Book Review: A Fallow Heart

by Linda Kage

Book Description:

Ten years ago, an oil tycoon’s daughter and a farmer’s son shared a moment neither would ever forget. When she left town in disgrace, a piece of her stayed locked deep within his soul. And like the ground he tended, his emotions lay fallow for years. Cooper Gerhardt’s deeply buried feelings for Jo Ellen Rawlings grew more fertile over time, just waiting for the day she would return to release his deepest desires.

When she strolls back into Tommy Creek, Texas for her ten-year class reunion, Cooper shows her farmboy-style exactly what she missed by leaving. Starting a short-term affair is simply unavoidable. But when the week is over, can either of them let go of the responsibilities and apprehensions keeping them apart? Or will their fallow hearts learn to flourish together?

Book Review: 4/5

“Sometimes a man can be a lot like a farm. He lets his heart lay fallow for a while, and instead of his feelings dying out, they just go dormant, his emotions growing deeper and stronger as time passes. A person only needs to clear away the weeds on the surface to uncover them.”

Usually, I don't really care if a man had his heart broken. BUT - when someone as good, sweet, honest-to-goodness man like Cooper gets his heart broken, my heart gets broken too.

AND I WOULD LOVE TO HATE THE GIRL - but how can I, when Jo Ellen is almost as nice as him?

Oh yes, I'M TORN!

This is a story of a poor sinfully hot farm boy, Cooper falling in love with one of the daughter of the richest man in Tommy Creek, Jo Ellen.

If Cooper was any more kinder, he'd be a saint. I don't know what kind of man can love that unconditionally, and what kind of man can just look his love from afar and not doing anything with his feelings? Oh well, meet Cooper. It's exasperating. Because if I were Jo Ellen, I'd choose him over millions of Travis in this world. He had proven his loyalty and his love when he was there for her at her lowest point. Cooper was willing to sacrifice his life, the future ahead of him for the people he loves. Even after ten years, when his dad got six, he had his business in hiatus and went to work in his father's farm.

HOW CAN JO ELLEN BE SO BLIND?

How can someone so intelligent be so blind with this kind of love? I just want to shake her and tell her: WAKE UP! Wake up before everything will just disappear. Jo Ellen is one of Grady's twin sister. I believe I love Emma Leigh's character more than I liked Jo Ellen. While Emma Leigh was very sociable, friendly and just cool. Jo Ellen was reserved, proper, and a well-mannered lady. These are the main reason why Cooper fell in love with her instead of the other twin. She values commitment, and even though she really didn't like her boyfriend's ways, she stuck to him. Until he left her hanging during the time she needed him most. She was devastated, and it broke her. She decided to go out of town and spend the rest of her senior year in Dallas. She left town, and Cooper broken hearted.

Ten years later - the twins were back in Tommy Creek for a reunion. The moment Cooper and Jo Ellen saw each other for the first time after all those years, chemistry still sizzles between the both of them. But the past keeps chasing the both of them. Can they finally take a risk and find their own happy ending?

Or would they just...

But its not just Cooper and Jo Ellen's story. The surrounding characters have their own stories to share, especially Thad, Cooper's dad whose story surprised me the most. I never could have imagined he could be THAT person when I met him in the earlier pages.

It's nice to be back in Tommy Creek, only years back before The Trouble with Tomboys took place. It was nice to see them young, especially Grady and BJ. I wasn't really sure if it was nice to see Amy alive as well, it was just weird. For those who haven't read the Trouble with Tomboys yet, I suggest you read A Fallow Heart first, although the two can still function as stand alone novels on their own. 

Linda Kage you just made my year. I could not have a better last book to read for 2012 than this one. It made me swoon, laugh, cry - drove me crazy. Thank You!

Favorite Quotes:

