maxon for putting on the brakes).2. A lot of violence at the end. (more than past 2 books)3. A little too convenient ending. (seemed a bit contrived and rushed, like maybe she was right up against a word count cut off)4. There were a few things that looked like "potential conflicts" (fight with Kota, Kriss's necklace) but nothing really comes of it so those things served no purpose and felt a little added-in.

All this being said, I adore the selection world. I love Maxon the most, America was interesting although some of her choices really drove me nuts, but I liked her enough to care, and Aspen grew on me a little more in this book too. Overall, I would recommend this series, I really enjoyed it. 

Free Book Today: Come to Me, by Shannon Guymon

This one has been on my To Read shelf for a while now! Get your free copy here so you can read it with me!

The List by Melanie Jacobson

Grade: A/5 stars
Rating: PG

Recommendation: Must read! This and it's companion novel Second Chances are both Whitney Award finalists!

This month it's my turn to host my local book club! And you guessed it, I picked my favorite book, The List by Melanie Jacobson.

If you've been following this blog at all, you know that my love of clean reading, and of LDS fiction in general, began with this book.  (If not, you can read my journey here) so I figured it was about time that I wrote a review on it.

Do the names Jack Weyland Richard Paul Evans sound familiar?  Well, they should. These are some of the authors I grew up reading and if you were an LDS teen growing up in the 19 ::cough cough:: then you probably grew up reading them too.

Let's talk LDS fiction for a minute.  LDS readers seem to have an opinion one way or another about LDS fiction. Many readers like it, but there are also a great many readers who when they hear the term "LDS fiction" put two hands over their ears and run in the opposite direction.  About a year ago, if you had asked me what I thought about it I would probably have told you... "Well, Um... it's cute and fluffy?"... You see, I was a member of the latter group (how shameful- I know).  But now I'm singing a different song and it all started with this book.

What it's about (borrowed from Goodreads):

Ashley Barrett doesn't want to get married. At least, not anytime soon. She doesn't care how many of her friends and family members and fellow churchgoers had weddings before they finished college -- the last thing she needs in her fun-loving twenties is the dead-weight of some guy. And that's why she created The List. By the time she completes all twenty-five goals -- from learning a language to skydiving to perfecting the art of making sushi -- she'll be more ready to settle down. Maybe.

This summer in California is a prime time for Ashley to cross two items off the list: learn to surf (#13) and have a summer romance (#17). And Matt Gibson, the best surf instructor in Huntington Beach and the most wanted guy in the singles ward, is the perfect man for the job. Ashley hatches a plan to love him and leave him before heading off to grad school in the fall (#4, get a master's degree). But when Matt decides he doesn't like the "leaving" part, Ashley's carefully laid plans are turned sideways. Now Ashley faces an unexpected dilemma: should she stick to the safety of The List, or risk everything for a love that may tie her down —- or might set her free?

What I liked:

From the very first sentence I was hooked and I stayed hooked until I finished the book. In full disclosure, I read it about three more times after that and then I bought a hard copy so I could loan it to others. From Ashley's snarky voice, to the twists and turns throughout the book... It was pure serendipity.   There are so many things about this book that I like.  Let's start with the main premise.  If you spent anytime in young women's then you at some point have  probably made a list... But most likely it was a list about what the qualities you want in a mate, what you want to be doing in 1 year/5years/10years or some other marriage related topic.  What I love about the premise is that it turns the list idea on its head and gives Ashley a list of things she wants to do before she will even consider the m-word. So clever!

Now the characters.  Ashley is everything an LDS Young Single adult cliche is not.  Really!  A mormon girl who doesn't want to marry?  That's like a walking contradiction isn't it?  Okay, to be fair, she does want to marry, just not until she completes the list. What a breath of fresh air.   And then there's Matt Gibson.  Just love him!  Matt's character is written so differently than most book boyfriends.  He's cool and suave and gosh.. He was just great.  Perfect.

And this book is funny.  The banter is quick, the comedy witty and the twists and turns? Well,  enough said.

What I didn't like:

Well, if there were things that I didn't like, then I probably couldn't give this the title of my "favorite book" now could I?

So were LDS books of the past predictable? Definitely.  A bit cheesy? Yep (not to say that I didn't love them).  But, thanks to authors like Melanie Jacobson those are things of the past.  I urge you to try this book out if it's been a while since you've read an LDS fiction book. Write on Ms. Jacobson, write on.

