Review: KISS KILL VANISH by Jessica Martinez (2014 Whitney Finalist)

From Amazon: 
Love. Betrayal. Murder.

Valentina is living a charmed, glittering life in Miami—falling in love for the first time, showered with gifts and affection by her father, surrounded by friends—when one shocking moment shatters everything she thought she knew about herself, her boyfriend, and her world. With no one left to trust, Valentina sheds her identity and flees to Montreal, where she finds work posing for a series of portraits by a pompous young artist. Valentina has always been at home in the art world, but she's never felt quite so alone.

Valentina's carefully constructed new life comes crashing down when someone from her past resurfaces, putting her safety in question and her heart on the line. With betrayal at every turn, Valentina must untangle the deceptions of those she once loved and race to find her own truth—before it's too late.

Genre: YA Contemporary Thriller

Audience: Young Adult

Length: 432 pgs

Rating: 4

Review: First, love the cover. Second, loved the book. I had a lot of things to guess about, and in a good way, I never knew whose loyalties were where. The world between Valetina's memories of Miama and then Montreal and all of it was lovely. I love how she weaved the memories with the mandolin playing. Loved how V found friendship in unexpected places. The ending . . . I talked with a friend about this. It was somewhat weak. I was okay with it, but it could have been better. (And of course, as an author myself, I knew how I would've done it.)

Content:

Language: ? (I'm usually very good at keeping track of content, but for some reason I didn't when I read this book. I remember some language...)

Sex: 1 (It is implied that Valentina and her boyfriend have slept together. It is discussed how Marcel and his brother sleep with multiple girls and party hard.)

Violence: 3 (It's a thriller.)

Overall Rating: PG-13

#Storymakers15

Disclaimer. This post is SO LONG. Seriously.

I should be editing right now. I should really be editing, but I have lots of love to give for one of my favorite writing events and if I don't sit and give that love out now, it may not happen.

LDStorymakers Conference. I have looked forward to this since my first year back in 2013. Remember? When I got that amazing bootcamp instructor, Becca Willhite and I revolutionized PLAYING FOR KEEPS (then titled The Game Plan) and I got a pitch with the lovely Kathy Gordon at Covenant and then just under a year later I got a contract with them? The next year, 2014, my sister got married and I only got to go to the sweet Jane Austen Tea Party. (Worth it.)

Needless to say, I was S-T-O-K-E-D for the awesomeness of this year's conference, especially since I'd spent the last year on the Whitney Awards committee, and I got to immerse myself in fantastic fiction written by fantastic LDS authors and then put together the event that sort of caps off the conference, the Whitney Gala.

My two-year-old (hereafter referred to by his twitter nickname, Squishy) and I flew into SLC on Sunday evening. I knew that the later half of the week was going to be chuck full of writer stuff and I needed some time with my family, who I hadn't seen in...well, okay, since I made a quick trip to the lower forty-eight for some basketball, it had only been a month or so. But who's counting?

Come Wednesday, though, the fun began. I started off at a lunch given by Covenant for their authors. Whoa, talk about a room full of coolness. (You guys know the names like Anita Stansfield, Sarah M. Eden, Annette Lyon, Krista Jensen, Jenny Moore...I could go on and on and on.) I got to meet, in person, one of the coolest people in that room, a.k.a. my editor, Stacey Owen. And another sweetheart, covenant's PR queen, Stephanie Lacey. (If you're a book-blogger, I'm sure you've traded emails with Stephanie before.) We chatted about cool things like book signings and getting actual copies of my books to me soon! Eeeep. Sadly, I had not yet gone on my take-pictures-of-everything roll and I have none from that lunch. On the bright side we ate Cafe Rio and it rocked.

That afternoon was the Jane Austen Tea party, and of that I do have pictures.

It's always so inspirational for me to hear Sarah Eden play because I know what it takes for her to do it and I know what it means to her when she can.

The adorable and hilarious Shelly Brown asked me to accompany her for a song "Begone Dull Care," a pub act as Shelly described it. We were happy to precede the lady singing an Italian aria and then expectations got high and we wouldn't have met them. We had a blast though. (Despite the fact that I left my music in Spanish Fork--the first of many things I would forget over the weekend--and my sister had to go into the library where the event was held and pay to use the computer and reprint it for me. She rocks so much too. My sister, Nikki, did so much for me this week to allow me to attend all this, including letting me crash at her place, feeding me {along with my sweet mom, who came all the way from Wyoming to nanny Squishy all weekend!} and letting me use her car!)

