Once again, life lessons for kids in a fun and realistic way. Accidents are a part of life good and bad ones. This book in the series focuses on the importance of telling the truth. Gray Seal had an accident it wasn’t on purpose, but it hurt his friends’ feelings and led to some mean words being said amongst them until he faced his fear and told the truth. It’s okay to have accidents but remember to tell the truth, once he did, he and his friends were able to work together to fix everything that happened. I can’t forget once more the beautiful illustrations of Erica’s that help bring the Bay to life with her incredible talent.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-02-10 15:01:092024-02-16 08:42:11Beach Ball Blunder (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Ayla Phipps
Oh wow. INTENSE and it’s just the beginning of an amazing series. Naomi Valkyrie is one of those authors you don’t realize you’re missing in your life until you read one of her incredible books. Xenobia was just another slave, dreaming of escape and bracing for what would come next. Urd was her new roommate in a long list of blurs before her. It does no good to get attached they usually don’t stay long. But Urd wormed around her defenses and got inside her heart. Rumors of an underground that help girls escape their Masters and Mistresses is the main goal. She wants to take Urd and escape to finally be free. One night a moment of weakness and her steely resolve shatters she attacks and the changes that follow are a blessing and a curse. Will Xenobia find the underground? Can she save Urd? What is happening to her? The world is just beginning, and I was so wound up by the end I felt deflated when it ended so quickly. Sorry about the dust as I speed to the first book in the House Valdis series, The Rise of House Valdis to discover what happens next for Xenobia.
Ended too soon, I need more. I absolutely love C.A. King’s work. Having read several of her books so far, I always find my way back to her. Selene is a rock bottom gambling addict that goes way to hard on everything she does. Going above and beyond every job she gets but seems to keep finding herself hearing “Your Fired” too soon. A last-ditch prayer if you will she feels she’s finally found her dream job. A place to live? Check. Gets paid? Check. Tropical island? Check. She takes the chance but quickly questions why anyone would want to leave the island before dark. Questions why the mask rule at night and curious about what the truth is behind the “Curse” of the island. Will breaking the rules be in her favor this time? Can she keep a job past the first week? What is the curse? Everything about this book drew me in and kept me glued to the pages. It was the edge of your seat mystery and some steam that kept you wanting to see what would happen next. Has you asking questions about what the truth is. Just when you finally get some answers and understanding it’s over. Honestly amazing but too short. Praying the amazing, talented author uses this as an intro to a new little series because honestly, I need more of Selene and the Six owners of Forbidden Island. Also, the history of the island was amazingly interesting, the depth of the details and how everything fits together perfectly. Chef’s kiss. Curiosity killed the cat. Satisfaction brought him back.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-02-03 18:59:482024-02-16 08:00:30Curse of the Forbidden Island by C.A. King – Review by Ayla Phipps
Mmm. a-Mei-zing. COULD NOT PUT DOWN. Both Emily Cox and Nicole Allen are new authors to me, and I don’t even have words. The fact that this book was written by two amazing authors but more so the fact that it was so seamless, honestly if not for the front having both names you would think this was written by one incredible author. Dual perspectives Mei Li and Marcus. Mei Li is from Taiwan but moved to San Fransisco when she was eight years old and now lives in Chinatown with her parents and they own a family restaurant, Zheng’s. Marcus is the son of Detective Ray Miller, a star student and soccer star. Both have big dreams but after ten years of living on the same block one day, one tiny “insignificant” moment changes everything. Mei deals with the secrets of her family’s status in the US while trying to show gratitude to the “man” that helped them stay here. But now since meeting Marcus she no longer wants to just play the part and settle for the grown man seven years older than her that isn’t who he pretends to be. Her dreams are to be a chef, to go to L.A., find an internship and go to culinary school. Only Nick has suffocating ropes attached to his “kindness”. Marcus has a dream to go to Stanford with a full scholarship in soccer, to play. Only he fears abandoning his father like his mother did so long ago. Finding Mei, he still cares about school, soccer, and finishing the deal with his dad for his motorcycle but he wants the girl now too. His parents went zero to a hundred quick, and it burned them both, Marcus being the only good thing to come from it. Marcus doesn’t want that he wants every day to begin, end and be filled with Mei in his life. To take things slow and steady for the win-win. When secrets start to come to light, will anyone be left standing in the ashes? Can Mei Li escape the nightmare she’s “trapped” in? How will Marcus complete the deal and get the girl? This world is a reality based one with countless people living in similar moments every day. Mei Li and Marcus were brought together right when it was their moment, when their lives were supposed to truly begin. Not the lives their parents tried to force on them but their own. I absolutely LOVED the characters of Mei Li and Marcus their innocents and curiosity, coming into their emotions and not running from them when they felt they should. I especially have a personal understanding of Marcus as I was also the product of teen “love” that burned out too quickly. While my mom wasn’t as extreme as Marcus’s dad I had similar rules, my mother was terrified I would be a teen mom too, but I did things the “proper” way, married and then kids. Life is what you make it, our decisions shape them and when parents feel they made mistakes and force those changes on their kids they create unimaginable fears. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for more books from these authors, they have captured my heart with Mei Li and Marcus, and I will eagerly devour anything that comes next.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-02-02 21:40:052024-02-15 12:24:21The Other Side of Together by Emily Cox and Nicole Allen – Review by Ayla Phipps