Cinderella Screwed Me Over by Cindi Madsen

Grade: B/3.75 stars
Rating: PG-13
Cautions:  several instances of minor language throughout, Premarital sex between consenting adults off screen, and talk of being drunk.

Recommendation:  Great idea, good execution.  A little long.

Once upon a time, I was a little girl.  And like most little girls growing up in the 1980's I was nourished on a healthy diet of Disney Princesse movies:  Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella and Belle... you name it I watched it.  Fast forward a few years to my teenage and young adult years and you will see that I was experiencing what can only be described as the "Disney Princess Syndrome"... Yes, I expected to be treated like a princess and get my very own "Happily Ever After".   Now as an adult, I have two little girls of my own (and a little boy, but this is about the Disney PRINCESS syndrome not prince syndrome, so... we'll talk about him in another post). And for better or worse, my little girls are being brought up in a Disney world.  In fact, just this morning we were watching Disney Junior and yesterday we played Disney online, and next week we might even re-purchase Annual Disney passes.  Ah! Walt Disney, you are a mad genius.

Clever Cindi Madsen took this whole idea of Disney Princess Syndrome and based a book on it. This book is about a girl named Darby, who was suffered from the Disney Princess syndrome, but had grown up and discovered that it wasn't true.  Instead she learns that there are no perfect men or perfect marriages. Poor Darby goes through a series of relationships that in some way or another let her down.  A few good relationships are sprinkled in, but each one seems to end and leave her in worse condition than she was before.  And then she meets Jake... and he challenges all the rules she's set for herself.

What I liked:

Darby created a "case-file" of her failed relationships... Each equated to a different Disney princess.  They were each so cute, so funny and I just loved each one!  It was also funny to see how some of thees-boyfirend stories overlapped and how each played out.  Sometimes "flashback" scenes can detract and distract from the main story, but not in this book. Each "case-file" built the story and explained why Darby was the way she was.  I loved the "cute-sweet" (the cute/funny/awkward scene where the main characters meet) scene where Darby and Jake meet.  So darling and funny! I liked Jake, he was patient and kind and just... great!  Loved the scenes with him in it.

And of course, I loved the premise of this book! I wish I had thought of it first!

What I didn't like:

Darby was a little too jaded for my taste (in terms of relationships), to the point that it was a bit unbelievable. She also said a few things that put me off and made it difficult for me to relate to her.  For example, in her conversations with Kyle she bashes communication in marriage.  Later in the book she gets upset with her boyfriend for not talking to her sooner about certain situations (even though she made it pretty much impossible, but that's beside the point). So I was left thinking, okay Darby, which is it?  Communicate or not?  Mostly, I think Darby just likes to be contrary when it comes to the male sex.  And then there's her viewpoint of her brother Devon's marriage to Anna... which was just so sad. Her view of marriage and relationships in general is sad throughout most of the book. Maybe it's because my degree is in Marriage, Family and Human Development, but it was really difficult for me to be on Darby's side through alot of the book.  I kept thinking, "Jake... you are a catch! RUN!"   But the biggest of all my problems with Darby was her dislike of children in general.  Several times in the book she mentions how much she dislikes children, babies, crying, and her lack of maternal instinct.

For the most part, the ending was fine. It didn't make my toes curl or anything, but I am glad that most of the loose ends were tied up, that Darby was able to work through some of her issues, and that her viewpoints were at least heading in a better direction.

Overall:

I enjoyed this book.  The premise was original, the characters were interesting and the ending was satisfying. This book felt a little too drawn out for me, but that might be because I just finished a few short story books recently, so maybe it's just long in comparison?  I could've done without the minor swear words thrown throughout the book- I really didn't think they were necessary.  And one last thing: even though I know that adults in the non-mormon world have pre-marital sex, this was another thing I didn't feel was necessary; Them getting together and "living happily ever after" would have been enough- I didn't need to know that they did it. (Even though is was done behind closed doors so technically clean).

Becoming Bayley by Susan Auten

Grade: A+
Rating: PG+
Recommendation: Read it.  NOW.


I have probably read this book about five times now. Really, I'm not kidding.  When I want to read something good, I grab this book and flip open to just about anywhere and let myself get sucked into its pages.

