That Dog Won't Hunt by Brandilyn Collins

Title: That Dog Won't Hunt
Author: Brandilyn Collins
Genre: Christian Contemporary
Pages: 256
Release Date: April 8, 2013
Published by: Challow Press
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE BOOK 

Meet the Dearings, a crazy, loving, boisterous family in small-town Mississippi. There's mom and dad, three daughters and their families, and the youngest-twenty-five-year-old Ben. Oh, and the family dog, a Yorkie who thinks she's royalty. "This one's perfect," Ben says about his new fiancee, Christina, when he brings her home for a family reunion. Ben is just sure everyone will love Christina, and she'll fit right in. He always did tend to wear rose-colored glasses. Christina loves Ben but secretly fears their relationship will never work. They've only known each other ten weeks. She hasn't told him about her horrific past as an only child-the beatings, the neglect, and verbal abuse. Christina doesn't know how to trust or be honest about her feelings. Being thrust into the middle of a tight-knit family like the Dearings is sure to send her over the edge. With poignancy and humor, That Dog Won't Hunt explores the complexities of relationships and the inner strength needed to overcome a difficult childhood. The Dearings are no perfect family, but they know how to love-if only Christina will accept it.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brandilyn Collins is a best-selling novelist known for her trademark Seatbelt Suspense®--fast-paced, character-driven suspense with myriad twists and an interwoven thread of faith. 

Brandilyn is also known for her distinctive book on fiction-writing techniques, Getting Into Character: Seven Secrets a Novelist Can Learn From Actors (John Wiley & Sons). She is a sought-after teacher and speaker at writers' conferences.


MY REVIEW

That Dog Won't Hunt is the first book in the Dearing Family series.  Recently engaged Ben Dearing believes that his fiancee, Christina, will fit right in with his family; unfortunately for him, that isn't what happens. 
I really enjoyed this book. The family dynamic was different and interesting. For the most part, the way they constantly teased each other about everything was entertaining

The characters were well written and realistic. With Christina, because she grew up in an abusive home, she tended to view herself in a negative light and perceived that others saw her that way as well. I can see how overcoming that, plus the hurt and anger towards parents who abused her, wouldn't be a simple process.
The Yorkie on the cover is so cute! I really enjoyed reading about their little dog, Lady Penelope. She was something else! 

Overall, I thought That Dog Won't Hunt was a fun, interesting, and enjoyable read. I look forward to reading Pitchin' a Fit, book two in the series.

Review: Shadows in the Mirror by Linda Hall

Title: Shadows in the Mirror 
Author: Linda Hall
Genre: Christian Suspense
Pages: 256
Release Date: May 1, 2007
Published by: Steeple Hill Love Inspired Suspense
Purchase: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

ABOUT THE BOOK 

"Never go back to Burlington!"

Those were the dying words of the secretive aunt who'd raised orphaned Marylee Simson. Yet to discover who she was, Marylee had to go back, sure the Lord would look out for her. But learning anything about her past was proving impossible. Why were there no records of the accident that claimed her parents' lives? No records of her parents, period? And who was trying to stop her from fi nding out? Someone whose threats were escalating. Someone close to her, such as Evan Baxter, the handsome photographer she'd entrusted with the one clue she had.

My Review    

Before Shadows in the Mirror, I had only read one other book by Linda Hall (On Thin Ice) which I liked.

The story had an interesting plot. Marylee's parents died when she was just three, and she was raised by her aunt and didn't know anything about what happened, who she was, or why her aunt had begged her not to go back to Burlington.

Some things that happened in Shadows in the Mirror just didn't seem very realistic. For instance, Marylee is worried about someone following and wanting to harm her; yet, she decides to go look for evidence by herself in the rain. I find it hard to believe someone would do that if they actually thought someone was after them.

Another thing I didn't care for was that Marylee said she didn't trust Evan and that she wasn't interested in dating him; yet, every time he asked her out she accepted and even let him kiss her, all the while still being suspicious of him.

Also, the timeline was messy. In chapter one it says twenty-three years later, but further on in the book she says it's been twenty-eight years since the death of her parents.

Overall, Shadows in the Mirror was an okay read. I didn't hate it, but I never really got fully into the story.



*I did not receive this book for review. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.*

My rating 2.5 Stars

2013 Reading Challenges

Hosted by The Book Vixen.

This challenge is to read 13 Romantic Suspense books in 2013. Suspense is probably my favorite genre, so I had to give this challenge a try! :)


Hosted by Workaday Reads.

This challenge is to read ebooks in all forms - Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Computer, etc..

I'm choosing level 1 - Floppy disc (5 eBooks):

Library Reading challenge:

This Goodreads challenge is to read books from the library. Books can be in any format - including digital downloads.

I'm choosing level 2 - Picture book (6 checkouts):

- Sign up Here Finish that series reading challenge 2013: This Goodreads challenge is to  finish those series that you've started and never finished.    I'm choosing level 2 - Fascinated (Finish 3 series).
                                                             Series I want to finish: 1. Katie Weldon Series by Robin Jones Gunn Need to read Finally and Forever to finish. 2. Kanner Lake Series by Brandilyn Collins Need to read Crimson Eve & Amber Moon to finish. 3. A Roland March Mystery Series by J. Mark Bertrand Need to read Pattern of Wounds & Nothing to Hide to finish.
- Sign up Here
What's in a Name Reading Challenge 2013: This Goodreads challenge is to read 6 books meeting the following criteria:  
1. A book with a "girl's name" in the title

2. A book with a "color"in the title.

3. A book with a "number" in the title. 

4. A book with a "one of the trinity" in the title. 

5. A book with a relative in the title(Brother, sister, mother, father). 

6. A book with a direction in the title-(ie- up, down, below, above, across).

- Sign up Here

2012 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up

So 2012 is now over and, although I didn't read as much as I had wanted to, I did complete most of the challenges I set. The only one I didn't complete was my goal to read 52 books. 