Once more love Erica’s beautiful illustrations. G Pa’s rhymes are always a delight when teaching young minds, the importance of picking up our trash. Being a litterbug doesn’t only harm our planet but the animals. Love how the author shows a real-world example of sea creatures being affected in harmful ways by the lack of care when people litter. Remember littering doesn’t just hurt the planet, it hurts all living beings and creatures on it. My oh my what will Cray face next on his adventures in the bay.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-01-26 18:21:522024-02-14 14:45:16Cray Saves the Day (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Ayla Phipps
BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED. This was a new author for me and love the rhyming makes things so much easier for young kids to follow along with and helps in their learning journey of becoming strong independent readers. While I understand the underlying meaning of its better to be friendly than to be a bully the story made it slightly confusing. It took Cray, losing a limb essentially to be nice and stop bullying. He didn’t apologize or anything, just all the other characters came to comfort and support him after to start a new beginning. Now the second meaning that after something bad something good is coming your way I love this, and it is so easy society today, it’s often hard to see an upside or positives out of something bad. I look forward to seeing what adventure little Cray will get into next.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-01-25 16:26:332024-02-14 13:23:32A New Day for Cray (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Ayla Phipps
Heart stopping for sure. Sylvia Black continues to draw you into the world of the Masters of the Consulate in book nine. Sheba is a traitor after being one of the most trusted allies but so much more awaits. Dual perspectives of Master Botosoni and Catina. This series each book is a guaranteed happy ever after, but this one made my heart stop in fear when the lack of communications almost took away everything. Master Botosoni is stunned learning Sheba has turned and is in the forest nearby, at the base of the Carpathian Mountain range. The very lands that each faction of the underworld fights for with their blood claiming it as their land. All for the secrets hidden within. Catina is the only daughter in a traveler family. Deemed too old to marry off at twenty-one her family try to sell her with her virginity as the big draw. Botosoni is told by many of the Lords in his region to visit her, let her do a reading for him she is good and can help him in the hunt for the rogues and shifters, Sheba included. Instantly they are drawn together but when her family returns too soon, she tells them lies with a promise of a big payout to get them to leave her with the vampires. She only wants to help but overhearing the story on the security system Botosani instantly takes it as truth after hearing of the con from his second in command. Hearing that her family is near the rogues and shifters camp she flees to save them and make them leave the area before they become the next snack. Not a word said to Botosoni as her heart breaks hearing him call her a liar. Omens plague her mind as she races to the mountain. Will Catina save her family in time or become a victim herself completing the omen of her brutal attack? How do they survive the communication flop and find their way back together? This world, the characters, the plot, the ever evolving and developing story as everything is revealed in time and across each book draws you in. The author’s talent no joke her description of the soup early on made me so hungry I had to make a snack as soon as I finished the chapter. I truly cannot wait for book ten, Master Oradea, April 26th, 2026. Happy 12th birthday to my son, but mommy will be in the corner reading the next book every chance she gets.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-01-22 21:54:462024-02-09 14:16:22Master Botosoni (Masters of the Consulate Book 9) by Sylvia Black – Review by Ayla Phipps
Impending devastation and death. Book two in the War of Destiny series starts off roughly eighty years after the events of book one. Some positives are that Julia has Adam at her side and somewhere over time she has just stopped existing and started too truly live again. 1582, back in London and enjoying a peaceful life when one dream, to meet Queen Elizabeth, comes true but everything changes in the same night. Events set into motion that can’t be undone or deterred. A strange dream, a ten-year-old girl and “tarot” cards tells Julia her future, one filled with loss, evil, death, sacrifice, and betrayal. Unsure of what the meaning is more strange things begin starting with a nap. Can Julia decipher the strange future she was told in time? Betrayal is coming but from who? While this is the second book, I understand how it could be a standalone if starting with this book. That said I feel that it would be like starting a movie forty-five minutes in without context or background on what led to the events or the significance of the situations. Such as Julia finally having Adam at her side or who Marie was to Julia. The continued growth of Julia in discovering herself more and evolving with everything she faces and overcomes. I cannot wait to start book three, Between Darkness and Light. I devoured the first two books in just a few days, once I started, I couldn’t stop.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-01-19 20:42:262024-01-22 07:35:54Pursuit into Darkness (War of Destiny Series Book 2) by Theresa Van Spankeren – Review by Ayla Phipps
