To all my fellow Americans...

We have plans to have our holiday meal at a friend's house with other military families. Today I baked 3 pumpkin pies, 1 apple crisp, and defrosted one pecan pie (requested by my friend's husband and courtesy of my friend Marie Callendar). The rest of the weekend will be spent reading and watching movies - I DO NOT DO BLACK FRIDAY. I worked at Wal-Mart prior to going into the military and worked 3 BFs - honestly I would rather go back to Iraq than ever participate in the BF madness.

Here's the reading I hope to get done by the end of November:

1. Through Waters Deep (Waves of Freedom #1) by Sarah Sundin (for the second square)

2. Good Girls Revolt by Lynn Povich (for the first square- black and white cover)

3. The Toymaker by Kay Springsteen (for the first square - heroine is named Ivy)

4. Bloom by Kelle Hampton (Pop Sugar challenge and hoping to fill in another square on the 16 Tasks)

Upcoming early HOLIDAY BOOKS

to get you in the spirit!  

Coming 2016 

A LOW COUNTRY CHRISTMAS 

Mary Alice Monroe 

LowCountry #5

Gallery Books 

October 25  

CHRISTMAS ANGELS

Viola Shipman

St. Martin's Press 

October 25 

WISHING ON SNOWFLAKES

Two Wintry Novels 

Joanne Demaio

October 4 

CHRISTMAS IN PARIS

Anita Hughes

St Martin's Press 

October 4  

TWELVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS 

Debbie Macomber

Random House

October 4  

WINTER STORMS

Winter Street Trilogy #3

Elin Hilderbrand

October 4 

Little Brown & Co.   

THE TWELVE DOGS OF CHRISTMAS

Andy Carpenter Series
David Rosenfelt

St Martin's Press 

October 18   

A SHOE ADDICT'S CHRISTMAS 

Beth Harbison

St. Martin's Press

October 18  

HOT FLASH HOLIDAYS 

Nancy Thayer

Random House

Oct 18 

 A BAXTER FAMILY CHRISTMAS 

Karen Kingsbury 

Howard Books

October 25  

Christmas Comes Early

When You Pre-Order Your Favorite Book!

Visit My Blog at JDCMustReadBooks

For More October Favorite Picks

@JudithDCollins #JDCMustReadBooks   

It really does need to be in all caps because I'm ridiculously excited for tomorrow.  Well, I guess technically today seeing what time it is, but sleep isn't something I can achieve at the moment.  That's how excited I am.  It's been about a year since I went home and saw my family, and that's where I'm going later today.  I'm going to surprise my pops for his birthday and join the family for Easter.  The only downside is I was hoping to finish the last two books I started before I left, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen.  One is a research book for a character I'm working and the other is a library book, so both will have to wait until I come back to finish them!

However!  I won't be traveling without something to read.  In fact a friend of my helped me decide which books to take with me.  She told me to take: something I need to read, something I want to read, a mystery, and one I've been putting off.  So with that I picked four great books for my flight and any quiet time I get.  Which you know, I might get.

So I'm probably going to be much quieter than usual, because I'm not taking my laptop with me.  Mostly because I hate taking it through security with everything else I have to take.  Cell service is, well it's real spotty.  So once the plane lands I'll be able to check things here and there, but I'm hoping to have four reviews ready once I'm back to my the regular schedule program.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter full family, food, and good times!  See you in a week!!

Wow. I really liked this book. The intensity and character development was fantastic. I like how the layers pull back and you can see more and more about both characters. Daniel was definitely a deep guy. He was like the Beast to Holly (even though she didn't consider herself beautiful)'s Beauty. He was super-grumpy and angry and initially, it gave me a way different impression of him, but as Holly's perception changes, so did mine. That was very clever storytelling.

As I get older, I get jaded about the power and the allure of romance. I really crave a true blue romance with deep, powerful emotions and a strong bond between the couple. I always go back to Harlequin Presents because they are short novels, but they have the desired intensity in the short format, when done right. This one was done right. On the surface, Daniel doesn't seem as accessible a hero to the one in Pulse of the Heartland, but he's ten times the man that Nick was. I love characters who feel things deeply, especially when still waters run deep, or when they are just intense by nature. Daniel was a little of both. I liked how he challenges Holly to come out of her safe zone and to see the world deeper and differently.

I like heroes who are very strongly attracted to the heroine, but I want it from a "Can't Live Without Her" perspective as opposed to just scratching an itch. At first you can't tell which is driving Daniel. But the reveal gave me goosebumps. The end was so touching and it really ends this book on a high note. I'm not afraid to admit I did cry a little.

This one is worth tracking down if you can.

Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.