Persuasion: A Latter-Day Tale

Persuasion: A Latter-day Tale by Rebecca H. Jamison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Anne keeps busy as a stock broker and is always helping her somewhat dysfunctional parents and siblings. She's happy, but would love to find Mr. Right and have a family of her own to focus on.

Totally unexpectedly, her ex-fiance comes back into the picture. She was the one who called off the engagement eight years earlier due to fear and family pressure, but she's always loved Neil. Seeing him dating others is hard on her, but she's determined to get over him.

I felt like I could relate to Anne from the very beginning when she was trying to price items for her father's yard (I mean estate) sale. She's the go-to person in her family too (although her familial situation doesn't resemble mine at all).

Some parts were predictable, but others caught you off guard (in a good, twisty sort of way). At times it was really heavy on LDSisms, but the characters were great and the story was fun to read.

I haven't read Jane Austen's Persuasion yet, but this definitely made me want to add it to my to-read stack.

This was an Advanced Readers Copy read through NetGalley.

Rearview Mirror

Rearview Mirror by Stephanie Black

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

CREEPY!

Fiona Claridge is a young college professor in New England. After catching a student plagiarizing, Fiona starts receiving threatening notes involving an accident in her past. She's convinced that the threats are coming from the student, but things get worse after attending the funeral of her ex-boyfriend's mother.

Stephanie Black did a great job with this story. I was certain that I'd figured out who the bad guy was (a few times), only to be wrong.

This book reminded me of the movie "Brigham City" in some ways. The LDS angle with nasty crimes isn't really my cup of tea. I don't like to think of people I know being capable of such evil.

My library only had the audiobook of Rearview Mirror. I prefer to read a book before I listen to it, but the story was intense enough that I was able to focus on it.

Caller ID

Caller ID by Rachelle Christensen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When Courtney Beckham stumbles upon something she wasn't meant to see in the forest near her home, her life is changed forever. She is kidnapped, and when a ransom is demanded for her return the FBI gets involved.

FBI agent Jason Edwards is known for going with his gut feeling in solving crimes. Something doesn't feel right about the Beckham case, and he follows his instincts to determine what really happened.

Rachelle J. Christensen does a great job writing a suspenseful novel. The story was believable and intense, and done in such a way that it was still clean.

Those who have read Christensen's other novel Wrong Number will recognize Jason. I liked his character in that story, and was glad to have him play a much bigger role this time.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher Cedar Fort for the opportunity to read this advanced copy.

The Assignment

The Assignment by Jean Holbrook Mathews

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Julia is asked by her employer to go to Manila to organize a rescue team to find his kidnapped granddaughter. Julia hesitates, but decides the assignment is just what she needs to keep her mind off her deceased husband and her comatose son. Little did she know how involved she'd become.

It took me awhile to get into this story, probably due to all of the details on the location and the different groups of people who live there. The information about the author made it sound like she loves the Philippines, but this story made it sound like a very scary and dangerous place.

I was happy when the focus got to the characters and their plight. Things got pretty intense, but good prevailed over evil for a pretty happy ending. It looked like there was going to be a romance, but that just didn't materialize. If there isn't a sequel in the works, the romance angle didn't make sense.

Not My Type

Not My Type: A Single Girl's Guide to Doing It All Wrong by Melanie Jacobson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been hearing (great things) about this book for months, but finding a library copy hasn't been easy. And then, miracle of miracles, I won a copy on a blog. I was so excited when it arrived in my mailbox the other day.

I was quite nervous that I had built it up so much in my mind that it'd be a let down. Thankfully, it did not disappoint!

Pepper Spicer (yes, the name is funny, but it totally works) is 23 and doesn't have a very enviable life. She is living at home, sharing a room with her little sister, and managing a sandwich shop to pay off the credit card debt she accumulated for her wedding (that didn't happen). Her attitude is hard to live with and her parents finally go with the tough love approach. She won't be able to keep living at home if she doesn't take some steps to change her attitude (finding a job she likes and writing thank you notes).

Pepper definitely has an uphill battle, but Jacobson's writing style and humor makes it a very enjoyable read. It is also a great reminder to look for the good in our lives, and share our gratitude with others.

Invisible

Invisible by Lorena McCourtney

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ivy Malone is a "LOL" (little old lady) who comes to realize that she is invisible-people just don't seem to notice her. She decides to put her invisibility to good use to discover who is vandalizing an out of the way cemetery. And while she's at it, she does some investigating about a missing neighbor.

Ivy is definitely not your average widow.

A very entertaining story that grabbed my attention and held it until almost the end.

I had no idea that this was the first of several Ivy Malone mysteries. The way the first book ended sort of lost my interest (not the author's intent, I'm sure). I'll probably give the 2nd book a try if I come across it.

A Christmas Carol

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

At the First Presidency Christmas Devotional on December 4th, President Thomas S. Monson mentioned how A Christmas Carol is one of the books he reads every Christmas. I'm definitely familiar with the story, but that is mostly due to watching Disney's "Mickey's Christmas Carol". But, there are times when a person should read good books (those with more substance than fluff), so I got an e-copy and started reading.

Of course, the point of the story is excellent. A greedy old man seeing the light and understanding that it is better to give than to receive. I'll admit I prefer the brevity of the cartoon version. This was a little verbose at times. But, there were some details not included in the cartoon that definitely added to the story.

I'm not sure that I'm ready to read A Tale of Two Cities at this point, but I'm glad I read A Christmas Carol.