Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was an enjoyable book. Elsbeth’s journey in life was really interesting and I enjoyed reading about it. She endured so much in her life and it was fun watching her learn and grow from the experiences she had. The story had many twists and turns and kept me hooked from the beginning. This book was good and I look forward to reading more from this author
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Before I Let You Go is a contemporary romance with danger, drama, mystery, suspense, intrigue, secrets, and paranormal elements. The story centers around the MC Elsbeth whose life seems to be falling apart with one bad thing after another happening to her. When she inherits a house on a remote island from an estranged aunt Elsbeth seizes the opportunity to have a fresh start. This, however, does not come easy as she is wracked with guilt about leaving behind her ailing father and how she ended things with her boyfriend. When strange things start happening at the island home it leads Elsbeth to Bishop, who claims to be an angel, and a mystery that needs to be solved before time runs out. As secrets are revealed she uncovers the house’s dark history. I was gripped by the storyline and the earthbound spirit that needed Elsbeth’s help. This was a well written story with great characters and a unique storyline that kept my attention until the final pages.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a beautiful and unique story. I found this book to be an easy read that instantly had me hooked. I enjoyed reading and experiencing the characters’ growth throughout the book. I found the main character, Ellsbeth quite interesting and relatable, even down to her faults. She really had a strong sense of bad luck, insanely impulsive decisions but a very powerful heart of gold. Her character grows exponentially in such a short amount of time and by the end, she almost appears like a brand new person who owns up to her mistakes and learns from them. Also the love between her and Bishop, while unique, was stunningly portrayed with the author’s incredible writing skills.
I think readers will thoroughly enjoy this intriguing story. I give this 5 out of 5 stars.
Hell Hath No Fury by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Hell Hath No Fury (Life is Hell Book 2) follows Millicent as she deals with a magical stalker. Book 2 includes all of the same characters as Book 1 just shifts the focus of the main character from Delilah who is now a supporting character. This is a great book with wonderful characters that mesh well together. There are demons, nixs, angels, demon hunters, He’ll hounds, witches and many other supernatural beings in Naomi Valkyrie’s books. I absolutely love her stories not only because they capture and hold ny attention but because even though they short fast reads they are full of detail.
Secrets of the Moon by Kristy Centeno
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I really enjoyed this paranormal romance. It had elements that I love from warewolves, fated mates, along with secets,curses and danger that kept me gripped.
This is a unique story in the sense that the fated mates have a added complication of twins, as well as one of the twins being cursed. Is Marjorie really a fated mate to both of the brothers or just one?
With Kyran being cursed is she the one to cure him?
The author does an amazing job with the characters and I love how we get an insight into what they both are thinking and feeling. This really made the characters come alive for me. I could feel the connection and pull that Kyran and Marjorie have towards each other without Marjorie understanding why, I could feel Kyran’s pain as he struggles to deal with the curse that could cause fatal consequences to those around him and I felt every ounce of guilt and regret that Marjorie feels after one incident almost cost the lives of her and her friends.
There are so many secrets and lies that need to be unravelled and exposed and with a mystery person stalking Marjorie things take a dangerous turn.
I thought that Marjorie and Kyran would end up as fully fated mates but the author has left that up in the air. Will she be with Kyran or his twin brother Alexis?
I really enjoyed this story and I can’t wait for the next book to see what happens to them and how the story unfolds.
The Closer: An enemies to lovers dark romance by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
For years our MC’s have been at each other’s throats and while there is a slow burn in this story it is explosive. This is the third book of the series that can be read as a standalone. This has action, steam, plot twists and will send you running back to the first two books in the series. Dallas and June are amazing! If you need me I’ll be reading the first two in this series.
Charming Chapter : A Later-in-Life Just Kisses Romance by Lori Haas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is the first book I have read from this author and now she has a new fan. This is the first book in the Boomer Babes Book Club series. I fell in love with all of the characters right from the start. I could not put this book down so I read it in one day. I can’t wait to see who she will write about next.
Laura misses her husband everyday. She is feeling lonely until she meets this amazing book club. Laura is told to take a chance so she goes to London to find out where her family came from. She is staying with an amazing woman that all she wants in return is to walk her dog. Laura is on a walk and bumps into a very handsome gentleman and they start to talk. She is very intrigued with Hugh but she doesn’t know if it can last. Laura finds out all about her roots but will she ever find love again?
review by @heatherbass
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3.5 Stars
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace is the first book that I have read by this author, so I had no reference as to what her storytelling was like- but the cover grabbed my attention, and the blurb fired my curiosity to find out what happened. So I happily one-clicked myself a copy to explore.
