Leanne BanksResenhas

Fun, funny story

Loved it! Light read with mystery and falling in love.

A sweet cinderella story.

Delilah es una mujer hecha a sí misma que dirige un instituto de belleza en Houston, cargo que le proporcionó el millonario Howard Bradford, a quien todo el mundo consideraba su amante. A Delilah y Howard, sin embargo, sólo les unía una gran amistad, y ahora que él ha muerto ella sólo intenta dormir, conservar su puesto de trabajo y abrir una nueva sucursal. Pero, desde luego, no va a conseguir nada de eso si Benjamín, su vecino, no para de poner ópera a todas horas o de hacer molestas reparaciones de madrugada. Para colmo de males, un día entra en escena Lilly, la hija de Howard, y una noche alguien deja a un bebé al cuidado de Delilah. Entonces es más que probable que la protagonista necesite la ayuda de su atractivo vecino y también, por qué no, de Cupido.

Lovely romance with good character depth. Some typos.

Synopsis: 'Cate had thought her life was pretty good; she was attending school to become a teacher, working as a bartender to pay for said school, and had really cheap rent subletting a room from Marty Longfellow, a cross-dressing lounge singer… That is until Marty disappears and weird things keep happening, such as meeting ex-cop Kellen who just might be getting friendly with Cate to get close to Marty.'
Review: This was really entertaining. I did like the addition of a crime into the story.

Unforgettable Sweethearts: Unforgettable Lovers (The Unforgettables Book 18
9 stories from 9 different authors.
..
Aloha to Love by Josie Riviera
Really enjoyed this story because it follows a woman-Angelina and she's a writer and some of her script needs correcting before they can make it into a movie.
The scientific expert Caleb is on the cruise also and he conducts classes about his career choice. He knows a lot about volcanoes. She takes his classes and he helps her with the script-he playing the male part.
Love that he tells her, when he stops reading his lines, that a guy wouldn't say that. what was written. They improvise and get through the script and then some.
Story also follows Rachel who's pregnant and on her way to meet her spouse who's already on the island.
Love hearing of the events that take place away from the ship and all that is learned on the excusions.
Good holiday romance, more from five others.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

Christmas Shorts by Mimi Barbour, Mona Risk
The book out of the collection that I was given to review:
.
The Chocolate Box Christmas by Josie Riviera
This short story is about Maise who's relocated from Alaska to CA and she's taken a job being a food/writer reporter.
On this assignment she must judge the chocolate contest at a nearby shelter. She knows many of the contestants as she's been around town.
She is able to meet Ben and she discovers his secret as to why he is there. He also finds out why she doesn't really want to be a judge, especially with anything to do with chocolate.
Fun Christmas read, enjoyed it.
Book ends with a note from the author, recipes, and about the author, other works by the author in series format but all can be read as stand alone.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

Unforgettable Christmas Dreams: Gifts of Joy (The Unforgettables Book 14)
...
A Complete Family by Mona Risk
This story starts out with Melody and she's late again to work at the hospital.
Her job is usually to aide the surgeons and she has a full life with her jobs. The night job is to waitress at the restaurant so she can help pay for her neighbor's medical bills.
The woman on the first floor of their house would look after Stella and the dog when Melody was working. She's now ill and undergoing tests.
Alden the doctor wants to reprimand her but he's in love with her and also can't justify a raise for her.
He follows her home one day to find out just why she's so late to work and she finally opens up to him. He has a plan and implements it to everyone's satisfaction.
The surrogate grandmother has many secrets and they are told while under recovering from brain surgery, just bits and pieces and they don't much to Melanie...
Alden treasures Melody's work and her family and they become more than friends...
Something has to come to the forefront or they will never survive with one another.
Really found this story heartbreaking at times and sad because of all the turmoil and then again it's happy moment and wonderful children's remarks that grab at your heart.
Love the ending, didn't see it coming. Other works by the author are highlighted at the end and a note from the author is enclosed.
I received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.

A sweet twist on the Grinch scenario. Gordon bottles up his anger and resentment along with loneliness and pain to the point where his bitterness overshadows everything that has importance in his life. Holly is the optimist that turns his life upside down and pulls him kicking and screaming into the magical season of hope, charity and faith. Maybe even love. I am not normally a fan of stories with Grinch or Scrooge like characters but there was something so compelling about Gordon that I couldn't look away. Deck the Hearts exposes what an open heart and open mind can do for the soul and the difference one action can make in the lives of others.

What a beautiful story. Ericka has her whole world turned upside down when she discovers that her newborn son is deaf. Add to that the fact that she is now a single mom because her husband has moved on with someone else. Feeling as if she is to blame for her son's predicament, she returns home. Her brother hires Treat to be her bodyguard and sparks fly.

