Excited about Reading: SHE'S MINE by Tammy Doherty

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The cover story~
Caitlin Harrington has a new job and a new life away from her menacing ex-boyfriend, Adam. Issues with her parents, losing her previous job and the death of her beloved grandmother leave her wondering if God has abandoned her. Two things she is sure of: she’s a lousy judge of character and men just can’t be trusted. Now a volunteer firefighter who has come to her rescue more than once is dangerously close to breaking through her defenses.

And not everyone in sleepy Naultag, Massachusetts is welcoming. Someone is leaving ominous notes on her door.

Sean Taggart likes being a rescuer. But a failed engagement has taught him to be cautious with his heart and Caitlin is a threat. Women just can’t be trusted. Still, he’d like to save Caitlin from whatever demons have her so spooked. If only she’d let him.

Threatening notes. Scratching at the windows during the night. A shadowy figure lurking in her yard. Caitlin must tell the police about Adam, but everything he told her was a lie. Who is Adam? And if Caitlin trusts Sean to protect her, will his life be in danger?

Can Sean rescue Caitlin before the stalker becomes a killer?

Sharing my takeaway~
After reading Celtic Cross (FREE as of the date of this post) by Tammy Doherty, I couldn't wait to dive into She's Mine. Settling back with a book by Tammy Doherty is a lot like chatting with a dear friend over coffee. :)

Such three dimensional characters with emotional and physical scars! Caitlin Harrington. Math lover, teacher, taking up residence in her beloved Grandmother's house back in Naultag. She learned from her mother's promiscuous relationships and avoids egotistical, controlling men. Most men, actually, except a couple friends from her past.

Mom driving away, leaving me behind as if I was nothing more than a piece of furniture. Except Mom came back for the furniture. 

Hero Sean Taggart, firefighter and campground owner. Recovering from physical injuries sustained during the story, he battles depression, insecurity and even jealousy. 

Caitlin was like a late-night fire--you saw the flames but the full extent was hard to judge and there was a high risk of getting burned.

I really appreciated the genuineness of the characters. Both struggled with failures and asked some tough questions, which made the faith thread flow naturally. The pages were filled with flirty, witty dialog, with a bit of sarcasm thrown in occasionally. Awesome descriptions transported me into the New England area of Naultag. More than one person wasn't happy that Caitlin returned to Naultag. I had an inkling about creepy Adam but never would've guessed the actual scenario that played out, a palm-slicker for sure. Be sure to grab your copy of She's Mine, a perfect book to laze away a rainy weekend afternoon!

Romance, love and marriage--and divorce--had no clean, easily solved equations.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book while it was listed free on Amazon. I was in no way compensated for my fair and unbiased review. 

Excited about Eating by Ernie Hiers

This edition of Excited about Eating takes us to the South End neighborhood of Charlotte to Tupelo Honey Café which is located on the second floor in a renovated historic building near Charlotte’s light rail. The interior is a mix of industrial and rustic with lots of wood, exposed brick walls, and high ceilings.

Exterior

Interior

Dora here. Don't you just love the interior? This is my kinda place. Parking around noon on Saturday was non-existent in the lot behind the restaurant, but no worries. There's free on-street parking on the other side of the light rail. Also, the 35-minute wait only ended up being 15 minutes. Another score!

Rather than table bread, Tupelo serves scratch-made biscuits with blueberry jam. These biscuits were great, crispy and buttery and warm, and the blueberry jam was the perfect pairing. We would have preferred to eat ours prior to the meal, but with a packed dining room, they came out with our meal. Dora here. I don't care what time they got to the table. I could've stuffed myself with these biscuits! The food did seem to take awhile, but service was very attentive and gracious.

I chose the Tupelo Farm Fresh Burger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, house-made pickles and a secret sauce along with fried okra and tomatoes. The burger was outstanding, grilled perfectly, tasty, and the secret sauce brought it all together. The okra and tomatoes were fresh, lightly battered with just the right amount of crunch.

Tupelo Farm Fresh Burger

Dora here. So many choices! But I finally decided on the Charleston Chicken Sandwich, a marinated grilled chicken breast with lettuce, Havarti cheese on sourdough wheat bread with a side of mac-n-cheese. Doesn't that sound great? The chicken was oh-so-tender and juicy, and I really liked the cranberry flavored mayo. First time eating sourdough wheat bread, and I liked it. The mac-n-cheese was creamy with just the right amount of firmness and kick. 

Charleston Chicken Sandwich

I would rate this restaurant 5 forks out of 5 for a family friendly restaurant serving outstanding food. Definitely worth a return visit!