Getting to feel tall next to Sarah!

 Don't you just love Krista Jensen's dress? So. Cute. And the hat? She rocked it. I felt so slob in my Downeast knit dress and *shawl.* In July, when I visit my mom, we're going to make me a true Regency dress and I'll leave it with her to bring to me next year.

My other sister, Keesha, came to pick me up after the tea, and because we're a family full of snots, we took this picture to taunt our little sister, Savanna, who thinks Sarah M. Eden is the coolest thing ever. (I absolutely agree.) This picture made me laugh and laugh and laugh every time I looked at it. "Hey, I got to meet the Keesha Savage!!"

On Thursday I had Pub Primer, which is the second level of boot camp.  I had Elana Johnson for my instructor and it couldn't have been more perfect. She said some hard things, but they were GREAT hard things. That my query was strong and so were my pages but that she worried that a superhero novel with robots would just not sell. So I immediately emailed my CPs Kaylee and Gina and we went to work brainstorming better villains. And we came up with something amazing. I wish I could tell you all about it, but it would ruin big parts of the plot. :D

So then the conference started on Friday . . . and speaking of more taunting? Nikki and her class of sixth graders love James Dashner, so guess who I stopped in the halls and took another taunting picture with. James Dashner, of course. Nikki said when she got the text she put the picture up on her projector, and in her words, her sixth graders "lost it." (He was WAY cool and though I had my issues with THE MAZE RUNNER and 13TH REALITY, I think he's a fun awesome nice guy! When Nikki was with me at the Whitney Gala on Saturday night, I took her up to Mr. Dashner to introduce them and he remembered me. We were joking about how at least they'd spelled my rather hard first name right--His was spelled "Dasher" in the program . . . side-track, he joked when he presented that even when he thought he'd "made it" something like that happened to bring him back to reality. Too funny. Anyway. He called me Ranee` and I was like, "I'm so impressed! I met your for like five seconds yesterday and you remembered my name." To which my sister humbled me by reminding me that in the course of during the program my name had been announced at least five times . . . Dashner insisted, though, that he remembered me regardless of that.)

I interact with some really fun people on line, and going to the conference is that chance when we all get to stare at each other's chests--to read name tags! Ha!--and go, "OH! Hi, Darci!" or "Summer!" So of course you need a conference selfie with people like Darci Cole (we've *talked* so much online it's like we're BFFs) and Summer Spence!

And then there was the super fun Marion Jensen who claimed to be photo bombing all my pics, but in camo so no one saw him. Then I stalked him and caught him without all his camo as he sat behind me in a class. Not weird, guys. (At the end of class he signed SEARCHING SUPER--another side, it's the sequel to ALMOST SUPER, which one the Whitney Award for Middle Grade! Yay for Marion!--for my nine-year-old, who thought that was AMAZING and it really upped my cool-mom factor.)

This. Lady. I've worked with Annette for months and months as part of the Whitney committee. She is so put together and just thinks of everything. She has a BIG passion for books and for LDS writers and all of it, and I loved getting to know her better.

Friday night, as a so-called conference Mentor, I got to sit at a table with Annette, Krista, and Kaylee Baldwin to chat with conference attendees during the Author Mingle. We were at the contemporary romance table and um, took our jobs very seriously . . .

Okay, so maybe it was just me not taking things seriously. Maybe because the people at our table were smart enough to figure out that there were some masters of romance hanging out with us and they really didn't need to bother asking me anything . . . ;)

I've realized that a lot of things in my life are a lot like dating. Finding new friends when I move every year or so and definitely finding good critique partners/writing BFFs. The fun thing is though, you don't have to settle down and "marry" one CP! I never got a picture with Jeigh Meredith, who was at my table for pub primer, but we have certainly "traded numbers" (really email addresses...) and set ourselves up to date, i.e. critique each other's stuff. Her book, RESONANT, was fab, guys. Loved it.

Kaylee (who's name you've heard SO many times on this blog) and I can't even totally remember our how we met story. We know it was first online through ANWA, and that we then sat next to each other during a class or something at an ANWA conference in probably 2011 if not 2010...and from there it gets fuzzy. Seriously. Can't remember how she got my stuff, though she thinks the first thing she critiqued for me was an LDS time-traveling romance. (Maybe some day I'll get back to that.) Anyway, since she was a busy, busy bee on the conference committee, we didn't get a ton of hang out time. We did get to sit next to each other at the Whitney Gala, yay!

