Rainbow's End

Rainbow's End. Four short stories set in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks.



First story: Topaz Treasure by Valerie Comer
Lyssa can tell a stranger the health benefits of abandoning their soda in favor of water, but she's scared to death to share her faith in Jesus. Even with those she knows. She's determined to conquer that fear, however, and signs up to help her church with their summer geocaching outreach. Unfortunately, her first attempt to get a sponsor for the event brings her face to face with her former college professor. The man who made classroom-sport of her best friend's very vocal faith.


I loved the salvation message in this story, and the fact that it is an integral part of the character's story. The hero is pretty cool, too. :-)


Second Story: Beneath the Surface by Annalisa Daughety
Madison isn't thrilled about going home--too many bad memories. But she's lost her job and needs a place to stay until she finds a new one. Geocaching is not her idea of a good time, but she reluctantly agrees to make her sister happy. But when an emergency calls her sister out of town, Madison is stuck with Grant as a partner--the fishing guide who looks down his nose at her Jimmy Choo shoes. Can these two reluctant partners learn to see beneath the suface?

Another delightful story with a wonderful message about forgiveness woven through.


Third Story: Love's Prize by Cara C. Putman
While Reagan searches for hidden treasure in the Ozarks, a stalker is searching for Reagan. Can her brother and his annoying roommate, Colton, keep her safe?

This story had a suspense twist and was a fun change of pace from the other stories.


And last but not least...

Forth Story: Welcome Home by Nicole O'Dell
Hadley is fighting to lose the self image that tells her she's still the overweight, unconfident girl she was 96 pounds ago. If she wins the geocaching contest, maybe she'll have proven to herself she's not the same person. And it sure doesn't hurt that one of the contestants is constantly flirting and complimenting her. But Noah--the man who dumped her for her best friend years ago--is bent on destroying any chance she has with the guy.

The book ended on a high note with Welcome Home. I loved Hadley's character and her determination to get healthy and active. And Noah? He's a great big softy! Loved him.


Geocaching, summer, and the beautiful Lake of the Ozarks country? Rainbow's End had me at hello. I have never participated in geocaching (beyond the fact that my work placeshappens to be the location for a geocache--which I think is totally cool), but I grew up exploring Missouri's countryside, so the outdoors, hiking, exploring aspect of this book really drew me in. And since the stories happen over the course of a Missouri summer, and it just happens to be summer time now, I felt like I was exploring and geocaching along with the characters.

(Does virtual hiking count as exercise? Because I sure burned a lot of virtual calories! :-)

Rainbow's End is a great read, and the wonderful, bite-size stories are perfect for a busy summertime schedule.

Happy Reading!

Redemption - The Film

In the last few weeks, I've started hearing about a movie coming this summer. After watching the teaser trailer and the behind-the-scenes videos, I'm getting excited about it.

So...I thought I'd share it with you.
Here is the website:
http://redemption-thefilm.com/

After watching the trailer, you can click on the behind-the-scenes videos. (Hint...they're much more fun than the current trailer.)

And check them out on Facebook at
https://www.facebook.com/#!/redemptionmovie

The Runaway Bride

I loved, loved, LOVED this book!

Noelle Marchand's first book, Unlawfully Wedded Bride, came out in October, and in it, we meet the O'Brien family.

I tucked the book onto my overflowing bookshelves, because I enjoyed the story and was looking foward to the forthcoming books about Kate O'Brien's siblings, which the author promised at the end of the book. So, when  The Runaway Bride hit store shelves last week, I grabbed a copy and started reading.

As I said earlier, I loved it. Sean O'Brien is the Sheriff of Peppin, and he's given the unwelcome task of catching and returning Lorelei Wilkins--the girl who just left his best friend at the altar. And that's only the beginning. Sean and Lorelei face all kinds of obstacles including the theft of their personal belongings, gossip, bank robbers, and each other. Can these two people put aside their protective barriers to finally see the truth they've been denying for years?

The Runaway Bride was well written, and held my attention from beginning to end. I would encourage you to grab yourself a copy today. It's still on the store shelves, or you can snag one off Amazon.

Nancy Kimball has an excellent post about the hero of The Runaway Bride, Sean O'Brien here.

A Family to Cherish

Just finished Ruth Logan Herne's latest book A Family to Cherish.

Meredith Brennan is back in town after running away ten years ago. She left as a scared, angry young woman carrying a chip on her shoulder, but she's returned as a successful business woman ready to open a spa in her home town.

Problem #1: The only man in town capable of renovating the historic building for her spa is the high-school sweetheart she left without a word a decade ago--now a widower with two adorable little girls.  

Problem #2: Meredith wants to prove she's more than the sum of her father's mistakes, but she has a secret that says otherwise. And secrets have a nasty way of coming to the surface.

I always look foward to Ruth's books and this one is a great addition to the Men of Allegeny County series. But don't worry. If you've never picked up one of her books, you can read this as a stand alone. Although, it will probably make you want to read the ones that came before it :-)

One of my favorite scenes in this book is when Meredith stands up to the old gossip. Classic! Made me grin all over and cheer! Thank you for a great read, Ruth.

And you. Yeah you. Why are you still sitting there? You have a book to get and read.

Enjoy!

 

Happy Birthday

There's a birthday girl at our house, and there's plenty of cake to go around. It's a layered lemon cake with lemon curd filling and lemon flavored icing with candied lemons on top. (Specially requested by the birthday girl.)

It tastes wonderful.

Happy Birthday, Sis. Love you!

(Cake was made by another of my sisters. Check out more of her cakes here...The Singing Baker.)