Christine's Book Corner

Nora’s Promise  by Sedona Hutton  Publication date: October 5th 2018 Promises are kept that Nora's Promise,  a contemporary romance by Sedona Hutton, is a book with a little something for everyone where the main characters Nora and Davey come into each other's lives through a tragedy that is going to change both their lives forever.  When Nora's sister dies, leaving her to raise her 9-year-old nephew, Nora doesn't know that this is going to be the first of eye opening changes to come into her life.  Taking a job at a local bar, Nora doesn't know that she is soon going to discover her nephew's long-lost father, Davey, who doesn't know it at the time he is a father to such an amazing little boy.  Davey, who is a Nascar Driver, is shocked to find out he is a father, but isn't about to abandon the son he never knew he had.  Two different people from different sides of the track, yet both harboring passion for each other.  Can they put their differe

Don't wait any longer to read Delayed Justice , a contemporary suspense novel by Cara Putman that shows it is never too late to let your voice be heard.  Jamie Nichols has seen experienced things as a child that no one should ever go through in their life.  She didn't have a voice back then, but as an adult she does and she plans on using that voice so that no one will ever have to endure what she has in the past.  Chandler Bolton is a retired veteran, brought into Jamie's life as they are trying to help a young child who is going through the same events Jamie once did.  Together, will they be able to protect this young victim?  Will Jamie finally let her walls come down so she could love again?  Will her voice be enough to put the person who damaged her responsible for his actions?  Find out in this third installment of the Hidden Justice series. The book opens up with us reading what was happening to Jamie as a child, leaving us with a knowledge of what it is sh

Summary from Goodreads How deep can you love? Passion and danger collide in the explosive finale to Emily and Shane's story. After tragedy strikes, Shane hovers on the edge of being consumed by darkness. He will fight for the woman he loves. He will destroy his enemy. He will not back down. As shocking twists, dark secrets, and explosive betrayals within the Brandon family come to the light, Shane must fight harder than ever before. Every thread weaves a dangerous web. Emily and Derek. Brandon Senior. Maggie and her affair. The leader of the dangerous cartel who's wedged itself inside the Brandon Empire. It all comes to a head in the shattering conclusion to the Dirty Money series. My Review: It's 4 out of 5 Stars  for End Game, a contemporary romance novel that is full of action and suspense with many twist and turns that will be leaving your jaw dropped at points. Chapters 1-9:  Jones grabs your attention within the first chapter with action happening imme

Fight for the one you love in The Hardest Fight , a romance novel by Amy Vastine where the characters fight for the one they truly love. Summary: Lucy Everhart isn't about to let anyone take away the women's shelter that she runs.  Not on her watch.  When Dylan Hunt walks into her office proposing the offer to buy shelter, he is the last person Lucy ever expected to see.  He is not the man she knew 5 years ago, the man who let her go when she broke up with him.  This Dylan is a different man and she refuses to give into his offer.  She will fight all she can to keep her shelter, while Dylan is determined to fight and win Lucy's love once again. Review: What I liked:   Vastine gets the reader engaged into the story immediately.  We are introduced to Lucy and see she is a strong-willed person.  You know right away this is going to be a problem in the story as we see she uses that character trait to fight for the opposition of the story, Dylan's law firm try

You'll wish you could do a disappearing act in Victoria Kelly's Mrs. Houdini, a historical fiction novel about the love of Harry and Bess Houdini and how death can't even keep two lovers apart.   Bess Houdini was given a code by Harry while he was on his death bed.  A code only she knew and kept from the public for many years after his death.  It was a code that would show Bess he was trying to communicate to her from the other side, keeping his promise from the night they met that not even death could keep him away.  Bess spends many years trying to find this code, only to discover there was a more urgent message he was trying to send her and it wasn't only the fact that he was never going to leave her side.  Along the way of her search, Bess is led to a young man who is a photographer and she knows that he is part of the message Harry is trying to send to her, but in the end, was it worth it to find out a secret Harry kept hidden throughout their entire marri

