Thursday, June 30, 2016

Book Review: Gladly Beyond

Gladly Beyond
Goodreads Summary
An ancient curse, fractured at the birth of three brothers.
Two strangers helplessly drawn to each other.
A love story two hundred years in the making.


Claire Raythorn arrives in Florence, Italy, shattered, alone, and anxious to rebuild her life--preferably one without men. But she soon finds herself hunted and haunted-- literally--when a mysterious stalker dressed like Mr. Darcy from BBC central casting appears in her photos. And only her photos. Who is this man? And what does his ghostly presence mean?

Dante D'Angelo simply wants to safeguard his brothers, despite the family curse that hounds his vision. But then Claire Raythorn walks into his life, untouched somehow by his curse. Soon, everything Dante thought he knew about himself starts to unravel, dragging Claire down with him.

Set against the lush backdrop of Florence, Italy--both past and present--Claire and Dante fight for a future together. But, first, they must uncover their shared past . . .

Review
You guys! This book! I never, ever wanted this book to end! If you find yourself in a reading slump or just want a really darn good book, this is the book for you! It is currently $3.99 on amazon which is a steal considering how great a book this is. And also, how pretty is that cover?! I could seriously read 1,000 more pages of this book. I can't sing this book's praises enough, if you can't tell ;). I was very pleasantly surprised when I found out that Nichole Van is writing another book in this world, focusing on another character in this book. I am so excited! 
The characters in this book are so developed and complex! I liked how the story was told in a dual pov, which helped me to really understand our two main characters, Claire and Dante. Oh Dante! I have found myself a new book boyfriend! Couple him with the setting of Italy and we have a perfect match! He is such a good leading man. A good son and brother, has a sense of humor, is romantic...sign me up! And Claire was just so realistic and smart and brave. She hasn't had the easiest life but she doesn't let that get her down. Claire and Dante together were just perfect! 
The setting was wonderful! I've always wanted to go to Italy, and reading this book made me want to go even more! I loved how the author included a map of all the locations featured in the story. Now how to get to Florence and find my own Dante...
The pacing of this novel was perfect! Not too slow and not too fast. The whole concept of this story was so fun to read. I don't want to give anything away, but the curse and the powers surrounding it were very intriguing. 
Seriously, go out and buy this book now! Or ask your local library to order it. I read this book in about a week, and I tried really hard to pace myself so I could enjoy it longer, but I just couldn't put the book down! This is definitely one of those books that I wish I could read again for the first time. 


A free copy was provided in exchange for an honest review. 

Sunday, June 19, 2016

Happy Father's Day!

" 'Father' is the noblest title a man can be given. It is more than a biological role. It signifies a patriarch, a leader, an exemplar, a confidant, a teacher, a hero, a friend and, ultimately, a perfect being." -Elder Robert L. Backman

Happy Father's Day! Like with my Mother's Day post, I wanted to highlight 20 things that I love about my dad! I wish I would've had more time to upload some more pictures of just us, but the move to Florida for the summer kinda caught me off guard, so there are pictures that have my mom and sisters in them. Today he is in New York City to accept an award for the cool company he works for, but he gets back Tuesday. Yesterday we went to Hollywood Beach, about 30 minutes away and also got some ice cream from the Ben and Jerry's Scoop shop on the boardwalk. So fun but so hot and humid!! 

I love how hard a worker you are, and that you provide for your family.
I love that you are a good cook, now we just need to convince you to open that restaurant ;)
I love that you love my mom.
I love that we can watch soccer together, and cheer on Germany and Bayern Munich.
I love that you wear shirts with unique designs on them, like the one below:
He gets compliments every time he wears this shirt.
I love that we can go to concerts together and that we like a lot of the same music. Concerts with you will always be some of my favorite memories.
I love that you tell jokes, even though they can be really corny sometimes ;).
I love that you fulfill your church callings.
I love that you are a worthy Priesthood holder and set a high standard for the kind of guy I want to marry.
I love that you love history and have taught me to love it, so much so that teaching history is going to be my career :).
My sister Alli, my dad, me, Disneyland 2007
I love that you love to read and have introduced me to J.R.R. Tolkien's works.
I love watching "our" movies together, like Lord of the Rings and Star Wars, and A Hard Day's Night.
I love that you help me find solutions, even if I sometimes am too proud to be gracious about it.
I love that you take time to spend time with you daughters, individually. I sure love those daddy-daughter dates!
I love that you help me with school, like proofreading my papers.
I love that you know your family history and share stories with me.
I love that you call me Jessi, but you're the only one allowed to call me that :p
I love that if something needs to be fixed, you try to fix it.
I love that you serve others.
I love that I am lucky enough to have you as my dad!

Dad, I sure love you! The memories I have of us are some of my favorite, ever. I hope I can find and marry a guy as great as you are. Happy Father's Day!!