Just beachy

Listening to: "Little Balloon" by Jenny & Tyler
Their newest album, Open Your Doors, is available on iTunes for only $3.99! No idea how long that'll last, but I do recommend checking it out!

Once again, sorry for the lack of updates--I was spending the week at the beach with my family! I'll be back soon with the rest of my list, but for now, here's some pics from the beach!

Mexico Beach, FL

Pretty pink sunset.

Gorgeous rainbow over the ocean!

Shells and seaweed.

Seashell. This picture was a total accident,
but I love the bubbles.

Watching the waves is the best.

Another pretty sunset.

Sunlight, sea, and shadows.

Lines in the sand.

I caught a fish!

Now it's back to Cleveland--and back to work. Oh well. It was a nice break while it lasted!

Happy birthday to me (and America!)

Photo Credit: Unknown

Listening to: "God Bless the USA" by Jump5. (Naturally.)

Don't judge me. Please. (At least my mom thinks I'm cool.)

Actually, my birthday was yesterday. Yay, 22! (Actually, I think I've officially hit the point where getting older isn't a big deal. I mean, what's so special about 22?* That is not to say, however, that birthdays aren't a big deal. They will always deserve to be special!)

Anyway, it ended up being a good day. Even though my (wonderful) boyfriend wasn't able to come spend it with me, he made up for it by calling and texting me throughout the day. Then, after I got off work, I went to see fireworks in downtown Chattanooga with several of my friends. (They do them on the 3rd instead of the 4th. Obviously, the whole city just wants to celebrate my birthday.)

Pretty, pretty. I love fireworks!

Then I went over to Christy & Luke's to find that they had a cake waiting for me!

They didn't have candles, so they made a "B" out of sprinkles instead.

Today, I cooked out with some friends and basically just chilled and watched Seventeen Again. We were all too sleepy to do much else. Oh well. Still a fun time. :) After that, I ended up coming home, reading a book, and watching Friends. Ahh, I love holidays off work!

P.S. I'll be back tomorrow with Day #6!

*Besides the fact that I find it really weird that I'm 22. Shouldn't I still be like, 15? I'm not old enough to be a college grad!!! I'm not even old enough to be in college yet!

Tidewater Inn

Currently reading: "Tidewater Inn" by Colleen Coble

BookSneeze.com: They send me free books, asking only that I review them on my blog and share my opinions on them. Easy enough trade, even if writing reviews isn't quite my strong point! First up: Tidewater Inn by Colleen Coble.

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Tidewater Inn begins with historic home renovator Libby Holladay learning that she has just inherited a gorgeous historic inn—and a family she never knew she had. Unfortunately, her newfound siblings are less than welcoming, convinced that she is there for the money and nothing more. Adding to her distress is the fact that she has just witnessed her best friend being kidnapped, and is now under suspicion for committing the crime herself.

Generally speaking, I enjoy Colleen Coble’s books (mystery and suspense, laced with a little bit of romance), so I had hoped that this one would be no exception. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite hit home with me. While I liked the premise of the story, I found that most of the plot felt forced and unrealistic. The first chapter was awkward—so much happened right off the bat with little to no character development, so it made it a little difficult to connect. Much of the story continued in the same manner. The constant suspicion and accusations against Libby became a bit redundant after awhile, and important information that, realistically, would have been presented upfront was withheld until the very end (which I understand in wanting to keep the reader in suspense, but like I said, the way it was done simply felt forced).

If you’re looking to read anything by Coble (which I do recommend!), you might try starting with some of her other books instead. This one isn’t terrible, but it’s certainly not her best!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com book review bloggers program. 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.”