Monthly Archives: June 2010

Lumby on the Air by Gail Fraser

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Summary:

Pam and Mark Walker are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary with a week-long family reunion and a ceremony renewing their vows. But when Mark’s brother-in-law starts broadcasting his radio talk show from Montis Inn, his disparaging remarks about small-town life cause immediate rifts that only widen when he sides with a real estate developer who wants to turn Lumby into an asphalt Aspen. As the controversy pits family against family, and neighbor against neighbor, will the spirit that defines Lumby triumph once again?

My Review:
Just when I thought I’d seen it all in Lumby, Gail Fraser comes out with a new installment that has me completely hooked.

Pam and Mark are about to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary and the celebration will be attended by their families – characters ranging from the estranged older sister of Mark to Pam’s fun-loving mother, a rebellious teenage niece and a brother-in-law who needs to, quite frankly, learn a lesson.

There was the usual cast of hilarious characters – Howard the Moose, Hank the Plastic Flamingo and.. as always, the funny entries of The Lumby Lines newspaper.

I really, really enjoyed seeing relationships evolve and this book was made a whole lot more personal for me as I found myself identifying with several of the characters represented. Of course, as I’ve learned to expect by now, there were some fantastic elements to the story.. but it’s part of the charm of these books and I fully enjoyed escaping to Lumby again and will definitely be looking out for Lumby Book #6.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from FSB Associates. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Promise of Lumby by Gail Fraser

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Summary:

At Montis Inn, the success of Pam Walker’s on-location restaurant is leaving her overworked and frazzled. Meanwhile, Lumby’s only veterinarian, Dr. Ellen Campbell, has decided to sell her business, and the townsfolk are in full panic mode. Who could possibly replace her?

When animal doctor Tom Candor arrives in Lumby, he seems to be the answer to everyone’s prayers. But some residents are not so trusting of the shy, pensive vet, especially newspaper owner Dennis Beezer, who is determined to expose Tom’s hidden secrets. The repercussions lead to an unpredictable, over-the-top adventure, and a lesson the people of Lumby won’t soon forget…

My Review:

Finally I feel like Fraser has gotten back to where she captured me in The Lumby Lines. I sped through this book and found myself giggling over and over again.

Now, I will say this – some of the situations, as is normal by this point if you have read the other Lumby books, are a bit fantastic. I have a hard time believing koalas and other exotic animals are just being sent to this little, quaint town, but – I went along with it just because it’s good, wholesome fun.

I really enjoyed the budding romance in this one and I enjoyed the different opening that was used. I’m happy that I finally feel like the series is back on track, especially since I have an ARC of the upcoming Lumby book to be released next month.

If you enjoy Jan Karon’s Mitford series, this is definitely a series you should look into – it’s not quite as in depth as Karon’s books are, but it’s fun, quirky and the newspaper alone makes it worth the read.

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from FSB Associates. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Lumby’s Bounty by Gail Fraser

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Summary:

Tucked into the foothills of the Rockies lies the charming village of Lumby, where quirky but tolerant townsfolk usually make the best of any situation. Not a week goes by without some humorous mayhem occurring under the watchful eyes of the mayor, sheriff, and, of course, the town mascot, Hank, a pink flamingo who thinks he’s a bald eagle…

How Lumby has come to host a hot air balloon festival is a long story, but the town’s residents are jumping right into preparations. But in the Lumby tradition, it won’t all be blue skies and smooth sailing…

My Review:
In Lumby’s Bounty, Gail Fraser finally began to make her way back to the charm I fell in love with in The Lumby Lines. Things are back to normal in Lumby – well, as close to normal as they can possibly be.

There were several things I enjoyed seeing in this book – the first being the evolution of Brian Beezer, one of the teenagers who causes so much trouble in the first two books. It was good to see his character emerge and the small story-line with him “trading up” was cute and made me giggle a few times.

I also enjoyed seeing Pam find more of herself – but am finding myself more and more annoyed by Mark. There were a few actions of his in the book that actually angered me and I’m feeling as if perhaps I’m getting close to being done with the Walkers – maybe the next book will change that.

I had a harder time getting through this book though (too much of the same in a short amount of time) and I hope that in the fourth book in the series she spends more time on some of the other residents – as they have waited long enough for their turn.

View all my reviews >>

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from FSB Associates. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Stealing Lumby by Gail Fraser

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Summary:

I was provided copies of the Lumby Books from the publisher after a favorable review of The Lumby Lines – but copies or no, I already had these books on my library list.

I really loved revisiting Lumby – it was fun meeting up with Pam and Mark again, fun seeing the monks and I had the most fun reading the stories in the Lumby Lines newspaper and the Sheriff’s Reports.

That all said, I didn’t enjoy the plot of this book as much – yes, it seemed a bit far-fetched that Lumby would become such a media hotspot, but I could handle that, I understand that when a famous painting goes missing something like that would happen.

My issue was with a missing barn. I just had a hard time with it and it felt as if things were really going a bit too far and trying too hard.

Also, as much as I loved Charlotte, the woman just seems made out of money and an easy way out in this book – I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

Overall, the book was a fun read, just a bit too far-fetched for me to enjoy as much as I loved the first one.

My Review:
I was provided copies of the Lumby Books from the publisher after a favorable review of The Lumby Lines – but copies or no, I already had these books on my library list.

I really loved revisiting Lumby – it was fun meeting up with Pam and Mark again, fun seeing the monks and I had the most fun reading the stories in the Lumby Lines newspaper and the Sheriff’s Reports.

That all said, I didn’t enjoy the plot of this book as much – yes, it seemed a bit far-fetched that Lumby would become such a media hotspot, but I could handle that, I understand that when a famous painting goes missing something like that would happen.

My issue was with a missing barn. I just had a hard time with it and it felt as if things were really going a bit too far and trying too hard.

Also, as much as I loved Charlotte, the woman just seems made out of money and an easy way out in this book – I couldn’t wrap my mind around it.

Overall, the book was a fun read, just a bit too far-fetched for me to enjoy as much as I loved the first one.

View all my reviews >>

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from FSB Associates. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”