This is one of those books that I wish more people knew about, because it is just so good!  At this time I believe it is only available via e-book and it makes me so sad/mad because it is honestly one of my top five favorite books I've read to date and I'd really like it sitting on my bookshelf (my real one, not my virtual one).

When I first read the set-up and say the cover, I really thought it was a YA book, marketed to LDS youth between the ages of 12-19. And it is, but THIS BOOK IS SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT. 

What I liked:

Everything.

The way Auten writes is like vanilla ice cream smothered in hot-fudge with a red cherry on top... Divine.  She has this way of creating characters that aren't perfect, who are struggling, but are just so real and likable and just perfect. I fell in love with the whole cast. Well, everyone except for Matt's mom.  I loved Bayley.  She felt like a real person to me.  I could picture her going away to soccer camp and getting all dolled up for the dance, I could see her strained relationship with her sister.  I could FEEL her pain each step of the way.  And I fell in love as she fell in love.

And Matt.  Ahh Matt.  More than most book boyfriends, he felt like a real guy to me.  He was so cute, especially with Bayley.  And even better, he surprised me a few times.  I liked all the sides of him I got to see:  Pre-mission, soccer player, son, brother, post-mission... Loved that. He did a few things I wanted to shake him for, but that just made him seem that much more real.  I loved him.

Really, I loved all the characters, but what made this story really special was the storyline and the challenges they encountered along the way.

What I didn't like:

I have nothing to say at all about the story. Loved the beginning, middle and end.

But...Here's the thing.  The cover is beautiful and yes, the book is about soccer, but it's also not, I mean it is, but it's just so much more than just soccer.  It's about Bayley, and her struggles and her quest to find herself, her worth and of course her love story. While the cover is absolutely beautiful, I don't think it does enough justice to the story and unfortunately might  dissuade some readers from buying the book. Ah, I hate saying that because it really is pretty, it just made me think more YA, less LDS romance/BYU.  So when you look at the cover, I want you to picture the back of a gorgeous brunette girls head looking in the mirror, but what she sees is a red-headed girl losing all her hair.  Now on her wall is a poster of all the cute BYU men's soccer team, front and center is her love interest and on her desk is a stack of mail missionary mail and on the floor is a well loved soccer ball.  Okay, that pretty much sums the story up for me... Kinda, sorta?  Okay, I suck at cover art.  But what I'm trying to say is that this story has so much too it than just a soccer ball.

So buy the book and thank me later.   I promise, if you love LDS Romance, you will love this book, there's just no way you won't love it.

The Outer Edge of Heaven by Jaclyn M. Hawkes FREE TODAY

Happy Hump Day! Enjoy this book for free by clicking HERE. 

I've read a few of the Rockland Ranch series by this author and enjoyed them.  They are a good, clean way to spend a day.  Hope you enjoy!

The Fortune Cafe: A Tangerine Street Romance

Grade: A
Rating: PG-13 (one minor swear words)
Content: Clean

What happens when you put an awesome premise together with three amazing authors?  You get an incredible little book named the The Fortune Cafe: A Tangerine Street Romance!  It's no secret that I love Melanie Jacobsen... Pretty much anything that has this ladies name on it is gold to me.  And Julie Wright? She's another one of my favorites, but combine those two with Heather B. Moore and you have one serious writing powerhouse.

Here's what you need to know:  This book is divided into three stories.  Part one is Misfortune by Julie Wright, next comes, Love, Not Luck by Melanie Jacobsen, and last is Takeout by Heather B. Moore.  The premise that ties these stories together (as explained at the beginning of the book) is that A Chinese Restaurant on Tangerine street has Fortune Cookies where the fortunes come true (at least the first one does). Super cute right?!

Now here's my confession... Are you ready?  I've never read a short story (anthology) book before...ever. It's not that I had anything against them, I didnt', it's just that I didn't necessarily see enough appeal to actually pick one up (I know tragic, right?).  I mean how was an author ever going to get all the information from one story jammed a book 1/3 the size and make me fall in love with characters?  I just didn't think it could be done. Well... That was yesterday, before I read The Fortune Cafe. Today, I understand why "short story" format is so appealing...and just as satisfying.

