Pages

Monday 25 June 2012

The Mine by John A. Heldt



"In 2000, Joel Smith is a cocky, adventurous young man who sees the world as his playground. But when the college senior, days from graduation, enters an abandoned Montana mine, he discovers the price of reckless curiosity. He emerges in May 1941 with a cell phone he can't use, money he can't spend, and little but his wits to guide his way. Stuck in the age of Whirlaway, swing dancing, and a peacetime draft, Joel begins a new life as the nation drifts toward war. With the help of his 21-year-old trailblazing grandmother and her friends, he finds his place in a world he knew only from movies and books. But when an opportunity comes to return to the present, Joel must decide whether to leave his new love in the past or choose a course that will alter their lives forever. THE MINE follows a humbled man through a critical time in history as he adjusts to new surroundings and wrestles with the knowledge of things to come."

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of time travel stories, so I approached this book with some trepidation. Though the book was slow to draw me in, I did get caught up in the story and enjoyed reading about Joel's adventures in 1941. It was interesting to consider how Joel would have felt finding himself stuck in a country about to go to war. His knowledge of the fate of certain characters creates an internal conflict for Joel as he forms relationships with the people he meets. I do wish that Joel wasn't quite so perfect. I wanted to see more of his flaws. The picture of 1941 that Heldt painted was vivid and brought to life the era. Heldt uses words well and did a good job of keeping me guessing how Joel could possible resolve his problems. The book ended with a twist that I didn't see coming but that made sense and provided good closure for the story.

Overall, I enjoyed the read and think this is a good first book for Heldt. I'll be watching to see what he writes next. You can visit the author at his blog and purchase a copy of the ebook here. Photobucket

Friday 8 June 2012

The Most Important Catch by Jaclyn M. Hawkes




"She knew too much, and she’d seen too much. And the police refused to help. Knowing that she was to be the next scheduled death, Kelly Campbell hid under head to toe black leather and a tinted motorcycle helmet and ran for her life.


"When the weather turned cold, she turned south. She ended up in North Carolina, home to one of the most famed and eligible NFL football stars in the whole league; only she didn’t know that. She thought he was a businessman. Not being a huge fan, all she knew was that he was incredibly attractive, kind, generous, and that she was safe with him. Or was she?


"His brand of fame proved to be all but deadly, but his fame wasn't nearly as lethal as his attraction. He kept her safe and protected. All except her heart."

I enjoyed the author's writing style and voice. The story hooked me from the first page and even though it was a little slow through the middle, it kept my attention. Both characters were interesting and well developed. If I had to classify this book, I would call it a romance and that would be my only complaint. From the description, I expected a little more suspense and would love to have seen that part of the storyline developed more. Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it for a summer read. 

You can learn more about the author at her website and you can get your own copy of the book here.


Photobucket
Related Posts with Thumbnails

Visitors