Chasing Sunsets

I received a copy of Chasing Sunsets by Karen Kingsbury from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Growing up in a comfortable home, Mary Catherine wanted for nothing. Though she loves her wealthy parents, their lifestyle never appealed to her. Instead, Mary Catherine pursues meaning through charity work, giving away a part of herself but never giving away her heart.

Mary Catherine lives in Los Angeles with her roommate, Sami, and volunteers at a local youth center with coach Tyler Ames and LA Dodger Marcus Dillinger. Despite Mary Catherine’s intention to stay single, she finds herself drawing close to Marcus, and their budding romance offers an exciting life she never dreamed of. That is, until she receives devastating news from her doctor. News that alters her future and forces her to make a rash decision.

I just love Karen Kingsbury's books!  This is the second book in the Angels Walking series and I can't wait until the next one.  Marcus Dillinger has a calling to help the kids in LA.  He and his teammate Tyler convert an old warehouse into a youth center for area kids.  During the open house Marcus becomes a target for the area gangs.  Taylor's girlfriend Sami and her roommate Mary Catherine help out at the youth center and with the help of the local police department start a new Last Time In program for troubled youth.  As the programs are making a difference in the community Mary Catherine gets the worst news of her life.  Will she make the worst decision of her life?

Vinnie's Diner

I received a copy of Vinnie's Diner by Jennifer Allee from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
What if you were given one night to review your entire life? Would you like what you see?

When a freak accident leaves Allie stranded in the middle of the desert, she’s thankful to still be alive. Or is she?
She’s rescued from the wreck by Vinnie, owner of a roadside establishment filled with people who shouldn’t be there. Or is it Allie who doesn’t belong? Standing at the window, she recalls important events from her past and watches as EMTs pull her own body from her mangled vehicle. Suddenly, it becomes clear this is no ordinary pit stop.
In Vinnie’s Diner, Allie embarks on a harrowing journey of self-discovery, literally facing her demons and making the ultimate decision…between life and death.

This was a good book that pulls you in from the beginning.  Allie's in a car accident that ends her up with Vinnie in his Diner.  Her waitress is Norma Jean and the cook is an older Elvis.  Will she be able to face her past even though she's mastered the art of hiding from it?

Finding Me

I received a copy of Finding Me by Kathryn Cushman from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
After her father's death, Kelli discovers a shocking secret: She has a family she's never known. She may want answers, but are some doors better left shut?

What would you do if you learned your life was a lie?
All her life, Kelli Huddleston has been told the story of a fire--a fire that killed her mother and two siblings when she was an infant. After her father's death though, she uncovers evidence of a different story, including clippings about a boat accident that killed a young father and his infant daughter. And Kelli quietly realizes the story of her life has been a fiction.

How far would you go to discover the truth?
Armed with only a few pictures of what she thinks might be her family, Kelli crosses the country to Tennessee, determined to uncover the truth about what happened over twenty years ago in a small southern town. When the trip threatens to open doors to the past better left shut, and her plans for the future are jeopardized, Kelli is faced with an agonizing choice that will change her life forever.

Wow just wow.  Kelli finds out that her dad wasn't who she thought he was and neither was she.  After her dad and stepmother die she finds out that she has a brother, sister and mother that are living in Tennessee.  She drives to their home town in a search for her family that she didn't know she had.  In the process of finding them she finds herself.

From the Start

I received a copy of From the Start by Melissa Tagg from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Kate writes romance movie scripts for a living, but she's stopped believing "true love" is real. Could a new friendship with former NFL player Colton Greene restore her faith?
Kate Walker used to believe in true love and happily ever after. While her own love life may have left her brokenhearted, it hasn't kept her from churning out made-for-TV romance movie screenplays...until a major career slump and a longing to do something meaningful send her running back to her hometown of Maple Valley.

Permanently sidelined by an injury, former NFL quarterback Colton Greene is temporarily hiding out in a friend's hometown to avoid the media and the reminders of all he's lost. Maple Valley seems like the perfect place to learn how to adjust to normal life. The only trouble is he's never really done normal before.

While Kate plays things safe and Colton is all about big risks and grand gestures, they both get what it's like to desperately need direction in life. An unexpected project gives them both a chance to jumpstart their new lives, but old wounds and new dreams are hard to ignore. Starting over wasn't part of the plan, but could it be the best thing that's ever happened to them?

This was a really good book that sucked me in from the very beginning.  I've read several books about football lately and I'm not a big fan of the sport.  I loved that both Kate and Colton had histories that they didn't want to face but were able to work together to heal.  Each finding what they were meant to do with their lives.

Together With You

I received a copy of Together With You by Victoria Bylin from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Ryan thought hiring Carly Mason as nanny was a key move in reconnecting with his children, but will the attraction between them send his plans into chaos?

Sometimes the most unexpected love can be exactly what a heart needs...
When a Lost Child warning blares over the mall's PA system, Carly Mason finds the little girl playing with a stuffed rabbit. Something about Penny Tremaine is different. An ex-social worker, Carly recognizes that the child suffers fetal alcohol effects, and a piece of Carly's past suddenly confronts her. Never again will she become personally involved with a client. The risks are far too great. But something about Penny--and Penny's handsome father--tugs at Carly's heart.

Dr. Ryan Tremaine is trying to put his life back together. With his ex-wife remarried and on a trip far away, his two teenage sons and Penny are living under his roof full time. Ryan has put his faith in his Sink-or-Swim list, a plan to reconnect with his children. The first step: recruit Carly Mason to be Penny's nanny.

Ryan never anticipated being so drawn to Carly, an attraction Carly seems to fight as much as he does. Could Carly be the missing piece that helps his family stay afloat, or will their blossoming romance only complicate things further?

Ryan and Carly couldn't be more different.  Carly's from a small town and was raised with a strong Christian background.  Ryan was raised by a very strong willed and demanding father who expected him to follow in his footsteps.  Can Carly help Ryan loosen up and learn to love his children - flaws in all?

Hand Me Down Husband

I received a copy of Hand Me Down Husband by Rosanna Huffman from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Suzanne said she'd never marry a widower. Mitch promised he'd never marry again. But that was before they met each other.
High school teacher Suzanne Bloomer has buried herself in her job at New Vision Christian School in Farmersburg, Ohio. But she’s none too pleased when widower Mitch Sanderson leaves his fields mid-harvest to fill a teacher/principal position at the school. She knows better than to trust a Sanderson, and she’s determined not to be tricked by one again.

When Mitch’s persistent kindness starts to confuse Suzanne’s feelings for him, she remembers that she is even less interested in a hand-me-down husband than she is in wearing secondhand clothing. Neither has Mitch forgotten his late wife’s plea that he never remarry. His children certainly haven’t. Will their faith in God and trust in each other be enough to overcome the odds and build a life together?

This was a good book.  Based on the title I felt sure that Suzanne and Mitch were going to fall in love but it seemed to take forever.  They both grew up in Farmersburg Ohio just several years apart.  When they both end up working at New Vision Christian School they seem drawn to each other from the start.  Suzanne didn't have a good home life growing up and has a very bad view of herself.  Can Mitch show her that she's worth so much more?