Love, Christmas - Movies You Love (The Holiday Series #2) Anthology  
Review: Love, Christmas - Movies You Love (The Holiday Series #2) by Mimi Barbour, Leanne Banks, Joan Reeves, Mona Risk, Rebecca York, Jacquie Biggar, Alicia Street, Nancy Radke, Katy Walters, Stephanie Queen, Aileen Fish, Rachelle Ayala, Dani Haviland, Traci Hall, Taylor Lee, Donna Fasano, Cynthia Cooke, Susan Jean Ricci, Tamara Ferguson, Suzanne Jenkins, Natalie Ann, Ev Bishop, Alyssa Bailey, Stacy Eaton, Jen Talty
 
 
Love, Christmas - Movies You Love is an emotional high. This group of authors blend multiple feelings into one overpowering voice. There is a dreamer in us all and Ayala, Barbour, Banks and Risk help it break free. York gives that sense of danger. While Biggar, Fasano and Hall give us reason to hope. With tons of heart, bundles of laughs and charismatic characters this boxset is an irresistible find.

I am giving this 3.5 stars.

Not as funny as you would expect from Janet Evanovich. But still laugh out loud good. I enjoyed the characters especially Beast. :-)

Era nella lista dei desideri, forse un po' vecchiotta e non aggiornata, così lo sto rileggendo: nessun deja vu, nessuna luce che squilli "sì, me lo ricordo!". Se un romanzo non resta impresso per niente, allora è tempo perso.
Però è carino, intrigante, quindi mi sa che lo rileggerò fino in fondo.

There is a great collection of stories out called, Love, Christmas-Holiday stories that will put a song in your heart. I read , We Need A Little Christmas by the talented Leanne Banks. It was sweet, well written and I loved the characters very much.

Lilly is a wonderful , caring person. She spends her time helping the homeless and checking on her neighbors that aren't able to always get out . I loved how the author shared about the homeless and made readers aware that this is an ongoing problem. It was very emotional to read how Lilly would take the coat off her back and give to someone living on the streets . Have you ever helped someone in need? Lilly wants to provide coats to the homeless this Christmas and hopes to get lots of donations.

Justin is the CEO of a prosperous retail company. He does do charity work, but tries to avoid cameras or publicity. It reminded me of the verse in the Bible about doing things to help others without trying to get recognition for it. I loved his giving heart and humble attitude. He is always being asked to give to so many charities and of course they want to meet him. What happens when Lilly asks Justin's company for donations?

I loved how the two meet and makes the story so interesting. There is a theme of trust, forgiveness and giving that makes the story an uplifting read.Be sure and pick up your copy of this beautiful story and find out what happens between Lilly and Justin.

I received a digital copy of this book from the author. The review is my own opinion and I was not compensated for it.

Loved this Book! I LOVE and enjoy Leanne's writing. It was a great opener to the series. I couldn't put it down!

Didn't end how I thought it would. Even though Elle had made mistakes - and she had to deal with the results of those she betrayed. The ultimate betrayal wasn't done by her...and it took Brock a little while to figure it out.

Kinda wished there was another in the series or at least more on the others.

Anthology with three stories that all revolve around the same destination wedding in Kauai, Hawaii.

Hawaiian Holiday by RaeAnne Thayne - Megan, the groom's ex-wife, heads to Kauai with her young twin daughters so the girls can participate in their father's wedding. She never expects to find love herself with the bride's handsome and charming brother, Shane. This was a cute and very enjoyable story with beautiful Hawaiian scenery throughout. Shane was a real dreamboat of a hero and Megan was pretty great herself. Megan and Shane had wonderful chemistry and I loved how kind and caring he was with her two daughters. The little girls were complete darlings and so endearing. Great story.

Hawaiian Reunion by Marie Ferrarella - Devlin is the groom's best friend and Best Man at his wedding. Devlin and his wife, Amy, are about to be divorced, but for appearances sake agree to act like a happy couple while at their friends' wedding. Devlin has no problem with this but Amy is having a hard time with this pretense. She thinks Devlin cheated on her (he didn't) and she doesn't trust or believe him when he says he is innocent. She is insanely jealous because he is handsome and gets a lot of attention from the ladies, even though he has told her that it is only her that he wants. Amy completely ruined this story for me with her endless sarcasm and snide remarks to Devlin. She acted immature and childish and was constantly being argumentative. She was also keeping her pregnancy a secret from him, intending to tell him about it after the divorce was final. The only way this story would have worked for me was if he divorced her and found someone more deserving of him. My least favorite story of the three.

