Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Reviewing Prom Queen by Laura Wolfe

Prom Queen book cover
Prom Queen by Laura Wolfe 

I'm not sure what made me want to read this book by Laura Wolfe, but I will definitely be diving into more of her books as I really enjoyed it.

The cover of the book says, 'We were all there 20 years ago....Only one of us killed her', that was enough of a hook for me!

This book runs in two timelines one is the present day and one is twenty years ago when the small town of Cove Haven's Prom Queen died.

The main character in the book is Brooke and she has returned to Cove Haven on the shore of Lake Michigan after her mother's death planning to renovate and sell the family home. While she's in the coffee shop she bumps into a woman who is wearing a silver locket around her neck that she instantly recognises. The necklace is one that she gave her long-time best friend for her 17th birthday and the last time she saw it was on the evening that her friend (the Prom Queen in the title) died.

The person in question was a true-crime podcaster who had decided to investigate the Prom Queen's death and she raised lots of questions as podcasters do. Bailey's death had been put down as a suicide, but her friends had often thought it could've been something more sinister. As the podcaster, Hannah probes more she and Brooke discover more things and the twists start coming.

I really enjoyed it even though I did suspect who the killer was before the end, I will confess to falling for a red herring for a few moments. I won't reveal more about that as I want you to fall for it   enjoy the book with no preconceptions!

If you like thrillers and whodunnits then you should enjoy this book. There were a couple of cliched characters in the book, but the main cast was really good.

The only thing that I didn't really like was the epilogue. I enjoyed the ending with the reveal and think it could've ended there. When I read the epilogue I said to my husband, 'that's not a nice ending, I really don't like that ending' I think it was to set up for another book, but I just didn't like it. I would recommend not reading that part, but if you're like me curiosity will get the better of you. 

For an entertaining read I do recommend it. It is marketed as a 'totally addictive and gripping psychological thriller with a heart-stopping twist' and that does sum it up although I would probably replace the psychological thriller with whodunnit as it wasn't as dark and suspenseful as a lot of psychological thrillers.




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, December 27, 2023

The Taverner's Son by Leslie Park Lynn ~ A Book Review

 The Taverner's Son is a well written deeply moving novel that has a beautiful story line that everyone can really sink their teeth into.  Family secrets, tragedy and a small village help to make this book a real page turner.  I love the characters and each one of their with own "quirks".  

The Taverners Son



What family doesn't have some sadness and misunderstandings that get in the way of family connections?  I don't think there is one family out there who can't relate in some way.

So it is with Will Kendrick.  He has lived most of his adult life away from the small town that was his home.  Misunderstandings and pride make it difficult to get through to the part where we still love each other.  And sometimes it's too late to do anything about it!  

Will gets a phone call letting him know that his father has passed away.   Living on the west coast for many years,  Will had not given his father too much thought.  Now he is in shock and trying desperately to make sense of it all, realizing that there is no more time left.

Will makes the plans to return to the little fishing village of Apalachicola.  First he had to make his way from California to Tallahassee and then drive from there to what had been his home.  As he drives the roads back to his "home" memories come flooding back to him. 

Of course there are the people of the town whom he had known growing up and many that had left the small town for bigger and better opportunities.  But there was also one of his oldest and dearest friends from his childhood who remained.  Jess, his long time friend from grade school, who had always been there during his childhood, made her life in the small town of Apalachicola.

Will is making his way around town and sees the tavern where he spent many days helping his father.  Homework was done on one of the small tables in the back.  Penny, the cook and keeper of the kitchen took Will under her wings when Will's mother had died.  Will was only 3 years old when his mother died.   Penny and her husband were the imaginary parents that Will wanted.  His father had become distant and depressed, withdrawn from his son and anything that reminded him of his beloved wife.  Will was the spitting image of his mother.  So that made things even harder for Will's father.  And now Will is standing in the Tavern that now belongs to him.  


Will has a lot to learn about the father he didn't know so well and more about his mother too. When you lose your mom at 3 years of age, you really don't know too much about her.    As you get into the book, the story takes on a life of it's own and you will be hard pressed to put the book down.  So many questions that Will has and so few answers, yet, there is something going on that doesn't make sense.


I don't want to give too much of the story away, but, I would encourage you to pick this book up.  It really is a riveting story of family, family secrets and how they impact the people who are being "saved from the truth".  This book is masterfully written, a love story with twists and turns that you will not see coming.  It is a page turner that you won't want to put down.

I received this book from VoraciousReadersOnly with the promise of sharing a review.  It was my pleasure to read this book and review it for you here.





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, December 13, 2023

Sci-Fi Lovers, Project Hail Mary is For You! A Book Review

Anyone who has been reading my reviews knows that I am a typical Historical/Suspense novel lover.  Once in a while I get out of my comfort zone and delve into something completely different.  Project Hail Mary was one of those leaps into a genre that I normally don't gravitate towards!

I can imagine that anyone who loves Science Fiction and Mystery stories would absolutely love this book.  So if there is a Sci-Fi Lover on your Christmas List this book is one for them.

Project Hail Mary

 This book is a #1 Best Seller on Amazon and has won much acclaim!


