The Rancher’s Rescue by Cari Lynn Webb

I’d like to thank the author for sending me a print copy of her book!  🙂

Ethan Blackwell, a veterinarian, has returned to Falcon Creek to save the family ranch after his grandfather, Big E, disappears. Soon after his arrival, Grace Gardner informs Ethan she is pregnant with his baby! She wants to live in Falcon Creek, close to her family and start her own accounting business. He certainly doesn’t want to settle down in Falcon Creek! Once he successfully gets the ranch in order, he plans to leave, but Grace and their baby just might change his plans.

The Rancher’s Rescue was a good cowboy romance with two stubborn characters, baggage and plenty of stress and issues to work through. They each had their own goals in life, but didn’t seem to communicate with one another to decide on a viable solution together. The story has interesting characters, I especially thought Judge Myrna Edwards was interesting. Everyone in the community seemed to have their own opinion and expressed it freely. 🙂

I enjoyed this story. I look forward to the next one in the series. 4**** stars!

Classic Movie Friday!

Mister Roberts (1955)

Henry Fonda   William Powell   Jack Lemmon   James Cagney

Toward the end of World War II, The Captain (James Cagney) is the commanding officer of a cargo ship. He’s an overbearing tyrant of a man.  Mr. Roberts (Henry Fonda) is trying to keep the crew together while the captain bellows and is impossible to deal with. The crew is in desperate need of shore leave, but the captain won’t allow it, so the ship sits in the harbor in the Pacific, while the men are in dire need of shore leave. The doctor (William Powell) has the task of treating every manner of phony disease the men can think up.  Mr. Roberts eventually makes a deal with the captain so the men can go ashore and the guys do enjoy their shore leave ~ a little to wild for my taste!!! But I think the point of the story was, Mr. Roberts was willing to sacrifice his own desire to take care of the crew. At the end of the film, the crew helps Mr. Roberts get his desired position.

This wasn’t my type of film. Rick recommended it. Mmm. I was a little lost during the first half of the movie. I couldn’t tell where the story was going at all. By the time the film ended, I think I did get it. This isn’t a chick flick at all.

Has anyone seen this film? What are your thoughts???

Enjoy!

The Ebony Swan by Phyllis A. Whitney

After the tragic death of her mother, Susan’s father and grandmother argue. Susan’s dad pack’s their bags, leaves Virginia and moves himself and his daughter west. Many years later, Susan’s father has passed away and she travels to Virginia to meet the family she doesn’t really remember and to find answers into the death of her mother.

As I read this story, I got a strange sense of de ja vu. I am certain I have read this story in the past. I checked goodreads and discovered I didn’t document my previous reading of the book there, so I think I read it before I joined goodreads?

This book is so well written and well crafted. Such great atmosphere and secretive characters. Mystery. Suspense. Romance. A great read.

I thought Susan’s grandmother was a strong, formidable woman. She was a ballerina when she was much younger and her memories of dancing are fascinating ~ to be sure. There are interesting glimpses of Susan’s late grandfather’s life in Peru and what brought him to America while at the same time sharing his life experiences in the United States.

I didn’t like Theresa, Susan’s cousin. I thought she was mean, spiteful and brazen.

The author created a intriguing story and I enjoyed it. 5***** stars!

 

 

Ramblings And What Not ~

Hello Peoples! I hope everyone had a great summer!  🙂  Our summer was FULL to overflowing! I had so much fun and I think we went everywhere!

I am eagerly waiting for everything autumn has to offer!

My favorite word this month is ~

bumbershoot  🙂 

I have a big, colorful bumbershoot!

photo credit ~ unsplash

Scurry on over and meet Stephanie! She reads interesting books and writes great reviews! Chat with her awhile!  http://www.stephsfictionandfamilylove.wordpress.com

Giveaway Time ~

Murder She Wrote, A Date With Murder ~

That’s right! Berkley Prime Crime is giving away a mystery! You must have a valid address in the U.S.A. to enter the giveaway. This giveaway is for the U.S.A. only. Just leave a comment below informing me you are interested in entering the giveaway and I will enter you. Then, on October 2, 2018, my good looking husband will draw a name and I will announce the winner on this blog. I will post my review of the book that day also. You will also win this notepad and pen. That’s right. The person who wins the mystery will also win the notepad and pen pictured below. Don’t be shy.  🙂

WAKE PRAY SLAY

Oh my word! We had our first Classic Movie Film Night! That’s right. On Friday, September 22, 2018 I invited some friends over and we watched a classic film, ate popcorn and candy, laughed and had a great time. You might ask, what movie did you watch??? Thank- you for asking. We had a choice of five films ~ Casablanca (1942), Mary Poppins (1964), Gaslight (1944), Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), and The Thin Man (1934)! The Winning Film was ~

Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948)

Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Lon Chaney Jr., Bela Lugosi, Glenn Strange, Lenore Aubert and Jane Randolph

Surprised??? We enjoyed it! Zany? YES! Crazy? YES! Funny? YES!

