Back to Normal & Guest Blog (5)

Sorry for disappearing on you guys! I've had some manic family stuff going on at home and I haven't been online or reading much at all. Things are less busy now so things should be returning to normal around here. There will be reviews of the rest of the Morganville series coming soon, as well as my usual memes. I've really missed blogging and I'm so glad to be back! And on that note...

My latest guest blog post has just been published over at the awesome E&K Family Book Review where I reviewed Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella. If you'd like to see what I thought, click here.

A Gift to Last by Debbie Macomber

Title: A Gift to Last
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Mira
ISBN: 978-1-5516-6930-4
Pages: 240
Series: Angels Everywhere #4
Type: Adult Chick Lit
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

This book combines two stories from Debbie Macomber: a stand alone focused on a group of stranded travellers and the fourth story in her Angels Everywhere series (after A Season of Angels, The Trouble with Angels and Touched by Angels).

***Can This Be Christmas?***

A mismatched group of travellers have ended up on a packed train to Boston on Christmas Eve. Submariner Len is determined to get back to Texas to propose to his long-term girlfriend, recently widowed Cathy is heading to her daughter's for her first Christmas without her husband, salesman Matt is heading back to his family...if they're still waiting and Kelly and Nick are taking their baby daughter home. But when the train becomes stranded at a small New Hampshire station, the travellers must band together to recapture the true meaning of Christmas.

This is a cute story and is apparently inspired by an experience of the author's parents. I love snowbound settings so I was excited to read this. The whole story takes place over the course of two days as the travellers are stranded in a small town and opt to stay in the train depot so they won't miss the train leaving. The story is well written with a clever plot, but there are a lot of characters introduced very quickly so I found it a little hard to keep track. This is also a very short story (only 100 pages or so) so it's a very quick read. It is a great story for showing how the Christmas spirit can be captured by anyone regardless of circumstance if only they try.

Plot: 8/10; Characters: 8/10; Ending: 8/10; Enjoyment: 8/10

***Shirley, Goodness and Mercy***

The irrepressible angels are back in the role of prayer ambassadors again. This time the case is so dire all three have been assigned to work together. Greg Bennett hates Christmas. Mid-way through a divorce, friendless and on the brink of losing the vineyard he's spent 50 years building he has no time for sentimentality or the Christmas spirit. But Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are determined to help him recapture the joy of the season and fix his life.

I've really enjoyed the previous angel stories and was a little surprised to realise that the three angels would only have one prayer to answer. The previous books have dealt with three cases, but this is significantly shorter so I can understand the single focus. While I enjoyed the story it wasn't on par with the previous installments. Greg's backstory is presented briefly and ended up being info-dumped on the reader. I found his brother's attitude was incredibly annoying and stuck up. Shirley, Goodness and Mercy also don't get up to as many antics as usual which I really missed. I did like the ending as, while some parts were predictable, one aspect was unexpectedly realistic.

Plot: 8/10; Characters: 8/10; Ending: 8/10; Enjoyment: 7/10

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All in all, this is a quick and easy read that's great for the Christmas season.

Average plot: 8/10
Average characters: 8/10
Average ending: 8/10
Average enjoyment: 7.5/10
Cover: 8/10

Overall: 39.5/50

The Trouble with Angels by Debbie Macomber

Title: The Trouble with Angels
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 0-00-773964-8
Pages: 337
Series: Angels Everywhere #2
Type: Adult Chick Lit
Source: Purchased
Goodreads


Angels Shirley, Goodness and Mercy have been sent to Los Angeles to act as prayer ambassadors for three difficult cases. Shirley finds herself assigned to Karen Woods, a young girl who has been having nightmares since her parents painful and messy divorce. Mercy is sent to Catherine Goodwin who is praying her grandson finds a love that will rival the one she experienced years before and Goodness finds herself with a demanding case. Assigned to Paul Morris, Goodness must help the pastor to regain the faith he has lost since the death of his wife.

This is the second book in the Angels series (after A Season of Angels) and I was really looking forward to reading it. I fell in love with the irrepressible Shirley, Goodness and Mercy in the previous book so I couldn't wait to see what they'd get up to next. As with the previous book, each angel is assigned their own case but frequently join together to help each other out.

