Jackson Rule by Sharon Sala (Dinah McCall)

Jackson Rule by Dinah McCall

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


If you are looking to read a book with a hero who has really, really gotten a bad break in life, look no further! Poor Jackson. He went to prison for fifteen years. He was sixteen years old. I cannot imagine how that must have been. Only to serve his time and go out into a world where few people are willing to look past what they think he is: ex-con, murderer, trash. I like to think that a person should be given a clean slate in life. I guess that doesn't really happen in real life. I don't want to get into my beliefs about the criminal justice system, because I don't think anyone wants to hear them. But, I will say that I think a person who serves their time and is willing to live an honest life, should get the opportunity to do so. Unfortunately, that's harder than it seems. For people generally take things at face value, and let their fears and suspicions rule them (I am not excluding myself from this).

I was surprised at how narrow-minded and judgmental Rebecca's reverend father was. I do realize that many Christians (but not all) are true to this portrayal of Reverend Hill. They are goody-goody and never miss church, but do not show their true beliefs through their actions. I was glad that Rebecca tried to live true to his teaching and her faith, and she called him on his hypocrisy. And Reverend Hill is forced to search his own heart and realize his own actions do not show what he preaches and believes.

In contrast to Reverend Hill, Rebecca and a few others were willing to give Jackson a chance. In fact, Rebecca was more loving and understanding to Jackson than he was to himself. He had a huge case of self-hatred! It was hard to deal with at times, but given his awful childhood and the fact that he spent almost half his life in prison, I could see why he was this way.

The cynical reader would probably find Jackson's continued shows of goodness a bit too much. Let's count:
1)Saves Rebecca by pulling her out of the path of an oncoming vehicle, and fixing her truck which had overheated for free.
2)Saves his next-door neighbor child from his abusive father, and later from a fire
3)Does CPR on Pete (a coworker and friend of Rebecca) when he has a heart-attack, thus saving his life.
4)Reads to, spends time with, and counsels young children who live at the shelter where he volunteers.
5)And there's a big whoozy, which is a major spoiler, so I won't say, but I'm counting it.

This wasn't an issue for me. I liked that his actions showed what a good person he was, even though people assumed the worst of him. He was very innocent in many ways. A sweet boy who had been weighed, judged, and found wanting, and given no first or second chances in life. This book made me cry a few times. I'm the kind of girl who likes to believe that people are good and good things happen to good people. Deep down, I'm an optimist, which is why I do like feel good romances (disguised as deeply angsty and sad romances with deleriously happy endings). So, this book did not fail to impress me. I know that some people will find this book too sappy. I can't speak for them. I loved this book, and I wanted to give Jackson a big, huge hug. I'm glad that he has Rebecca and other loved ones to do that for me.

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Love is Blind by Lynsay Sands

Love Is Blind by Lynsay Sands

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I thought this was a cute book, and I enjoyed reading it. It's nice to read a romance where you actually like both the hero and the heroine. I could sympathize with their self-consciousness about their perceived flaws. Poor Clarissa thought she'd be rejected by her husband because she looked ugly in her spectacles. Poor Adrian thought his wife would be disgusted when she saw his scar. It takes some skill to handle this kind of storyline where the couple is keeping secrets from each other, and I think Ms. Sands did a great job here.

The mystery was good, but it didn't overtake the story, and it didn't compromise the sweet, cheerful tone of this story. She kept me guessing about who was the culprit behind Clarissa's 'accidents,' and I liked the resolution. Although I am into noir romance, I do like to read a sweet romance where there are lots of laughs, and the characters are people I would like in real life. Love is Blind is one of those stories. I really liked the end where Clarissa and Adrian confront their insecurities and confirm their love for each other, 'flaws' and all. It was an 'aww' moment for me. I'm glad I pulled this out of my tbr pile for my Slightly More Challenging Challenge. It wasn't too fluffy or silly for me to enjoy, and I do have a low threshold for that kind of story, if I'm not in the mood for it. If you read Love is Blind, go into it with an open mind, and a willingness to enjoy a lighter, sweet read with good characters. I did. But then, I'm a sucker for scarred heroes, sweet heroines, books that make me laugh, and likeable characters. It also helped that I am near-sighted myself. Here's to the four-eyed folks out there!

