Sadie is feeling kinda glum. She’s living in a small town, just got appointed graveyard superintendent (who really wants that job?), and she’s having trouble raising her two teens. Plus she’s suspecting her husband of an affair and her eccentric dad is driving her and her sisters, April and Hannah, absolutely nuts. The sisters are close but Sadie is given the most responsibility over their father, who took care of them after their mother left them when they were little. Since they are never allowed to discuss their mother, the sisters are kept in the dark as to why she left them long ago. One day when their dad leaves to go find their mother, Sadie and her sisters go to track him down. On their road trip they discover things about themselves they didn’t know and learn to strengthen their relationship with each other and with their families back home.

I liked that there were 3 sisters in this book, just like in my family. You see how each sister fit their role as youngest, middle, and oldest perfectly. I’m glad finally took charge and stood up for herself against her daughter, her husband, her sisters, and the townspeople. Small town settings where everyone always knows each other are always interesting to me because I live in largely populated area. It’s always refreshing to read about simpler lifestyles. I also liked how the sisters grew closer together as they find out the truth about their mother. A very touching and moving scene. Family is the most important thing in the world. I felt that this book wasn’t really chick lit or mom lit. It was more a women’s fiction type of book. Still I enjoyed it and am ready to read about Hannah’s story in “Mom Over Miami.”

She has put out another book that I proceeded to finish in just a few hours. I was actually in the process of reading two other books, but I dropped them both to read this one. It was definitely worth it. I declare it tied for best book of the year!

In @Home, the sequel to SAHM I AM, we again are meeting up with members of the SAHM (stay at home moms) email group. Rosalyn is now on better terms with her sister Veronica but the two are still at it with their sibling rivalry. They propose to hold a contest as to who can have more readership with their posts, while each facing their own personal situations. Dulice finds herself in the position as a working mom while her husband has become a SAHD. Zelia is in the process of adopting two children from Zimbabwe while Brenna is trying her luck with egg donation adoption. Then there’s also Jocelyn who’s slowly busying herself to death, Paige who has to take over for her pastor husband who’s fallen ill, and Marianne, the newest member who finds herself with the baby blues and a very unruly 2 year old. The women still find time to get together and talk about everything through the email loop.

I looooooooved this book. It’s so addictive to read because there are no chapters to stop at. I found everyone’s story funny, sad, touching, and very very real. The only thing I didn’t like was the attitudes of some of the women when Dulcie was talking about her work experience. While it’s understandable that things have changed with her life, it still wasn’t fair for the group to gang up on her and accuse her for not being true to herself. I don’t think it’s right for people to tell others what to do simply because that is what work for their own selves. Dulcie enjoyed going to work, the other women should not have put guilt trips on her for doing so. There were some times I wanted to strangle Rosalyn with her snobbishness but at least this time we had Veronica there to tell her off about it. The sisters’ relationship was very funny and realistic. I really enjoyed reading this book. It’s such a fun and easy and enjoyable read and it helped to get me in the holiday spirit.

(i also must confess that I never got the hang of the Christmas song game and only figured it out after I visited Meredith’s website and saw the answer sheepish look.)

Ruby Taylor is at it again. In her third book, as she and Wesley are trying to figure out their relationship, Ruby stumbles across a string of robberies targeting her work. This leads to her finding out a town’s shady history involving a murder. Amid a missing bull and a county fair involving potato recipes, Ruby tries to find out who is committing all the robberies and how it somehow connect to that story from yesteryear. Her attempts at sleuthing lead to comical and scary situations.

This was such a great book. I like Ruby more and more with each book in the series. I liked her friendship with Starlight and I was glad that Ruby kept trying to point out to Wes that he needed to stop suspecting them just because they were new in town. The whole scentless hairspray made me curious as well as to how it works. I don’t want to spoil the ending but the reasons for all the “activities” happening in the area had a sad story behind it. You almost feel sorry for the perpetrators. It’s intersting to think how much a father’s acknowledgment means to someone.

I am glad that Ruby had realistic reactions to the way Wesley reacted in the beginning of the story. He doesn’t tell her where he’s gone so of course she’s worried and angry when she does find him. I also want to know if they ever have a talk about the letter that Ruby found. If Wesley feels that he has to be a perfect Christian, this might hinder their relationship. I was also glad that Ruby found the Proverbs 31 woman slightly frustrating as well. As good of a role model as that passage is, sometimes I think some Christian women strive too much to attain that status. While Ruby’s faith is tested many times, she doesn’t lose it instead it helps her to grow. I hoping there’s another Ruby Taylor mystery in the future.

Lily Chau is the next member in the Garments of Praise team that we get to meet. She’s in her late thirties, taking care of her sick mother, trying to get her foot into the fashion industry and trying to figure out her relationship with her boyfriend. She gets invited to compete in a Project Runway-like reality show with the help of a famous designer. Little does she know that the designer is the mysterious stranger that she keeps running into and finding a growing attraction with. Lily has to decide how she will manage her mother, her fashion, her boyfriends, and her life.

