Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Micalah Weatherholtz

Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children's Book About Bullying (Courage Tales)Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children’s Book About Bullying by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beefy goes from bully to buddy was a good, well illustrated childrens story that covered important lessons for children to learn early in life. I thought Beefy was a little bit of an odd choice for a child’s name, but in a way made sense at the same time with the over aggressive, good at sports, jock type. I also enjoyed seeing the foster kiddos from the previous books have a roll in this one as well. It was a good addition to the series.

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The South Seas Shenanigans: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery (Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery Series) by Rosalind Barden – Review by Betsy Melano

The South Seas Shenanigans: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery (Sparky #4)The South Seas Shenanigans: A Sparky of Bunker Hill Mystery by Rosalind Barden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Eleven year old Sparky is on a new adventure, finding a place that’s hopefully safer but her luck seems to be on the wrong side. As always, I enjoy reading about Sparks’s life and all the adventures she seems to get into. This 4th book in the series doesn’t disappoint. The world built by the author is spot on and the characters that are around Sparky help make thieve books fun to read.

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Betrayal (Choosing Family Series) by Jennifer Raines – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

Betrayal (Choosing Family Book 3)Betrayal by Jennifer Raines
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Betrayal is the third book in the Choosing Family series. I haven’t read the rest of the series, although I have read other books by the same author, and I found the story easy enough to follow! I think it would be more enjoyable in the context of the whole series, though. It follows Anna and Hunter’s relationship developing from a rocky start with conflicting business interests into a romance.

I like the project at the centre of the book, creating childcare provision that meets the needs of Anna’s coworkers. It highlights the difficulties in accessing childcare, particularly for working single parents, and explores how an organisation could support the needs of its employees.

There are some great supporting characters, including Anna’s friend Bea who is instrumental in Hunter and Anna connecting! And Hunter’s father, Nick, makes a good antagonist.

There’s a lot going on in this story, which will appeal to fans of contemporary romance. It gets four stars from me!

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It’s Cool To Be Kind by Shermaine Perry-Knights – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

It's Cool To Be Kind: A Children's Book on Kindness and FriendshipIt’s Cool To Be Kind: A Children’s Book on Kindness and Friendship by Shermaine Perry-Knights
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I like the concept of It’s Cool to be Kind, but I think it missed its mark. The book didn’t flow for me, and got a little off topic in my opinion. It starts with the children discussing a school assignment, what are you best at. But then the kids throw around stories regarding kids being the first to do awesome things. The story continues and we see examples of each character being kind and helpful to others. I think it would have made more sense if their assignment was not “what are you best at?”, but instead “what are some ways you can be kind to others or make a difference in the world?” Regardless, I would read more of the author’s stories to my kids because I think there is potential.

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Sarge: Going Deep by Stuart Ledwith – Review by Betsy Melano

Sarge: Going DeepSarge: Going Deep by PhD Ledwith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A sci-fi series that brings the reader to new experiences, finding out more about Sarge and Scully as they get into covert operations and experience extra terrestrial beings. The story has suspense, intrigue, and so much more while at the same time the characters learn about other beings and how they help the main characters. The author brings a world I didn’t expect but one I’d like to learn more about. Overall, I enjoyed the story.

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Ink and Intrigue at Ivy Tree Inn (Ariadne Winter Mystery Series) by Ellen Butler – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

Ink and Intrigue at Ivy Tree InnInk and Intrigue at Ivy Tree Inn by Ellen Butler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ink and Intrigue at Ivy Tree Inn was an action packed book that I’m glad to have read. The cover did not draw me in, and had it not been for reading this author previously, I likely wouldn’t have picked this book up. There were a lot of characters with overlapping history and at first I had a hard time keeping them straight. I still don’t know how to pronounce the main character’s name! We know early on there is a death but don’t know who was the victim or who committed the crime. I think the author did a good job of slowly uncovering the story and maintaining the mystery until the end. I was quite invested in seeing how it ended and be sure to read to the verrrry end. I was fascinated when I read the pages after the story concluded, and learned the story is loosely based on historical events and people. Not that I have any idea who they are, but still fun to learn.

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A Tale of Two Crushes by Cori Cooper – Review by Danyel Owens

A Tale of Two CrushesA Tale of Two Crushes by Cori Cooper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Tale Of Two Crushes by Cori Cooper is a cute teenage romance. There’s a few awkward moments that have you laughing out loud. It’s a quick and easy read if you’re looking for something fun.