Enjoy!

Much love ~

Kathy

 

 

The Rancher’s Twins by Carol Ross

I would like to thank the author for sending me a signed copy of her book!  🙂

Jon Blackwell is a divorced man with rambunctious twin five-year old daughters. He wants a nanny who has ranch experience, to care for his girls. But, he got Lydia Newbury, a woman from Philadelphia! Even though he plans to send Lydia packing, he doesn’t want a city woman, she turns out to be amazing. Not only does she take the twins in hand, by the way, they are adorable. She can cook and he finds himself falling for the nanny. What he doesn’t know, the nanny has a secret.

I liked this book. It was a fun read. It grabbed my attention and held it. I read it quickly. I didn’t want to put it down. I love the descriptions of the ranch and ranch life. Lydia arrives during calving season and I mean really, who wouldn’t want to hike out to the barn or the pasture and get friendly with a baby calf??? Jon Blackwell has a well trained border collie named Trout! I love collies! Trout and I would be fast friends.  🙂  Lydia is warm, friendly and sweet. She’s very good with the girls and I could see myself easily gaining weight eating her cooking. Of course, Jon is a grouchy cowboy  . . . well, at first he is. Mmm. Lydia seems puzzled about his grouchy attitude, but she stays with it. When he fires her, he rattles off a list of responsibilities he would like his nanny to be responsible for. Well! He doesn’t want a nanny!!! He wants Wonder Woman!!! But our Lydia, is up for the challenge. She has two weeks to prove herself.

This is truly a heartwarming story. I enjoyed it. 4**** stars!

Classic Movie Friday!

The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (1946)

Van Heflin   Lizabeth Scott   Barbara Stanwyck   Kirk Douglas

When I saw this film at our local library, I had never heard of it. It’s an interesting film ~ to be sure.

Sam Masterson (Van Heflin), Martha Ivers (Barbara Stanwyck) and Walter O’Neil (Kirk Douglas) were kids growing up together. Walter’s father is Martha’s tutor. Sam has an alcoholic father and runs away from home wanting to take Martha with him. As a result of the death of Martha’s evil aunt (Judith Anderson), who is raising her, Martha is unable to leave with Sam. He boards a train and leaves without her. Eighteen years later, Sam is traveling west, has a minor automobile accident and has to stop in the town he grew up in for auto repairs. He discovers things have changed. Martha and Walter are now married. Walter is the DA and has politics in his future. When Martha’s aunt died, she was the sole heir and she has increased her wealth and is very rich and powerful. Sam meets Toni Marachek (Lizabeth Scott) and the two become friendly. Sam and Toni soon find themselves involved in a deadly nefarious web of lies, secrets and cover-ups.

 It is a somewhat dark story with a tragedy at the end that I did not see coming. The acting was great. I read somewhere on the internet this was Kirk Douglas’ debut. He did well! It was a good film that somehow drew me in and held me.

Enjoy!

The Bridges of Madison County ~ Winterset, Iowa

Hello Peoples. I am very excited to share our trip with you! We visited Winterset, Iowa and saw the Bridges of Madison County. It was such a good trip. We didn’t camp this time. We stayed in a motel in Winterset. The man who owned the motel was a great guy. He was friendly, jovial and had a good sense of humor. All the tourists were friendly. Many of them would stop and talk to me for a few minutes. We met several visitors from Europe! It was a fun, satisfying trip. The bridges have an ambiance around them that is difficult to describe. I think it’s nostalgia. They’re all in a serene setting. I could here the leaves in the trees as a gentle breeze blew. Sometimes the brook under the bridges would gurgle or babble. Yes, we did walk across every bridge, more than once! Sadly, one bridge was burned. It was arson. They have raised money to repair the bridge.

Just click on the photo if you would like it bigger. I hope I have the names of all the bridges correct.  🙂

We also visited the John Wayne Museum! That is one nice museum.

Roseman Covered Bridge

Cutler-Donahoe Covered Bridge

Imes Covered Bridge ~ This is my favorite covered bridge!  🙂

The Holliwell Covered Bridge

Hogback Covered Bridge

Not to far from the Cutler Donahoe Covered Bridge is this amazing castle tower!!!

Where is Rapunzel when you need her???  🙂

When we arrived at the John Wayne Museun, we watched a fifteen minute movie of clips from his films. His daughter said a few words at the beginning of the movie. It was very well put together. I thought it was a little sad and moving. The museum has a gift shop.

I don’t know why the photos are yellow. The museum is not yellow.