I also found my soul mate, Tiffany Odekirk. We hit it off within seconds of meeting each other and we're so alike it's a bit creepy. (We have children named the same thing. It's like deja vu for what happened when I first discovered Gina Denny.) Someday, Tiffany and I will have a really funny story to tell you about the connection between PLAYING FOR KEEPS and her first novel. In the meantime, we were made for each other. Tiffany and I hung out a lot during the conference and she made it SO fun.

So on Friday afternoon I pitched KISSING A SUPERHERO to Heidi Taylor at Shadow Mountain. I had this pretty simple, three-sentence pitch. When I gave it to her, she just smiled and said, "Wow, that was perfect. Very polished. Very professional. Good job!" She asked me how long the book was and some other minor questions, then I gave her my query. She asked how many people had read it, which confused me at first. I thought she meant agents or publishers. She clarified if I had a writing group or critique partners. To which I burst out laughing. "That's a very long list of people who have read this book over the last six or so years..." It told her what she wanted to know--that I had worked and polished and worked and polished and rewritten and worked and rewritten and yeah and it wasn't just something I wrote last month and came down to pitch. Then, even though we'd only been talking about five minutes, she said I'd told her everything she needed to know, that she wanted to see three chapters and I should submit. Woo!

Friday evening was also the keynote by Martine Leavitt. It was beautiful and spiritual and amazing. You may wonder why a keynote at a writer's conference would be spiritual, but that's the AWESOME thing about Storymakers. The gospel is woven so seamlessly into everything about it because we are writers and we are LDS. Martine said it beautifully when she began saying that she was part of one community, the LDS community, where everyone understood her spiritually. And she was part of another community, a writing community, and they understood her writing. But they didn't overlap, except at Storymakers. Here, she had the best of both her worlds--writing and the gospel. I can't even do what she said justice but it's right on. I have amazing friends at church who ask me about my writing all the time, but I'm lucky and it's kind of different. At Storymakers, I get it all. All of the cool spiritual stuff can be summed up in three words from Marion Jensen's acceptance speech, "Be a light." That's why we have this specific talent.

Shelly Brown. She's so great. Selfies on my phone when she's supposed to be taking pictures of me with FREAKIN' BRANDON MULL. Love you, Shelly.

But seriously, this is what you want to see, right? BRANDON MULL, and another guy, Chad Morris. But guys, I got to meet best selling author BRANDON MULL. After going to their class on three point plot structure, I knew my boys would love their books. (In truth, I've been trying to convince my 9yo, the lover of all things Rick Riordan, in fact, if you're name's not Riordan, you're a hack in his book...anyway, I've been trying to convince him to read Fablehaven for a long time, but I figured if I brought him home new books, it would go a long way, especially when they're signed by BRANDON MULL.) Back to the story (I've had to do that a lot, huh...) So I went to the bookstore at the conference and bough Chad's THE INVENTOR'S SECRET (the 9yo is gonna love it!) and THE FIVE KINGDOMS by Brandon. Then, I was sitting just a table or so away at lunch time, so I went over to have them sign the books--so I wouldn't have to wait in line at the book signing later on Saturday. Ha! Anyway, when Shelly came by (she's married to Chad) what I'd dropped by to do turned into like a fifteen minute conversation in which Chad and Brandon were way fun. Brandon is very personable. He asked right off if I liked writing, to which I replied, so respectfully (not), "Um. I'm at a writing conference, aren't I?" He asked me what I wrote, to which I said romance, and I had a book coming out next month (of COURSE I dropped that in there) but that I came to pitch a YA. Brandon asked about that and he thought it was a cool concept, but then we got on the subject of my book coming out, the romance, and we spent the remainder of the conversation on that, which cracks me up. It could be because my book is about football and that surprises most guys when they find out. Brandon also said my cover was "super cute." And that is a direct quote. Anyway, I think they're both super fun and excellent to hang out with. In fact, I love how "normal" all the big authors were at the conference. I never expected in my life to chat for 15 minutes about my romance book with Brandon Mull.

This is my little sister (in age, not height) geeking out over meeting Sarah Eden. She had everyone at the table giggling with all her fan-girling. Then I blew Savanna's mind even more by taking her to meet Brandon Mull. They ended up talking about track. Which, of course.

