​This is my first read by Elizabeth LeBan and I suspect it won’t be my last. Overall, this was a really good book, with some interesting characters.
 
What would you do if you woke up after having a fight with your spouse and they were gone? Not just gone, but had left, with a note threatening that if you told anyone they left they’d rat you out on something you did.
 
For most of us, we’d probably ignore the threat. If we had kids, we’d probably do the same thing our main character, Tabitha did and make up a story that “Daddy was away for work.” At least, until we could get ahold of the jerk and settle things. But most of us probably aren’t walking around with the kind of guilt this character is holding on to, which helps give the storyline some credibility. There’s also the image to maintain, which to me didn’t work.
 
What did work for me was how Tabitha, who is a mother of two, was trying to keep it together for her kids. Being abandoned with two kids and no money is a pretty rotten thing to do to the person who you’re supposed to love, and even if you don’t love them, if you have kids, it’s downright horrible behavior. So yes, I loathed the husband who was absent for most of the book. I felt sad for the kids who could tell stuff was going on with their mom, but didn’t know what or how to talk to her about it.
 
By all accounts, Tabitha is a pretty good, and normal person…meaning she’s not perfect. She’s made mistakes in her life. She’s had bad thoughts and isn’t always the perfect wife, mom, or daughter, but she tries. And really, that counts for a lot and made me like her and be sympathetic to her, even when I wanted so say, “come on, get real,” at times.
 
Like when she spends $80 dollars at a pizzeria, but the fridge and cabinets are empty and she had just stolen four stuffed peppers from the food kitchen they had volunteered at. That money could have bought a lot of pasta and peanut butter at Wal-Mart. But I get it, she was tired and trying so hard to cheer her kids up. Most of the other things she does to survive were realistic, and I could see really happening.
 
The scenes with Nora were a little hard to suspend belief over, but I did love the character and thinks she’s a good reminder that we shouldn’t underestimate the elderly. They’re sharper than most give them credit for and much wiser. Toby absolutely stole my heart. Yes, he made mistakes too. A really bad one that had I been his wife, I couldn’t have overlooked, but again, he’s human and he does regret his mistake. So lesson learned, move on, and do better. I’m okay with that.
 
There’s a lot Tabitha has to deal with during this order, like figuring out what the threat is about, overcoming her guilt, and finding her inner strength to face the truth. No one is perfect, we all make mistakes, but the point is to learn from them and do better in the future. In the end, she became someone I could totally empathize with and someone I liked a lot.
 
If you’re looking for a good women’s fiction book, with a cute romance and quirky, yet believable characters this is a good book for you.

​I love Dee Davis’s time traveling historical romances so I thought I’d give her romantic suspense a try. I’m so glad I did!
 
Fade to Gray is the first in her new Triad series and is a second chance story—my personal favorite. Gideon Sloan is a swoon worthy hero who despite knowing he should keep his distance from the heroine does the right thing and helps when she asks. He’s also smart, and not some alpha jerk who pushes the heroine, Emily, around. There were moments where he stood his ground, as he should have, but he never crossed that line and thank goodness because poor Emily had enough of those in her life already.
 
As for Emily, boy did Dee Davis take her on a roller coaster of a ride. I think if that had been me waking up next to a dead body, I’d be too freaked out to ever leave home again. But not our girl Emily. She’s determined to meet her commitments, and to live a normal life, even if it kills her, which it almost does.
 
There were a few times I wanted to slap some sense into Emily, but then I thought with everything going on, she’s just not thinking clearly. And really, could I blame her? (See above comment about me never leaving home again…so no.)
 
The romance believe the two main characters was believable and the chemistry clearly on the page. The plot was full of twists and turns and just when I thought I’d figured out who the bad guy was, she’d throw another twist in there and I’d be in doubt again. Love when that happens. The secondary characters were great: hated some, loved some, but all played an integral point to the plot. Dee Davis also did a great job balancing the story between the romance plot and the suspense plot and weaving the two together.
 
I was hooked from page one to the very end and am looking forward to the next book in the series!

​I’ve always liked Rachel Gibson and her newest release didn’t let me down. This was a fun take off The Bachelor and if you’ve read my books, you know I was a fan.
 
Lexie Kowalsky was a great heroine. She’s smart, determined, and complicated. The woman loves her outlines, but she’s also impulsive, which tends to get her in trouble. Personally, I love a complex character with contradictions…it makes them less predictable.
 
Our hero was no less complicated and while he tried to be a badass hockey player, he was really a teddy bear inside. I loved all the little things he did for Lexie and his mom.
 
Overall, it was a fun read with a great cast of characters that had you rooting for a happily ever after.

This is book three in series, but definitely can be read as a stand-alone. However, I’m going to suggest you read THE BOLLYWOOD BRIDE and A BOLLYWOOD AFFAIR first, as the characters are introduced in those books, plus you’re going to want to read them anyway. Trust me.
 
I’ve known Sonali for a couple of years, but for some odd, unexplainable reason, I hadn’t read any of her books until recently. All I can think of was that I’d lost my mind. Her writing is beautiful. The tale she tells is heart-wrenching and powerful, and so full of emotion that you will need tissues. But, she will make you smile, too.
 
This particular book is about Dr. Nikhil “Nic” Joshi who lost his wife in a horrific manner two years earlier. Since then he’s been living in the bottom of bottle and just existing.  In A CHANGE OF HEART, the author gives him a second chance at life, redemption, justice and even love.  Yes, there is a romance and our heroine, Jess, is great, but it’s also about Nic finding his love of living again. His passion and learning to forgive himself. His story and journey will break your heart and then Sonali Dev will put it back together at the end.
 
If Nic’s story weren’t enough to capture your heart, Jess’s surely will. She’s a mother who will do anything to save her child. She’s strong and smart and determined; all the things you want a heroine to be. She’s also ruthless when needed and that’s a nice twist.
 
I’ve already bought the fourth book, which just came out last month, A DISTANT HEART and have it on my line up of books to read ASAP.

A CHANGE OF HEART is definitely a "must read" recommendation.