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Betrayal (Choosing Family Series) by Jennifer Raines – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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

Betrayal (Choosing Family), is a story about Anna Turner and Hunter Thompson, two people wary about love, but not able to resist each other. Anna is a marketing manager who is passionate about the well-being of her employees. She is trying to build a child-care service to keep her employees from having to find other work. Hunter is a property developer and architect who is intrigued by Anna at a party they were both out at. The start of their relationship is rocky due to bad business dealings, but Hunter is intrigued with Anna and wants to help her passion come to light. As the two work out this business deal, sparks start to fly. The problem is that each of them has a past and secrets that are kept. Anna is all about intimacy but doesn’t trust often because of her father who was a serial cheater. Hunter slowly learns to open up to a point but believes that keeping secrets is a better choice due to a father who has betrayed him his entire life and doesn’t want him to have knowledge of his new passions. Will these secrets put a rift in the relationship, will Hunter ever be able to open up, and will Anna ever really be able to trust a man?
I thought this was a really good contemporary romance. I truly enjoyed the characters, flaws, and all. Both characters were so great together, they had great banter, and the story moved along quickly. There were protective aspects and growth aspects from both characters. The story had surprising elements at times that added to the dynamics of the story and the characters. While this is the third book in the series, I have not read any others. I thought this author’s story was worth going back and reading the others.

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Productivity is Power: 5 Liberating Practices for College Students by Hillary Rettig – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Productivity is Power: Five Liberating Practices for College StudentsProductivity is Power: Five Liberating Practices for College Students by Hillary Rettig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book had really great tips to help students and professors excel in the college environment. As a college professor, I am always looking for ways that my students (and myself) can improve to work smarter not harder. Throughout the book she provides exercises to do in relation to many of her topics – I think this is a great tool to use in the classroom. There were so many tips to include but there were a handful that I immediately found interesting or useful. Her Idea behind procrastination was really interesting. She states that procrastinators are not lazy but the correct attitudes and habits for being productive haven’t been learned. Procrastination today is one of the biggest issues I see in my students. Her ideas on unproductive vs quasiproductive were also interesting because quasiproductive is something I tend to do. This idea that you are feeling productive but in reality it is an illusion really struck a cord with me. I do this mentality often, and in the end it is because I don’t want to be seen as unproductive, but what needs to get done I don’t want to do. One thing that I tell my students often is in her section on “Working on the Right Stuff”. She says “remember that the goal isn’t to study, it’s to learn”. Students forget this often because many just want to move on and have the mentality to just get through. The last thing I will mention is her chapters on learning the art of failure and success. I think many people see failure as something negative, but in reality it is a necessity to be able to grow and more forward. I found this book to be very beneficial – and you don’t have to be in college or work at one to find value in it.

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Mr. Lucky (Trentbridge Crime Series Book 1) by Lee Wood – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Mr Lucky (Trentbridge Tales #1)Mr Lucky by Lee Wood
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Mr. Lucky is the first crime thriller in the Trentbridge Tales. The story has many characters, but it mainly revolves around Detective James Sheldon. Early in the introduction of the characters, you find out that James loses his family to an accident. This event sends him into a downhill spiral finding himself homeless. He gets “lucky” and ends up winning the lottery. However, this is a blessing and a curse you will come to find out. In winning the lottery, all eyes are now on him and not the good way. He starts to get wrapped up in pretty bad situations with criminals, drug dealers, etc. Being a former detective, this does not look well for him. He ends up trying to get himself out of many bad situations while also dealing with his past. Will he have enough luck on his side to come out on a good end of the situations he finds himself in?
This book started slow and confusing for me. The beginning is a bunch of stories introducing the characters, but it is hard to catch on to what the point is until you are about 30% into the book. Once that was over, the writing and the story did get better. There were many ups and downs, twists, and turns. If you like crime stories you will probably enjoy this. This is a British crime story, so that may be why I didn’t click with it as much as I wanted to, but it was suspenseful.

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Midnight Falls by John Evans – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Midnight FallsMidnight Falls by John (ronin) Evans
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Midnight Falls is considered a horror suspense story about a man named Josh. Josh was going to school in NY to become a writer and after a handful of missed opportunities decided to return home. Home is in Midnight Falls, a small town where they do not take kind to outsiders. While Josh is not technically an outsider, he is treated as such. He is lost about what he wants to do and where life is going, but what he wants is to be left alone to live with his dog. In a small town, this is not an easy task and he quickly “befriends” his 2 neighbors and the girl down the street, Lizzie. Although he tries to mind his business, there is a group of awful teenagers always trying to cause trouble. After a run-in with one of these boys, the boy ends up dead, and weird things start to happen. Josh, Lizzie, and his neighbors try to understand what is happening in their town and are also trying to decide what to do about it. Does this town really hold such crazy secrets? Can Josh and them save his town from the mystery?
This was probably not one of my favorite horror suspense stories. I didn’t like the main character, I thought Josh was a coward, bitter, and sort of a low life who can’t get his stuff together. There was also a lot of build-up to a not-so-secret suspense story. I thought much of the story I was able to predict what was happening so the suspense wasn’t there for me. The only thing I did not predict was where each of the characters would end up and how open for interpretation some of the ending was.