Synopsis:

Ryland Grace is the lone survivor on a mission that has been set into motion at some point in the past.  He's not sure exactly when or where and what the mission is all about.  He's been in a prescheduled coma for a while and his mind is kind of fuzzy.

Looking around he finds himself millions of miles away from earth with only his two deceased comrades for company.

What has happened and what is happening?  His memories are slowly coming back and he realizes that he has an almost impossible task ahead.  One that will be either the salvation of mankind or it's complete demise.

The sun is losing it's strength and the earth is cooling.  There is another ICE AGE on the horizon unless he can find a way to capture and/or disarm the alien entity that is causing this loss of heat energy.  

What else can possibly happen while Ryland is on this quest?  

I found this book to be a total all encompassing read.  While there were many parts that I could not wrap my head around, I think the author did an amazing job of making all of this believable, even though I don't necessarily understand all the science around it.  I let my imagination run with the possibilities!  

Is Earth the only planet that will suffer if the solution to the problem isn't found?  Are there other possible populations in outer space that will also suffer this fate?  It's time to pick up this book and find out.  I can almost guarantee that once you start, you won't want to put this book down again.  

I did have to re-read a few chapters in order to get a clearer picture in my mind's eye, but that was not a deterrent or a difficulty because I really wanted to understand the situation better.  

Would I recommend this book?  You better believe I will.  As I said earlier it's not my favorite genre of book, but I think I will need to make an exception in this case.  I might even have to get his other book, The Martian and read it too.  Broadening my horizons is part of why I love reading. 

I'm sure that a Sci-Fi lover would find this book totally engrossing and even the ending has a poignant cast to it.

I think my next read by Andy Weir will be The Martian, that's how much I enjoyed Project Hail Mary!

If you sign up for an Audible Trial you can enjoy both of these books free of charge.

Project Hail Mary


I'm sure that these books will become a favorite for any Science Fiction Lover!  Enjoy it, I sure did.

 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Panda Girl ~ A Historical Novel by Lawrence V. Drake ~ A Book Review

 So I'm going to tell you a secret!  Historical Novels are one of my favorite genre of books. It doesn't really matter what the time period is, I just happen to be very adept at getting my mind into whatever period I am reading about!

Panda Girl by Lawrence Drake is one of these books.  Set in the period of the Second World War, just after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, this novel had me right from the opening few sentences of the Prologue.

Based on true life experiences, Panda Girl captivates and sheds some light on a part of WWII that many people don't know anything about.  It certainly was the case for me.  We think of the war as taking part mostly in Europe, but there was a whole contingent of the War that was taking place in  China, Burma, and India. 

Known collectively as the CBI Theater of WWII,  the Americans, while fighting Germany and the Japanese in the Pacific, also vowed that Japan would not overrun China.

https://amzn.to/46vRcHz

Victor Dance (the main character) knows little about the world beyond his family's dairy farm in Montana.  He is reserved, shy, a hard worker and well liked.  He's also a talented artist in his own right.

When Pearl Harbor was bombed and the scope of destruction was realized, Victor and many of his friends enlisted in the Army to do their part for America and world peace.  Victor knew he wanted to fly!  It was a dream of his since he once witnessed Lindbergh flying over the family farm.  

When Victor and his friends had enlisted, their minds were full of thoughts of flying to France or England, they had never in their wildest dreams thought they would end up in India and  thought much less of the terrain they would be flying in.

Lawrence Drake does a wonderful job of bringing the realities of some of these missions to the pages of this book.  At times I felt that I was drowning in the heat that many of these pilots had to endure and just as I was getting comfortable in the heat,  I'd find myself freezing right along with them when they were flying at 20,000 ft.  I can't imagine the shock to the body when those kinds of extremes are happening within a short span of time. 

Missions over the Himalayas  were treacherous as winds, clouds and some of the highest mountains in the world stood between the pilots and their missions to take out Japanese tankers, railroads, bridges and transfer stations.  

Sometimes the only thing that kept these guys in the air and focused on their missions were the thoughts of those people back home who were counting on their success in this War. Letters from home were the only way many of these men kept going.  Hobbies helped too, as Victor in his "off time" was often drawing.  His talents as a pilot and an artist were in high demand, but you will have to read the book to see why.

War is never an easy thing and writing about it in a way that makes you fully understand the sacrifices is a real gift for us who have never had those experiences.  Truly it makes you even more thankful that we have not had to take part in this kind of "action".

If there is someone on your list of friends that enjoys Historical Novels, then this book gets a big Green Light from me.  I really enjoyed the story and came away with a much better understanding and thankfulness for all the sacrifices these men and women made for us.

You can get your own copy right here and I do hope you enjoy it as much as I did!



Happy Reading, until the next Review!



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Reviewing Worlds Apart by Jane Crittenden

Book Review - Worlds Apart by Jane Crittenden

If you're after an easy-to-read romance with a dash of teen angst then Jane Crittenden's debut novel, Worlds Apart is perfect for you.

Amy moved to New Zealand with her family as a pregnant eighteen-year-old and has made a life for herself and her daughter in Auckland, New Zealand. As she is nearly finished with a day of celebration at her cafe on the beach in walks her high school sweetheart.