The three stories are well paced with realistic plots and unique storylines, and switching between them created some mini cliffhangers that kept me glued to the page. Shirley, Goodness and Mercy continue with their unusual ways of connecting with their charges, often with hilarious results. At times I wished for a little more depth on some background characters, like Karen's father, but their motivations weren't really relevant to the story so I can understand why they were skipped.

Faith is a key part of the story, but the book isn't pushy or aimed at forcing you to believe in religion. It simply shows how having faith (in anything) can make your life easier. Most problems have mundane solutions and the majority of the book revolves around honesty and trust between characters not divine intervention, although sometimes people just need a nudge in the right direction.

I did find the ending of the previous book to feel a little contrived, but I'm happy to say that this ending flows beautifully out of the story tying up the loose ends in a believable way. The whole book has a really positive uplifting feel which makes it an ideal holiday read.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm really looking forward to reading Touched by Angels.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 47/50

Angels Everywhere by Debbie Macomber

Title: Angels Everywhere
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Avon
ISBN: 978-0-06-050830-2
Pages: 640
Series: Angels Everywhere #1 and 3
Type: Adult Chick Lit
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

This book features two of Debbie Macomber's angel stories, although strangely it contains the first and third books in the series. The Trouble with Angels actually falls between the two. There aren't any spoilers here that would ruin it, but there are several references to the last two years of cases that may seem a little odd if you don't know about the second book.

***A Season of Angels***

During the holiday season, three peoples cries for help have fallen on heavenly ears: Leah's prayers for a baby have gone unanswered for years, Monica's prayers for a husband are hindered by her self-righteousness and all Timmy wants for Christmas is a father. Three young angels, Shirley, Goodness and Mercy, have been sent to act as guardians but they'll soon find out helping humans is harder than they expected.

This was a really fun read with a great storyline. I was a little worried that it could end up being overly religious and preachy, but my fears were unfounded and I loved getting to know Shirley, Goodness and Mercy. The angels bring a great uplifting feel to the tale and their encounters with modern technology are hilarious (who thought angels could enjoy riding escalators so much?).

I loved the uniqueness of each character and their story and I ended up glued to the page, hoping everything would work out for them in the end. Each character has their own struggles and it was great to see the characters grow and change so they could make themselves happier, with a little divine help of course. The ending does come together very quickly, and I found one story's conclusion to feel a little contrived but on the whole this is a great read.

Plot: 8/10; Characters: 10/10; Ending: 8/10; Enjoyment: 10/10

***Touched by Angels***

Shirley, Goodness and Mercy are back and this time they're bringing their heavenly guidance to New York. Shirley struggles with the case of an optimistic young teacher at a tough inner city school, while Mercy tries to help Jenny decide whether to cling to her dream of Broadway stardom or return home to Montana and Goodness decides that Gabriel is wrong about her case. He insists Hannah's fiancee is perfect for her, while Goodness thinks attorney Joshua is a far better match.

I really enjoyed this story but I found it took me a little while to connect with the characters. Unlike the previous angel books, Gabriel is around more so Shirley, Goodness and Mercy have to be a little more controlled (although they still manage to pull off some hilarious pranks). The cases are harder this time, especially Shirley's which is focused on the idealistic Brynn who is determined to make a difference at a Dangerous Minds-esque school.

I loved the progression of the stories, and again the switching focus created lots of mini cliffhangers. The storylines ran concurrently which meant the reader only sees what is relevant. I did feel that the ending was a little rushed and I'd have liked to have seen the motivation and consequences behind some decisions, but all in all this was a great read.

Plot: 10/10; Characters: 10/10; Ending: 9/10; Enjoyment: 9/10

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This is a really uplifting book that is full of the Christmas spirit and I heartily recommend it.

Average plot: 9/10
Average characters: 10/10
Average ending: 8.5/10
Average enjoyment: 9.5/10
Cover: 9/10

Overall: 46/50

Falling for Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Title: Falling for Christmas

Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Mira
ISBN: 978-0-7783-0394-7
Pages: 425
Series: Cedar Cove #8.5 and Mrs. Miracle #2
Type: Adult Chick Lit
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

This book features two of Debbie Macomber's stories - A Cedar Cove Christmas and Call Me Mrs. Miracle.