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Master Bistrita (Masters of the Consulate Book 11) by Sylvia Black – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Master Bistrita (Masters of the Consulate #11)Master Bistrita by Sylvia Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is another book in the Masters of the Consulate series that involves Master Bistrita and Chara. The book starts as many of them in the series do, they are trying to keep their power as pureblood vampires and overthrow the war that is building against them. Chara works for the masters in one of their bars as a waitress and has been there for a handful of years. She is good friends with Master Oradea’s new vampire wife, Natalia (who we met in the last book). Chara feels that something bad is coming and tries to warn Natalia and the masters but is brushed away – as they claim they are aware. However, because they didn’t take her seriously, the book begins with rogue wolves entering the club and trying to harm those inside. As with all the other books, the quick meet cute between Chara and Master Bistrita presents a spark between the two that neither can deny. Master Bistrita however only builds “relationships” if a contract is involved due to his need to dominate. Chara needs to decide if he is worth his demands. She is someone that doesn’t take demands lightly and has an independence about her. Can he keep it together while the rogues are trying to get to what he wants to be his? Will she listen to him and obey him not only for her safety, but for her pleasure? And in the end will they finally see the way to ending this war?
This book has many elements to it between the love interests. The book deals with fated mates, the importance of loyalty, enemies to lovers, age gap, and yummy dark romance. This is a stand-alone like all in the series, but it is important (if you want to understand what is happening and all the characters) to read the others that came before it. For this particular book, I felt the same as I do for all of them, it was good, with good characters, but it does move quickly and the relationship aspect has no real build up – it is all of sudden – they belong together. I thought the character aspect is similar from previous books, especially on the master’s part. He is demanding and protective of what is his. She is feisty, but easily willing (some of the time) to give into the connection the two have. But as in all the other books, there are still secrets, mysteries, love, agendas, etc. to entice the readers.

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Rock Crush and Roll by Hunter Snow – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Rock Crush and RollRock Crush and Roll by Hunter Snow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Rock Crush and Roll was a cute romantic comedy. It is a romance story about a woman named Tyler Robertson who works as a music manager and Cary Kingston a long-time famous musician. Tyler grew up on Cary’s music and has had a crush on him for some time. However, she believes there is no way he would ever be into her, and she has sworn off musicians since her last relationship ended in disaster. No matter how she feels about not dating another musician, she just can’t resist Cary, but she quickly realizes that while she is in love with him, a relationship with a musician is difficult. She believes she deserves it all, but can Cary, being a musician give her that, the marriage, the family, the life?
I enjoyed this book, the characters, and the relationship they develop. I enjoyed that the author made space for both characters to present their point of view, although Cary’s was shorter than Tyler’s. Cary is down-to-earth in nature but still lives like someone privileged. However, he goes out of his way to try to be a better person for her. He goes out of his way for people and seems to be more than just the forever bachelor everyone thinks he is. Tyler was a likeable character as well. She was funny and down-to-earth, but also a go-getter. She possessed insecurities because of her past, but many times she was able to handle them better than I expected her to. Overall, I thought they made a really cute couple and I like the progression of the characters and the relationship.

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Blurring the Lines & Extras (The Blind Rebels Series) by Amy Kaybach – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Blurring the Lines & Extras (The Blind Rebels)Blurring the Lines & Extras by Amy Kaybach
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a two-part story of the series The Blind Rebels. This book is a novella that introduces you to what happened before the series begins. This book series follows the story of the behind-the-scenes of the band Blind Rebels. There are four members in the band: Mav; Callum; Killian; and Sammy. While you are introduced to each member, part one of the book really revolves around Mav, Callum, and Mav’s girlfriend, Becka. Becka is a basket case (who hides it well) who is after fame in any way she can find it. When things didn’t work out with a guy from another band, she quickly fell into the arms of Mav. This story is told from the perspective of each character and you learn a lot about the inner workings of the storyline. I don’t want to give anything away but there are secrets and craziness that take place, mainly due to Becka’s instability. Part two of the book starts to introduce you to the three other books in the series. Now, if you have not read the series you may feel a little lost, as I did. However, they are giving you bits and pieces of the other books to introduce a timeline.
As for a book, if you like sex, drugs, and rock & roll, with a side of crazy this is the story for you. While I thought the storyline was fine and I was interested in seeing where this was going, I never felt attached to the characters. It wasn’t that they were not interesting or good characters, but they didn’t do much for me. There is a part of me that wants to hear the other’s stories so I may go back and read them at some point. Lastly, read your trigger warnings.

