Favorite Drink / Snack

By Kelly Bridgewater

Last week, I did a really short post about my favorite place to read.

This week, I want to talk about my favorite snack and/ or drink to accompany you're reading time.

When I lay in bed at night, I prefer to have nothing. I don't like drinks and food in my bedroom. 

Doesn't belong in there. 

Wikipedia

Now if I'm sitting on the couch, I don't mind a hot drink in the winter. So of course, I turn to a Latte. I have an expresso machine, so with a press of a couple of buttons, I can have a tall hot Latte with my own taste of syrups and coffee. Great drink for the cold winter.

In the summer, I enjoy a glass of ice water while I'm reading.

When I sit in my Green Queen Ann's chair, I usually am shoveling breakfast in my mouth, so a cup of milk usually is my drink of choice.

I really don't like to eat while I'm reading because I can't imagine getting my Kindle or the pages of my books dirty. That thought makes me shiver. Why would I want to ruin these beautiful pages inside the story with those fingerprints or chocolate smears?

What about you? Do you find yourself reaching for a certain type of drink or snack when you are engrossed in a novel?

Melody Carlson: Riptide Rumors

By Kelly Bridgewater

About the Book:
Title: Riptide Rumors
Author: Melody Carlson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publication Date: February 15, 2019

If the Tide Doesn't Change, Who Will Pay the Price?

As autumn of 1916 descends upon the once-peaceful town of Sunset Cove, Anna McDowell has great hopes that the excitement of the summer will be over, now that a few of the key players in the rum-running ring have been arrested. But with a daring jailbreak getting the town in a dither again, she knows that the danger hasn't passed for anyone in her coastal hometown.

With a mayoral election keeping tensions high and the authorities busy searching for those behind the jailbreak, Anna has plenty to keep the newspaper busy. But when her sixteen-year-old daughter begins making noises about leaving high school and abandoning dreams of college, Anna realizes that prohibition isn t the only thing she needs to be worrying about.

How deep does the root of corruption run in their town? As she digs deeper, Anna is forced to put the concerns of her own heart on hold in an effort to save some of the people dearest to her.

From Amazon

My Thoughts:

Riptide Rumors is the second book in the Shady Oak Cove series by Melody Carlson. It was nice to see reoccurring characters as their lives move forward. Anne is still a strong heroine, but in this book, we are reading more about Katy, her daughter, as she begins to spread her wings and prepare to own and take care of her own dress shop. The plot had a little bit of mystery and numerous twists with romance for Anne and Katy. While I was invested in the plot and the goings on in the character's lives, the romance could have been taken out, but I'm sure it needs to be there to round out the story. I really can't wait to see what happens between Anne and Dr. Daniel. There romance has been blooming since the beginning of the series, and I can't wait to see it come to reality. Overall, Riptide Rumors is an okay story if you read the first story, Harbored Secrets, but would I pick up the story by itself, probably not. It was just okay. Not really original or unpredictable. 

I received a complimentary copy of Riptide Rumors by Melody Carlson through Celebrate Lit tours, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating:   3.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase: Riptide Rumors

About the Author:

From Amazon

 Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including Romantic Time's Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Social Media:

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Melody-Carlson/e/B000APR3DC/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1549482870&sr=8-4

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melodycarlsonauthor/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormelodycarlson/?hl=en

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorCarlson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7383.Melody_Carlson?from_search=true

Website: http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/melody-carlson

Janice Cantore: Cold Aim

By Kelly Bridgewater

Police Chief Tess O’Rourke’s small town is still reeling from a devastating fire when the FBI asks for help: Could she shelter a witness in a high-profile human trafficking case? Initially reluctant to put the townspeople of Rogue’s Hollow at risk, Tess is swayed after she sees Pastor Oliver Macpherson’s genuine conviction to rescue those in need, a trait in him she’s coming to love more each day.

Tess’s fledgling faith is tested when crews of workmen from out of town come in to assist with the fire cleanup and she worries that one of these strangers might shine a light on things best kept hidden. Neither she nor Oliver knows that Rogue’s Hollow is already home to a suspect from a twenty-five-year-old murder case . . . and someone is taking cold aim at those Tess is sworn to protect.

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Returning to Rogue Hollow with Tess and Oliver made for quite an amazing ride. In Cold Aim, Janice Cantore took readers on a wild ride through the world of running away from human trafficking. While this topic has become quite popular in suspense novels lately, Cantore actually created a story about the characters on the run about to squeal on their captors. The action started in the first chapter and did not let up. Cantore stuck Tess in a number of horrible situations and allowed her to sink or swim. I liked spending more time with Tess and, after reading all three novels, seeing her change from the character we encountered in the first series. The romance between Oliver and Tess does change and have a little bit of romance, but nothing too gushy. Nothing close to a contemporary romance take on the love. The only downside to the entire novel, in my opinion, is what will happen to Tess and Oliver. Does she learn to balance police work and her love of the pastor? Does she cling to her faith more? Hopefully, Cantore creates something that have them appear in another story later in their lives. I really enjoyed this installment, and I really can't wait to see what comes next from Janice Cantore.

