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

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

4.5 stars
*** There are trigger warnings that you need to be aware of before diving in.*****
OMG! This is my favourite book by these authors to date. So good. Shadows In The Dark is the first explosive book in the Dark Lotus series and a delicious tale by the talented duo Anise Storm & Taylor L. Ray.
You will be drawn into the dark side of BDSM and club Lotus where there is plenty of sizzle, heat, pain, suffering and so much more. The story is mysterious, captivating and heartfelt and a quick and easy read. The deliciously hot and oh so sexy scenes jump off the pages. I was in need of a tall icy drink.
Adrian might be a CEO by day but underneath that suit he is a Dom(inant) man. A man that is haunted by demons. Demons that lurk in the shadows. He finds himself drawn to a beautiful woman, but he shouldn’t let her into his life. Unravelling this man’s secrets will be quite the journey.
Brynn’s life is turned upside down with her sister’s death. She soon discovers a life she knew nothing about as she looks for answers. Along the way she discovers more about herself and her needs and a man who is more than willing to show her the ropes.
With Billionaires, secret Societies, BDSM, desires, murder, danger, drama and intrigue it is everything you want in a book such as this.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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

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: 4 of 5 stars

This brightly and colourfully illustrated tale takes us to a world of virtual realities and mayhem-causing goblins. Beefy learns a lot of valuable lessons, but courage, kindness, friendships, and teamwork are key in this tale. It also teaches us to be aware of the dangers that can come about when you don’t know what your kids are doing, especially in this digital era we are in.

Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy is another educational tale in the Courage Tales series and a good way to show the old adage of ‘don’t judge a book by its cover.’ One never knows why a child does what they do unless you delve deeper.

This compelling tale helps tackle dealing with emotions, like feeling alone, angry, frustrated, being scared, and more. This is a valuable tale with bonus information available as well.

Join in the adventure of Beefy and buddies as they journey into a strange world to save those he loves and thwart those causing the danger.

Reviewed by @jennadb

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It’s Cool To Be Kind by Shermaine Perry-Knights – Review by Karrie Sears

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: 5 of 5 stars

Such a heartwarming dedication. Michael, Max and Martin are trying to figure out what they are good at for a homework assignment.
“Being kind isn’t just about the big stuff. It’s about helping in the small ways too.” Such a great quote in those book. Teaching and discussing kindness at the end for kids also. The illustrations and storyline is great. Definitely a good book to help little ones understand what it means to be kind.

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Gadrella by Tricia Gardella – Review by Kerry Baker

GadrellaGadrella by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Our whole house was excited to get our hands on a new book by this author and this was certainly did not let us down. We all loved the character of Gadrella. She was such a fun character to read about and watching her explore new ways of doing things was an absolute pleasure.
Although this book was entertaining and joyful, it also encouraged kids to look at what makes them different and to celebrate these differences. It is such a positive message and one that I think most kids in this day and age needs to hear. This was a bit hit in our household and is one that will be read time and again.

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

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

Westerns are not usually my go to type book and I honestly can’t recall the last one that I read. However, I am so pleased that I gave this book a chance as it was such an interesting story. It was an exciting read from start to finish and I really found myself caught up in what was going on.
I enjoyed the way the whole book unfolded. I wanted to know the truth behind the murders and wanted to see if our MC would figure it all out. The story felt like it was in keeping with the time, realistic to the era it was set in. This is still one of the first few books that I have read from this author but it has definitely reinforced the view that I will be reading more.

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Sanctuary by Bree M. Lewandowski – Review by Kerry Baker

SanctuarySanctuary by Bree M. Lewandowski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another great story by an author who never disappoints. This is one of those stories that has a real slow build to it and draws you in bit by bit. I thought the storyline was a really interesting one. I was pulled into this world and wanted to find out more.
The characters each added such different dynamics to the book. It was easy to become invested in them as they were engaging and exciting to read about. I thoroughly enjoyed this book I am looking forward to my next read by this author.

