Beautiful Redemption by Jamie McGuire

Read 6/2/15-6/4/15

We briefly meet Thomas "Tommy" Maddox in Beautiful Disaster and Walking Disaster. But then, Beautiful Oblivion comes along, and... I don't even know what to say or think. He's also known as T.J.

I want to hate him for what he's done in the past, but he redeems himself in more ways than one. I feel bad for him because sometimes you can't help who you fall in love with, and I totally get it.

So needless to say, he has won my forgiveness (not that it matters). 

I enjoyed this book and the characters, especially Liis. She was freaking awesome. I absolutely love her character. 

I think that this book definitely tied in a lot of things that we left unanswered with some of the other Maddox brothers, which is definitely good. There is a lot that can be said about this Maddox, but what was "it" for me was how overprotective he was of his family, because he was the youngest when his mom dies, and was left with such a huge responsibility at such an age. Granted, he made mistakes, some of them huge; but he's human after all. 

Definitely enjoyed. Can't complain about the chemistry - among other things! Jamie didn't disappoint me as a reader. 

The Rancher

Not too long ago I discovered a beautiful book written by Kelli Ann Morgan. And it has been literally begging me to write about what I read and what I experienced. 

You see, while reading this Historical Western, I met this character that goes by the name of Abby McCallister. I don't know how to describe her exactly, other than she's got an attitude and is a strong female (for the time period). Instead of prancing around in dresses and looking for a husband, she was out working with the horses in her ranch and helping the hand. It was awesome. She was a well written strong character. And I immediately liked her.

Unfortunately for Abby, her dad is trying to send her out of town so that she can learn how to be a lady. Which is completely ridiculous for her. She concocts a plan with her best friend and gets herself into some trouble. 

That trouble comes by the name of Cole Redbourne. I fell in love with that name. Seriously. Everyone believes that he's such a cold-hearted person. All he does is work his men hard and rough. He happens to "meet" Abby, and things get interesting. Deep down though, there is a man that is caring and loving and he would do anything to protect those he loves. 

Needless to say that this book was full of action and drama and of course, romance. Nothing inappropriate though. I loved every bit of this book. The characters were totally amazing. So much so, that I still think about them even though it's been a while since I read this. 

I have to say that Kelli Ann Morgan made a fan of me. I couldn't just stop with Cole, I had to go and meet his other brothers (Yes that was plural. There is more than 1 Redbourne boy/man). I liked them enough that I'll re-read them. 

The Longest Ride

I jumped on the wagon of reading this book before I watched the movie, which is what I usually do for any Nicholas Sparks book. 

I immediately fell in love with the book. The characters were amazing. I'm still trying to decide if I fell more for Ira or Luke. It's pretty hard to decide. 

Ira, the Veteran who had so much love for Ruth. The one that was patient and shy and loving. The one that bid his time into courting Ruth. The one that was so likable, that his military companions loved hanging out with him. The man that was so smart. But then, there is Ira, the soft man. The one who was willing to give up a future that he could offer Ruth because he didn't think that he was worthy of her. He loved her so much that he was willing to let her go. There is also Ira the people-pleaser. I say this, because it seemed to me like he lived to please Ruth in every aspect of her life. 

Luke. Such a strong character. I loved him from the very first moment that I met him. I loved how he handled the situation with Brian, and he didn't over-do it. He was such a level headed person and so calm about everything. The man that took care of his mother, the ranch and all of his other responsibilities. Once I got to know more of his back story, I fell even more for him. I felt so bad for everything that he had gone through. Such a rough and hard life for someone so young. I do believe that he was a well written character though. 

I really enjoyed that we got multiple POV (and by this, I mean Luke, Ira & Sophia). That was pretty awesome. I like to know what each character is going through or what they are thinking at the exact moment. It definitely help tie in the two stories together. I kept wondering what the relation would be between Ira/Ruth and Luke/Sophia and how each would benefit from the other. 

The romance that was offered was very sweet. I like what we got and from whom we got it. Not too much, not too little. Just right. 

That ending. Can I just say WOW. I was shocked. Totally Shocked. 

I do have to say that like with any other Nicholas Sparks book, I cried. I felt my heart break several times. I got mad at some points. But then I was totally giggling/laughing at others.The emotions that he evoked from me as a reader are those that I expect a good book to get from me. I was definitely not disappointed. 

Oh, did I mention that I went the old fashion way with this book? I read the paper book for this one. I felt like I would be able to get more out of it than in my Kindle. Which I believe I did. 

The Collectors Society

I literally stumbled upon this beauty by accident. I happened to see an image of Heather Lyons "The Forgotten Mountain" which is the 3rd book in the Collector's Society Series, and fell in love with it, immediately! 

