Review: The Sound by Sarah Alderson

Title: The Sound
Author: Sarah Alderson
Publication:  May 13th 2014 by Simon Pulse
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 3 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

When aspiring music journalist Ren Kingston takes a job nannying for a wealthy family on the exclusive island of Nantucket, playground for Boston's elite, she's hoping for a low-key summer reading books and blogging about bands. Boys are firmly off the agenda.

What she doesn't count on is falling in with a bunch of party-loving private school kids who are hiding some dark secrets, falling (possibly) in love with the local bad boy, and falling out with a dangerous serial killer...

The gripping new stand-alone novel from the author of Hunting Lila.

Ren Kingston, an almost-18-year-old aspiring music journalist, takes a summer job nannying for a wealthy family on Nantucket Island. Ren is from Bromley, a South London suburb, and life with the Tripp family couldn’t be any more different than she’s used to. The Tripps may have hired a nanny, but they still plan to send baby Braiden to daycare and 4-year-old Brodie to camp, so Ren’s nanny services are only really needed in the mornings and evenings. The rest of her time, including most weekends, is free. This is great news to Ren, who is looking forward to a quiet, mellow summer as she recovers from a heartbreak. 

However, Ren soon finds herself swept up with a group of young and rich private school kids, attending parties and cozying up to handsome and preppy Jeremy Thorne. Despite her plans to swear off boys for the summer, Ren spends a lot of time with Jeremy and also starts getting to know the local “bad boy”, Jesse Miller, at the same time. Jeremy and his friends don’t like Jesse and warn Ren to stay away from him. It turns out that Jesse has spent time in juvie in the past due to beating up one of Jeremy’s good friends. But Ren has a strange feeling that there’s more to Jesse’s story than everyone lets on, and she’s not really sure who on the island she can truly trust. When young, foreign nannies start being attacked and left for dead on the beach, Ren’s hopes for a peaceful summer are ruined. Will she survive the summer, or will the Nantucket Nanny serial killer strike again? 

The Sound was a fast-paced read that I flew through in just one day. The first few pages hooked me with a suspenseful prologue in which Ren was trying to escape a dangerous man (a glimpse of what was to come!). Then it flashed back to the present day, and I was immediately intrigued by the vivid setting and the interesting cast of characters. 

I had a pretty good idea who the serial killer would turn out to be, so the big reveal wasn’t much of a surprise to me in the end. And actually, the serial killer plot didn’t seem to get as much attention as the romantic/love triangle plot over the course of the book, so the whole story felt a little off balance to me. But ultimately, The Sound was an entertaining read that I would recommend to fans of contemporary YA thrillers.

Review: House of Ivy & Sorrow

Title: House of Ivy & Sorrow
Author:  Natalie Whipple
Publication: April 15, 2014 by HarperTeen
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 4 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. Before Jo can even think about fighting back, she must figure out who she’s fighting in the first place. The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she loves.

Josephine (Jo) Hemlock lost her mother ten years ago to the mysterious curse that follows her family. The only surviving Hemlocks, Jo and her Nana, live in a magic-fortified house under the interstate bridge in Willow’s End, Iowa. There are rumors about a witch who lives in that house, but only Jo and her Nana know that the stories are true. One day a mysterious man shows up looking for Jo, and she fears that he is somehow connected to her mother’s killer. Soon Jo finds herself digging further and further into the truth and racing to find some answers before she and Nana fall victim to the curse themselves. Another mysterious boy appears who may have some of the clues that Jo needs, but can she trust him?

I don’t read a lot of books featuring witches as characters, but I’m glad I gave this one a chance. The descriptions of how their magical powers worked was really intriguing. It made sense that they distinguished between witches who were in control of their powers and those who were consumed by them. The small town setting and the details of the Hemlock home were vividly described, and the family histories were really interesting. Also, I loved the strong relationship between Jo and her Nana as well as Jo’s close friendships with Kat and Gwen. There are several awesome ladies in this story!

I think my only complaint would be that the tone felt a little light for the subject matter and it read more like a middle grade novel than YA. I think I was just expecting it to be darker and scarier (although it had its creepy moments). Also, I should mention that there are some kissing scenes, but they are pretty tame (in my opinion).