***A Cedar Cove Christmas***

Mary Jo Wyse is heavily pregnant and sick of being avoided by the father, she decides to track him down. Her search leads her to Cedar Cove on Christmas Eve. A dizzy spell means her path crosses with hunky EMT Mack McAfee, and leaves her ordered to rest. But with no room at the inn, Mary Jo is reliant on the kindness of her newly made friends in Cedar Cove.

I'm relatively new to the world of Cedar Cove so I was a little worried that I'd end up totally lost with this book. However, although I don't know the back story for some of the characters there is enough information here to make each one realistic. I loved Mary Jo and Mack, and it was great how this isn't the typical romance as it starts a year after the story has taken place. Grace and Olivia were lovely and I'm looking forward to reading their books. All in all, a great Christmas read.

Plot: 10/10; Characters: 10/10; Ending: 10/10; Enjoyment: 10/10

***Call Me Mrs Miracle***

Emily Merkle has a new job in the toy department of Finley's, a store that depends on Christmas trade to stay afloat year round. The head of the toy department Jake Finley has taken a gamble on a new toy, and he needs Mrs Miracle's help to get them all sold. But that's not the only help he needs - and Mrs Miracle intends to help him with his feelings for Holly Larson, a woman desperate to give her nephew the most amazing Christmas ever while his Dad serves in Afghanistan. Mrs Miracle definitely has her work cut out for her on this holiday season!

I loved Mrs. Miracle, and was really looking forward to reading this. I absolutely loved it. Mrs Miracle is her same slightly-cryptic self, and Jake and Holly were amazing together. But the real star of the story is Holly's nephew Gabe whose emails to his Dad are really funny and sweet. A couple of background characters were a little two-dimensional, but all in all I really enjoyed this and think it's a brilliant seasonal read.

Plot: 10/10; Characters: 8/10; Ending: 10/10; Enjoyment: 10/10

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Both stories are brilliant and really Christmassy, making this book a near-perfect seasonal read.

Average plot: 10/10
Average characters: 9/10
Average ending: 10/10
Average enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10

Overall: 49/50

16 Lighthouse Road by Debbie Macomber

Title: 16 Lighthouse Road
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Mira
ISBN: 978-0-7783-0290-2
Pages: 384
Series: Cedar Cove #1
Type: Adult Chick Lit
Source: Purchased
Goodreads

Judge Olivia Lockheart has inadvertantly caused a scandal. When the divorce petition of Cecilia and Ian Randal appeared on her docket, she decided they needed to work harder on their marriage and returned a shocking verdict - divorce denied! But Olivia has issues of her own with her blossoming interest in local newspaper man Jack. Not to mention her daughter Justine is dating an inappropriate man, her best friend Grace's marriage is in trouble and her mother's mysterious new friend Tom.

This is the first book in the Cedar Cove series and, despite being a fan of Debbie Macomber, a book I've been putting off reading. From the blurb it sounds like Olivia rules against Cecilia and Ian fairly randomly, but it turns out their story is heartbreaking. Their whirlwind romance ended in tragedy when their newborn daughter was born prematurely and died while Ian was uncontactable on a Navy submarine. Olivia's judgement becomes understandable as the two have barely spoken since Ian's return. I found myself really rooting for the couple and hoping they'd sort out their issues.

The strength of the book lies in its characters, each of whom is likeable and has their own story to tell. Aside Cecilia and Ian's relationship, there are several other storylines. Olivia finds herself drawn to Jack who runs the local newspaper. He's new to Cedar Cove and is keeping some secrets. Another plot line is given to Olivia's daughter Justine who is in a relationship of convenience, dating an older man as a well kept trophy. Justine has never wanted a long term commitment, but Olivia worries she's missing out.

Grace Harding is Olivia's best friend, and she's having problems of her own. Her husband is becoming increasingly distant, hiding things and changing his schedule. They've been married for 35 years and Grace worries that Dan has found another woman. Olivia's mother Charlotte has her own story revolving around her friendship with Tom, a patient at a local care home.

Cedar Cove itself is a cleverly developed town that really sounds like a place I'd like to visit. Loosely based on the author's own home town, Cedar Cove manages to tie the storylines together keeping the book coherent and well paced. Quite a long time passes during the book (almost a year) so the story has a grounded, realistic feel as problems aren't sorted out magically overnight.

All in all, this was a great read and I'm really looking forward to 204 Rosewood Lane.

Plot: 9/10
Characters: 9/10
Ending: 9/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Cover: 10/10

Overall: 47/50