Betting on Hope

Betting on Hope by Kay Keppler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I totally could see this book as a movie...
Dont know why, but with every scene, as it had humor, drama & all leading to the big build up of a big card game, I just saw it becoming a movie on a big screen... I think it would be a good one too :)
This is the story of Hope & her family, whose ends up loosing their ranch when their gambling father looses it in a bet. Hope calls her "uncle" who are also known as the Jersey Mob & they come immediately to her help. To win the house back, Hope needs to learn to get her own card game back & win it in a big match with Big Julie.
Crossing paths is Tanner, another card player that has to work with the FBI while he's on probation for cheating in casinos 20 years ago. He only has one final thing that is required of him before his probation runs out... & its in the big card game with Big Julie.
Little do Tanner & Hope know that they are getting closer, having no idea they will face each other in this game.
So many characters in this book - with Hope's family & the uncles & Big Julie with his wife & his mistress, Baby (who I thought was hilarious)
Sometimes the story got a little crazy - I could have done without the whole Russian mob coming in - it took WAYYYY too long in a few chapters with them...
but otherwise, the story was entertaining.


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The Midget's House

The Midget's House by Anita Bartholomew
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A friend recommended this book after I finished reading Water for Elephants. This was another 'circus-themed' book... but much different.

This book is about a house that was built for midget's in the time of carnivals, traveling circuses - a place where people would come & watch these small people... but it never worked out as planned.

I'm not even sure how to explain the book... its told from 2 different times... from Lucinda, the small person who owned the house & from Marisa, the owner of the house today. Lucinda is a spirit that is stuck in the house & Marisa can feel her presence & all the odd things happening around her.

The story flips back & forth so we get to see what happened in the past as well as what Marisa was doing with the house in the present...

I absolutely loved this book... didnt want it to end.

I loved hearing about Lucinda's life & how she traveled with the circus & carnivals & the people she met, who became her friends, & the man she fell in love with, Cyprus.

& I loved hearing about Marisa - a child who grew up in this house when her aunt owned it & then inherited it when her aunt passed away. Marissa has a fight on her hands to keep the house from being demolished

I dont want to give anything away... I just know I loved the story. The way the characters tied into each other, the history of the traveling circus, the story of Lucinda being different& just wanted the things everyone wants... love.

Thank you to my friend for recommending it... definitely enjoyed every minute of reading it.

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The Wedding Cake Girl

The Wedding Cake Girl by Anne Pfeffer
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Wasnt sure what this book was about.. but I love a free Kindle book, so downloaded it... it had the works "wedding cake" in it - how bad could it be?

Its the story of a 17 yr old girl, Alex, who is trying to find her who she is in life.. what she wants to do with her life.
She lives sort of a magical life where she lives on a beautiful island & gets to dive every day - her favorite thing. But every magical life has some evil.. sadly, it seems to be her mother. Her mother isnt 'evil' evil, but she's not a very good mother. Never listens to what Alex wants, cares whats going on in Alex's life & just wants Alex to do all the work in her wedding cake business.

Alex ends up saving someone's life while diving & her mother punishes her for it...

Its a cute, easy story - seeing how Alex handles the relationship with her mother, how she tries to figure out her life & will she be able to make it to college & off the island, or will she be stuck with her mother the rest of her life, making wedding cakes.
Along the way, we see her friend Zach, who she's attracted to... & get to meet a new friend, Jeremy, who she grows closer to while he spends the summer on the island.

I did enjoy that the book took some turns & didnt end so predictable as some other books did.
I did have to giggle though because while some young adult books dont seem so 'young', this one did in parts. But that's ok.. its a good reminder of what young love is like.

My key words on this book - Sweet, cute, makes me want to learn to dive

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Angels at the Table

Angels at the Table: A Shirley, Goodness, and Mercy Christmas Story by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Debbie Macomber... & love her Christmas series... especially when it involves those little mischevious angels, Shirley, Mercy & Goodness. And this time, they have a new angel trying to learn the ropes, Will.

Will learns right away how, as hard as they try, these 3 angels are getting themselves in trouble...

Will has in hand in letting two people, Lucie & Aren, meet... on New Years Eve... & they connect instantly. The bad thing? They're not supposed to meet until later down the road.
So are things ruined?
The Angels try everything to make sure its not....

This is a cute read. Sort of predictable, as most love stories are, but still fun to read. Love the twist of seeing angels working in the background... makes you wonder if that's what it looks like in our own lives.

So, will Lucie, the restaurant owner & chef & Aren, the columnist for the newspaper that does food reviews, get it all straightened out?
Only Heaven knows
(I'm so clever) ;)

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