BOOKS AND BLOGGING PHILOSOPHY

Philosophy is defined as a theory underlying or regarding a sphere of activity or thought. Well, my theory is if I can add at least 10 new books to my Wishlist and move at least 5 older Wishlist selections to my TBR list every month, then life is a ice cream sundae. And if I can find those 10 books from at least 5 new blogs each month then that's the cherry on top.

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!

NEW VISITORS AND OLD- WELCOME!
Well, I've made it almost 5 years now, so for better or worse, I continue on. I tend to blog in spurts as the urge to be creative erupts. As I don't have an artistic bone in my body, you will see very few changes in the layouts. Hey, I'm a reader not an artist like so many of the awesome bloggers I follow. I know you don't always have the time but if you stopped and looked, take a half a minute and say your piece. Recommend a book that you have enjoyed or hated for that matter. Thank you to all who visit.
Oh, and I moved my Google Friend Connect info and share this buttons to the top, as without our friends, who are we?


Thursday, March 3, 2016

Sweet Haven by Shirlee McCoy- 4 *

Title: Sweet Haven
Series: Home Sweet Home
Author: Shirlee McCoy
Genre: Clean Romance
Rating: * * * *
Publishers: Zebra  
(Mar 4, 2016)
Paperback: 336  pages
ISBN: 978-1420139273


FTC Disclosure: ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

In Benevolence, Washington, the Lamont family's irresistible handmade chocolates are a cherished tradition--and always a reason to celebrate. And now they're giving the three Lamont sisters, one by one, delicious chances to start again, make a change, and have their sweetest dreams come true...

Neighbors who care, a peaceful routine--accountant Adeline Lamont is glad some things about her beloved hometown never change. But when her grandfather is injured, she has to run the family store, Chocolate Haven, and make its legendary fudge. Trouble is, she can't get the recipe right to save her life--or Chocolate Haven. And she doesn't need her ornery new tenant, Sinclair Jefferson, stirring up the pot with his help--and daring Addie to taste her wild side…

Once Sinclair gets his hapless brother back on track, he's leaving Benevolence for good this time. He's made his life far away from his irresponsible family and their scandals. Trouble is, he can't quite stay away from Addie's optimism, enticing plus-size curves, and kindness to those who need it most. But they don't seem to have a thing in common--except that Addie's passion for chocolate, and for Benevolence, is just as contagious as Sinclair's passion for her. Maybe small-town life has its charms after all…


This book had all the things I love in a small 
town romance, a sometimes feisty character 
who could make me laugh, a little suspense
 and mystery, and a hunky guy. 
Benevolence, Wash so reminded me 
of my small southern town, 
that I instantly fell in love with it. 
I, like Addie, love living and working 
in a small town, so I could relate 
to this side of her. I especially 
loved Sinclair and his sweet/pushy 
way of getting Addie to see that she 
could stand up for herself without eing disloyal to her family. There's nothing so 
sad as seeing a smart, 
intelligent, hard working person 
unable to say "NO" 
to family members and friends. This 
is probably the main thing that 
kept me from totally enjoying 
the book. I pretty much read 
this book from cover 
to cover in one sitting during our 
first really big snow. 
One warning though, make sure you are not  
hungry while reading this book as the 
chocolate descriptions alone will put on 10 pounds. 
One addition that I think would have added  
to this book would have been some chocolate 
recipes at the end. Saw on Shirlee's blog that 
she and her girls had been working on some family 
recipes and this would have been an awesome 
place to share. 

Home Sweet Home
1. Sweet Haven (2016)
 2. Sweet Surprises (Aug 2016)
3. Bittersweet (2017)

While http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/ 
(my go to site for checking the correct sequence of series books)
 lists Sweet Surprises and Sweet Haven as two separate series, 
they contain the same town and family members, so  I'm putting 
them together. As a reader, I'm always wanting to know 
when the next book in a series is due out. If I discover
 later that this info (based on my suppositions) is incorrect,
  I will correct it.

About the Author

Shirlee McCoy spent her childhood making up stories and acting them out with her sister. It wasn't long before she discovered Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, her mother's gothic romances . . . and became an ardent fan of romantic suspense. She still enjoys losing herself in a good book. And she still loves making up stories. Shirlee and her husband live in Washington and have five children. 
(I can see the ND/HB and gothic romance subtle influence in McCoy's writing and love that the books I cut my teeth on were important in her life, too!) 

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