Sabrina met Cash Denton 3 years ago and had a whirlwind romance in Paris, only for him to disappear and ghost her. She's wondered if he got hurt, diedSabrina met Cash Denton 3 years ago and had a whirlwind romance in Paris, only for him to disappear and ghost her. She's wondered if he got hurt, died, or got amnesia. Those are the only reasons she can think of for why he has dropped off the face of "her" earth. So she is shocked when she runs into him in the airport as she returns home for her sisters upcoming wedding. Her feelings for him are still strong, but there is now anger and betrayal mixed in with the "love" ones. She doesn't want to give him a chance to hurt her again, but he's going to her hometown as well, and keeps bumping up in all the pre-wedding activities, much to her chagrin.
This was a super fun, second-chance romance with great characters, an exciting plot line, and lots of love to warm you up more than hot chocolate. This author never disappoints. ...more
This YA story continues Nicole’s journey as a magical Arete learning to control and strengthen her powers. When a ghost and an old journal give her a This YA story continues Nicole’s journey as a magical Arete learning to control and strengthen her powers. When a ghost and an old journal give her a new quest to save mankind, she is anxious to do her best. But as eerie things start to happen up by Moses Lake where a ‘meteor’ crashed and lives become at risk, she wonders if she can see her quest through to the end. This has a unique plot that kept my curiosity growing. I’m excited to see what happens in the next Katon University installment as things are slowly ramping up with higher magical beings and the Tarians look like they’ll come into play as well. ***I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
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This YA story continues Nicole’s journey as a magical Arete learning to control and strengthen her powers. When a ghost and an old journal give her a new quest to save mankind, she is anxious to do her best. But as eerie things start to happen up by Moses Lake where a ‘meteor’ crashed and lives become at risk, she wonders if she can see her quest through to the end. This has a unique plot that kept my curiosity growing. I’m excited to see what happens in the next Katon University installment as things are slowly ramping up with higher magical beings and the Tarians look like they’ll come into play as well. ***I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review....more
This book took Nicole and her friends through some crazy, harrowing experiences. It was nail-biting tense, and sometimes, downright scary. The twists This book took Nicole and her friends through some crazy, harrowing experiences. It was nail-biting tense, and sometimes, downright scary. The twists in this book were shocking and made it hard to stop reading. The only negative was it ended quite abruptly and didn’t tie everything nicely together into much resolution. There was resolution, but it was abrupt and kind of surprised me. But, their biggest challenges are yet to be faced, and since this is almost the end of the series, I can forgive the abrupt ending because to get this far, you have to be pretty engaged and dedicated to finishing. This is a great series with fantastical creatures and insane plot twists that make you wince, whimper or whirl around in a field of daisies. (All right, not the last one because I didn’t have a nearby field to twirl in, but the other two I did quite a lot throughout this story).
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my fair and honest review.
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This book took Nicole and her friends through some crazy, harrowing experiences. It was nail-biting tense, and sometimes, downright scary. The twists in this book were shocking and made it hard to stop reading. The only negative was it ended quite abruptly and didn’t tie everything nicely together into much resolution. There was resolution, but it was abrupt and kind of surprised me. But, their biggest challenges are yet to be faced, and since this is almost the end of the series, I can forgive the abrupt ending because to get this far, you have to be pretty engaged and dedicated to finishing. This is a great series with fantastical creatures and insane plot twists that make you wince, whimper or whirl around in a field of daisies. (All right, not the last one because I didn’t have a nearby field to twirl in, but the other two I did quite a lot throughout this story).
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author in exchange for my fair and honest review....more
Very informative! Dr. Haver delves into how to regain health in menopausal years so you don't pack on the visceral fat that is so dangerous for our boVery informative! Dr. Haver delves into how to regain health in menopausal years so you don't pack on the visceral fat that is so dangerous for our bodies. This is a lifestyle she's promoting, not the normal starve-yourself "diet," per se....more
This WWII book switches between present day and the war days in France. It follows 3 dressmakers in Paris during WWII who help the resistance effort aThis WWII book switches between present day and the war days in France. It follows 3 dressmakers in Paris during WWII who help the resistance effort and a girl in the present related to them. Cool how both stories came together at the end. ...more
This is the 4th Matchmaker romance for 2016. This story is set in 1908 in New York. Nelle has just lost her parents to a tragic accident and finds herThis is the 4th Matchmaker romance for 2016. This story is set in 1908 in New York. Nelle has just lost her parents to a tragic accident and finds herself stuck out in the country with her strict, unloving aunt and her selfish cousin until she turns 21 and receives her inheritance. When she meets Mathew, she is struck by how much he has changed since she last saw him as a girl. But he is close to being betrothed to her silly cousin, Alice, so she forces her heart not to stop and stutter whenever he comes near. Pearl, of course, has other plans, and with her gentle, wise guidance, Nelle becomes closer to Mathew as she helps his ailing mother. Will he realize that she is the one to make him truly happy, or will duty and the expectations of others make him miss out on the love that is come into his life?