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Reunion (The Hellgate Chronicles) by Jocelyn Lindsay – Review by Kerry Baker

Reunion (The Hellgate Chronicles, #1)Reunion by Jocelyn Lindsay
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What an original and refreshing story this is. I knew from the moment I read the description that I would enjoy this book, but it completely blew all expectations out of the water! For a start, I loved the fact that the main character was older. Most books that I read like this are of the YA category, with a character to match. So having the main character be older was such a nice change. I definitely connected with this character more than others and I really became invested in her story.
I loved the overall story the author created. It was exciting, fun to read and one that I couldn’t seem to get enough of. Once I had started reading, I found it really hard to put down. This is a brilliant story and I am really looking forward to the next in the series.

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

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 book is a great story about unlikely friendships and how they can develop once you learn how to communicate. It was so lovely to watch Donut and Peanut develop their social skills as the story went on. The whole book has such a sweet feel about it and is great for teaching kids about the importance of learning about other people and seeing past their differences.
It was also then a bonus for me that my kids loved this book. They thought it was so entertaining and loved the idea of a dog and squirrel becoming friends. We get a lot of squirrels in our back garden and they have spend the last few days watching them to see if they make friends with any of the dogs who live nearby. This is a fun and educational story and is one I would highly recommend.

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The Holey Land by Laura Koerber- Review by Kerry Carr

The Holey LandThe Holey Land by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another unique and thought provoking read by this author. It is captivating with characters that draw you in and that have fantastic tales to tell. What I really love about this authors work is that there is no fear of mixing reality and fantasy. Making the everyday and mundane seems magical and filled with possibilities. And this story is no different.
Molly is middle aged woman who decides to go on a holiday by herself. She feels she needs to go on a journey to discover herself but she doesn’t know why?
So she now finds herself in Holey land. She can’t explain why, did she choose the place or did something about the place call to her?
We also meet Al, Nate and Anna. These are 3 guides that watch over Holey land and everyone who resides and visits there. They have been part of Holey Island even since it came into existence although their names have changed over the years.
Nate helps people to live, Anna helps people die and Al well he is a law unto himself and does whatever he likes. Just don’t annoy him.
Through the story Molly meets all these characters as they help her on her journey to discover what it is she is really looking for.
This story is a really captivating read. This author never fails to create stories that are thought provoking and magical. I always feel transported when I read stories by this author.

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

Shadows in the Dark (Dark Lotus #1)Shadows in the Dark by Anise Storm
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow, I sure enjoyed this story. The suspense and dark romance were an absolute treat for this old woman. I enjoyed the flow of the story. The characters were great. I was sucked into this story right from the beginning. I loved that it ended on a cliffhanger. That means there is more to come…. I can’t wait.

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The Holey Land by Laura Koerber – Review by Shelly Kittell

The Holey LandThe Holey Land by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fascinating story that I sure enjoyed. This author writes stories that bring magic, fantasy and realism to produce a wonderful story. The characters are absolutely unique and so unforgettable. I can honestly say that this author’s books are my very favorites. I love how that native american is woven into it.

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Detective Dylan and the Thief of Camp Leaf (A Youth Sleuths Chapter Book Series) by MJ Murray – Review by Candice Estes

Detective Dylan and the Thief of Camp Leaf (A Youth Sleuths Chapter Book Series 3)Detective Dylan and the Thief of Camp Leaf by M.J. Murray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is the 3rd in the Young Sleuths Chapter Book series, but can be read as a stand-alone if you choose to. Dylan is a little boy who has a detective kit, a trusty dog and a younger sister as a side-kick to help him solve all kinds of mysteries. In this particular story, Dylan and his younger sister, Emily, are camping with their family when the Camp Leaf golden trophy comes up missing. Dylan and Emily and their dog, Theodore, set off to try to find it, with other friends along the way. This book is great for young children just learning to read on their own, or for parents or teachers to read to the youngsters in their lives. The story is cute, and the illustrations are fun to look at. Join Dylan, Emily, Theodore and their friends on an adventure to solve who stole the Camp Leaf golden trophy, but remember, be careful who you trust!

