You must also know your ceiling height. You have to get your hands into a tree to decorate and light it, if the needles and branches are scratchy and rough you might not like it. Then open your hand and look at it; is your hand green? Do you have a hand full of needles? Did the tree stay in place or almost fall on you? If the tree tries to come with down when you do this, either you pulled way to hard or the stand is not stable for the size of the tree.So take a look around your home and decide where the best place to display your tree is. The Pros to a Live Tree are; they smell nice and are considered by some to be traditional and they come in many shapes and sizes.Where To Put It. This could be a problem if you have a small, curious child or animals.

 

The problem is they go tree shopping Display Stand Factory and fall in love with a tree they simply have to have, only to get home and find it does not fit. Some building codes are 7feet 6inches but most are 8feet. Unless you have cathedral ceilings, then you can have slopes from 10 to 14 feet tall and more.The Pros to an Artificial Tree are; They do not lose their needles, they stay green, they need no water, you dont have to add lights every year and they come in all shapes and sizes.This is one of the most important questions. Most people find the tree first.Next measure Display Stand Manufacturers the space you have created.The first thing to consider is which kind of tree you want, Live or Artificial. Then how much work will it take to put it there? Do you simply move a small table to another room or do you have to completely rearrange the room.

 

Stand back a few feet and squint your eyes at the tree. The Cons are; they have no pine scent. The Cons are; they drop there needles and make a mess, they dry out fast, they turn brown you have to remember to add water.Which ever tree you choose the final test is called a squint test. Then gently grab a tip and run it thru you hand. This will show you all the holes, which would need to be filled with large ornaments or floral picks. How much room do you have between pieces of furniture on either side and how much room do you have from the wall out into the room.Choosing a Tree.

 

Some things to look for when buying an Artificial Tree are; touch the tips, make sure the feel of the tree agrees with you.Once you decide what size tree you need, where you want to put it and which type of tree you want then go shopping!Some things to watch for when selecting a Live Christmas Tree are; Is it brown or dark green? Are the needles dry and brittle or plump and soft? Are there needles all over the floor under the tree? Then check the shape of the tree and spacing between the rows of branches.

Let me start by making something very clear: this is a TABOO story. The lovers in this story are BROTHERS. If this is not to your liking, this book and this review are probably not for you J

 

With that out of the way I want to say that I loved this story and count myself lucky I was allowed to beta read it for the author. There are a few levels to this story and for me they all worked. This book starts on a very emotional note, drawing the reader in immediately, before settling down a bit and introducing the situation and characters. Except that the reader isn’t allowed to relax for very long because next thing we (and Rhys) know, ghostly apparitions keep both him and his audience guessing.

 

The attraction between Rhys and Jake is palatable just as Rhys’s doubts and hesitations make perfect sense. Their reunion after two years apart and their journey back towards each other had me on the edge of my seat even more than the ghostly part of the story had. While the mystery certainly captivated me I couldn’t wait to see when and how Rhys and Jake would find a way to be all they were destined to become.

 

The secondary characters in this story were equally fascinating. It took me a while to figure Rhys’s neighbour and his role in the story out, and even longer for me to make up my mind about him. I love that; there’s nothing quite like a story that keeps me guessing to rope me in and keep me hooked. Between the ghosts, the unconventional love story and Philip, there was more than enough in this story to keep me captivated and turning the pages as fast as I could read them.

 

I was rather impressed with the balance the author managed to strike between the very realistic angst especially Rhys experiences whenever he contemplates giving in to his feelings and desires and the relative ease with which he eventually surrenders to that which cannot be denied. Maybe most of the people in their lives show more acceptance for the  situation than you’re likely to encounter in real life, but for me it worked, especially since this is also a ghost story and therefore only loosely set in our world at best anyway. J Besides, I like my endings happy, even if they’re happier than they’re like to be in reality because I’ll never stop hoping that one day tolerance—both when it comes to the books we read and to the relationships we want to have in our lives—will be the norm.

 

If you enjoy your books with supernatural elements and a healthy dose of taboo romance, I highly recommend Let Your Heart Decide.

Review & Giveaway June 3 at Sinfully.

4.5 stars

I really enjoyed this story, my first by Lily G. Blunt. I’ve read a few books with the taboo subject of incest between brothers, some obviously written just for the titillation of the subject matter and others as a romantic love story and this one falls squarely into the latter category. Let Your Heart Decide is the story of two men who grew up together and fell in love. Fooling around as teenagers discovering sex, going their separate ways, meeting and dating other people, but each always knowing in their hearts just who they are destined to love. It just so happens that these two men are brothers.

Other than the prologue told from Jake’s POV, the story is told entirely from Rhys’ side. I loved this set up as the prologue tells of the events occurring the last time the two brothers saw each other and Jake’s viewpoint there makes clear how devastated he was when the moment of joy he’s waited years for becomes his worst nightmare. We know just from that where Jake stands, so now it is up to Rhys to decide what the future will hold.

Picking up two years down the road, Rhys is just out of a relationship and has moved back to his hometown from London, gotten a new job and is set on mending the rift with his brother Jake. Since the night recounted in the prologue the two brothers have had minimal phone contact and haven’t seen each other at all.

