Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

Jodi Thomas brings a new community to life in her August 2015 release titled Ransom Canyon . A number of characters get to tell their story in this atmospheric romance of sorts. There is a prequel that also came out in August, but at 50 pages, Winter's Camp sets things up at the Kirkland ranch and Ransom Canyon completes them. Staten Kirkland does what his father did not do. Staten runs the family ranch, while his father is busy being a Washington politician. Staten loves his work, he loves his ranch, and it's always been the perfect distraction for Staten. You see, Staten's wife died years ago, and that tragic loss was followed by the death of Staten's son. The only thing keeping Staten from breaking down is his relationship with his deceased wife's best friend, Quinn. Quinn's loved Staten for as long as she can remember. Being Staten's shelter in the storm is enough for Quinn. After all, she is being chased by her own demons. Also earning his

I loved author  Sophie Littlefield's House of Glass and Garden of Stones . Her August 2015 Gallery Books release, The Guilty One , is another thought-provoking novel. Housewife and mother Maris never expects her world to turn upside down. Since her daughter's murder, her marriage is done. Her sister is expecting her to move in, but Maris doesn't know what she wants. Getting through each day is a challenge enough. When the father of the young man who allegedly killed Maris's daughter calls her from the Golden Gate Bridge, Maris drives to the bridge to stop him from killing himself. This kicks Maris into action. She leaves her home, heads out on her own, and ends up in an area that's nothing like people would expect of her. She also ends up befriending people who are not people Maris would usually associate with. As she spends time with this new crowd, in a new area, Maris is able to find herself. I cannot say I liked The Guilty One as much as I liked Hous

The Longest Night (January 12, 2016) is the debut novel from Andria Williams. It's set in the 1950s, which makes it historical to me, but to some it may be a blast from the past. Paul and Nat Collier leave San Diego for Idaho Falls. There, Paul will work at a local nuclear plant, while Nat is to raise their daughters and become part of the military community. It isn't long before Paul realizes the issues with the plant and, perhaps more troubling, the knowledge that he's supposed to keep it quiet. When Paul is sent to the Arctic for confronting his superior, a pregnant Nat is left in Idaho Falls with no real friends and two young girls to care for. When her car breaks down, she befriends a local mechanic, something definitely frowned upon in this era, so Nat is forced to keep her meetings with Esrom secret. As The Longest Night ended up being a study of the times and what was expected of Paul, a military member, and Nat, a headstrong woman. Nat simply cannot under

Hope everyone has a happy holiday season. Plenty of merriment, time with loved ones, and relaxation. Those of us in the east are having a snow-free, very warm Christmas. First time I've ever gotten my idea of what winter should be like. for those who miss it, here's a picture from last year!

Released in August 2015, Rescue Me, Maybe shares the tale of Jane Bailey. Newly widowed, Jane is embarrassed to say that it's her beloved beagle she misses more than her husband. She's hiding that she fell out of love with him some time ago. Her mother-in-law takes over the funeral, doing things Ryan would have hated, and Jane doesn't have the energy to fight. The loss of her beagle has left her empty. Philadelphia was Ryan's plan, so Jane's heading back to San Diego where her friends and former life are. She agrees, albeit a bit begrudgingly, to stop in Prescott, Arizona, and help run her aunt and uncle's bed and breakfast while they go across country. Two things happen. One, during her trip, Jane finds a beautiful stray, even though a replacement dog is the last thing she needs. Two, Jane finds herself enjoying Prescott, even if the guests are generally pains in the butt and the hunky handyman next door is getting on her nerves. As much as she find

Imagine inheriting a large farmhouse in the British countryside. Now imagine finding the house is in horrid condition. That's exactly what happens to brother and sister Dan and Hayley Daley. They never knew their grandmother owned a house. They also have no idea how they'll be able to sell it in the state it's in. When Hayley learns renovating the house will drastically raise the amount they can sell it for, she and Dan start the tedious path of home renovations. Along the way, Dan and Hayley begin working with a quirky architect with little to no fashion sense, a contractor who isn't as he seems, and even the host of a popular television series involving home renovations. There's even a mystery cow that comes and goes and finds herself in the oddest of places. Nick Spalding dishes up humor, as well as a dose of the harsh realities that come with home building and renovations. I'm not sure I'd count this as a keeper, but it was definitely a humorous

Maine may not be my home, but it should be. Yearly trips to Bailey Island, Saco, Ogunquit, Wells, or York have been going on for as long as I can remember. I love it there and always feel sad when it's time to leave. Donna Alward's Jewell Cove novels always take me back to the coast, even if I'm not really there. The setting in Summer on Lover's Island is just part of this romance's allure. Lizzie Howard's fast-lane lifestyle has gotten the best of her. She's in Jewell Cove to temporarily take over for her best friend Charlie who is weeks away from giving birth. As one of the town's two doctors, Charlie knows a replacement is necessary and she thinks Lizzie is perfect for the job. Lizzie, however, is used to the fast pace of an ER, so this is only temporary. The other doctor at the family practice, Dr. Josh Collins, proves to be a tempting way to spend her personal time. Lizzie knows she's playing with fire, after all her last relationship