I loved the premise of the story, right from the get-go I was intrigued by the whole earth-bound spirit, remote island murder mystery aspect and I was excited to see how the story played out.
What I discovered is a contemporary paranormal romantic mystery with drama, danger, suspense, intrigue, and uncovering secrets. While, for the most part, I enjoyed the story- there were aspects that pulled me out of the storyline and had me questioning things.
For me, there was a lot of contradictory/conflicting information/details. As well as getting whiplash from the characters sudden changes of opinion after having given very strong opinions to the contrary only paragraphs earlier, with no reasons for their change of heart. It felt like a lot of manufactured drama and that left a ‘bad taste’ in my mouth. It also made it difficult to connect with the characters or feel like I was fully invested in them and the outcome of the story.
The story was slow to get going, it was at least a quarter of the way into the book before the ‘story’ really started. So that was frustrating. A lot of what happened in that first quarter of the book could, in my opinion, have been condensed into a couple of chapters, or been told in a prologue. It just ‘dragged’ the beginning of the story out way too far and took away from the intrigue of the ‘actual’ story.
The transitions from scene to scene were somewhat abrupt and confusing too. With only a sentence space between one scene and the next, which didn’t allow enough space to ‘end’ what had been happening, before continuing, which made one scene flow into another, causing confusion. That had me rereading parts to figure out what was going on before realising that there were different ‘scenes’ playing out. A bigger space, symbol, motif, swirl, or other visual clue would have allowed a smoother scene break and given the story a better flow, while saving any kind of confusion.
Again, though, I did overall enjoy the story- I just feel like the author missed the opportunity to take her book to a whole other level and really stand out from ‘the rest’.
But, I see that the author has a lot of other books to her name, which makes me curious to see what else she can do, so I will be going back later to explore more of her books and find out.
Happy reading…
Thank you, Kellie Wallace!
Reviewed by @angelahayes
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
A bit of an emotional read, Before I Let You Go is a contemporary romance with drama, romance, mystery, heart breaking moments enveloped with paranormal feel. Can I just say that this story really took me on a roller coaster of emotion. I was not sure what to expect, but I was intrigued by the cover and snyposis and started to turn the pages. Wow….this is a great read….
Difficult decision and grief can be a fickle thing. Elsbeth inherits a remove cottage in Guernsey after her aunt passes. As Elsbeth navigates breaking off a potential engagement and thinking what is best for her, the decision to go to Guernsey is difficult..knowing her father is gravely ill. With so much breaking her down, Elsbeth decides to take the leap and see what her newly inherited home has to offer. With new offers being presented to her by an ambitious businessman as soon as she lands in Guernsey, Elsbeth is overwhelmed between the cottage and being confronted to sell her property. Nohting prepares Elsbeth with this mysterious man that comes into her life…. Bishop York. As Elsbeth and Bishop become more close..there is more to realize the mystery behind their connection. Bishop will do everything in his power to keep Elsbeth safe…but when secrets come into play and the hard truths come out will Elsbeth be able to hold onto Bishop and get through her pain grief and heartbreak as well…….
This was a great read….and I loved the paranormal aspect of this story…
https://www.amazon.com/review/RPELVSRJYPJKM/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
Mistaken Identity by Stephanie R. Caffrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Mistaken Identity was a great fast paced book! It was action packed with romance. The author grabs your attention from the very beginning. The world building and characters was well thought of. I enjoyed this book so much, I can’t wait to read the next one.
View all my reviews
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2270054506
https://www.amazon.com/review/R2RFL9U7M0SD9A/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
Web of Evil by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Web of Evil is the second book to Hani’s Daughter’s Mysteries series. I recommend reading the first book so you can have a better understanding of what’s going on in book 2. This was a great murder mystery read. The world building was great. The characters was well thought of.
View all my reviews
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/3611577890
Planting Seeds: Growing Mindful Children Through Yoga by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A comprehensive step by step guide for teachers about Growing Mindful Children Through Yoga. Filled with details about yoga and how it intertwines with yourself and opening the dialogue to young children. Has not only topics for discussion but activities to do as well. Correlates with gardening and uses seeds as a visual aid.