Holland just moved to a new school. On her first day, she meets a guy, Asher, and they have an instant connection. The next day, while having trouble with her locker, she meets another guy, Chandler. He’s super cute and he makes her heart jump. Little does she know, they’re twins! And things get a little crazy. Now Holland has to figure out which boy she wants to date. She has a hard time deciding and they’re very competitive.

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Gadrella by Tricia Gardella – Review by Elizabeth Sanchez

GadrellaGadrella by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gadrella is a fun children’s book, and perfect to read during the Halloween season. Gardella is a young witch who has big feelings around the traditions of the witch community. It’s always the same and she longs for change. She doesn’t want to ride a broom, wear black, and make potions. She takes it on herself to challenge the norm, and make changes to make herself happy. She shows everyone she is brave enough, and gives her friends the courage to be different as well.

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Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children's Book About Bullying (Courage Tales)Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children’s Book About Bullying by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Stars
Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek

Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy is part of the Courage Tales Series. My son and I truly enjoyed reading this book. Beefy is the schools biggest Bully. He likes stirring up trouble. He even tries to Bully Giorgio the hero bot. One thing I’ve drilled in my six year old head is be kind,be safe,be responsible. Being kind Goes a long ways. I’ve also taught him that sometimes people or kids act out because they crave attention and love they may not be getting at home. The colorful illustrations help bring the story to life. There’s a great lesson to be learned reading this book. We highly recommend reading this book to find out what happens next. My son and I look forward to reading more from this Author.

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Gadrella by Tricia Gadrella

GadrellaGadrella by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an adorable book. I read it to my 5-year-old who absolutely loved it. It is about an unconventional witch who wants to make changes. Definitely teaches lessons on embracing oneself and being true to oneself. This is the second book by Tricia Gadrella I have read to my daughter. She’s definitely talented. We are looking forward to more books to read. A cute Halloween themed book.

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Gadrella by Tricia Gardella – Review by Jaimie Salmon-Colburn

GadrellaGadrella by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a super cute book about change, transformation, and making a difference. Gadrella is a witch who is bored with things always being the same. The same clothes, the same hat, the same transportation, and just boring routines. She takes actions and trades her broom for a bike. She makes a costume and goes to the witches Halloween Gathering NOT dressed as a witch! She even makes a potion using non traditional ingredients!! Will this all backfire? Or can she make real changes in the coven? Such a wonderful book. Teaching kids that change can be good. To fight for the things you want. To work for the change. And the illustrations are adorable as well! Great for bedtime stories, first libraries, and young readers. This author has many wonderful books that you should check out! I can’t wait to read more with my kiddos.

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@jaimie0459

Love and Fate (A Braebeach Rockstar Romance) by Loriana Cappello – Review by Kayla Nemire

Love and Fate (Braebeach Rockstar #2)Love and Fate by Loriana Cappello
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Every once in a while you need a good palette cleanser when you’re reading… Something that has an interesting plot, paces and flows well, has characters who are mature and in touch with how they feel, and you know is going to have you smiling on the last page instead of sobbing. Love and Fate has all of that and so much more. I loved the amount of growth I saw in Tommy and just how much Angie healed over the course of the book because of the amount of support she truly has from her friends and chosen family. Loriana Cappello does a fantastic job of depicting ‘right person wrong time’ and what can happen when the wrong time becomes the right time. I would absolutely read more from this author.

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Knight On Edge (Jorja Knight Mystery Series) by Alice Bienia – Review by Alison Risher

Knight On Edge (Jorja Knight Mystery Series)Knight On Edge by Alice Bienia
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love this series! Each book could totally be a stand-alone. The main character is a strong female private detective. She solves mysteries. She battles her own demons. She lives and loves whole-heartedly. She stands on a precipice. What choices will she make in her professional life? What choices will she make in her personal life?

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Night Sweats and Hockey Nets (Hot Flash Hookups Series) by Sylvie Stewart and Marika Ray – Review by Lyndsey Fairley

Night Sweats and Hockey Nets (Hot Flash Hookups #3)Night Sweats and Hockey Nets by Marika Ray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Yay finally Niko’s book! I’ve been intrigued by him since book one and so glad we get to see his life.
And his little daughter, ugh what a sweet kid.

I love this series and while part of a series you can read as a standalone as each book is about a different couple.
I felt like I was in this story with them all. You feel each emotion, the love, hate, anger , panic all of it and that’s what a good story should do.
I can’t wait for more stories of the team.