Hawaiian Retreat by Leanne Banks - Gabi is the groom's half-sister and she's reluctantly taking time off from her job to come to his wedding. She loves her brother but she's also obsessed with her work. Lucky for her that hot and hunky surfing instructor, Finn, is making her downtime a lot easier. This was an enjoyable and fun read and I really liked both main characters. Finn moved to Hawaii to take care of his young nephew, Kai, when Kai's parents died in an accident. Not only was Finn gorgeous but I loved his dedication to raising Kai. Kai was a real cutie and I liked how he and Gabi bonded together so quickly. I liked seeing Gabi come to realize that there was more to life than work. The island scenery was lovely in this one and the story was engaging.

"4 out of 5 stars!! The chemistry between Walker & Trina is palpable..."

Check out my review and TWO TEASERS here: http://frommetoyouvideophoto.blogspot.com/2010/11/feasted-on-underfoot-by-leanne...

Not bad. A good read. I liked the characters, although I would have liked more action from them. Have sent this off to a friend.

Cute holiday story. When Angie meets Forrest in front of the youth center where she volunteers, she knows that he is the one for her. Forrest is back from Iraq after sustaining an injury to his leg from an IED, and he's suffering from PTSD. He's attracted to Angie but thinks he's too damaged and too old for her. Angie will not be put off so easily though. Angie is a kindhearted heroine, always looking for the positive. Forrest is having a hard time trying to adjust to life back in the States. I liked the volunteer work Angie did and got Forrest involved in, helping the military and their families, and Forrest's war veterans support group. The book had a nice small-town feel and sense of community. I loved seeing Smiley the dog again. A quick, easy, light read.

Molto carino anche questo libro della Banks, ma comunque non ai livelli di Cuore e cioccolato.
Jenny è Jenny e Trina non riesce ad arrivare alla sua dolcezza...anche se ha un buon aiutante in Maddie. ^_^
Ci sono però buone probabilità che riesca a recuperare con il prossimo libro della serie che ha per protagonista Amelia...new entry di La felicità a piccoli passi. Amelia, infatti, mi sembra molto più simile (caratterialmente e anche fisicamente) a Jenny di quanto non sia Trina...e forse, se ben gestita, la cosa può volgersi a suo vantaggio.

Very good story. Sasha and her sister were forced to flee their country and have taken refuge in Chantaine. In order to maintain their anonymity, both she and Tabitha have taken on fake names and the Chantaine royal family have helped them find jobs. So instead of her career as the princess concert pianist, Sasha has become Sara the nanny. The book opens as she arrives to take her first position as nanny to American construction specialist Gavin's children. She's a bit worried about how she'll do, but is determined to do her best.

I really liked Sara. She's worried about her brother, who is missing, and her sister, who is having a hard time with their exile, but she tries very hard to keep a positive outlook. I loved the way that she wanted to make things better for little Sam, who was struggling so hard with his grief for his mother. She seemed to know just when to push him a little and when to just let him be. I also loved seeing her cuddle with baby Adelaide. As the days went on it was obvious that she was falling for the children. But it was her growing feelings for Gavin that had her in turmoil.

I also liked Gavin. He hasn't had it easy since his wife's death, with trying to take care of his children and keep on top of his construction business. Because of his hours and the children's challenges, he has been through multiple nannies, and doesn't have much confidence that Sara will be any different. It doesn't take long before he realizes that she's making a huge impact on his children's lives, but that's nothing to the impact she's having on his.

I loved the development of their relationship. They are very attracted to each other, but Sara knows that it can go nowhere because of who she is and her need to keep it a secret. But the more time she spends with him, the more she wants to take a chance and just live a little. She didn't expect her heart to get involved so quickly. With Gavin it starts as simple attraction, a desire that he hasn't felt since before his wife died. He's carrying a load of guilt because the marriage had been in trouble and he felt that he was responsible for it. He's not so sure that he deserves any happiness because of it. I loved seeing how Sara's frequent comments on how good a father he is begin to lessen those feelings and open his eyes and heart to the idea that he could love again. I hurt for him when he let her know what he wanted and she refused him. He's hurt and angry that she won't trust him with her secrets.

There's an interesting twist involving Sara's sister, though what it is wasn't hard to figure out early on. The question becomes one of what effect it is going to have on Sara's future. I loved seeing her face the issue head on, and then finally be able to share the truth with Gavin. What he does with the information and what he says to Sara shows how far he has come. The ending is sweet and romantic, and left me anxious to see what will happen with Sara's sister and brother.

Young Sam was adorable and I loved how Sara's love helped him through his grief for his mother. He was so quiet and sad at the beginning, then his natural mischievousness began to emerge. I loved the scene with him and his sister and the green magic marker. It was so realistic that I could picture it as I read it. I loved his part in the epilogue and how it showed how far he had come.

Really fun weekend read.

This story was okay. It had an interesting enough plot but moved kind of slow. What you knew was going to happen waited until the last couple pages and resolved too quickly. Emma is asked to be secretary for and spy on Damien whose job is to restructure the company.