Waiting For You Review

Title:  Waiting For You
Series: The McKinney Brothers #5 - Walker Brothers #2
Author:  Claudia Connor
Published by:  Claudia Connor
Release Date:  March 15, 2019
Buy Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  3.5 Heart-Warming Hearts

*Many thanks to the author & publisher for an arc of this book.

Synopsis:
When ER nurse Nora Sellers is hurt in a hospital scuffle, firefighter Zach Walker blames himself. Blaming himself is nothing new. He’s been blaming himself for years for the trauma his baby sister endured as a teenager. Though with his happy–go–lucky attitude no one would know it. He’s good at his job, he’s a good brother, and a good friend, but Zach decided long ago he wasn’t husband and father material.


Even so, when Zach learns Nora is a single mother with a house that needs his help, he can’t walk away. After a few days with Nora and her ten month old son, he knows he doesn’t want to.


But Nora’s wary. She learned at a young age that the only person she can count on is herself. Now with a baby, a job, and a fixer–upper house, the last thing Nora wants is a sexy firefighter, making her heart flutter. But Zach is more than what he seems, and the more she gets to know him the harder he is to resist.


She’s been brave all her life. Can she be brave one more time and take a chance of a lifetime with her heart?

Review:

There's nothing like a good, warm, heartfelt romance, and I love that I can count on Connor to deliver exactly that with every new release.  I'm a big fan of The McKinney/Walker Brothers and have enjoyed each book - although I must admit that Nick & Mia stole my heart in Worth the Wait.  And here's where I'll go ahead and say you're going to want to indulge in all these books in order of release.  The author does an outstanding job of filling in the background in each additional book, meaning they can be read as standalones; however, you're cheating yourself out of some great romance stories and characters if you don't read in order and enjoy them all!

Waiting For You is Zach Walker and Nora Sellers story.  Zach is a firefighter, and Nora is a single mother and nurse working the ER when they meet.  Zach accompanies the EMT's bringing in a belligerent male suspected of DUI who's been involved in a car crash.  Things get out of hand, and Nora is accosted and hurt.  Zach feels responsible and insists on driving the nurse and her 10 month old baby (Will) home.  As this story unfolds, Zach and Nora engage in an age-old dance around one another even as they hold each other at arm's length . . . each for their own reasons.  Zach's gorgeous face and drool-worthy body belong on a Firefighter of the Month calendar - a fact supported by his "never spend the night" but "always treat them right" ladies man reputation.  But more importantly, Zach's a conflicted man - one haunted by what he sees as a failure on his part to protect family members in the past.  He may be attracted to the lovely nurse, but he knows she and her son deserve someone better.  Nora is a single mom who's been burned once - a woman with trust and family issues of her own who refuses to rely on any man to ensure her and her son's future.  Having experienced the hurt of being let down in the past, she won't risk it again.  So is a friendship the only thing in their future? 

Waiting For You is very much a story of family and commitments as readers will see examples of both the good and the bad play out in this one.  It's a warm, heartfelt story about forgiving both others and yourself and opening the door to trust again.  The support cast is strong with appearances by several other McKinney/Walker couples from past stories.  I loved the interaction and family dynamics that played out and was thrilled to catch up with past couples in this story.  While I would have liked a little more depth of story and plot in this book, I greatly enjoyed the characters and their quest for happiness.  As always, Connor brings the emotions and heat to this romance as well as a side of funny banter making Waiting For You another Must Read in an awesome series.  And I might add . . . there's nothing sexier than a gorgeous hunk falling head over heels over an adorable baby!  You don't want to miss this one!

My Rating:  3.5 Heart-Warming Hearts . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

Sandra

Classic to Contemporary String Quilts Review

Title: Classic to Contemporary String Quilts
Author: Mary M. Hogan
Publisher: Fox Chapel Publ. - Landauer Publ.
Release Date:  April 8, 2019
Buy Link:  Amazon

My Rating: 5 Lovely Hearts

*With thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book.