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Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Jaimie Salmon-Colburn

Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children's Book About Bullying (Courage Tales)Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children’s Book About Bullying by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The books in this Courage Tales Series are so cute and great for kids learning to deal with their emotions. Sometimes kids are mean because something in their life is going wrong, so they take it out on other people. That happens her in Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy. Beefy gets the winning goal for the soccer team, but he’s mad. His parents didn’t show up for the game when they promised they’d be around more. Beefy tries to beat up Gavin, but his foster siblings and their robot who helps kids steps in. Read more about the robot in a previous book (Cam Creates a Hero). They take Beefy home to find his parents not home, but their phones are there and some things are out of place. Beefy and the Super Buddies team look around until they spot his parents trapped! The team must help Beefy to save his parents. I won’t say anything more and give it away, but the book is super cute. I think that kids can relate to these books and they will help them learn the correct ways to deal with certain emotions and problems. The illustrations are great as well! I can’t wait to read more with my kids from this author. Great for first libraries, younger kids, and bedtime stories.

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@jaimie0459

Whisper (The Entian Curse) by Kay Ross – Review by Jennifer Reimer

Whisper (The Entian Curse, #1)Whisper by Kay Ross
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

WOW what an incredible page turner of a book, I honestly couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to know how this story was going to go. This book had so much, and it was hard not to find something I didn’t like about it, it was filled with suspense, love, fantasy, mystery, twists and turns, related characters, action and so much more. Whisper had to learn so much and figure things out, and what to do that it was easy to understand where they were coming from and what they were going thou. The growth with the character thou the book was very well done that it was hard not to feel like you were right there holding their hand thou it all. This is a highly recommendable book that I don’t think you will be disappointed by.

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Railway to Murder (A Buck Greene, Railroad Special Agent, Mystery) by Danny J. Bradbury – Review by Tausha Treadway

Railway to MurderRailway to Murder by Danny J. Bradbury
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Railway to Murder (A Buck Greene, Railroad Special Agent, Mystery) by Danny J. Bradbury. I loved this book and can’t wait to read the next one in this series. It’s the story of Buck who returns home after fighting in the Civil War. When he arrives home he is shocked and heartbroken to discover both his parents have been murdered. After burying his parents he decides to head off to start over some where fresh and ends in the middle of the expanding transcontinental railroad and he soon finds the body of a railroad worker. He decides to investigate the murder and soon discover the railroad is risky business as this is not the first murder. He realizes if he can figure out who is murdering these men he may be able to become a Railroad Special Agent and he thinks that would be a good life for him. Will Buck find the murderer before another body is found. Read this great murder mystery to find out!

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Finally Friends: Donut the Dog & Peanut the Squirrel Learn Social Skills (Donut & Peanut Collection) by Debbie Sullivan – Review by Michelle Mulvey

Finally Friends: Donut the Dog & Peanut the Squirrel Learn Social SkillsFinally Friends: Donut the Dog & Peanut the Squirrel Learn Social Skills by Debbie Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed reading this book to a 4 year old and 2 year old. Donut is a dog who is missing her best friend who moved away and keeps trying to befriend peanut the squirrel but peanut is t being very receptive. Finally peanut and donut become friends. The kids enjoyed the book and are not getting the actual book so they don’t have to wait for me when I have my kindle on. Bright, colorful photos

Review by @xchellex

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Railway to Murder (A Buck Greene, Railroad Special Agent, Mystery) by Danny J. Bradbury – Review by Finn Cunningham

Railway to MurderRailway to Murder by Danny J. Bradbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Railway to Murder by Danny J. Bradbury is the first book in the Buck Greene Railroad Special Agent Mystery Series. A intriguing historical mystery based in the Civil War Era. Full of action, drama, and danger, this book is sure to keep you invested straight through to the end, seeing as this book kept me up several nights in a row because I had to know what happened! I look forward to diving into the next book!

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Night Sweats and Hockey Nets (Hot Flash Hookups Series) by Sylvie Stewart and Marika Ray – Review by Jayme Raffauf

Night Sweats and Hockey Nets (Hot Flash Hookups #3)Night Sweats and Hockey Nets by Marika Ray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another home run, or should I say hat trick, for this author combo. I love spicy hockey romance stories and this is another great one in this series. All three books have been great so far and I just loved the dynamic between Chloe and Nikolai, plus there was Ayana. I love all the links to the hockey guys and their gals from the previous two books. Chloe, Nikolai, Sylvie and Marika make magic happen when they team up. You’ve got perimenopause drama, spice, humor, hockey players, a single dad trying to win custody of his daughter, and so much more all rolled up in one story. Easy and quick read for me but loved it (as expected based on previous reads by this duo)!

