Wedding Surprise By Ann Harrison

Profile:

"After her mother went off the rails yet again, Mari was offered sanctuary with her high school boyfriend’s family, but a cruel misunderstanding had her fleeing yet again. Ten years later, single mother Mari is back in her small Montana hometown to open her own wedding and event business and refurbish the historic Lake hotel. She’s also hoping to make amends with the boy she once loved and left, but too many secrets are holding her back.

When contractor Ethan Benson arrives at the Lake Hotel to check out the site he’s bid on, he’s shocked to learn the girl he’d once loved and imagined marrying has moved back to Cherry Lake. He tells himself too much water’s passed under that bridge, but Mari still lights him up. Ethan’s heard that you can’t go back again, but he’s determined to give it his best shot and show Mari what’s she’s missed all these years away."

Title: Wedding Surprise
Author: Ann Harrison
Publisher: Tule Publishing
Reviewed By: Arlena Dean
Rating: Four
Review:

"Wedding Surprise" by Ann Harrison

Mari has finally come back to Cherry Lake, Montana after having been away for 10 years as she had promised on her husband's death bed. Why was this promise so very important for Mari? Would she be able to now face the ghost of her past? I found this story had a lots going on from a drug addict mom, love of a best friend [Ethan, a family that seemed to love Mari, being pushed away from her best friend, running away from it all...into Rake [Ethan's brother] and didn't come back until the death of her husband, Rake Now, that was something...why had she gone with Rake and married him in the first place? Fulfilling Rake's wishes after his death we find Mari has come back to Cherry Lake planning to renovate her hotel ballroom. Mari even planned to hire Ethan while hopefully being able to share her secret. Before all of this will happen Mari will have to come clean to what had made her leave Cherry Lake in the first place and telling Ethan this big secret. How will this come out for these two? Who else will there be that Mari will have to confront about her leaving Cherry Lake? Will these two ever be able to bury their past and move on? To get answers to all of these questions and more you will have to pick up "Wedding Surprise" and see who well this author delivers it so well to the reader. I will say it was one dramatic story that seemed to go on and on but Ethan would stop until he got all of his questions from Mari answered. It was interesting seeing how much his mother and father had some answers that Ethan needed to know from them. This was definitely one of those reads that I wasn't sure about some of the characters ...Ethan, his mother and father, however by the end after everything is unfolded and pretty much cleared up the story comes out making better sense in what all had gone on with many of the secondary characters in this story. It was hard to believe a lots of these peoples problems was with communicating with each other. Wow, what a dramatic family story!

Thank you to the author for the gift of the read and for me giving my honest opinion of the read. 

Up To No Good By: Carl Weber

Title:  Up to No Good
Author:  Carl Weber
Publisher:  Kensington
Series: Church
Reviewed By:  Arlena Dean
Rating: 4
Review:

"Up to No Good" by Carl Weber...
 

There is always a man around the corner. Church trustee James Black should know--he's usually that man, carrying on adulterous affairs and sleeping with one conquest after another. But when he suddenly finds himself truly in love, the other women in his church have a thing or two to say about it--including his daughter, Jamie. Jamie has every intention of dismantling the relationship--until she discovers a mystery woman has been secretly calling her lover, Louis. Meanwhile, James's son, Darnel, spirals out of control after he catches his fiancée cheating. James knows he's to blame for the turmoil that surrounds him and his loved ones. Now he'll have to find a way to bring peace to their lives. But he can only do it by facing some hard truths about himself and changing his scandalous ways.

What I liked from the novel.....

This was another one of this author good reads.  "Up to No Good" was definitely one of this author types of  drama novels that will keep you on the edge of your seat with a lot of drama and suspense and leave you wondering what will come next.  You will be left saying  'what a story'  that was a little predictable but yet not disappointing in any way with some characters  that were simply off the chart. Some of the characters were greatly flawed while a few others were simply well developed,  engaging and oh so real to give the readers a simply good character development with a excellent subplots along with a unforgettable story line. The ending will definitely leave thinking just how far would you go to help out a blood relative.  That ending left me in awe...because even though I know that person had a lots of demons and definitely needed help....I never thought that would happen.   I am still shaking my head about that ending.   All that is left to say is wow what a interesting intensed read that still I have thoughts about long after this read.  If you are looking for drama with a lots of pain and craziness you have come to the right place for "Up to No Good"  will give it all to you and more!