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

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

Night Sweats and Hockey Nets is the story about Chloe Cooper and Nikolai Drugov. Chloe has just moved to Tampa to start her life again after losing her husband. Nikolai is a single dad, who is trying to get a fair arrangement with his custody battle with his ex-wife. While Chloe is just wanting to have a little fun, Niko is all family and career with no time for a woman. Only thing is they share a conversation and a never going to forget kiss one night. Then all bets are off, cause neither one can get each other out of their heads. Chloe comes to realize that no one can be Niko. Niko can only think of Chloe and how she has come to change everything in his life. Getting a second chance at love was not what they were looking for but, found along the way.

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

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

5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Shadows in the Dark is Book 1 of the Dark Lotus Trilogy…and wow if you love dark romance with sizzling BDSM like I do….I very highly recommend this story. Leaving it all on the table, this story of Adrian and Brynn, then tension, control, secrets, pleasure and pain….I love the connection that I have to the characters…and already cannot wait until the next book in the series to see what happens next.

The lingering darkness that shadows over Adrian and the demons he keeps within himself..he is
methodical in every aspect of his life, from work to play and keeps everyone at a distance. Brynn is
trying to figure out what happened to her sister, as she is notified of her murder, grieving, and trying to find the truth. As Brynn opens up detailed secrets that her sister had, she opens up a new world that she is now becoming part of…..and it starts with Adrian. As Adrian’s dominate side comes out more and is drawn to Brynn…..he is becomes more protective of her. Will Brynn find out any truths while trying to navigate this new submissive world with Adrian….

I highly recommend this read….totally dark and delicious indeed!!

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Knight On Edge (Jorja Knight Mystery Series) by Alice Bienia – Review by Shelly Kittell

Knight On Edge: A female detective mystery (Jorja Knight Mystery Series Book 7)Knight On Edge: A female detective mystery by Alice Bienia
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This has been one of the more exciting detective series I’ve read so far. This story has a great story set up. It has a really smooth flow. There is an affair w3ith some deadly consequences. I love watching Jorja try to figure this out. She’s like a bulldog with a bone. She doesn’t give up. There are many secrets to discover I really enjoyed the characters It’s a good book.

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The Crown of Stones Trilogy Box Set (The Crown of Stones Series) by C. L. Schneider – Review by Rose McCaskey

The Crown of Stones Complete TrilogyThe Crown of Stones Complete Trilogy by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a complete series of three books, so it was over 1600 pages. I previously read Troy, which was an extension of this series. It also follows Troy, but after the War. People know who he is and dont really like him very much. It is a descriptive read with great world building and character development

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

Unexpected Revival (The Revived)Unexpected Revival by E L Roux
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was good. This is the first book of the series. Shannon was in a cryogenic sleep, then something woke her up. She discovered that Earth has been destroyed. Comes across a male who also happens to be an alien, and she is attracted to him. D’lane has his own mission to needs to complete.

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Cam Creates a Hero (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Amelia Stansell

Cam Creates a HeroCam Creates a Hero by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was fantastic! The kids loved it! This story is about a boy Cam, he lives with his foster mom and siblings. He has a heart that loves to help people. He saw a little girl on tv that was hurt, he had to do something to help. So he got his sibling to help him make a robot, that didn’t pan out. He decided to write a book that would help protect kids. He took it the hospital and all the kids loved it.

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Beefy goes from Bully to Buddy (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek Reviewed by Phylis Carpenter October 2024

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

This was a cute little children’s book that I am going to read to my grand daughter when I start babysitting really soon. I am collecting cute little books to read to her to get her to like reading as much as I do. It is about a young man who is a bully to his classmates and neighbors because he is upset that his parents don’t pay him alot of attention. He got angry because he saw the parents of the other children show up for their games and his did not show up for his games.

Really enjoyed the story and think your little ones will too

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The Keeper (Fall River Series) by G. K. Brady – Review by Christie Mitchum

The Keeper (Fall River, #1)The Keeper by G.K. Brady
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Keeper is the first book in the Fall River Series and revolves around the three Hunnicutt brothers, and it’s an excellent start to what appears to be a promising series.

Noah has just opened his very own business, a tavern. He has made some bad decisions in the past. He wants to prove himself by being responsible and putting those mistakes behind him. Hailey is a restaurant inspector who dreams of opening her own bookstore one day. One snowy night will put these two on a course that will change their lives.