This challenge ran from January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

I chose to read 15 new authors

1) Linda Hall (On Thin Ice)
2) Tamara Leigh (Restless in Carolina)
3) Denise Hunter (Accidental Bride)
4) Brandilyn Collins (Kanner Lake Series)
5) Marta Perry (Hide In Plain Sight)
6) Raquel Byrnes (Purple Knot)
7) Katie Ganshert (Wildflowers From Winter)
8) Lacy Williams (Heart of Gold)
9) Margaret Daley (When Night Falls)
10)Abby Gaines (The Earl's Mistaken Bride)
11) Cindy Woodsmall (Sisters of the Quilt series)
12) Mike Dellosso (Rearview)
13) Annalisa Daughety (A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina)
14) Beth Wiseman (An Amish Wedding)

15) Robin Parrish (The 'Naturals: Awakening [Episodes 1-4 -- Season 1])
16) Lynette Eason (When the Smoke Clears)

This challenge ran from January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

I chose the Detective level - 5 to 10 Christian Suspense books

1) On Thin Ice by Linda Hall 

2) Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins

3) Coral Moon by Brandilyn Collins

4) Hide In Plain Sight by Marta Perry

5) Purple Knot by Raquel Byrnes

6) When Night Falls by Margaret Daley

7) Rearview (7 Hours series) by Mike Dellosso 

8) The 'Naturals: Awakening [Episodes 1-4 -- Season 1] by Robin Parrish 

9) When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions, #1) by Lynette Eason

This challenge ran from January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012
READ 12 BOOKS JUST FOR FUN!

January:  On Thin Ice by Linda Hall

February:  Accidental Bride by Denise Hunter

March:  Violet Dawn by Brandilyn Collins
April:  When Night Falls by Margaret Daley
May:  Purple Knot by Raquel Byrnes

June: Heart of Gold by Lacy Williams

July: The Earl's Mistaken Bride by Abby Gaines

August: Sisters of the Quilt: The Complete Trilogy by Cindy Woodsmall

September: A Wedding to Remember in Charleston, South Carolina by Annalisa Daughety 

October: An Amish Wedding by Beth Wiseman

November: The 'Naturals: Awakening [Episodes 1-4 -- Season 1] by Robin Parrish

December: When the Smoke Clears (Deadly Reunions, #1) by Lynette Eason

This challenge ran from January 1, 2012 - December 31, 2012

View 2012 WHERE ARE YOU READING? in a larger map

Teaser Tuesday (December 25)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Description

Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. There's church, of course. But who can she bake for these days? And who would care whether or not she pulled out the Christmas decorations? 
Her new neighbor just adds to the problem. He's doing home improvements that don't appear to be improving much of anything. These days when Betty looks out the window, she sees a beat-up truck, a pile of junk, lots of blue tarps, and--horror of horrors--an old pink toilet. 
But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn a very important lesson about what Christmas is all about. This contemporary Christmas story is a timely yet gentle reminder that God can work miracles through something as seemingly insignificant as a little brown dog.

My Teaser

'Betty looked out at her backyard only to see that the stupid dog was now digging in her favorite tulip bed. "I'll kill him, all right," she snapped.' - page 32

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book /Barnes & Noble

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Merry Christmas!

Teaser Tuesday (October 30)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Description

After a brush with death due to equipment failure, smokejumper Alexia Allen is ordered to take time off while the incident is under investigation. She makes a last-minute decision to recuperate at her mother's home and attend her high school reunion. Yet trouble seems to be following her, and within hours of arriving home she is confronted with murder, arson--and a handsome detective.

But the conflicts ahead are nothing compared to the ghosts of her past. As she struggles to accept and forgive her family's past, she must also decide if the secret she's been guarding for the last ten years must finally come to light.

Chock-full of the suspense and romantic tension you've come to expect from Lynette Eason, When the Smoke Clears is the explosive first book in the Deadly Reunions series. 

My Teaser

"He suspected what was in the envelope. Shaky fingers opened it and pulled out the single white sheet with the block-style printed words. I KNOW." pg.17

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book /Barnes & Noble

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Teaser Tuesday (October 16)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU SHARE DOESN'T GIVE TOO MUCH AWAY! YOU DON'T WANT TO RUIN THE BOOK FOR OTHERS!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Book Description
Three best-selling authors. Three possible brides. Three separate tales. They come together for an Amish wedding.

Priscilla King has dreamed of being married to Chester Lapp since she was sixteen. With the help of her sister Naomi’s matchmaking skills, Chester proposes to Priscilla on her nineteenth birthday. As the wedding day approaches, problems emerge: an attendant with poison ivy, a failed celery crop, and a torn wedding dress.

At the same time, Priscilla’s best friend Rose is convinced her fiancé is hiding something and she is intent on discovering the truth at any cost.

Naomi remains hopeful that she, too, will soon find her perfect match. When Chester’s cousin shows up, there’s an immediate attraction between him and Naomi—as well as an obstacle that may just as immediately derail their blossoming love.

Is God sending a message to stop the wedding? What is certain is that the hearts of these three women will be forever transformed by this touching Amish wedding.

My Teaser

'"Hey!" she hissed, arching the light into the yard. The beam caught against a pair of  blue-jean clad legs, and she dropped the quilt and stood. "Wait!" she called. "Please."'

Purchase: Amazon / Christian Book /Barnes & Noble

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