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Winter Roses by Diana Palmer

Winter Roses by Diana Palmer


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Reading Diana Palmer is very much a comforting experience for me. She's like a favorite aunt who I can sit down with, sharing some time, and listen to her tell me an engaging story that will take my mind off the troubles in the world.

She did this with Winter Roses. It's a combination of something old and something new. Similar type of hero and heroine, but there is something in the story that does make it a unique read at the same time.

Ivy has a sister who is fairly malevolent. This is a new thing for Diana Palmer. I've seen the scenario with the less than ideal parent, or sibling. But for the sister to be straight-up evil was a different touch. Ivy's sister Rachel did everything she could to make Ivy's life a living hell. She discredited her to everyone she could, spreading stories about Ivy being promiscuous. She lied to Ivy's father and had him believing that Ivy wasn't even his own daughter. She exploited their father's drinking and told him lies about Ivy that lead to her being beaten and abused by the father. And she engineered things so that when the father died, he left nothing to Ivy. If she could have, she would have left Ivy destitute, were it not for a small bequest made to Ivy by her aunt. Rachel was also a drug addict and a drug seller. I think she is one of the few genuinely evil female characters I've encountered in a Diana Palmer book. That was definitely something new for me.

Ms. Palmer continues the ongoing storyline of the drug cartel that is trying to take over Jacobsville. Old favorites from her books unite to help to take down key players in the drug business. Fans of Cash Grier will be happy to read this book, as he has a pretty good cameo in Winter Roses.

One thing I enjoyed about this story was catching up with old characters from the Long, Tall Texan series, as well as the Mercenary series. Jacobsville is a town I wish really existed. I am so familiar with most of its inhabitants, I feel the urge to wave at them as they walk down the streets and stop and say hi. It must be hard to keep up with all of these past characters, but Ms. Palmer does a good job of it. Since there doesn't seem to be any Black people in Jacobsville, I volunteer to move there and be the first Black citizen in this fine little town (big smile).

Now some readers have issue with the age difference between the hero and heroine. It's about twelve years. Stuart is about 31 in this book, and Ivy is 19 when this book starts. But Stuart is hyper-aware of the fact that Ivy is too young for him, and he gives her a couple more years to grow up. When they get together, Ivy is 21, and an independent businesswoman who I feel is more than mature enough to handle a relationship with a man of Stuart's age. Although she is pretty innocent, you don't feel that Stuart takes advantage of her. He is quite chivalrous and respectful of her, and really steps in to care for her in more than one situation, showing his love through his actions. Readers who weary of the cruel heroes present in some, not all of Diana Palmer's books would find a respite in this story, since Stuart is really rather kind. There is one encounter towards the beginning of the book where he comes on a little strong, but he quickly backs off when he realizes he misjudged Ivy and the situation.

If you don't like a sweet and forebearing heroine, don't read this book. Ivy is both. She is very kind-natured and not what I'd call a fighter, but she does endure under some very tough circumstances. To me that is another form of strength. But she is no alpha heroine. Yet there is not a big contrast between her and Stuart because he is pertty gentle with her. Their relationship preceeds on very well except a small misunderstanding which is dealt with without a lot of hoopla.

The sensuality is light, but there are some passionate moments, fairly characteristic for Diana Palmer's Silhouette Romances. The focus is on the love relationship between Stuart and Ivy, and to me, that's not a bad thing.

So I do have to say that I liked this book a lot, enough for it to rate four stars. It kept my interest, but then I'm a huge fan of this author. I think she's a fine storyteller, combining passion, angst, people you care about, and humor to write a story that will help you to escape for a few hours into a world with decent people who find the love they need and deserve in life.

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