A Fool and His Monet by Sandra Orchard

You can't Judge a Book by its Cover... Right?
So when I first saw this book I did not like the cover. I thought that it was too simple. The books that I am used to reading have vivid colors and the hero or heroine of the story on the cover. So I asked several people that I work with if they would pick this book up to read just by looking at the cover and believe it or not all of them but one said they would read it  because of the simplicity of the cover! One said that it was a modern and contemporary look and another coworker said that the cover told them everything they needed to know about the book. Interesting... Right?
So this book A Fool and His Monet by Sandra Orchard is the story of Serena Jones an FBI agent who just joined the Art Crime Team. She joined in hopes of one day finding out who murdered her grandfather. So the story opens up with Serena undercover trying to trap two art thieves. The situation goes from bad to worse when she almost blows her cover because the rest of her team did not show up right after she gave the signal.  But the team showed up just in time and they were able to arrest the thieves and preserve Serena's cover... until one of the thieves saw her talking to one of her partners. But they were put in jail right? Nope. They had gotten out on bail. Serena's now worried that they are going to locate her and kill her because she was the one who got them arrested.  Well that is not all going on in her life,  Serena's mom is bugging her to quit the FBI and find a safer job and get married, Her Aunt is obsessed with police dramas and likes to play detective , Her apartment get burglarized AND even though she has no intentions of looking for a boyfriend she has several boys ( Nate - her Apartment building's superintendent,  Tanner - her FBI Trainer,  Jax - A Lawyer  and Billy - Zoe's cousin.) trying to get her attention and she has no idea that they want to be more then just friends.
So Her best friend Zoe, who has just been promoted as the head of security at the Art Museum asked her to look into a art theft at the museum, Two paintings were stolen while they were in storage and it may have happened months ago. Serena begins interviewing the staff but the one suspect she found, her boss told her she is not allow to investigate. Though Serena appears to get closer to solving the case at the Art Museum, Questions arise that change everything she thought she knew. Serena has a creepy feeling that someone is watching her and then she receives two notes indicating that someone was. She needs to solve this case but is the case too cold? Can she recover the lost paintings and discover who stole them when the only clues she has are ... A black truck, a vague description of who sold the painting, Paris and a missing person ?
Guess you will have to read it to find out!

So what did I think about the book?
I really enjoyed reading this book. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I will definitely be checking out more of her books. The book had a good plot with a little bit of action.  The hint of danger added a bit of suspense to the book but the best part was the humor. I love the character of Aunt Martha who is so in love with her Police dramas that she went up to a mobster and started questioning him about illegal operations that he may have been in . Oh and It is also hilarious how hard each of the boys she knows tries to get her attention and she totally is unaware.  I recommend this book for anyone who is looking for a funny, quirky, slightly romantic mystery novel.  Overall I will give the book 4 out of 5 stars.   ****

What do think about the cover? Is it too simple or is it modern and contemporary?
 Let me know by leaving a comment below!


So don't forget to check out Sandra Orchard's other books by clicking on the link below! 
http://sandraorchard.com/my-books/


Happy Reading :)


I would like to thank Revell , A division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a free copy, I was not required to write a favorable review, just an honest one.

