Chicken Little investigates by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Love the original chicken little and this was a cute little version with a spin of science. Chicken Little and his friends investigate what different sounds different options make when they hit the ground. Entertaining children’s book with great illustrations.
A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This story gave me such Disney’s Brave vibes with the beginning of the story! I loved that Princess Zarina broke the rules about leaving the castle to see a witch to make her a gorgeous dress, so she would stand out at her Royal Advancement Ceremony. When she arrives and the dress isn’t what she wants, the witch leaves anyways and then her hut disappears as well, leaving the princess with a dress she doesn’t want, and cryptic words about how her fate will be revealed. Princess Zarina starts out as a spoilt princess, obsessed with her looks, but as the tale progresses, we see her grow into the type of heroine that is admirable. As the story progresses, you really see her learning how to use her new dress and discovering a world outside of her palace walls. The story is an action packed adventure with twists and turns, along with well written heroes and villains. This is an excellent book with a positive message that both young adults and older adults will enjoy. I can’t wait to see what new stories and adventure this author comes up with.
Mission 3047 by Stuart Ledwith PhD
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
4 Stars
Mission 3047: One Soul’s Fantasy by Stuart Ledwith
Mission 3047: One Soul’s Fantasy is a wonderfully written Sci-Fi / Adventure that once you start reading there’s no stopping until you finish. This isn’t my normal genre but I’m glad I snagged a copy. It was completely the opposite of what I had expected going to happen. This is a fairly new author to me but definitely going to be looking into what other books they have written. I highly recommend reading this fast paced story that will have you turning the pages trying to figure out what is going to happen next. Its about hard work, love and being devoted and there might be some aliens as well. I look forward to reading more from this Author.
The Challenger: A Sports Romance Saga by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a really good book! This is the second book in a series but to me it felt like a full standalone and I do believe it can be read by itself without missing anything from the previous book. I loved the banter between the two main characters and the spice was really well done in my opinion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next!
Streets of Shadow by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book is very well written!! It isn’t short by any means. I love the history of it without language so confusing I am lost and can’t follow. From young love to murder and deception to family secrets, all put together seamlessly and in a way that isn’t hard to follow. I will definitely be telling others about this book!
The Summer I Went Crazy by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The Summer I Went Crazy by Laura Koerber is available now in eBook
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Book Review
Trigger Warnings: Rape
Ben had it all: an expensive private school education, summers in Europe, and an admission to Yale. When he lets his so-called friends Clint, Rob, and Marty talk him into attending a party he doesn’t realize the choices made that very night will affect him for the rest of his life. Constantly regretting not coming forth with what he saw, Ben wonders how his life could have changed if he would have been honest. Now forty years later he is making the call that he hopes will help clear his conscious.
The Summer I Went Crazy is a remake of Coyote Summer. It is a thought provoking, coming of Age novel. Laura Koerber knows her way around dark, sensitive topics, writing with such detail and compassion. The problematic decisions made by these teenage boys causes a lot of pressure and guilt. To see Ben go through the different parts of his life with this one decision weighing so heavily on his mind was a perfect example of why we have to think before we act. One decision can affect you for the remainder of your life. Koerber does any amazing job making these characters believable and relatable in so many ways. This book will send you on an emotional roller coaster ride.
saving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was an interesting story. Saving the Gingerbread House is a weird play on the original story of Hansel and Gretel. In this story, Hansel and Gretel are out for a picnic with their dad. They are careful while having a picnic because there are rumors about a witch who has a cauldron, who might kidnap children, who might eat children, etc. The kids hear a sound and go running away from the picnic and get lost, but they come upon a gingerbread house. They start to eat the house, along with the forest animals, and the woman who lives there is mad because she is trying to win a beautiful house contest. She forces the kids to help fix the house. Gretel tells the woman her dad will worry and had to go find him, but she keeps going down the wrong path. Finally, she finds her dad, brings him back to the house, and the woman wins the contest. In the end, the question is “was the woman a witch?” I did not really understand the point of the book, especially the ending. Normally this author has a learning point of view and I am not really sure what the message was here. I am sure kids may like this book because there is a cool candy house, but as a parent wasn’t my favorite.
