Home Sweet Home ~~ By Candis Terry

I love to read a well written novella with interesting characters and an engaging plot. Candis Terry's Home Sweet Home resonated with me and I read it in one afternoon.

"Aiden? I can see by the look in your eyes that you have a lot going on in your mind. I know you've been through more than than most people could ever imagine. I won't tell you I understand. I won't lie and say I know how you feel."

She reached across the table and covered his hand with her own. The contrast was startling. Hers was small and soft. His was large and callused. 

The compassion in the simple gesture stole his breath.

He'd forgotten the power of a tender touch.

A gentle moment.

A quiet calm that soothed a soul.

Author Candis Terry has created a fabulous community in her Sweet Texas novels.  Sweet is a small town filled with lots of real life drama, quirky and loveable characters, and sexy heros and their heroines. The hero of Home Sweet Home  is Army  Ranger Lieutenant Aiden Marshall who has returned home to Texas a changed man. He has experienced first hand the nightmare of war, watched his two childhood friends die in an explosion and left his beloved dog in Afganistan. Suffering from survivor's guilt, he is a man without hope.

Paige Walker has waited patiently for Aiden, her high school sweetheart, to return home. Ms Terry has created a strong, endearing heroine in this story. Paige knows what she wants. And that's Aiden. While Aiden has been serving in Afghanistan, Paige has started her own accounting business, bought a home and started an apple orchard. Paige steadfastly believes that she and Aiden can overcome anything. She believes in them. Paige understand that Aiden needs to come to terms with his many losses before he can move forward. 

I loved the chemistry between our hero and heroine and that they had been faithful to each other while Aiden served in the military. What they shared was special to both of them.  Home Sweet Home is a compassionate powerful story of a couple finding their way home. I loved that the towns people of Sweet were able to show their hometown hero  how much his service in the Army meant to them. It was very heartwarming. The resolution was beautifully written-- just perfect for this couple and quite emotional. 

I read Home Sweet Home  during Memorial Day weekend. It was the perfect time to reflect and read about the sacrifices that our servicemen endure to protect our freedom. 

All proceeds of the novella will go to animal rescue.

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

Book purchased via Amazon by Susan Gorman 

Must Love Scotland -Highland Holidays BOOK 3 by Grace Burrowes

Read an excerpt here. 

What are the first three words that you think of when someone mentions the word Scotland?

For me, the words heather, whiskey and kilts come to mind; not necessarily in that order.

I am loving each one of the stories within the Highland Holiday series! Each novella is well- paced, entertaining and provides a slice -of -life look into the lives of the tight knit Cromarty clan, their friends and the guests visiting Dunroamin Cottage. The author's descriptive voice adds credibility to the storyline as the reader can imagine tasting the toffee pudding, smelling the flowers and listening to the music playing at the local pub. Must Love Scotland contains two charming novellas Love On The Links and My Heartthrob's In The Highlands. The novellas feature sisters Julie and Megan Leonard who travel to Scotland for different reasons. Recently divorced, Julie Leonard has travelled to Scotland to improve her golf game in an effort to be considered for a judgeship appointment. Megan is in the middle of securing a loan to expand her business when her sister calls and invites her to Scotland.

Grace Burrowes is a gifted storyteller who creates unique characters who are faced with every day career and family choices. She tells her character's stories with humor and compassion. In Love On The Links, Julie Leonard's self esteem has been shattered by her ex-husband 's infidelity. She is focused on pursuing a judgeship because it's the next logical step in her career path. Niall Cromarty is Julie's golf instructor. A former golf professional, he has plans to expand his golf course which his neighbor and former best friend , Declan MacPherson, strongly opposes. Declan is my favorite character in this series. His relationship with Niall is important because it provides a the backstory to the reader and connects each of the characters to the present day story. The kilt wearing, whiskey drinking farmer and his lamb steal many of the scenes in Love on the Links . I was pleased to see Declan as Megan's love interest in the second novella!!

Julie's sister Megan Leonard is the heroine in My Heartthrob's In The Highlands. Megan is focused on her career and has put her professional dreams ahead of her personal ones. This excerpt from Megan and Declan's story intrigued me and I preordered this book after reading it. The characters grabbed my attention. I had to know how the author brought the whiskey drinking farmer and the pragmatic business woman together. This couple had lots of chemistry and I enjoyed reading every single page of this novella!!

Loved the humor and compassion in both of the novellas. Julie's character resonated with me. She was faced with career and personal choices. Would she take a leap of faith and make a career change? I wondered what she would discover as she read through Declan's great, great granny's will. Would she be able to find some wording that would put an end to Niall and Declan's dispute? Megan has a few decisions to make as well. Will she stay in Scotland and enjoy her holiday or travel back to the States to start a second florist shop? And what happens to Wee Mary?

If you love Grace Burrowes historical novels, you will adore these two modern day stories set in the Scottish Highlands. Make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy!

Photo courtesy of Marian Johnson Your.

Reviewed by Susan Gorman

Book purchased by Susan Gorman

Movie Review- Hector and the Search for Happiness

Hector and the Search

for Happiness

Movie Review

Originally released in

Germany August 2014

I got a copy at Redbox to review

It runs 114 minutes

You just never know sometimes. You watch a trailer for a

movie or someone recommends it to you and it just does

not sound like it will be very good. But for some reason you

watch it anyway. And occasionally, you are glad that you did.

This is one of those times.



Here is how IMDB described this movie.

"A psychiatrist searches the globe to find the secret of happiness."

And basically, that's it. That's what the movie is about.

It's thought provoking. It makes you question and

wonder and day dream.
It's about love and life and living. It will remind you how

important these things are.

I highly recommend this for any grown ups. Looking for

a movie to make you laugh and lift your spirit.
It's rated R. I think it said for nudity. Its very

minimal. Same with violence. Very minimal.

But young people, even teenagers,

they won't get it.

Reviewed by Lisa Hutson