A Loving Heart (Dicken's Inn #3)

*Spoilers*

The third installment of the Dicken's Inn saga picks up where the second left off.  Chas is pregnant with their second child.  Jackson has been baptized and they are looking forward to the time when they can be sealed in the temple.
We immediately find out that the baby Chas is carrying has a heart defect and may die at or before birth.  Jackson's former FBI associate calls to see if he will accept a woman in protective custody (hiding from the mob) at the Dicken's Inn. Jackson's sister comes to stay with the family to help.  Her son, a soldier in the war in the Middle East is injured and ends up moving in to the inn.  And Jackson's old FBI team member finally comes for a visit to help with the woman they are harboring........he may never end up leaving.

I think this may have been the best book in this series so far.  Jackson was all manly and cop like, which is a plus.  I do appreciate the way that Stansfield's characters approach situations and handle themselves very graciously and very gospel oriented, but I don't find it at all realistic.  This time Jackson seemed more human to me......especially when he whipped out his duty weapon.  Aside from the totally obnoxious fact that the characters are usually independently wealthy and function together as a couple.........ALL day, EVERY day (Which I consider to be the biggest work of fiction in these books)...the book was much more palatable.  It didn't have the emotional turmoil that many times harrows up these books.  I am ready for this series to be over.  I love Jackson and if he actually worked full time as an agent or a police officer he would probably be a much better character........but he runs an inn.....and is a little demasculinized by it.

Rating 3.5  More action.  Jackson actually uses a weapon....which he stopped wearing when he retired......and I find absurd.  The storyline containing the new baby was good and even though it was traumatic, it wasn't so mentally emotional that I felt like a dog going in cirlces after my tail.
Rating PG  Shooting!!!!

The Council of Dads

The Council of Dads by Bruce Feiler

New York Times Best Selling Author Bruce Feiler is known for his books on walking.  'Walking the Bible' even being turned into a PBS documentary.  His livelyhood having very much to do with walking.  Then an astonishing blow.  A cancerous tumor on his femur.  Not only could he lose his leg, his ability to walk, his livelyhood, Bruce could lose his life.  As the father of 3 year old twins he was heartbroken.

This book is Bruce's attempt at making a safety net if he should succumb to the cancer.  He gathered men representing stages of his life and characteristics that he wanted his girls to know about him if he could not be with them.  Fantastic idea.

I found myself interested more in the medical aspect of the book and his day to day life with his wife and children.  The Council of Dads was a great idea and the men had wonderful ideas about what they would do and say for the girls.  But somehow I found myself not wanting to have anything to do with the council.  Bruce seemed like a great father.  I resented the fact that he might die and leave his wife and daughters.  I didn't want him to die and I didn't like that he was making any kind of arrangements should events turn in that direction.  I'm not saying he shouldn't have because as a good father he was doing something awesome for his daughter's future.  I just didn't want him to die and I refused to be party to his planning for a dim future......so there.

At one point he and his wife go to visit the place where he will someday be buried.  I think this was the saddest part for me.  He writes........."Tears were streaming down our cheeks, salt trickling into our mouths.  The rain was matting our hair. My crutches tumbled to the ground. And in the darkened cathedral of  a Bonaventure thundershower, we clung to each other, pressed our foreheads together, and kissed on the land where we would one day rest forever. "

Rating 4  Great writing, good idea, smart articulate men.
Rating G  Clean but a grave situation. 

The Silence of Snow

The Silence of Snow (Jayson Wolfe series #5) by Anita Stansfield

Jayson is just ready to release a new album. Times should be wonderful but he is about to learn the lesson of opposition. Tabloid rumors, rumors in his own ward, and illness bring him to another breaking point.

As always Stansfield has great core subjects. I was pleased that she chose to broach opposition. Jayson and his family come through clearly and without so much emotional turmoil that you can't understand what is happening anymore. This book also delved into dealing with chronic illness. Jayson began suffering debilitating migraines and a family member was diagnosed with Celiac Disease.

The Celiac Disease part was great. I was happy that she showed what a rigid, life/world changing disease this is and how little it is acknowledged by food companies.

The book was sweet, clean, fun and fast. She dropped most of her 'words' that I always look for. She picked up a few others....'glorious', and 'joyous'. Kind of funny.

I want to hear the music created by this character........I may also want to marry him. Mostly because he works from home.........

Rating 4
Rating PG The family talks to their teen about chastity. The ex-wife is abusing drugs.