Love At First Date by Susan Hatler

Love At First Date by Susan Hatler

Description from the publisher:

"Ellen’s figured out that finding the right guy is all about compatibility. That’s why she signs up for Detailed Dating—the local online dating scene in Sacramento. They ask men the hard questions, compare their answers with hers, then she filters through the profiles of each provided “match.” After numerous email exchanges, she narrows it down to two promising candidates she’s excited to meet in person.

When Ellen’s best friend asks her for a favor, dog-sitting leads to disaster and Ellen ends up at the local vet where she meets a man she can’t get out of her mind. Henry isn’t a logical choice, but she finds herself paying for dog obedience class to spend more time with him.

Ellen knows that in order to have a lasting relationship, she should take the safe route and go for one of the pre-screened guys. But, how can she think with her head when her heart keeps begging her to give Henry a chance?"

This was a short book but very very cute! I enjoyed the sparks between Ellen and Henry. The fact that he did not fit all of her criteria just made it even better to me! How many of us have these perfect  little plans in our heads? They almost never work out how we want or expect them to right? That is what makes this book so fun. Her unrealistic plans getting blown to smithereens! LOL

This is a fun read for a rainy day, it is short, sweet and fun. I thought it was written well and it kept my attention. The cover is cute and catchy as well!

***This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review***

Between Friends by Vristen Pierce

Between  Friends by Vristen Pierce

Description from the publisher:

"Stacy Washington needs a change. After being unceremoniously dumped by her long-time boyfriend, she's on her way to one of the hottest clubs in town-and ready to shed her good-girl persona. Good-bye, inhibitions; hello, sexy bartender . . . 
Behind the counter, Evan is a sight to behold: dark, good looks, and a killer smile. But before Stacy has a chance to get to know him better, an equally sexy prospect comes her way, and this one is ready to play. Blond, tattooed Justin is not shy about telling Stacy exactly what he wants. Justin and Evan are best friends, but that doesn't stop them from letting Stacy know they'd like to see where the night can take them-all of them. This could be a tricky situation-or the most exhilarating experience of Stacy's life . . . "

This book was fun and exciting. It was short and I would have liked it to be longer and elaborate more on the stories. I thought there was some interesting side stories as far as Stacy's career and her relationship with Nina  but there was not enough detail on them. The uhhh.....adult scenes were fun but not as descriptive as I would have expected.

All in all, it was a fun 30 minute read that I would probably read again. It was not my typical type of book but I do like to branch out on occasion. I am glad I gave it a try!!!

***this book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review***

Once A Seal by Anne Elizabeth

Once A Seal by Anne Elizabeth

Description from the publisher:
"Every woman dreams of marrying the perfect man-handsome, thoughtful, strong, and sensitive -and Aria Kavanagh believes she's found the ultimate hero in Chief Petty Officer Daniel McCullum. But being a U.S. Navy SEAL wife is a serious challenge, especially when the missions are putting more than their love in the line of fire. Can they jump the hurdles and handle the daily rigors without falling apart? Or will the pressures attached to the handsome uniform have them both questioning if their dedication is worth it? Every moment matters when the only thing that truly lasts is love."

I personally have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it, don't get me wrong, but it was kinda boring. I kept waiting for some kind of excitement or drama or something big and it never really came. There was some drama but none of it was earth shattering, made me gasp or shock me. It did not really feel like a Romance book either. I am not really sure why. 

Now, don't get me wrong, it is a cute book and would be great to curl up on the couch on a rainy day and read it. I did enjoy the story line, I simply wish there was a little more. I enjoyed the writing style and the cover was very catchy to me. The characters were easy to believe and I felt like I was there with them. 

I also enjoyed reading about the life of a SEAL. That part was fascinating! I love how the wives all came together and made a tight group! Any military wife NEEDS that so I was happy to read about it.

I encourage you to read this book and please take a moment to stop by and tell me what you thought about it!

***This book was given to me in exchange for an open and honest review***

Sweet Olive by Judy Christie

Sweet Olive by Judy Christie

Landman.....errr....uh......woman, Camille Gardner finds herself in Louisiana trying to convince landowners to sell their mineral and water rights to the oil and gas company she works for. While there she finds the town to be full of compassionate artists who are not willing to sell at all and a gorgeous attorney, Marsh who is there to protect the town from her.

I  personally thought this was a really cute book. It was not really mind stimulating in any way, no big mystery or anything to think about but it was fun and cute. I was able to read this book and unwind from the day and I really appreciated that.

I found the characters to be believable and I could really sympathize with all of them, even the mean and nasty characters had me wanting to help them. That to me, says that it was written very well. There were times that I felt bad for the characters, other times I was cheering them on. Parts made me want to cry and parts made me laugh. In other words, it was well rounded.

There were things that happened (I will not tell you what) that really caught me off guard. I did not even see some of it coming! There was nothing scary at all (thank you!) This book was engaging and I did not want to put it down.

***This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review***

Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews

Hen of the Baskervilles by Donna Andrews

Description from Goodreads:

"Meg Langslow is helping Mayor Randall Shiffley organize the Virginia Un-Fair, Caerphilly’s entry in the race to replace the old state fair (which has gone bankrupt). Before a line can even form outside the ticket booth, however, a pair of Bantam Russian Orloff chickens are stolen from their coop in the chicken tent.  Soon, a rash of vandalism crops up at the fair, showing no heritage farm animal, prize vegetable, or artisanal craft to be safe. 

            While patrolling the fairgrounds, determined to catch the perp, Meg runs into her friend Molly, who has been building a successful business making goat cheeses. Molly is terrified that she may lose her farm because her idle husband Brett has left her for Genette Sedgewick, a rich hobby winemaker, and is demanding his half of the land. Meg enlists Mother's help to find Molly a divorce lawyer, but later that night, Brett is found murdered and Molly is swiftly accused as his killer. "

This book was a cute mystery. There was not much romance, a good bit of mystery and a little bit of humor.

I thought this book was a good and fast read. About half way through it became pretty obvious to me who did it. There were a few small surprises but nothing mind boggling or shocking. 

It was interesting to learn about different breeds of animals throughout this book. I thought it was really fun to see how all the farmers were so attached to their animals! So realistic!

I thought the book was written well and was easy to follow and understand. The title is cute and the cover is catchy. All in all, it was fun and entertaining. 

***I won this book on Goodreads and wanted to do an open and honest review***

Give, Save, Spend with the Three Little Pigs by Clint Greenleaf

Give, Save, Spend with the Three Little Pigs by Clint Greenleaf

Description from the publisher:

"The Big Bad Wolf is back, and he’s blowing down houses in the forest, one by one. The Three Little Pigs hatch a plan to help other animals weather the wolf’s mighty lungs. They start a building company, offering strong homes built of brick, just like theirs.

Demand is high for the brick homes the Pigs build, and their business becomes a success. Now they need to figure out what they should do with their hard-earned profits.

One little Pig wants to spend away, another wants to give it away, and the third wants to save it. Based on the give-save-spend-concept, this sequel to the classic fairy tale teaches kids a safe and practical approach to managing money."

This book is really cute and fun for kids! I love that is teaches kids about money and how to give it away, spend it and save it. After working so hard, how DO you choose? This book really helps kids learn how to divide up their money and not blow it all on fun stuff but not save it all either. The fact that giving some away is in the story REALLY makes me happy. Helping others is very important too!!!

The pictures were great. Colorful and eye catching.

Review from my six year old son- "This book is so cool. It is based on the three little pigs and the wolf story. They built brick houses for the other animals."

***This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an open and honest review***