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The Handshake Agreement (Book 1) by A. Akinosho – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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The Handshake Agreement: An Age Gap, Second Chance RomanceThe Handshake Agreement: An Age Gap, Second Chance Romance by A Akinosho
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

With just a look, Declan falls in love with his little sister’s friend, Anne. Declan is a bachelor and plays that role well. However, when he meets Anne, something changes in him. Declan is 10 years older than Anne so when they first meet he puts his unexplained feelings on hold for quite some time until he feels she is ready. As a college student, Declan now approaches Anne about the chemistry they have and wants to explore. The problem is Anne knows too much info about Delcan and doesn’t know how to always respond to his advances but promises to give it a shot. However, there is a lot of interference that is happening in the relationship. Will Declan stay true to his words and promise her a relationship she never wanted? Will he fight for her?
I enjoyed their story. There were a lot of twists and turns that occurred throughout their journey. At the beginning, I thought the relationship was weird and Declan was a little bit of an ass. However, the relationship they develop grew on me, as well as, the characters. The story moves pretty quickly along and becomes a quick read.

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Irresistible Bond (Central Florida Stories Book 5) by Victoria Saccenti – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Irresistible Bond: Central Florida StoriesIrresistible Bond: Central Florida Stories by Victoria Saccenti
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a steamy story between 3 lifelong friends. Storm, Marcus, and Barrington were best of friends growing up, but Barrington and Marcus’s family hated the relationship they had with her. At the beginning of the story, their family practically runs her out of town, but she already has plans to leave. Storm, after feeling humiliated and that her friends didn’t stand up for her leaves early to enter the DEA. The men decide to let her find her way, but keep tabs on her for four years until she returns home (you will have to read to learn what happens in those 4 years). When Storm returns home, she is dealing with her demons, but cannot stop thinking about her life-long friends. Not sure what she will do, they show up at her home and demand they lay their feelings out on the table. However, there is unfinished business that is haunting her. Will she let her men help keep her safe? Will she let the feelings that she has come to fruition? The story is fast-paced and keeps your interest. I loved all the characters. Storm was just that, a storm of emotions, strength, and character. The boys were also strong characters, protectors, and loving. I enjoyed the author’s writing. This book is part of a series but can be read as a standalone. I have not read the other in the series but I might just have to go back and do that.

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Flying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Flying at RecessFlying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The story is about a little girl named Soara and her three friends, Lulu and Zanie. These three friends are inseparable except at recess. At recess Soara can fly, but only at recess. While she is having fun flying, her friends become sad because they are playing alone. This one-day Soara is running late but finally makes it back, but she was late. This was a weird story. You don’t understand why she can fly in the first place and it just ends with her back in school and late. I just am not sure what the purpose of this book was but I am sure a child would think it was cool she could fly.

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Murder a la Christie (Golden Age of Mystery Book Club) by Marilyn Levinson – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Murder a la Christie (Golden Age of Mystery Bookclub Book 1)Murder a la Christie by Marilyn Levinson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Murder a la Christie is a spinoff of the great Agatha Christie. In this book, Dr. Lexie Driscoll is a professor whose husband died in a house fire a year ago. She was left with nothing when this happened and was in a bad place not knowing where she would end up. However, she had some friends who lived in a “snobby” town with lots of secrets and had invited her to be the leader of a local mystery book club. One of the members, Sylvia, 70, has been extremely nice to Lexie and the two have built a great friendship has asked Lexie to house-sit for the summer. However, before summer, they would have their first book club meeting where the mystery begins because of Sylvia’s death. Lexie, from the start, does not believe Sylvia’s death is an accident and starts to “privately” investigate and help out Detective Donovan. No one wants to believe that a friend could have killed Sylvia because of the close-knit town they live in, but what other plausible explanation is there? Lexie starts with the guests at the book club meeting and tries to determine if the murderer is amongst them.
I don’t want to give any spoilers away so I kept the summary short. As for whether I like the book, I thought it was okay for a mystery. As for characters, there are many of them to keep track of and all the workings they each engage in. Most of the characters are exactly what you would think – distinct personalities to throw you off and make you try and solve the puzzle along with Lexie. I did find one aspect of this mystery weird and that was the romantic relationships that Lexie was building. She will entertain the idea of 2 different men in the neighborhood, but I am not sure where that all fits into the story except the parts they play in the mystery. Also, the ending, while I figured out who done it before it was announced, that wasn’t the weirdest part. The story ended with a weird exchange, to me, between her and one of her love interests, again maybe in the next book you truly come to find the reason for the romances, but I guess we will have to wait and see.