• “I was crazy in love with you in high school, and you broke my heart the day you hooked up with someone else our sophomore year. Then you broke it again when you promised me you’d dump him the night we kissed and go out with me instead, because the next morning, you forgot all about me.”
• “Jealousy is an uncontrollable emotion. It attacks all of us. As long as you don’t let it get the best of you, I’m sure you and your envy can live in harmony without anyone getting hurt. So, see? There’s no need to feel bad about it. It makes you normal. Human.” 
• “I’ve found the things I’ve regretted most in my life are the things I wanted to do but never had the courage to try. And I’m beginning to think I don’t want you to become one of my what-if-I’d-only-tried-it regrets.” 
• “Sometimes a man can be a lot like a farm. He lets his heart lay fallow for a while, and instead of his feelings dying out, they just go dormant, his emotions growing deeper and stronger as time passes. A person only needs to clear away the weeds on the surface to uncover them.” 
• “Rational was for people who didn’t have a broken heart.” 
• “When you love, you open yourself up to numerous vulnerabilities and worries and responsibilities you never imagined existed because suddenly there’s someone else in the world who’s more important to you than you are. That’s what makes it so tough.” 
• “You’re a man, darling. There’s something sick and twisted inside you, making you relish girly torture. I don’t understand it myself. Never did.” 
• “If she loves you back, no woman is going to complain about the hour if a man calls her to proclaim his undying love.” 
• “And I don’t want you to love me enough for the both of us. I’d rather carry my own portion, thank you very much. I love you so much it consumes me.” 

Follow me :

Twitter : @nursechucha

Tumblr:  nursecha.tumblr.com

or be my friend on GoodReads

(Disclaimer: Book reviewed was sent to me by the author and I have received no compensation of any kind for the review whether it is positive.)

           

Book Review: Freeing Carter

by Nyrae Dawn

Review: 4/5

I fell in love with Carter from the first chapter, and continued to until the last page. He was someone that his family could count on. At an age that he should be enjoying girls, booze and friends - he was stuck making sure that his mother and sister were fine. Who would not love him?

But Carter has a secret...


Secret he's not willing to share even with his best friend.

He tried his best in keeping his sister and his mother safe. But sometimes, even strong people falter and needs help. Carter was in denial and refused help from people who are willing to give a hand. He thought he was man enough to keep things together. I loved him more when he finally admitted that he needed help- although it took one eye opener to make him realize that he can't do it all by himself.

Kira - is a breath of fresh air and the girl who can pull off an orange hair :)


She too has some personal issues that she should be dealing with, but you never see it in her. I find her cool, and the kind of people that loves living life one day at a time. Carter perfectly described her: She's fun, and wild, and free and happy. Tears don't belong in her eyes. Frowns don't belong on her lips. It's not right. Kira is what Carter really needed. Someone strong, is not capable of much drama (because Carter doesn't need more of it), nonjudgmental and dependable. She knew how to pacify him when he's too stressed out.

Nyrae Dawn once again:



You did not just make a great heck of a love story. You mixed in family dynamics that will break your reader's heart for the boy who tries his best to be the man that his family needed.

Favorite Quotes:

• “Things said in the heat of the moment never count.”
• “You have skeletons, too, Carter Shaw. Don't think I don't know it. I think...I think people with secrets, or with a past, I guess I should say, I think we're kindred spirits. Like maybe we see something in each other that no one else takes the time to see.”      

Follow me :

Twitter : @nursechucha

Tumblr:  nursecha.tumblr.com

or be my friend on GoodReads

Book Review: I'll Be Here

by Autumn Doughton

Review: 5/5
Of course It's a 5!

Autumn Doughton - you have a knack for describing a heartbreak.


Note: This isn't paranormal. I just like the pic :)

Inside of me is all whirl and spin. A cockroach is doing pirouettes on my chest. A cockroach in a tutu. I would breathe but a giant has his grubby hands wrapped around my lungs and he’s squeezing. Tighter.

And these are just the first paragraphs of the book - wait till you get a hold of the whole book...

Thank you Jas for recommending this book - I admit I already had this one on my Kindle, but it wasn't on my priority list. But hey, it was short and I decided to forgo my list for a while, and insert this one. I wasn't disappointed. Autumn Doughton proved to be an exceptional author who writes the perfect words (in metaphor or not) in depicting emotions (whether it is good or bad).

“You dump trash. You dump yard waste and old ripped couches that smell like body odor and forgetfulness. You dump cigarette butts and banana peels and hazardous waste. But people?”

Yeah, Willow was recently dumped by her boyfriend of two years. And the hardest thing was that- she didn't saw it coming. They were not having any problems at all (well, nothing she knew of) and suddenly, here was her boyfriend ex trying to break up with her in a steak house over fries.

Now she starts from scratch: no more cool boyfriends, her used to be friends were non-existent and she got the biggest surprise of her life when she finally realized why Dustin broke up with her.

Good thing she has old friends who easily forgives and forgets. Laney, the friend she forgot when she became Dustin's girl came to the rescue along with others. They were her savior after the whole school has been treating her like she has leprosy. I also adore her mother, who tried ALL the time to reach out to her, trying to be there when she needed the most. It took a while for them to fix their relationship because of some previous issue. She went back to her previous passion: Art. Something she gave up as well when she was going out with Dustin.