The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
February 14th has rolled around again and Caspian is just waking up, he is as excited as always to see what this years Unbirthday present from his Grandpa is, but when he opens the box and finds that it is empty, he is more than a little disappointed. When he goes down to breakfast, he is still a little sad, but when his Grandpa asks if he liked his Invisible Magic Wand, Caspian is confused, that is until his Grandpa explains how to use it.
When he has done this, Caspian’s Grandpa tells him that he can use it to either speed up, or slow down time, so what adventures will Caspian go on with his invisible Magic wand today and can it grant his wish to win a basketball game? This is another lovely addition to this series of whimsical books, where magic is real and anything is possible on an Unbirthday!
Reviewed by @roxsannel
saving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hansel and Gretel are having a picnic in the woods, but when they hear a mysterious knocking sound, they hurry off to investigate it and when they find the source, Gretel is amazed to see a woodpecker and is determined to add a sketch of it to her book, but when she does, neither her of Hansel can remember how to get back to their picnic area.
As they search for their way back, they talk about the rumour they had heard about the witch who wants to enter the Beautiful House Contest, but they cannot believe it, so when they smell gingerbread in the air, they decide to go on another mini adventure to see where it is coming from, this is where they see a lot of animals and birds nibbling what looks like a gingerbread house.
As they are admiring the house and tasting it at the same time, they are confronted by the house’s owner who is annoyed at them and the animals for eating their handiwork, but is it the witch and what will happen to them all now, can she still win the contest? This is a charming retelling of a classic fairy-tale with a twist and a lesson in morality which all ages will enjoy.
Reviewed by @roxsannel
How To Write A Historical Novel And Love It by T.L. Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I didn’t necessarily pick this book intending to get back into writing, but the way the author has given guidance including the use of checklists has alleviated the feeling of being overwhelmed at the concept of writing to publish. They don’t hide the fact that writing is hard work, but the way forward is broken down into manageable steps.
The advice was given in an easy-to-understand way as it was written in a casual (and entertaining) style rather than strict formal instructions, which made the advice feel more accessible to me. In addition to this, the layout and formatting of the book made it easier to follow and if I want to refer back to it, I’m confident I’ll be able to find the information with ease.
The exercises/tasks at the each of the chapters were a nice touch, offering the chance of putting the lessons learnt into practice. I particularly liked this as I am very much a learn through doing person, so this really helped me see the value in what was said.
It was clear that the author put a lot of time into creating a very helpful guide, drawing on their own experiences and research to make the process easier on others who wish to write historical novels.
A bonus in my opinion is that I don’t think the advice given is necessarily limited to the historical novel, but could also be transferred into other types of writing.
I really enjoyed reading this as it got me excited to start considering start to finish what I could do to take the leap into published work, and who knows maybe I’ll actually finish one of my many drafts. Either way I found this enlightening, informative and worth the read!
Ocean’s Three by Elena Kincaid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As a teen Elena goes through something very traumatic. As a result, she ends up blocking her friends that they dream shared. True love is meant to be. Though some years have passed. The three our united in person. This book is as good as the first.
The Thieves by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in the series and it holds up to the same standard as the first. It is a fact paced thriller, easy to read and with some great characters. The story is very entertaining, I really found it easy to engage with from the start. I wanted to see how things would work out, and how much wrong they would go at first.
This author is still pretty new to me and I am really enjoying discovering her work. I am finding that each book draws you in and the characters keep you interested. I really enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to the next.
Mission 3047: One Soul’s Fantasy by Stuart Ledwith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is a fast paced and interesting story that wasn’t quite like anything else I had read in this genre. It has quite a fun and adventurous feel to it that I was expecting when I first started reading. I thought the relationship between the characters was a little strange. I couldn’t place really what they were meant to be to each other but it was enjoyable to watch their journey.
This author is one that I am becoming more familiar with and I like that all of his books are different. It is easy to enjoy his books and I look forward to the next one each time. I thought this was an overall enjoyable book with a great storyline.
Challenger by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 stars
Rowan Rossler If you love tennis and sports romance stories, then the Challenger is your next book to read. It is the second book in The Hustlers trilogy. I really enjoyed this story. I think I need to go back and re read and revise the first book.
Rowan has written a beautiful love story that will have your emotions going haywire and pulling on your heartstrings. The characters are easy to fall in love with and have you believing in love.
The story is sexy, filled with drama, a little angst and chemistry and let’s not forget a little mayhem. Rowans descriptive writing style is good at building the anticipation in you on what’s to come.
