Tricia Mills

Good book. Cole has come home to Blue Falls after having to retire from bull riding. He has begun a new career as a sculptor, as well as working his family's ranch. He is also doing his best to avoid his mother's matchmaking efforts. He has been married twice and neither one worked out. He figures that he is bad at relationships and has no interest in trying a third time.

Devon grew up in Blue Falls and now owns a successful crafts shop. She spins and dyes her own yarn and also makes soaps. show more She also suffers from an overbearing mother, who is constantly pushing "eligible" men at her, at the same time that she disparages everything that Devon has done with her life.

I fell in love with Cole when he came to Devon's rescue after hearing another example of Devon's mother harping at her about her choices. Cole jumps in, pretending that he and Devon are dating, as a way to get her off Devon's back. Devon is stunned that this man, who she crushed on in high school, would put himself out for her. He lets Devon know that maybe they can help each other out. He'll play the boyfriend for Devon's mom, if Devon will help him convince his mother that he's not interested in marrying again.

I loved the development of their relationship. They start out as friends, helping each other out, but knowing that the relationship isn't real. However, there is a definite attraction between them that they try to ignore at first. I loved seeing how spending time together brought them closer and deepened their friendship. It also fanned the flames that were growing between them. It didn't take long before they took the relationship from fake to real, but with the understanding that it was just casual. By this time, Devon knew that she was falling for Cole and wanted more, but she also knew that he was adamant about not wanting anything serious. Though she expected that she might get hurt, Devon makes the decision to take what happiness she can get with him.

I really liked seeing the changes that Cole went through. He had been burned badly by his two marriages and didn't want to risk it again, so he fought his feelings for Devon. It was fun to see how he found himself thinking about her all the time. He panicked a bit when he realized that he was falling for her. He wanted to pull back but couldn't bring himself to do it. I also loved his protectiveness toward Devon. I liked seeing him stand up for her.

Devon also went through some pretty significant changes. Thanks to her mother's emotional abuse, Devon has some problems believing that someone like Cole would honestly be interested in her. I loved seeing her confidence grow along with Cole's attention. It was especially satisfying to see her stand up to her mother.

I loved the ending. Cole's defense of Devon and expression of his feelings were really awesome. I ached for Devon as she thought it was part of "the act" and not real, and for Cole as he thought he was being rejected. I loved Cole's big moment and the hint of vulnerability as he reiterated his feelings, and Devon's realization that her dreams were coming true.

Through most of the book I detested Devon's mother and was thrilled to see Devon stand up to her. But I also liked Devon's determination to fix their relationship. The background turned out to be pretty interesting. I liked the progress that was shown, and the realism that it was still a work in progress at the time of the epilogue. show less

Source: NetGalley
4½ stars/5 stars

I have pretty much always loved the paranormal genre but on my mental list of likes and dislikes, witches have always been toward the bottom of the list. However, over the last few years I have discovered that I am a bigger fan of witch and with-related books than I initially thought. Good thing I made this discovery because otherwise I might have bypassed Trish Milburn’s excellent first-in-a-series novel White Witch.

Jax is a witch and I don’t mean this show more in the “I’m trying to clean up my potty mouth” kind of way. Jax really is a 16-year-old witch as well as a member of a very large and powerful coven based in Miami. Jax has known since the day her coven killed her mother in front of her that she doesn’t belong in her coven or any coven at all. Jax is more like her mother, a witch with a predisposition for white magic rather than black and absolutely no desire to kill or manipulate people so that her coven can become even wealthier and more powerful than they already are. But Jax also knows that leaving the coven is forbidden and any attempt to do so brings with it an instantaneous death warrant. Jax doesn’t care; she has to get out and so she runs.

Settling in Baker Gap, North Carolina is about as normal as a girl can get; especially a girl who is on the run and desperately hoping she can hide her presence from her family and the local paranormal hunters. The hunters aren’t nearly as cheesy as that last sentence makes them sound.  Using only the tiniest bit of her considerable power, Jax manages to get herself enrolled in the local high school, secures a place to live, and even begins to make some new friends. Although Jax is always cautious and alert she enjoys her new freedom and the new life she is trying to make for herself. But, as you might expect, White Witch just wouldn’t be a great or even good read without some serious drama. Here’s the drama:

1)Keller: super-hot high school hunter that Jax knows she shouldn’t become involved with but just can’t seem to help herself.

2)Egan: an old friend from another powerful coven who, like Jax has flown the coup and has shown up on Jax’s doorstep.