The novel switches between four friends in the sixth form (16-18 years of age for people who aren't familiar with the UK schooling system) in the UK to the present time in Auckland, NZ. As teens Amy, Olivia, Chris and Paul are in Sixth Form together and hang out outside of school. Amy and Chris are in love with each other, Olivia is in love with Chris and Paul is mooning over Olivia.

When Amy finds herself pregnant as her parents are planning to emigrate to New Zealand she ends up writing a letter to Chris to let him know about the pregnancy and gives it to her beloved dad to deliver. She then moves to New Zealand with her parents and waits for him to follow. He doesn't and she ends up raising her daughter as a single mum and also using her baking talent to make a name for her cafe set beachfront in Auckland.

There are some twists and misunderstandings abound in this book, along with a second chance at romance - can the flames between first loves be reignited 18 years later?

It was definitely an easy read so if you're looking for something non-taxing to read while relaxing this fits the bill. I read it in less than a day. I think if you like authors such as Jo Jo Moyes or Barbara Davis I think you'll enjoy this book.

As a side note, I found it interesting as to how different a personality her best friend in her late 30s, Shannon, was to her best friend in her late teens, Olivia, was. It made me think about how different my circle of friends has become in different stages of my life.

I read this as part of my Amazon Prime membership, if you enjoy getting sneak peeks at new books as well as access to the Prime Reading as well as Amazon Prime videos then this is definitely something to consider getting. You can watch every episode of Jack Ryan, among other things.

If you've read Worlds Apart, let me know what you thought in the comments.

Book Review of a Second-Chance Romance, Worlds Apart
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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Friday, August 25, 2023

Book Review of A Forgiving Heart (Seasons of Change Book 2)

forgiving heart book cover
Seasons of Change is a historical Christian romance book series that is written by multiple authors.  The books do not share the same characters.  They simply share the same theme.

A Forgiving Heart by Kasey Stockton could easily be read as a stand alone book and is one I would recommend even if you do not wish to commit to the entire series.  The main character is quite believable.  She does, indeed, possess a forgiving heart, but not in a way that seems beyond reason.  While she has forgiven childhood mistreatment by other children, it is clear she still struggles with the memories of the selfish adult who was filled with anger and took it out on her.

This is a book that has stayed with me for days.  I realize it is fiction, but the injustices are all too real.  Children can be cruel, and people who should be looking out for you, often take advantage of their power.  Even if our own lives have been easy, comparatively speaking, I think we all need the opportunity to consider how others may well have very painful pasts.  Just telling someone they need to forgive someone seems trite and unsympathetic.  Giving them time and room to work through something step by step is a more thoughtfully considered response.  That is the reminder this book offered me, while also entertaining me with a romantic story.

I will warn you in advance.  This is not a light reading romance.  There is a pervasive evil throughout the story, starting with the uncle and continuing with someone viewed as a friend.  Perhaps, that is another life lesson we should all be reminded of.  People are not always who or what they seem.

 

A Forgiving Heart Synopsis

 A Forgiving Heart
(Seasons of Change Series)
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Kate Kingston is now an adult, content with her life as a teacher.  When an attorney arrives one day at the school to inform her of her uncle's death and her inheritance, she is thrown back into her past.  A past she would prefer to leave behind. 

When she was 4, her parents were killed.  Her uncle moved into the ancestral home in Larkfield and sent her to live with strangers.  When she returned to Split Tree Manor at the age of 9, he treated her as a house servant and would not let her go outside.  When she was not working in the house, she had to remain in a room with a hired woman.  The one day she did manage to slip out, she was assaulted by two male neighbors while trying to defend a smaller boy.  When she returned home, she was switched by her uncle for disobedience.  Finally, at 12, she was sent off to school, which turned out to be a much needed reprieve.

Kate returns to Split Tree Manor, where her only real memories are dominated by her cruel uncle.  She was simply too young when her parents died to remember Split Tree Manor as anything other than an unhappy place.  But, this was her father's home.  As the older brother, her father had inherited Split Tree Manor.  Unbeknownst to her, Uncle Bartholomew was only managing her inheritance until she reached the age of 20.  She had been 20 for six months, yet her uncle did not contact her or inform her of her inheritance.  Had he not died, she would not have known that she was the rightful heir of Split Tree Manor in Larkfield.

Kate doesn't return alone.  She takes an ally with her.  Alice James, the cook from the school, is thrilled with the opportunity to become Larkfield's cook.  She is also joined by another married friend, Emily Nielsen, whose husband is away at war.  Her hope is that these two friends can help her establish a home and re-enter society, a place where she belonged by birth, but was previously denied.

Shortly after her arrival, she meets Martin Evans who reveals that he is the younger boy from that day long ago and how he has always remembered her as his valiant defender.  He wishes to repay her kindness, but he also expresses his interest in courting her.

