Posts

The End Of Try Try Again by Kristen Carter, MS – Review by Carrie Reed

The End of Try Try Again: Overcome Your Weight Loss and Exercise Struggles for GoodThe End of Try Try Again: Overcome Your Weight Loss and Exercise Struggles for Good by Kristen Carter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t know what I thought this book was going to come off as, but helpful was not it. This book is an excellent read of anyone trying to get healthy. I have struggled with diets and exercise for the longest time and this book made me realize that it all starts with something small. Change one habit at a time, and you can start off small. Repeating this one small habit could start to be engrained into your everyday life to the point you don’t even realize you are doing it. Then keep striving for more. There are some good facts and information on heart disease, diabetes and cancer that really just solidified my resolve to change my life around one small habit at a time. I also really had an a-ha moment reading about the difference between processed foods and ultra-processed foods. This book is full of so much good information and easier ways to help you get control of your weight and health the just simply following a diet and exercise, which is still something to continue.

View all my reviews

Taste of Honey (Taste of Honey Series) by Julie Castle – Review by Carrie Reed

Taste of HoneyTaste of Honey by Julie Castle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this set. Each book is short, a nice little read in between books and very steamy with a little drama sprinkled on top.

The Gift
Penelope and Vlad’s story is hot! I love that fact that they are co workers at a library and he has been secretly watching her and falling in love, well maybe in lust first. Penelope’s tears always broke my heart because the pair doesn’t do much talking but, my fears are put to rest many times in the way Vlad takes care of her. I like that his friend at the club mentions that Vlad is obsessed with her, that kind of tampers her uneasiness of where their relationship is headed.

The commanders club
Courtney and Dragon’s story is a step better than the last one. This story had more depth and a little suspense thrown in. I was so worried Courtney was going to get caught by Stringfellow, he seemed like just a nasty man. I am so glad Dragon was the one to train Courtney and their bond grew so nicely. My heart broke for her when she kept doubting they would end up together, it doesn’t seem like he wanted to take it all the way. Nicely ended

Once In Love
Laura and Nick’s story is my favorite of the three! I totally swooned at the way Nick was instantly drawn to Laura at the courtesan auction and how he falls in love with her quickly. This story didn’t have as much bdsm as the other two, but still a nice little amount. The extra drama with Laura’s former boss made the story so much more interesting. I can tell there is no way Nick would have let Laura leave him.

View all my reviews

Tally and the Angel, The Sands of Time (Tally and the Angel Series) by Eleanor Dixon – Review by Carrie Reed

Tally and the Angel, The Sands of Time: Thrilling Middle Grade fantasy adventure where Greek Myths come alive!Tally and the Angel, The Sands of Time: Thrilling Middle Grade fantasy adventure where Greek Myths come alive! by Eleanor Dixon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am so happy to see another Tally installment. In this book Tally and her dad are on a Greek island. I have a feeling that most people are interested in Greek Mythology, as am I, so that immediately pulled me in. I loved learning about the history and culture right along with her. In this book Tally faces many challenges and tough decisions. She gets to experience so much with her dad, making many new friends everywhere she goes. Here in Greece, she gets to learn to scuba dive, enjoy the sea, and discover ancient temples. Tally and her Angel Jophiel always have an adventure and reading as and adult its magical, I can’t imagine how wonderful it would be for kids to read and what they can learn and dream up.

View all my reviews

Love Rinkside (The Playmakers Series) by G. K. Brady – Review by Carrie Reed

Love Rinkside (Playmakers)Love Rinkside by G.K. Brady
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love Drew and Katie, their relationship build up is entertaining and steamy. For two people who are against dating, they make an awfully sweet couple, with them trying to keep it a secret that they are seeing each other, I completely get the all of the misunderstandings. I am not sure Katie’s dog not liking Drew is really an obstacle have to tackle but, I was rolling with it. The ending is super sweet, I love that Drew put thought into his apology and explained why he chose what he did, because Katie is spicy! Eleven months later! Absolutely in love with the eleven months later portion and how their relationship has progressed.

