T. L. HaddixRezensionen

This first installment in the Firefly Hollow series begins in the 1950s when Sarah Browning is a lonely high school student and a target for her older sister Kathy to pick on. The Browning's property borders the Campbell's who live up on the mountain and are rarely seen. It is understood that one does not cross that border and trespass onto the Campbell's land. However Sarah is unable to resist and begins walking there regularly, which is the first time Owen ever lays eyes on her, though she does not know it at the time. A few years later Sarah is called home from college where she is a year shy of graduating and becoming a teacher. A tragedy has befallen her family and again Sarah finds herself drawn to the Campbell's property. Gradually she and Owen find themselves falling in love, but circumstances seem to conspire to keep the young lovers apart and Owen's secrets may be too big to share. This was a story not just of romance, but family relationships, and heartbreaking tragedy.

I received a complimentary copy for review

I do not recall exactly how I found this book but I am so happy I did! When I opened it I was surprised to find it was set in an area of the country I know well so I was hoping it would be good. The book is set in the 50's in rural southeast Kentucky. In truth I found it reminded me of my childhood memories from the 60's which probably influenced my love of the story. For those who like to know these things before investing in a book, there is sex before marriage, (though there was a commitment to it). Other adult themes include birth control used circa 1950 and domestic violence. I thought the author did a great job with writing the adult themes. Neither the sexual situations nor the domestic violence were too graphic, (though in fair warning the DV is horrific...she wrote it so we would know what happened but didn't give blow by blow or dwell unnecessarily on it.).
I love Owen and Sarah. They are not perfect people but they do make a perfect couple. The characters in were very well written. I feel like they are family. I love when an author can write characters that well. Kathy initially was a character that I disliked. Now that the book has ended she is who I would most like to hear from. I am hoping to hear how she gets on in the next book though I am not sure she will be in it. My understanding is the series continues with the next generation. Back to this book. The author did an amazing job capturing the innocence yet worldly knowledge of the times as well as the place. I read this book a bit slowly because I kept falling into daydreaming mixed with some bittersweet memories. It was emotionally satisfying for me. Though the author made up the home place, mountain and took some liberties with Hazard, it was easy for me to see it all. I was transported through time to Beaver Creek and a holler there where I went looking for haints and first fell in love. I now live in Alaska, so far from there. This book will hold a special place in my heart and I will read it again. I am looking forward to reading not only the rest of this series but also other books by this author.
For my bookies in the club, (you know who you are), let me know if you read this one. Until I read a couple more from the series and am certain of the consistency of the writing I will hold off recommending adding it to the club's series. I do, however, believe it will go in that direction. It has a hot shifter in it. Woot! Woot!

I have never read any of Haddix’s other novels, but I enjoyed this. I don’t think I will be reading any more in the series, but this was a fun little afternoon read. A good, kind novel – that is NOT for children.

Always have to get that out of the way.

This story follows Molly as she leaves Kentucky to travel because of something sketchy that happened in her past. Then she falls for the first town she stays in and… yeah. It follows her moving from one small town to the other, dealing with mostly small town things, and oh yeah, a love interest that can shift into a cat. But that isn’t a big deal.

A sweet read, glad I was able to read it, but… I don’t know if I will read anything else by this Author.

It was "okay" but I don't think it was anything spectacular. This is the third book in the series that continues the story of Sarah and Owen and their children. "Dragonfly Creek" highlights their son "Ben" and his love for Ainsley. The pages are filled with heartache and often shows that things are not always what they seem. Oh...and can I say that Ainsley's mother sounds worse than the Ice Queen and the Wicked Witch of the West combined????

This is a very unusual read--not your traditional contemporary novel--and that's not a bad thing at all! I found it intriguing that this would be set in the 1950's-1960's era, since I'm accustomed to reading books about wizards, shapeshifters, and paranormal activities in a more modern setting.

The primary reason for the three stars is the sexual content. While the story itself keeps your attention, I could have done without the graphic descriptions. Owen and Sarah make a great couple! I was impressed by the unexpected page turners involving Sarah's sister, Kathy, and her terrible losses. I developed a strong dislike for Kathy because she always seemed so snobby and stuck-up and did not really treat her sister with any compassion. But then I felt sorry for her after learning that deep down, this was a woman living a nightmare that she could not escape.

I don't think this was meant to be a "cute" story, but that was how it felt to me. The 1950s setting is one that you don't see very often in this genre, and I felt that it came through very well. I love reading non-typical period romances!