I actually didn't get to spend a lot of time at the author signing (another good reason to get my books all signed before hand). I had to head over and do final stuff for the Whitney Gala and then get pretty. Me looking pretty great, if I do say so myself, being photo bombed by the awesome Jaime Theler. Love it.

Fun times? Standing at the door and greeting all the lovely Whitney finalists who are also my friends. And standing in four-inch stilettos and for once in my life towering over everyone. It rocked.

Okay, not towering over Krista, but at least I wasn't the big head in this picture, right Krista? (A joke from the many silly pictures I took at our contemp romance table during the Author Mingle the night before.)

AND Amy Finegan wanting to meet ME. And take pics with ME! Amy wrote the finalist NOT IN THE SCRIPT which was really one of my top reads during all the reading I did for the Whitneys. (And that's impressive since I made it through everything but Middle Grade, Adult Spec, and the Best Novel categories--but I read some of the novels in those two.) She tweeted during conference that she was going to find me! So cool.

Me and Sarah Eden comparing shoes. Both fabulously red. Both with bows on the toes. Hers sparkled and were fuzzy inside, so they probably beat mine...

After beginning to worry, my beautiful date, my sister Nikki, finally showed up. She's gorgeous. She made that fab dress guys, without a pattern. Be impressed.

I SO did not get enough conversation with this girl, my accountability partner and good friend, Melanie Jacobson. But she was the big boss of the conference, so I guess that's expected. Next year, right Melanie? We'll sit at lunch and chat or something. We have to.

This is the point during dinner in which my sister and I realized that we were sitting RIGHT behind Anne Perry . . . (Who is another author who's a serious BIG SHOT but who is so down to earth and lovely. She spoke during lunch on Saturday...or maybe Friday, can't remember, and it was another perfect example of weaving spiritual inspiration into writing inspiration. As did Annette's opening remarks for the Whitney Gala. I tweeted a lot of quotes she had from Orson F. Whitney, of whom the Whitney's are named for, during her speech. All of them awesome.)

I think the highlight of that night might have been getting to present Sarah with her first Whitney for LONGING FOR HOME: HOPE SPRINGS. She also gave in inspirational acceptance speech. My favorite quote, "We may yet have Miltons and Shakespeares among us [referring to a quote by Orson F. Whitney] but we already have Brontes and Austens." Made me cry. She left the stage both times (LFH: HOPE SPRINGS also won Best Novel) to standing ovations. I adored when James Dashner presented that award. He opened the envelop saying as he did, that if it was Sanderson he was going to punch him in the face. (Brandon Sanderson, who won Best Adult Spec novel, of course, got a lot of ribbing that night. Because he's Brandon Sanderson and he wins a lot of stuff. And he's good. And people really like him.) Then Dashner said, "Get ready to cry," and he announced Sarah as the winner. And people did cry. Great times.

So below, me and Sarah before the Whitneys. She thought my stilettos were overdoing it when it came to standing next to her. Yeah. Whatever.

So. The conference was great and so full of great, great stuff. I can't begin to describe it. This year I had so much more fun because I was ready to jump in and introduce myself to everyone and to ask all the questions I wanted to ask. I loved it. I wanted to be home to see my boys but I already miss the great people there.

I'm often reminded that I'm an anomaly in the world of writers. Where many of you are introverts who suffer from minor panic (or major panic!) at the thought of interacting with so many people, I'm an extrovert who thrives on that kind of stuff. Where many of you were exhausted after that weekend from all the peopleness, I was refueled and roaring to go! You're all awesome, tribe. All of you!

2014 Whitney Awards Finalist Spotlight: DEADLY ALLIANCE by A.L. Soward (Historical)

From Covenant: Amidst the darkest days of WWII, will one star-crossed couple’s love survive?

When Peter Eddy and his commando team inadvertently upset the Soviets during their most recent mission, they never imagined the diplomatic nightmares that would ensue. They have one chance to redeem themselves: tasked with destroying a bridge in Nazi-occupied Bosnia, Peter and his war-weary team reluctantly agree to drop behind enemy lines. The assignment should be a simple one—were it not for the fact that they are being deployed on a suicide mission.