Heavy emotional rollercoaster. While I have seen Theresa’s books over time while working at a library, I hadn’t previously given them a read until now. One of my new years resolutions was to read books by as many new authors as I could, and this series always looked interesting. I must say I was not prepared for the deep emotions that I would be taken for a ride with, but the book had me holding my breath from start to finish praying Julia could get a win. Julia is in modern day London but as she writes her biography, we are taken on the journey of who Julia is and how she came to this point. She is over half a century old, and a combination of things has her getting flashbacks to her past life, her human life. The only way to be rid of the flashbacks is to confront them and discover what the importance is in them. 1492, Julia was born and while her childhood was mostly wonderful considering nothing prepared her for what was to come after overhearing her father and brother speaking when she was eleven. At fifteen she was to marry Gregory Smith, a man wealthier than her own father had asked for her hand and while it was not the man, she wanted to marry her father accepted for her and that was final. All Julia ever wanted was to have the power to make her own decisions about her own life. To have control. Immediately her younger sister informs her of the uneasy feelings she gets around Gregory and the urge to flee from the room he enters, but it’s too late she has no choice but to marry him. Crystal, her sister, warns her to be careful. What follows the marriage and in the first two years is heartbreaking, not only what Julia experiences at the hands of her husband but of her own father. Will Julia find an escape? Can she have a happy moment that’s not tainted with painful consequences? The world the author builds is based off history, the times in which the story takes place are accurate which makes reading it so much more painful as some today still deal with similar situations. The characters have immense strength and fight to overcome all that they are faced with. Finding one thing to fight for to keep her going. I have found a new author and series to follow and now off to book two, Pursuit into Darkness to see what happens next for Julia.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-01-19 18:05:572024-01-22 07:18:09Lost Soul (War of Destiny Series Book 1) by Theresa Van Spankeren – Review by Ayla Phipps
Nothing is what it seems. So, my oh my, this is the first book I have read by this author and honestly, I had zero ideas of what I was getting myself into. The cover seemed innocuous and that intrigued me, and the synopsis had me completely curious. Six stories, six couples. Each story is its own story. The only thing they have in common is a shifter finding their mate and the journey they must go through or in some cases survive to get that happily ever after they never dreamed possible. Cougar, Gargoyle, Hellhound and more await you inside the pages of this wicked little book. While just over two hundred pages each short story only takes about two hours or so to read which was perfect for a crazy week of delays and no school. Short escapes into an adventure that leaves you on edge begging for the characters to escape and get a chance at happy. Looking at you “Release the Hellhound”. Before this story the first two were almost sweet and very rom com in some respects but with the warning in the synopsis this was the story that intrigued me the most. It did not disappoint, Lorena and Brian/Ezekiel found something precious in honestly the top tier of terrible places and timing, but it gave them the fire he needed to find a way out after so many years of holding on to hope he was rewarded with his vixen. Each story leaves you with a sense of ease as they find their way to their own HEA. Knowing they were coming but honestly in moments not seeing the light myself it was satisfying to see how they got there. I will certainly be keeping an eye on this author in the future. Each world is completely different from the one before. The characters are so diverse and unique in their own ways. And bonus the female main characters were not the typical supermodel-esque physic they had curves and were real.
Details, details, details. This is the first time I have heard of this incredible author, R.C. Reigh, and honestly paragraph one had me hooked. Her writing style, the number of details and everything just pull you in and lock you in the upright position for the world and adventures she is about to take you on. Told from multiple perspectives we get a full scope of the story, and every detail from different sides along the way. Prince Dane of Carpathia is a wolf shifter and through an early alliance of his kingdom to Avonlee he is betrothed to Princess Amelia. Not only do we see the story unfold from both of their perspectives, but we get several others, Cora, Kessara, and Roarke just to name a few. Each having their own parts in the plot that keep the story moving at a steady pace. Amelia enters Bastion with one goal to convince Dane to release her from their arrangement that was made while they were just babes. But what follows is no less than heart pounding twists and turns as the characters learn more than they ever expected at Bastion Academy. I cannot wait to read book two, Dragons, and continue to see how this incredible world continues to be revealed.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-01-10 22:02:342024-01-13 19:39:48Kingdom of 7 Sovereigns – Wolf (Kingdom of 7 Sovereigns Series) by R. C. Reigh – Review by Ayla Phipps
Fascination in everyday life. Lois Wickstrom’s greatest talent is bringing wonder to an everyday thing, such as bouncing a ball but seeing it in a new way. I loved this book and so did my seven-year-old because it showed him that everything in the world can be fascinating. All you must do is look at it in a new way.