I thought this was insightful and had facts I was not aware of. I was amazed by the creativity and think this would be a great book for introducing yoga to young ones. Exceptionally done.
Kris & The Pirates: The Adventures of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Kris is supposed to go to a costume party later on in the day. She doesn’t want to go therefore she didn’t get a costume ready. She decided to just wear her Halloween costume that is now too small. Her father suggests going as a pirate since that appears to be a quick and easy costume but Kris insists that she hates pirates.
Kris settles into a book where she fully immerses herself into it and finds herself sailing the seas with some sailors. They find an island close by to go swimming. Little did they know that this island was full of pirates ready to capture the crew and steal their ship.
Kris is the only one who got away so it is up to her to rescue her fellow crew mates. Kris has to face her fear of pirates if she wants to return home. She meets some animal friends along the way to help her.
This book was very vividly written. The author went into such beautiful detail about the surrounding areas that it was easy to see myself there with Kris. I also really liked how the author gave the animals personalities close to their actual animal traits, throwing in some information about animals along this adventure.
Secrets of the Moon by Kristy Centeno
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Secrets of the Moon (Chronicles of the Lost Child Series) by Kristy Centeno . This is a great 1st book to the Chronicles of the Lost Child series. I can’t wait to read the next one. Its the story of Marjorie who was in a really bad car accident that severely injured herself and several of her friends. Several months later Marjorie is still haunted by the accident because she was behind the wheel and because it left on of her best friends in a wheelchair. She beats herself up daily and on top of that her family has been put thru the ringer financially and they don’t let her forget it. When Kyran Rousseau walks onto her school campus she is smitten. He’s gorgeous and everyone on campus is enthralled by him. Marjorie is especially drawn to Kyran but so is everyone else. Marjorie is so intuitive and can tell that Kyran is full of secrets and so is his family. Kyran knows Marjorie is his mate but with his mood swings and erratic behavior Marjorie isn’t sure about him. Not realizing she is in imminent danger Kyran will protect at every cost! This is a great werewolf love story. Can’t wait to read the next one.
Detective Dylan and the Hunt for Home Plate by M.J. Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Detective Dillan and his sister join the town baseball team. When they show up for practice, someone has stolen all the bases. They set out to track the clues to find the bases. This is a great story for young readers.
Reviewed by Terri Jo McAllister
Charlotte’s Control by Maggie Sims
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
William Stanton was hoping he would not have to attend formal society events until he was finished with school in Oxford. William was trying to make connections with people to rebuild his estate since he was the heir to the Earl of Harrington. His father had left the estate in disrepair and was constantly squandering their money through his drunken, bad investments. He was with his cousin, Percy, and his friend Luke “South” Lynwood when he noticed a woman sitting alone in a plum dress. They made eye contact, and he asked Percy and South if they knew who she was. They didn’t know her, but when Wiliam looks in the same direction again, she is no longer there.
Charlotte was the widow of Charles Peterborough, which made her the Dowager Countess since her brother-in-law, Edward, had married Sophia. Edward was kind enough to give her the house in London. However, Sophia had taken over managing the rest of the estate, which left Charlotte with a lot of time. She was good at investing and had a sizeable fortune. She laments that she is too old to be a debutante, yet she is too old to be a matron since she has no children. Her best friend, Isabelle, advises Charlotte to attend her friend’s ball and see if the man is there. The sultry courtesan tells Charlotte to ignore society’s opinion and to start living again. Evan “Cheltie” was the Earl of Cheltenhelm and had been friends with Charlotte and Charlie.
While at Cheltie’s party, he introduces William to Charlotte as the Countess of Peterborough. Mistaking her for the wife of the Earl, William introduces himself and states that his mother had requested that he speak to her husband. Insulted, Charlotte tells William that her husband died two years prior, and she did not find him funny. She runs from the party into the garden to compose herself. She realizes that she had been harsh to the young man because of Cheltie’s faux pas. William follows her, ignoring propriety, and apologizes to her. When he attempts to touch her hand, Charlotte tells him to remove his cravat and ties his hands. She intentionally makes sure he has a full view of her cleavage before telling him he is to call her Mistress P, and then leaves him and the ball. Shocked, William has to see the beguiling woman again.
