Book and Product Reviews by Roundtable Reviews

I really miss the television show Cold Case. That's kind of what you get in Try Not to Breathe , a novel by Holly Seddon . I say kind of because there is a lot of depth in the characters and the story. After three very emotional events, Alex Dale lost her way. Her journalism job came to a bitter end, and now she has the story that could get her back in the headlines. Fifteen years ago, Amy Stevenson was brutally attacked and left for dead. She's been in a coma since. Alex doesn't feel it is right that the case was never solved. She gets permission to write about Amy. Alex is determined to unravel the truth and find who harmed the then teen. It's not an easy task as the only real witness to the crime is in a coma and cannot speak. That's the main story, but there's also the backstory involving Amy's then boyfriend who is now married, expecting his first child, and hides his past relationship from his wife. There's Alex who has never truly gotte

For Amy Raye Latour, hunting in the woods of Colorado is as natural a feeling as breathing. The mother of two spent many years hunting with her grandfather. This is why it's so surprising when she goes out with her compound bow on the final day of hunting season and never returns. Pru Hathaway, a ranger, gets the call regarding the missing woman and heads out with her search and rescue dog. The weather is not cooperating, but worse is that something doesn't feel right. While everyone else believe it is a recovery mission, Pru feels there is more there to this disappearance. She is certain that Amy's too skilled to be another casualty, even if the clues they've been able to find are definitely pointing to it no longer being a rescue. Talk about a very gripping and very addicting story. The chapters in Breaking Wild bounce back and forth between Amy Raye and Pru. While much of the story takes place in present day, both characters do spend time reflecting on thei

Can I just say that T he Rain Sparrow , a February 23rd HQN release, caught my eye from the start because of the cover art. I admit to being someone who is drawn to a book based on its cover, and this one pleased me both in terms of the outer shell and what was inside. This is the second novel in Linda Goodnight's Honey Ridge  series. It does catch up with characters, as well as the setting, from The Memory House , but it goes well beyond that. Hayden Winters, a bestselling novelist, and Carrie Riley meet under unique circumstances. A late-night storm has Carrie shaking with fear and that same storm is invigorating Hayden. When a child appears in the midst of the storm, afraid to go home but equally afraid of having to tell his story, Carrie and Hayden bond and befriend the preteen. Hayden's bond stems from his own dealings with an abusive parent. As the town librarian, Carrie simply cares for everyone in her town, including this boy who often shows up at the librar

Sometimes, it's so clear to see how much life in the country can affect your views. In the case of the L.A. riots, and many other riots for that matter, I often shake my head wondering how destroying other's property and even injuring or killing another is getting anyone anywhere. Looting an innocent business after an disliked judgment or football game ending, setting fire to other people's cars in protest of police action.... Well, I find it baffling. If you are that upset, run for office and change the laws. It will take time sure, but it's a guaranteed way to get your voice heard and put real change in motion. With that, I'll step down from the soap box. All Involved takes place during the 1992 L.A. riots, the riots that came after the Rodney King verdict. It's a portrait of 17 stories that all link to each other, but showcases a person dealing with his or her own issues. Start with Ernesto Vera. He works in a food truck and dreams of getting out of h

You find out your bedroom closet is hiding a worm hole that allows you to travel anywhere in time. You start going back in time to see music concerts you missed or those you want to see again. That's the reality for Karl Bender. He discovers this worm hole while looking for his missing boot. It's a discovery that changes his life forever. After telling his best friend about the worm hole, the pair start making plenty of money. Unfortunately, Karl accidentally sends Wayne to 980 instead of 1980 and this causes a major issue. In order to travel back, electricity is necessary and there is no electricity in 980. Wayne begs Karl to find an astrophysicist to help get him home. Karl's quest is tough as his is a story that's too absurd to believe, but Lena Geduldig gives him a chance and discovers he's telling the truth. While working on the problem at hand, Lena and Karl begin to fall in love as they also travel back in time. The problem is the temptation to chang

Generally, I love teen/young adult fiction novels and the plot of Gone Wild was definitely appealing. The story is short, just 176 pages, and took me no more than an hour to read. It flows smoothly, but I never really appreciated the characters enough to really get into the story. After discovering she might be pregnant, 18-year-old Brooke heads out into the wilderness to avoid her nagging mother and her boyfriend while she thinks things through. Tired of being bullied by his mother, his mother's boyfriend, and just about everyone else he can think of, 16-year-old Seth runs away and hitches a ride to the Pacific coast. Seeking refuge in rocks and the woods, Seth is only able to survive by stealing from those camping in the wildernesss. When Brooke finds Seth trying to steal food, she offers to share her food with him rather than end up with nothing. This marks the beginning of a friendship and adventure both will remember. So much of this book's plot seemed unnecessary

INSPIRATION AND LEMONADE: The story behind Beyond the Misty Shore By Vicki Hinze Into every life, lemon juice does pour. If you’re lucky, you learn to love lemonade. I’m lucky. And it’s a good thing because… I was having a pitcher-full and a truth about life and lemonade settled in: Loving lemonade is a choice. I mean, we can’t avoid lemon juice any more than we can avoid challenges. We can fight it, but we are going to lose. Lemon juice will be poured; it’s inevitable. But that doesn’t mean it has to be bitter. We can make a different choice. Sprinkle in a little sugar or Splenda, so to speak, a little water, and we’ve got lemonade, which tastes quite good and, on a hot day, it’s amazingly refreshing. So I got juiced. I was at this crossroad in my life, debating which way to go, and this lemonade truth kept stealing my attention. I refilled my glass with half-a-pitcher to go, and another thought came to mind. We have a choice. When life thr

I have one very important suggestion, have Kleenex on hand before you begin The Feathered Bone . This book seriously takes you on an emotional roller coaster, an outstanding read, and a story that I had to digest in sections because there were times it was overwhelming. Amanda Salassi and her friends are chaperoning their 12-year-old children's field trip to New Orleans. It's a trip meant to teach the class about Mardi Gras and its history. Everyone is having a blast until Amanda's daughter's best friend vanishes. This is a tight-knit group and all are affected. Amanda feels guilt at having listened to the girls ask her to let them at least go to the bathroom without a chaperone hovering. Amanda's daughter feels guilty for not seeing exactly where Sarah went during the bathroom trip. Beth, Sarah's mother, feels guilty for having bowed out of the field trip early. The teacher feels guilty for losing a student during a class trip. Even the school bus driver

I've fallen for Mary Kubica's books . It's not that they completely fool me, but the characters and mystery do draw me in and leave me contemplating what I've read for days, if not weeks. Pretty Baby is another gem, though this one I predicted more of the story than I usually do with her novels. Heidi is perhaps a little too caring. As she waits for the train, she spies a young girl carrying an infant. She's certain the girl is homeless, which means the infant is too. Heidi keeps watching for them and eventually invites the girl to come have a meal at a local diner. This leads to Heidi inviting the girl to come stay at Heidi's home with Heidi, her husband Chris, and their daughter Zoe. Let it be known that Zoe and Chris are far from thrilled with the idea of having a homeless girl and a crying infant as new housemates. Willow has nothing more in her life than her baby Ruby. She's seen some hard times and isn't exactly warm to the idea of moving