After the two spend a night together in a snowstorm, sparks fly. Each of them has personal demons to deal with, and outside forces threaten to derail their budding relationship before it gets off the ground.

Both characters are relatable and likable. I enjoyed their mutual respect for one another, and I also liked that there was a friendship between them as well. They were both incredibly supportive of each others’ dreams and did whatever was possible to help the other fulfill those dreams.

I loved the quirky characters; the author did a great job of creating this special little town. I could clearly envision each shop and business. There was a dash of suspense thrown in as well. When you add in a loveable dog or two, it’s almost perfection for me. Give the little town of Fall River a visit. I hope you like it as much as I did.

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The Men of Eden Cove Manor by Naomi Valkyrie – reviewed by Vicki Shelton

The Men of Eden Cove ManorThe Men of Eden Cove Manor by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love a good book I can read in just a few hours. It’s even better when it can be seductive without all the messy details. The characters are fantastic. There were moments of suspense but in the end I finished with a laugh. I absolutely loved this story.

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The Fixer (Fall River Series) by G. K. Brady – Review by Christie Mitchum

The Fixer (Fall River, #2)The Fixer by G.K. Brady
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was a massive fan of The Keeper, the first book of the Fall River Series, and this second book did not disappoint!

It’s now Charlie Hunnicutt’s turn to tell readers his story. He is a passionate preservationist who sees every structure as a living thing with a story to tell. He takes great pride in his projects. Joy Holiday has come to Fall River to settle her late mother’s estate, and she intends to return to her life in the city as quickly as possible. She wants to sell quickly. However, she has to bring the building up to code, and this is when Charlie enters the picture. The two repeatedly butt heads over the fate of the building. As the two are thrown together to see this project finished, they begin connecting on a much deeper level. But, how can two polar opposites find their way to lasting happiness?

I loved Charlie when I met him in the first book. He’s definitely easy on the eyes, but as I read more of the book, that falls away. The only thing I saw was his sweet soul. I admit it took a little longer for me to like Joy, but as I got to know her better, I saw that under her tough exterior was a little girl with a broken heart. She has to face her childhood issues if she is ever going to find happiness as an adult. She longs to have a family who loves her, and if she would let Charlie past the iron-clad walls surrounding her heart, he could give her that.

I was so happy to return to Fall River to see the characters I have come to love. I can’t wait to return with the third upcoming book!

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War Bunny (War Bunny Chronicles) by Christopher St. John – Review by Debbie Best

War Bunny: Book 1 of the War Bunny ChroniclesWar Bunny: Book 1 of the War Bunny Chronicles by Christopher St. John
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Shades of Watership Down! Set sometime after the year 2117, there is a new world order. Man, thanks to his ignorance to climate change, and to massive disease outbreak has been annihilated – at least within Million Acre Woods somewhere in Canada. The woods are now populated with a new world order. According to the History of the Known World, “at the end, the woods were full of animals. But the same winnowing that took the Dead Gods [Humans] took many animals too. Only six kinds of creatures are left for canids: deer, raccoon, rabbit, squirrel and moose.”
War Bunny’s focus is on the survival of rabbits. In the opening chapters we are introduced to the Blood Thorn Warren, in which our protagonist, Anastasia dwells. The runt of her litter, she is inquisitive, questioning, disobedient, has a touch of OCD “is not right in the head” and is barren. Instigated by her own mother (Olympia) and father (Darius), her perceived shortcomings become a cocktail for eviction from the warren. But is that the real reason for casting her out?
As her story progresses, we are introduced to a rigidly structured belief system, akin to human religious hierarchy. A system, dominated by the males of her species. In this system, “Dah” has written the rules for proper societal behavior. A rabbit must, at all times, be prepared to experience “the Giving” [surrender] and accept “Glorification” [death] to the “Blessed Ones” [Fox, Weasel, Hawk, Coyote] to enter “The Lucky Fields” where he/she will be able to romp forever. “There is no outrunning the mercy of Dah”, she is told, and yet Anastasia questions and wrestles with this and other truths she has been taught since she was a kit.
Once ostracized, Anastasia establishes a “warren” of colorful characters who both help and hinder her as she wrestles with the meanings of self, sacrifice, truth and faith. There is plenty of war, love, acceptance and action within War Bunny’s pages, as one little rabbit turns the entire rabbit world as they know it, upside down. Anastasia’s story is compelling, deeply thought provoking, and had me captivated until the very end.
Christopher St. John’s rich allegory is filled with nuances of politics, power, feminism and organized religion. It is book one thus far, of a trilogy that includes the books Summerday and City of Oom.