Game, Set, and Match all in the name of love!
Looking for an escape from the real world for a little while then put this on your TBR list.
Reviewed by @jennadb
Doctor Frank Enstein by C.A. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A fun quick story to read. Frank has always wanted to help burn victims because of his childhood and has begun the start of that journey. When he meets Barbara who needs help with a back issue, he falls quickly. This short story has everything passion, heartache, and love.
The Thieves starts out with Jasime and her friend Phil robbing her boss in order for Jas to pay for her father’s surgery. Unfortunately for them a couple, Bets and Zerk, watches them and steals the money, and leaves them stranded on the side of the road. This is when the situation goes from bad to worse as they must track the thieves down to get the money.
This story is hilarious. I actually found myself laughing out loud at parts of the book. The stakes are high with the amount of money and how much they are willing to risk to get it back. The ending has a nice twist that I did not see coming. This book is extremely different from the first book in the Millersville Series, Shore Lodge, which was extremely suspenseful and did not have the goofiness of this story.
The voice narration is done very well. My only complaint is that it is set in the viewpoint of Jas or Bets and the voice does not vary for these two distinct characters. The title of the chapter and what is going on is the indication of the viewpoint rather than the voice.
Fallen Soul by Theresa Van Spankeren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Fallen Soul is the fourth installment of the War of Destiny stories and you can tell. I would not recommend reading this until you read the first three. I started reading it without the first three and had to stop and purchase the first three. That being said, after getting caught up I was impressed with the story line. Lane just wants to go home but is being hunted by the Vampire King. Tons of violence if that isn’t your thing don’t read on. This story is non stop action.
saving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a very nice twist to the original fairy tale. I picked this book because my son’s friends did a retelling of the fairy tale in a competition, where the witch becomes a vegan. It was a delight to read this book, where the kids reach the witch’s house and realize that she is wanting to win the most beautiful house award in a competition but because of animals and kids nibbling pieces of the house, she is in trouble. She then puts the kids to work.
I have read many books from Lois Wickstrom and it is always a delight to read them and cherish them.
Spirit Guide by Byrd Nash
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The third book, Spirit Guide, did not disappoint. As always the action begins right away sucking you in. This time girls are going missing. Elenor has been contracted by the Duke’s friend in order to find his missing daughter. When she starts unraveling the threads of the case she realizes how close it hits to home with the death of her father. The case itself is interesting and the added suspense of her father’s death and her secret love for the Duke keeps me coming back for more.
The Challenger: A Sports Romance Saga by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This truly was an intriguing and captivating read. Both the fantastic main characters, Chavez and Flynn, have secrets, past demons and an unbelievable chemistry with each other which all come together to keep you turning page after page. You simply have to know what’s next! This is the second book for this series and is where I started so I will definitely be going back and reading book 1 as well. My enjoyment of this book was not effected by not having read the first book but when an author gives us something so enjoyable why not read more!
Doctor Frank Enstein by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
This is one of my favorite authors and I never hesitate to read any of her books. This is part of the
Doctors of Eastport General series by many different author, and I really enjoyed this story of Frank and Barbara.
Frank is a well known cosmetic surgeon who takes an opportunity to be part of the new Burn Unit at Eastport General to make an impact and keep a promise he made many year ago to his mother. At first, Frank is a little distant and keeps to himself as he fights to move on with his past. When a chance encounter on an evening out and he meets Barbara, they did not see eye to eye at first.
Barbara is trying to make money while working at a bar/pub. Meeting Frank and finding out what his job specialty was, all she wanted to do is talk to him about issues she has medically. At first, Frank blows her off but as he has more of an opportunity to talk to her, his feeling change Not only does he want to help Barbara, but would like to get to know her more personally.
Will Frank help Barbara when she needs it the most? Will sparks fly between them?
This story is not very long, totally enjoyable and Frank and his past tug my heartstrings hard and love that Barbara gave Frank a second chance :).
The Challenger: A Sports Romance Saga by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the second book in The Hustlers Triology. The characters are really well written. You can’t help but feel invested in their story and their romance. The author does an amazing job of giving us our character and then making them deep and realistic by evolving their backstories which make the people they are today all the more understandable and in ways relatable.
This story is about Flynn and Chavez.