Beautiful, whimsical story for a chilly afternoon. Lois Wickstrom has a way of bringing every story she writes or in this case co-writes to life with so much wonder that you’re left smiling at the end every time. While on summer vacation with their family Craig and his little sister Linda achieve a magical wish, to see Nessie. Their parents feel it is only lies when they say they saw her and that their hostess Mrs. Carmichael and a fisherman Filan McDuff are only egging them on. Only the stories of magical singing flowers make Linda feel that Mrs. Carmichael knows the truth. A rare earthquake, a bossy coast guard with a hunger to catch and stuff Nessie for a museum and nonbeliever parents add to Craig and Linda determined to catch Nessie themselves to prove that she’s real. Will they succeed in catching her? Can they survive the deep magical dives into the Loch? How can they protect Nessie from harm? This book is a wonderful read of adventure, understanding, and life lessons of acceptance and learning the importance of letting go of things when the time is right. I look forward to more of Craig and Linda’s adventures. And it all began with one little, magical blue stone.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-01-03 18:43:212024-01-13 17:02:33Nessie and the Living Stone (Nessie’s Grotto) by Lois Wickstrom and Jean Lorrah – Review by Ayla Phipps
Taking control of her own fate. This is the first book I have read by the immensely talented Lena Abram’s and all I gotta say is wow. Day one of 2024 and I already have a favorite author of the year. Lannahi, daughter of King Sarkal and Queen Asirri of Goldenshadows is more than just a singer. Lannahi is the youngest of three, brother Maal fifteen years older and sister Letiri ten years older. Due to the large age gaps, she was never very close to her siblings but when she became twenty years old both took great interest in her along with many others. The purpose was to see how powerful she was. Alas the interest in her was short lived when their father introduced her to the court as a singer and not a princess. Both felt she was no longer a threat but could be a pawn in the Royal Games. Nihhal, is the son of prince reigning over one of her fathers’ cities and due to his father’s enslavement after a loss has a grand plan of revenge that Lannahi is key. When he reveals his ultimate plans to her, he does so with a charm, if she tries to warn or tell anyone of his plans she will suffocate before she can finish. With no other choice Lannahi is truly her mother’s daughter and decides to take her survival and thus her fate into her own hands. She has finally reached the age of twenty-five and is now old enough to attend the Royal Sabbaths and can declare a challenge to another royal for their title and lands. Only she meets someone unexpected, Ashared, a mixed blood landshaper/shapeshifter. With whom has ties to the woman she has challenged. The Queen of Goldfrost is her target and the date is set… her only brief hesitation to her surprise is how Ashared will see the challenge. What will happen after the duel? Can she truly win against a landshaper? Will Nihhal accept that she is out of his reach, or will he follow her to enact his revenge? The world the author builds is one built of magic, and fae but also reality in how people only ever let you see what they want you to. Secrets don’t only hide in the shadows, sometimes the friend beside you turns out to be the enemy you were fighting. She searched and dreamed of a love like her parents’ and found it in a place she never thought possible. I will certainly be keeping an eye out for more from this author. Can’t wait to see what she has in store next.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2024-01-01 21:39:552024-01-13 16:39:25Song of Earth and Claws (Faelands Series) by Lena Abram – Review by Ayla Phipps
Slow burn. Growth. Twists. This is the first book I have read by the undeniably talented A Akinosho. While at first, I was iffy on the age gap between a sixteen- and twenty-six-year-old, the fact that the book covered years made it more understandable and a clear love story to overcome all. That said the book was not illicit but more of a Romeo and Juliet type story. The dual perspectives of Naseer and Jade take you on a rollercoaster of friendship turned more. Naseer is one of the Princes of Rhanaz. A race challenge with his best friend Brian lands him in several casts and bedridden for months. While Naseer had fully isolated himself from his friends he had become very angry, helpless feeling and completely hopeless, until. Jade (Mariam) at the age of sixteen had her entire world crash down around her. Her parents killed in a house fire, leaving her friends, and moving to a new country, and starting over at a new school as the one percent of the one percent for the poor girl in the school. When she first meets Naseer it’s an accident she needed to pee and accidentally found his room and couldn’t wait. In a moment of surprise to himself Naseer says three words that start the epic love story. “Sit with me” that’s all it took for them to both find someone to bring smiles back into their lives. After losing her parents Jade questioned if she could join them and Naseer questioned why he was still alive after the horrific accident. Jade gave him the biggest gift, Hope. He gave her someone she could drop her shield around and finally feel at peace and things be easy. Unfortunately, darker forces were against them and over the course of high school to college everything would change and change again. Who are the dark forces that are determined to keep them apart? Can they find a way back to each other? The emotions behind the characters are real and deep. I felt my heart break for Jade at the news of her parents. My heart ached for Naseer when he felt hopeless time and time again as the world and dark forces found every way to stop him from being happy. The moment hope was restored the book ended and I instantly stared into space ready for book two. What secrets will be revealed and will Naseer and Jade finally get there happily ever after? Book two Jade: Chances are available now; I’ll see you there.