And Alex, oh Alex. You were exasperating at times, lovable most of the time, and just frustrating at the near end. An old flame she wanted to forget - now here he comes back into her life: in a the most 'broken' time of her life. Why?

I love this book! I'm an avid YA reader and let me tell you - this book is one of those YA-novels that rocks! I'll Be Here tells a story of how a young girl with a broken heart picks up the pieces, found and loved herself, and finally moved on with life and love. It's a short read (that's why I love it more), but even though it's short, I didn't find it lacking. I was contented with the ending and was not disappointed at all.

I'd recommend it to readers who likes (1) heartbreak, (2) moving on (3) family issues that aren't so heavy and totally dramatic (4) sweet but not to the point of mushy (5) Short but complete read.

Favorite Quotes:

• “I'm miserable but the thing is that I want to be miserable. It's kind of nice. Like a comfortable sweater that you put on around the house but wouldn't be caught dead wearing in public.”
•    “You dump trash. You dump yard waste and old ripped couches that smell like body odor and forgetfulness. You dump cigarette butts and banana peels and hazardous waste. But people?”
• “People are just preprogrammed to want what they don’t have. It’s like it’s a universal law.”

Follow me :

Twitter : @nursechucha

Tumblr:  nursecha.tumblr.com

or be my friend on GoodReads

   

Book Review: The Perfect Game

by J. Sterling

Review: 4/5

“Sometimes letting go is the only way to find out who you're meant to hold on to.”

Do I love this book? Hell Yes!!!

I enjoyed reading this book - the constant bantering shared between two people who have issues to resolve and finally took a leap in love. It wasn't a smooth jump - they encountered rocks along the way, but they still landed well - with both their feet on the ground: alive and breathing.

I fell in love with Carter in the beginning. Who can resist a bad-boy-turned-pussy-whipped-boyfriend and can play baseball even with eyes closed? I did love how he tried his best in changing his ways and proving that he's a different man. That he can stick and be content with just one woman.



But, something happened along the way that made me think twice. I could not tolerate a guy with a poor judgment and someone who's gullible enough to make a decision without even going deeper or examining things clearly.

Nevertheless, he was redeemed. He'd never be the prince charming if he continued his ways, right? What he did in the near ending, it was just awesome! I like the way he exercise patience and wanting to put things in order before he can start a clean slate. The surprise he gave Cassie - it was a little cheesy, but I guess...

Somehow, I'd fill several bottles of quarters to touch you.

Cassie!!!!

Her rules with boys and relationship:
1. Don't lie
2. Don't cheat
3. Don't make promises you can't keep
4. Don't say things you don't mean

... and guess how many Carter broke?

Oh yes, Cassie loved to roll her eyes and didn't want to do anything with him first. She hated his guts, but she could not deny the fact that Carter is HOT! If only she's strong enough not to fall for his clutches. However, like gravity, Cassie fell, HARD. And when everything went Topsy-turvy with their relationship, she was broken. I think she made the right choices, after the biggest mistake she made during the early part of the relationship. I find her brave. Trying her best in stopping Carter making the biggest mistake of his life. Moving away and following her dreams instead of staying behind. It was a little painful seeing her grow- but it made her grow up and become a better person.

The Perfect Game is just a perfect read. It shows flaws in relationship that most couples go through - famous or not. This book just proved that with love, anything is possible. A relationship can still exist even with broken trust. Because with enough love, trust can be restored and the two people who are meant to be together will have their happily ever after.

J. Sterling, you kept me awake all night reading this amazing novel and I didn't regret every minute of it

Favorite Quotes:

• “Have you ever noticed how pretty and beautiful words can be? How easy it is to say the things you think someone wants to hear. How you can affect a person’s entire day with just a few measly sentences?”
• “Kitten, I’d break my fucking pitching arm if it meant keeping you safe.” 
• “And I know that the past version of me is someone you would never trust. But who I am when I’m with you” he paused, “isn’t who I used to be. I don’t think I’ve been that guy since the night of our first date, so it’s not fair that you judge me like I’m still him.” 
• “That anyone could father a child, but a real man chooses to be a dad.” 
• “Sometimes letting go is the only way to find out who you're meant to hold on to.”       

Follow me :

Twitter : @nursechucha

Tumblr:  nursecha.tumblr.com

or be my friend on GoodReads