#iReadBookTour – Cindy's Love Of Books

Review/ The Dan Diaries

Posted on May 16, 2018May 16, 2018 by Cindy

Book Details:

Book Title: The Dan Diaries by D.D. Marx (The Beyond Series Book #4)
Category: Adult Fiction; 200 pages
Genre: Chick-Lit
Publisher: Beyond Dreams Publishing
Release date: April 6, 2018
Tour dates: May 14 to June 8, 2018
Content Rating: PG-13 (minimal swearing)

Book Description:

Dan Sullivan was the best friend of Olivia Henry when his life was taken in a tragic car accident. Shocked to be on the other side, Dan navigates his way by learning his new role in eternal life. His first assignment is as Olivia’s guardian angel. He has the crucial role of guiding her to her pre-defined destiny. Dan’s death throws Olivia into a tail-spin which causes her to veer way off course. He understands the enormity of the challenge when he hears the mechanism by which he can communicate. He’s only allowed to use signs and symbols to get her attention and cannot interfere with her free-will.

Every time he thinks he’s close, something throws her off track. He’s forced to start over by convincing her to trust in their enduring, unbreakable bond. Olivia can feel Dan’s presence but is still reluctant to believe the messages he’s sending. She is fearful of falling in love again at the risk of losing another soulmate. Can Dan persuade her to trust in his love from afar so she can finally receive the happiness she truly deserves?

This is the fourth book in The Beyond Series and the previous ones are: Beyond Believing, Beyond Love and Beyond Forever. If you click on the book titles it will take you directly to my review of the books. I don’t know if this is the last book in the series or not as I tried to look it up and so far nothing comes up.

Like the previous books this was a super quick read and I managed to read it in one sitting. Although as I am reading this I didn’t want it to end. I would definitely read more from this author in the future. I loved reading her books.

I have to say that this was the perfect book to read at the end of the series because this is Dan’s story and he filled in so many gabs that were missing from the book. The book is all about Dan but you do see Olivia and the previous characters in the book.

The book begins with Dan’s tragic car accident. You get to see things in his perspective and how he manages to cope with what has happened. He is hurting just as much as the ones he’s left behind. The one thing Dan doesn’t want is for his life to make this huge impact on the ones he left behind. So he has been tasked by God himself to help Olivia get throw this and show her that there is life after death and that even though your loved one is gone physically they are there in spirit.

There is rules that Dan has to follow to get Olivia to believe this and the ways he does this makes you realize that things like this can really happen in the every day world. I know this because after my aunt passed away quite suddenly 18 years ago I was really upset and questioned things like most people do when someone dies suddenly. I was very much like Olivia asking for a sign that things are okay and sure enough she gave me that sign I was looking for. Whenever I am in doubt I ask my aunt and she reassures me with a scent of her favorite perfume. So I am a bug believer that even though they aren’t here physically they are with us spiritually.

If you are looking for a light fun read then I highly recommend this series. But you need to read all the books in order to fully follow along with the story.

Thank you Laura from iReads Book Tour for allowing me to be a part of this book tour and for sending me a copy of the book to read for my review.

Review/ Beyond Forever

Posted on December 4, 2017December 4, 2017 by Cindy

Beyond Forever (Beyond, #3) by D.D. Marx
Published by Beyond Dreams Publishing Group on December 12th 2017
Pages: 225
Goodreads

Just as their life is seemingly back on track, Finn McDaniel’s gets news that sends him into a tail-spin. He is faced with the prospect of losing Olivia Henry forever. He immediately turns to Dan, Olivia’s deceased best friend, who is her loyal and constant guardian angel from the beyond, imploring him for his help. In the midst of all of the chaos a special package is delivered that changes their lives forever.

While Finn is determined to grow his restaurant to new heights by chasing after the coveted Michelin Star, it is Olivia who finally sees her dream come to fruition in a way never thought possible. Finn is determined to support Olivia through her shocking breakthrough and even has a very special surprise up his sleeve that she never sees coming. Just as their plan is set in to motion and they settle in to their new normal, they have an earth shattering encounter. In that moment it is revealed that they have much more than just a spiritual relationship with the beyond.