View all my reviews

Unexpected Heroes by Naomi Valkyrie – Review by Carrie Reed

Unexpected HeroesUnexpected Heroes by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story so much! Elijah is such a great man and, great dad. He was dealt a crappy life thus far and everything seems to be looking up, especially meeting Jude. Watching Jude overcome his fear moving on and losing someone else he loves, and getting the courage to stop drinking was so beautiful, as well as watching him open his heart again to Elijah and Griffin. The added drama of how Jude learns of Elijah’s past and that past catching up to them made the story all that much more interesting.

View all my reviews

Dinopotamus Solves a Mystery (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

Dinopotamus Solves a Mystery: A scientific method bookDinopotamus Solves a Mystery: A scientific method book by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this Dinopotamus story. Dinopotamus is so sweet and caring, he tries to make sure the kids in his class are warm during nap time. He realizes his body heat is what makes the spot he is laying in so warm, and he can use this to keep his friends warm. I love the artwork in this book. It looks as though it was drawn by a child, so it will be very eye catching to a child I think.

View all my reviews

“Absurd,” Said Bird : A Fun Children’s Adventure About a Mouse Who Dreams of Travel (Mouse Traveler) by Tricia Gardella – Review by Carrie Reed

“ABSURD,” SAID BIRD.: A mouse plans a trip to the moon. by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The art and story in this book are just adorable. Mouse is so cute with the little bandaids after the flying attempt. I love that mouse is trying to get to the moon to get cheese because, honestly what kid doesn’t think the moon is made of cheese growing up?! All the animals pitch in and help get parts for the craft. I chuckled in the end when bird and mouse both realize they need to make a rocket.

View all my reviews

Raccoon Reunion by Terri Sabol – Review by Carrie Reed

Raccoon ReunionRaccoon Reunion by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The artwork in this book is beautiful. I felt bad for poor Rocky, it looked like he thought he didn’t fit in with his own family but, when he had an idea on how to help them out, they al praise him and he realizes he fits in well, he was just too shy to speak up it seems. Him and his cousin Rascal hit it off and make a great team together. I chuckled at the angry chicken in the background during the egg eating contest. Such a sweet read.

View all my reviews

The Amanda Mini-Mysteries by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

The Amanda Mini-MysteriesThe Amanda Mini-Mysteries by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this book, I like that there are many different mysteries for Amanda to discover, this is what holds my interest. My favorite mystery was the “The World’s Biggest Magnet” I can’t lie, I laughed along with Amanda realizing that the magnet was on Elaine’s head, the reason she could never find the north wall. The art throughout the book is lovely, reminds me of the old newspaper cartoons. This is a great book to read with kids, to teach them many new things and how things work.

View all my reviews

Second Glance: A Serrulata Saga Romance Novel (The Serrulata Saga) by A.E. Bennett – Review by Carrie Reed

Second Glance (The Serrulata Saga)Second Glance by A.E. Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loved this! I love m/m romance and the world this book painted is so different and interesting. Patrick and Iseul are everything together. I love their love for each other, and their steamy scenes are hot! It is devastating to see how his dad treats Patrick, all because he is slightly crippled from a past fever, but his younger and one older brother treat him as equals, and that made my heart swell. I love his brothers Silas and Eion and was devastated and what befalls the whole Upshur family. My heart was torn and did not mend until Patrick and Iseul are reunited again. Lady Ambrosia is a fun addition to the story and I like her character and station in Patrick and Iseul’s lives. The ending was beautiful if not missing a few people that I was hoping would be there but I was happy with it all the same.

