Inside the Wong Mind

Book Review: A Bouquet of Love by Janice Thompson

A Bouquet of Love
By Janice Thompson
Rating: 4/5
Book 4 of Weddings by Design series
Revell – Fiction / Contemporary Romance

After her large Greek family moved from Santa Cruz, California to Galveston, Texas, to open up another restaurant, Cassia Pappas lands her dream job in a flower shop owned by the Rossi family, her family restaurant’s competition. Being part of the family restaurant has always been a part of her life, but Cassia’s love for flowers and floral design has her excited to go to work. Meeting a Greek Adonis named Alex Rigas doesn’t hurt either. Since Alex’s family grows and supplies the flowers for the shop, he and Cassia are constantly thrown together, and they cannot deny the attraction to each other. Will her overbearing and controlling father find out about her friendships with the Rossis? Can she help her father see the truth about how similar they all are?

I’ve been a fan of Janice Thompson for a while and this story did not disappoint. I loved the floral design angle because I grew up wanting to work with flowers. I loved all the fun and quirky characters. The characters are endearing and hilarious. I loved getting to catch up other characters from her previous books too. She’s created such a fun world and even makes me want to go visit Texas – a place this California girl has never been. I also enjoyed the Judy Garland thread throughout the story – such a refreshing perspective. As I read the book, I thought the story read like a movie – after reading that Thompson is a screenwriter, my reaction made a lot of sense.

I definitely recommend this book to those who love romantic comedies like My Big Fat Greek Wedding and love to smile/laugh their way through books.

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for a review.

August 16, 2014 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn by Lori Benton

The Pursuit of Tamsen Littlejohn
by Lori Benton
Rating: 4/5
WaterBrook Press – Religion/Fiction/Historical

Horrified after witnessing her mother’s murder, Tamsen Littlejohn flees the life she’s known and the controlling stepfather who is forcing her to marry a man she does not love. She pleads with a local frontiersman, Jesse Bird, to help guide her far away across the mountain wilderness to escape her sorrows. After growing up with the Shawnee and being adopted by Cade, Jesse Bird is a man who walks the line between the white man and the local Indians. He is well-equipped to guide Tamsen, but can he protect his own heart from falling for the beautiful girl who is out of his league?

Meanwhile, Tamsen’s stepfather and would-be fiance suspect that she has been kidnapped and will stop at nothing to find her. The search leads them all over the mountains and smack dab in the middle of a conflict between the State of Franklin and North Carolina. Will Tamsen survive the trek and the wilderness living she is unaccustomed to? What will happen when Tamsen’s stepfather and fiance catch up to her? Will the murderer of Tamsen’s mother come to justice? Can love survive so many lies and betrayal?

I don’t believe I’ve ever read a book by Lori Benton, but I thoroughly enjoyed this one. I was very impressed with the beautiful and well-described historical setting (especially during a time period I was unfamiliar with). The reader becomes fully immersed in the setting and different cultures. I also enjoyed the character development and the fun, interwoven paths that were only revealed at the end. The text is rich with history and made me remember why I enjoy historical fiction so much.

Definitely recommend this book to any lovers of Christian Historical Fiction.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books but was not required to give a positive review.

August 12, 2014 by Kim Book Reviews

Book Review: Murder at the Mikado by Julianna Deering

Murder at the Mikado
by Julianna Deering
Rating: 3.5/5
A Drew Farthering Mystery
Bethany House – Fiction Mystery

One month before he is going to marry the woman of his dreams, Madeline Parker, Drew Farthering, amateur sleuth, finds himself smack dab in the middle of a murder mystery. His old girlfriend, Fleur Landis, is now married with a young son and is the main suspect in the murder of a theater colleague. When Fleur asks him to help clear her name, Drew reluctantly agrees after speaking with her husband and son. With Nick and Madeline’s help, Drew dives into this mystery in the theater world. Will the presence of his former flame drive Drew and Madeline closer together or apart? Can Drew discover who the real killer is before more people die?

Having realized that this book was not the first in the series, I knew reading it would be a little difficult, but the first chapter was very confusing for me to read. By the second or third chapter, I knew who the characters were and the plot was better established, which made reading the rest of the story enjoyable. I loved the old school feel of this mystery. This story was all about old fashioned sleuthing. No computers or google. No cellphones. No special gadgets. As much as I love futuristic sci-fi, this story was very refreshing.

The characters were not as developed as I would like, but I think if I had read the previous novels, they would have been better explained. I enjoyed the relationship between Drew and Madeline – it seemed very real and endearing. The story had light references to faith, which I enjoyed – I felt the references were woven into the story beautifully.

After I finished reading the book, I re-read the first chapter, and everything made so much more sense. I definitely need to pick up the first two stories by this author.

I definitely recommend this book for those who love a good, clean mystery.

I received this book for free from Bethany House but was not required to give a positive review.