I would recommend this to fans of the Paranormalcy series by Kiersten White who are looking for another light supernatural read with some humor, action, and romance sprinkled in.

Review: Mercy

Title: Mercy 
Author:  Pam Dingée
Publication: Sept 24, 2013 by Amazon
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 3 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Eden has had a tough year and is trying to bounce back from the tragedy of her father passing recently, and she’s also hoping to learn to love and trust again all while going through a sticky divorce with the Dick.

Dom is Eden’s BFF’s brother, he’s also a bit of a player and a sexy distraction for Eden. He wants to earn Eden's trust, but she's been burned before and is skeptical. Can Dom help by being a good friend to Eden and steer her in the right direction?

Eden is 22 years old and has recently lost her father. She’s also going through a messy divorce with Richard, aka Dick. They’ve been married for 3 years, but Eden recently discovered Dick was being unfaithful. For the past month, Eden has been staying in her best friend Aly’s guest house as she saves money to get back on her feet. Eden and Aly work side-by-side at the same beauty salon, and they’ve been close ever since they met while earning their cosmetology degrees at the Las Vegas School of Beauty. Aly’s husband, Sloane, and her older brother, Dominic, work with Dick at Vegas Builds.

Eden can’t help but be attracted to Dom even though she is pretty sure he’s a big player. Soon she finds out that Dom’s feelings for her run much deeper than friendship, but Eden’s not sure if she’s quite ready to cross that friendship line into something more. She’s still nursing a broken heart and doesn’t want to get hurt again.

I’ve always enjoyed reading stories about people who were friends first before they fell in love. And Dom was definitely a swoonworthy love interest -- he was hardworking, loyal, protective, funny, cheesy at times...and of course, hot!

Mercy was a quick and easy read, but the conversational writing style took a little getting used to. It was very informal, almost like sitting down to have coffee or a cocktail with a friend and discussing the ups and downs of her love life. There were a few flashbacks which provided a peek into how Dom and Eden’s friendship and attraction grew over the years, and I wish there were more of these. A couple of times the point of view abruptly switched to Dom’s, and that was a bit jarring. Maybe if there had been more chapters included from his point of view it would have been a smoother transition for the reader. At times I felt annoyed with Eden’s immaturity, but then again, 22 is still pretty young and the characters’ actions seemed realistic for someone that age.

Despite these small issues, I found Mercy to be an entertaining read and would recommend it to fans of new adult romance.

 

Review: Lady Thief (Scarlet #2)

Title: Lady Thief (Scarlet #2)
Author:  A.C. Gaughen
Publication: February 11, 2014 by Walker Childrens
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 5 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed, but her future is uncertain. Her forced marriage to Lord Gisbourne threatens Robin and Scarlet’s love, and as the royal court descends upon Nottingham for the appointment of a new Sheriff, the people of Nottingham hope that Prince John will appoint their beloved Robin Hood. But Prince John has different plans for Nottingham that revolve around a fateful secret from Scarlet’s past even she isn’t yet aware of. Forced to participate at court alongside her ruthless husband, Scarlet must bide her time and act the part of a noblewoman—a worthy sacrifice if it means helping Robin’s cause and a chance at a future with the man she loves. With a fresh line of intrigue and as much passion as ever, the next chapter in Scarlet’s tale will have readers talking once again.

Lady Thief is the second book in a trilogy that is quickly becoming one of my favorite series. Scarlet was an unputdownable read that I raced through in just one day (although I’m sure I’ll go back and reread it again more slowly to savor it!). Lady Thief picks up soon after the events of Scarlet. Scarlet’s true identity has been revealed and she has been forced to marry Gisbourne. Her husband is returning to Nottinghamshire, though no one knows why since there is no sheriff to hire him as a thief taker. They soon find out that when he married Scarlet, he assumed her father’s land and title (Lord Leaford), and the contract also gave him the right to petition the prince for the sheriff position. He makes Scarlet a deal--if she agrees to live with him while the prince is there and try to dress, speak, and act like a lady, he’ll grant her an annulment.

Considering that the only reason she married him was to save Robin Hood’s life, Scarlet decides to comply with Gisbourne’s wishes. But she can’t help but wonder, What’s the catch? Can she really trust that he will be true to his word? And will Gisbourne be named sheriff, or will the people wishes to see Robin Hood made sheriff come true?