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Railway to Murder (A Buck Greene, Railroad Special Agent, Mystery) by Danny J. Bradbury – Review by Jennifer Gordon

Railway to MurderRailway to Murder by Danny J. Bradbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was hooked throughout by this murder mystery set just after the American Civil War. Searching for a new beginning and haunted by his time fighting in the war Buck Greene journeys westward. When he hears about the expanding transcontinental railroad he is inspired to be part of it. However, having stumbled upon a dead body of one of the railroad workers he is shocked to discover this is not the first murder. Buck is determined to identify and stop the killers before it’s too late. Depending on his success he could become a real Railroad Special Agent. This is a great introduction to Buck and how he became a Railroad Special Agent. The descriptive narrative brought the characters and setting vividly to life, whilst the added historical details made me feel transported back in time. I look forward to being back with Buck solving a new mystery soon!

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Unexpected Revival (Revived Series) by E.L. Roux – Review by

Unexpected Revival (The Revived)Unexpected Revival by E L Roux
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This post apocalyptic romance was an intriguing read for me. Shannon who has been frozen for centuries is thawed out to answer some questions about her involvement in the destruction of Earth. The only problem is she can’t remember anything. She then meets the male alien D’lane and a romance forms between the two. Will Shannon ever get her memories back? Will their romance make it? Find out!

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A Safe Place (Philly Heat Series) by Becky Flade – Review by

A Safe Place (Philly Heat series, #6)A Safe Place by Becky Flade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This story was suspenseful and attention keeping. I found myself often thinking about the story when I was doing other tasks through the day.

A series of unfortunate events leads young Kat to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. After losing her grandmother suddenly and being thrown into a bad foster home while they try to track down her brother, whom her grandmother named as Kat’s guardian. Social worker Madi is now responsible for fostering, and protecting, Kat while also trying to reunite Kat with her brother. In a turn of events a potential romance begins budding between Kat’s brother and Madi. Will a romance blossom? Read the book to find out.

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The Discovery of Magic (The Intrigue of Magic Series) by L. J. Evias – Review by Carrie Reed

The Discovery of Magic (The Intrigue of Magic, #1)The Discovery of Magic by L. J. Evias
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! I almost passed this up and I am certainly glad I didn’t! I got so sucked into this story that I forgot the friend group was in a whole different world that wasn’t their own. The whole time I kept wondering why they were not more frantic to find Eliot or demand answers. That would terrify me to have my younger sibling lost. This world they are thrust into, Parsa, is so fantastical, with mages and magic, and the uniting of the north and south kingdoms. It is interesting to see how each person, Alice, Emily, Jordan and Jamie are all basically spit out through a portal into different parts of the kingdom, and are treated differently and have different experiences than the others, all the while trying to figure out a way to get back each other. Yasmin seems like a wonderful royal, she is a good friend to Alice but, it seems like her uncle, The Royal Mage, has her loyalty and has brainwashed her but, something seems off about him. Prince Darien also seems to be hiding something from everyone. I am saddened by Yasmin and Darien’s loss, by the way Javed seems to be treated and frustrated that they keep begging Alice to stay in their world with them, like why would she stay? She has a whole family and life back home. I really look forward to what comes next!

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Finally Friends: Donut the Dog & Peanut the Squirrel Learn Social Skills (Donut & Peanut Collection) by Debbie Sullivan – Review by Debbie Best

Finally Friends: Donut the Dog & Peanut the Squirrel Learn Social SkillsFinally Friends: Donut the Dog & Peanut the Squirrel Learn Social Skills by Debbie Sullivan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a beautifully written (Debbie Sullivan) and illustrated (Soraya Tavakoli) book that is perhaps best read first, by the parent. Immediately following the story of Donut and Peanut, is a well written explanation of the importance of a child’s Social Emotional Learning: Self-awareness, Social awareness, Responsible decision making, Self-management and Relationship skills. This book could be especially helpful if you have a child who is struggling with developing appropriate play and friendship skills.

Donut the dog misses his friend who moves away, and wants to find another friend to play with, but goes about it in an awkward manner. Instead of responding as he would like, his potential playmate, Peanut runs in the opposite direction! It takes the intervention of a third party, Bobo the bird to smooth the pathway to eventual success. Appropriate for ages 1-5 with easy text and beautiful watercolors, I wish I’d had this book when my own children were small!

