Sprinkles of Sand

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In the Library

Can you imagine a life without books? We think it would certainly be a much less fulfilling one. The library is a place that we both sprinkle a lot of our sand and believe that it is time well spent.

If you share our love of books and are always looking for the next great one to read, then you’ve come to the right place! In the Library is where we share our favorite books and authors. We hope you’ll share yours with us in return.

We’d love to see this develop into an area with a lot of interaction. A nice little place to get away from reality for a while, have a cup of tea and immerse ourselves in the wonderful worlds that exist only in books. A place to celebrate wonderful authors whose stories have influenced or even changed our lives.

Theresa loves biographies, romance novels and self-improvement books. Jen is partial to mysteries, detective and spy novels as well as historical fiction and the classics. And let’s not forget poetry! At least our diverse interests should give us a wide variety of material.

We can’t wait to hear what you are reading and whether you like it or not. Do you have any books that you read over and over? Do you have a special book that means the world to you or changed your life? We’d love to know what they are.

Happy reading!

Ghostman by Roger Hobbs

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I will start off by saying that my reaction to this book was WOW! It was incredible. The action was intense and gives new meaning to edge of your seat.

Normally, I don’t read books that have bank robberies as part of the story because I have absolutely no interest in them. However, my parents both read this book and told me how good it was. Since we have similar tastes in books, I decided to give it a try. I’m so glad I did.

The story is about a ghost man. He lives off the grid, always uses different names, changes his appearance and is untraceable. Basically, he’s a cleaner and sweeps in after things have gone wrong and fixes them. His most often used name is Jack and you come to think of him as such.

In this story, a bank robbery has gone wrong in Atlantic City and an acquaintance calls in a favor to Jack to have him clean it up. He has to find the money, while eluding the police, FBI and the local area kingpin called The Wolf.

Parallel to the current story, is the backstory, which is set in Kuala Lumpur five years prior. It describes a botched bank robbery that is the reason Jack has accepted this assignment as a favor.

It turns out that this is the author’s first novel. What an amazing start to what I’m sure will be a very successful career. His attention to detail is unbelievable and he certainly puts you in the moment. The sequel called Vanishing Games is out and is what I’ll be reading next.

I hope you give a try, it’s definitely worth it.

Enjoy!

Jen

Born In Shame – Book Review

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Born in Shame is the third and final book in Nora Roberts’ Born In Trilogy. The trilogy is about the lives of three women with ties to life in Western Ireland. This first book, Born in Fire, tells the story of Margaret Mary (Maggie) Concannon, the eldest Concannon sister, who is an artistic glassblower who becomes a glass sculptress. In the second book, Born in Ice, focuses on Brianna Concannon, Maggie’s younger sister, who runs a Bread and Breakfast. In this final book, Born in Shame, focuses on a young American woman named Shannon Bodine.

Shannon, a young graphic artist by day, has returned home to care for her ailing mother Amanda. Her mothers’ last words to Shannon was a deathbed confession that turns Shannon’s world upside down. She learns that her mother, as a young woman, had fallen in love with a man named Thomas Concannon, a married man for whom she met during a trip in western Ireland. Upon return from her trip, she had learned she was pregnant. As to not shame her family, she went out on her own to raise her child without contact with her family. Soon after, Amanda met and married a sweet and loving man who raised Shannon as his own. Her mother’s last wish was for Shannon to travel to County Clare Ireland. Before Shannon could ask any questions, her mother had passed. Everything in her life was turned upside down and now she questioned everything.

Shortly after her mother’s funeral, Shannon received a letter for Brianna inviting her to visit. Needing a change of scenery, Shannon heads to Ireland to fulfill her mother’s request, to meet the Concannon’s and to get some answers.

Upon arrival in County Clare, Shannon quickly understood the beauty that surrounds her. While meeting Brianna and Maggie’s families, Murphy Muldoon, a close family friend, and neighbor stops by and is struck with love at first sight.

The attraction between Shannon and Murphy is undeniable. Despite Shannon’s reluctance to accept Murphy’s intentions and coming to grips with so much change in her life, she finds her way with grace and poise. To help with all her emotions, Shannon returns to her love a drawing and painting, in the hopes to capture the mystical side of this beautiful country.

For me, my favorite character is Murphy. Who could resist Murphy Muldoon? He is this incredibly handsome, intelligent, artistic, hard-working guy that most women dream of? His admiration and knowing that Shannon is the one, Murphy is willing to do whatever it takes to be with her. The annual ceili held at Murphy’s place was written in such detail. You feel like you are one of the locals and watching an undeniable romance unfold before your eyes. One just cannot get enough Murphy!

I have immensely enjoyed this trilogy. I have thoroughly enjoyed all the characters, but of the three books, Born in Shame is my ultimate favorite. That being said, it is imperative to read Born in Fire and Born in Ice prior to reading Born in Shame. The mystery of their parents past unravels throughout the trilogy, with the final layer coming full circle in this book. An excellent read!

Enjoy!

Born in Ice by Nora Roberts

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. Check out our Disclosure Policy for further details.

Born in Ice is the second book in Nora Roberts Born In Trilogy. The trilogy is about the lives of three women with ties to life in Western Ireland. This first book, Born in Fire, tells the story of Margaret Mary (Maggie) Concannon, the eldest Concannon sister, who is an artistic glassblower who becomes a glass sculptress. In this second book, Born in Ice, focuses on Brianna Concannon, Maggie’s younger sister.

Brianna (Brie) is a lovely woman with creamy skin, a trim figure and by all rights a classic beauty. She loves to daydream and spends her days tending her garden, and in her kitchen whipping up incredible concoctions that leave her guests wanting more. After the death of her father and with her mother having moved out, Brianna has turned her house into the home she always wanted and into a Bed-in-Breakfast known as Blackthorn Cottage.

In the depths of winter, Brianna receives a request for an extended stay from an American mystery writer, named Grayson Thane. A free-spirited wondering gypsy of sorts, who decided that western Ireland was the ideal place stay for a few months to write his next bestseller novel. Independent by nature, at times of deep creativity, Grayson seeks isolation for hours and days at a time.

Upon arrival to Blackthorn Cottage, Grayson was immediately taken with Brianna’s cooking and beauty. Despite his attraction, deep down Grayson is a loner and not interested in making commitments with anyone, including Brianna.

Grayson enjoys researching and learning about the local area and meeting the locals. As the weeks go by, he finds himself more infatuated with the most caring women he has ever laid eyes on. The relationship grows into something delightful and charming. So not to give away any spoilers, we learn secrets from their pasts that greatly effects and changes their lives moving forward.

I enjoyed this story due to the charming romance between Brianna and Grayson as they both quietly discover their own hearts. It is such a pleasure to watch two genuinely likable and wonderful people learning to love and trust, with a little bit of mystery mixed in. And in my opinion, the vivid descriptions of the soaring cliffs, quaint villages, the locals and western Ireland wonders just add to the joy of this book.

Enjoy!

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