Genevieve Olivier is devastated by the news of Peter’s disappearance. After all they’ve endured in this war, the determined OSS worker is unwilling to simply let go of the man she hopes to spend her life with. Desperate for information, her work as a courier soon escalates into a counterintelligence duel with a Fascist assassin—and Genevieve is his newest target . . .

Genre: Historical, Inspirational

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Length: 336 pgs

Rating: 4

Review: That moment when you know you have to add all the author's books to your TBR? That. (Don't mind my hysterical laughter as my TBR lists grows increasingly out of control...) I love World War II stuff. I have a degree in history and specialized in World War II, specifically women in World War II so the cast of women in this novel was so dear to my heart. Realistic, but still satisfying to someone who needs a happy ending. (Perhaps there were a few things that turned out better than they might have in real life, but I love that about books.) Even though it is part of a series, I didn't feel lost at all, only very curious about the rest of the books! It's low on romance, but I expected that so it didn't bother me. Definitely recommend it if you're into historical books and especially World War II and resistance stuff (Me me me!!)

Content:

Sex - 0

Language - 0

Violence - 2 (War stuff, work camp stuff, injuries, etc. Nothing too graphic but its definitely there throughout the book)

Preachy - 1 (It's woven in perfectly with the narration and never out of place or overbearing)

Overall rating - PG-13

See the other 2014 Whitney Nominees here.

Whitney Finalist Spotlight Review: REMAKE by Ilima Todd (YA Speculative Fiction)

From Shadow Mountain: Imagine a future without family. 

Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.

But Nine isn’t like every other batcher. She harbors indecision and worries about her upcoming Remake Day—her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they’ll be.

When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian, Speculative Fiction
Length: 304 pages

Rating: 4+

Review: A while back my husband watched this Christian dystopian movie. It was kinda crazy and weird, and I posted about it on Twitter. Ilima tweeted me back that she was worried about why I thought it was weird since her book REMAKE had a Christian dystopian theme.

Don't worry. REMAKE is anything but weird. I loved it. It was so goofy to me to consider Nine changing her gender by choice because anyone could be what they want, but Ilima set it up to be exactly that. A really great, imagine if scenario that, considering the way human culture works right now, is not actually that far fetched. And it's brilliantly set up in my opinion. I got the world. I got the culture. And then Nine gets plopped down into the middle of something we all know--families.

I adored this family theme. I adored the way Nine discovered her femininity and strength. How she discovered her family.

The only thing that I sort of shrugged at (the only reason I didn't rate it a full five) is that the stakes are pretty different from most books in the genre. And it wasn't in a bad way exactly. (Let's be honest, when I read dystopian, I'm cringing at every every-day comfort they don't have...) Things definitely got crazy, but I never got a sense that things were unsolvable.

My favorite line; I have to share. "You're not a mistake. [...] Sometimes I think you're the most deliberate thing I've ever seen. The rest of us are just shadows of what could be."

Loved this book.

Content:
Sex - 2+ (Much of theme surrounds choosing a gender and the differences, so there's discussion, in an absolutely tasteful and mild way, of gender differences, especially as Nine begins to notice her own changes.*)
Violence - 1
Language - 0
Overall Rating - PG

*For instance, I usually highlight or make note of content I feel needs noting. I made no notes in this book.



Check out the other 2014 Whitney Finalists here.

Whitney Finalist Review: LADY EMMA'S CAMPAIGN by Jennifer Moore (Romance)

Jennifer also has TWO books as finalists in the romance category, BECOMING LADY LOCKWOOD and the companion, LADY EMMA'S CAMPAIGN. Good luck!

From Goodreads.com: She would follow him through peace and war.

London, 1811

The London Season is ushered in with a thrilling flurry of invitations, gowns, and parties. But despite her status as belle of the ball, lovely socialite Emma Drake simply cannot fathom becoming entangled with any gentleman of her acquaintance. For in truth, since childhood her heart has belonged to Captain Sidney Fletcher, a man of the sea—and her brother’s best friend. Emma knows that Sidney’s directive to free the Spanish city of Cadiz from French occupation will be dangerous, but when word arrives of his capture, she is frantic. Determined to aid her brother in Sidney’s rescue, she hides aboard his ship and sets a course to Spain. But the realities of war are a far cry from the drawing rooms of London, and Emma finds the man she loves a mere shadow of his former self. When a series of events leaves them trapped together behind enemy lines, Emma and Sidney must embark on a journey fraught with danger—from a bloody hunt for Spanish treasure to the battlefields of war-torn Spain, new threats lurk around every turn. As their flight becomes increasingly perilous, Sidney and Emma must trust each other with their lives—but can they trust the other with their heart?