Thought provoking with some humor. Having read other works by the creative Laura Koerber I found Coyote to be more relatable personally in this work. He has evolved and now sees that change is necessary and important to continue growing. In his full supernatural form, he comes across Andrea. Andrea’s life didn’t prepare her for an afterlife. She thought that when you die you just go into oblivion, when she finds out she has cancer and decides to go on her terms looking at the stars she gets the biggest surprise of her existence. While her mortal life has ended, she is not truly gone, now as a ghost she is confused about what happens next and what the purpose of her existence is. While unable to enjoy the delicious coffee that Coyote makes, they sit and tell stories to each other. As Coyote says humans tell stories, that’s how they understand things. Story after story Andrea picks up on different aspects of how life was and how the world has changed through history. Though she feels that for a spirit Coyote doesn’t seem to truly care about the destruction of Earth, feeling that he sees everything as another episode in a very long existence. Will Coyote succeed in helping Andrea understand why she is a ghost? What happens next for Andrea? The world the author creates pulls you in the stories wrapping around you both the good and the bad to fully submerge you into the world she has created. The characters are both relatable and unrelatable as everyone has their own beliefs. Still the easy flow of one story into the next was perfect in shifting the narrative from story to story. The stories were also perfect to fit into my day in every little moment I had free until I realized it was over having learned many new stories. This book made me laugh, eye roll, and ponder every step of the way. I can’t wait to see where Coyote will appear next.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-12-18 18:12:202024-01-04 11:45:18Encounters With Old Coyote by Laura Koerber – Review by Ayla Phipps
Oil and Water. Suspense, tension, enemies to lovers. Check. This is the second book in the Shadow Defense Security series. Yes, they technically could be read as standalones, but I felt having read the first book it helped fill in some of the background details. Personally, after first meeting Pavlo in book one was very excited to learn more about him and his story. Dual perspectives of Pavlo and Regan. Pavlo is a suspense thriller writer with a secret, he is one of five partners of the Shadow Defense Security company. He’s the perfect undercover agent and more times than can count it came in handy for a mission. Only this time the mission is in his real life not one he can just be the author looking for research on a new book. Regan is a soft romance writer that has overcome a disastrous marriage and found her own both for her and her daughter, Emmeline, who has a congenital heart defect. She has become very independent and doesn’t need help from anyone but learns the hard way, sometimes the strongest thing we can do is ask for help. One encounter month earlier left an unpleasant impression in each other’s mind of the other. Now a five-day book tour forces them together and it might be the best thing to ever happen to them. Their publicist Isla, once seen as Regan’s friend and trusted by both Regan and Pavlo, is acting desperate about a private book signing and not acting herself. New friends’ allies turn into friends and enemies turn into so much more. Why has Isla changed so suddenly? Does Regan’s ex have a deeper role? Can Pavlo succeed in keeping Regan safe when everyone is after her? A deeper dive into Pavlo was beyond anything I could have imagined. He’s very different from Cade in book one and yet both couples are similar in their desires to protect those around them. I have said it before and will say it again. I love enemies to lovers and love knowing a book has a HEA from the beginning because the hope lives inside our hearts as we discover the overwhelming twists and turns, they survive to reach that happy ending. I cannot wait to see what partner we will read about next, Javier? Drake? Or Seb? Only time will tell but, in the meantime, I will be going back and reading Gray Code Liaison, the prequel to Cade’s story.
Illena is nothing without its people. I have eagerly awaited book two in this unique world for over a year and it’s finally here. The author, Ayla Marie, does not disappoint with book two of the Blood Prince series. Yes, this is a book that reading book one first is a must as this is a continuation of the first book. Three perspectives as the previous book did Leo, Cael, and Elana. Leo, Cael, Byrne, and the kids have fled Wate with great loss, but they did it they found the bay. Arkezo, Leo’s place of origin, or at least where his father is from. He’s found his Bloodline and the family that comes with it. Cael always at Leo’s side shares in the unease of the change from the shadows to the finery of royalty and holding on to who they are and not letting their values be influenced. Elana is still in Wate, suffering still under fear of her father, Cassien. But she’s only remained for a purpose a life thought lost to Leo, Cael, and their siblings. Elana can’t leave until the timing is right to get him out too. Leo and Elana hold each other in a sacred place in the others’ souls a light to keep going until they can be reunited. Leo finds several new titles amongst the people of Illena, that make him feel inhuman and uncomfortable as he fights against the rigid lifestyle he’s forced into. Discovering he has a cousin, Ares, that helps them understand this new lifestyle, Leo refuses to turn his back on the people of Illena as the other bloodlines do. After he and Cael save a family from a house fire in the Riv, the slums of Arkezo, things begin to take a more rapid shift. Leo proves that his blood is not more important to him than the blood of the people. A country is made of its people not the other way around. Everyone is listening, and when the truth is revealed, Leo is left with a dark choice. Will Leo succeed in finding peace for his family to live in? Can Ares and the other Bloodlines be trusted? The world grows and seems to come full circle for the Heal siblings as they find themselves in similar situations as before. While the world grows darker and the people more twisted, Leo and his siblings find small moments to steal smiles and giggle with each other, to share an unspoken hope of peace. Left speechless by the events and yet not surprised as Leo seeps into your soul and you know what his decisions will be before they happen. He lives to protect those that he loves. Now it’s Elana’s turn to go in search of who she loves. I am already waiting for book three for the grand finale of this unique and all-consuming series that is The Blood Prince.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-12-14 21:54:242023-12-15 08:26:43The Uncrowned King (The Blood Prince Series) by Ayla Marie – Review by Ayla Phipps
Always such beautifully illustrated books with interesting, and unique stories. Carrie loves to watch the Starlings murmuration fly high in the sky with her grandma. Pulling out a box of her grandmas that has feathers on it, Carrie gets the biggest surprise of her life. A moment she will never forget, and she joins the starlings in the sky. The added history at the back of the book was perfect as my seven-year-old son asked me about the starlings at the end of the book and it was an added little story for him to understand why they came to North America and how.