Playing the Part by Jen Turano

 Bittersweet is the perfect word to describe how I felt after reading through this book. Playing the Part by Jen Turano is the final book in the Ladies of Distinction series.  It is the story of Lucetta Plum, a rising actress in New York City.  When her stepfather Nigel barges into the hall to her dressing room, she discovers that he bet and lost Plum Hill, her family's plantation in Virginia in a game of cards with Silas Ruff. The problem? Lucetta has the deed and it is legally hers and she is not giving up her family's home . So to honor the debt that he owes, Nigel decides to give Lucetta instead of the plantation to Silas Ruff so that he can honor the gambling debt.  Lucetta is FURIOUS! He is not her father and he has no right to bet her away in a game of cards. Knowing that what happened is not legal and that she does not belong legally to Silas, Her bodyguard, Mr Skukman decides for her safety that she needs to secretly leave the city, because Silas is known to be insane. Silas has been obsessed with Lucetta for years, watching almost all of her shows and trying to get her to go out with him, ( he is one of the reasons that she employed a bodyguard) So Lucetta and Abigail ( who is the elderly lady that has been taking care of her) disguise themselves and ride off in search of Abigail's grandson's castle Ravenwood. Now Ravenwood was not a ordinary castle and Abigail's grandson Bram Haverstein, was not a ordinary person.  Outside of Ravenwood's wall there sat a tomb, a giant tomb marking the entrance and inside the grounds of the castle there was actually a moat! Bram liked the mysteriousness of the castle and the grounds, let's just say that it "inspired him" ( I cannot tell you anymore ) but Bram was so tired of ladies and their mothers trying to get in to the castle with the hopes of securing a marriage with him  just because he was wealthy.  Bram was surprised one morning when his servants told him the grounds had been breached and they wanted to bring out the cannon ( Yes, a real working cannon in 1882 ) so he decides he will have a word with the intruders. Unfortunately, someone let the dogs out before he could reach the intruders and the dogs decide to chase one of the intruders and the intruder fell into the moat. As Bram went to save the man , he was shocked to discover that the he was actually a she, and that the intruder was Lucetta Plum, The actress that he has had a crush on forever.
Lucetta and Bram immediately get off on the wrong foot when all he keeps telling her is that he is a huge admirer of hers.
Lucetta gets the wrong opinion of Bram because she thought that when he was saving her in the moat, that he was actually trying to drown her.  The more that Lucetta and Bram are around each other, the more they clash because neither one is who the other thinks they are. Then Lucetta is kidnapped by Silas. Will Bram be able to save her before it is too late?  Lucetta thought that Bram is insane, mysterious and over- chivalrous and Bram thinks Lucetta is who she portrays on the stage, a fragile young lady who has a very delicate nature. But maybe they were both just playing parts?

So what did I think about the book?
I thought that it was the perfect conclusion to the series.  Just to give you a quick overview of the series, The Ladies of Distinction series follows the lives of Harriet Peabody, Millie Longfellow and Lucetta Plum, three unlikely friends who were living in the wrong side of New York City called the Lower East Side and how God was able to put the pieces together and show them the lives he wanted them to live. The series including this book are filled with humor ( like being chased by a dress hating goat or a piece of armor that seems to walk by itself ) and romance ( Of course like any good book the girl should fall in love with the guy.) but they also have a good message behind them.   I think that specifically to this book, that the author did a great job  with the characters and with making the plot so interesting that you do not want to put the book down, seriously, my sisters were beginning to wonder if I would ever hang out with them because I all I wanted to do was read this book :)  Even though this book is part of a series you can read it as a stand alone too, though I would recommend reading the other two because they are great books.
 I would recommend this book to someone who wants a funny, witty romance story with a hint of mystery and danger.   Overall I rate the book Five out of Five stars *****


I definitely suggest checking out Jen Turano's other books, She is one of my favorite authors and I love all of her books! Here is the link below to check them out! 
http://jenturano.com/category/books/

Happy Reading :)

 I would like to thank Bethany House for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was not asked to write a favorable review, Just a honest one. 

The Red Door Inn by Liz Johnson

Oh, How I love to look onto the beach especially during sunrise or sunset, I think it is one of the most beautiful things that God creates and they are all unique.  So I just finished reading The Red Door Inn by Liz Johnson and it is a story based in Prince Edward Island Canada. The author describes the place so well that during some parts you can almost hear the waves and smell the salt in the air ( I could have just been smelling the potato chips that I was eating :) Anyway, The Red Door Inn is the story of Marie Carrington, A 28 year old girl that has run away from her old life. She is the daughter of a  millionaire but after she was mistreated by one of her Father's competitors and her father did not seem to care about what had happened, She left her home in Boston with just a few pieces of clothes and  a little bit of pocket change and headed to a place that she read about in her favorite book,  a place called Prince Edward Island. The only problem? She did not have any money to board the ferry to getto the Island.
Jack Sloane noticed a young girl with a haunted look in her eyes and managed to make conversation with her about paint color, Jack was not sure what made him what to help the young girl named Marie, but after he saw that she did not even have money for food he knew that he had to help her. So he finally convinced her to work for him as a decorator for his bed and breakfast that he was renovating. The bed and breakfast was his late wife's dream, So he was excited that he would have a woman's touch in decorating it. When they finally arrived at the bed and breakfast, He introduced her to his Nephew Seth who was helping with the renovating  and was not surprised at the brisk way that Seth spoke to Marie. If only there was a way to help him get over what his ex-fiance' did to him...
Seth Sloane was immediately suspicious  of the scrap of a girl that Jack brought back. She looked like just the type to weasel in and con a poor unsuspecting man out of all of his life savings. Just like his ex-fiance'. So he decides that he would keep an eye on her so that he could figure out just what was going on...
The event that happened in Boston has made Marie jumpy around people and it has also given her severe panic attacks. She is hoping that by going to Prince Edward Island  she would find the peace and quiet she desperately needs. As Marie and Seth spend more time together they start to feel a mutual attraction which scares both of them. Will them be able to let go of the events of the past so that they can enjoy the future? Or will their stubbornness blind them of the blessings that God has put right in front of them...
Guess you will have to read the book to find out!