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency
Length: 224 pgs

Rating: 4+ 

Review: Who didn't L-O-V-E Sidney in Becoming Lady Lockwood? He was just so fun, and the way he teased William was fantastic. It reminded me of the awesome BFF relationship between Sarah Eden's the Duke and Henry, two of my favorite characters. And here, in Lady Emma's Campaign, I got to get deep into Sidney and find out so much more about him. It really rounded out his character. While the way Emma got to Spain was a bit of a stretch for me, once there everything went really well. I've discussed on Twitter with Sarah (and also Jennifer) about how we love that Jennifer's characters can get into trouble but still remain ladies. One big pet peeve of mine in historical fiction is how many authors try to make heroines too modern in order to appeal to modern audiences. Lady Emma's Campaign walks that fine line with excellence! Emma behaves exactly as a lady would when first thrown into the situation, but also grows exactly as we want to see her and becomes stronger while still behaving as a lady would. :) I'm pretty sure I loved this book even more than Becoming Lady Lockwood.  

Content
Sex - 1ish (Sidney and Emma go off together alone as part of a plan and some men assume naughty things)
Language - 1 (Strong language of the Regency era. ;) )
Violence - 2 (Battles are mentioned, details, not too graphic, of death, injuries, etc related to war)
Rating - PG

Find the rest of the 2014 Whitney Finalists here.

Whitney Finalist Spotlight: PAINTING KISSES by Melanie Jacobson

From Amazon: Lia Carswell is good at what she does—even if it isn’t as glamorous as her old life in Manhattan. The popular waitress works hard in a small Salt Lake City diner, with the goal of easing her sister’s financial strain. And with her witty personality and good looks, she’s something of an enigma to the male customers who vie for her attention. Ever the professional, Lia keeps her distance—with one exception. Aidan is a breakfast regular, and Lia’s easy rapport with him draws her attention, though she would never let their relationship get serious—especially since he’s not the only one trying to catch her eye. Her handsome neighbor Griff has been hinting that he wants more than a neighborly relationship.Then her old New York artist life comes knocking, and an offer is made for a series of commissioned paintings. Lia knows it would ensure financial security for her family, but she doesn’t know if she wants that life anymore. When she undertakes one final project, she reawakens her heart and soul. And as she finds herself falling in love and needing an outlet more and more, she realizes her paintings might be her saving grace.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romance
Length: 240 pgs

Rating: 5+

Review: I saw a review of this book a few weeks ago that said it was Melanie's best yet and it made me eager to read it. The paperback has been sitting on my bookshelf forever, but with other reading responsibilities crammed into my life, I had to set it aside. Plus, I have it in paperback, and lately it's easier for me to read on my Kindle.

But, the reviewer is absolutely right. This is Melanie's best yet. Maybe you caught a conversation on Twitter that I had with Sarah Eden about romance, but we discussed how we loved Melanie's heroines and how they fought hard for what they wanted and sometimes even against what they wanted, but how we understood every choice they made because it was always in character. That's exactly what makes THIS book awesome-tastic. Lia is a great character. She is cool and an artist and the way she sees the world is so so wonderful. I loved the way the romance grew--in a slow-burn way that usually drives me nuts, but everything was perfect. Perfect. So yeah, my favorite so far of Melanie's!

Content
Sex - 1 (kissing)
Language - 0
Violence - 0
Overall Rating - PG

View the complete list of Whitney Finalists here.

Whitney Finalist Review: TOMORROW WE SPY by Jordan McCollum (Mystery/Suspense)

I am SO excited for Jordan. She earned two nominations, one in the Mystery/Suspense category for Tomorrow We Spy and one in the romance category! I love, LOVE this books. I always associate this series with moving to Alaska, because I, Spy was the first book I read after getting here. There was a power outage for a day and a half, and I curled up and read books--including I, Spy. Yay, Jordan! Congrats!

Jordan and I last summer when she and her husband visited Alaska.

This post was originally published December 16, 2014

From JordanMcCollum.com: CIA operative Talia Reynolds (Fluker) is off the clock, off the continent and off on her Paris honeymoon. But the happy couple’s trip to the City of Love is cut short when the CIA tracks them down for a top secret mission. Only this time, the Agency’s assignment isn’t for Talia — it’s for her husband Danny.