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Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children’s Book About Bullying by Dagmara Sitek – reviewed by Vicki Shelton

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

Beefy’s character is a wonderful character who is intelligent and does indeed change. The foster children are very sweet and supportive. I feel many people would like this book. From the bully to buddy aspect it is a fantastic story. However, the story continues and addresses other characters that I feel were represented poorly. I did not like the ending of this book.

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The Trouble With Possibilities by Nancie Abuhaidar – Review by Maisie Dickinson

The Trouble with PossibilitiesThe Trouble with Possibilities by Nancie Abuhaidar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I wanted to read the Trouble with Possibilities because the title and the cover stood out to me, and I’m glad I did. The story follows Del, who has recently lost her husband and has decided to finally do something with her life that she has always wanted to do. She signs up to volunteer at a school in Africa, and it’s probably the best decision she ever made. I love this aspect of the story as it’s something I’ve always wanted to do as well, and I’m glad it acknowledges not only the positives but also the negatives, the hard parts. I didn’t love the romance aspect of the story as much as I feel like the audience doesn’t get shown the qualities Del appreciates about Ben, at least not until towards the end. I also feel like what stops the love interests from getting together, whilst it is a big deal, isn’t enough to cause a problem for as long as it does. It gets a bit tiring, particularly her childish behaviour which seems unfair on him at times. But nevertheless, it is well written, and the last few chapters are written exceptionally well and I did enjoy the ending. My favourite character was probably Mandi, even though we don’t see much of her, and my least favourite character was possibly David, although he does seem to redeem himself. I recommend this book because it is an inspiring story, and it’s always refreshing to see a romance centred on an older couple. “You do not have to erase the past to embrace the future, but you do have to loosen its hold.”

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The Trouble With Possibilities by Nancie Abuhaidar – Review by Karrie Sears

The Trouble with PossibilitiesThe Trouble with Possibilities by Nancie Abuhaidar
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Delaney (Del) Harper has lost her husband, job and is having issues with her adult son. So she decides she needs to get away and goes to Africa to help the less fortunate children with schooling. Once there she tries so hard to keep her feelings and anxieties bottled up from everyone and everything that happened at home. Such a wholesome romance novel. Once I started this book I had to keep going. This book shows how grief can manifest itself and eventually you just have to let some things go in order to make peace within yourself.

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Betrayal (Choosing Family Series) by Jennifer Raines – Review by Barbara Bohls

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

This is book three in the series and the first that I have read in the series. I will say that this book can be read as a stand alone or with the series. I didn’t feel lost or confused with characters by not reading the other two books first. I can tell that the characters do ebb and flow throughout the books because of the way they are written but if I’m not mistaken each book deals with a different set of characters. Speaking characters, these characters are really well developed and you can feel their emotions throughout this book. They even evolve throughout the span of the book, which I feel is amazing have in a book. This was a very quick read for me as I couldn’t put it down. There is the normal circumstances of contemporary romance which is each character has their own previous baggage and they are trying to see if it is worth working through that to be with one another. However, this book has a bit more to it. There is secrets and lies. The title is there for a reason and it had me turning pages to find out what happened next. There is that push and pull between he characters with their passion and angst. I highly recommend this book to any contemporary romance lover because they will love this book and get hooked into it right away. If you aren’t a contemporary romance lover, I feel like you would still enjoy this book because of the twists and turns it takes and the constant ability to keep you on the edge of each page.
Reviewed by: @bbohls

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Beefy Goes From Bully To Buddy: Children’s book about bullying (Courage Tales) by Dagmara Sitek

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

Even though Beefy’s team won the soccer match, he was still mad. In the locker room, he started bullying Gavin. Beefy was jealous of Gavin because he saw the attention his parents gave him. Gavin called his friends, Inaya, Loris, and Cam to help him. Inaya, Loris, and Cam made up the Super Buddies team along with their hero bot, Giorgio. The Super Buddies came to help him and Beefy started hitting Giorgio until he hurt his hand.