What I liked about the book as a whole:  When I find a book that I like, I'm always sad to see it end.  I just want a little bit more...The same story, but different ya know?  What I really want is to replicate how the story made me feel. What's cool about this book is that it does exactly that.  You get to fall in love with the Tangerine Street World and then you get to revisit that same world, but from a different person in the next story. I love that.  (I'm kind of a sucker for alternative points of view.) And don't even get me started on the the premise, just so dang cute.  I'm also impressed with the subtle overlap of the books, just enough to make you go "Ah! Look at what they did there." It's clever, without going so far as to be gimmicky and cheesy.

Part One: Mis-fortune by Julie Wright.

I've read a few books by Wright and I've always enjoyed her writing style.  And this is no exception. Wright does a fantastic job of introducing us to Tangerine street. Part One introduces us to the cafe, it's owner Cai (who is expertly personified) and most importantly to Emma.  Emma is a waitress at the Cafe by day and writer/caretaker for her mother by night.  She is opposed to opening a fortune cookie if for no other reason than she just hasn't.  Well, that and she doesn't believe in the fortune cookie "voodoo".  Well, fate or luck smiles on her and she ends up opening one on the same day her high school crush sits in her cafe.

Wright does a great job at creating a well-rounded character and world very quickly.  Really she is very talented.  In a 1/3 of the overall book, I not only was introduced to her world, her hopes, dreams, fears and love interest, but wayyy more important I actually cared.  I won't give away much more than that though... You'll have to read it.

Part Two: Love, Not Luck by Melanie Jacobsen

It's no secret that Melanie's name on the book is the whole reason I picked this little diamond in the first place.  And she didn't disappoint. This part of the book is Lucy's story. She is visiting the cafe with her parents and her fiancé parents to finalize wedding plans. When she breaks her lucky Jade necklace, Lucky Lucy isn't so lucky anymore, in fact she's quite the opposite.  I love the banter between the characters. Really, Jacobsen is a master at writing Dialogue;  Snarky, flirty and fast-paced=awesome sauce. The love interest (name withheld to prevent spoilers) was my favorite of the three love interests.  Witty without being annoying,  Cute without being "too cute" and just the right amount of Mmm-mmm.  I also loved Lucy's relationship with her mother, it felt real and added something special to the book.  Especially after reading Emma's story in part one, I think this helped to round out the overall balance of the book as a whole.  Loved this section!

Part Three: Takeout by Heather B. Moore

Okay I'm embarrassed to admit this. But this is my first time reading anything by Heather... Please lower your weapons, I see now what a huge oversight that was and I will now be reading everything Ms. Moore writes.  Right from the first sentence, Stella Novak's and Evan Rockham's story draws you in. It's kinda of like a can of Pringles in that way, once you've had one sentence you just want to gobble the whole thing up.  Stella works at Spyglass Jewelry a few doors down from Tangerine Cafe and Evan is a chef/culinary teacher at the new Mariposa Hotel. I wasn't sure who the last story in this book would be about and I'm glad it was about Stella and her cute little jewelry store on Tangerine Street.  Can I just say I loved the run in right at the beginning with the two men... Fantastic story. Can't wait to read more by this author.


Have I got your interest piqued now right?  Great! Job done... Now go read the book.  You'll be happy you did. You can buy it HERE.

The Weight of Love by Jolene B. Perry

Grade: A

Rating: PG +

Content: Clean

Best Quote: Oh I wish I could give you this one, but its too spoilery.  Darn.  Ask me and I'll tell you!

Every so often a book comes along that I kinda fangirl all over. THIS IS ONE OF THEM. I will be honest, I wasn't sure about picking it up. I worried about the subject matter: Mormon missionary falls in love with a single mom? I'll admit, I had my doubts that it could be done without crossing lines, but I gave it a chance. I downloaded the sample and five minutes later I bought the book and a few hours after that I finished it and then one minute after that, I started it all over again. Really and truly I did. Wow...This book! I'm kinda in love with it. The romance, the REAL romance, just hit the spot. The characters were real, they had emotion, they struggled. Oh my. I kinda wish I could get amnesia and read it for the first time all over again. 