Wow, what an intense and emotional read! My heart just ached for Scarlet and Rob and all the suffering they had to endure. The love and longing between the two of them felt so real and it almost took my breath away. And those kissing scenes! Let’s just say I had to fan myself a little while reading. I never thought I’d find myself swooning over Robin Hood, but I stand corrected.

I really admired Scarlet as a heroine. She was stubborn and flawed, but she was also incredibly strong, brave, and devoted to those she loved. When Gisbourne abused her both physically and emotionally, she stood up for herself time and time again like a true fighter.

So often I am disappointed in sequels or second books in trilogies, but I am happy to say that I loved Lady Thief even more than the first book. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series (which is as yet untitled). Give this series a try if you like action, adventure, and swoonworthy romance.

Review: Curl Up and Dye

Title: Curl Up and Dye
Author: Sharon Sala
Publication: February 4, 2014 by Sourcebooks Landmark
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 4 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

A brand new Southern women's fiction from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Sharon Sala who has 1.5 million books sold.

Wally Lamb meets Steel Magnolias in this story of LilyAnn Bronte, the Peachy-Keen Queen, which in Blessings, Georgia, was the epitome of success. After losing her fiance in the war in Iraq, her zest for life went into decline while added weight crept on. When a new guy arrives in town, LilyAnn embarks on a quest to remake herself from start to finish only to discover that love was always just right next-door.

Back in high school, LilyAnn Bronte was the head cheerleader, the homecoming queen, and the valedictorian. She dated the star quarterback, Randy Joe, and was named the Peachy Keen Queen. She seemed to have everything going for her and her future was bright until Randy Joe joined the Army and went off to war, never to return. Not only did LilyAnn lose her first love, she also lost her way in life. Years later, she is still grieving Randy Joe, and she has let herself go in many ways. She’s stayed out of the dating pool but has only recently started to feel as if she might want to jump back in. When a handsome new man comes to town, it motivates her to start taking better care of herself with a major lifestyle overhaul. She believes that she needs to get her act together and work on her appearance if she wants to attract and impress this newcomer.

What LilyAnn doesn’t know, however, is that there already is a man who loves her just the way she is. Mike Dalton, her neighbor and childhood friend, has never mustered up the courage to tell LilyAnn how he feels. So he continues to pine for her secretly and give her the space she needs to grieve her loss. He can’t help but wonder, what will it take for LilyAnn to notice him as more than a friend? Or is it too late--will she end up falling for another man instead?

I enjoyed this sweet love story set in the charming town of Blessings, Georgia. The tone is lighthearted for most of the story (except for a few intense scenes). The secondary characters were all interesting in their own right, especially Ruby Dye, beautician and owner of The Curl Up and Dye hair salon. It was fun to see just how much Ruby knew about everyone’s business since her salon functioned as a sort of town confessional. Gossip moved pretty quickly through this small town, and Ruby always had the scoop. She also helped people work through their problems. My mom is a hairdresser, and I think she’d really like this character, too!

I’m interested in seeing where this series goes and which characters are featured in the next book. If you like The Curl Up and Dye, you can also check out Color Me Bad, a novella also set in Blessings, Georgia.

Review: One Rogue Too Many

Title: One Rogue Too Many
Author: Samantha Grace
Publication:   Jan 7, 2014 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 3 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

When two of the ton's most eligible bachelors fall for the same young woman, only one will win her heart...

Anthony Keaton, Earl of Ellis, and Baron Sebastian Thorne have been competing since childhood. Now, they both have their eyes set on Lady Gabrielle.

Gabby feels like a fool for trusting in Anthony—but she doesn't know the whole truth. Determined to guard her heart this time around, she's looking for a man who is steadfast and eloquent.

Sebastian knows this is his one chance to steal her heart. He has everything she's looking for. But when Anthony finally reveals his true feelings, how will she choose between the two?

 

Lady Gabrielle Forest is secretly betrothed to Anthony Keaton, Earl of Ellis. They grew up together, and he is her brother Drew’s best friend. Gabby has always had feelings for him. Lately, Anthony has been in Wales, but Gabby does not know the true reason for his absence and isn’t quite sure if she can trust him. Anthony isn’t yet ready to reveal all of the secrets of his past, including his first wife’s betrayal and the true father of their child, Annabelle, who is now being raised by an aunt. To make matters worse, Gabby is given false information about Anthony, which makes her question his integrity and trustworthiness.