I knew from the title this book was going to be amazing and it didn’t disappoint. It’s so much fun and beautifully illustrated. My seven-year-old son had a field day looking at all the pictures and pointing out the silliest thing he could find. He especially loved the science note at the end that said while it is not often it is possible for a tornado to suck up water, he thought it was awesome and hopes to see falling fish and frogs one day.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-12-06 21:46:072023-12-13 13:01:57Raining Fish and Frogs by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ayla Phipps
Such a beautiful book. Illustrations that leap off the pages and a story that warms the heart. Luna just wanted to be like everyone else, but they only made fun of her until she found a friend. Nemo the cat was different like Luna, she couldn’t do the right things either but in a moment of hope and asking to play they both found everything they needed to be happy. Love is all Luna needed and Nemo helped bring that into her world to cancel out the sadness.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-12-06 21:41:582023-12-13 13:01:50Luna the Howling Husky Finds Her Howl by Samantha Shannon – Review by Ayla Phipps
Beautifully illustrated and wonderful book. This book shows the B’s of being yourself. Being comfortable in your skin and embracing all that your culture has to give. Bold. Big-hearted. Brave. Brilliant. Balanced. Blessed. Beautiful. Bilingual. Bountiful. Words to live by when embracing your race, religion, language, culture and so much more. I also loved how the book showed representation of multiple races and cultures in the classroom and his friends.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-12-06 21:35:452023-12-13 13:12:01I Am A Bold Asian Boy (Asian Family Series) by Yobe Qiu – Review by Ayla Phipps
Once you know, you can never let go. This is the first book I have read by the incredible J.N. Sheats and I couldn’t get enough. While this is the second book in the JJ Morris Mysteries series, I hadn’t read the first book, yet. Initially I was worried I would get confused or not understand the full complexity of the story, but I felt that it gave enough back information that I never truly felt lost in the overall plot of the story. Joey Morris is a freshman in college and after a life altering senior year of high school she is struggling to return to a “normal” life. In high school she was the star student, top of her class, and all but after surviving a traumatic introduction to what lives in the shadows Joey is at war with herself. While she wants to continue her reputation of having perfect grades and being a perfect student, her mind is at odds with her. Sitting in class her mind is constantly spinning, is there witches or ghosts in my class, is the new girl at work a demon? She has been swallowed up and survived some of the darkest parts of the supernatural world and now all she wants to learn is more about what lives in the shadows. Insulting the cause in some ways she has now been having intense emotional vivid dreams. While she’s had dreams that she remembers for a few hours in the past she now can remember every emotion of the dream for days after having it and can recall in perfect clarity the details and emotions. A shift begins again when she sees a building on campus engulfed in flames and feels the intensity of an explosion. When she wakes the next morning remembering the details and how she was knocked out by the blast she is stunned to discover the campus shows no signs of an explosion of any kind and that the building has minimal external damage. More so the reason for the fire the police chief gives her is at odds with the physical damage she sees. The windows didn’t crack, or explode, they melted. Mystery alive again until she sees Gwen and her stomach drops. What could melt the glass of the windows? Why is Gwen looking into the fire? Was Joey really awake or was the explosion just another dream? The world the author creates is reality based having been to Pennsylvania in the winter I feel the cold in my bones as Joey does. Her characters are easy to sympathize with and to understand, seeing yourself in their position both in the good and bad moments as she wrestles with reality from dreams. Having devoured this book, I will certainly be going back to book one to discover all the details of senior year and surviving “The Great Hunt”.