One afternoon, when Emily doesn't return home from horseback riding, Kate and the house staff set out to find her.  Kate is not the only person who finds Emily unconscious.  Sir Peter Evans is there and he is carrying Emily to his own horse.  Kate does not recognize Peter as one of the boys from years ago, nor does she realize he is the owner of Evanslea, but she had seen him several times recently.  She acquiesces to his plans and allows him to carry Emily away while she tends to Emily's horse.   

As the days pass, Kate finds unexpected friendship with one of the brothers and isn't quite sure why she is hesitant to get too close to the other one.  There is something there that she doesn't quite understand or trust.

 


 

Once I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I stayed up late into the night reading. After a few hours sleep, I awoke ready to start reading again, forgetting any work I was supposed to do that day. It is an excellent book that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys a combination of romance and mystery.



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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Summertime and the Reading is Easy ~ A Book Review

Summertime is a great time to catch up on reading material that has been stacking up and this past week I found myself in need of an easy read while waiting for x-rays to be done in the hospital waiting room.

As luck would have it I happened to download a book called The Waiting Room by Joan S. Peck, that I was waiting to read.  I did not quite expect to be reading it while I was doing my own waiting in the Waiting Room, but that is exactly what happened.

As I am writing this review for you, I am nursing a broken shoulder!  That is making my life a little more difficult than Allison's, Bella's and Marianne's.

These three women met while undergoing their yearly Mammograms.  Every woman knows how wonderful these tests are (not) and how they can bring you to your lowest common denominator!  But it's a great way for three very diffferent women to meet.  Allison the most outgoing of the three asks the other two if they would like to go out for a coffee after their mammograms are done.  

Bella and Marianne had not made any other plans for that day, so going out for a nice brew after a stressful test seemed like a great idea.

For the first little while these three are testing the waters of friendship.  They are learning a little bit about each other and after a few awkward moments, laughter is sounding around the table.

https://amzn.to/45F06SV

Each of these women knew that they had found something that they needed from each other.  Nothing was more important than having someone to share life's moments (good ones and bad) with.  Someone who understood what life was like from a woman's perspective.  Who knows, this could be the start of a great friendship.

After that first girl's coffee date, they all decide that they will do this again in a weeks time.  After all, they would be meeting back at the Waiting Room to get the results of their mammograms. 


The Waiting Room is a lovely book that I'm sure many women could immediately relate to.  There are crazy things happening in each of their lives and a good observation from an outside party is sometimes what is needed so badly.  These three become sounding boards for each other and yes, they become the best of friends.

I really enjoyed this book as a summertime read, it's not heavy in details that you need to remember to make sense of the story line, but there are details in there that I'm sure most women could understand and have an  opinion about.

Sit back, grab a good cup of coffee or lemonade and open this book.  You will find yourself transported to another time in your life when you wish you had a really great friend to share your problems with, while finding solutions that work for everyone.

I'm sure you won't be disappointed!  


HAPPY SUMMERTIME READING








Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Monday, July 31, 2023

Book Review - Lethal Range (A Matthew Redd Thriller Book 2)

Matthew Redd is a former elite Marine Raider, a fighting machine with special skills, whose current mission is to locate one specific bad guy. Anton Gage is an obscenely rich biotechnology celebrity whose idea of saving the world's population and of ending world hunger is through reducing the amount of humans who need fed. Gage is not alone in his quest. He has the technology and the support to pull this off. Unless Matthew Redd and small group of men can locate and stop him. 

Lethal Range by Ryan Steck

Note: I received a copy of this book to review. I rarely accept books or products for review because I am not comfortable with the commitment of having to review something I may not like. Fortunately, I really enjoyed this story! So much so that I'm going to read the series.

Lethal Range (A Matthew Redd Thriller Book 2) by Ryan Steck

Fifteen months prior, the FBI counterterrorism division was closing in on a bioweapons scientist who was a primary person in this plot to reduce the world population. The Marine Raiders, inlcuding Matthew Redd, were sent to capture this scientist but they were ambushed and all but Redd were killed. Leaving Redd as the only "good guy" to know what Anton Gage looked and sounded like.

The chase has brought Redd and the US FBI counterterrorism fly team to the Isle of Majorca, Spain. They are surveiling a Villa perched in the island's hills and with all of the modern technology available they are spying on the occupants in an attempt to give Redd a chance to ID Anton Gage. 

While no one is killed during this mission, it again goes terribly wrong. Gavin Kline, sends Redd home to Montana. To his wife and infant son.

While he was away, Emily, Matthew Redd's wife, is harrassed on the highway while trying to take her son to the hospital. Their son has been ill with an unexplained fever so she makes the 90 minute drive to Bozeman hospital. En route, a grotequely huge and terrifying biker began to follow her and taunt her. When he was joined by two handfuls of gang members they surrounded her and beat on her truck.

The Redd family has muliple issues to deal with at the same time. Their son is ill. Matthew has failed the mission, again, which endangers the world. The local bikers are targeting them. Gavin Kline is Matthew's biological father but not the man who raised him. The man who raised him, B.J, has passed away and left the ranch to Matthew. Matthew tries to handle these things alone and Emily is not going to allow that to happen.

I received a copy of this book to review. I rarely accept books or products for review because I am not comfortable with the commitment of having to review something I may not like. Fortunately, I loved this story! So much so that I'm going to read the series.