Owen is adorable, even though he has a few moments where you just want to smack him. Not because he is being an ass, just because he needs to get his head back in the game. The supernatural element was a surprise to me, but it was very well done and not overt in any way (I tend to stay away from "shifter" stories). Sarah fell a bit flat for me because she seemed too close to the girl-next-door caricature. She seemed more like a trope and not a person. The side characters are wonderful, and a few are wonderfully bad. But you feel like you have a version of each of them in your life. There is even one character that I totally changed my mind about from beginning to end. And this was a peripheral character! Yes, I cared that much about a non-lead! I really do love when authors spend time developing the side characters. Makes me make "good book noise".

The only thing that detracted for me was the predictability of the plot (with one notable exception). From the beginning you can see where things are headed and the "road blocks" felt more like pebbles. I would have liked to see them grow with each other a little more, but mostly because I liked Owen and Sarah so damned much! Want to read more from the author and this series!

Copy courtesy of Streetlight Graphics Publishing, via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

It all started with two kids, then two teenagers, and finally two difficult adults.
John and Zanny have known each other most of their lives. They played together as children, felt the first twinges of hormones together and rode down one rocky road to an adult relationship. These two have real issues to deal with, life and love are never easy and they sure don't come with a manual. They learn to communicate, to give and when to give up the fight. It was filled with real drama, about realistic adult relationships. The cherry on the cake was just a touch of fantasy.
I really enjoyed the authors style and wished I'd read the first book in the series. (I will got and find it) I would like to know more about this family and follow them throughout the trails of their lives. It was a new author read for me, recommend highly and I am very glad I listened.

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I did it was very funny.

There's just about every cliche about romance books in this one. And every time you think the author has used every cliche possible, there's one more.
If you know what to expect, you will enjoy this book. It's written as a parody, and it does that so well.
The end was a surprise, but totally fir the book.

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I did it was very funny.

There's just about every cliche about romance books in this one. And every time you think the author has used every cliche possible, there's one more.
If you know what to expect, you will enjoy this book. It's written as a parody, and it does that so well.
The end was a surprise, but totally fir the book.

It took me a little bit to get into this book, but once I did it was very funny.

There's just about every cliche about romance books in this one. And every time you think the author has used every cliche possible, there's one more.
If you know what to expect, you will enjoy this book. It's written as a parody, and it does that so well.
The end was a surprise, but totally fir the book.

What a sweet story this was! The characters were rich and compelling, the setting was beautiful, and the story was magical.

Set in the mid 1950s, Sarah lives in Kentucky, a place called Firefly Hollow. As a teenager, she trespasses onto her neighbor’s property and discovers a pond where she likes to be alone and reflect. The owner of the property, Owen, admires her beauty from afar, but doesn’t want her getting too close and learning his secrets. As the years pass, the two find themselves thrown together as young adults and they quickly fall in love. His secrets almost destroy them, but eventually he trusts her enough to let her in on his family heritage. There are adult situations, violence, and sex in this book.

Filled with Appalachian folklore, Firefly Hollow is a magical romance.

DNF - seriously? What the heck did I just read?!

I don't think I've ever witnessed a relationship more abusing than this book's couple seemed to have - and that's saying something! Apart from the fact the plot was obvious as hell, and the sex happened behind closed doors - really now, why would you do that, when the suspense isn't that thrilling, and there's no real reason like there was in the previous book to NOT show the reader the yummy parts?! - the book was nearly traumatizing for me. As in "please, dear God, never let me fall for a guy like Ethan, I'm not that much of a sinner to deserve that, right?" kind of traumatizing.

I couldn't care less if Beth ends up with Ethan at this point, too. Truth be told, I hope she doesn't because no woman deserves that kind of treatment! This guy not only ruined it for me, he made me disgusted enough that I don't even want to touch the rest of the books! Verbal abuse, sleeping with someone then re-abusing them, letting them in danger, good Lord, I don't care about his excuses, this was cruel! And before any of you decides to get on my case about it being realistic, well, let me tell you, I don't want THAT much realism in my romance stories. If I wanted realistic, I'd be observing all those fucked up relationships around me to pass the time, I wouldn't be reading books. Even I have a girl's heart, damn it!

"I do, you know. I do love you. Even if you don’t return my feelings, I wanted you to know. " - Charlie Clark

OK, yes, I do enjoy romantic suspense. In fact, I love it! But there are times when I feel like there's something missing, and in this book's case, this was one of those times...