Baron Sebastian Thorne has been competing with Anthony since childhood. He has set his sights on Gabby and decided that he will win her heart. Lords Corby and Ledbery bet on how long it will take Thorne to woo Gabby and steal her away from Anthony. When Anthony discovers that Gabby has been seen on a carriage ride and dancing with Thorne, he doesn’t believe it. Deep down, Gabby knows her heart belongs to Anthony, but she also feels inexplicably drawn to Thorne, who is keeping secrets of his own. Both men must prove their love to her and try to win her hand in marriage.

One Rogue Too Many was an entertaining read, but I thought the competition to woo Gabby started off a bit silly (for example, the men were both challenged to write her a sonnet). And some of the events (I won’t spoil them!) seemed kind of far-fetched, and I found it hard to believe that the conflicts that arose would be resolved so easily and without scandal. At times I was frustrated with all of the main characters because their lack of communication led to misunderstandings and incorrect assumptions. Being open and honest would have save them all a lot of heartache and trouble!

I really like when romances develop between people who were friends first, so that was a fun aspect of this book. There was a flashback at the beginning to when Gabby and Anthony were younger. I wish there had been a few more of those included to get a glimpse into their past and why Gabby fell in love with Anthony in the first place! Despite the complaints, I did enjoy reading this fast-paced story, and I recommend it to anyone looking for a light, fun read with not one, but two handsome love interests competing to win the heroine’s heart.

Review: Big Sky Secrets

Title: Big Sky Secrets
Author: Linda Lael Miller
Publication:  Dec 31, 2013 by HQN
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 3 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Self-made tycoon Landry Sutton heads to Hangman Bend's Ranch to sell his land to his brother Zane. Though he's got cowboy in his blood, Landry plans to return to city life before the dust even settles on his boots. Of course, he didn't count on falling for Big Sky Country…or Ria Manning.

Ria's starting to settle into country life herself…until she has a close encounter of the terrifying kind with a buffalo. Turns out the peeping monster belongs to the cowboy next door—and he has her running even more scared than his bison. She wants a home where the buffalo don't roam, and the men don't either. Could Landry's homecoming be her heart's undoing?

 

 Landry Sutton and his older brother Zane each own half of Hangman’s Bend, a ranch outside Three Trees, Montana which they bought sight unseen a few years ago. Previously, Landry had been living in Chicago and working his way up the ranks of Ingersoll Investments. After his failed marriage to the boss’s daughter, Susan, he moved out to Montana.

Ria Manning, a widow, bought a flower farm and moved to Montana around the same time as Landry. She has disliked him from the start, thinking him arrogant and a little too full of himself. Yet she can’t deny her strong physical attraction to him any time he comes around. She just has to be careful not to let anyone get too close to her. In addition to dealing with the loss of her husband, she’s struggling with the fact that he betrayed her trust by cheating on her. She isn’t sure she’ll ever love again.

One day Landry’s buffalo herd tramples Ria’s flowers, and when he comes over to assess the damage, he kisses her out of the blue. He convinces her to go out with him, despite her hesitations. There actually wasn’t much else going on plot-wise between Landry and Ria. They went on one date and Ria got drunk, which caused a bit of a scandal and gossip, but that was all cleared up quickly. Most of the plot seemed to revolve around issues with each of their families. Ria’s 16-year-old niece, Quinn, shows up unexpectedly and stays for the summer due to problems at home with her mom. Landry’s father shows up asking for money after getting into trouble while gambling. So when Landry and Ria are suddenly declaring their love for one another, I wasn’t sure what had happened to make them fall in love. It was clear that they were magnetically attracted to one another, and I loved their playful banter, but I just didn’t believe that they were in love so quickly.

I’ll admit that I have not read the previous books in the Parable, Montana series, but I think this one, the series finale, actually stands alone pretty well for new readers. I wasn’t confused at all while reading, and while characters from previous books made cameos, this book was focused on Landry and Ria plus their families. The secondary characters were interesting, and I may go back and read some of the earlier books in the Parable, Montana series to get their stories.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the lush descriptions of the landscape. Right away, I was swept up in the descriptions of the beautiful Montana setting, and I could picture it very well despite never having traveled there myself.

