Two Books I've Enjoyed this Week

I am going to start with the book I finished late last night. I love Jenny B. Jones. She is the kind of gal that if we lived in the same town -- make that the same state -- I would love to spend time with. I only get to see her once a year at the ACFW conference, but I adore her sense of humor and she's just plain fun. Until now, she's written YA, and while I like her style, I simply haven't had time to dive into that series. So when her latest came out as women's fiction, I had to try it. Let me tell you, Just Between You and Me exceeded my expectations. I wanted the book to be funny. It had me snorting and laughing so much that Eric almost grabbed the book from my hands to start reading it. The humor was fantastic. I almost listed a couple examples here, but there were so many, I couldn't choose. And this was one book where my internal editor went to sleep. The characters are perfect, the pacing excellent, and the dialogue snappy. This book is labeled women's fiction, a genre I usually avoid, but I am so GLAD I picked this one up. I loved every twist and turn, and literally couldn't put it down. I had to know what happened. The mix of characters is perfect. All of them grow -- even the grouchy old dad who seems beyond hope through most of the book. And the hero...oh my goodness. What woman wouldn't want to mind a man like him! So if you need a new book to read and don't know where to start, please do yourself a favor and buy this one. You will thank me and then you'll buy copies for your girlfriends for their birthdays. Just Between You and Me By Jenny B. Jones Maggie lives life on the edge, seemingly unafraid of anything. But the image she so carefullyconstructed is coming undone. Maggie's job as a videographer takes her around the world. She tells people's stories, especiallythose of impoverished children. That's when she feels most alive, like she's making the worldbetter. But when a secret from her past resurfaces, Maggie gets a call that sends her home. Her daddesperately needs her help. Her estranged sister has run off, leaving 8-year-old Riley in his care.She returns reluctantly, hoping to help her neice. There she reconnects with Cooper--a onceawkward and shy, now handsome, veterinarian. Her feelings skyrocket when she's with him, butshe's afraid if she shows him her true self, he'll reject her. An honest, hilarious journey that will transform Maggie--if she just learns to trust more and fear less. Next is Irene Hannon's latest in the Heroes of Quantico series. An Eye for an Eye is a perfect read when you're ready for a romantic suspense escape. Mark Sanders, a strong supporting role in the first book, is in St. Louis while he recuperates from a hostage situation gone bad in Virginia. While running he bumps into his first flame and then someone shoots at them. The book flows through the investigation and whether or not these two can now find love that passed them by twenty years earlier. Mark and Emily, the heroine, are richly drawn characters. Both have to change if they are going to find the shooter. I loved how the author crafted the ending. It was a perfect ending based on the characters, but also a stretch for them because of their pasts. The romance is rich, the suspense thread fluid, and the book a great escape for those who love romantic suspense ala Dee Henderson. Irene Hannon has earned her spot on my list of must reads. An Eye for an Eye, Heroes of Quantico Series #2 By Irene Hannon After he accidentally shoots a teenager at a tense standoff, FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Mark Sanders is sent to St. Louis to work as a field agent and get his bearings while the bad press starts to settle. Just weeks away from returning to Quantico to resume his work on the HRT, Mark has a chance encounter with an old flame, Emily Lawson. But their reunion is cut short by a sniper. Now Mark must find the shooter before he tries to strike again. But what is his motive--and who was his intended target? Can Mark put the pieces together, keep Emily safe, and rekindle a long-dead relationship at the same time?