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The Big Book of Booper Snoots by Suzanna Lynn – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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

What a cute kids’ book. The book was an adorable way to teach kids about the alphabet and animals. Booper Snoots are when a person boops an animal on the nose because they are just so cute. This book takes the approach of showing noses you may want to boop and guessing what animal is behind the nose. They follow A-Z and allow the child to guess the animal. Once you flip the page it shows you the whole animal, but then gives you a bunch of info on the animal, too. Really cute for young kids who are learning how to read, learning their alphabet, or just love cuter animals.

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Five Tries to Get It Right by Kathryn Dodson – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Five Tries to Get It RightFive Tries to Get It Right by Kathryn Dodson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Five Tries to Get It Right is a story about 2 lifelong girlfriends on a mission to find themselves. Lydia is a retired school teacher, widow, and whose daughter is doing a semester at sea. She goes to help her bestie of decades, Kate, who is at her lowest point in life after a divorce and being bought out of her company. The two women feel so lost and decide that they are going to get back on track or at least try. They plan to go back to the lives they lived in their 20s (now in their 50s), travel the world, and reexperience “the good times”. Their plan involves traveling back to the 5 countries they once traveled to. At each stop, they tried to partake in similar adventures from their youth, but they realized things were just not the same. So, they try to relive these experiences in new ways as they travel around the world. Without giving too much away, each woman has goals that they want to figure out by the end of the trip. Lydia wants to find a husband and a future that is different from the path she was on. Kate wants to find peace. Will traveling “back in time” give them the space to find what they are looking for?
I thought this was a truthful story. If you are looking for a story about girlfriends being there for each other, suffering together, but also finding themselves, this is a good choice. As someone in their 40s, I understand the need to reinvent yourself or fix things you wished would have happened, but didn’t have the guts to make happen. These women try to accomplish this through travel. I enjoyed both characters. They felt real, relatable, and troubled, but also strong and hopeful at the same time. I would warn people to look at the trigger warnings because there are a lot of mental health aspects to this book.

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Master Oradea (Masters of the Consulate Book 10) by Sylvia Black – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Master Oradea (Masters of the Consulate #10)Master Oradea by Sylvia Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Master Oradea is the 10th book in the Masters of the Consulate series. This edition is a dark vampire romance between Master Oradea and Natalia, the sister of a non-vampire mafia group. Once again the masters and their mates are fighting witches and rouges who are trying to go back to living the old way, hurting humans. Natalia’s life is threatened by rouges and Master Oradea offers to be her protection. The two of them have an instant attraction and realize something is weird when they can hear each other’s thoughts. She only believes herself to be human so she doesn’t understand how this is possible. The problem is that her brothers do not trust anyone with their sister but they cannot protect her the way Master Oradea can. Master Oradea and Natalia find trust in each other to fight the battle, while also fighting their feelings. Will they give into attraction even when their beliefs are on different paths? Can they find common ground?
These books are always a quick read. I will say that the same plot line is technically the same in each of the books, just with different characters. As for the characters, they were good. I did like that they were straight to the point in what each of them wanted, you could see the quick development of feelings, and I enjoyed Natalia’s courage throughout. I have read all 10 in the series so far, so there is no reason to stop now. However, I will say that if you read this thinking you were getting a dark romance, it is not that dark.

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Mood Swings and Hockey Flings (Hot Flash Hookups Series) by Sylvie Stewart and Marika Ray – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Mood Swings and Hockey Flings (Hot Flash Hookups #2)Mood Swings and Hockey Flings by Marika Ray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Mood Swings and Hockey Flings is an enemies-to-lovers romance. Kaitlyn is a sports agent breaking into the hockey scene. On her way to meet her first client, her flight is delayed and she ends up having a great conversation with the man at the bar. They flirt, even on the flight, and at the end they part ways with no contact. However, to her surprise, he is a hockey player on the same team as her client and she gets mad because he has “lied” about who he was. Banks “Benny” Bennet is a professional hockey player but is known as the bad boy, who cares-type of player who is getting up there in age. After his and Kaitlyn’s meet cute, they end up as enemies and now 10 years have gone by. At this point, they claim to hate each other but have some residual sexual tension from 10 years ago. Banks is now looking for a new agent and Kaitlyn is persuaded into helping him. Through this “arrangement,” they start to learn more and more about each other and see that there is more to the story. Will they be able to cross these boundaries to satisfy what has been hanging over their heads for so long? Is this possible “arrangement” worth both of their careers?
I really enjoyed this story. Kaitlyn is a badass woman rocking it in a man’s world. She is respected but also hated for her position in the league. She had many sides to her character and I enjoyed all of them. As for Banks, OMG I just fell in love with him. The way he handled all the things that came his way (especially when they were not true) was just amazing. He is misunderstood, manly, gently, and hiding a really big heart. I just really enjoyed learnig about him and seeing his character develop throughout the story. In the end, he is just a down right good man who wants to protect what he wants, but learns that consequences occur, but sometimes it is totally worth it!!