Review: The Cutting Room Floor

Title: The Cutting Room Floor
Author: Dawn Klehr
Publication:  October 8, 2013 by Flux
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 4 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

Behind-the-scenes secrets could turn deadly for Desmond and Riley

Life in the Heights has never been easy for seventeen-year-old Riley Frost, but when she's publicly dumped and outed at the same time, she becomes an immediate social outcast at her high school. So Riley swears off romance and throws herself into solving the shocking murder of her favorite teacher, Ms. Dunn.

Riley turns to her best friend, budding filmmaker Desmond Brandt, for help. What she doesn't know is that Dez has been secretly directing her life, blackmailing her friends, and hoping his manipulations will make her love him. When his schemes go too far, Dez's web of lies threatens to destroy both of their lives.

“If I knew then what I know now, I never would’ve sent that text. I wouldn’t have done a lot of things. Yeah, if my life were a movie, I’d go back and edit out all the bad stuff. Leave it all on the cutting room floor.

But I can’t. And now I will have to pay.

Big time.”
~Dez, p. 7 of The Cutting Room Floor

Dez and Riley grew up as next door neighbors in the Heights, and they’ve always been close friends. But Dez secretly loves Riley. In fact, it’s more like an obsession. Dez goes to great lengths to interfere with Riley’s love life behind the scenes in the hopes that they end up together. But the problem is that Riley only sees him as a friend. She still has feelings for her ex, Emma, even though Emma outed her to the school and sent her to “social death row”. Tori, mean girl and mayor’s daughter, makes Riley’s life miserable as much as possible and teachers ingore the verbal abuse she endures.

The only teacher that Riley has ever trusted and truly connected with, Mrs. Dunn, was brutally murdered inside the school. Riley starts investigating the circumstances surrounding Mrs. Dunn’s death and makes some shocking discoveries that make her start questioning who she can really trust. She also discovers how Mrs. Dunn was connected to the mayor, which causes her to dig even further for clues and attempt to be friendly with Tori in order to gather more evidence.

The Cutting Room Floor was an intriguing, suspenseful read that kept me entertained as the clues unraveled and multiple characters became suspects. I really enjoyed the interesting use of the filmmaking theme--many scenes were written as if you’re seeing through the eyes of a film director. Flashback sequences were included frequently to reveal characters’ backstories. Also, the point of view switched back and forth between Dez and Riley, which kept things interesting and moved the plot along. There were a lot of secondary characters to keep track of, but Stella really stood out as someone who was a great friend to Riley and who accepted her for who she was. While some of the characters seemed a bit over the top, Stella seemed pretty normal and believable.

As a librarian, I think it has high teen appeal with its themes of bullying, self-discovery, and pursuing your passion. But older readers looking for a suspenseful thriller will also find something to enjoy.

Review: Gentlemen Prefer Mischief

Title: Gentlemen Prefer Mischief
Author:  Emily Greenwood
Publication:  December 3, 2013 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 4 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

It's going to take a dash of mischief to bring these two together…

If it hadn’t been for the haunted woods, Lily Teagarden would never have spoken to her neighbor, Viscount Roxham. Known to the fashionable world as Lord Perfect, to Lily he’s a man she can never respect…and the careless rogue who broke her fledgling heart. But sightings of eerie lights among his trees are causing her trouble, and she needs his help.

Intrigued by this prim beauty who was once an ugly duckling, Roxham agrees to investigate, though hardly has he begun when she mysteriously undermines his efforts. The mischief she throws in his path awakens his sleeping heart, just as his touch stirs a passion she can’t accept. But Roxham is the last man to whom Lily would surrender, and it’s going to take everything he’s got to win her love.

