Cheryl's Book Nook

  When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is c When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most respons...

Tia Gets a Second Chance at Love When an Old Crush Suddenly Reappears Though it means giving up the chef's job at her uncle's small town Italian restaurant in Washington, Tia D'Amico is thrilled to move to San Francisco to help her aunt with a new business venture: transforming an old luxury yacht into an upscale floating restaurant. The icing on the cake is that Leo Parker, Tia's crush from a long-ago sailing camp, has been hired as the yacht's captain. The only problem is that he's engaged to someone else. Tia hides her feelings and rolls up her sleeves as she sets out to make her aunt's dream a reality. But as the tide turns on Leo's relationship, does Tia dare hope he might set a course for her heart? All the romance of a summer in San Francisco is captured in this delightful story from an author who has made a career of tugging our heartstrings. Review by Blanche Mancuso You will want to read this love story set in the San Francisco area....

Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her eighty-five-year-old neighbor Joy, that's exactly what she's getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix--in the dead of winter, no less--the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone. Unemployed and facing foreclosure, Miranda feels she has nothing to lose by packing a bag and heading off to Route 66. But Joy has a hidden agenda for their Christmas joyride--and a hidden problem that could derail the whole venture. No one captures the heartwarming fun of the Christmas season quite like Melody Carlson. Fasten your seat belt, because it's going to be an exciting ride! Review by Blanche Mancuso Ms. Carlson's book takes her readers on a joy r...

She's looking for her big break. She never imagined it would depend on a blast from her past. Managing the Value Lodge in her hometown was not what Anna Gordon had in mind when she set out in the hospitality industry. But it's a safe choice for a young woman starting out her career. Then, out of the blue, she gets the opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to reinvent herself and reinvigorate her career by moving to New York City. She applies for a management position at a stylish new hotel, The Rothsberg. But the city is full of surprises--not the least of which is discovering that Sean O'Neil, a once-upon-a-time crush, has applied for the very same position. This sweetly romantic tale of dreams come true takes you through the storied streets of New York City--and into the depths of the human heart. "A hard-working girl finds her happily-ever-after ending in Melody Carlson's heartwarming tale. Readers will cheer Anna's journey as a summer of new begi...

After years abroad, Garrison Brown returns home to Vancouver to build a new life. When his beloved grandmother passes away a few weeks before Christmas, Garrison goes to her house to sort out her belongings, including six cats who need new homes. While Garrison hopes to dispense with the task quickly, his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left Garrison with some challenging requirements for the future homes of her furry friends--plus a sizeable monetary gift for the new owners. Garrison's job is to match the cats with the right owners without disclosing the surprise gift. Along the way, he may just meet someone who can make him stay. Humorous and heartwarming, this latest Christmas story from bestselling author Melody Carlson is the perfect gift for pet lovers and anyone in whose heart Christmas holds a special place.    Review by Blanche Mancuso I have read several books by this author and enjoyed them. I guess you could say that I am a fan ...

Sixteen year old Chelsea Martin’s life is about to get turned upside down. Chelsea’s father informs her that his job has transferred him and he is getting remarried. Chelsea wants to part of her dad’s plans and she especially does not want to get to know her soon to be step mother, Kate. Though, once Chelsea does get to know Kate she likes her. In fact, Kate takes Chelsea on a shopping spree for a new make over. The transformation is great. It seems that others have noticed Chelsea’s make over as well. The others being guys. Chelsea has never received so much attention from all these guys. This would not be such a bad thing if it weren’t for the simple fact that the guys are jerks! The Jerk Magnet is book one of the Life at Kingston High series. I have read several books by this author. She writes for the young adult genre. I think that Melody does a good job portraying the emotions and what type of situations a teen goes though. I felt bad for Chelsea. While, the make over her step m...

The small town of Parrish Springs is in an uproar when newcomer, Matilda Honeycutt arrives in town. She purchases the unoccupied old Barton building. This makes George Snider irate. He was going to purchase the building. Than Matilda has the nerve to board up the windows, so that no one can see what type of store she is opening. Rumor has it that it is going to be a thrift shop. None of the other merchants are happy about this. With the town folks not happy, this is a problem for new city manager, Susanna Elton. Susanna likes Matilda but she can not allow her to open a thrift shop and cause ripples in the town. Tommy runs the town’s newspaper, Spout. He is thinking about leaving after George makes him an offer. It has been a long time since Tommy has been in the holiday spirit. Something magical happens in Parrish Springs, when Matilda opens her Christmas Shoppe. I had an enjoyable time reading this book. Matilda was great. She was a woman of few words but there was something delightfu...

Madison Van Buren is tried of having her future being chosen by her parents. It is spring break. A time when Madison is suppose to have fun and get a break from thinking about her future. It is just Madison and the maid left at home. Madison jumps in her car and heads west. Madison has no plans. She just knows she needs to get away. Anne Fisher lives in Amish Country. She is at an age, where the Amish allow the teens to make up their minds, if they want to leave or stay and embrace the Amish life. On her way to her Aunt's house to help deliver her baby, Anne meets Madison. Madison notices how very similar that she and Anne look and could pass as twins. She comes up with the idea that for one week, they switch lives. Madison and Anne will discover the answer to the question..." Is the grass greener on the other side?" Double Take is the second book I have read by Melody Carlson. Mrs. Carlson writes for the teen readers. Though, I am not a teen, I do enjoy these books. She ...

Elise has moved to a new town. This means a new school and new friends. I is hard being the new girl in town. When Stacie asks Elise what she is going to do for her upcoming sixteenth birthday, Elise hopes that for her birthday she realizes her first kiss. When the popular boy in school, Asher shows Elise interest, she becomes excited. Will Elise finally receive her first kiss? Never Been Kissed is not just a cute read but it also tackles two topics that all teenagers are facing currently…peer pressure to be experienced (not a virgin) and sex-texting. I thought Ms. Carlson did a fine job incorporating these topics into the story. It goes to show you how easy it is to get caught up in material things and find yourself doing things that you would not normally do, if you were not pressured. While I did like this book, I found Elise to be moderate. There was not really anything memorable about Elise. I understood she felt the pressure to fit in at a new school but when she was communicatin...