Deadline by Sandra Brown

I've always loved Sandra Brown's books  - some are better than others.  I feel like the stories are not as good as they used to be - maybe she is writing the books too fast now.  Deadline by Sandra Brown is a pretty good beach read.  In this story we have Amelia Wesson who is dealing with a murder and a missing husband and Dawson Scott who is a reluctant journalist covering the story.  Of course their paths intertwine and we have the FBI, PTSD, terrorist, and cute little boys playing on the beach.  I'd give this story 3 3/4 stars and probably would not recommend it for my book club - just okay.  I'm just labeling it as "just okay" but the story is so far-fetched!

Book Description
Publication Date: September 24, 2013
Dawson Scott is a well-respected journalist recently returned from Afghanistan. Haunted by everything he experienced, he's privately suffering from battle fatigue which is a threat to every aspect of his life. But then he gets a call from a source within the FBI. A new development has come to light in a story that began 40 years ago. It could be the BIG story of Dawson's career one in which he has a vested interest.

Soon, Dawson is covering the disappearance and presumed murder of former Marine Jeremy Wesson, the biological son of the pair of terrorists who remain on the FBI's Most Wanted list. As Dawson delves into the story, he finds himself developing feelings for Wesson's ex-wife, Amelia, and her two young sons. But when Amelia's nanny turns up dead, the case takes a stunning new turn, with Dawson himself becoming a suspect. Haunted by his own demons, Dawson takes up the chase for the notorious outlaws. . .and the secret, startling truth about himself.

The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

I was really looking forward to reading The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline after meeting a friend whose grandfather was an orphan train rider.  I've seen this book on the Target recommended book shelves for awhile now and just got around to reading it.  I did enjoy reading about both Molly - the foster care modern day child and the story of Vivian - the orphan train rider.  I loved how the two interacted as Molly learned all about Vivian's life as she helped her clean out her attic.

This book would be a good book club book - I'd give it 4 stars.

Book Description
Publication Date: April 2, 2013
Orphan Train is a gripping story of friendship and second chances from Christina Baker Kline, author of Bird in Hand and The Way Life Should Be.

Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to “aging out” out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse...

As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance.

Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life – answers that will ultimately free them both.

Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.

The October List by Jeffrey Deaver

I absolutely love reading anything by Jeffrey Deaver - his plots are so complex and the characters so richly defined that I immediately buy anything that he has written.  I just finished The October List - this book is unique because it is told backwards?  The first chapter is last and vice versa.  In this story, the characters are not developed as well as in past stories but part of that is the plot - as we learn more about these characters (who are not what we initially thought) as the book digresses.  The story is a little hard to follow - but after I finished - I immediately started rereading to see how the plot unfolds since I know understood it.  So I did like it!  It's different - wouldn't want to read another story like this one but very clever!  I'd give it 4 1/2 stars!


From Amazon:

One of Kirkus Review's "Best Books of 2013"

The shocking end is only the beginning . . .

#1 bestselling author Jeffery Deaver has created the most riveting and original novel of the year-a race-against-the-clock mystery, told in reverse.

THE OCTOBER LIST

Gabriela waits desperately for news of her abducted daughter.
At last, the door opens.
But it's not the negotiators. It's not the FBI.
It's the kidnapper.
And he has a gun.

How did it come to this?

Two days ago, Gabriela's life was normal. Then, out of the blue, she gets word that her six-year-old daughter has been taken. She's given an ultimatum: pay half a million dollars and find a mysterious document known as the "October List" within 30 hours, or she'll never see her child again. 

A mind-bending novel with twists and turns that unfold from its dramatic climax back to its surprising beginning, THE OCTOBER LIST is Jeffery Deaver at his masterful, inventive best.

The Girl You Left Behind by JoJo Moyes

After reading Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, I was anxious to read another book by Jojo Moyes.  I enjoyed The Girl You Left Behind but probably not as much as Me Before You.  JoJo Moyes definitely took on a totally different topic with The Girl You Left Behind - art thefts in WW1.  I wasn't sure where the story was going as it is told in both WWI time and currently.  This book is good but not great - didn't keep me up late reading it to finish (that's my guidepost on outstanding books!).  I'd give it 4 stars.

Book Description
Publication Date: August 20, 2013
From the New York Times–bestselling author of Me Before You, a spellbinding love story of two women separated by a century but united in their determination to fight for what they love most

Jojo Moyes’s bestseller, Me Before You, catapulted her to wide critical acclaim and has struck a chord with readers everywhere. “Hopelessly and hopefully romantic” (Chicago Tribune), Moyes returns with another irresistible heartbreaker that asks, “Whatever happened to the girl you left behind?”