Synopsis:
Get ready to stylishly bust your stash and scraps with a fresh take on a time-honored quilt making technique--string quilts! Strings are strips and scraps of fabric that are usually too small to be useful for most projects, but they're just right for the fun designs in this complete step-by-step guide. Classic to Contemporary String Quilts takes quilters through every step of the string quilting process with helpful tips and suggestions. The front of the book is packed with string quilt techniques followed by 14 quilt projects with clear instructions and diagrams. Author and quilting teacher Mary M. Hogan reimagines many traditional and beloved quilt blocks, like the Card Trick or Churn Dash, as string blocks. Using strings, each classic quilt is unique, and updated for the 21st century with bold colors and contemporary settings. 

Review:
The beautiful, colorful cover caught my eye, and the title hooked me into grabbing this one!  I love to quilt and am hand-quilting two king-size quilts now.  The idea of using every single scrap of fabric greatly appeals to me so I was very interested in learning more about the author's unique take on string quilting.  As a child, I watched my grandmother make quilts out of necessity - to help keep us warm.  I looked on as she cut pieces from old shirts and dresses as nothing was wasted and buying fabric for quilts was practically unheard of - after all, that's what scraps were for!  

Mary Hogan's Classic to Contemporary String Quilts is a goldmine of information.  I loved that she took time in the beginning to walk readers through the instructions for taking "strings" of fabric and sewing them to paper and/or fabric foundations to create larger blocks of fabric for cutting into desired quilt shapes.  Her directions are clear and concise with illustrations that I believe even a beginner quilter with basic sewing knowledge could follow.  Then Hogan shows readers how to take their string fabric and turn it into beautiful quilts and projects complete with lovely, colorful pictures.  Each quilt/project includes instructions with finished size, fabric requirements, and step-by-step directions for completing it.  I am especially in love with Hogan's version of the Dresden plate as it's an old favorite of mine.  I also enjoyed her illustrations of the four seasons of trees made from string fabric.  I can see myself using those in a future quilt block for sure!

Classic to Contemporary String Quilts is a beautiful, informative Must Read for all quilters or want-to-be quilters.  I highly recommend it and plan to look for more from this talented quilter and author.

My Rating:  5 Lovely Hearts . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

Sandra

Before She Knew Him Review

Title:  Before She Knew Him
Author:  Peter Swanson
Publisher:  William Morrow
Release Date:  March 5, 2019
Purchase Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  4 Twisted Hearts


*Many thanks to the publisher for an arc of this book via Edelweiss plus



Synopsis:
Catching a killer is dangerous. And could be fatal if the best bait . . . is you.

From the hugely talented author of The Kind Worth Killing comes an exquisitely chilling tale of a young suburban wife with a history of psychological instability whose fears about her new neighbor could lead them both to murder . . .

Hen and her husband Lloyd have settled into a quiet life in a new house outside of Boston, Massachusetts. Hen (short for Henrietta) is an illustrator and works out of a studio nearby, and has found the right meds to control her bipolar disorder. Finally, she’s found some stability and peace.

But when they meet the neighbors next door, that calm begins to erode as she spots a familiar object displayed on the husband’s office shelf. The sports trophy looks exactly like one that went missing from the home of a young man who was killed two years ago. Hen knows because she’s long had a fascination with this unsolved murder—an obsession she doesn’t talk about anymore, but can’t fully shake either.

Could her neighbor, Matthew, be a killer? Or is this the beginning of another psychotic episode like the one she suffered back in college, when she became so consumed with proving a fellow student guilty that she ended up hurting a classmate?

The more Hen observes Matthew, the more she suspects he’s planning something truly terrifying. Yet no one will believe her. Then one night, when she comes face to face with Matthew in a dark parking lot, she realizes that he knows she’s been watching him, that she’s really on to him. And that this is the beginning of a horrifying nightmare she may not live to escape. . . 