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Night Sweats and Hockey Nets (Hot Flash Hookups Series) by Sylvie Stewart and Marika Ray – Review by Kerry Carr

Night Sweats and Hockey Nets (Hot Flash Hookups #3)Night Sweats and Hockey Nets by Marika Ray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the 3rd book in the Hot Flash Hookup series. I have really enjoyed these books. I love how the main leads are older characters that find their second chance at love. The characters are really well written and are believable. You can’t help but feel invested in their stories.
This is Niko and Chloe’s story. Niko is the goalkeeper for a famous hockey team. He is also a dad fighting for custody of his daughter so the last thing on his mind is romance.
Chloe is a widower who is looking to restart her life after losing her husband. When she meets Niko in a bar and after sharing a steamy kiss she never expected anything more.
So imagine Niko’s surprise when he realises that Chloe is the coaches daughter. If she wasn’t off limits before she definitely is now.
However the attraction between them is so strong that it gets harder and harder to ignore. So what will happen when Niko takes on Chloe to be his daughter’s nanny? Will this completely dampen any attraction or will her close proximity every day only stoke the flames more?
This is a fun, flirty, steamy read about 2 people who find each other despite their own battles with child custody and the dreaded menopause.

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Shadows In The Dark (Dark Lotus Series) by Anise Storm & Taylor L. Ray – Review by Caylene Newton

Shadows in the Dark (Dark Lotus #1)Shadows in the Dark by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A Shadow in The Dark is a dark romance book that has references to a decent amount of violence and explicit sexual references regarding the BDSM lifestyle along with talk of death. The book contains a lot of spice with a slow building romance.
Adrian, the CEO of benedict technologies by day and DOM by night who is looking for a new submissive to entertain himself with. Brynn an executive assistant to three men, one of which starts to become more persistent in pursuing her, leading her to start job hunting. Brynn soon discovers that her sister was found deceased and makes the decision to move into her sister’s condo. In this process of going through her sisters’ items, she learns that her sister had a secret life that she was not aware of. Brynn slowly starts to research and insert herself into this lifestyle in hopes that she will get invited to the secret club and find answers regarding her sister’s murder. However, the adventure starts to reveal things about her own self that she finds shocking.
As Brynn starts a new chapter in her life, the book leaves me to question how Brynn will proceed after finding out who her new boss is.

Be on the look out for “Whispers in The Dark” book 2 in the trilogy!

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Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Megan Kimley

Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children's Book About Bullying (Courage Tales)Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children’s Book About Bullying by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked the concept of this story. You have someone who is a bully because he doesn’t feel loved at home and is taking it out on kids at school. Those kids in turn try really hard to help Beefy realize that he’s a bully and they end up helping him save his parents and all is right with the world. I really liked the creative, fun, colorful illustrations. I feel that a lot of emphasis was put on the kids being bullied helping the bully rather than the bully trying to understand that he shouldn’t do that. I would have liked to see more emphasis on some self-realization from Beefy rather than his “friends” having to do all of the heavy lifting for him.

Reviewed by @meggs1717
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Railway to Murder (A Buck Greene, Railroad Special Agent, Mystery) by Danny J. Bradbury – Review by Shelly Kittell

Railway to MurderRailway to Murder by Danny J. Bradbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is normally not my genre but the synopsis looked interesting. By the end of Chapter 1, I was intrigued and hooked. I found the writing easy to understand. It had a fairly smooth flow with a couple minor glitches. The characters had personalities that were quite relatable. They felt like they could be people you know. You had from cranky to helpful. There was even a twist or two. It was a really good read that I enjoyed while trying to solve the mystery of who was taking out the railway workers

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Railway to Murder (A Buck Greene, Railroad Special Agent, Mystery-Book #1) by Danny J. Bradbury – Review by Angela Hayes

Railway to MurderRailway to Murder by Danny J. Bradbury
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

4 Stars

 

Railway to Murder is the first book in the Buck Green Railroad Special Agent Mystery series by Danny J. Bradbury. It is an historical mystery that is set just after American Civil War.
Buck Greene survived the ravages of the war only to be met by heartbreaking loss on his return home. Setting out for new horizons, Buck instead finds mystery and adventure…. And a few murders to solve along the way.
With action, dramatic developments, danger, challenges, crime & investigation, and a race against time, made for an intriguing read.
Looking forward to seeing what adventures await Buck in Book #2.
Happy Reading…

Thank you, Danny J. Bradbury!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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