Rhys is still haunted by guilt from that night he left. On one hand, he accepts his feelings for Jake and the fact that he wants more than just a brotherly relationship, yet when he thinks of what others may see, he begins to second guess himself. He is truly torn between knowing that Jake is the only person he could ever truly love with all his heart and soul, yet fearing what others will think and how it would realistically impact the life he would want to live with him. Now that he is in his new home, he is also haunted by the strange figures he sees in the woods and on the grounds of the old manor behind his house. His neighbors, Philip and his mother Clare, fill him in on the tales surrounding the house and the lives of the people who once lived there, convincing Rhys that he is actually seeing their ghosts.

This was a beautifully written and thoughtful story. The relationship between the brothers takes center stage, with the ghost story complementing it. I didn’t feel the romance was played for shock value, but it felt organic and pure as any other two men falling for each other. The brothers reminisce about growing up together and through that the reader is given good insight into the closeness the two always shared, their sexual explorations as teens sharing a bedroom and how it continued into adulthood.

As close as the two brothers are, they also have their differences. Jake wears his heart on his sleeve and says what’s on his mind. You can sense his pain whenever he is with Rhys and doing his best to hold back his feelings for his brother’s sake. His love and devotion to Rhys is never in doubt and it is clear that difficult as it may be, he wants a relationship with him regardless of the terms. Rhys is more logical in his thoughts. He runs through all the possibilities, all the potential pitfalls and more before deciding how to move forward. They have great chemistry and an amazing connection that, even with the distance, was never truly broken.

I’m not going to spoil things, but the reactions presented when most people found out about their relationship did not really ring true for me, even with the way it was set up. I did find their father’s take on the news interesting and really not all that hard to believe, but still, not sure if it was very realistic. Other than this minor point, the story pulled me in, the characters grabbed me and I wanted to read more.

There is no coercion, no power plays, it is all consensual as teens and as adults. Rhys and Jake love each other deeply. If you’re intrigued by this type of taboo “brocest” story, but were wary, I think this one would be a good way to dip your toe into the pool. I would recommend this for anyone who is open minded to a story about a love so deep any risks are worth it. I for one would love to read more about how Rhys and Jake fare going forward with this unconventional relationship.

Get Smart!: How to Think, Decide, Act, a... Don’t let the size of this book fool you. It may be short, but it’s packed full of helpful information. It’s short because there’s no fluff, at least, not in my opinion. I took many pages of notes from this book because there were things that I didn’t want to forget.

Some of the advice in this book I’ve heard hundreds of times or more, but it’s worth hearing again. Most of us are very familiar with goal-setting methods. Brian Tracy gives you step-by-step instructions — writing down goals, prioritizing and executing them. We may have heard this advice hundreds of times, but I don’t think many people actually follow it.

There’s a great section with a systematic problem solving method and one on the “Seven Rs of Superior Thinking” (rethinking, reevaluating, reorganizing, restructuring, reengineering, reinventing, regaining control).

Not all of the advice was standard. There are exercises in this book, many questions to ask yourself, steps to take, and gold nuggets that get you to think about things a little differently.

I loved the chapter on negative emotions: fear of all kinds, envy and resentment, jealousy, inferiority, hate, suspicion, hostility, and distrust. We’re so used to feeling these emotions that they become a part of everyday living and we think that it’s OK. We don’t have to feel this way.

"It’s impossible to experience a negative emotion without blaming others for something that they have done or not done of which you disapprove. The minute you stop blaming, your negative emotions cease completely.”

Taking personal responsibility is hard for most people. We blame others for a large majority of the things that happen in our lives and only occasionally blame ourselves. We’ve all been wrong in life in some way, but we haven’t truly learned to forgive and this includes forgiving ourselves. If we stop complaining, learn to forgive and let it go, we would feel so much happier and be in a healthier frame of mind, which would help us accomplish more of our goals.

"The key to self-esteem, self-confidence, self-reliance, and self-respect is for you to accept 100% responsibility for everything you are and all that you will become in life. The instant you accept complete responsibility, with no excuses, you become calm, clear, and positive.”

Rich people have different habits and a different way of thinking than poor people. I love the distinctions Brian Tracy makes in this book. Rich people make a commitment to continue learning and developing new skills. They set clear goals. They get out of their comfort zone. They eat healthy and exercise daily. They let go of their fears (especially a fear of failure). They don’t use learned helplessness (the “I can’t” attitude). They watch less than an hour of television a day! They use their time wisely and this includes not spending time with people whose lives are going nowhere.

This is what he says about how poor people think.

“They fail to understand the direct relationship between what you put in and what you get out. They are always seeking to get something for nothing or for as little as possible. They want success without achievement, riches without labor, money without effort, and fame without talent.”

He reminds us that poor people gamble and buy lottery tickets.

Get Smart! How to Think and Act Like the Most Successful and Highest-Paid People in Every Field is a motivating book that reminds you that if you change your habits and your thinking, you can change your life in remarkable ways. Read it. I highly recommend it.

This book is an excellent reminder why hate spewing blow hards should not be entrusted to to run the country. Bad things happen to good people.

PS - this was the last audiobook given away at the now defunct Ford Audiobook Club. Thanks Ford. I don't know if your book club and giveaways ever inspired anyone to buy a new Ford, but I sure appreciated this and a few other free titles.