3)The Beginning Book: Egan found this long-thought-lost book of witch history and has discovered some shocking secrets. Secrets all coven leaders have desperately hoped would never ever see the light of day again, ever!

4)Jax’s family/coven: Jax knows from the beginning if she uses too much power her family will find her and kill her but in a town like Baker Gap, not using her power is virtually impossible

The Bottom line: Although a bit slow in the beginning, once this book really starts moving it is hard to put down. With the exception of a couple of minor characters, I really liked the cast of White Witch. Jax is fierce, loyal, and though afraid of what her family may do to her is still willing to risk everything in order to escape a life she knows is wrong. Keller is cute, mostly sweet, and somewhat conflicted over his feelings for Jax. Once he pulls his head out of his butt, Keller gets much better and significantly more likeable. Egan and Toni are two of my favorite characters and two that I am hoping will make much larger appearances in future installments of the series. The only thing keeping me from bumping this book up to a full five stars is the slow pace of the novel’s beginning. White Witch is well worth the read so find the patience to get past the slow start. It is absolutely worth it in the end! show less

Very good book, with a sweet but emotion driven romance and some laugh out loud humor. Ben and Mandy had grown up in the same town and gone to school together, but really only had a nodding acquaintance with each other. That all changed thanks to an encounter with a pigeon. In a hilarious opening scene, Ben crashes his truck into Mandy's parked car when a pigeon ends up flying in his open window and hitting him in the head as he's driving. After stumbling out of his truck, the ensuing show more moments establish an unexpected connection between Ben and Mandy.

I loved Ben and Mandy. Ben is the second oldest of the Hartley siblings, all adopted from unpleasant home lives. He is good-looking, fun, kind and protective. He is also scarred, mentally and physically from his early childhood with abusive parents. He is determined to avoid commitments, fearing that he could become the same kind of parents his had been. Mandy is the daughter of a single mother, sweet, kind, and has a terrific relationship with her mom. She looks forward to having a family of her own someday, with a husband and lots of kids.

There's a spark of attraction between Ben and Mandy that is obvious from the start. Ben isn't sure what to do about it, because he knows that Mandy is a forever kind of woman, and he generally avoids that type. But he can't stay away from her. At the same time, Mandy has accepted that Ben isn't what she's looking for, but resisting her attraction to him just isn't happening. As they start spending time together, they discover that they share a similar sense of fun (loved the scene with Greg's pickup truck) and admire what each other has made of their lives. The chemistry between them continues to build until they can no longer resist it. The depth of the experience scares Ben because he realizes he wants more, but his fears won't let him believe that it's possible. Mandy realizes that's she's fallen for a man who won't give her what she needs, then discovers that she's pregnant. I ached for them both, as Mandy faces single motherhood, without the man she loves, and Ben is afraid to believe in his own ability to overcome his past. The scene in front of the baby display brought me to tears as I read it. I loved Mandy's strength and determination as she prepared to move ahead without him. Ben's misery was well-earned, and I loved seeing him get advice from his brother Neil and from his mom. Ben's big moment at the end was awesome, especially since he was brave enough to do it in front of an audience. I especially loved that he admitted having help with it so that he didn't mess it up.

Family is a big part of this book. Mandy's family is small, just her and her mom, but their love for each other is huge. I loved seeing how Mandy looks out for her mom and how she tries to get her to slow down. The Hartleys are awesome. I love how the parents adopted five kids who needed to escape troubled homes and made them into such a close family. There's lots of teasing, but the love and support is always there. I especially loved the mom, who has absolutely no problem getting involved in her kids' lives, providing advice whether they want it or not. I can't wait to see who is next to fall in love. show less

If it had been one of us, how long do you think he would have mourned?" I asked.

What an amazing and heartbreaking story. Because that's the crux of it right? How long do you mourn? At what point, when your love is gone, do you feel okay to move on? When is the "acceptable amout of time" passed when you are allowed to feel anything again - like smiling or laughing - wihtout feeling guilty. Guilt that who you loved will never get to laugh or smile or...do any of that again.

Through Winter & show more Lindsey you see two different souls mourn the loss of their best friend, and one of their "what could have been." They reach each stage of grief at different times and it's equally hard to see them go through it - but you cheer them from the sidelines as they work through it.

Spencer. You only get him through memories and intro's to each chapter. He sounded like a great guy.

And there's Jesse. Patient, sweet and has some experience with loss, too....
all this made for a sad and yet hopeful story about love and loss and "what could have been"'s. show less