You will cruise through Bruiser  by Neal Shusterman, a fantasy novel about Brewster who is a loner throughout life and doesn't make friends for one reason.  When he makes friends and starts to care for someone, weird things start to happen.  In Bruiser , Brewster goes against what he believes and starts dating Bronte, twin sister of Tennyson.  Tennyson worries about his sister dating Brewster, especially after all the rumors that have been spread around the school.  The secrets Brewster once held so dearly are soon discovered by Tennyson and Bronte and they soon show their trust by keeping his secrets.   What I liked: This book was very fast paced and I found it hard to put it down.  Brewster was a loner, something I was able to relate to from my high school days.  Shusterman brought him to life that I felt for him right from the beginning.  People didn't give him a chance or never wanted to get to know the real Brewster.  I felt the pain Brewster was going through every

No need to add to your book collection with The Collector, a suspense novel by Nora Roberts.  This book was anything but suspenseful and brought no mystery to the reader.  Rated: 2 out of 5 stars. Lila Emerson's job is being a professional house-sitter.  One night, while looking out the window, she witnesses what police first believe to be a murder/suicide. From that moment on, her life is never the same.  Through this mess, she meets Ashton Archer, the brother of the man murdered.  Ashton believes his brother never killed his girlfriend or himself and ropes Lila into working with him to find out the truth of what is now being called a double homicide.  As an artist, Ashton is longing to paint Lila in the time they have between discovering the truth.  The more the discover the truth, the more they find out exactly what Ashton's brother was involved in and what lead to his untimely death. At first, the book began very well.  Roberts grabbed me in with the murder hap

Summary from Goodreads #1 New York Times bestseller Nicholas Sparks turns his unrivaled talents to a new tale about love found and lost, and the choices we hope we'll never have to make. Travis Parker has everything a man could want: a good job, loyal friends, even a waterfront home in small-town North Carolina. In full pursuit of the good life - boating, swimming , and regular barbecues with his good-natured buddies -- he holds the vague conviction that a serious relationship with a woman would only cramp his style. That is, until Gabby Holland moves in next door. Spanning the eventful years of young love, marriage and family, THE CHOICE ultimately confronts us with the most heartwrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive? My Thoughts:  This was the first book I read by Nicholas Sparks and I'm glad that it was.  I'll be honest, I saw the movie when it was out in theaters back in February, not knowing to expe

Title:  Flowers in the Attic Author: V.C. Andrews Photo from goodreads.com Synopsis: The Dollanganger family seem like an ordinary family to their friends in Gladstone, PA.  Four children who many consider being perfect, with a loving mother and father.  Nothing could ever go wrong.  Or could it?   Everything changes the day the father dies suddenly in a car crash.  The mother, desperate for money when she finds out her late husband left her with nothing at the time of his death, writes to her parents.  Waiting and hoping that her mother will help her out in her time of need.  The children never heard of these grandparents, but when the mother explains how her parents are rich, the kids can't wait to live a life of luxury.  However, they will soon learn there are many secrets within their family and that their grandparents aren't whom they seem.  When they arrive at their grandparents' house, the children have no idea why they're being loc

Title: Wink Poppy Midnight Author: April Genevieve Tucholke Photo from Goodreads.com Synopsis: Wink is the girl no one wants to know from school.  The one that's at the end of constant bullying and from a family that others consider weird.  She isn't described as beautiful and is known as Feral Bell to those who tease her.  Added to her weirdness, she has a mother who does tarot cards and reads tea leaves.  She and her siblings live with their mother after their father had run out on them.  Poppy is the most popular girl at school, every guy fawns over her.  But it's Midnight who's the first guy she sleeps with, only because the guy she really loves, Leaf Bell (Wink's brother) doesn't like her and says she's an ugly person on the inside.  She is one of the characters who is always bullying Wink.  Midnight gets himself involved in a love triangle between these two women when he decides he's had enough of Poppy and how she treats

Title: Salt to the Sea Author: Ruta Sepetys Rating: * * * * * Photo taken from Goodreads.com Summary:  Taken from Goodreads Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war. As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. Yet not all promises can be kept. Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope. My Thoughts: Four secrets.  You know right off that this book is going to revolve around four secrets from four different people that have their paths cross.  You can't help but to wonder what it is they're