I'm in love with Matthew Redd. He is an elite marine who is very protective of his country and his family. He's a killing machine and would sacrifice himself for others. However, he is neither perfect nor a superhero. Redd gets his butt kicked. And his relationship with his father, and quite frankly with others, can be fraught with conflict. But it's easy to imagine this handsome Marine cowboy riding his horse on his ranch in Montana in between biker bar brawls. I'm in love with his wife Emily. She's a strong woman, a nurse, who takes care of others and who responds calmly during crisis. She tells Matthew repeatedly that he doesn't have to do these things alone. And she means it.

I believe people who are fans of the Taken movie series will love Matthew Redd and Lethal Range. This is not a carbon copy of that story but the similarities are the spy technology, the men with a special set of skills, and the imperfect men who deeply love their family. 




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Saturday, July 22, 2023

A Review of Blueberries for Sal, The Cookbook and the Children's Book

The month of July has been designated as National Blueberry Month. Thus, it seemed appropriate to tell you about two charming books with a blueberry theme: The classic children's book Blueberries for Sal, and a recent blueberries cookbook based on the book. 


Blueberries on a bush


The Author


Robert McCloskey (1914-2003) was an American writer and illustrator who wrote and illustrated eight picture books, winning two Caldecott Medals for his work. Blueberries for Sal has become a children's classic and has now been used as the basis for a blueberry cookbook.


Blueberries for Sal Storybook


Blueberries for Sal storybook by Robert McCloskey

Published in 1948, this charming book has won the hearts of young readers everywhere. Recommended for children 2 to 5 years old, it tells the story of a little girl (Sal) and her mother who go picking blueberries one day. At the same time, a mother bear and her cub also go searching for a feast of blueberries - all on Blueberry Hill.

Somewhere along the line both Sal and the bear cub wander off and end up following the wrong mother. Will each mother go home with the right little one? 

The story takes place near the sea in the pine-covered Maine countryside. It has expressive line drawings in dark blueberry blue to illustrate this charming story.


Click here for Blueberries for Sal Children's Book on Amazon


Blueberries for Sal Cookbook


Illustration from Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey

At the end of Robert McCloskey's beloved children's classic Blueberries for Sal, little Sal and her mother brought their blueberries home and started canning their harvest to enjoy all winter long. But there, the story ends. 


Blueberries for Sal Cookbook

With the publication of this Blueberries for Sal Cookbook (June, 2023), you can now share Little Sal's love of blueberries.  The cookbook has thirty family-friendly blueberry-based recipes, giving you many sweet ways to enjoy your own blueberries. 

The recipes include the classics, such as blueberry pie and blueberry muffins, along with breakfast favorites like blueberry coffee cake and delicious desserts of cookies and cupcakes.

The recipes are simple, and many of the steps are easy for children who like to help in the kitchen, like Sal. Most of the recipes work just as well with frozen berries, so you can have these blueberry treats any time of year.

The cookbook uses many of McCloskey's original line drawings, plus a few new illustrations based on the author's distinctive art style. 


Click here for Blueberries for Sal Cookbook on Amazon


Summary


Both the original Blueberries for Sal children's book and this new cookbook for blueberries are delightful additions to anyone's home library who love blueberries as much as Sal. 


Blueberry Related Links:



*Blueberry Book Reviews by Wednesday Elf







Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, May 31, 2023

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent ~ A Book Review

 Strange Sally Diamond is set to be the talk of the book world when it is published on July 18, 2023!

I love to read and I'm generally drawn to Historical Fiction and Cozy Mysteries.  But once in a while I like to stretch my boundaries and search for something completely new!  

Strange Sally Diamond caught my eye as a book that might interest me mainly because of the title.  We just found out that one of our grandchildren is on the Autism Spectrum, she can be a little strange sometimes and I thought I might learn something when reading this book.  Well, I did learn something for sure, but nothing that I had expected!  This book was a real eye-opener for me.

Strange Sally Diamond Book Cover

Well, it has nothing at all to do with Autism per se, but rather what happens when someone is so damaged early in life (by circumstances imposed on them) and how the human spirit helps (or hinders) the very fragile psyche of the individual in the outer world.

Strange Sally Diamond is that girl.  She has a horrific childhood that she cannot remember.  At the tender age of 7 she is adopted by the very people who "found" her.  So damaged was her mind, that no one was considered capable of caring for this youngster.  So the psychologist and the medical doctor (The Diamonds) who were working with her, were granted guardianship of this young girl and adopted her.

Sally is a reclusive person, by nature of where she has come from and what she has been through, and encouraged to be so by her "new family".  Much media attention followed her for many years after she was first rescued.  In order to help her the Diamonds decide to live in the country away from media attention while Sally grows up.

She has a loving relationship (in her mind) with her new mom and dad as they don't make too many demands on her personally.   She is home schooled and doesn't have too many friends.  Sally's problems begin when she tries to incinerate her father after his death in their home. He left instructions for her and she followed them to the letter!   Media frenzy ensues as Sally is arrested for this "crime" and she's no longer protected by the confines of the family home.  She only has a couple of really good family friends who have been with her from the time of her arrival on the family 's farm.  

watering plants


Stepping out into the world for the first time Sally must learn to navigate a world she does not know or understand and really has not been a part of for most of her life.  Her new mom and dad had sheltered her completely.  After mom's death, dad kept her even more isolated from the "outside world".  But then he died too.......