This was a great romance. At times, I wanted to wring Mathew’s neck, but then kiss his cheek the next moment. He really is a great guy. Nelle is sweet and wonderful, and I wanted to just hold her near the end when she believed not only her heart was broken, but maybe her mind as well. Thankfully, this isn’t a tragedy…due to Pearl saving the day, as she magically does in many places and time periods. Great book.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review.
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This is the 4th Matchmaker romance for 2016. This story is set in 1908 in New York. Nelle has just lost her parents to a tragic accident and finds herself stuck out in the country with her strict, unloving aunt and her selfish cousin until she turns 21 and receives her inheritance. When she meets Mathew, she is struck by how much he has changed since she last saw him as a girl. But he is close to being betrothed to her silly cousin, Alice, so she forces her heart not to stop and stutter whenever he comes near. Pearl, of course, has other plans, and with her gentle, wise guidance, Nelle becomes closer to Mathew as she helps his ailing mother. Will he realize that she is the one to make him truly happy, or will duty and the expectations of others make him miss out on the love that is come into his life?
This was a great romance. At times, I wanted to wring Mathew’s neck, but then kiss his cheek the next moment. He really is a great guy. Nelle is sweet and wonderful, and I wanted to just hold her near the end when she believed not only her heart was broken, but maybe her mind as well. Thankfully, this isn’t a tragedy…due to Pearl saving the day, as she magically does in many places and time periods. Great book.
*I received a copy of this book in exchange for my fair and honest review....more
Each chapter in this book is a blog interview with a different author about their daily writing routine, marketing strategies, writing tips, etc. HereEach chapter in this book is a blog interview with a different author about their daily writing routine, marketing strategies, writing tips, etc. Here were some of the things I learned:
Write, write, write, and write some more. More important to write five great sentences per day than five mediocre pages; don’t get so caught up in word count that you forget about quality. Don’t wait for inspiration. Carpenters don’t need inspiration to make a table. It’s their profession. If they waited for inspiration to hammer in a nail or sand a plank of wood, they’d never make anything. The same holds true for writers...be inspired by the beauty you create.
Another theme was to not be so concerned with marketing while you’re writing. Write the best novel you can, and keep writing. The more books you have to sell, the better. Writers write because they HAVE a story to tell—and they can’t and don’t want to stop.
One of the interviews was with Mark Edwards, who co-authored a book with Louise Voss. She did female character chapters and he did male character. I thought this was a cool idea.
Another theme was to have a life outside of writing. Have your own adventures, meet new people. All these experiences and social connections give us fodder for our writing. And last, work on writing a good synopsis of book before you start; it saves time and helps be organized.
Merged review:
Each chapter in this book is a blog interview with a different author about their daily writing routine, marketing strategies, writing tips, etc. Here were some of the things I learned:
Write, write, write, and write some more. More important to write five great sentences per day than five mediocre pages; don’t get so caught up in word count that you forget about quality. Don’t wait for inspiration. Carpenters don’t need inspiration to make a table. It’s their profession. If they waited for inspiration to hammer in a nail or sand a plank of wood, they’d never make anything. The same holds true for writers...be inspired by the beauty you create.
Another theme was to not be so concerned with marketing while you’re writing. Write the best novel you can, and keep writing. The more books you have to sell, the better. Writers write because they HAVE a story to tell—and they can’t and don’t want to stop.
One of the interviews was with Mark Edwards, who co-authored a book with Louise Voss. She did female character chapters and he did male character. I thought this was a cool idea.
