Eternal on the Water

AUTHOR: Joseph Monninger
PAGES: 344
WEBSITE: http://josephmonninger.com/Home.html
ACQUIRED: ARC B&N
AVAILABLE: FEB. 2010

SUMMARY: From Author's website
From the day Jonathan Cobb and Mary Fury meet on the banks of Maine’s Allagash River, they approach life with the same adventurous spirit with which they conquer the river’s treacherous rapids. But rivers do not let go so easily. And so for them, the life they love demands equally that they confront the most difficult of choices, and they vow, when time and illness necessitate, to return to the river together so that Mary can make one final journey. Set against the rugged wilderness of Maine, the exotic islands of Indonesia, the sweeping panoramas of Yellowstone National Park, and the tranquil villages of rural New England, Eternal on The Water is at once heartbreaking and uplifting—a timeless, beautifully rendered story of true love’s power.

OPINION:
The book club I was in most readers loved this book. I really never connected with the story myself. Mary and Cobb are suppose to be in their thirties but they seemed like they were in their fifties to me. I'm in my thirties and I just couldn't relate to these people. Old souls you might say but I just found them old. Not that fifty's is old but I don't think these two characters, who were suppose to be in their thirties, were written to depict them that way. Mary,as a character, is suppose to give off the impression she is spirited but to me she just came off as a nut. I get spirit, I really do,I also get crazy. There was too much description of canoe and fishing equipment to keep my interest in the first few chapters. Some of the nature descriptions were very beautiful and I felt like I was there on the river.
A lot of product names were thrown in ever chance the writer could. I get maybe a writer trying to give the reader a full description of what a person is wearing or product they are using, but book was overfilled with them. Just too much.
The first few pages you learn the main character dies and I still don't know how I feel about that. The book had touching moments that seemed to get overshadowed by over the top scenarios. Actually it had a lot of those. I just didn't get it. It didn't touch me and I really thought I'd like it. The over the topness of it all never gave me a real chance to connect or care for the characters.

Truly, Madly

AUTHOR: Heather Webber
PAGES: 305
WEBSITE: http://www.heatherwebber.com/
ACQUIRED: Publisher ARC

SUMMARY: Lucy Valentine comes from a long line of matchmakers said to be blessed by Cupid himself. With this blessing also comes a curse, no Valentine marriage has been able to survive. The Valentines are able to see people's auras and match them accordingly. Lucy's gift is zapped away after an electrical surge leaving her with a useless gift, according to Lucy, of only being able to find lost objects. Lucy feeling obsolete, where the family business is concerned, cuts herself off of her trust fund and tries to make it on her own.
When her father suffers a heart attack Lucy must run the business without ruining it. Overseeing the family business is not as easy when you don't have a magical gift of matching the right persons together. How long will she be able to fake it without losing all her fathers clients?
Lucy has to come to terms with her gift, accept herself, stop letting the fear of Cupid's curse control her love life and find her place in the family business. Along the way Lucy finds herself solving a murder case and falling in love. Who knew matchmaking could be so hot and dangerous?

OPINION: I loved everything about this book. It was sharp, witty, and moved at a fast pace. Lucy is a wonderful character you love from the start. She's quirky, funny, kindhearted and always finds a way to get in over her head. The book has the right amount of mystery laced with romance.
You feel the burden Lucy does having a gift and not being able to do anything useful with it when a local child goes missing and Lucy is haunted by the fact she can find lost objects, not people or animals.
And when she touches a clients hand and images of his lost engagement ring comes flashing in her head of the ring on a skeleton Lucy's world becomes more than complicated.
This is a perfect piece of chick lit. that you won't be able to put down.
This book will be available in Feb. 2010, so look for it. And I'm happy to say Deeply, Desperately will be coming soon.
"This stupid curse," I said, drifting off. "Charcoal gray, steely blue, me and you, one plus one is two...."
Hope you enjoy it too.