Have you heard of Jolene B. Perry? No?  Neither had I, which is absolutely crazy because she has so many books out!  This is me doing a happy dance... And then this amazing gem of a book magically appeared on my recommended list. I'm so glad it did. In fact, I have to go now and buy everything else this lady has ever written. What's unique about her writing is that she writes in first person present tense.  Many/most authors I've read who write this genre of book write it in first person PAST tense.  -ed instead of -es?  Ya with me?  Anyways, the book I am currently writing, no TRYING to write began as third person, which I soon discovered I HATED to write, it then became first person past tense and then I realized that the story was best told in first person PRESENT tense.  Okay, I know that's super rambl-y.  What I mean to say is that this book really attracted me not only for the story (which I loved), but also for the way that this story was written.  I felt like I was experiencing what the MC's were experiencing as they experienced it.  And I love that kind of escape! Way to go Ms. Jolene Betty Perry, you have a fan in me. 

What I liked:  As I hope you've discovered by now I do my absolute best not to spoil any books, ESPECIALLY if it is a book that I really really like and think you should read, So forgive me if this is not as specific as some of my other reviews have been.  Okay... I liked how this book started before it started.  The reader is introduced to Mitchell before he goes on his mission and Jaycee when she recieves life changing news.  I LOVED this aspect of the story.  It added so much depth to the story.  

I also loved the alternating points of view.  The book I'm writing also alternates view points and I have found that I love what it adds to a story.  If you haven't read a book that alternates view points, it can take a little getting used to.  But, I promise that if you give it a chance you will 95% of the time love it.  It's like you get all sides of the story and not just one person's take on it.  So, writing a male's perspective as a female doesn't always work, but Perry seriously nailed it.  I have a tendency to look at missionaries as just that missionaries.  The white shirt and tie wearing elder with a name tag.  I loved that this book brought to life the man behind the badge.  And who wouldn't love Mitchell?  I dare you to try. 

Then there's Jaycee.  Jaycee is a widow and a single mom to a son with special needs.  She is struggling emotionally and financially.  The woman just needed a hug the whole book! And its amazing the angst the author was able to create because Mitchell was unable to fulfill that need.  Jaycee reminded me of so many strong and valiant women I know.  She struggled, but she never lost hold on her testimony.  I was so proud of her and enjoyed watching her learn and grow and watch her put faith in the answers to prayers that she received   Touching. 

I was so nervous that this book would cross the line and in a few parts I read with one eye open only because I so wanted Mitchell to do the right thing and at the same time I just wanted him to SAY something.  Ah... Perry wrote this so perfectly. 

What I didn't like:  Hmm... Um.  I wish the female was brunette not blond? Ya, I've got nothing.  Oh that's not true.  I wish that Perry would write more LDS fiction :)

If you like this book try these:

Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster

Free Book Today!

This book is free today!  I've read a few books by this author before, but I haven't read this book!  This author writes terrific clean romance stories, so I am excited to read this one.  If you would like to download it for free click here.  Happy reading!

Let's start at the very beginning...My Adventures in Writing (Part One)

About three years ago I lived in a three-bedroom apartment with HORRIBLE laundry facilities. After several ruined shirts and countless "less then clean" loads, I made the decision to only use said laundry facilities if it was an absolute emergency. Every week for 4 years, I would load up my laundry, my three babies (aged three and under), into my little red lancer and make the 30-minute drive down to my grandma's house to do wash.

Now at the time if you had asked me how I felt about the arrangement I might have said, "Oh, you know it's a hassle, I wish that I didn't have to load it up every week, but I enjoy the time with GG (Great Grandma)." But now, I can tell you that it was nothing short of The Lord's hand in my life working miracles and guiding me along... For many many reasons.  One of those reasons is the quiet time it gave me to start dreaming up stories.

It's pretty clear from this blog, that I love to read.  I love being whisked away into the written world.  Whether its back to the singles ward, a dystopian society or even into Medieval times, I just love the reading experience.  What I didn't realize, at least consciously, was that it's more than just a love of reading, but a deeper love of story-telling that has my heart.

As a young child I would often ask GG to tell me a story from her mouth, meaning tell me a story in your own words, not one from a book.  On one family vacation my cousin and I began a co-authored novel about medieval times-- even at age 10, my book was a romance that contained a love triangle- It's a sickness, I know.  So what I failed to realize until about two and half years ago was that I really wanted to write my own novel. And lucky me, the hour plus drive to and from GG's gave me the perfect opportunity to dream the novel up.

The first book that started to take root was/is a dystopian trilogy and while I will one day write it (I have notebooks of notes and 40+ pages complete with outline) I just can't seem to get the words our right.  Don't worry, I wasn't discouraged, in fact if anything it is what started the fire of writing in me.