This is one of the first Christian fiction novels where there is an Asian American female lead character. AND she happens to not be an immigrant or someone living in the 1800s . There aren’t many Asian Americans portrayed without any sort of stereotypes in books in general so this was a welcome relief. I felt that Lily’s character was very real. I understand her insistence of taking care of her mother. Family is very important in Asian culture. Like in Pink, I enjoyed seeing the going ons behind the fashion industry. And I also loved that while Lily is slightly bothered at being almost 40 and still not married, she’s still managed to create a name for herself and not be bothered too much by it. I liked the contrast in Doug and Ken. Lily’s mom’s story with her dad was very moving and sad. The only thing I didn’t get was when Lily and Doug first met. The way it was written, Doug looked like a homeless person and Lily falls head over heels for him like that. Now maybe I’m just being paranoid, but if I was alone on a street and a stranger looking like that came up to me, I’d be a little scared. Lily just seemed like she had let her guard down completely which is not a safe thing to do in a city at night.

I really enjoyed this book. The series is great as it focuses on different ethnicities. I’m really looking forward to reading Tangerine.

Mari seems to having her life finally like she planned. She has great friends, a good job, a better relationship with her parents and …..a boyfriend. Her friend Sadie is about to get married and Mari, Angelica, and Caitlin are excited and nervous about their friend leaving the single life behind. Amid all the wedding plans (including ugly bridesmaids dresses chosen by the bride’s sister) Mari starts to question her relationship with Beau. When her father becomes ill, Mari leaves to go back to her hometown. There she meets up again with Marcus, an old friend. Mari has to make the decision of whether she needs to be east or west.

I really enjoyed this book. I don’t want to give away the ending, but I was really happy with Mari’s decision about Beau. He started off great and then became ….typical male. And of course there would be an ex-girlfriend in the picture. Why are guys always clueless in this area, and then it somehow becomes the girl’s fault? I’m glad she finally stood up to him, was able to speak her mind, and be able to have no regrets. I’m glad that this series focuses on women in their late 20s/early 30s having the time of their lives. Too many Christian novels have women marrying at 20, having kids by 24, and becoming grandmothers by 40. That is not real life. I thought Mari and her friends were very realistic. I also liked Caitlin’s story and how she was finally able to stand up to her parents. I found Mari’s ever changing ring tones to be quite amusing as well. This book was fun, not preachy, a great chick lit read.

If you haven’t read Mari’s first adventure be sure to pick up Hip to Be Square. It’s just as good as Altar Call. I hope that someday there’ll be third book in the series.

Rae Gabriella has come to the small town of Justice, Illinois to escape her past as a former FBI agent. She finds a job with her former boyfriend Bruce as a private investigator. Thinking she can finally settle down, Rae begins to relax and discovers she has a sharing interest with both Bruce and the town’s sheriff Nathan. Then a dead body is found in the same hotel Rae is staying at. When more deaths are being discovered and cannot be explained, the three end up working together to find out who and what is behind the murders.

I thought this book gave an interesting look into the drug industry. The reader learns a lot about how drugs are made, marketed and sold unsuspectingly. One has to be careful about the samples they eat. It was interesting that all the clues and suspects were right there, and no one picks up on it. However, I didn’t like how the book ended rather abruptly. While we find out who the killer is, there seems to be a bigger story behind that which we find next to nothing about. If there is going to be a sequel, great. I just felt rather unsatisfied with the ending. I also didn’t feel Rae having any chemistry with either of the two men. She seems like the type of woman that can take of herself and doesn’t need anyone. I’ll read the next book, if there is one, but I’d recommend Henderson’s O’Malley series to new readers.

I knew this book was going to be interesting when I sat down to lunch with the book, opened up the first page, read the first line and promptly had to spit out my lunch. Fragments of skull and grilled chicken do not mix. Gaby St. Clair is a crime scene cleaner. During one of her jobs, she discovers what appears to be the real murder weapon. Since the police don’t believe her at first, Gaby tries to find the real killer on her own. Along the way, amid several death attempts, she and her cute neighbor try to unravel whose actually behind all these sinister doings.

I knew knew there was such a job as a crime scene cleaner. Well obviously I realized that someone had to clean up the mess, but I didn’t think that there could be such a profitable business doing it. I definitely couldn’t do that job, my stomach couldn’t handle it. This book ended up being a quick read because I couldn’t put it down. This book isn’t preachy at all. I felt it showed accurately how a frustrated a non-Christian could get with trying to understand how and why God acts. Why is though that guys always have perfect ex-girlfriends? Sure, they may saw she has a lot of flaws, but you never get to see them. I liked Gaby’s reaction, because it’s exactly how I would have acted.