Release Date - January 5, 2016 Marieke Nijkamp Sourcebooks Fire Book Reviewed by Tracy Farnsworth This Is Where It Ends is completely heartbreaking, yet I could not put it down. It's a work of fiction, but it's also so real that it seems ripped from the headlines. As the parent of a teenager, I cried for each and every character in this book. I am also so thankful that the two lockdowns my teen's high school had to do ended up being minor situations. It starts as any typical high school morning begins. Students show up, albeit begrudgingly for some, and head to the auditorium for a school assembly. They know the principal's speech, many seniors can recite it verbatim. No one expects to finally be dismissed, only to find the doors locked and a shooter among them. Trapped, these kids now face the most horrific event of their lives. Told from the viewpoint of the shooter's sister, the shooter's ex-girlfriend, the shooter's sister's best fri

Catherine Ryan Hyde , perhaps best known for her bestseller Pay It Forward , has a new release from Lake Union Publishing/Amazon . December 15th's release spends a little over a decade looking at one young man's actions and the effect is has on a family. Ask Him Why tells the story of Ruth, a 15 year old, her 13-year-old brother Aubrey, and their older brother Joseph. Joseph is serving overseas in Baghdad when a decision he makes thrusts everyone in his family into the media and tears the family apart. This one action leads to series of events that will change Ruth and Aubrey's lives forever. Some books grab you with the setting, and others do with the characters. In this case, it is the situation that kept me hooked. The exact details into the decision Joseph makes is really kept secret for some length of time, so there's that to keep you reading. It's the family dynamics that I found most absorbing. This isn't a likable family for the most part and

Wendy Corsi Staub is back with the debut of a new mystery series. After her husband dies, Bella Jordan and her young son have no choice but to pack up and head for Chicago to live with Bella's late husband's mother. Their trip takes a bit of a detour thanks to car problems, and Bella and Max end up in the small New York town of Lily Dale, a town populated by mediums. In Lily Dale, things seem too good to be true. Bella is offered a job managing a local inn, as the owner's mysterious death has left everyone reeling. With no one to take over the inn during the town's busy season, they need Bella. Her son's already made a friend, the inn's pregnant cat seems to have bonded with him, and this offer does seem too good for Bella to pass up, so she accepts. It quickly becomes apparent that Leona's death was no accident, and the killer's not done yet. Nine Lives did keep me guessing. I had the killer pegged wrong, and that's something I do enjoy.

I'm not big into the online MMORPG world, though I know many who are. In Max Wirestone's The Unfortunate Decisions of Dahlia Mos s, meet Dahila Moss, a quirky 20-something who's down on her luck. She can't land a job, her boyfriend dumped her for another woman, and she has no money for rent. Dahlia's currently living with her eccentric friend and trying desperately to get back on her feet. Enter Jonah. He approaches Dahlia at her friend's party and offers her $2k if she'll find who stole the Bejeweled Spear of Infinite Piercing from him in the online game Kingdom of Zoth. It's a weird request, but Dahlia needs the money. When Jonah turns up dead, Dahlia's offered even more money by his parents to arrange a virtual service in the game. Soon the lines of game and reality blur as the killer used a replica spear to kill Jonah and she's determined to find out who and why. Max Wirestone's novel came out in October 2015, so you'll find

Seize The Night:  New Tales Of Vampiric Terror By Christopher Golden, ED. Paperback Gallery. 97814767830930 Reviewed by Jessica Maguire You're not ready to pack away the thrills, chills, and terror of Halloween just yet? Not to worry. You may have to pack away the decorations and work off that leftover candy, but the terror will continue when you pick up Seize The Night . Seize The Night is a delightfully scary collection of short stories sure to delight and terrify. Featured authors include Laird Barron, Dana Cameron, Michael Koryta, and many more. I typically do not enjoy vampire and other horror stories. I find them to be usually too bloody with little substance. However, much to my delight, I find the stories in this anthology to be intelligent, thought provoking, and scary. To me, the scariest stories leave something to my imagination, and that is what these stories do. My favorite story of the bunch is “Up In Old Vermont”, written by Scott Smith . The cr

Jane Lovering's latest entry to her Yorkshire Romances series brings readers into the heart of an area that is near and dear to me. It's the area where my own Mum grew up and where many relatives still live. The setting of I Don't Want to Talk About It intrigued me. In fact, the characters did too. The only downfall is that I knew what was going on from a few chapters in, so one of the big surprises wasn't much of a surprise at all. Her boyfriend (Dan) gave an ultimatum that Winter Gregory couldn't face - him or her twin sister. With that, she packed up her things and rented a cottage in a small village in Yorkshire. There, she hopes to finish the work on her new book without Dan in her way. The problem is that in addition to being her boyfriend, Dan is also Winter's editor. While photographing gravestones, Winter is interrupted by a precocious young girl whose mother died. Scarlet seems desperate for a female role model, and Winter admits she's i

Release Date - December 2015 Mette Ivie Harrison Soho Crime Book Review by Tracy Farnsworth Linda Wallheim is the wife of a Mormon bishop. She's raised her sons, she assists in their community as needed, but her evening is not off to a great start when she gets into a slight argument with a neighbor and fellow Mormon. Later, Carl Ashby is found dead, and that's when things really take a weird turn. Linda soon learns that Carl was, in fact, born a woman. With police doing all they can to find Carl's killer, Linda delves into the case herself. The Mormon church's higher-ups may be trying to keep the entire case hush-hush and make it go away, but Linda feels she owes Carl and his family more. She is determined to unravel the events leading to Carl's death. I had a friend in high school who was Mormon, and I never knew that the coffee she drank was against her religion. That tidbit is something that stuck with me as I read His Right Hand . The details int