I received a complimentary copy of Cold Aim by Janice Cantore from Tyndale Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Purchase Cold Aim

About the Author:

From Amazon

A former Long Beach, California, police officer of twenty-two years, Janice Cantore worked a variety of assignments, including patrol, administration, juvenile investigations, and training. She's always enjoyed writing and published two short articles on faith at work for Cop and Christ and Today's Christian Woman before tackling novels. She now lives in a small town in southern Oregon, where she enjoys exploring the forests, rivers, and lakes with her Labrador retrievers, Abbie and Tilly.

Janice writes suspense novels designed to keep readers engrossed and leave them inspired. Crisis Shot is the first title in her latest series. Janice also authored the Cold Case Justice series--Drawing Fire, Burning Proof, and Catching Heat--the Pacific Coast Justice series--Accused, Abducted, and Avenged--and the Brinna Caruso novels, Critical Pursuit and Visible Threat.

Visit Janice's website at www.janicecantore.com and connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JaniceCantore. (Taken from Amazon.)

Favorite Spot

By Kelly Bridgewater

Do you have a favorite spot to read? You know, that sweet spot that as soon as you sit down, you feel extremely comfortable and can't wait to dive into that novel of yours.

Maybe you don't have a favorite spot.

Maybe you have a number of spots.

Maybe it depends on the time of day.

For me, I love to start the day in my green Queen Ann's chair to glance through my planner for the day and then spend my quiet time with God. 

https://www.havertys.com/furniture/marianne-chair?cm_mmc=google-_-Shopping_Living%2BRoom-_-Living%2BRoom-_-ebd978ef-a6b9-45ed-9390-f89a4be82dc5&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIo_eZuYjz3wIVh7XACh3ZOAaNEAQYASABEgIq1fD_BwE

Later on sit on the left end of the couch with a hot beverage and read for a while.

At night, it is laying down on my bed on my belly with my book in front of me.

Each of the spots bring a smile to my face.

I really don't like to read outside unless we are camping because there is too many bugs.

At night, my husband teases me I hide in our room to escape our loud and crazy three sons. Could be.

https://www.blackforestdecor.com/yosemite-log-bed-full.html

I can't go to sleep at night unless I have read for a while, so it is easier to curl up in bed with my blankets and pillow until I nod off and then I can reach out and flip the light off.

What about you? Where is your favorite spot to read?

Abigail Wilson: Midnight on the River Grey

By Kelly Bridgewater

She knew the house was keeping secrets. If only the darkness would speak . . .
After her elder brother’s mysterious death, Rebecca Hunter vows to expose the man she believes responsible: Mr. Lewis Browning—known by the locals as the Midnight Devil and by Rebecca as her new guardian.

Summoned to his reclusive country estate to await her London season, Rebecca plans her own secret investigation among the darkened corridors of the mysterious Greybourne Hall. Yet Lewis Browning is not as she once imagined, and his motivation is horribly unclear. Recurrent nightmares and 

Rebecca’s restless feelings are further complicated by the shadow of her mother’s prior descent into madness and whether she, too, will follow the same heartbreaking path.

Even as midnight rides, strange injuries, and further murders lead back to Mr. Browning, Rebecca can’t ignore the subtle turn of her heart. Has she developed feelings for the man she swore to see hanged? And moreover, can she trust him with her uncertain future?

From Goodreads

My Thoughts:

Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson is a historical Regency mystery filled with a creepy suspenseful setting and delightful characters. Wilson's novels reminded me a lot of Wurthering Heights by Emily Bronte. A mysterious hero who takes in a heroine and the entire house acts as a mysterious character in the novel. The writing is exceptional because Wilson writes the story in first person, so as soon as Rebecca sees something or discovers something to help her in discovering what happened to her brother, Jacob, we learn it for the first time too. The mystery was the train of thought for Rebecca during the entire novel. She didn't think about it once and then move onto wooing Lewis; Rebecca actually wanted to solve what happened to her brother. She even included Lewis, her guardian, in the discovery. The romance did seem a little odd at first, but after a while, it did seem to fit the characters well. Overall, Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson is definitely a suspenseful book for fans of  classic literature like Wurthering Heights or Jane Eyre.

I received a complimentary copy of Midnight on the River Grey by Abigail Wilson from Thomas Nelson Publishing, but the opinions stated are all my own.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Purchase Midnight on the River Grey

From Amazon

About the Author:

Abigail Wilson combines her passion for Regency England with intrigue and adventure to pen historical mysteries with a heart. A Registered Nurse, chai tea addict, and mother of two crazy kids, Abigail fills her spare time hiking the National Parks, attending her daughter's gymnastic meets, and curling up with a great book. In 2017, Abigail won WisRWA's Fab Five contest and in 2016, ACFW's First Impressions contest as well as placing as a 2017 finalist in the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense. She is a cum laude graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and currently lives in Dripping Springs, Texas, with her husband and children. (Taken from Amazon.)