Review:
Henrietta (Hen) and Lloyd are a childless couple who have just moved into their new home outside Boston. Hen is an illustrator - an emotionally fragile woman with a bipolar disorder controlled with medications. Thankfully, it's been some time since she's experienced an "episode". Lloyd is a caring, supportive husband who always watches his wife closely for any sign of relapse.  The next-door neighbors, Matthew and Mira, invite Lloyd and Hen over for dinner - a getting-to-know each other evening including a tour of their home.  Hen spots something that leads her to believe her neighbor might be a killer, and just like that she becomes obsessed with proving it.  Readers must figure out if she's right or suffering an episode.  The resulting dark twists and turns almost gave this reader whip-lash!  Go into this one blind, but be sure to buckle up tight as the ride is indeed bumpy, devious, and quite dark.  About the time Swanson lulls you into thinking you have it all figured out, he changes course and is off and running in an entirely different direction forcing readers to hang on for dear life.

I'm always delighted to find a new-to-me psychological thriller author who can keep me engaged and burning through pages as Peter Swanson did with Before She Knew Him.  Through unreliable narrators, he spins a dark suspense story featuring dysfunctional characters in seemingly everyday situations whose lives suddenly spiral out of control.  At times, I found the story to be just a bit far-fetched, and yet it remained intense and believable at the same time.  With tension continuing to build in a well-woven plot line, an ominous tone and atmosphere of impending doom blankets the characters as well as readers.  It's one of those you know it's coming . . . but from which direction and from whom?  A Must Read in the suspense/thriller genre!

My Rating:  4 Twisted Hearts . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

Sandra

Blood Apprentice Review

Title:  Blood Apprentice
Series:  Elemental Legacy #2
Author:  Elizabeth Hunter
Publisher:  Recurve Press LLC
Release Date:  Feb. 12, 2019
Buy Link:  Amazon

My Rating:  4 Tension-Filled Hearts

*With many thanks to the author for an arc of this book.

Synopsis:
If you’re a human in a vampire’s world, nothing goes according to plan.

When a map to the mysterious fortune of notorious privateer Miguel Enríquez falls in the lap of Ben and Tenzin, only one of them is jumping at the opportunity. Tenzin can’t wait to search for a secret cache of gold. Ben, on the other hand, couldn’t be less excited.

All Ben knows about Puerto Rico is what he hears on the news and a few lingering memories of his human grandmother. Going back to his roots holds zero appeal for the carefully constructed man he’s become.

In the end, the lure of hidden gold can’t be denied.

Ben and Tenzin head to Puerto Rico where the immortal world is ruled by Los Tres, a trio of powerful vampires commanding the wind, the waves, and the mountains that make up this small island in the Caribbean.

To find Enríquez’s treasure, they’ll have to walk a fine line between flattery and secrecy. To leave the island might mean a bigger fight than either one of them foresaw.

Blood Apprentice is the second novel in the Elemental Legacy, a paranormal mystery series by Elizabeth Hunter, author of the Irin Chronicles.

Review:

A pirate's treasure map leads Ben and Tenzin to Puerto Rico - a land controlled by a trio of powerful vampires - Los Tres.  They'll need their permission to seek the treasure.  While Tenzin is thrilled to be on the trail of a fortune in gold, Ben is hesitant to revisit the country and people of his past.  The longer they stay, the more long buried memories surface, stirring a storm that continues brewing within Ben.  Again and again, he questions what he's doing with his life. Through a few alternating past/present scenes, readers see Ben as the boy he was before Gio stepped in and changed his life.  I enjoyed learning more about Ben and events in his past that helped form the man he has now become - one walking a fine, dangerous line between mortal and immortal worlds.   Tenzin is . . . Tenzin - a force of nature to be reckoned with, powerful, scary, and complex as she blows through lives while struggling with a bit of inner turmoil of her own.  Both characters seem to sense a showdown and time of decision coming, and neither are ready to face it.  As a result, it's an understatement to say tension is turned all the way up to HIGH in this book, fueling some scenes and potentially deadly situations that fans of the series will not want to miss!