In 2012, I found the New Adult genre, if you want to know more about it click here to learn more about the genre in general or here to read what USAtoday says about the New Adult Genre. Essentially, the New Adult genre is the time between YA fiction (think high school/teen years) and Adult fiction (grown up problems, think married with career).  New adult fiction is the bridge.  These books are about college, identity crises, leaving home for the first time, not the first romance, but maybe the lasting romance.

Unfortunately, as I got more into reading this genre, I realized that there were not so many books out there that were what I would consider appropriate to read.  (This is me making a super sad face.)  Honestly, this genre has become synonymous with what can only politely be described as soft sex or in other words Fifty-Shades of Grey's little sister. Now here is where I make a confession that I got sucked in.  At first, I would skip the pages with the scene and then I decided it really wasn't a big deal and there ya go, that flaxen cord had become a nylon rope.

After some discussions with my husband, and if I'm totally honest one discussion with a kind-hearted bishop, I made it my mission to find the best books that I could to read.  That meant no more sex scenes, everything needed to take place behind closed doors and books needed to be at a "PG-13" rating.   I figured that if the prophets counsel not to watch R-Rated programs, that would probably go for books too right?

Let me tell you what. There are so many great books out there!  There are authors who are writing books that are worth something, that entertain me and make me laugh and cry and swoon and guess what I don't have to feel guilty for reading any of it.  And more importantly, I have never felt the Lord's hand, the Lord's blessing so fully in my life.

In the book of Ether 12:27 in the Book of Mormon it says:

27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

Okay, this is not me saying that I am a "strong" writer or that I have books that will ever see the light of publishing, but what I have been given is strength and courage to write. I have a passion to write.  I have a desire to write.

While on my quest to find "the best books"  I decided to check out what was going on in the LDS world.  Guess what?  There are so many talented LDS authors out there and LDS Fiction has really changed over the last few years.  Women (and men too) are writing stories that are so great (in pretty much every genre you could ever be interested in).

One such author is Melanie Jacobsen.  Melanie writes New Adult LDS romantic comedies, if you want to put it in a box, although I think she will break into the national market by this time next year if not sooner.  This is where I tell you to read anything this woman has ever written, I love her novels.  I first came across her book, The List, while looking for New Adult fiction that I could be sure was clean.  After that book I read every that had her name on it.  I then discovered authors's like Julie Wright, Susan Auten, Janette Rallison, and Kaylee Baldwin, among so so so many other talented LDS Authors.

One night after I had put the children to bed, I was working on my first novel (the dystopian one) and I realized that that wasn't the story I wanted to be writing. I was writing it, but it just felt kind of dead. Like a body without a spirit or something.  Well, I had been listening to a song earlier that day at the gym (Beneath Your Beautiful) and a story for a book just started to pour into my head.  At that moment I opened up a new document and wrote the first ten pages of a book that I am now nearly 95,000 words into (or 250 pages).  I told you, it just started to flow.

I started slowly, chugging away a little each day, not really knowing what I was doing and about 50% of the way through I decided I needed a little advice.  I wrote Melanie and asked for any tips she might be willing to give in writing LDS Romance, but not really expecting a reply.  A day or so later, I received a reply... guess what?  She lives about 10 minutes away from me.  I told you the Lord had His hands all over this.

She suggested we meet up and talk instead of switching emails back and forth.  About  a week later we did just that.  I took at least a full-page of notes from that one sit-down.  I came home and wrote another 10,000 words over the next 24-hours.  Her biggest encouragement was for me to attend an LDS Writer's Conference with her.  Which, let me tell you was absolutely incredible. That will be a second post because I just have too much to say about ANWA and how it has shaped my writing experience.

I am now about 4 scenes away from completing a very very rough first draft of my first novel.  I wish I had a title to give you, but like naming my first child, it probably won't happen until after it's born.  Sorry to disappoint. I hope you enjoy this post and I hope you will follow this series on my writing adventure.  My next installment will be about all the many wonderful things I learned at ANWA- If you are attempting to write too, you won't want to miss it!

Weekend Freebies: The Cupid Caper by Kristen Ethridge

Book Summary: 

Sometimes you've got to take Cupid's bow and arrow into your own hands. 