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Healing Hearts: Gene & Amanda’s Story (The Echo Series) by C.R. Alam – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Healing Hearts (Echo #0.5)Healing Hearts by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a cute romance between Gene (a doctor) and Amanda (a bakery owner). At the start of the story, Amanda hits a tree with her car to avoid a girl on the road. She passes out and is saved by Gene who is passing by. Amanda becomes more worried about the “lost girl” than herself and is refusing medical attention. Gene talks her into allowing him to stay with her to make sure she doesn’t have a concussion, etc. Amanda recognizes Gene even though he just came back to their hometown, she grew up with a crush on him and just the feeling he was important. Their story is about how their relationship grows and develops trusting aspects as they try to search for this “missing girl”. While both are gaining feelings, they are at different aspects of their lives – Amanda is ready to settle down and Gene doesn’t even know where he will be in a couple of months. Both of them work together to solve a mystery about a missing girl and about feelings that begin to blossom.
I have read all the other books in the series and it was good to learn about Gene and Amanda’s story. I loved both characters. They had great independent characteristics but also had a great connection as a couple. The book was fast-moving and kept my interest the whole time. So if you are looking for a little mystery with a happy ending this is a great choice.

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Touched: Elemental Passions Book One by Skye Turner, Sloane Nicole, April D. Berry, C.J. Pinard, Danielle Jamie, Darlene Tallman, Julie Morgan, Livell James, Machelle Hanleigh, and Melissa MacKinnon – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Touched (Elemental Passions #1)Touched by Skye Turner
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Touched: Elemental Passions is a fantasy story about a fairy named Aeris. Aeris is adventurous and loves pushing boundaries to be in the human world. While she knows it is not always safe, she is fascinated by the human world. One day, while she snuck out, a human ends up being able to see through her glamour. This human is a detective named Callum. Callum and Aeris are immediately drawn to each other but don’t understand how or why. Callum is on a big case and things are getting weird, and not just because he can’t stop thinking about Aeris and what she is. The two of them realize that they are destined to be together and try to figure out what all this means. However, simultaneously, the two worlds are in danger and there is a batter brewing. The only people thought to be able to stop this is Aeris and Callum, but how? Will they be able to fight together, figure out what is going on, and also be allowed to be together?
This was a good book. I thought both characters were interesting. The storyline itself was fast-moving. I enjoyed how the fantasy world and the human world collided together. This is only the first book in the series, so I am sure I will go on to read the others to find out what will happen with this couple and their story.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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

This was a really good book about a foster family gaining a new family member. A pair of foster siblings, at the beginning, are trying to get ready for a race that will help their foster sister who has heart issues. When they came home from passing out flyers, their foster mom introduced them to a new foster sibling, Loris. Loris is mysterious and doesn’t speak to anyone. The story talks about how he is always scared and that stems from his stepfather. He struggles with being shy, fear, anger, and confusion about why his parents had to leave him. However, he helps his siblings by standing up to a bully that was bothering them. His siblings are grateful and try to help him in return by teaching him that there are positive things that he could look toward instead of always being scared and angry. They start to build a bond that helps Loris break out of his shell and ends up being able to help his sick sister by being the hero of the race. This book seemed to address some issues that children may have, especially foster children. There was discussion of normalizing some of the negative feelings these children might have, but then also talking about the positive aspects that can occur too. I think the book does a good job of showing that a foster care situation doesn’t always have to be scary or negative.

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Sugar & Spice (Spicetopia Series) by Phoebe Alexander – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Sugar & Spice (Spicetopia #1)Sugar & Spice by Phoebe Alexander
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a spicy romance between a single mom and an undercover billionaire. Cy Sweet’s family owns a theme park and the family is concerned that their employees are plotting a strike against them. Cy is the free spirit of the family who is being forced to go undercover to find the person responsible for plotting a possible strike. What Cy doesn’t realize is that he would start to like the undercover job (in the bakery), but he would really like his co-workers. One co-worker who has his attention is “The Queen” of the theme park, Jolie Cox. Jolie is a single mother of 2 children and one of them has Cystic Fibrosis. Many of the employees, including Jolie, are coming together to out the company about their lack of pay, benefits, etc. However, she also starts to like Cy or “Marcus” (his undercover name) to the point that they start a little escapade in her dressing room. This romance turns into Cy really wanting to date her and get to know her, even when he finds out about her age, her kids, etc. While Cy is making progress in finding the leader, by getting close to everyone, he also starts to realize that his parents don’t really treat their employees well enough, and that matters to him because he starts to care for these people. Will this change when they all find out who he is? Will he have to choose between family and friends when it comes down to it?
I enjoyed this book. I thought the progression of events were a little unrealistic in how fast the sexual aspect took place and without much questioning. However, all the characters we likeable. I think when it came to Jolie, I gravitated toward her because I also have a child with Cystic Fibrosis. I also like how they fought for what they believed in, but then she also handled all of the craziness well and the storyline wasn’t over-dramatized. I will probably go on to read the others in the series.