As always, Elizabeth Hunter excels are setting a scene with her descriptive writing style and use of location playing into the plot line.  I enjoyed sensing the strength of each main character in their own right, even as each also displayed a sense of vulnerability and unsureness in their dance around one another heavily laden with emotions they continue to refuse to acknowledge.  The snarky banter between Ben and Tenzin adds needed relief from the frustration and tension sparking between them as they each battle internal turmoil while fighting external forces together.  Past characters as well as new ones round out a strong support cast even as hints of things to come tease readers.  I have to say that the cliffhanger ending frustrated this reader a little as I was left with feelings that the story stopped just short of completion, but that's just me.  I'm sure it served its purpose to leave readers begging for the next one.  Another Must Read in the series!

My Rating:  4 Tension-Filled, Frustrated Hearts . . . And that's the truth!

Cross My Heart . . . xxx

Sandra

IWSG: How Does Your Creativity Flow?

The Insecure Writer’s Support Group is a website media business with affiliates to enhance our service to visitors. We are a home for writers in all stages; from unpublished to bestsellers. Our goal is to offer assistance and guidance. We want to help writers overcome their insecurities, and by offering encouragement we are creating a community of support. Visit IWSG to learn more about this great writing community!  

IWSG posts the first Wednesday of every month. It's a great writer's resource that I'm sure you'll find well worth your time. Be sure to stop by and visit with other IWSG Members.  

Join me in thanking this month's awesome co-hosts:  Raimey Gallant,  Natalie Aguirre,  CV Grehan, and Michelle Wallace!

IWSG Question:  Besides writing, what other creative outlets do you have?

Ooohhh I do love this question!  I have several "hobbies" through which my creativity flows.  I'm passionate about gardening (yes, both my thumbs are green!) and creating floral showcases in/on my yard, porch, and deck by blending plants of different colors and shapes.  The birds and butterflies greatly appreciate my work!  And I knew I was doing something right when the mailman asked me who "did my landscaping"!  The answer is ME!  lol  Love experimenting with and growing different vegetables and herbs and using those to get creative when baking & cooking.  I'm a big fan of handcrafts, especially some of the old soon-to-be lost arts and find it peaceful yet stimulating to get creative and experiment with color & patterns & textures while hand-quilting and embroidering.  I enjoy exploring a world of colors, materials, yarns, and threads while crocheting or sewing pillows & spreads & curtains or whatever.  I also dabble in pottery and clay and paint!  lol 

They say a picture is worth a thousand words so I'll share a few with you.  Bear with me - manipulating pictures on this site is NOT one of my strong points!

Both the butterflies & I love my flowers!

Greenbean's reaching for the sky!

Preserving the harvest!

Strawberry Preserves just begging for hot buttered biscuits!

Really proud of my Moon & Stars watermelons this past summer!
I babied, cajoled, watered, and protected them from all would be thieves
until we could harvest & enjoy them.

Reese's Pieces CheeseCake - Hubby's favorite
I truly enjoy baking and love creating new recipes or
playing with old ones!

Anyone hungry?

My most recent crocheted afghan. My son claimed it! I love
the creativity of combining yarn & colors to create new patterns.

Designing & sewing pillow covers - again, my son claimed them!
Are you sensing a pattern here?! lol

A Sampler king size quilt I recently finished hand-quilting.

And yes, you guessed it...it's proudly displayed at my son's house!

 My current work-in-progress is a king size quilt called Grandma's Garden.  Each of the little pieces are hand-sown together, and I've now started the long process of hand-quilting it.

I recently returned to painting - a past love.  My son cut some decorations and ask me to paint them.  I'm working my way back into my artwork.  These are just whimsical fun!  BTW - The old Home Comfort wood cookstove you see the elves posing on was used in my great-grandmother's and then grandmother's house.  It now resides in the kitchen of my log home - and yes, it's hooked up & I do use it on cold winter days.  I'm a huge fan of anything old, historic, or antique.  Maybe because that also describes me!

So - now you've got the picture of some of the directions in which my creativity flows! (even if not displayed perfectly!) haha  Now tell me - How does your creativity flow?