Sweet Laurel Falls by RaeAnne Thayne

      About the book: Love knows no season
      Spring should bring renewal, but Maura McKnight-Parker cannot escape the past. Still reeling from the loss of one daughter, the former free spirit is thrown for a loop by the return of her older daughter, Sage, and the reappearance of her first love, Sage's father. Jackson Lange never knew his daughter--never even knew that he'd left the love of his life pregnant when he fled their small town--but he has never forgotten Maura. 
      Now they are all back, but Sage has her own secret, one that will test the fragile bonds of a reunited family. Thrown together by circumstances and dedicated to those they love, Maura and Jackson must learn to move forward and let go of the mistakes of their past for the bright future that awaits them and their friends in Hope's Crossing.

      Quote of the Book: "I think it's kind of funny, if you want the truth. He does the same thing, except he uses um, your mother instead." -Sage.

      My thoughts and opinion: This book was really amazing and I don't think I've ever read anything as touching as this. Well, maybe Chicken Soup, but this is a fictional story and it still tugged on my heartstrings. I felt all sorts of emotions while reading this book. I felt Maura's pain and depression, Jack's frustration, Harry's regret, and Sage's beauty.
      I really liked how Thayne switched from Maura's perspective to Jack's and occasionally, I got to see into Harry's perspective. I was really hoping for Sage's personal thoughts and point of view since it would have been interesting to read firsthand what happened with Sawyer in the hotel room, and the conversations she had with Jack when Maura wasn't around. 
      I seriously loved all the characters in this book and the only one I can think of right now that I hated was Sawyer (but really, who cares about him). Maura is one strong woman even though she denies it every time anyone tells her that. She managed to raise Sage all by herself and she kept going on with life even after Layla's death. Maura didn't completely fade into depression like most mothers would after losing their daughter. I loved how strong of a bond she had with Sage and the rest of the book club gals. Maura was really fortunate to have her friends, sisters, and mother to help her. I also totally understood the decisions Maura made to not tell Jack about her pregnancy.

      I sided with Maura and hated Jack for leaving her but he proved multiple times that he had changed and grown from that young, foolish, scared kid to a mature and caring man. I thought it was so romantic how he just picked up everything and moved his work to Hope's Crossing all for Sage and Maura. Almost every part with Jack and Maura was romantic and I loved how they were once in love and then after two decades, they reconnected again. I thought it was beautiful and heartwarming how their feelings for each other developed. Also, I really, really loved it when Maura and Jack started referring to Sage as "our daughter." I literally smiled at those parts. I enjoyed how awkward it was in the beginning as well.

      There was so much romance and love in this book I should have seen it coming when Harry revealed his feelings for Mary Ella. However, I still cannot believe that happened.

      This book was such a great book and I would seriously have second helpings of this book in the future. The seasoning was wonderful and Sage really gave flavor to this book. :-)

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys

      About the book: Boys. 7 of them, to be exact. 
      Megan is used to moving from place to place--it's typical for an army brat. But she drew the line at South Korea. She insisted on staying in the States to finish her last two years of high school. So her parents made arrangements for Megan to live with their friends, the McGowans...and the McGowans' 7 sons. 
      Turns out, living with 7 boys might as well be a foreign country! The boys are messy. They are cliquey (who knew?). And worst of all, two of the oldest boys are H-O-T. (A problem considering they are supposed to be Megan's "brothers.") Megan is definitely in enemy territory. She needs to win over the boys' hearts without totally crushing her own. 
      And when Megan starts falling for one of them, sibling rivalry takes on a whole new meaning...
      What is a girl to do?

      Quote of the Book: "I got a girl who knows who she is and is really good at being that person." -Regina McGowan

      My thoughts and opinion: I would be so uncomfortable in a house filled with 7 boys. And I'd be so annoyed by their immaturity. But it would be a great experience. So therefore, I absolutely loved the idea and I thought this book would be cool to read. And it was! I thought this book was a nice read. It was cute, funny, and light. 
      I especially liked the journey Megan went through and how she slowly made progress with Miller and her transformation of the McGowan boys. Everything flowed smoothly and I really like her and Finn together. FIGAN. Haha. I was disappointed at the end of the book because I couldn't tell if Megan and Finn were together or not. It was really ambiguous. I did enjoy the way Brian started the story with an ultimate Frisbee game and later ended the story with an ultimate Frisbee game. It was a nice nostalgic feeling. Also I liked how Megan grew and she changed. In the beginning, Megan was shy and quiet but throughout the story, she started to stand up for herself and voice her opinions. She expressed herself and didn't let people take advantage of her. She was outspoken and strong. 
      Okay now for the boys. I sort of disliked the way she became obsessed only about Evan especially after she knew he had a girlfriend. Also Evan was one of the few characters I really hated. Besides his charm and good looks, he really was just a baby. And his temper and mood swings were really irritating and childish. At times he was a great friend and at times he was a great enemy. I just could not stand Evan. I also couldn't stand his girlfriend, Hailey. While I liked that Megan and Hailey made up and became friends, I feel like Hailey should not have gotten a friend like Megan. After what Hailey did, I would never have forgiven her. I'll never be able to understand Hailey and Evan's relationship.
      I am officially a Finn girl because Finn is so wonderful. I'm almost tempted to go out and find an artist to date haha. It took so long for Megan to realize that Finn was the one, but it was so nice that he was there for her. He listened to her when she needed to talk, he supported her, and he believed her when no one else would. Everyone needs a Finn in their lives. 
      Doug was all right at first; I didn't pay any attention to him since I thought he would be a small, unimportant character. However, I sort of disliked him after what he did to his own brother. I still don't believe that Doug is the smart one in the house because what he did was pretty stupid. I really, really liked Miller though. He was a real sweetheart and I loved the part where he told Finn that Megan and Aimee were his friends. Sean was also a cool guy and I would have liked to read more parts with him and Megan bonding over motorcycles. Ian and Caleb were little monsters but they were adorable and added to the story. 
      I thought Megan's friends from her soccer team were good friends but not great friends. After they heard rumors about Megan, they turned their backs on her and basically shunned her. Only Aimee was a true friend. 
      I finished this book in one day and I'd like to say it was one sitting but I got up to do things occasionally. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something fun and short. I actually have read this book before but this is one book I could read again and again. Besides, I could always be reminded of how boys work.