  

  

The museum has interesting facts about his personal life and his films. There are photos and movie posters. The little white house above, is the home of his birth. It’s next to the museum. It was a great trip!

Much Love ~

Kathy

 

 

 

Classic Movie Friday!

Road to Rio (1947)

Bob Hope

Bing Crosby

Dorothy Lamour

We are on the road!  🙂  Our final trip for the summer. So, I am posting Classic Movie Friday early. Have a great weekend!

AH! HAHAHA! Oh my word! Never in all my born days! No one can do a comedy quite like Bob and Bing! Scat Sweeney (Bing Crosby) and Hot Lips Barton (Bob Hope) are two vaudeville actors. Well, circumstances being what they are *ahem* the two friends stowaway on board a ship set sail for Rio. On the cruise, they meet a damsel in distress, Lucia (Dorothy Lamour). Scat wants to rescue her, but Hot Lips is skeptical. Poor Lucia is under the influence of her evil guardian and soon turns the tables ~so to speak~ on Scat and Hot Lips, reporting the stowaways to the captain! How rude!!! However, in Bob and Bing fashion, the friends manage to escape their predicament, with some help, and persevere to a happy ending! I personally liked the bubbles! Mmm?

Enjoy!

Hitting the Books by Jenn McKinlay

“Library director Lindsey Norris is looking out the window one morning, admiring her tranquil Connecticut town, when she witnesses a hit-and-run accident. Lindsey rushes over to help, only to discover that the victim is well-known and widely loved tennis coach Theresa Huston. Before Lindsey can catch her breath, Theresa becomes the victim of yet another accident a few days later – and the investigation shifts from reckless driving incident to an attempted homicide.” ~Berkley Prime Crime.

First I’d like to say, I think it’s very rude to try to run a person down in the street with a vehicle. *ahem*

While our sleuths, along with the Chief of police, Emma Plewicki, are seriously kept running to and fro, trying to solve this action packed mystery, there are fun characters and amusing comments along the way. Mike Sullivan, our whistling in the morning boat captain ~ who doesn’t love that??? And, Lindsey, our sleep ’til noon type is equally likable. Oh yes, and she suffers from “OMC syndrome.” Of course, Dennis and Sam are a nice addition to the story, along with, the “crafternoons!” However, Robbie was my favorite! He’s Emma’s boyfriend and he sincerely wants to assist with her investigations and she won’t allow it. He tries!  I love the guy. The mystery wasn’t difficult to solve, but that’s ok. That nefarious character was relentless! Overall, I enjoyed the story. It was highly entertaining. I was chuckling at times and it was a thoroughly likable read. 4.5 **** stars! I will start this series from the beginning.  🙂

A BIG thank-you to Berkley Prime Crime for sending this book to me. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

The winner of Hitting the Books and the journal is ~

RobbyeFaye

http://www.captivedreamswindow.wordpress.com

Congratulations RobbyeFaye!

 

Would You Rather ~ Classic Movie Edition!

Helllo Peoples. I thought I would try something new and fun for Classic Movie Friday! I discovered this great meme at ~ http://www.maidensofgreengables.blogspot.com 

The Maidens found it at ~ http://www.writeoncordy.blogspot.com 

It is my understanding there was a blog party and this is one of the memes for the blog party. Well! I think it looks like great fun, so I’m going to give it an incredible try. Here it goes!!!

Would you rather dance with Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly?

Oh my word! Gene Kelly all the way! He is so smooth, suave and seems to have so much fun when he dances!

Would you rather star opposite Cary Grant or Gregory Peck?

Cary Grant. Without a doubt, Cary Grant.  🙂

Would you rather be serenaded by Howard Keel or Bing Crosby?

Bing Crosby.  🙂

Would you rather share an airplane ride with Danny Kaye or Donald O’Connor?

I like them both, but I’ll go with Danny Kaye. I think he was a great entertainer.

What classic movie outfit would you steal?

Steal??? I don’t think I would steal, but, I wouldn’t mind having most of the outfits Grace Kelly or Ingrid Bergman wore in the films they made. I chose the gown Grace Kelly wore in, To Catch A Thief.

Would you rather be cast in a classic noir film or a classic western?

Without a doubt, a classic noir film.

Would you rather go on a shopping spree with Audrey Hepburn or Grace Kelly?

Grace Kelly!

Would you rather solve a mystery with William Powell or Myrna Loy?

Yes! *haha* Probably William Powell.

Would you rather imitate Jimmy Stewart’s voice in front of Jimmy Stewart, or imitate Maureen O’Hara’s “temper” in front of Maureen O’Hara?

I’ll go with Jimmy Stewart. I would probably do a terrible job.  🙂

Thanks so much for the great questions ladies, I enjoyed!

Much love ~

Kathy