View all my reviews

The Puppy Adventures of Porter and Midge: Out and About (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series) by Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada – Review by Carrie Reed

The Puppy Adventures of Porter and Midge: Out and AboutThe Puppy Adventures of Porter and Midge: Out and About by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

CJ and Lora are doing such a great job at taking care of and training Porter and Midge. They are both so well behaved during their outings. I love that this book shows the importance of getting dogs their vaccinations, and how to try and keep them from being stressed at the vet. In this book they get to meet many new animals and people while preparing to be in the Independence Day parade. The end is so cute with both Porter and Midge just passed out due to having such a long and eventful day, sleepy dogs are the sweetest.

View all my reviews

Ten Little Sea Turtles (A Counting Collection) by Kim Ann – Review by Carrie Reed

Ten Little Sea TurtlesTen Little Sea Turtles by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Such a cute counting book. I loved the artwork, so beautiful, I had to look at each page thoroughly to take it all in. At the end, the search and find game is a nice touch to help kids count and play. I also really loved the facts about sea turtles, there were a couple as an adult that I actually didn’t know, so it is a fun book of learning for all ages.

View all my reviews

Opposite Day for Dinopotamus (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

Opposite Day for DinopotamusOpposite Day for Dinopotamus by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another cute Dinopotamus book! Beautiful artwork, and I love the story, the diversity and the lesson so much. Opposite Day is such a fun idea for the class to learn about, and Meg is so compassionate when it comes to Dino thinking the teacher was telling him he did a bad job. The children and teacher interact with Dino so nicely and include him in everything, making sure he understands as well. I would love to read more Dinopotamus stories!

View all my reviews

Oscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane (Oscar and Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Carrie Reed

Oscar and Emmy Weather a HurricaneOscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sweet book. I love the art work in the Oscar and Emmy books, the cats looks so cute and cuddly. I really like that in Oscar and Emmy books you learn something, and this book is all about hurricanes and how to protect yourself and your family in an event. There is a page that shows what you should grab in regards to your animals such as, food, water, medicines, paperworks etc. I never would have though to move as much as you can, if you have time, to your top floor if you have one, to try to keep as much as possible. The ending when the Charlie and Abby see others have struggled during the hurricane and tell their parents they want to help. Teaching kids to help others is beautiful.

View all my reviews

Flying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

Flying at RecessFlying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Cute book. The artwork and colors are beautiful and eye catching. This book is so fun in that Soara can fly, but only at recess. Her friends love that about her but miss playing with her during recess. But, Soara gets to see and experience so many things whilst flying.

View all my reviews

Unrequited Love (Magic and Heartache Series) by E.L. Roux – Review by Carrie Reed

Unrequited Love (Magic and Heartache, #1)Unrequited Love by E.L. Roux
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes all I need is a good novella, although at times I did wish the book would have gone on longer.. Jordan’s ex irritated me, why constantly show up at your ex girlfriend’s place of work, especially with your new fiancé? What was he trying to do here? Jordan is trying to get over her past and move forward and they just keep showing up! I love Cane, I love Cane and Jordan together even more! This story is so fun with the world they live in, and watching Cane and Jordan’s relationship build and progress made it more so. The steamy scenes were fantastic. I hope to see more of them in the future and look forward to reading about Perri!

View all my reviews

The Big Book of Booper Snoots by Suzanna Lynn – Review by Carrie Reed

The Big Book of Booper SnootsThe Big Book of Booper Snoots by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful book! I loved everything about this book. There is so much to learn and many weird and fun facts. I like that on each animal the author tells what a group of that particular animal is, like who knew a group of giraffes is called a tower? So fun! Kids are already interested in animals and this book is great for them to learn about some of their favorites. I really appreciate all the work that went into all the research and facts on each animal in this book.

View all my reviews

Dinopotamus Goes to School (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

Dinopotamus Goes to SchoolDinopotamus Goes to School by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book, my favorite part has to be the art. I love that it looks like someone drew and colored the book, such a fun concept. Dinopotamus is so cute and sweet, he wants to be like the other children, he wants to be involved. I appreciate the teacher including Dino in the lesson and even reassuring him that he did have 3 toes instead of 5 like the others and that is okay. All around a cute book.