As an aerospace engineer, Danny’s the one with the connections they need to get to their target, an aerospace executive and a dangerous Russian FSB officer. After all she’s done to protect Danny from her spy life, Talia won’t okay the op until she’s allowed to accompany her husband. And the only safe way for her to do that? Deep undercover.

Balancing her personal and professional personas requires more precision than a Russian ballet. But all the covers in the world can’t protect Danny and Talia when the FSB officer turns the tables on them. Now Talia must use her every skill to save her marriage, her husband and herself — or their first mission together will be their last.

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romantic Thriller
Length: 295 pgs

Rating: 5 (I really loved it)

Review: Danny and Talia are married! Yay. I so much enjoyed getting to see more of Danny and how he fights for him and Talia. She can be frustrating, in a good way, and I like seeing Danny stepping out and setting her straight. :) I loved going back to where Talia served her mission and getting immersed in Russia. Tons of great action in this one, and like all the others, I read it FAST.

Content:
Sex - 1 (The book opens on their honeymoon, and the wedding night is mentioned, but so cleanly. Really.)
Language - 0
Violence - 1 (Spy book. Action book. Nothing graphic)
Rating - PG

Find the rest of the 2014 Whitney Finalists here.

Whitney Finalist Review: BECOMING LADY LOCKWOOD by Jennifer Moore (Romance)

I, oh-so-thoroughly enjoyed this book. Maybe you remember my swooning about finding love on a boat? And Jamaica? *Dies* How anyone will choose between the amazing finalists--especially in the romance category--I'll never know.

This post was originally published on July 22, 2014

Becoming Lady Lockwood Amelia Beckett is delighted to be a widow. Married by proxy to a man she'd never met, Amelia recognizes that a fortuitous entry into widowhood frees her from meddlesome chaperones and matchmakers. Heiress to her mother's sugar plantation in Jamaica, she happily anticipates working in a man's world, with the additional credibility of her new title: Lady Lockwood. But with the arrival of Captain Sir William Drake, her plans quickly go awry . . . William has traversed the Atlantic with one purpose. If he cannot prove that Amelia's marriage to his brother was a fraud, she will be entitled to a sizeable portion of his family's estate. He is determined to return this duplicitous Lady to London for an official hearing, and he carries with him a letter that will ensure her cooperation . . . Left with no choice, Amelia joins the captain on his return voyage to England, and the two quickly find that ship life does not allow for evasion. Amelia and William are ceaselessly thrown together, and amidst fierce storms and ocean battles, what began as antipathy seems to be evolving quite unexpectedly. But as they draw ever closer to their destination, will the impossibility of their circumstances shatter any hope of a future together? 

Praise for Becoming Lady Lockwood

"Moore does a lovely job of showcasing sizzle in this must-read for fans of regency and historical romance." ~ Foreword Reviews

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Deseret Book

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My Review

Genre: Regency Romance
Audience: Adult (Clean)
Length: 199 pgs

Rating: ****+


Review: I am the biggest sucker for regency romances and I haven't read one in a very long time. I lucked out and got a chance to read this one early. (Not the first time I've sung the praises of knowing people in the writing world!) So many fun and unique aspects about this story, like a glimpse into a Regency colony like Jamaica. Or life aboard a ship. The author clearly knows her stuff and has spent her time doing research. Everything feels so real. Loved the romance too, of course. It worked so well. I wished we could have learned more about William and his relationship with his family. I recommend this book highly to anyone who loves the genre. You will love the romance and adventure it provides!

Content:
Sex - 1/5 (Minor, it is mentioned that Amelia needs a guard because she is the lone woman among so many men aboard the ship.)
Language - 0/5
Violence - 2/5 A shipboard battle is described, and Amelia helps with the wounded.

Source: I was provided a copy for the blog tour in exchange for my honest opinion.

Try this. Enjoy Regency romance on the high seas? Read The Guise of a Gentleman by Donna Hatch.

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Excerpt

He finally stopped and pulled his chair closer to her, raising her chin. “Amelia. I cannot begin to thank you for what you did. It was brave and brilliant, and it terrifies me to think that you put your life at risk for—”

“For my shipmates, Captain.” She kept her eyes lowered.

“I would never have forgiven myself if anything had happened to you.” He wiped the tears from her cheeks with his thumb.