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Secrets of the Moon (Chronicles of the Lost Child Series) by Kristy Centeno – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Secrets of the Moon (Secrets of the Moon Saga, #1)Secrets of the Moon by Kristy Centeno
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Secrets of the Moon is a werewolf-fated mates story. The Rousseaus pack has just moved to Wolf Creek Hollow where there are rumors of an ancient wolf bloodline that may be able to rid one of their own of a bloodlust mutation. Kyran is the wolf member with this mutation and is working with his siblings to find a cure. They decide to enroll in the local college to fit in and try to get answers about who this person could be. Many packs are living in the area, but there is no mistaking that he believes he finds the one, she just also happens to be his mate and human. Wolves and humans don’t mate so he is confused about how this could be happening.

Marjorie, the young girl who grew up in this area, is trying to get back to normal life after a severe car accident with friends a year before. When meeting Kyran for the first time, she also feels this pull, but she doesn’t understand why. She starts to recognize many strange things start to happen around her. She is warned to stay away from this new family because of their “history”, but she just sees it as jealousy. She comes to also have a similar “mated” feeling with Kyran’s twin Alexis. As she navigates these awkward feelings, she learns the truth which she is having a hard time handling. Will she be able to trust them, what does this bond mean, and what does this mean for her future?
I thought the story was a little different compared to your normal werewolf tale. I liked the male characters, they were charming, honest, and a little scary, but protective and seemed to want to prove that they were worthy of being there. Marjorie, on the other hand, was an okay character. I feel there were times when she really needed to get over herself, especially when she had most of the answers in front of her. In addition, I thought the writing of the author was strange at times. I don’t know how to really explain it, but there seemed to be missing moments where I had to stop and think about why they weren’t talking about something or why they were talking about it at that moment. This is part one of the Chronicles of the Lost Clan series and the first book left many questions unanswered.

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Give Us Bad Boys & Billionaires by L.M. Mountford – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Give Us Bad Boys and BillionairesGive Us Bad Boys and Billionaires by L.M. Mountford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Give Us Bad Boys and Billionaires is a dozen beginnings of steamy romance stories, with a couple of full stories. This is the second book collection I have read by this author and as a smut lover, it did not disappoint. This is a collection of many different tropes from bully-to-lovers; stepsiblings; dad’s best friend, etc. If you like smut, there is a little bit of everything for everyone and is one steamy story after another. If you are someone who also likes to read spicey teasers, this is for you. While the plots tend to feel they don’t have too much to them, the spice normally starts from chapter 1 and is pretty amazing. This author is a good steamy, romance writer but it might not be for everyone. I liked each story for different reasons but I would say my least favorite was “Falling for My Son’s Best Friend” and my favorite was “Daddy’s Forbidden Temptations”.

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Mermaid Tails by Suzanna Lynn – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Mermaid TailsMermaid Tails by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a really cute children’s book. It asks questions about different aspects of mermaids were real like: what would they look like?; would they have different types of tails?; or if they would come in many sizes? Etc. The illustrations are cute and colorful, too. This is also a decent size children’s book. The best part about this book, however, is that on each page after a question is posed the author provides a fun fact about a mermaid (or legend of a mermaid) or another type of fact about the sea. I think this makes the learning process fun to read about different aspects but in a mythical creature that children love. I would recommend this book to other parents and children who love to learn about ocean life.

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Make Me Burn (North Fork Series) by Alicia Street – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Make Me Burn (North Fork Series Book 9)Make Me Burn by Alicia Street
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Make Me Burn is an ex-best friend’s sister/enemies-to-lovers type of story about Logan Bennett and Jinx D’Allessio. Logan Bennett is a wealthy businessman who used to live in North Folk, but quite some time ago left due to a falling out with his best friend. He is back in town for a wedding and runs into Jinx, the younger sister of said ex-best friend. Jinx is just as surprised to see him, one because he up and left her so many years ago after building a “secret friendship”, and two because he is the one person she has been in love with her whole life. After the wedding, the two try to build a friendship again – she never believed all the chaos that surrounded the falling out. In this friendship, they start to realize that there is more there, but what can they do since the turmoil of the family is so bad? How can they have a happily ever after when her family will never allow this?