The twists and turns in this book are enough to keep you turning the pages.  What is "normal"  and how do you help someone who is NOT part of that very narrow definition?

Sally has some help, but she also has a lot to learn both about the present, the past and the future.

You can pre-oder this book through Amazon and it will be published July 18 of this year.  It is a page turner and if you enjoy mind bending books, this one will keep you totally captivated.

I'm going back to re-read it once again, it is that good.  Mark your calendar or pre-order the choice is yours, but you will not regret reading this book!





Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, April 5, 2023

Fit to Die: A Thriller by Daniel Kalla ~ A Book Review

How far would you go to get the "Diet" results that seem to be eluding you?  It is a known fact that we are obsessed with our own individual perceived short comings!  We are hard on ourselves in so many ways and because of this predisposed condition, we fall for so many "quick fixes".
Fit to Die Book Cover

In this novel by Daniel Kalla,  hones in on this shortcoming many of us have and weaves a story around those people who are determined to the be the fittest, slimmest, most beautiful people in the world.  

athlete

Image by David Mark from Pixabay

Just imagine if you will, an elite athlete, after a competition hears someone comment that if they were just a couple of pounds lighter, the results of the race would have been so much different!  As an athlete little things like a couple of pounds can be the difference between winning and loosing!  Could that be true?  Would that comment stick with you?   If you were the person being spoken about, what would you do?  

Enter the shady world of "Diet Pills" and online "doctors" who are always pedaling their overpriced and often unreliable and useless products to a population looking for a quick fix.  All of us with our insecurities, are the prey these advertisements are geared towards.  That's one of the reasons the "diet" industry is thriving.

Fit to Die follows the death of a young man (Owen) who is in his prime, a great student and a successful athlete.  He ends up dead with symptoms that no Emergency Room doctor can figure out.    Multiple organ failure and super high body temperatures that are causing seizures and ultimately his death.  Yet there are no signs of drug use, steriods or anything else, even though he is in the typical age range for these problems!  What has cause this death?  His mother a US Senator in California wants answers!  

Then there is another suspicious death in Vancouver.  A young beauitful and very popular singer and media influencer  dies with the same symptoms.  What the heck is happening and what is the connection between these two seemingly unrelated deaths?  Could there be a connection?

hot stone massage



Image by Anna Mikkelgaard from Pixabay


Detective Chen from Vancouver and Detective Cari Garcia from LA must  put their heads together to find out what is going on before it becomes an epidemic and more lives are lost!

You will have to read this book in order to find out the who, what, where, when and why of all the mystery!  

This book had me reading well into the night and I know that this scenario is quite possible in our day, given our "need" to be perfect or as near perfect as possible.  Who hasn't wanted a quick fix after dieting for months only to have the last 10 pounds hang on forever?

Dr. Daniel Kalla is not only a gifted writer, but he is also an Emergency Physician in the Greater Vancouver area.  He has written 13 published novels and had a few of them optioned for film and a TV series.  Keep your eyes open for this novel that is sure to keep you turning pages.  You can preorder it on Amazon!  Due out after May 9th of this year.

I was given a copy of this book for my honest review by Goodreads, Simon & Schuster Canada!  

You can order yours here or you can read for free with your Audible account!
   




Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Sunday, January 22, 2023

Unscramble Your Love: A Large Print Valentine's Day Word Scramble Book

A Review of Valentine's Day Word Scramble Activity Book - Be My Valentine

Looking for a unique and fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day? 

Hot Off the Press - An Introductory Review of a Fun Valentine's Day Word Scramble Book With a Twist

Look no further than this original, full-color Valentine's Day Word Scramble Book! With 500 words to unscramble and thought-provoking prompts centered around the theme "I Love You Because...", this book is the perfect activity for couples or a fun way to unwind for anyone.

Be My Valentine's Word Scramble Activity Book

Added Value With A Fun, Full-Color Interior

Unscramble your love in style with this Valentine's Day word puzzle book featuring colorful backgrounds on every page, adding a splash of brightness to your reading experience. 

Each puzzle is set against a different vibrant background, making the book more interesting and engaging.

Double the Fun: A Puzzle Book & Game

Challenge your loved one to a puzzle showdown, race against the clock, and see who can unscramble the words the quickest. 

Keep track of your progress with the designated time-tracking section on each puzzle, perfect for a fun and exciting Valentine's Day activity. There's also a place for notes to help you think it through in written form.

500 Words To Unscramble With 50 Different Love-Related Prompt Chapters

Each of the fifty puzzle pages features ten word scrambles per page. Each of the pages represents a different love-related topic.

Be My Valentine Word Scramble: For Couples, Family, and Friends

This Valentine's Day Word Scramble Book makes a perfect gift for your loved one, friends, or family. Whether you're looking for a unique gift for your significant other or a fun activity to do together, this book is sure to be a hit. It's a great way to show your love and appreciation while having fun and spending quality time.

