Alora Kate wraps up the NYC series with Lucas' story. I've loved Lucas since the beginning of this series and he's certainly pulled at the heartstrings with his unrequited love for Ki, but nothing comes close to the roller coaster ride that is his life in this third installment of the series. Just as he's determined to move on and get on with his life, he's hit with something that he doesn't know how to handle. London and Lucas have so many obstacles to overcome and more than once, I wasn't sure which way their romance would go. This book is certainly the most emotional of the series, but the author knows her stuff and wraps things up perfectly for this crazy and engaging group of characters. The book, as well as the whole series, is beautifully written and these characters are some that I won't soon forget. This is part of a continuing story and I highly recommend the whole series. More than just romance, we get some suspense, action, a bit of intrigue, and best of all, it's filled with friends and family that pull together and stand by each other, faults and all. 

A Beautiful Heartbreak is not your typical hearts and flowers romance, which was a pleasant surprise for me. The story is well-written and the flow is good. But, the thing that set this one apart is the characters. They are all so interesting - love them or hate them, they're interesting. Most of the story is told from Ki's point of view and I absolutely love her with her quirks and what you see is what you get attitude. We do get some chapters from Prescot's view and I don't want to give too much away, but those chapters are so important to the character development. His flashbacks certainly stir the emotions and pull at your heartstrings. The attraction between this pair is unmistakable, even when they won't admit it and the situations that they find themselves in are, at times, quite funny. While there are questions and some intense situations, I wouldn't necessarily say that it's suspenseful. Things were resolved and questions were answered a bit too quickly for any real build in the suspense level, but that didn't really take away from my enjoyment of the read. Overall, I would say that Alora Kate has given us an outside the box romance with some action, truly great characters, at times laugh out loud dialogue and situations, and a relatively low angst level. I'll be looking forward to whatever is next for this odd mix of people. Oh, and I have to add - Lucas, I seriously want more Lucas! 

A Story of Lies, Desperation, and Finding God

Ms. Curry bravely shares with grace what it was like to grow up with a con man and a convicted criminal.

The author writes with so much heart about her painful childhood and how deep the wounds left by her father had affected her well-being. This is an emotional story of a kid with an unimaginable childhood that kept a brave face and hid her turmoil to herself. She only wanted to be love and accepted. This quick and easy read drew me in from page one, told plainly without bitterness she speaks with respect of her feeling towards her father. Later on in life she seeks redemption and was able to find solace in god and finally peace of heart with a loving husband and children. This is a unique and heartbreaking journey that ends beautifully.

This testimony took courage to write and I admire Ms. Curry for doing so. If God was her path to forgiveness and happiness I am happy it worked….

It is hard to like or dislike memoirs after all they belong to the author. It is the way it is said and Ms. Curry does it with passion. 

I received this ARC from the publisher Baker Books via the Early Reviewer Program for an honest and unbiased review

I love this story so much that I revisit it every year at the start of the holiday season. I love everything about it, from the characters to the story to the writing style. Dickens writes with sly humor, but there is no mistaking the gravity of his argument about the spirit of Christmas and those who pervert its lessons.

"There are some upon this earth of yours," returned the Spirit, "who lay claim to know us, and who do their deeds of passion, pride, ill-will, hatred, envy, bigotry, and selfishness in our name, who are as strange to us, and all our kith and kin, as if they had never lived. Remember that, and charge their doings on themselves, not us."

And of Ignorance and Want, those children of Man:

"Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge.

"Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?"

This is the audio version, read by Tim Curry, who is an excellent reader, though the version with Jim Dale’s performance is even better.

For the Twelve Tasks of the Festive Season book challenge, Task the Twelfth: The Wassail Bowl (Read a book set in the UK, preferably during the medieval or Victorian periods)