 So what did I think about the book? 
I thought that the author did a great job writing this book.  I love all of the heartwarming characters, like Jack, Caden and Aretha. The relationship with Seth and Marie always kept you guessing because their feelings kept getting flip flopped. The book has no action to speak of besides a confrontation with her dad, but the story line kept you engaged until the very last page. The only thing that would have made the story better would have been a bit more information on  Jack and Seth's background. I would definitely recommend the book to someone looking for a good heartwarming story with a  bit of romance.  Overall I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars

 

Don't forget to check out her other books, Here is the link!
http://www.lizjohnsonbooks.com/books/



 Happy Reading :)


I would like to thank Revell , A division of Baker Publishing Group for allowing me to review this book in exchange for a free copy, I was not required to write a favorable review, just an honest one.

Burning Proof by Janice Cantore

I am so excited to be able to read Janice Cantore’s newest book Burning Proof.  I feel like I have been waiting FOREVER for the book to come out, ( well I have been waiting ever since I finished the first book in the series Drawing Fire) Burning Proof is the continuing story of Abby Hart a detective in Long Beach CA.  Her parents died in a mysterious fire when she was little and there was evidence that suggested they were shot before the fire destroyed their restaurant, The Triple Seven. Abby is still trying to get over the fact that someone involved in the murder of her parents confessed to killing her mom but before he could be arrested, He shot himself ( this occurred at the the end of the first book). When Abby and her partner arrive at the Police Department, They discover that the lab finished getting a DNA sample ready and now they were able to get a warrant for an arrest in a case they have been working on for almost a year, it was going well, the suspect was cooperating but then the victim’s father rushed toward them with a gun and started shooting, trying to kill the suspect. Abby reacted as she was trained to do and she shot him, killing the victim’s father.Abby knows that what she did was right, but why did it feel so wrong? Why would God put her in that situation? Abby starts sinking into a dark hole (figuratively) She finds it hard to pray, hard to think,  She cannot even go back to work because her mind will not stop thinking about the shooting. So she decides take some time off and visit her aunt so that she can escape the world around her. 

Luke Murphy is a Private Investigator who is also connected to the Triple Seven Murder. His Uncle was one of the people killed with Abby’s parents. Luke is investing a cold case ( a case that was never solved) involving a young girl who was kidnapped but managed to escape.  When both Luke and Abby's paths cross again, they decide to work together to help Molly ( the girl that was kidnapped) and hopefully catch the culprit. But will Abby be able to handle police work after the shooting or will she decide to go into mission work and marry her friend Ethan, Will Luke be able to solve a 10 year old case? Oh, and there is also someone who has decided that then only way to close the Triple Seven Murder case... Is to eliminate Abby and Luke. 

So what did I think about the book? 
I thought it was great,  The author did a awesome job with the characters. I was a little confused during the first half of the book because she introduces some new characters, like Molly and Gil, and she showed more of the life and attitude of Miss Kelsey Cox. But as a soon as I got to the middle of the book all of the pieces and people started to come together.  The book did have some action in it, like the shooting and there is an explosion but nothing described in graphic detail.
Overall I liked the book and cannot wait until I can read the 3rd book in the Cold Case Justice Series.
I rate the book 5 out of 5 stars *****

If you would like to check out more information on the Cold Case Justice series click on the link below! 

http://www.janicecantore.com/books/


Happy Reading :)

 

I would like to thank Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was not asked to write a favorable review, Just a honest one.