Valentine Word Scramble Book Sample Interior

A Book That's More Than Just a Pretty Cover: A Fun Activity and a Coffee Table Must-Have


It is a great activity and makes a beautiful coffee-table book, gift book, travel activity book, and waiting room book. So, don't miss out on this Valentine's Word Scramble Book; it's something to do, and adds a lovely decor piece to any room.


There's More!
  • There is a mix of medium, challenging, and a few easy word scrambles to solve
  • Thinking of proposing? The last puzzle is "Will You Marry Me" <----Yep.
  • Large print and measures 8.5 by 11 inches, making it easy to read
  • Answers included at the back
  • Only two puzzle answers per page, making the answer pages easier to read as well
Whether we know the history of Valentine's Day or not, it is now known as the day we show our love with cards, gifts, or maybe just a hug.

Here's a gift idea; flowers, chocolates, dinner, and an activity book for the one you love.



Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Make a Wish by Helena Hunting: "Spark House Sisters" Series

New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting's comtemporary romance novel Make a Wish is book three of her popular "Spark House Sisters" series, which also includes When Sparks Fly (book one) and Starry-Eyed Love (book two).

Make a Wish will be published on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, but it is available for preorder on Amazon in Kindle, paperback and audiobook formats.

I was fortunate to listen to an advance copy of the audiobook through NetGalley. Here's my book review.

Make a Wish by Helena Hunting
Make a Wish is book 3 in Helena Hunting's contemporary romance series "Spark House Sisters" which features her signature "swoony heroes and quirky heroines"

A Charming, Often Hilarious, Heartwarming Contemporary Romance Novel

New York Times bestselling author Helena Hunting's website describes her lead characters as "swoony heroes and quirky heroines you'll fall in love with." I would say she writes genuinely likeable, thoughtful characters with good hearts and intentions, human failings and insecurities, authentic voices and often witty, flirtatious banter.

Bottom line: Hunting crafts well-developed characters you can't help caring about and rooting for.

Helena Hunting's "Spark House Sisters" Series

When I had the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of Helena Hunting's Make a Wish in audiobook format, I jumped at the chance to listen to this deservedly popular, New York Times bestselling author's latest contemporary romance. I was delighted to discover that the story holds its own as a stand-alone novel. However, I enjoyed it enough to want to go back to the beginning of the story by reading the first two books.

Here are the three books in this series about sisters Avery, London and Harley Spark, in order (links are for the Kindle editions on Amazon):

When Sparks Fly ("Spark House Sisters" Book 1—Avery's Story)

Starry-Eyed Love ("Spark House Sisters" Book 2—London's Story)

Make a Wish ("Spark House Sisters" Book 3—Harley's Story)

Make a Wish Synopsis

When Gavin Rhodes's wife, whom he adores, dies after giving birth to their daughter Peyton, his world collapses. Overwhelmed by grief, heartbreak and a misplaced sense of guilt, Gavin buries himself in his work and hires a vivacious, cheerful, energetic and responsible young woman as a live-in nanny for his baby girl.

Harley Spark's parents died when she was very young, so she knows how hard it is to grow up without a mom. Unlike Peyton, however, she and her two sisters had each other for support, and vice versa. Her grandma Spark also provided a loving, supportive and encouraging home as well as a love of fun and adventure. Harley is totally devoted to Peyton and tries to make up for the lack of both a mom and siblings in her life by playing the roles of both nanny and surrogate big sister.

Harley finds enormous satisfaction in providing a positive, upbeat and nurturing home environment for baby Peyton and her overworked, emotionally devastated dad. The arrangement works beautifully for a year and a half...until the fateful moment when 20-year-old Harley, trying to comfort an exhausted and still grieving Gavin (and indulge her secret crush on him), leans in and almost kisses him before he realizes what she is trying to do and abruptly pulls away.

Harley is horrified and mortified. Worse yet, her idyllic working and living situation suddenly evaporates as Gavin packs up his and Peyton’s things and moves to the other side of the state. He transfers the care of his baby girl to his late wife's strict and domineering mother, Karen, who takes on the role of mothering and educating her granddaughter with an almost religious zeal.

Harley is covered with guilt and remorse for her unusual lapse in judgment and she misses Peyton (and Gavin) tremendously. But when Gavin refuses to respond to multiple apologetic texts, she eventually has to make her peace with the consequences of having acted on her misguided impulse.

Harley loves being and working with kids, but reluctantly decides to give up her career as a professional live-in nanny, fearing another potential risk to her heart if she falls in love with another family who employs her. Instead, she joins her two sisters and their partners in running the family's event hotel, Spark House. In addition to doing some of the hotel's social media, Harley's favorite role has been organizing the children's themed birthday parties, for which she always dresses up in costume. Unfortunately, they are less profitable than other events, such as weddings, and seven years after Gavin's and Peyton's move, Harley's siblings let her know that the upcoming princess-themed birthday party for a local nine-year-old will be the last one at Spark House.