France, 1916: Artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his young wife, Sophie, to fight at the front. When their small town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War I, Edouard’s portrait of Sophie draws the eye of the new Kommandant. As the officer’s dangerous obsession deepens, Sophie will risk everything—her family, her reputation, and her life—to see her husband again.

Almost a century later, Sophie’s portrait is given to Liv Halston by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. A chance encounter reveals the painting’s true worth, and a battle begins for who its legitimate owner is—putting Liv’s belief in what is right to the ultimate test.

Like Sarah Blake’s The Postmistress and Tatiana de Rosnay’s Sarah’s Key, The Girl You Left Behind is a breathtaking story of love, loss, and sacrifice told with Moyes’s signature ability to capture our hearts with every turn of the page.
 Show less

The Best Man by Kristan Higgins

I just finished The Best Man by Kristen Higgins this morning - it's an okay read.  This book has lots of potential with some clever scenes and writing - such as Faith Holland getting stuck in a window trying to climb out to avoid seeing her ex-fiance'.  This story is very predictable as Faith Holland comes home to see about her aging father and grandparents and tries to avoid her old gay fiancé' and his best gorgeous friend Levi.  This was a fluffy read but I wouldn't recommend this book to my friends.  2 stars.

From Amazon:
Sometimes the best man is the one you least expect…

Faith Holland left her hometown after being jilted at the altar. Now a little older and wiser, she's ready to return to the Blue Heron Winery, her family's vineyard, to confront the ghosts of her past, and maybe enjoy a glass of red. After all, there's some great scenery there….

Like Levi Cooper, the local police chief—and best friend of her former fiancé. There's a lot about Levi that Faith never noticed, and it's not just those deep green eyes. The only catch is she's having a hard time forgetting that he helped ruin her wedding all those years ago. If she can find a minute amidst all her family drama to stop and smell the rosé, she just might find a reason to stay at Blue Heron, and finish that walk down the aisle.

Power Play by Danielle Steel

I always read every Danielle Steel novel although I don't enjoy her writing as much as I did in the early days of her career - those books were awesome - The Ring, etc.  I know that I can get a good story and an easy quick read.  Power Play is no different - it was an easy read but the plot was just okay.  I never understood the reason for following both CEO's in the plot- Fiona Carson and Marshall Weston as they really did not have anything in common except they were CEO's and their children were dating.  I guess Danielle Steel wanted us to see the difference in women and men in power positions - surely there are some good moral men in CEO positions but not in this story.  Power Play was okay - probably give it 3 stars.

From Amazon:
In Northern California two successful CEOs are both indispensable to their growing companies’ futures. Both are brilliant at the power game. But the difference between them is huge. One is a man, the other a woman. In this riveting novel, Danielle Steel explores what that means as she takes readers into the rarefied world of those at the pinnacle of international business and reveals the irrevocable choices they make, what drives them, and how others perceive them. The heady drug of power impacts everything they do.

POWER PLAY

Even though Harvard-educated Fiona Carson has proven herself under fire as CEO of National Technology Advancement, a multibillion-dollar high-tech company based in Palo Alto, California, she still has to meet the challenges of her world every day. Devoted single mother, world-class strategist, and tough negotiator, Fiona weighs every move she makes, and reserves any personal time for her children. Isolation and constant pressure are givens for her as a woman in a man’s world.

Miles away in Marin County, Marshall Weston basks in the fruits of his achievements. At his side is his wife, Liz, the perfect corporate spouse, who has gladly sacrificed her own law career to raise their three children and support Marshall at every step. Smooth, shrewd, and irreproachable, Marshall is a model chief executive, and the power he wields only enhances his charisma and is his drug of choice. And to maintain his position, he harbors secrets that could destroy his life at any moment. His world is one of high risks.

Like many women in her position, Fiona has sacrificed her personal life for her career, while Marshall dances dangerously close to the edge and flirts with scandal every day. Both must face their own demons, and fight off those who are jealous of their success. Their lives as CEOs of major companies come at a high price. And just how high a price are they willing to pay? Who are they willing to sacrifice to stay on top? Those they love, or themselves?

Danielle Steel’s gripping, emotionally layered novel explores the seductive and damaging nature of power. Success and greed, trust and deception, love and loss—all come to a head in this compelling drama of family, careers, infidelity, and the sacrifices some people make to hold on to power . . . or to let it go.