View all my reviews

Toasted (Love Burns Series Book 1) by Isobel Reed – Review by Carrie Reed

Toasted (Love Burns #1)Toasted by Isobel Reed
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A wonderful and simply perfect small town romance. I love how Libby and Zack chance meet, due to a house fire caused by her toaster. That cracked me up, especially her thinking and taking allowed about the toaster. Zack is infatuated right away and I fall in love with the way he falls in love with her. His possessive moments of her are also super hot. Her reasons for not wanting a relationship are valid but, all the “love” she saw growing up was with her mom and her boyfriends, never her, she needs to take a chance. Her friends Rachel and Cat are the perfect girlfriends to have in her corner and to give it to her straight. I really look forward to Cat and Cody’s story. From the way they interact at the end of this book, I know it will be a fun ride.

View all my reviews

Can I Keep Her? (Kingdom of Mir Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

Can I Keep Her?Can I Keep Her? by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am really enjoying the stories with Wynnie, her brother Lem and the King. There are always great lessons to learn with Wynnie. Because of this book, I now want a baby dragon. I like that Wynnie showcases that all animals start off unknowing as babies, and that with training, love and support they can learn to live along side of their humans without causing harm. The Wise Old Woman also realizes she was too hasty in her thoughts of the dragon Mera in the beginning as well as the King. Wynnie is a wonderful advisor for the throne.

View all my reviews

Just Ducky (Weird Shifters Series) by C.A. King – Review by Carrie Reed

Just Ducky (Weird Shifters)Just Ducky by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I could really use more of Ducky and Kobreon. I could tell he had a feeling about Ducky after all the time he spent with her in her Duck form. His mom Trisha, she’s a sneaky one, she seemed to want to hook them up once everything died down with the human kingdom. This book has a super interesting story and cast of characters, I hope so see more from these characters in the future. This world they live in, and the supernatural that exist are odd, but they work and I am really into it.

View all my reviews

Meal Time at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson – Review by Carrie Reed

Mealtime at the Zoo: PB&J CaféMealtime at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The artwork in this book is beautiful, very eye catching for children, with lots of details to see. I love that this book is about a good old classic, peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Almost everyone enjoys a good PB&J, this book makes it more interesting by adding things that animals would enjoy with it, such as, a crocodile adding fish, a snake adding a mouse etc. Basically everyone far and wide enjoys a PB&J and they can be made multiple ways with different ingredients. Very fun book.

View all my reviews

Kris & The Cowboys (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Carrie Reed

Kris & The Cowboys: The Adventures of KrisKris & The Cowboys: The Adventures of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This might be my favorite adventure with Kris yet. I loved learning about horses and the Sioux Indians right along with Kris. I was afraid this was going to be another dream but so glad Kris is able to experience everything along side her uncle. Kris is very brave and courageous, I love that she stands up for people she doesn’t even know, showing kindness right away.

“Wouldn’t it be better to see if somebody is mean to you before you are mean to them?”

That got me! Excellent point Kris, great lesson for us all. I really enjoyed watching Kris become a cowboy like she wanted but also fitting in and forming a bond with the Sioux, even so far as being bestowed an Indian name by Chief Buffalo. Keep the adventures coming Mr. Blegen!

View all my reviews

A Song of Salt and Secrets (Mythic Academy Collection) by Amanda Marin – Review by Carrie Reed

A Song of Salt and Secrets (Mythic Academy Collection)A Song of Salt and Secrets by Amanda Marin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Interesting and wonderful, short, young adult book. I really felt for both Corisande and Noah. Both had rich lives with friends, and families that cared for them, but they were both lonely. Lonely until they found each other. Corisande is a special type of siren, although her siren song is supposed to lure sailors to their death, she doesn’t want anyone to die, so when Noah gets hurt, she is devastated. I appreciate her wanting to confess everything to Noah, but I can tell she is falling for him and doesn’t want to lose what she is building with him. Noah’s mom is a hinderance but I understand her need to keep her son safe after what happened to her husband. The story is short and sweet, Noah and Corisande are super cute together and I was nervous about their fight Aphrodite, but excited to see how everything turned out in the end.