Lauren Grant will never forget that one fateful summer that changed her life and showed her how cruel the world can really be. But she's willing to fight for her happiness. Several years later, divorced with an adorable daughter, Lauren owns a cafe and is living life the way she always wanted - minus the husband. Yet all this changes when an act of vandalism destroys her shop, and brings her closer to her parents' new, charming neighbour, Charlie Clark. Can Lauren and Charlie find who's behind the hateful acts that target her in time? And how will Charlie convince her to give love and intimacy a second chance?

I enjoyed this story up to a certain point. I'm a sucker for small, cozy towns, and love heroines who don't mind trying their hardest to work things out in their life, instead of acting like poor, helpless victims. Lauren was a sweetheart, and Charlie's courting was too freaking adorable to survive at times.

I'll admit there wasn't much sexiness in this one, but hey, I think it made the book more realistic that way! Lauren still had that trauma to overcome, so it makes sense for her to be hesitant upon close contact with a male.

What brought the rating down was the suspense. Either I'm getting so damn good at guessing what's going to happen next because of all those books I've read, or the story was predictable. If there was some other element to take my mind off of it - sex, action, I don't know - it wouldn't have seemed so glaringly obvious to me. As it was, though, it took away the fun and the thrill books like this are supposed to give the reader...

"I wasn’t expecting it, wasn’t looking for it, but it happened, and I’m here. It scares me to death to admit, even to myself, but I love you, too, Charlie Clark." - Lauren Taylor Grant

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***

Lauren couldn't forget the tragic events that shaped her life when she was a teenager. Everything she felt and believed in centered on that one horrible night. But her life wasn't the only one effected that night, her cousin Margie had set the whole turn of events into place. And now thirteen years later, lives have moved on and changed, but they havent forgotten. Lauren is a divorced single mother who owns her own coffee shop and is showing an interest in the hot neighbor of her parents. Margie however only watches from a distance, under a guise which no one has picked up on...yet. But then a series of mishaps begins with the return of a certain family to the area and now all hell is breaking loose. Lauren must come to terms once again with the man who distroyed her life, as does Margie. One will overcome, the other will succumb.

This is a great romantic suspense read with great characters.

I really did enjoy this read as it had the right amount of suspense and the right amount of romance.

This book is highly recommended read so get clicking

This is a great romantic suspense read with great characters.

I really did enjoy this read as it had the right amount of suspense and the right amount of romance.

This book is highly recommended read so get clicking

This is a great romantic suspense read with great characters.

I really did enjoy this read as it had the right amount of suspense and the right amount of romance.

This book is highly recommended read so get clicking

This is a great romantic suspense read with great characters.

I really did enjoy this read as it had the right amount of suspense and the right amount of romance.

This book is highly recommended read so get clicking

This is a great romantic suspense read with great characters.

I really did enjoy this read as it had the right amount of suspense and the right amount of romance.

This book is highly recommended read so get clicking

This is a book that deals with real life harrowing issues. A story that deals with one persons life that shows how she comes through with dealing with these issues.

A very different read to what I am used to and very thought provoking.

This is a book that deals with real life harrowing issues. A story that deals with one persons life that shows how she comes through with dealing with these issues.

A very different read to what I am used to and very thought provoking.

Sometimes we get so wrapped up in reading stories about sexy supernatural beings, fairytale endings and demonic monsters, that we push aside the reality that you don't have to have supernatural abilities to be a real life monster. The monsters I am referring are like those found in the book one of the Leroy’s Sins series, Secrets in the Shadows by T. L. Haddix. These monsters can be your best friend, your next door neighbor, the guy who always smiles and says hello as you pass each other on the street, or even your closest family member. Living a seemingly normal life by day but lurking in the shadows at night, they leave a trail of emotional destruction where ever they go. In Secrets in the Shadows, such is true for cousins Margie and Lauren, as we follow their shared story and learn why sometimes people have to do the unthinkable just to be able to survive. T. L. Haddix covers some real life issues such as rape and abuse and how hard emotionally it is to overcome such terrible struggles, especially when there are unanswered questions preventing the healing process. The first couple of chapters are a little slow moving, but it quickly found its pace and moves along and keeps the reader intrigued and wanting to know what happens next! One thing that I particularly liked, was that T. L. Haddix doesn’t sugarcoat these issues and have the stereotypical fairytale ending, where everyone goes skipping off happily into the sunset. The reader feels the raw emotions and struggles that they character is facing and not everyone is lucky enough to make it out alive. I can’t wait to see what happens in book two of the Leroy’s Sins series, Under the Moon’s Shadows.