This is the third and final book in the Beyond series by D.D. Marx. What a fantastic read and it was nice how D.D Marx wrapped up the series. Although I wonder if there could be a series of books on Jules and Mac? I would definitely read that one too.

What a roller coaster of emotions this was. I am so happy that I got the chance to read this series. All three books were super quick reads and it was nice to read them all one right after the other because I knew I would be going crazy if I couldn’t have read them all.

Since this is the third book I am going to keep this short and sweet.

Olivia is getting ready to have her baby but things don’t go as smoothly as the couple hopes and before long Finn is asking Dan for help because he is their guardian angel because its a matter of life and death.

Just when things seem to be getting back on track a mysterious packages arrives causing their lives to never be the same again. Is it in a good way or a bad way?

Good things come to those that wait. Finn is striving to earn that Michelin gold star rating so that he can push his restaurant to the success it truly deserves and bring it to new heights. Will he achieve that? Also receiving some good news is Olivia and she is beyond thrilled never thinking something like this could happen to her and it will change everyone for good.

Sometimes we just need to read something light and fun and that makes you think that some one somewhere is out there watching you and guiding you along the way. We all have guardian angels looking out for us, we just need to recognize the signs and welcome them.

If you are looking for a light fun read then I highly recommend this. But you need to read all three books in order.

Review/ Beyond Love

Posted on November 3, 2017November 3, 2017 by Cindy

Beyond Love (Beyond, #2) by D.D. Marx
Published by Beyond Dreams Publishing Group on November 7th 2017
Pages: 184
Goodreads

After trusting in her beloved friend Dan’s guidance from above, Olivia is finally on the path to realizing her destiny. Staring at a blank canvas after ditching her raucous corporate life and meeting the love of her life, Finn McDaniels, a hot, widowed, celebrity chef, she is ready to begin anew. When she arrives back home to tie up the loose ends in Chicago, she receives more frightening news further delaying her journey with Finn. Unable to control the outcome, she begins questioning her trust and faith in Dan once again. She distracts herself the only way she knows how, by diving head first into a new project. What seemed like a time killer may actually be the thing that saves her and catapults her into a world she never dreamed of.

When Olivia and Finn finally reunite, a deep dark secret is uncovered threatening to ruin the relationship she has waited for her entire life. Olivia is forced to decide whether to tell Finn or let it live in the past forever. Is their relationship strong enough to weather the storm or will it cause them to part ways for good?

I quickly want to thank Laura from iReadBookTours for allowing me to be a part of the tour for this series and for sending me copies of the book to read for my honest and sincere review.

This is the second book in the series and it picks up where Beyond Believing ended. You can click HERE to read my review of that book.

Once again the book is told in two points of view and that is of Olivia and Finn. I was excited to start this because I wanted to know what our lovely couple was up to. This book did not disappoint and I should warn you in advance this is another one that you should have tissues on hand because there were a few moments I was crying a bit.

This was also a super quick read and I have to thank spraining my ankle last week for allowing me to read this pretty much in one sitting. It felt strange being able to curl up on the couch and read during the day. Its been awhile since I have done that.

I should say that I wouldn’t read this as a book on its own and that you really should read the first book to get the full story line. I am excited to see where the third book will go with this.

Anyways back to the book. I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want to spoil it and because its the second book in the series. But what I will say is that Olivia and Finn have decided to move in together so she is in the process of selling her condo so that she can move to California.

One her way back from being with Finn she is on the airplane and discovers that her seat mate is related to one of her best friends from college and before long they are all hanging out. This makes you realize how small the world really is.

Beyond Love comes with all kinds of twists and turns. Just when you think you are living the life and things are going good you are suddenly reminded that its not all a bed of roses. Thats exactly what happens once Olivia gets back to Chicago. Without going into to much detail she gets some bad news that literally shakes up her world and leaves her questioning things and Dan. Whenever there was a problem or situation that came up she turned to Dan for guidance and he would some how convoy the message that things will be okay but with everything that is happening she is questioning if Dan is really there for her. Questioning why he would send her someone only to have him possibly taken away from her.