Another theme was to have a life outside of writing. Have your own adventures, meet new people. All these experiences and social connections give us fodder for our writing. And last, work on writing a good synopsis of book before you start; it saves time and helps be organized....more
Wowzers! This is a pro-bass fisherman type book, in that it hooked me good, and then reeled me through some heartbreaking, stormy waters. The plot gutWowzers! This is a pro-bass fisherman type book, in that it hooked me good, and then reeled me through some heartbreaking, stormy waters. The plot gutted me and left me bleeding at times, yet I would recommend that everyone bite onto this story and go through the same heart-wrenching process. It’s a pleasure to be gutted like this. Seriously! The characters in this story are now my best friends (even though they were some of the gutting party).
This story is set in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia (New Scotland) and Scotland (the old). The historical details of life in Scotland and starting out in the new world were very interesting. Harriet, Allen, Margaret, Ian, and other characters will imbed themselves into your soul and you will HAVE to read the entire story to figure out what happens to them. Yes...your free-agency will be taken away from you for a while. The laundry might stack up...your kids might have to microwave frozen burritos for dinner because you can’t get unhooked from this book...but I’ve survived to the end to tell you that the laundry will still be there for you when you’re done with this, and that burritos for a few days for your kids will make them more appreciative of your meal-making efforts from here on out. So you have no excuse! Bite this story’s hook and just go with it. It’s a story you won’t regret reading.
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Wowzers! This is a pro-bass fisherman type book, in that it hooked me good, and then reeled me through some heartbreaking, stormy waters. The plot gutted me and left me bleeding at times, yet I would recommend that everyone bite onto this story and go through the same heart-wrenching process. It’s a pleasure to be gutted like this. Seriously! The characters in this story are now my best friends (even though they were some of the gutting party).
This story is set in Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia (New Scotland) and Scotland (the old). The historical details of life in Scotland and starting out in the new world were very interesting. Harriet, Allen, Margaret, Ian, and other characters will imbed themselves into your soul and you will HAVE to read the entire story to figure out what happens to them. Yes...your free-agency will be taken away from you for a while. The laundry might stack up...your kids might have to microwave frozen burritos for dinner because you can’t get unhooked from this book...but I’ve survived to the end to tell you that the laundry will still be there for you when you’re done with this, and that burritos for a few days for your kids will make them more appreciative of your meal-making efforts from here on out. So you have no excuse! Bite this story’s hook and just go with it. It’s a story you won’t regret reading....more
This is a well-written health book that delves into nutrition and strength training principles without boring you to death. It was highly motivating. This is a well-written health book that delves into nutrition and strength training principles without boring you to death. It was highly motivating. I found myself reading through it fast, taking lots of notes, trying out nutrition changes that the author helped me understand (finally!), and eventually starting the program yesterday. He explained things simply so that even a beginner like me could understand and apply the principles taught. I'm super excited to put the Thinner Leaner Stronger program into action now for the rest of the year....more
Loved the premise of this book, that there are two tracks God has made for us--the preparatory track is more transactional (keep a commandment and getLoved the premise of this book, that there are two tracks God has made for us--the preparatory track is more transactional (keep a commandment and get a blessing; do something nice for someone so they'll do something nice for you back or think highly of you). The second track is a higher, holier way of doing things, where we leave the transaction out of it and only do things out of love. We keep God's commandments because we love Him (not just to get blessings from Him). We serve others because we love them and don't think of receiving rewards. We simply go into relationships with the thought to heal and help others come unto Christ, even if they treat us poorly back. We simply love them. It's written well and was easy to get through. I highlighted it a ton and want to keep coming back to it's thoughts to ponder and put into action more. ...more
Written by a woman OB/GYN, who deep-dived researched into menopause when she went into it and couldn't find the help she needed. It's very informativeWritten by a woman OB/GYN, who deep-dived researched into menopause when she went into it and couldn't find the help she needed. It's very informative, gave me some great ideas on how to work on better nutrition at my age and exercise. It arms you with knowledge to self-advocate for yourself when you go to a physician and maybe he/she is not aware of the latest research in menopausal symptoms/remedies. The last half of the book is a "toolkit" with tons of symptoms of perimenopause/post-menopause that she goes through and explains, gives natural ideas to help, and then outlines the latest research into hormone treatment for that symptom as well as Rx or supplements available to help women through it. I learned a lot....more
