The Wedding Gift by Kathleen McKenna

Title:         The Wedding Gift Publisher:  Bell Bridge Books Pub Date:  October 19, 2011 ISBN:        9781611940527 Author:      Kathleen McKenna From Goodreads: 17 year old Leeann Worthier is the perfect girl in town - or so she says. George Willets is the heir to a booming petroleum business. When they announce their engagement, George's controlling mother is unimpressed and Leeann absolutely refuses to live with her mother-in-law. So George gives his new wife a house as a wedding gift. Thirty years before, the same house had hosted a grisly scene: George's uncle and cousins had all been slaughtered, his aunt Robina accused of both murder and suicide. The house is a gorgeous, well-maintained mansion but has stood empty since the tragedy. It's intimidating, but who is Leeann to turn down a free house? When the ghost of Robina begins to haunt Leeann, she realizes she's made a huge mistake ... "A rip roaring murderously good time," Tiffany Harkleroad of Tiffany's Bookshelf.

This book is totally out of my expectation. I don't mean it's badly written, but I never expect it's a journal. It's actually Leeann's journal. So it's in first POV, with Leeann narrating the story from beginning until the end. Thus you only get one side of the story. Surprisingly it is not boring at all. She started with how she get to know George and how they got married, and what happened after that.  Leeann was just 17 years old and she's a funny person. So you have to set your expectations on the way a 17 years old girl will talk, as this is how she wrote her journal. Some people may find the haunted house creepy, but not to me. I'm not sure what should I expect from a 17 years old, but I do find Leeann a little immature and too vain. But being forced into marriage seems do make her grow. She was lucky to have a very good friend that always there for her. The ending was unexpected but it's a good ending. It's a story with some romance, mystery, suspense and horror.

I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Note: I receive the digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Dragon and the Pearl by Jeannie Lin

Title:         The Dragon and the Pearl Publisher:  Harlequin Imprint:     Harlequin Historical Pub Date:  September 20, 2011 ISBN:       9780373296620 Author:     Jeannie Lin THE MOST BEAUTIFUL COURTESAN OF THEM ALL... Former Emperor’s consort Ling Suyin is renowned for her beauty; the ultimate seductress. Now she lives quietly alone—until the most ruthless warlord in the region comes and steals her away.... Li Tao lives life by the sword, and is trapped in the treacherous, lethal world of politics. The alluring Ling Suyin is at the center of the web. He must uncover her mystery without falling under her spell—yet her innocence calls out to him. How cruel if she, of all women, can entrance the man behind the legend....

This is my first historical romance that take place in China during 8th century. The story is very interesting. It is beautifully written with details description of the settings, places, people and even their emotion. It's mostly about the romance between Ling Suyin and Li Tao with minimum actions. It gives a good insight of the position and role of the women during that time. Ling suyin was a very smart and strong lady. She definitely knows how to survive and on her best not allowing others to take advantage on her. She's not only save herself, but she was saying other people's life too. And trying to turn around the situation to make it in favor to her. It's very interesting to see how Li Tao interacts with her. They were attracted to each other and yet they were fear of the relationship, as they were aware of their own destiny and they have no future to be together. I like the little suspense element blended in the story which make the whole thing even more interesting. I like the ending. It's a very good ending.

I enjoy reading it very much and I rate it 4 out of 5 stars.


Note: I receive the digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

The Guardian by Robbie Cheuvront and Erik Reed

Title:         The Guardian Publisher:  Barbour Publishing, Inc. Imprint:     Barbour Books Pub Date:  09/01/2011 ISBN:       9781616262785 Author:     Robbie Cheuvront and Erik Reed Plunge into the world of seen and unseen forces in The Guardian. Anna Riley has just come into possession of a two-thousand-year old scroll that God gave to John the Disciple. Her mission—to guard the scroll and unlock its secret. Jason Lang, her protector, has his work cut out for him as they begin their journey around the world, facing corruption and dodging bullets—all the while trying to keep his attraction to Anna at bay. Will he succeed in defending the woman he’s vowed to protect? Will Anna, forced to trust other people to stay alive, fulfill the challenge that she’s accepted?

This story is full of actions, running from one place to another. After Anna had accepted the duty from her grandfather, to complete the task from God, her life was no longer same. Within few days, she had to run away from the bad people and witnessed death, and more death along the journey. She learnt to trust and have faith in God, on completing this task. What made me sad is, why so many good people have to die. And many times, I was very worry for Anna when the bad people were catching up on her.

I enjoy the Christian values that was being presented throughout the whole book. The pace is good. The story also flows smoothly. I feel the ending was a bit rush, nonetheless it's a good book. I enjoy reading it very much.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Note: I receive the digital ARC of this book from the publisher via Net Gallery. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Perfect Chemistry (Perfect Chemistry #1) by Simone Elkeles

From Goodreads: A fresh, urban twist on the classic tale of star-crossed lovers. When Brittany Ellis walks into chemistry class on the first day of senior year, she has no clue that her carefully created “perfect” life is about to unravel before her eyes. She’s forced to be lab partners with Alex Fuentes, a gang member from the other side of town, and he is about to threaten everything she's worked so hard for—her flawless reputation, her relationship with her boyfriend, and the secret that her home life is anything but perfect. Alex is a bad boy and he knows it. So when he makes a bet with his friends to lure Brittany into his life, he thinks nothing of it. But soon Alex realizes Brittany is a real person with real problems, and suddenly the bet he made in arrogance turns into something much more. In a passionate story about looking beneath the surface, Simone Elkeles breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that threaten to keep Brittany and Alex apart.

I love this book, very very much. It was beautifully written. When I was reading this book, I feel that the pictures were running in front of me, as if I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. The story is written in first POV, alternating between Brittany and Alex. Alex supposed was a bad boy. However he's a likeable character. I find his character is very interesting. A bad boy, and yet he did nothing that make me dislike him. Even if he bet with his friend on luring Brittany, but then he regretted it. Brittany seems having a perfect life. But she was just doing it as a show. I like how she loves her sister, how she takes care her sister, to the extent that her sister is in her future plan. The relationship between Alex and Brittany was developed naturally. And it was fun to see how they interact with each other. The pace is good. The story also flows very smoothly despite the chapters are alternating between Alex and Brittany. I simply can't put down this book. And it's a book that I will read again.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.

Hermie, a Common Caterpillar By Max Lucado

Book Description This Max Lucado’s Hermie & Friends® best-selling story now available in easy-to-read format! Hermie and his friend Wormie have always felt common. They don’t have stripes or dots, they aren’t very strong, and they can’t find anything special about themselves. But every time they pray, God tells them that He loves them all the time just as they are and that He isn’t finished with them yet. When Hermie becomes a beautiful butterfly, he realizes just how special God’s plan is for him! This classic story has been revised for kids to read and enjoy on their own as a Lever 2 Reader. With fresh new art and a story kids can read themselves, plus a new, low price—this classic story will find a whole new generation of kids who love Hermie and his garden friends!

The kids love the beautiful illustrations of the book. The story is simple and yet pass an important message to the children - that everyone is unique and special; that God has a plan for everyone of us. We should not compare ourselves with others, as my daughter likes to ask me lots of questions about comparing herself to this friend and that friend etc. Not only children, even we as adult we also will tend to compare with other people who we thought are better than us. This is also a good story to teach us to be patience, as sometimes it is just not the right timing yet and we should not simply rush for it. We need to have more faith and trust in God.

I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.


Note: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”