Thursday, December 20, 2012

Thursdays with Taryn- Holiday Combo Rescue Me/Rescuing Riley Review @BooksbyJennifer

Rescue Me

Sitting in front of her parents’ house in a U-Haul truck at midnight, Amy Mann decides it’s time to break it to them that she’s divorced from her husband and moving back home with her seven-year-old son, Toby. As Amy settles into her hometown, she has a plan to get out of debt, get her college degree, and put her life together.

Enter Captain Riley Pennimon, local firefighter and superhero to Amy’s son. Riley is kind, brave, and civic-minded. The captain does not fit into Amy’s putting-her-life-together plan, and yet he is way too good looking without a shirt. Much to Amy’s chagrin, Toby decides that Riley is just what they need for a happily-ever-after.

Can Amy make peace with the demons of her mistakes and let the captain rescue her? And, can Riley let go of the past and grab onto the family he’s always wanted?
***
My Review:

I can definitively say I LOVE LOVE LOVE Rescue Me. I loved Amy and Toby and the Penny Man! And Granny Delphia! God I love her! I honestly can't count how many times I was moved to tears of heartache for Amy's situation and for Riley's past sorrows. I also can't tell you how many times I literally laughed out loud- the nutcracker, the fancy women bit Amy's father said, and the southern charm of real life and real people that Jennifer Johnson brings to life on the page. I'm honored and humbled to know such a talented author who doesn't just tell a story, but also makes me feel like I'm right there and I know these people and share in their sadness and their joy.  
 ***

Rescuing Riley

A Happily Ever After Novel

Finding time to spend with his wife, taking care of his stepson, and chasing his demented auntie around town keeps firefighter Captain Riley Pennimon pretty busy.

But it’s all good.

He’s ready to call his family done. After all, what more can he ask for, other than a bell around his aunt’s neck so he can find her each time she runs away. And maybe a little more sleep at night.

Riley’s wife, Amy, feels the tension of a husband who’s too pressed by duty to make it home most evenings. Stolen moments here and there with half an ear listening for the phone to ring isn’t cutting it for her anymore. But what can she do? His loyalty and kind heart was what made her fall in love with him in the first place.

When Riley is injured in the line of duty, Amy determines to live out her marriage vows. But Riley’s not the same man he was before the accident—before their lives were turned upside down.

And so Amy decides she needs to protect him. She’ll keep her secret as long as she can, but if Riley finds out….
 ***
My Review:

When I finished reading Rescue Me a while back, I discovered that there was a possibility of a sequel that Jennifer Johnson was thinking about writing, but it would be for the After Happily Ever Line, which are love stories, and life stories, from Turquoise Morning Press, that take us beyond the Happily Ever After. Sometimes there are struggles in life that even interrupt and inhibit that happy ending we all expect. This Line gives us an emotional glimpse into what happens to our favorite hero and heroine, AFTER they've come together.

Life has been good for Amy and Riley and Toby since we left them at the end of Rescue Me, and as soon as you start reading, you can't help but smile when you're reintroduced to these loveable characters. We pick up 2 years later, and things are hectic and, as is the case in all our lives, sometimes circumstances get out of hand, accidents happen and the best laid plans don't quite work out the way we think they will.

This sequel is packed with just as much love and emotion as the first book, making me laugh and feel all warm and fuzzy one minute and then sobbing over the ache I feel for the misunderstandings, fear and unresolved issues our couple have to face. You're instantly drawn back to what is familiar and soon long to see Riley and Amy find their way back to each other, to trust in their love and to redefine what is "normal" for them and their family.

We don't always get what we want, but we often find that, sometimes that's what we need most to help us learn and grow and then we discover it's more than we could have possibly wished for or imagined we could have. As Amy says at one point, "There's a difference between not being planned and not being wanted."

And that's true of a lot of things in life. This 2nd offering is a wonderful addition to any book lover's collection.

 *******
 

I think this duo would make a wonderful Christmas gift
(especially since the first book is set around the holidays) 
 and you can get both for right around $5!
You can't shake a stick at that.
 
 Rescue Me is available for just 99 cents & Rescuing Riley is $3.99.
(on Amazon- Both book covers above link to Kindle.)
OR
 you can get both over in the
where Rescue Me is 99 cents & Rescuing Riley is currently ON SALE for $2.79

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