Rosie had broken up in the past year with her long time boyfriend.  Then she found out he had moved on.  A new relationship, a new location, and it all made her feel as if she could not move on.  So she gets herself out there.

 

Noah meets Rosie when she is stood up by her date.  The no show provides the opportunity he needs to talk to such a beautiful woman.  He is instantly attracted to her.  She lets him know how not interested she is right away.  Then they can be friends and he can help her.  Unless he is the best date she has ever had?

 

This was a new author for me.  I was happily surprised when the story turned out to be so sweet with a some serious sexy thrown in.  The characters were obviously meant to be.  Together they are both happier about life.  I found myself not wanting to put the book down.  I could not wait to get to the end.  Then I was sad I was at the end.  Maybe we will get lucky and we see these cuties in later books?  I enjoyed this one and hope to read more by this author.  I give this read a 4/5 Kitty's Paws UP!

 

 

***This early copy was given to me by Netgalley and its publishers, in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I only gave this book 3.5 stars, but rounded it up to 4 stars on Goodreads.

Well I definitely liked this one better than I did The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

This first book showcases Tom Sawyer. We find Tom living with his Aunt Polly and his brother Sid and cousin Mary. Twain throughout the book shows us how clever Tom is and also how quick he is to anger and also to make up with those around him when he ends up feeling guilty for things.

The entire arc of Tom Sawyer is showing him growing up from being a little jerk to a stand up young man who even though he is scared does what is necessary to make sure that a guilty party is caught.

The book moved at a very steady pace and I actually enjoyed the dialogue a lot better in this book as well. Reading in the vernacular is tough, and I hate that it takes my brain a while to catch up with what the author is writing and trying to get its characters to say.

The ending was really good and I liked how Twain ended it by stating that this book was a history of a boy and he could not go further talking about Tom since then he would be providing details about what kind of man he would become.

Though I did like the book, it didn't blow me away or anything. Just a perfectly serviceable adventure book.

Charlotte Brinkley has a small intimate Christmas dinner planned with her finance this year, in hopes that he will present her with a long awaited engagement ring. The trouble is she can’t seem to help herself from inviting half the village to join them.

I really enjoyed this introduction to Tippermere. A crazier more lovable cast of characters, I have rarely read. It was terrific way to battle insomnia, yet I laughed so hard and so out loud that I woke my disgruntled family up just a bit. From the crazy way that more people kept getting added to the guest list, to imagining them all squeezing into the dinner table. The pudding disaster brought tears to my eyes, because I could just feel lady Elizabeth’s frustration at the day getting away from her well planned prying. The corners were neatly filled in with the kind of small township drama that keeps the world turning. This is a place and a group of people that I would seriously enjoy reading about for a long time to come.

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'Stable Mates' is a fast paced, eloquent slice of English life. The old money and traditions of the Cheshire set meet the new money and celebrity of wags of the soap and sports stars. Horses and dogs are an integral part of the Cheshire set and effortlessly compete with the wags for attention and money. A delightful romp peppered with humour, sadness, scandal and steamy sex.

The villages of Tippermere and Kitterly Heath are polar opposites whose residents both attract and repel the other. The characters are a clever mix of unique and stereotypical. They give the reader an insider point of view which is both amusing and sensitive. The animal characters are also fabulous and will be instantly recognisable to anyone whose life revolves round dogs and horses.

'Stable Mates' is an enticing mix of credible and pure fantasy and provides the essential element of all good stories escapism. There is so much scope with these characters and setting that I hope this is the first of many stories.

I received a copy of this book from Harper Impulse via NetGalley in return for an honest review.

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