View all my reviews

Marshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

Marshmallow RabbitMarshmallow Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really liked the artwork in this book. Poor Mr. Bonbon, trying to figure out how to get Annabelle from stealing candy. I have to say Annabelle gets what she deserves with the marshmallow bunny, although in the end she tricks Mr. Bonbon. I like that he doesn’t get angry with her in the end, just kind of resigned to the fact that he will have to figure out how to stop her in the future.

View all my reviews

Kris & The Missing Prince (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Carrie Reed

Kris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of KrisKris & The Missing Prince: The Adventures Of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another adventure with Kris, and another story I got completely sucked into. Once again, through this author, Kris creates a fantasy world, and I get so lost in the story that I don’t realize that it is just her imagination until the end. Kris stands firm that she is not a princess just because she is a girl, girls can be knights. I love that she wants to be a knight and fight for good. I really like that Kris is so adventurous and curious. It was heartbreaking to read of her and her dad’s financial situation in the beginning, but how grateful Kris was to even be able to eat at all. They are a strong and resilient family and I enjoy the father and daughter interactions as much as I enjoy Kris’ imaginative adventures. The owl, Mr. Flattail, might have been my favorite character, I loved how the author made his speech, it gave his character so much more.

View all my reviews

Unicorn, Don’t Do That! by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Carrie Reed

Unicorn, Don't Do That!: It's okay if a Unicorn poops on your doorstepUnicorn, Don’t Do That!: It’s okay if a Unicorn poops on your doorstep by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Beautiful art work, Stega is such a sweet and lovable character. I am not really sure I understand all the talk about pooping rainbows, but it looks pretty. It was nice to see Benny being accepting of his friend and her poop, even when Ada was making fun of her. Stega is so sweet when she shows up to the party but missing a present, she is so distraught.

View all my reviews

Oscar and Emmy Foster Kittens (Oscar and Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Carrie Reed

Oscar and Emmy Foster KittensOscar and Emmy Foster Kittens by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful book, the artwork is lovely. I really like how this book showcases how fostering kittens works, the work that goes into taking care of the kittens and the adoption process. There are some things I learned as an adult that I didn’t know before. I didn’t know that when the kittens are still young the mom licks the kitten to encourage bowel movements. Everything is laid out nicely in a timeline from birth until 12 weeks when they get adopted, with updates on the kittens and how they are growing. It is a very clever idea to have the kitten care list for families taking care of kittens. All over a great and informative read!

View all my reviews

Kris & The Pirates (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Carrie Reed

Kris & The Pirates: The Adventures of KrisKris & The Pirates: The Adventures of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful book! I was so entranced in the story that I thought Kris was really a part of the ship’s crew. Kris meets Stevie the Sloth, Tammy the Turtle, Sammy the Snake and Michael the Monkey along her way through the jungle, trying to hide from the pirates while also figuring out a way to save her crew. It was fun to watch her problem solve and plan for the rescue and she was pretty cleaver in getting them free. I enjoyed reading the descriptions of the pirates she came in contact with as well as her never give up attitude. I look forward to more adventures with Kris.

View all my reviews

Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Carrie Reed

Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Beautiful artwork and a beautiful story. Cam and Inaya welcome Loris into their home, they just want to involve him in everything they do, but he wants nothing to do with anyone. My heart broke when he said he’s been scared his whole life, but the siblings counter all his points with promises of their own, they will be there for him. Loris learns to open up and to trust his new family and understand he belongs.

View all my reviews