Keeping 13: the exciting conclusion to Binding 13

Keeping 13 is the second book of the Boys of Tommen series by Chloe Walsh. The story begins immediately after the events of book 1 Binding 13 as both Shannon and Johnny face life changing decisions, each with their own fallouts and dire consequences. After a devastating injury, Johnny is sidelined while he recovers and struggles to stay the course for his ultimate dreams. Feeling lost and insecure, he sets his attention to unraveling the mystery and secrets of the only other person who has been able to take his sights off his goals. Keeping secrets is second nature for Shannon as her family life demands it. Traumatized and desperate to protect herself and her little brothers, she finds herself falling into old patterns with cover-ups and walls in place to keep everyone out. However, Johnny is the only one with the ability to climb those walls. Falling in love with each other was the easy part, what they now face will be the test. 

Keeping 13 is a story of friendship, first love, friendship, and horrifying secrets in this love story of two teenagers from opposite sides of the tracks. After reading Binding 13, I couldn’t wait to finish this heartbreaking story and hoping for a happy ending. Picking up right where Binding 13 left off, Keeping 13 was a wild ride that kept going with its dips and turns until the very end. There were a number of surprises especially at the end. Just when I thought the story was over, it wasn’t!  It had heartbreaking moments with sobs and tears as well as heart gripping fear. However, there were side splitting laughter and smiles for miles as the teenagers will be teenagers. As I warned with Binding 13, I will give the warning again. It is written in the Irish teen vernacular with heavy foul language. I loved this story and I can’t wait to finish the rest of the series. I highly, highly recommend Keeping 13. 

Keeping 13 is available in paperback and eBook

The Sugar Queen: a story of second chances for love and happiness

The Sugar Queen by Tess Thompson is the first book in the Emerson Pass Contemporaries series. At eighteen, Brandi Vargas watched the love of her drive away, never to return. Though she and Trapper Barnes dreamed of a life together, she felt she would only be in the way of his dreams. Breaking his heart, and her own while holding onto a secret, she resigned herself to a life in the small town. Ten years later, after an injury ends his professional hockey career, Trapper Barnes returns to Emerson Pass. Brandi now owns the local bakery, The Sugar Queen, and has seemingly forgotten all about him. As with small towns, it is hard to avoid each other, and soon tragedy forces Brandi to confront her past and the need to reveal her secret. A secret she is certain will end any possible future with Trapper and even leave him hating her. Will she find the strength to reveal her deepest secret for another chance at love and happiness with Trapper? 

The Sugar Queen is a sweet romance with deep emotions and great moments. The book opens with a disclaimer from the author that the story deals with the stillbirth of an infant. Since I have experienced my own loss of an infant, although not a stillbirth, I appreciate the disclaimer and was prepared for the topic to come up in the story. Ms. Thompson deals with infant loss with heart, honesty and tenderness. I rarely cry at a book but this story had me in tears as Brandi reveals her secret to Trapper. Trapper’s reaction is what I would expect when hearing such devastating news. I especially cried when Brandi received support from an unlikely source. There is also a great cast of supporting characters. Those to love and those to hate and loathe, especially one character I wanted to reach through the book and shake some sense into! I look forward to reading the rest of the love stories the Emerson Pass Contemporaries has to offer. I highly recommend The Sugar Queen. 

The Sugar Queen is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

Part 2: The memory

She sat on the couch in the dark, with one lone light on in the distance, as she held the pictures in her hands. Tears rolled down her face as she thought about the day her world turned upside down…

The day started like any other day. She woke up, excited for the new day. She had a doctor’s appointment in a couple hours and her husband was going to be there! She got up carefully as her growing belly slowed her down a great deal. As she walked to the bathroom, she saw their wedding photo. Her husband standing for proudly and handsomely in his Marine Corps dress uniform and herself smiling as brightly as her white wedding gown. It was the most perfect day and it continued to be perfect. She got pregnant shortly after her husband came home from deployment and he wasn’t leaving until after the baby was born. She closed her eyes in quick prayer, hopefully he’s not leaving until after.

After a quick shower, she dressed and was out the door. She checked her phone and had a text message from her husband. “Going be a little late. See you at the drs.” She nodded as she pulled the car out of the driveway and headed to the medical building. As she waited for her husband to join her in the waiting room, impatiently checking her phone and the time. Where was he? If he misses this, I’ll never forgive him! She thought angrily as she snapped her phone shut one last time.

“Taylor Harrison” the nurse calls her in. She stands up, looking over her shoulder. She sighs. He’s not coming. With slow steps, she follows the nurse to the exam room.

“How are we today?” the nurse asks as she takes vital signs.

“I’ve been better” she replies.

“Oh, something wrong?”

“Yeah, my husband was supposed to meet me here but he’s late.”

The nurse smiled sympathetically. “The doctor will be with you shortly” she said as she left the room.

She sat on the exam table, looking around the room. Suddenly, the room got colder than usual and she had a sense of something was very wrong. The door opened and her doctor walked in the room. He began his exam with small talk about how she was feeling, etc etc. Then he stopped. The expression on his face changed and terror gripped her heart in icing vice. She could hardly breathe.

“I’m going to send you over to labor and delivery for further examination” he finally speaks.

“Why? What’s going on?” she asks terrified.

“I can’t really tell here. I need better equipment that the office doesn’t have. I’ll have a nurse take you over there and I’ll be there as soon as I call the doctor on call.”

Before she knew it, she was being whisked to labor and deliver, being hooked up to machines and have an IV put in. She stared at the nurses with wide questioning eyes.

“Just a precaution, my dear” the nurse said as she patted her arm and left the arm.

There she was lying in a hospital bed. Her husband was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t answering his phone. No one was answering their phones. What was going on?

Suddenly, the room as a bustle of activity as doctors and nurses walked into the room, talking over each other as they worked. The doctor on call walked over to her and with a grave expression, she explained what was going on. All she heard as baby, distress, delivery. She began to cry. Her baby was being born tonight. Three months early and there was nothing else that could be done. She was alone. The only person she was able to get a hold of was her mother who lived 3,000 miles away. Her mom said she was on the first plane out but she wouldn’t get there in time…