Christmas at Copper Mountain by Jane Porter

Christmas at Copper Mountain

by Jane Porter

Audio version

 Harley Diekerhoff is recovering from the loss

of her family. The best way she knows how.
In peace and quiet, alone as much as possible.

Brock Sheenan is her boss and the perfect boss

for her. He likes to keep to himself. Brock is most

happy when employees just do their work and then

go on with their lives. Away from him.

Brock never mentioned children. Never asked if she

had children. Never said whether or not he had

children. He never said anything about children.
Then there is a knock at the door.
Surprise! He has children. Yes. Indeed he does.
Twins the same age the Harley's oldest child was.



 How does a person recover from such loss? How do

you make holidays work for your children?

We all have limits to how much we can take. How much

pressure. How much sadness. What do we do when we

reach our limit? When enough is enough.

This is a wonderful, joyful love story. It will touch

your heart. Quite likely, it will encourage you to

count your blessings.

Loretta Rawlins did a very nice job with the narration.

Steady rhythm. Easy to listen to.

I bought my copy from audible.com

Review by Lisa Hutson 





On The Line by Kathryn Ascher

Kathryn Ascher's novel On The Line is the second book in The Rocky Creek series and it begins where the first book, What it Takes ended. It's a well-written story of two sisters, their choices and relationships.

"Ladies and gentlemen, by the time you see this, I will be dead. But first, let me introduce myself. My name is Richard Wagoner. While I may be a nobody to most of you, I am a husband, father, son and brother, and  to one special woman that you all know and love, I am a brother-in-law." 

Richard outlines his plot to kill himself and his son while his wounded sister-in-law, Kelsey watches. He ends his video with the following statement: 

"Ladies and gentlemen, Officer Nathan Harris, one of our trusted boys in blue has been taking his job description a little too seriously. It seems he thought he needed to protect and serve my wife, and he did it quite thoroughly. if I were a betting man, I would put money on him being little Zoe's father."

Janelle Wagoner is shocked to watch her late husband's video on television. As she listens to his words, she realizes that her entire life is unraveling in front of millions of people. Richard's words drive this story and his presence is felt during the novel. 

Kathryn Ascher presents an intriguing, well-written story of two women, Janelle and her sister actress Kelsey Morgan. Kelsey and Janelle are very close. In fact, Janelle and Richard are raising Kelsey's son as their own. The sisters share many secrets with each other and keep a few secrets to themselves. Ms Ascher portrayal of the sister's relationship with their mother, Mary Morgan, and the impact of two generation of domestic and verbal abuse are well documented and expertly researched. Loved the scenes at Richard's funeral services when Mary and Richard's sister verbally attack Janelle. 

Richard's video alters Nathan Harris' life as well. Nathan has loved Janelle for years and was deeply hurt when she married Richard. Now, he is dealing with several important issues; he's been suspended from his job and he may be a father. Nathan is under a lot of stress. His role in Richard's death is being investigated and he needs to decide if he should he forgive Janelle and become a father to his daughter.

I liked the continuity between What it Takes (book one in the series) and On The Line. Characters appeared in book books and the crossover plot lines which began in book one were resolved in On The Line. I feel that readers should read What It Takes first to understand background information provided. The characters are multi -faceted and realistic -- the author writes a great villain and a nasty mother--and the plot had enough intrigue and twists to keep me invested in the story.

Looking forward to the next book in the series which is due out next year!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman.

Copy of book provided by NetGalley

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I'll Be There by Samantha Chase

'Oh my God. What happened to you?"

Those were the first words Gabriella uttered when she stepped into Zach's home the next day. He was covered in sweat and his hand was bleeding, and she noticed a harried-looking woman wearing scrubs scurrying around collecting things.

Zach glared at her and then at the woman in scrubs. "Good riddance!" he yelled as she walked out the door. It slammed behind her but Zach's eyes were instantly back on Gabriella's. "What the hell are you doing here?"

She kept her back to him for two reasons-one, she needed a moment to compose herself. In all the years she had worked for Zach, Gabriella had never seen him look like this--ragged, almost dirty. Defeated. And two, she was waiting him out to see how long it was going to take for him to start throwing his weight around in an attempt to make her leave.

She had the patience of a saint and nothing else to do today. The ball was in his court.
Her confidence was boosted by the mere fact that they had played this game dozens of times of times in the office, and she was always able to outwit him. Zach hated silence just as much as he hated when people didn't do exactly what he wanted when he wanted.

She'd missed this. And him. 

Zach Montgomery was severely injured in a mountain climbing fall. Zach has returned home to recuperate and is refusing help from his family. He's fired dozens of home health aides and his company Montgomery Enterprises is suffering because he is unable to return to work. William Montgomery has a two-fold plan for his nephew which should get Zach back to work and walking down the aisle. Walking down the aisle? Yes! William Montgomery is a wealthy businessman who dabbles as the family matchmaker.

I'll Be There is the sixth book in Samantha Chase's Montgomery series. The characters and their journey set this book apart from the books in the series. I'll Be There examines what happens when a driven businessman and athlete is severely injured in a sports- related accident. Zach's journey takes him from denial, recovery and finally acceptance as he comes to terms with the fact that he almost died. The author offers a realistic portrayal of a bitter, independent man who doesn't want assistance from anyone until he accepts his situation and chooses recovery over self -pity.

The characters of Zach and Gabriella are multi-faceted and they are very different from the other characters in the series. Although the couple is attracted to each other, their path to romance has several surprising detours. Zach is a perfectionist, he's headstrong and very independent. He is a successful businessman and he loves the challenge of extreme sports in his spare time. Gabriella Martine is a no nonsense type of person. She's Zach's assistant and Gabriella "gets" him. She has worked with Zach and understands him better than most of his family members. Faced with losing his position in his company or accepting Gabriella's help, Zach chooses to work with Gabby. Samantha Chase has created a great heroine. Gabriella's past and her family life are brought to light during the story and it's important for the reader to understand how Gabriella's past has influenced her and plays a part in her choices.

Kudos to Samantha Chase for writing a well-paced look at the emotional and physical issues after a life threatening accident. Loved the mutual attraction between the characters and how it simmered slowly at the beginning of the novel. I'll Be There is a fabulous story of a determined man and the woman who loves him and has strength enough for both of them. I read this book in one day as I was invested in the characters and their story. And I am hoping to read another Montgomery book soon!

Reviewed by Susan Gorman
Review edited by Brian McGee - Thanks Brian!
ARC provided by Sourcebooks.