Lily Teagarden is a serious, orderly, and restrained young lady. She has always been the responsible and dependable one in her family out of necessity. Her neighbor, Viscount Roxham (Hal), is quite the opposite. Known as “Lord Perfect,” Hal is charming and carefree with a scandalous reputation. Lily hasn’t seen Hal in a very long time. She’s still embarrassed that he caught her sneaking around in his bushes years ago, drawing pictures of him and writing about him in her journal. In fact, he stole her journal and she desperately wants to get it back now. When he returns home, she visits him to inform him of what’s happening in Mayfield Woods. Strange lights have been seen and now rumors are circulating about a Wood Fiend. Lily can’t selll her knitted shawls because people believe the sheeps have been possessed, and she needs the money in order to open up a school for girls in the village. She asks Hal to step in and clear up all this Wood Fiend nonsense.

Gentlemen Prefer Mischief is the second novel in Emily Greenwood’s Mischief series. I am actually somewhat new to reading historical romances set in Regency England, so I was excited to give this one a try. I was definitely not disappointed!

I really enjoyed the opposites-attract romance between two contrasting personalities. Hal was able to bring out Lily’s passionate side and get her to let loose a little. And once Lily got to know Hal a bit better, she realized that he wasn’t as shallow as she once thought. While their physical attraction was scorching hot, they also fell in love with each other more and more deeply, no matter how hard they tried to fight it. There were plenty of playful moments in which Hal and Lily stole the journal back and forth from one another. It was fun to read excerpts from the journal that Hal decoded.

My one minor complaint is that I think there was a little too much information included about the secondary characters and their relationships. I think it distracted a bit too much from the the main plot. But overall, I enjoyed the novel and raced through it.

If you like sexy and enchanting historical romances, look no further than Emily Greenwood’s novels. Gentlemen Prefer Mischief is a fun read, and I agree with Greenwood that “romance is the chocolate of literature”!

Review: Letters from Home

Title: Letters From Home
Author: Bethane Strasser
Publication: Nov 25, 2013 by Entangled: Flirt
Reviewed by: Taryn
Rating: 4 stars
Reason for Reviewing: Ebook provided in exchange for an honest review.

An Army doctor, Lena Rodriguez has always been too busy with school or the Army for romance. But the letters she received during deployment have captured her heart. Back home for the holidays, she awaits Christmas morning to meet the man who has turned her life upside down.

When Zack Benson watched his best friend's sister Lena leave for Afghanistan, he knew he had to tell her he loved her. So he sent her anonymous love letters. Now that she’s home, he realizes he's made a tactical error. Lena has fallen for the man in those letters but still thinks of him as a brother. He has to convince her otherwise because if he succeeds, he’ll get the best Christmas present ever. But if he fails, he could lose her for good.

Elena (Lena) Rodriguez, an Army doctor, has been deployed for a year and is about to come home for the holidays. She has received an anonymous love letter every month, plus one for her birthday. Through these letters, the secret admirer has stolen her heart, and she’s anxious to finally meet him face to face on Christmas morning. Because of the small town gossip included in the letters, Lena is pretty sure the letter writer is someone that she already knows--she just can’t figure out who! I liked reading the little snippets from the letters, but I wish some longer parts had been included too so that we could see why Lena was so touched by them.

Zack Benson is best friends with Lena’s brother Mike and has grown up alongside the Rodriguez family. Zack and Lena have a close friendship and have always treated each other like brother and sister. Neither knows the other’s true feelings. Lena has had a secret crush on Zack since her early teens. Zack also has feelings for Lena that he has kept hidden all this time. He regrets waiting so long to pursue a romantic relationship. Zack hopes that Lena will give him a chance once she realizes it was him writing those love letters all along.

Letters from Home is a sweet story of a friendship that blossoms into something more. It’s a novella around 100 pages long, but despite the short length the characters were well-developed. Lena is a hard-working, motivated person who has never given herself the time to date or have a relationship. Zack, a former soldier himself, admires her dedication and understands her sacrifices.

Zack is definitely my type--a tall, handsome, military man with blue eyes and curly brown hair. Oh, and he’s also thoughtful and romantic, let’s not forget that! I love the way he treats Lena. Lena tries to fight her growing feelings for him as she waits for her Christmas surprise from the letter writer, not knowing it is actually Zack.

Just when I thought I had the ending all figured out, the Christmas morning scene surprised me with a dramatic twist. I was a little annoyed at that, but only because I’ve read a handful of books lately that used a similar plot twist.

Overall, I enjoyed this quick and satisfying novella. I’d recommend it to anyone looking for an uplifting holiday romance.