Breathtaking introductory novel. This is only her first book and I feel she will have a wonderful career ahead. The talent Cambria Williams brings into the imagination was inspiring, and original. Dual perspectives Sloane and Tolvar. Sloane is like every kid growing up that helps their father, looking forward to the day they are “old” enough to do it on their own. We meet Sloane on that day, she is to walk to the next village, Asana, to the market to sell her father’s leatherwork and return home for the Prodigal Moon Celebration. Enjoying a night in the next town filling her belly before the fasting for the moon goddess, she waits to return the next morning. Sloane is not just any girl but one with physical limitations, a nine-mile walk requires a great deal more time than the average person. She’s never dissuaded and happily allows herself time for safe travels only when she reaches her village, Mohn, it is only remnants of people she knew. The Befallen had attacked in the night while she was away sucking the life out of everyone in the village. The next day she settles to return to the neighboring village to start a life for herself only to be robbed on the way and then find Asana had been devoid of life as well while she was gone. Tolvar is from Capella Realm and only on the island of Deogol in search of the “mythical” savoir from the Befallen, The Unsung. Only his scars run deep, and he is happier at the bottom of a barrel of ale than keeping faith in his “redemption”. Many in the land have forgotten the words of Edan Lore, Sloane, being from a very devoted village has not wavered in her faith but struggles with being seen only for her physical appearance and truly being seen. She has something powerful within her, waiting to be seen. What will happen when Sloane and Tolvar come face to face? Will her faith be enough to save her island from darkness and ruin? Everything about this world the author creates pulls you deeper into its realm. The language, the descriptions, the emotions. The characters are everyday people, at least to a point, Tolvar is a knight, but I digress. Sloane is a common girl from a tiny mostly unknown village, with a disability, and the faith to keep her fighting with all that she has even after she has lost everything she ever known. Tolvar has suffered the loss of everything he once held as important and now struggles with his own guilt and hunger for redemption that he no longer holds faith in until he finds Sloane. I truly cannot wait to see what this incredible new author has in store next.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-12-03 21:49:032023-12-13 11:23:22The Befallen (The Unsung and The Wolf Duology) by Cambria Williams – Review by Ayla Phipps
Heart stopping bone burning story from start to finish. Before stumbling upon this book, I had never heard of the talented Marcel Liemant, but his name is certainly one added to my list of favorite writers. Every day is a good day for a dark fantasy and today that was Doombringer. The incredible cover pulled me in, but the mystery held me from page one. Oden has had a lifetime of pain and loss but now he faces the greatest fear. The Mages of the Red Hunger are getting closer by the day, the smoke fills the air with doom and the end of all that they know. Since the loss of his wife, he has spent every day protecting his daughter, Penny, from the dark truth of the world around her. Sadly, doing so has led to him bolting hundreds of crystals into his bone pushing him closer to Ash Bone. Hearing from Kimri, that there is a creature in Havoc Mountain that could win the war for them a chance encounter hearing the creature leads him to hunt for it. To hunt for a hope at life after the Mages reach their village. Finding the Havoc wasn’t easy, and the collapse of a cavern leads the other miners to think he is gone but a final push for a chance for his daughter to live sends him fighting for life not only for her but for the people of Shard Moure. The mountain erupts as lava flows toward the village the mages nearing by the moment as Oden heads back into the dark tunnels to find hope in the creature. With the hope that Magdela the Wise was telling the truth that he was somehow connected to the creature as his only comfort that he could find it again, and that it would help. What will happen when Oden comes face to face with Havoc? Will the Ash Bone take him before he saves them? The author’s creativity is beyond anything I have read in a long time. Their world so alive that in the darkest moments I found myself gasping for air or holding my breath that it wasn’t too late. While the story is only told from one perspective you feel that emotions and fear of all of those that Oden holds dear, his daughter, his best friend, everyone left in the village. He fights to save them all, even willing to give his life if only for a chance to succeed, to survive the war. I desperately hope the author continues this world. On the last page I found myself excited and ready for more of this world, more of Oden’s fight and what will come next.
Fate or choice. Everything is about to change. This is the first book in the new series by the incredible Lilliana Rose. Having read her Protector Wolf Shifter Series, I was very excited and looking forward to this new series. Dual perspectives of Tanjie and Alaric as they face life altering changes that lead to them meeting and so much more. Tanjie has had a beyond tragic and painful past year and seems the fates weren’t done with her when she sadly finds her elderly neighbor Maria had passed away in her apartment. Since her parents’ “accident” she had focused on finding her own path and making her own choices. Her entire life she rejected her parents “hippie ways” and though odd she found comfort with her neighbor Maria. Like her parents she too had “hippie ways” and rejected tea and tarot card readings at every mention. Only after Maria’s passing and finding her will leaving Tanjie with a “bookstore” is she forced to confront the path she rejected long ago. Alaric is the son of the alpha and is set to take charge of the pack when the time comes but he wants it now. He is restless and always searching for something more when a scent quickly becomes an addiction. The new owner of the “shop” Tanjie draws him in, unable to fight the desire and pull just her smile urges him to finally open his eyes and understand his father’s warnings of power and respect. Tanjie demands to know the truth from Luna, Maria’s friend that was running the shop, but nothing prepared her for the truth. With the help of the sexy bad boy Alaric that drew her to him and the urge to learn more about her power she was finding more reasons to stay. No longer wanting to run back to the city and forget the little town with its secrets. What will happen when the wolves finally strike demanding power over themselves? Can Tanjie defend herself when the “war” begins? Will Alaric and Tanjie find balance in their species to overcome being forbidden lovers? This author always makes a “normal” world seem so much more when the blinders are pulled back and the supernatural thrives in the shadows of everyday life. Forbidden love is always a favorite troupe and more so when it involves those going against “the rules” and finding their own path, making a better world for all. I was left speechless and breathless by the time I reached the end and instantly began hunting for a release date to book two, New Moon Fate, to see where Tanjie’s story continues. Will she see her wolf again? My eyes are open and waiting for updates. This series is an instant favorite with just book one.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-12-01 21:56:322023-12-11 20:47:51Dark Moon Secrets (The Witch Moon Series Book 1) by Lilliana Rose – Review by Ayla Phipps