“I would never have forgiven myself if I had not tried. These men, this ship, it has become . . . I care for them, William, for all of you.”

He raised her chin even higher, so that she was forced to lift her gaze his face. He stared at her for a moment. Then his eyes dropped to her lips, and Amelia’s pulse began to race. Would he kiss her again? They sat, frozen for a heartbeat, and then William stood, stealing with him all of the warmth in the room.

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Author Jennifer Moore Jennifer Moore is a Passionate reader and writer of all things romance, helping her find balance with the rest of her world, which includes a perpetually traveling husband and four active sons, who create heaps of laundry that are anything but romantic. Jennifer has a BA in linguistics from the University of Utah and is a Guitar Hero champion. She lives in northern Utah with her family. You can learn more about her at authorjmoore.com. The author's first book, Becoming Lady Lockwood, is a regency romance centered on the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars of the early 1800s.   

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Whitney Finalist Review: STILL TIME by Maria Hoagland (General Fiction)

From Amazon: Thrust into the chaos of her mother-in-law’s hoarding and forgetfulness, LDS church member Alyssa Johnston wishes she could retreat to a simpler time when her kids were small and almost anything could be fixed with a hug. But reassurance and a quick distraction no longer erase the pain of a missionary son who is struggling, a young teen who is bullied, or a daughter who is distant. As Aly’s own life and relationship with her husband plunge out of control, she wonders if her faith will be enough to keep her family—or herself—from falling apart. 

Still Time is a deeply moving story about a woman’s faithful journey into the next phase of her life. You will laugh with Aly, feel her sorrow, and see yourself in Maria Hoagland’s realistic, heartfelt portrayal of a woman’s struggle to keep her family safe and hold back time as long as she can.

Audience: Adult (Clean)

Genre: Women's Fiction

Length: 324 pgs

Rating: 4

Review: This is the second of Maria's book that I've read and I have to say this is my favorite of the two. I love Alyssa and how she copes with all the things happening and the changes in her life. I think I especially related to her because I picked up and moved my family thousands of miles from the lives they were used to just like her. I love how in the book there are definite struggles, yet things are still able to work out. The interplay between her and her MIL is just fantastic--it's great to see the heartbreak and how Alyssa struggles to fit things in and do what she feels is the right thing. Excellent book!

Content:

Sex - 0

Language - 0

Violence - 1- (The MIL throws things and gets angry)

Overall Rating - G

Find all of the 2014 Whitney Finalists here.

Whitney Finalist Review: HOPE SPRINGS by Sarah M. Eden (Romance)

Am I surprised that Hope Springs got a Whitney Finalist nod? Nope. Not at all. This book had ALL THE FEELS. Good luck, Sarah!

From Amazon: Katie Macauley gave up her lifelong dream of returning to Ireland in order to make a home for herself in Hope Springs, Wyoming, but her future has never been so uncertain. Katies heart still remains sharply divided between playful Tavish and steady Joseph, though she feels ill-prepared to make a decision. Furthermore, the town is more divided than ever with both the Irish and the Reds stealing property, burning buildings, and endangering lives. In the midst of the growing unrest, temperatures drop quickly, too quickly, and Irish nightmares of famine and cold resurface as the little Wyoming town struggles to beat the harsh winter. Katie makes one sacrifice after another to keep the peace and help see her loved ones through the difficult days ahead, but will her efforts be enough? Can the town make amends before their hatred consumes them all? And will Katie find the love she has been searching for as well as a home to call her own?

Audience: Adult (Clean)
Genre: Romance, Historical, Western
Length: 400 pgs

Rating: A million

Review: I read this book so, so long ago, and I didn't review it then because of ... reasons. Reasons that still exist--but now I want to highlight it because it is a 2014 Whitney Finalist! What is there to say about this book that I didn't already spill about when I reviewed it's predecessor, Longing For Home? It's just a beautiful, just as wonderful, just as heartbreaking in the best ways possible. I love how Sarah weaves in history and romance and the hopes and dreams of a whole town. I loved and hated how it ended, again, for reasons. But oh, this book. And oh, how I want to know all the stories about all the other people in this book!

Content: (Disclaimer: It's been quite a while since I read the book, so my memory is not at its best for the content ratings.)
Language - 0
Sex - 0
Violence - 1 (There is fighting in town, a huge fire.)
Overall Rating - PG

Find all the 2014 Whitney Finalists here.