Reading, Writing & Pondering

    As You Ice It by Emma St. Clair is part of the Appies hockey series but reads as a stand-alone. I listened to the audiobook version of this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is my first book in the series and I want to go back and read more of the series. Naomi is a single mom to 10-year-old Liam. For that reason, when she meets Camden Cole at Oakley Island she doesn't want to get too involved as she believes he is just a tourist passing through. She tries to be a good mom to Liam and wants a stable home life for him. For that reason, they cut ties at the end of the summer.  Then Naomi's job relocates her--to the town of Harvest Hallow--where Camden plays hockey. As the book starts out, Liam also signs himself up to play hockey behind Naomi's back. As Liam learns the hockey sport, he also works with Camden. Soon Naomi and Camden meet again. Camden hasn't been able to get Naomi out of his mind. Naomi had similar struggles. Are they both ready to quit running? I e...

  I listened to the audio-book of Perfect: A Sweet Guilded Age Romance by Kimberly Keagan. This is the first book in the Hearts on Display series. The narrator was Robin McAlpine and she did a good job of making the story interesting with her voice. William Walraven and his brother Bert Walraven left Philadelphia to head up the construction and development of the family's first New York department store. William has worked hard to make this store top-notch in spite of constant struggles with his father--who doesn't want to let go of the helm in spite of others urging him to retire to restore his health. Ivy King and her grandmother run a bookstore that Ivy's parents owned before they passed away. They work hard to make it go and have faced some challenges. Ivy also works as a librarian part time at a private nearby library. One day Ivy twists her ankle while walking on a street near William and they meet. As time goes on, he and Bert check on Ivy at the bookstore and the c...

  I listened to the audiobook version of If My Husband Would Change, I would be Happy (& Other Myths Wives Believe ) by Rhonda Stoppe.  The audiobook is read by the author and she has a casual tone to her reading style. I had mixed feelings about this book.This author is a pastor's wife. She said she and her husband often do marriage counseling. He chimes in with his views at the end of the chapters--except she reads that part too. I wish that he read that part instead of her as it would be more meaningful to me to hear the shift in voice from female to male on the part written by the male.  If My Husband Would Change offers advice that I think would be most helpful to young married people. However, it may also be helpful to those who have been married for awhile. She does share a couple stories that I found rather cringe--like the story of their honeymoon trip to Old Faithful where she takes a laxative after being constipated on the trip and then goes for a hike. Yi...