Review: You and Tequila by Crystal Donahue

You and Tequila

by

Crystal Donahue

Blurb

One tequila, two tequila, three tequila… Score!

Cassel Bailey's life hasn't exactly turned out how she planned. Between the tragic death of her parents, a brother that practically despises her, and working her way through nursing school alone, she's learned to stay guarded, relying only on herself and her friends for love and support. Over time they’ve become her surrogate family. So when one drunken night at the bar lands her in bed with her close friend, Will Tanner, it threatens to change their otherwise platonic relationship forever. Life as she knows it suddenly begins spinning out of control as she struggles to understand her conflicted emotions. Guided by her authoritative best friend, Tina, and her quirky next-door neighbor, Rita, Cassel must decide between fighting to keep her friendship with Will alive, or going with Plan B and risking it all for something more.

Just when she thinks she knows what she wants, Cassel is bullied into caring for a patient that, unbeknownst to her, played an important role in her sad past. The stunning secret this person reveals about her former lover, Dane, threatens to open up previously healed wounds and leads Cassel to question not only the career she loves, but where her heart truly lies. Everything she thought she knew about life, love, and promises is shattered like an empty bottle hitting the floor.

One thing is for certain, when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade... when life gives you limes, you grab some salt and a bottle of tequila and learn to take it one shot at a time.


My Review:

You and Tequila...what a good book and a catchy title! This was yet another one I had to read straight through.

I simply adored the characters as Ms. Donahue made them very 'real'. The situation that Cass finds herself in with her best guy friend of all people, is a scenario that i'm sure alot of women could possibly relate to if they've ever had a really good guy friend. What would happen if you just went one step too far?

I liked Cassel right from the start trying not to feel sorry for this woman who last her parents and had a brother who hated her. She'd learned to take care of herself and handle things regardless of the situation. That is until too much tequila lands her in her best friend's bed.

Filled with a mix of sad moments, definite relationship chemistry and some funny moments makes this book an easy to recommend enjoyable read!

Worthy of my 4 leaves !!

 

Buy Links:

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17706202-you-and-tequila

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/You-and-Tequila-ebook/dp/B00BJB446A/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1364866012&sr=1-1&keywords=you+and+tequila

Review: Unraveled by S.X. Bradley

Unraveled

 

by

 

S.X. Bradley

I was given this book in return for an honest review...

I have to say that I usually don't read murder mysteries but the blurb had me wanting to find out more. I 've found myself liking YA stories more everyday. I really loved Autumn in this story. She's a super smart girl with not many friends but she definitely loves the people close to her. I think it's extremely cool for a 16 year old to be so much into forensics. I always wanted to do that myself and while i'm pretty sure if I found my older sister murdered, i'd very possibly fall apart.

I definitely give Autumn kudos for refocusing herself into finding her sister's killer even while dealing with so much grief. I felt her pain, especially when she was being considered a suspect. Such a realistic scenario but one i wouldn't wish upon anyone, especially a teenager.

S.X. Bradley did a fantastic job creating a suspenseful crime detail-filled mystery with romance mixed in, one that kept me on my toes until the very end. An emotional and intruiging read that I highly recommend to any YA suspense reader ! Looking forward to reading more from this author :)

 

Worthy of 4 leaves !

 

Buy Link

 

 

Review: Don't Look Back Agnes by Kathryn Meyer Griffith

Don’t Look Back Agnes/In this House

By

Kathryn Meyer Griffith

 

Two things I’d like to say right off…Love this cover and wow the first paragraph creeped me out!!  This is definitely the kind of story that keeps you on edge the entire read.  I love ghost stories and I’m a sucker for a great romance and this has both !!   I can really feel the fear in Agnes as she jumps from her car and races to the front door as quickly as possible.  Dark and creepy woods….i probably wouldn’t have gotten out of the car. 

Kathryn Meyer Griffith does a fantastic job of weaving in the mystery and tells a story you can’t pull yourself away from.  I also very  much enjoyed how Ms. Griffith allowed Agnes to come to terms with the horror of her childhood, saying goodbye to lost love and also giving her the ability to look toward a bright new future and even  maybe a new love. 

In addition, this book also had an added story at the end called In This House.
I don’t want to give anything away but what an amazing love story!  I cried when I got to  the very end.  I’m guessing my parents are in the same age range as Bernard and Althea and it definitely made me stop and think how I live my life and how much I miss seeing my parents on a daily basis with living so far away from them.  I loved this short story In This House.

Don’t miss another great book by mystery author Kathryn Meyer Griffith!

Worthy of 4 leaves !!

Available now at Amazon.

Review: The Ice Bridge by Kathryn

The Ice Bridge

by

Kathryn Meyer Griffith

This was an interwoven story of 3 generations of women and their love for Mackinac Island. 

I adored the eccentric neighbor, Hannah as she played the role of a grandma of sorts and took up the friendship basically where she and Charlotte had left off from summers gone by.

Then there was Aunt Bess, a strong woman who took her niece Charlotte in no questions asked but had her own unique love tragedies throughout the book which she overcame with the help of her loved ones. 

I felt bad for the main character Charlotte and the reasons she went to the Island initially. Being jilted at the alter is nobody’s idea of fun especially when it’s her groom and Charlotte’s best friend.    She needed some solitude and the comfort of her aunt and friend in the place that always felt like home to her.

 I also like the way the author incorporated island ghost stories told by the residents, making me wonder if the stories may just be true.   Charlotte had been suggested to write a book including those stories while on the island by police officer Mac Berman, someone she never expected to meet but who would end up playing a crucial role in all three women’s lives.

I was drawn by the intrigue and focus on the mystery of the Ice Bridge as well.  Once spectacle I have yet to see myself but all through this book it was definitely an eerie presence that made me think twice about taking myself to in the dead of winter, no pun intended.  No doubt there was a strong pull that kept me riveted to the pages til the early morning hours waiting to see what would happen next. 

I’ll admit that I mostly read romance but I was eager to read this because of an extreme love I have for Mackinac Island.  Ms. Griffith definitely didn’t disappoint in making me feel like I was right back on Main Street looking for the tasty ice cream cones and homemade peanut butter fudge I love so much.  She has a unique way of making the people and places come to life and stayed true to the Island traditions.   

The author did a great job of making this story a believable reality and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a mystery of murder and ghost stories blended with a few mild romances.

4 leaves from me !!

Available now at Eternal Press and Amazon.