I enjoyed this story. I thought the characters were great together. Jinx is an artistic, fun-loving, successful woman who knows what she wants and her worth. Logan is a strong, level-headed, determined businessman who goes after what he wants but is also respectful beyond measure about the situation that Jinx is in. Beyond the characters, it was a quick read that kept moving forward. There were also some sexy scenes, as well. I enjoyed this and would consider reading others in the series.

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Fearless Love (The Bennetts of Langston Falls, Book 5) by KG Fletcher – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Fearless Love (The Bennetts of Langston Falls, #5)Fearless Love by K.G. Fletcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fearless Love is a story about Sara, a single mom and traveling nurse coming to take care of a new client in Langston Falls. Sara is “running” away from her past, especially her son’s (Noah) father. Noah’s father never wanted him, but she was always worried about what would happen if he found out she never ended the pregnancy. However, she didn’t realize that by moving to Langston Falls, this may be the last running she would do.
James Bennett, who owns and runs the farm with his family, is the son of Sara’s client. James first meets Sara because he yelled at her son about making his dogs sick. However, both quickly realize that there is an attraction and Sara recognizes the great man that James is. The two of them end up moving in together because she can’t find a place to stay. This “adventure” turned into a budding love, that just continued to grow. However, can Sara trust him since she has never been able to trust men? Can James trust that his heart won’t be broken as in the past? Can they trust that the ready-made family is the real deal?
This was a cute romance story. Sara was a good character who was loving, caring, level-headed, and open to possibilities. However, James was my favorite out of the 2. He is a strong, loving, caring, cowboy type. He loves hard but is gentle and understanding, and a great role model for Noah. I loved his character and how he handled everything that came to him. I have read other books in this series and they were good so I am sure I will read others.

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Treasure Hunt (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Treasure HuntTreasure Hunt by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Carrie’s mom received flowers in the mail with a note on how to take care of them. As she read the note she recognized a word – dowse. She recognized that this word was on one of her Grandma’s boxes in the closet. Carrie opened the box and they had dowsing rods in it with a note that they would find treasure. She goes on a hunt for treasure and it isn’t till the end where she finds her true treasure – Grandma. Grandma also has a new box for her with no label. When Carrie asks what it is, Grandma tells her she will know when she’s ready.
I did like that keywords were highlighted to help kids with vocabulary. As a story, it was just okay. There wasn’t much explanation of what dowsing rods actually are, the story felt like it jumped from one topic to another, and then it ended without finding out what was in the box. I always feel this author’s books are discombobulated.

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Dirty Heartbreaker (Hamilton Steelhawks Series) by A. C. Sheppard – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Dirty Heartbreaker: Hamilton Steelhawks Book 3Dirty Heartbreaker: Hamilton Steelhawks Book 3 by A C Sheppard
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gabby is a retired figure skater who owns her own business creating costumes for present-day skaters. Gabby hates hockey due to being caught up in an affair with an emotionally unavailable hockey player. However, her best friend, Addie, becomes engaged to a professional hockey player who happens to be friends with that ex-love affair, Colby. Unfortunately, for Gabby and Colby, they were both asked to be the best man and maid of honor in the wedding of their friends. This turns out to be problematic because they can’t get over each other, but also hate each other at the same time. However, being the good friends that they are agree to get along for the wedding. Colby wants to be with Gabby again, at least sexually, so he is always pulling her strings to try and get her to waver. Gabby, while she wants the same thing, knows her heart can’t afford to keep going down that road. As the story goes on, they seem to get better at tolerating each other and sometimes coming to agreements, but there are many obstacles that keep getting in the way of progress. Will the two of them recognize that being in love is not a death sentence and be able to work through their feelings?
I enjoyed this book a lot. I like all character, but Gabby and Colby were great. Gabby was a strong, independent, woman looking for a love future. Colby, was a “typical” jock who acted tougher than he really was. The banter Colby and Gabby had was great! But when the story continued, you saw true change occur in Colby and you just wanted to fall in love with him yourself.

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Beach Ball Blunder (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Beach Ball Blunder (The Adventures of Cray on the Bay)Beach Ball Blunder by G Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seal Gray was playing with his beachball when all of a sudden bounced away. The ball was causing havoc on the other creatures that lived at the beach. All of his friends on the beach were upset about the chaos so Gray lied and said it wasn’t his ball. This caused all the friends to start blaming others for the mess and Gray started to feel guilty. His guilt led him to need to do the right thing, so he apologized for the ball and lying. All his friends forgave him but explained how lying only makes things worse. This was a cute lessons learned book for kids teaching them that accidents happen, but lying should not.