The more wicked the brighter the ending. It was such a bittersweet moment when I started page one. I have been in love with this series since the very beginning with Cruel Start and now it has come to an end. One of the best things about this entire series is that a guaranteed happily ever after at the end of each duet. As always, the phenomenal Isla Vaughn perfectly continues the story in one breath. Winter is missing, Shane the one and only suspect. Only it’s not that black and white. Someone has framed Shane, but no one can figure out who or why. More importantly why are they targeting Winter and determined to label her a murderer. This semester was supposed to be good, to reconnect and remember the life she left behind when her sister died, and her mom went to jail but being back in the place where it all began started something she couldn’t imagine was hiding in her memories. We build walls in our minds for a reason and Winter’s walls crack and crumble with each new threat, the feeling of someone watching her even in her room asleep. The only person that makes her feel safe is also the person that got close to her with lies even if the only lie was his name. Shane confronts his pain and when Winter apologizes, he feels sincerity and worries for her when she comes asking for help in defending herself. Everything seems to be against him this year, first Phoenix’s accident, Joe coming back into his life, Luke Green and now Winter and the wickedness that he once thought was inside her. Who has a target for Winter? Will Shane overcome the accusations? How will the truth affect their relationship? The author’s world has been my favorite place this past year and honestly, I already feel lost finishing this incredible series. Each couple in a way builds on the story of the next and the previous. Knowing they each found their way through the Savage, Brutal, Cruel, and Wicked truths to find their match and their safe place is beyond amazing. The greatest part the five-year jump at the very end and the love, and happiness that surrounded them all.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-11-30 21:54:482023-12-07 12:06:11Wicked Ends: A Dark College Bully Romance (Hidden Valley Elite Series, Book 8) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Ayla Phipps
Secrets are everywhere, especially in small towns. This is not the first book I have read by the talented Susan Specht Oram and once again I couldn’t put this book down from start to finish. All Karina wanted to do was fulfill her grandmother’s (Gigi) dying wish, repayment in her eyes for her Gigi taking care of her after her parents passed away. Karina is a twenty-four-year-old woman that was making her place in the world in Seattle as an artist, selling her pottery and paintings happy and living her dream. Her Aunt Jean calls her to let her know that Gigi’s health is taking a downward turn, and she needs to come back home and be with her. Without hesitation Karina packs her belongings and returns to her small town of Millersville. The final moments of Gigi’s life she tells Karina to take care of her café and to read her journal. She tells her “There is more hidden in this house than you realize. After I’m gone, look for clues.” Surprised to learn she had a journal a month passes, and Karina is still unable to make herself go through Gigi’s things, her papers, her drawers, she’s not ready to fully accept that she is gone. One busy day in the café a customer, Boots Brinker, finds the journal, a red leather book, the first page she sees states that the stock market has crashed, and she pulled all her money out of her bank account and hid it somewhere safe. Instantly she regrets not going through everything, taking inventory of what was in the house because just as quickly as the journal was found it instantly taken. Lost to her hunger and attachment to the journal, Karina does some legally questioning things, sneaking around houses when invited in and pretending to trust some who offer to help her find it. To add to the growing list of “customers” she meets her young cousin’s boyfriend finally, and it’s none other than Shane, her high school boyfriend that stole her heart and moved away and never called her again. Will Karina find the journal or is it lost forever? Why is everyone so interested in the journal? Do they think it can be used as a treasure map for hidden money? What is Shane doing back in town and dating her younger cousin? While the world is completely realistic, having lived in very small towns for over ten years now I completely understand the fact that secrets are everywhere. Karina starts with one goal that goes deeper than just a journal, what secrets will she uncover, and will anything be the same again after the truth is known?
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-11-28 21:47:262023-12-07 11:30:11Secrets at the Café: A Novel of Suspense about Family and Friendship by Susan Specht Oram – Review by Ayla Phipps
Absolutely loved the watercolor illustrations. The book touched on some very important and sadly real-world problems with bullying. Led to a long conversation with my seven-year-old son about why people bully others for seemingly no reason. Sadly, he has some real-world experience with bullying in pre-k, with the same thing he was a smaller kid and a bigger kid in his class tried to intimidate him sadly I can’t be at school to protect him, but his big brother was able to step in and get the kid to stop. Once again, the talented Lois Wickstrom finds a simplistic and beautiful way of bringing real topics to younger children in a way that is natural and unfortunately realistic.
As always Lois Wickstrom’s books are so beautifully illustrated and never what you expect. It’s Caspian’s unbirthday but when he asks grandpa for a bicycle, he’s told that’s an ordinary gift. Unbirthday presents are unexpected things so when he wakes up to find Baking Up Dust, he gets creative. Will he and grandpa succeed in baking the perfect bicycle? I have found that Lois Wickstrom’s books are quickly becoming my seven-year-old son’s favorites as it fuels his imagination giving it no limits to what he can dream up.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Ayla Phippshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngAyla Phipps2023-11-22 17:31:582023-12-05 08:46:17Baking a Bicycle (Invisible Magic Wand Book 7) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ayla Phipps
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Beach Ball Blunder by G Pa Rhymes