For the "last hurrah" birthday bash, Harley dresses up as a fairy princess. The last people she expects to run into among the young party guests and their parents are nine-year-old Peyton and her dad. Gavin, in turn, who is both a doting father and a good sport, is wearing a tutu. It's not exactly the outfit he would have chosen for an unexpected reunion with Harley, who is now in her late twenties and even more attractive than before.

Harley is so flustered at seeing Gavin again (especially when she is dressed in full-fledged princess attire with all the trimmings) that she breaks out in hives. Gavin is grateful that Harley is no longer his daughter's nanny, and their age difference is less significant. He hopes this chance encounter might lead to both closure concerning their awkward and abrupt parting and perhaps a different type of relationship moving forward. Peyton is simply overjoyed to see her beloved former nanny and playmate and can't wait to make more play dates for the three of them.

Gavin decides to move himself and Peyton back to their hometown. There are a several good reasons for the move, but one of the most compelling is for them to be near Harley again. Predictably, Karen becomes jealous and resentful of Harley and does her best to undermine the would-be couple's burgeoning relationship. Karen's interfering behavior angers and upsets both Gavin and Harley, but Gavin also feels guilty about moving Peyton out of her grandmother's home, control, and daily life and is reluctant to confront his mother-in-law.

Will Harley, who hates confrontation, find the courage to stick up for both her professional role and romantic relationship?

Why does Gavin feel guilty about his wife's death? Can he finally bring himself to truly risk giving his heart to a partner again unconditionally and stand up to his overbearing, jealous, threatened and still-grieving mother-in-law?

Will Peyton finally get her two biggest wishes, a mom and a sibling?

I can promise you a happy ending, but you'll have to read Helena Hunting's Make a Wish not only to find out the answers but also to enjoy the rich storytelling and the rocky road that ultimately leads to this trio's HEA (happily ever after).

Amazon Editors' Picks: Best Romance

I'm not the only reader who has fallen in love with the characters in Helena Hunting's Make a Wish. Even though its release date is nearly a week away at the time of this book review's publication, this new contemporary romance novel is one of Amazon Editors' top picks for Romance Books.

Two Excellent Audiobook Narrators

Fan favorite narrators Jason Clarke, Stella Bloom share the narration duties on all three of the "Spark House Sisters" audiobooks in this series. Bloom's pleasant but higher-pitched voice is the perfect foil for Clarke's bass, and both narrators are eminently "listenable." They are skilled at voicing both male and female characters, as well as both adult and juvenile characters, that are easily distinguishable. This was especially important because each chapter of is told from either Harley's or Gavin's point of view and read by Bloom or Clarke, respectively. I never struggled to identify which character was speaking, even during conversations among three or more characters.

They also spoke at an ideal pace for me, slow enough that I didn't have to concentrate on not missing anything, but also not so slow as to be soporific.

These seasoned narrators really bring the characters to life and enhance the reader's (or listener's) experience of the book. For that reason, I highly recommend the audiobook format for this contemporary romance series.

Here are links to all three audiobooks in order:

When Sparks Fly "Spark House Sisters" Book 1 Audiobook

Helena Hunting "When Sparks Fly"

Starry-Eyed Love "Spark House Sisters" Book 2 Audiobook

Helena Hunting "Starry-Eyed Love"

Make a Wish "Spark House Sisters" Book 1 Audiobook

Helena Hunting "Make a Wish"

10 Hours of Listening Pleasure

There is enough meat to the story to keep me happily engaged in listening to the audiobook for 10 hours. Key bits and pieces of information from the past are gradually revealed to us (and to the main characters) as the story unfolds, giving us more context and insight into each character's motivations, emotional challenges, desires and fears.

By the end of the book, I felt real empathy and compassion for all the characters, even the rigid, self-absorbed, bossy, subversive Karen.

More importantly, all the characters experienced authentic, significant growth from the beginning to the end of the story arc.

Adult Content

As in most contemporary romance novels, the relationship between the story’s hero and heroine includes physical intimacy.

While Hunting isn’t shy about describing the sexual aspect of Gavin and Harley’s romantic relationship as it evolves over time, I didn't feel the descriptions of their intimate encounters were gratuitous or excessively graphic, and those scenes certainly weren't a primary focus of the novel. The pair's relationship is built on a foundation of friendship and trust first. In fact, despite their obvious mutual physical attraction, both of them are very cautious about taking their relationship from friends to lovers.

However, if you are offended by premarital physical intimacy, that aspect of this book (and, presumably, the others in this series) might be a turn-off.

Fun But Not Fluff

The story flowed well and never dragged, and the narrators' characterizations did justice to Hunting's charismatic writing, keepping me engaged, entertained, and emotionally invested from beginning to end.

Harley's and Peyton's boundless enthusiasm, zest for life, optimism and love of unabashadly "girly" things like tutus and glitter crafts provide some much-needed lightness to balance the tragic deaths (and, in the case of Gavin and Karen, misplaced guilt) that weigh on the main characters' hearts.

Ultimately, it's a feel-good story about second chances. I hope you enjoy it.

Now, I'm off to download the first two books in the series.

Make A Wish By Helena Hunting: Spark House Sisters

by Margaret Schindel


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Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”


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