Maggie Sims introduces the world of domination and submission in Charlotte’s Control. She tastefully sets the multiple “sessions” in detail that build the tension between the 19-year-old heir and the 28-year-old widow. Charlotte’s boundaries and time limit do little to dissuade Wiiliam from pursuing her in secret. When he followed his tip of climbing a trellis to see Charlotte, I had to laugh. His friend, Nate, had told him about what women’s romance novels involved; he didn’t realize William took him literally.
Sims shows how society views older women who marry younger men. I was able to relate to Charlotte, as I am 9 years older than my significant other. William’s disregard for the age difference is identical to how my husband views it; it is insignificant. She conveys the perspective that the age difference shouldn’t matter, within reason, since if the man were older, nobody would care. The double standards are made apparent throughout the book.
Charlotte’s Control will appeal to fans of forbidden romance novels with alternating views of the protagonists. Isabelle’s advice and William’s desperate letters to Charlotte add depth to this intriguing tale. The steamy scenes make this book appropriate for adult readers, and the details make it easy to envision the encounters. The plot is unpredictable, with engaging conversations outside the bedroom scenes. The first book in the Control series deserves five stars, and I am eager to read the sequels.
Queen of the Fairies by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A young girl is writing a story about the Queen of the Fairies. She starts questioning how the Queen would respond to different events. She doesn’t want to offend anyone either. How does one go about writing about someone so unique?
The illustrations are very colorful and vibrant. The images are also very well done. This is a story that boys and girls alike will enjoy! It has a theme of being respectful to others while also respecting yourself.
Hell Hath No Fury by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was new to me author, read the blurb and fell in love. I grabbed this one and fell in love with Millicent and Sheridan. I want to go back and read the first book and all the rest. This author tells a story that pulls you in and holds you tight, making you never want to put the book down. I am totally in love with the idea of a demon wanting to save a human.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I love Elsbeth and her sister Zara, the sibling dynamic caught my interest right off, I loved the house they found and made it home. The whole connection with Elsbeth and those around her keeps you interested and wanting to keep reading more. I got hooked on the story and the paranormal angles, I could not put it down and loved reading it.
Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid’s Guide to Welcoming a New Dog by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities by Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada is the fourth book in the Porter and Midge series. We get to see Lora and CJ prepare themselves for getting a pet before they meet Porter and Midge. Once again kids get a thorough lesson while also having fun. The book takes you step by step into what to know before getting a pet. There are also plenty of great illustrations. This is the perfect book for the kiddos to learn about the responsibility of being a pet owner.
Finding Cheer by Heather Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another enjoyable and engaging sweet fantasy romance set in the magical small town of Emerald Hollow, which kept me happily turning the pages. Holly Claus, the main character from the previous book is now permanently living in Emerald Hollow. The small town is experiencing unusual occurrences, including tulip super blooms and an influx of people visiting the magical festivals held there. When a man shows up during a snowstorm with amnesia local Sofia Reyes is skeptical of his story and his lack of past memories. Sofia offers to help him discover his identity, however the more time they spend together the less she can ignore her attraction to him. Their relationship develops as they get to know one another better following trips to the library and to the epic tulip festival. Sofia also feels a magical pull towards him which he also feels, but she’s worried about risking her heart on someone whose past is a mystery to them both. Meanwhile, Holly is about to uncover some magical secrets which are decades old and which will affect the human residents of the town. Once again the magical town and its residents are brought vividly to life through the wonderful narrative and imaginative world building. I felt fully immersed in Emerald Hollow and enjoyed ‘catching up’ with Holly and Ash, but also loved the main characters of this story, Sofia and love interest Isaiah. I like the multiple POV’s and the magical realism which is sprinkled through the story. I look forward to returning to Magical Emerald Hollow soon!