Something else I personally enjoyed was the fact that I was familiar with all the settings in the book because I’m from that area! Normally books take place in New York, Chicago, LA, places where I have to use my imagination just to picture the setting. This time, I’ve been to Freemason Abbey, the Bier Garten, Scope, ODU; Gaby even takes a trip to my city. So it was great to see local places keep popping up. I’m looking forward to Gaby’s next adventure and also seeing how her relationships are going to end up.

To a few Americans Russia is still unknown territory. Some people still see Russia as our foes from the Cold War, that communist nation. Or others view them as the country that always used to beat the US at every sport in the Olympics (except that wonderful hockey game in 1980..which i wasn’t born yet but the movie was great!). I find Russia fascinating country simply because I’ve never really learned that much of the country itself.

Sarai is a missionary doctor. Roman is an FSB agent. 13 years ago they used to be in love. Now Roman is trying to get Sarai out of the country for her safety. Sarai doesn’t want to leave because there is a illness that she cannot figure what the source is from. The two have to learn to put up with each other in order to get themselves into safety and away from the dangers that the government has put out against them.

This book was just jammed pack with suspense. One thing keeps happening after another. You never get bored. I really liked both characters. Actually I liked Sarai a lot better than Gracie from “In Sheep’s Clothing.” Sarai was a lot stronger and able to handles things on her own. When Roman fell into the lake, I actually felt cold. And the fact that he kept his jeans on afterwards….blehhhh. I think there’s a description of Roman written somewhere in the book, but I kept picturing him as James Bond a la Pierce Bronsnan. The scene at the chemical plant would have been perfect in a Bond movie. To me the most dramatic part was when Sarai screams that she hates Roman, and there’s nothing Roman could do about it. It seemed so tragic. I really enjoyed this book. We are currently studying about the Cold War and Russia in one of my classes. So this book helped to see what Russian culture is like and how an American would fit into the country. I’d recommend this book for anyone who likes romantic suspense or would enjoy learning about Russian culture.

Jackie is a civilian who works at the US Air Force Academy. She is forced to share her office, now divided by a cubicle, with Joe, a former pilot and new teacher. She lives with her grandmother and writes in her blog her feelings for Joe (with codes names of course) that she would never actually say out loud. When her blog becomes famous, EVERYONE seems to be reading it and trying to guess who the author is, including Joe. Jackie has to struggle with her feelings for him and to keep him from guessing that the blog is really about him.

I really liked this book. I really admired Jackie and felt for her. You understand why she acts and feels the way she does. It was refreshing to read a chick lit book where the main character isn’t such a girly-girl who shops and is boy crazy. Believe it or not, there are some of us out there that are like that!

Joe sometimes got on my nerves. I’ll admit he is a good guy and one of the nicest male leads I’ve read in a while. But sometimes he was just so….arrrghhh! The scene that stands out most is when he asks Jackie to go to the Bollywood movie with him. But then in the theater all he does is keep complaining and talking during the movie AND he eats all her popcorn. He also seems a little unsympathetic when Jackie is slow to reacting to his affections due to her history. But like I said he is a good guy and I did like him and he was good for Jackie.

Otherwise I really enjoyed this book. It gave great insight to the military/civilian life. I also liked the comments in the blog. You get different perspectives from everyone (although the 15 year old know-it-all guy seemed a little unbelievable) that add a touch of real life and humor the the blogs. My favorite scene happened after Jackie wrote her “help me” post and the whole blogging world goes insane with worry about what happened to her. When I got to the end I had to flip back and read over stuff. I was caught off guard and pleasantly surprised. This is a great chick lit book and I’m looking forward to going back and reading the rest of Siri’s books.

You’d think after finding two dead bodies by being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Haley Farrell would have learned her lesson. Nope, she does it again. This time Haley is at the home of a new client ready to start the redecorating process when she hears the nurse yell out that her customer is dead. At first everyone believes that this is due to cancer. However after finding out that the nurse, the two greedy sons, and the doctor all might have “interior motives” Haley along with newly appointed pet detective Bella hunt for the real killer. When Haley begins to suspect her own friend Tedd, she begins to worry that’s she’s gotten in far more than she bargained for.

I once again found this a satisfying read in the Deadly Decor series. Haley has a knack for finding mysteries when she’s not looking for it. And she also has a way of creating humor in serious situations. I also liked how her relationship with Detective Tsu has gotten better since they both now have dogs who are brothers. Before they would get at each other’s throats, now they have something that ties them together. However I still don’t like Dutch. He got on my nerves in the first book when he kept accusing Haley of murder. Even in the 2nd book when the tables are turned on him, he still blames Haley. Now in this book he’s still very rude and condescending to her especially when she was on her date. Bella is also kind of loopy but she does add to the humor in the book. I hope that we’ll be treated to a new Haley adventure soon. I want her to be able to get a job without the client dying on her!