Amanda Marsh is in love with love. As a high school English teacher, she is surrounded by poetry and classic literature, including the love stories written by her favorite author, Shakespeare. She knows she’ll never find anything as romantic as the stories that have stood the test of time, so she’s settled on having a crush on chemistry teacher Luke Baker from a far.

Luke Baker left his career as a research chemist behind to share a love of science with students. And he’s about to make his pet project a reality as the curriculum lead for the district’s new specialized science and technology academy. When a poem shows up on his desk drawing him into The Cupid Caper, the Valentine’s Day-themed dance and fundraiser for Skyview High School’s Student Council, Luke dismisses the whole thing as a silly game. But when he realizes that winning the grand prize in The Cupid Caper is the one way he can help a star student attend the new STEM Academy, he decides to play along.

Paired together, the English teacher and the chemistry teacher both realize The Cupid Caper is more than a game, but neither can tell the other their feelings are no joke. When an education in happily ever after is on the line, will a man whose life has been ruled by the scientific method and a woman who quotes sonnets miss the mark, or will Cupid’s arrow finally ring true?

The Holiday Hearts Series: Heartwarming Stories of Finding Love on the Most Special Days of the Year

Please Note: The Cupid Caper is a sweet contemporary romance novella with a word count of 27,000 words.

**I have not read this book, but it is listed as a CLEAN romance and totally FREE today!  Click HERE to download this book free. 

Victoria's Promise by Julie Wright

Rating: PG-13 (there is mention of substance abuse- in the subplot)
Grade: B+/4 stars
Recommend: Yes- great beach book

So it's no shocker that I love bachelor books by now right?!

Victoria's promise is part of the Newport Ladies Book Club series. This is the first book I've read in the series and it read fine as a stand-alone (but did make me interested to read more in this series).

Victoria Winters (Tori), is 2nd AD on the set of Vows.  After a run-in with Christopher Caine (don't you just love that name!) she finds herself thinking about him more and more.  Tori is part of the Newport Ladies Book Club and we are introduced to the other ladies an their stories throughout the book.  I am very curious to read Ilana's story after this book!

Chris Caine, is the bachelor. Enough said... :) Or maybe not, he's southern, sweet and totally off limit's for Tori.  I wish I had seen a little more of Chris Caine, but he was great.

What I liked: I liked that this book was an easy light-hearted CLEAN read.  I've read other books by Julie Wright and I really enjoy her writing style. And of course I love that it was written in first person narrative despite being a women's fiction book (Women's fiction tends to use 3rd person I've noticed-which I don't care for).

I liked that this romance took a little time to build.  The MC's actually talked about real things, not just their feelings: books, her scripts etc.  That was sweet and felt real.

This was a fun book because you got a feel for being behind the scenes on the set of the bachelor (something I would love to do).  I also really liked the scenes with Ilana, a woman who is struggling with prescription drugs.  I loved that this book wasn't afraid to talk about tough issues- I am interested to read more of her story.

What I didn't like: I find I am less and less interested in writing this section because when I read what someone didn't like about a book I tend to focus in on that one thing more than I would have before I read it. So my comments in this section will be kept brief from here on out (unless I REALLY don't like something or object to it morally).  I would have loved to read more at the end.  I am a sucker for epilogue's, I guess I just don't like to leave a characters' world once I'm in it.  I would have loved to see a wedding or what they were like after the end of the show... But I also know that this was about the show vows and it was a perfect ending, so, ya.

I would recommend this movie.  It is great for the beach. It is a cute book that I finished quickly.

If you like this book, also check out:

Second Chances by Melanie Jacobsen
Reality Check by Karen Tuft

Mile 21 by Sarah Dunster

Grade: A
Rating: PG-13 (no language or sexual situations)
Content: Clean (death of a spouse)
Recommendation:  Highly Recommend (Read this book when you really want to FEEL something and have a box of tissues)

Best Quote: The whole dang book was awesome, but I will try to narrow this down.


A few months ago I saw this book and past over it. it kept coming up and I kept passing by it... the cover seemed a little 1980's from the gold rings to the pink rose. Well, I was in a bit of a book slump and this one popped up again, so I decided to try a sample... by page two I was hooked. I'm so glad I read this one!  I recommend this book, its the first book in a LONG time to make me favorites list.