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Vacation Flirtation…or More? (Winter Getaway Romance Series) by Stacey Komosinski – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Vacation Flirtation...or More? (Winter Getaway Romance Book 1)Vacation Flirtation…or More? by Stacey Komosinski
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a romance book about a girl named Giuliana. Her and her best friend take a girl’s trip every year for their birthdays. Unfortunately, this year her friend’s flight is delayed a couple of days and now she needs to figure out how to spend her time on the island. Lucky for her, she meets a guy on the plane who ends up at the same hotel. They quickly have chemistry, but it’s more than that. Landon is a lawyer in New York, but his rich uncle just left him all of his assets on the tropical island that he now needs to decide what he will do with them. He needs to spend at least 3 months there before deciding. He never thought one of these decisions would revolve around a woman. The couple spends many magical days getting to know each other, slowly falling in love. They want more than just a fling and he pursues her for the long-term. She has had relationship problems in the past and is not sure if this is a good idea, but her heart is saying something different.
I loved this book. It was a sweet romance with no bs. The book is a quick read with little drama, great plot, and great banter/romance. Landon is just a gentleman and whatever girl fantasizes about having as a partner. Guiliana was also a great character. She is independent, strong, sassy, but also willing to let go. It was nice to read a romance book without the miscommunication issues, the constant “we can’t” issues, etc. I would read another book from this author.

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Elusive Surrender (Sinful Duets Book 3) by Via Mari – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Elusive Surrender (Sinful Duets #3)Elusive Surrender by Via Mari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elusive Surrender is broken up into 2 books: Elusive & Tenacious. In Elusive, it is the story of Sheldon and Alexis. Sheldon is part of a security team (as in the first sets of duets) who accidentally runs into Alexis at a coffee shop and has to save her from an overbearing man. Sheldon has an instant attraction to her and luckily for him, circumstances lead him back to seeing her again. Alexis is a hairdresser who has an abusive past, but also struggling to seek the courage to have the relationship she wants. Alexis too is instantly attracted to Sheldon, but their relationship has to start off business because that “overbearing man” is trying to hurt and kidnap Alexis after she dismissed him. Luckily, Sheldon is in the position to safeguard her while they try to figure out who this guy is and what he wants with his future with her. This is a fast-paced story of a dominant (Sheldon) and a submissive (Alexis) trying to find their way in this entanglement. I enjoyed the story and both of these characters. She was feisty, brave, smart, and driven. He was also amazing in his protective, sweet, gentle, but dominant ways with her.
In the second book, Tenacious, this is the story of Alexis’ best friend, Allie and another member of the security team, Nick. Allie is a nurse at a local hospital who is entangled in this mess too since her and Alexis live together. However, what she didn’t realize is that Nick has been keeping tabs on her safety even when he was away. He has shown interest in her since the first time they met, but she does not want a relationship due to her past. However, when Nick takes over her detail, she starts to feel a connection to him. One night she spills a lot of info after drinking to Nick, and he sees this as his chance for an in. He comes to find out she is into the same type of “playing” as he is and they come to an agreement. They will forgo a relationship and only have a physical one at the club. However, because this “overbearing man” has so many friends they still are dealing with her and Alexis’ safety. When Allie’s life is in jeopardy, along with her friends, and many other women, she starts to have a change of heart. She starts to see Nick for the amazing man he is and things start to change. Again, this was a pretty good book, fast-paced and to the point. Allie can be a little annoying at times with her determination but ends up seeing her ways in the end. Nick, on the other hand, is a great character. He is determined, protective, patient, and good-hearted character.

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Savage Truth (Hidden Valley Elite Book 2) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Dr. Anya Schultz

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Savage Truth (Hidden Valley Elite #2)Savage Truth by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Savage Truth is book 2 of this bully romance. The first book ends with Cole and Riley finding out that their parents are in love and getting married. Both were not happy about this due to the hate/love relationship they were harboring. Throughout a lot of the book, it is this back-and-forth of them wanting each other but hating each other. Cole tries making Riley’s life a living hell, so Riley decides to play him in his own game. However, this back and forth, ends with Cole being obsessed and possessive of Riley. As the story continues, the secrets of both families start to come to the surface, with each other finding solace in the other’s pain. Things become extremely apparent when Riley is faced with her past, her father. A father that wants her and her mother dead. Cole is now on the end of making sure nothing ever happens to her.
The first book in the series was so enjoyable I quickly read this one. I am a sucker for a bully romance and this was a good one. Both characters had great banter, chemistry, and character traits. Cole, while a bully, was also quite smitten with her and you could see him in the way he approached much of the situation. Riley, is a strong character with determination, but also a little bit naive. I also like the way the book ended. I feel when you are dealing with a “step-sibling” romance there is a lot of negativity from the family, etc, but things seemed pretty smooth and positive in how things transpired. I liked this book and the author’s writing enough to want to read the next set of duets.

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