The Super Buddies team took Beefy home & wanted to talk to his parents, but they couldn’t find them. While looking for Beefy’s parents, they found different inventions that Beefy had made. He gave Giorgio a robot arm that can grab things. He showed them his favorite game and his best buddy in the game was a virtual goblin named Trumble.

They found items strewn around that belonged to Beefy’s mom and dad, but still couldn’t find them. Then they heard them calling from the TV. His parents needed his help because they were trapped inside of a computer game. But when Beefy pushed the button, they all were sucked into the game.

To Beefy’s surprise, they found Trumble who apparently had taken his parents because Beefy had told them they didn’t care about him. When they finally got the key from Trumble to rescue his parents, they all ran and jumped back through the TV. Beefy deleted the computer game and his parents promised they would change and spend more time with him. They started going to his games and taking an interest in his inventions. Beefy was so much happier than he’d ever been and stopped bullying. He now had real friends and enjoyed spending time with them. He even became a member of the Super Buddies team!

It is true that sometimes we don’t know what others are going through. It was very nice for Loris, Inaya and Cam to take an interest in Beefy to find out why he was so unhappy. They forgave him for his bullying and developed a friendship. Sometimes all it takes is a smile, conversation, and a little bit of interest to help brighten someone’s day. The illustrations are super colorful and make the story that much more enjoyable.

A Tale of Two Crushes by Cori Cooper – Review by Darian Vester

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

Honestly at first I thought the book was a little cringy. Now I did feel that her and Asher did have a good connection but still cringy. Do not let me saying that push you away from the book because it gets better! The characters are great; seriously the friendship was the best, Tenley was my favorite. Holland was a great main character, it was great that she could admit she enjoyed getting attention from both boys, who wouldn’t. I loved that she agreed about them acting like idiots, I was glad their “hotness” didn’t blind her in that area. And then I was so happy for her when she finally started to think about her own wants. Runway careers is such a cool idea, I wish my high school did something like this.
Overall the it’s a great read for younger readers/ya readers. It’s humorous, ambitious characters and a little romance. 100 percent recommend.

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The Crown of Stones Trilogy Box Set (The Crown of Stones Series) by C. L. Schneider – Review by Ayla Phipps

The Crown of Stones Complete TrilogyThe Crown of Stones Complete Trilogy by C.L. Schneider
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bravo C.L. Schnider, I now understand why I have seen this series everywhere. While this boxset was not my introduction to this incredible author or Ian Troy, I finally understood so much more about his story and the author’s talent. Already a big fan of C.L. Schnider, I was introduced to Ian Troy through the two Soulbound Journeys books. Having finally had a chance to go back and see where it all began, I was left awestruck by all her had overcome and made it out the other side, yes more scared both internally and externally but it gives so much more depth to the world and characters the author has created.
Ian Troy is a Shinree soldier. Their one downfall is their addiction to magic. Book One starts with the battle that changed the very map of the world itself. But Troy buried the crown with his fallen lover and queen and became a bounty hunter. Only the crown wasn’t done with him. Book Two, two years have passed since the events of book one and Troy has been beaten down and enslaved. Only now, he finds himself as a leader and so many others look to him for guidance and freedom. Book Three, Ian Troy is in hiding, the resistance has fallen, and he’s left trying to find a way to help the realm and the people who inhabit it.
Can Ian Troy get a handle on his addictions to save the realm? Will he become too broken, or will that feed his determination more? This entire world pulls every ounce of your soul into it. C.L. Schnider captured the power of legends like Tolkien and created her own ever-growing complex world that keeps you coming back for more. I may have read things out of order in the world of Ian Troy, but I can truly say that’s not gonna stop me from now going back to read Troy and discovering his full backstory that leads to him becoming the warrior that he was in the beginning of this trilogy.

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