I started the Collectors Society not really knowing what I was getting myself into. What I do know is that Alice goes by Alice Reeves, and happens to be in an Asylum. There she is found by a Gentleman that goes by the name of Brom Van Brunt. He asks her to travel with her to New York City and that it is imperative for her to do so, to save Wonderland. That it is at risk. 

"You are asking me to be selfish" 

"Not at all" He towers over me. "I'm asking you to be strong and smart and brave, and to protect those who cannot protect themselves."

Like Alice of any world, she takes everything in stride. 

"Sometimes, we must deal with our problems head on in order to let them go."

"Sometimes life is more extraordinary than we might first imagine"

And I think that is why I fell in love with this Alice. Because yes, she was nuts, but she admitted it herself. She knew what she could handle and how much of it she could handle. 

"Sometimes our pasts are chains we cannot let go of, even if the key is in our hands. They define us in ways we resent, and yet they are somewhat precious, too. Because, logically, we understand that our pasts have made us who we are, even if we want nothing more to close our eyes to them."

I think I cried when I read this. I read this part several times, just to make sure that I had read it correctly. And what it says is true. 

I don't even think it is possible for me to describe the many ways in which this book spoke to me. I fell in love with Alice. I fell in love with Finn. I fell in love with Victor and Mary. I fell in love with The White King, because come on, how could you not. He sacrificed a lot once he realized that Alice had happiness in her life. 

"I will always do everything I can to ensure your happiness. Your happiness is my happiness, even if it means your heart is held in another's hands."

I love that there is action in this book. I like that Alice can take care of herself. That she's not some fragile girl that needs to be taken care of. 

I believe that this will be one of those books that will be a repeat for me. It's that good!

Eternal Eden

The first time that I read this book was in July of 2011. I had just learned of what an Indy Author was a few months before and completely fell in love with what they did. 

I first came across Eternal Eden by chance. I didn't know of Nicole Wiliams or her work. So when I bought the book, I thought "Oh what the hell, why not give her a try if she's brave and willing to put her work out there." 

Since then, she has become one of my most favorite authors. 

I enjoyed Bryn's character, but not as much as William Hayward. She's had a pretty rough life as of recent, what with loosing her parents the same night that she had been shot. So she decides to move from Stanford University to a no name college in Oregon. There she tries to live a pretty low-level life where she can just blend in and hide and go through with the motions. 

She happens to meet William, and she KNOWS that there is more to him. From their very first encounter, she tries to run the opposite way because she's not sure of anything in her life. But William being who or more of what he is, he doesn't know how to give up.

"His eyes found me without searching the room, as if he knew exactly who I was and where I'd be." 

"I shivered - no doubt because I was still chilled - and tried to turn my eyes away. They wouldn't be deterred, something was overriding my system and keeping them grounded on him."

I absolutely loved how their relationship developed. They grew a friendship before they could move forward. It was rather sweet. 

"I promised I'd tell you when I found something big enough for me to make another change in my life... I've found it."

"As have I."

I loved their love story. It's one of my most favorite ones. It's one that has stuck with me through time. I've gone back and re-read it several times since the first time. But what is great, is that every time that I read it, I fall in love even more with the characters. 

Gates of Thread and Stone

I was completely enthralled when I started reading this book. So much so that I couldn't put it down. I finished it in one day. 

Lori M. Lee does a great job in creating and describing this magical world. I was actually able to picture and imagine where the characters were and what they were doing. 

We start off by meeting Kai who seems to be a pretty girl, but is different. She relies on her brother Reev, and the way that she describes it is that she can't seem to be alone. She depends on him. There's a reason for that though. He found her on the side of a river when she was 8 years old. She has no memories, and doesn't know where she comes from, or who she is. All she knows is that this 16 year old boy basically adopted her and took care of her. 

I absolutely admire her. The love and loyalty that she showed for her brother was amazing. She was brave enough to wander out into the Void looking for her brother, without knowing what to expect. I love how her character grew in this book. There were some times when I wanted to smack some sense into her. 

Then we meet Avan. He's maybe a year older than her and absolutely beautiful. He and Kai seem to form some kind of friendship. He's nice enough to her. And aside from Reev, he's the only other friend that she has. He decides to join her in her travels. At first I was confused as to why he would do such a thing. But go over it rather quickly. I did want something to happen between those two. There were so many missed opportunities, that I couldn't handle it. 

I do have to say that he does a great job in being there for Kai, no matter what. He protects her and has her back through out all of their trials. I think I wanted to smack him more than Kai though. In her defense, she's naive when it comes to the whole relationship thing. I mean, she's never even been kissed. But Avan, I mean, he's as experienced as anyone his age can be, and some. 

That twist in the ending is what I'm having issues with. I can assume that anyone else that may have read this book will be siding with me on this. I mean, come on. 