When Olivia and Finn are finally able to reunite things seem good but then a secret from Olivia’s past has come to surface and she is struggling about what to do. Does she keep it hidden? Or does she come clean and possibly risking her future with Finn?

I can’t wait to read the third and finally book, Beyond Forever to see what happens to Olivia and Finn. Be sure to come back in early December to read my review of that. I am actually just about ready to curl back up on the couch to read it now.

Guest Post/ Broken Trust by Thomas Maurin

Posted on January 7, 2015January 5, 2015 by Cindy

Broken Trust Post: Strong Women in a Man’s World

Bonnie and Mike Hartley

(Pen name: Thomas Maurin)

From the beginning we imagined that Broken Trust would be a movie. One of our goals for the thriller and the movie was to create a female protagonist in her 50s who would work successfully “in a man’s world.” We envisioned Julianne Moore playing Fitz.

Fitz is that woman for many reasons. First, she has always excelled at math and did her doctorate at Wharton in forensic accounting. She does high level financial analysis to support the SEC’s investigation into fraud, market manipulation and other illegal activities. While she is not the only woman to work in that area, her fifteen-year track record at the SEC speaks to her strength, commitment and ability to analyze complex financial situations. She is in her 50s and is in some ways just coming into her own power.

As we see in Broken Trust, she consistently takes the lead with Charles and Jamie, both of whom are strong, successful men used to being in charge. While they both want to protect their friend, they respect Fitz’s willingness to take risks and to put herself in the line of fire, as she does in Cayman when she goes to Kenmore’s office to get the final piece of data about when Hans, Valentina and Ramón are meeting with the attorney. She confronts Hans repeatedly at increasing risk to herself, highlighting her ability to act on her strong convictions.

Fitz is not a super hero. She is a flawed individual whose emotional scars interfere at times with her usual rational decision-making. When her personal and professional lives converge, both internal and external conflicts explode. We see that especially in her relationship with her father and with Charles. She finally recognizes that the mistakes she made regarding Chloe were based on false assumptions. That recognition is a major turning point in Broken Trust. Once she knows that Charles didn’t want the annulment, she finally confronts herself and her father, and takes responsibility for her decision to hide her pregnancy from everyone except her brother. It is her willingness to own her mistakes come what may that finally unlocks the personal power she has repressed for decades.

Book Spotlight/Broken Trust

Posted on January 7, 2015January 5, 2015 by Cindy

Book Details:

Book Title: Broken Trust by Thomas Maurin
Category: Adult fiction, 285 pages
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Cultivating Change LLC
Published: November 2014
Available in: Print and E-book format: mobi (for Kindle)
Will send books: USA and Canada
Tour dates: Jan 7 to 28, 2015
Content Rating: PG-13 (There is only one sex scene and it isn’t explicit.)

Book Description:

This is a story about three smart, successful people who were once fast friends in college and have now been thrust together again in an unlikely, multi-layered investigation with far-reaching international implications and billions of dollars at stake. One is a forensic accountant for the SEC, one beta tests hardware and software for the US Department of Defense and the UK Ministry of Defense, and the third is a wildly successful entrepreneur, software developer and venture capitalist in Silicon Valley.

They get caught up in the hunt for a corrupt Swiss banker intent on finally unloading the last of the gold stolen by his father in World War II; a violent, narcissist leader of a Mexican drug cartel making his move to take over as the head of all cartels in Central America; and the daughter of a murdered Bulgarian arms dealer making the deal that will give her mother financial stability and get them both out of the increasingly unstable arms business.

The plot unfolds as financial crimes committed by insiders put common criminal activities to shame in a world where technology has increasingly insinuated itself into our lives to good and bad effects.

Meet the Authors

Thomas Maurin is the pen name of husband and wife writing team Bonnie B. Hartley, Ph.D., and Michael T. Hartley, CFP®. They both write non-fiction books and articles regarding financial and family business topics and have delivered talks on those subjects internationally over the last thirty years.

Connect with them: Website ~ Twitter

Be sure to go and check out I Read Book Tours to see the tour schedule for Broken Trust.