Flynn is a professional coach and motivational speaker. If only her life was as positive and good as the lives she’s trying to create with her work.
Chavez is a talented tennis player who has a reputation of having a hot temper.
When a chance meeting throws them together there is no denying the attraction between them is electric.
However they are both working through their demons. Chavez has left his career, just upped and disappeared so when he plans to return he asked Flynn to join him as his coach to keep him motivated and focuses.
But how will that work out for them when their attraction becomes more and more intense. Will Flynn become even more of a distraction than a motivation? Will giving into their attraction spell trouble for Flynns already challenged mind? With both of them working through their pasts can they move forward in a positive way?
This is a great read about romance, taking a chance, fighting for what you want along with secrets which need to be revealed.
Creatures of the Night by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this fantasy story. This is a great mix of a paranormal and mythological adventure. Everything was brought to life and the story and world was beautifully written. I do think this story ended quite quickly but I hope to see more of these characters and of this world.
Ocean’s Three by Elena Kincaid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the 2nd installment in the Made in Heaven series and it can be read as a standalone. While Kincaid stays true to her paranormal romance MFM, the characters and setting are different. The basic plot line is similar to the 1st installment in such that Cameron, Reed, and Jocelyn meet (initially) in their dreams; however, the storyline and development of the characters does vary from the first book. I do feel that this book was more emotional than the first one and definitely brought a tear or two to my eyes. I enjoyed this book, but it’s definitely a niche that you want to make sure you’re into because it is a bit different.
Reviewed by @meggs1717
The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
It’s Caspian’s UnBirthday again and Grandpa has surprised him with another magical UnBirthday gift. But this time Caspian’s gift box is empty! Did Grandpa forget? Follow Caspian on this magical adventure as Grandpa teaches him how to use his UnBirthday gift.
I love the illustrations in Wickstrom’s books and she’s able to always teach the readers a lesson in her own unique way.
Reviewed by @meggs1717
Taming Brooklyn by Charlotte St. Pierre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book gave me a softer Den of Vipers vibe. I really enjoyed it. Who doesn’t want the attention of four guys? Maybe scratch out the ex drama but every girl has fantasized about multiple guys giving her attention with no jealousy on their behalf. Taming Brooklyn will have you everywhere in your own emotions, falling for the guys, fearful of her ex, and worried about her future. I too like muscular forearms. Can’t wait for the next book in this series to find out what happens!
The Challenger: A Sports Romance Saga by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ve never been into tennis but really enjoyed the idea of it in this book. It had plenty to tell you about it but not too much to make you feel like you are dumb about the game. The Challenger had a good suspense plot, along with the romance and love story. There is much to follow in this story but it is very easy to read and follow.
The Thieves by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
After reading the first novel in this series, I could not wait to get my hands on the second. Unfortunately this one did not meet the standards of the first book, but I still really enjoyed it. The reason for the four stars instead of five is because I had such high hopes and I was let down a tad by this one. However, this novel is very original. There is not necessarily a “good” guy in the situation. You feel sorry for Jas, but she still committed a crime to try to help her father. Not only that, but she created three other accomplices along the way.
The author does an amazing job creating characters that come to life, a plot that does not disappoint, and a story that you cannot put down until you finish it. The author creates characters like Jas and Bets that you like but want to dislike in the same token. Their moral compass is a tad skewed, but what would you do if you were in their position? Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys a good action-packed novel. Such a quick and easy read. This can also be read as a stand-alone. The only thing that really connects the two novels is Millersville; the plot lines are completely separate.
Review by @aware
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Ocean’s Three by Elena Kincaid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a great story and I loved the main characters. However, I believe we could have seen a lot more growth from each one. I felt this story was too short. However, there wasn’t anything I hated. I just wanted more from these characters and I didn’t want their story to end. We get to see some growth from Jocelyn along the way, but I wish we got more of a glimpse into the men, Cameron and Reed. Overall a great story though, and I’d read it again.
The Challenger: A Sports Romance Saga by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The story of Flynn and Chavez is a bit of thrill, mystery and spicy romance. These two set of sparks that steam up the Kindle window just a little bit. They both have some emotional baggage that they need to deal with and that’s what makes this really kind of an exciting story. I enjoyed The Hustler but I think this story sure did give it a run for the money. I can’t wait to see what’s in store for us with the final one in this trio.