The problem that I have is that I have to wait until March of 2015 to read the next book. I'm anxious to see where Lori takes us with this book. The decisions that will have to be made, most importantly by Kai will be interesting. 

In case you didn't know, the next book will be titled The Infinite. 

The Law of Moses

Amy Harmon has done it again! Do I really need to say anymore? If you've read any of her other work, then you know that she's an amazing writer. 

If you know me, then you know that I have professed my love for her work. She's one of my go-to authors. She's also one that I have learned to One-Click and Pre-Order because I know that she will not disappoint me. 

I actually waited a couple of days to sit down and write my review for this book. I wanted to make sure that my feelings and emotions had settled. 

"This is the story of love with no end... though it took me a while to get there. 

If I tell you right up front, right in the beginning that I lost him, it will be easier for you to bear." 

That's what she gives us in the Prologue. I took tentative steps after I read this. I knew that whatever she gave us would be good, I just didn't know what the journey would be to get the great. 

The book is separated into two parts. And it alternates between Georgia and Moses' characters. Which I thought was great!

We start off with Georgia telling us about Moses' story. He was a "crack baby", and if that doesn't tug at your heart, then I don't know what will.  

"People love babies, even sick babies. Even crack babies. But babies grow up to be kids. Nobody really wants messed up kids."

We get his back story, which totally breaks my heart. I wanted to crawl into the book and just hold that little boy and tell him that someone cared for him.

We also get to know Georgia a little bit. She's a strong and beautiful smart girl. She knows what she wants in life and is willing to do whatever it takes to get there.

"Whatever it was, when Moses came to Levan, he was like water- cold, deep, unpredictable, and, like the pond up the canyon, dangerous, because you could never see what was beneath the surface. And just like I'd done all my life, I jumped in head first, even though I'd been forbidden. But this time, I drowned."

I knew that whatever happened between those two, would be good. 

"She was a small town girl with a simple way of speaking and thinking, a frank way of being that turned me on and turned me off at the same time. I wanted to run from her. But at the same time, I spent all my time thinking about her."

I really really liked Moses. Yes he was different. But remember, different is good every now and then! He was an extremely talented artist. Unfortunately, not everyone appreciated his art. 

"I think your work is strange and beautiful, Moses. Like a discordant melody that resolves itself as you listen..."

The trials that both went through separately and together were gut wrenching. I hated the suffering that happened because everyone else was ignorant and stupid towards Moses. 

"We can't escape ourselves, Tag. Here, there, half-way across the world, or in a psych ward in Salt Lake City. I'm Moses and you're Tag. And that part never changes. So either we figure it out here or we figure it out there. But we still gotta deal. And death won't change that". 

I absolutely love the friendship that he found in Tag. He was an anchor and understanding that he needed. It worked both ways for them both. 

"We'll just keep running, Moses. How did you say it? Here, there, on the other side of the world? We can't escape ourselves. So we stick together until we find ourselves, all right? Until we figure out how to deal."

That's the kind of friendship that everyone always wishes for. To have someone that is willing to go anywhere and everywhere to help you with your problems, and is willing to admit that they need help as well. 

I liked Tag a lot. I hate how they met and the circumstances that brought them together, but I understand it.

I don't like how Moses was brought back into Levan, but I do. If you've read the book, then you'll understand what I mean by this. My heart broke all over again once I figured out the situation. My heart hurt, for Georgia, Moses and everyone else. 

Eli. Such a beautiful description of who he was and what he accomplished. 

"I knew, and yet it still hurt. So much. I didn't lose him the way Georgia did. But I still lost him. I lost him before I knew him. And I wasn't prepared."

"I can't tell you how it felt to say goodbye. How it felt to choose. But in the end, mercifully, the choice was made for me, and I didn't have to do either."

There are some definite twists in this book that I totally did not see coming. I was blindsided by them. But then the light switch turned on and I was pissed. Because of the suffering that happened. So many lives were affected. 

On a side note, I TOTALLY LOVED that she mentions Josie Jensen, and that she and Sam make a couple of appearances in this book. Love them!!! 

I don't think that I can fully express my feelings for this book. It was beautiful and amazing. She did such a great job. She managed to allow me to loose myself in her writing. 

Moses stuck with me even after I finished reading this book. But it was more than just him, or his description. It was his life and the experiences that he went through. It was the fact that he was able to take something bad and cruel (because that's what everyone else saw) and turn it into something beautiful. 

I love it and I don't think that I can get enough of it. I'll definitely be re-reading this book. 

I cried and was so emotional. And I think that's the beauty that I want to find when I loose my self in a book. To be able to feel so much for those characters. To be able to travel on those journeys with them, and to rejoice when they find and discover what their greats are. 

Thank you Amy Harmon; for creating something beautiful and gifting us, your readers with it. You amaze me with what you create. I have yet to have been disappointed by anything that you have done (Not that I'm looking to be).