When The Bough Breaks 
Author: Miss Mae
Genre: Sweet Romance, Mystery, YA
Publisher: Whimsical Publications LLC 
Length: 194 pages
Publication Date: Oct. 2009
ISBN-13: 978-1-936167-01-2
Buy Link: Whimsical Publications
Reviewed by: Rebecca J. Vickery
 
Rating:   
  (5 Twists)


     Everyone who follows me knows I enjoy my romance with a twist. There has to be something besides just a run-of-the-mill, boy-meets-girl, fall in love, happy ever after story. I was not disappointed by When The Bough Breaks. Though a sweet romance is essential to the tale, it is far from the entire story. There were enough twists and surprises to keep me turning page after page to find out what would happen next.
     Miss Mae once again had me guessing, incorrectly I might add, as to where the story was headed. I’m afraid to say too much as I don’t want to include spoilers so I’m keeping my character descriptions and story details to a minimum.
     But following the heroine, Darlene, as she grew from a teenager into a young woman while watching her fall for and lose Parker was entertaining, emotional, and irresistible. The timing and setting of the book brought back my own memories of living and dating in a small town. When Darlene returns to town a few years later, the intrigue and suspense held me in its grip.
     Nothing is as it seems and secrets abound in this book. Sweet enough for a teenager, but sophisticated in its own way, I definitely recommend When The Bough Breaks for anyone who enjoys their “romance with a twist” and gave it the maximum rating at my site of 5 twists. To learn more about Miss Mae and her sweet tales of mystery, visit her at http://www.missmaesite.com/

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Hannah's Man by Rita Hestand
Contemporary Romantic Western
Contains Adult Content

Buy at:  Smashwords.com
 
     This was the first book I've read by this talented author, but it won't be the last. I now intend to read her other stories about these Travers brothers and their adventures in finding and keeping their women.
     In Hannah's Man, following true cowboy style, Rusty Travers sees a woman in distress and reluctantly goes to her rescue. Hannah has secrets and one of them is that her ranch is mortgaged to the hilt. In order to save her home, she has to rely on this cowboy she doesn't know and has no reason to trust.
     A great play on the cowboy coming to the rescue theme by Ms. Hestand. Then Rusty and Hannah begin to find a lot of traits they like and respect in each other. But that's only after some very entertaining interaction.
     Ms. Hestand balances the conflict and the attraction expertly and has you turning pages to see what could possibly happen next. And just when you think the problems are all wrapped up and this couple is on the way to riding off into the sunset, there's a surprise call for Rusty from home that might change everything. This story was extremely entertaining and provided a welcome escape after a hard day. I loved it and would highly recommend it. I gave this book 5 twists and will save it to read again. I am definitely looking forward to Ms. Hestand's other works.

River of Tears    Author: Michele Montgomery
Paperback: 270 pages  Publisher: Outskirts Press
ISBN-10: 1432743201 ISBN-13: 978-1432743208
Genre: Women's Fiction


Reviewed by Rebecca J. Vickery
Rating:
4 out of 5 Twists (A Recommended Read - Above average story)

Ms. Montgomery uses strong emotions, descriptive passages, faith, and even man's ability to be cruel to man to grab and hold the reader's attention in this unusual tale of a man kidnapped by his own family and the love of his life who relentlessly searches for him. Many paragraphs brought tears to my eyes and others put a smile on my face. I was haunted by the despair of loss and then uplifted by the love of family depicted so believably as I turned the pages.
I normally am not caught up in books written in first person, but River of Tears by Michele Montgomery definitely held my attention from the beginning. Not your typical romance by any means, the book is a unique and emotional love story filled with tension and unexpected occurrences.
This was an above average story and I recommend it for anyone who wants something a bit different.

You may find out more about this book at: www.michelemontgomery.com
Buy Links: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

Due to sexual scenes and descriptions A Christmas Vow is rated for adult readers only.

As a boy, Chris becomes enamored with Shanda when he sees her dance at her first recital. Shanda loves Chris with all of her young heart. But Chris is older and seeks out mature girls along with other interests.    
     Later he becomes the head of a large international company and Shanda must accept that things will never be the same. She pursues her own goal of teaching dance to under-privileged children to the exclusion of all else.
      Ms. Shinn masterfully takes us through time as Chris and Shanda's feelings grow, change, and mature from childhood infatuation into a passionate, adult relationship. With humor, heart-rending emotion, and explosive passion, this story keeps the pages turning and leaves the reader with a satisfied, happy feeling in the pit of the stomach.
Buy Links: Smashwords in multi-format ebook, CreateSpace in print, Amazon in print
Be sure to check out the other great books by Author Laura Shinn at her website www.laurashinn.com