Secrets of the Moon by Kristy Centeno
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Secrets of the Moon is a YA paranormal story full of drama, danger, suspense, action, secrets, lies, romance, and werewolves. The storyline is exquisitely written with vivid scene descriptions that pull you in and fully immerse you into the story. The characters are real, raw, multi-faceted, and intriguing. From the first few pages I became completely engrossed with the story and it kept my attention until the end. The story starts off with Marjorie who has been in a car accident that left her, and her friends severely injured. Thirteen months later she is still feeling guilt over the accident but has forged forward which is a testament to her strength and resilience. When Kyran arrives in town Marjorie is attracted to him, but his constant mood swings and broody attitude has her wondering if he is mutually interested in her. Kyran knows Marjorie is his mate but is unable to pursue her due to a genetic defect. He does feel the need to protect her from the threat and imminent danger that she is in. Can these two ever have a future together? A great read that leaves me anxious to read the next book.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Before I Let You Go is a paranormal/suspense/romance by Kellie Wallace. We follow Elsbeth, who is having a pretty trying time in her life. When her aunt leaves her a house, she sees this as an opportunity for a fresh start. Soon she finds herself dealing with a shady man trying to get her property. Elsbeth meets the handsome Bishop and finds herself needing to solve a new mystery. This was a great story. This book keeps you engaged with a well-written plot and plenty of twists. The story was wonderfully unpredictable. I loved Elsbeth and found myself able to relate to her easily. The chemistry between Bishop and Elsbeth was great. I look forward to more from this author.
The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another fantastic story by this author. I knew this story would be educational, SHHHH! Don’t tell the kiddo’s. This story is all about bugs, and Loretta is just the right person for this job. She is observant and watches the bugs grow and change. Giving the readers valuable information. This author encourages her readers to look about their environment and discover the bugs in their yard. This story is well written and easy for children to follow. A real crowd pleaser, that needs to be in every child’s library.
Review@cinful
Sugar & Spice by Phoebe Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Cy is sent undercover to find out who is behind the plan to hold a press conference regarding the management of Sweetopia. Jolie is a single mom trying to care for her two sons, one that has medical issues. She also wants the company to be held accountable for providing livable wages for their employees. The chemistry is immediate, and Cy is struggling with doing what his family want and doing what he wants with Jolie. However, if they both find out the real identity of the other, would they really be able to make it work?
I enjoyed this story. It was a pretty quick read for me. It definitely had some spice, but I also enjoyed the cute love story and how the author brought Sweetopia to life! I enjoyed the whole story and it left me wanting to know more.
The Archcrusade: Tome One: The Archspawn – Pilgrimage & Prophecies by K.M. Hogenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was a good book. Very long, but good. It took me a bit to get into it because there are a lot of characters and a lot going on. If you get distracted easily this may not be the book for you. Over all I did enjoy this fantasy story. There’s plenty of magical creatures, kings, demons and so much more! The author did an excellent job world building and spent so much time with details.
Amese of Animalis by M.J. Murray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Amese Of Animals is about a girl who’s trying to figure out her destiny. She feels like the path her parents are trying to put her on isn’t the right path for her. Amese goes through her training and has to learn lessons from each animal she shifts into, thus learning things about herself as well. There’s a good twist and cliffhanger at the end of the book as well, which gets you wanting to read more. Looking forward to the second book in the series.
Sugar & Spice by Phoebe Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow, some definite spice for this Sugar & Spice book, but it was an entertaining read. An interesting story line and I enjoyed the undercover boss plot. Jolie provided an interesting character element and I loved that she was a single mom that was struggling…not just your “life is perfect” type of character. I liked the way that Cy (aka “Marcus”) struggled with his family, his undercover role and his feelings for Jolie. This was a fast read and certainly a spicy, contemporary romance story.
Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book a lot. There were lots of layers to the story and so many different dynamics for Elsbeth. Her relationship with her sister, her mother, her father, the ex-boyfriend, the unexpected inheritance, and of course Guernsey. And then there are Ben, Bishop, Ambrose…and more! The author does a great job of building the characters throughout the story and giving the reader a chance to really root for Elsbeth and for her to find happiness. Lots of twists and turns make for a very interesting contemporary romance story! This was a quick read that I really enjoyed.
Finding Cheer by Heather Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book as much as the first one in the series. The first book follows Ash and Holly’s story and this second book follows Sophia and Isaiah’s story, although Ash and Holly are also main characters in this one too. Sophia is out on a hike to memorialize her mom when she finds an unconscious man on the trail. She wakes Isaiah up and he has no memory of who he is or how he got to those woods. After tests there is no brain injury and he leaves the hospital to find Sophia hoping something will come back. He stays in Emerald Hollow and he has some instincts that he knows about himself but no memories and no leads on missing persons. Sophia has a difficult past with men and she has a hard time trusting him, but as they get to know each other she starts to open up even though she has reservations. I loved reading about Sophia’s jewelry business and the WanderLost line. I wish there were some drawings or sketches in the book. I loved that this book also included Holly and Ash and some of the characters from the first book. It was just a sweet and magical story that I couldn’t put down!