This book is about a girl named Abish who is recently widowed. She is 21, not married, but not "single" and struggling to get through her life as an undergrad at BYU-I. She is training to run the marathon the her husband never was able to run.

What I liked:  Oh Abish, I cried, I laughed, I nearly threw my kindle a few times, but most of all I really rooted for you. I loved this book! Yes it was heartbreaking and I don't usually pick up these kind of books, but something about this book... wow! 

I loved reading Abish's internal monologue.... wait, dialogue? It was so real, so touching. Her bishop/boss was stern, but so perfect, so real. Her roommates, oh wow... made me glad I never had them. Mama, Pen and Suzy... and of course Bob.  Abish felt like a real person to me.  And I mean she was REAL: her emotions,  her depression, her thoughts, her actions.  Sometimes she made choices that made me cringe.  I couldn't believe the things she did at times, and yet, it was exactly right.  I was so curious how the author was able to create such an honest story. Read more about Sarah Dunster's story here. I am amazed at Sarah and her ability to take such a difficult life experience and pour all that emotion into an incredibly beautiful and inspiring story. Don't misunderstand,  Mile 21 is not Sarah's story, it's Abish's; however, the feelings, the emotions, are real and raw and just right. 


What I didn't like: The only thing about this book I didn't like was the characters' names... Bob, not a swoon worthy name...Abish eek hard one to get past, admittedly one of the reasons I kept passing it up. There are others like a girl named Steve and the "turd" too. But the names were the worst part for me... so that is really saying something. 

The pace of the book was a little slower than what I've been reading recently, but it fit the story perfectly.

Content: Clean
(there is talk of the first husband passing away and of miscarriage...)

She walks in Beauty by Siri Mitchell

Grade: B
Rating: PG+
Content: Clean

Best Quote:

“This table is a pigeon trap. A dozen different forks and knives and spoons. Four different goblets. All of them just waiting to be knocked over or misapplied and mishandled. It’s a wonder anyone is ever tempted to eat.” -Clara Carter, She Walks in Beauty


This book is about Clara Carter, a debutant in 1890's, the gilded age. Corsets, balls, opera's and dazzling dresses.  Clara has been tasked by her Aunt and father to win the hand of Mr. De Vries, the De Vries fortune Heir.  She is hurried into society before she is ready and is moved like a pawn from one social event to the next.  She catches his eye and the eye of his brother as does her best friend Lizzie.  The story takes off from there.

What surprised me about this book is that it is a historical ficition that paints such a realistic view of what it would have actually been like to live in the Victorian Era.  We follow Clara as she learns about the tenements in New York and the plight of the immigrant, we learn the horrors of corsettes and the horrible effects they had on young women at that time, the race to win a husband and all the preparation of debuting. When I first started this book, I had the impression that it was much more of a light hearted romance; What I actually found in this book was a discussion on much more serious topics.  I enjoyed learning more of the truth behind this time period and I can see that the author really did her homework before writing this book.

What I liked: I loved learning all the details about the time period.  Thanks to Scarlette O'hara, I knew that women desired to have a itty-bitty 18 inch waist, but I didn't know the extent of the horrors that women had to endure to get there.  I loved learning all the details about Clara's coming out.  The dresses and the rigourous schedule the girls had to maintain of late nights and lesson-filled days. The imagery and descriptions of the times were stunning.  I loved Harry and his innocence and his strength. I loved Clara and her conviction to do right after everything. I loved that she felt like a real person, with struggles, desires, and feelings.

What I didn't like:  I felt like this books romance took a back seat to the history lesson of the time period.  You know me, the love story is the most important thing in a book for me, so it didn't live up to my expectations in that way.  There was a lot of talking by the aunt, an inner monologue from Clara and a few conversations, but none that felt deep or especially moving.  I think this authors strong points are in imagery and historical details and not in dialogue or character interaction.  Dialogue moves a story along very rapidly and I think that is why the pacing of this story felt like it was a bit sluggish in points and why I wasn't as connected to some the characters esp. Harry and Clara as I would like to have been by the end.  Also, the ending was a bit rushed for me.  We learn alot of her circumstances, but the end to the love story, a bit rushed and not enough detail for me.  Again, that is so more a personal preference.

If you like this book(or time-period) then try these books:

Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson
Blackmoore by Juliaane Donaldson
Drops of Gold by Sarah M. Eden