This Regency romance features Lord William Bentley and Eliza Wycliffe. Her and William have been friends since she was a young girl. When her mother cThis Regency romance features Lord William Bentley and Eliza Wycliffe. Her and William have been friends since she was a young girl. When her mother confesses that she is dying and that upon her death, Eliza will lose the 12,000 pounds for her dowry, basically making it impossible for her to marry well. She must find a husband quickly to have the dowry and make her mom happy. But her mother forbids her to tell anyone else, even her own brothers. William teases Eliza as she comes out in society. He has become bitter about the ton and sees everything as a joke to make fun of. But as Eliza realizes her feelings for him go deeper than friendship, that Williams is the one she loves, not the other suitors vying for her hand, she decides she must confess to him and see if he loves her too. It's a heart-tugging, thrilling Regency romance as it plays out to see if she'll get her happily-ever-after or have to settle for someone else to meet her mom's demands. ...more
If you don't like swearing (F-words) and sex scenes, know that this book has them. I had to skip a bunch, but had been prewarned so was prepared. ThisIf you don't like swearing (F-words) and sex scenes, know that this book has them. I had to skip a bunch, but had been prewarned so was prepared. This book is a heartbreaking romance with abuse as the subject. The heroine doesn't want to end up like her mother, who was beaten often by her dad for no good reason. So when she falls hopelessly in love and feels her life can't get better, she is jerked out of HEA when her guy hurts her. I won't summarize the whole plot, but it's a beautifully written book about abusers and victims, and amazingly, I felt for each, finding myself in the same heartbreaking place as the heroine as she tries to decide whether to stay and risk further abuse or end it now. You fall in love with the anti-hero, and gain a lot of empathy for victims after reading this. That's why I decided to skip what I didn't like to see how the author did it. It's a tear-jerker for sure. ...more
The heroine in this thriller is unique. She deals with mental issues that make her extremely anti-social, almost psychopathic (but she has a good hearThe heroine in this thriller is unique. She deals with mental issues that make her extremely anti-social, almost psychopathic (but she has a good heart. She's just graduated from med school and is a pathology resident at a hospital she chose because of a surgeon there who she noticed in several old pictures she went through after her father died. She wants to know why Dr. Donovan is stalking her and her mom. When she begins studying him more on her rounds, what she discovers is more sinister than she ever imagined.
Rubin always creates awesome, scary villains in her books that keep my shiver-alarm going off non-stop as I read. This book is no different. The villain was well-done. And Liza, the heroine, has to decide whether she's going crazy like her mom or whether she's on the right track of a serial-killer. This kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't wait to finish it to put me out of my suspense. Well, done, Ms. Rubin. Again, you've created a thrilling masterpiece.
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The heroine in this thriller is unique. She deals with mental issues that make her extremely anti-social, almost psychopathic (but she has a good heart. She's just graduated from med school and is a pathology resident at a hospital she chose because of a surgeon there who she noticed in several old pictures she went through after her father died. She wants to know why Dr. Donovan is stalking her and her mom. When she begins studying him more on her rounds, what she discovers is more sinister than she ever imagined.
Rubin always creates awesome, scary villains in her books that keep my shiver-alarm going off non-stop as I read. This book is no different. The villain was well-done. And Liza, the heroine, has to decide whether she's going crazy like her mom or whether she's on the right track of a serial-killer. This kept me on the edge of my seat and I couldn't wait to finish it to put me out of my suspense. Well, done, Ms. Rubin. Again, you've created a thrilling masterpiece....more
Cute chick flick featuring Oliver, the geeky programmer, and Madison, the party bottle girl. Oliver needs a quiet place to work during the day, and MaCute chick flick featuring Oliver, the geeky programmer, and Madison, the party bottle girl. Oliver needs a quiet place to work during the day, and Madison is up for earning a few more bucks for rent to let him work at the nightclub she works at by night. They’re so opposite each other, but Oliver can’t stop thinking of Mads once he meets her. He tries to ignore her when she’s working out downstairs white he works, but Madison is a hard woman to ignore. I won’t spoil the reading fun for this one by rehashing the whole story, but it’s a chick flick with depth and characters so different than me who still grew to be my friends. Great storytelling with a slow-burn romance and mistaken identity tropes. ...more
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