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Yule Lads Legend: Iceland’s Jolasveinar by Heidi Herman – Review by Carrie Reed

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Yule Lads Legend: Iceland's J�lasveinarYule Lads Legend: Iceland’s J�lasveinar by Heidi Herman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 stars

I enjoyed this book. I really love how this is not a typically Christmas story, at least in America. The trolls are mean at first and try to help get the bad kids to Gryla, but then one Christmas they decide to be more on the nice side and provide the kids with presents. It is nice to see that even though these presents are very basic, the children are happy, which in turn makes the trolls feel joy. It seems they will no longer try to lure the bad children, but continue to make them happy. I really like how the trolls want nothing in return except for the satisfaction of making someone else smile, that is very good lesson to teach children.

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Yule Lads Legend: Iceland’s Jólasveinar by Heidi Herman – Review by Bobbi Wagner

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Yule Lads Legend: Iceland's JolasveinarYule Lads Legend: Iceland’s Jolasveinar by Heidi Herman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a cute childrens Christmas story. The illustrations were just as cute as the story line. This is a story about a Christmas troll that is seen by a young shepherds boy. The boy must keep the troll’s secret so he offers him a gift. But will he be the one to get a gift? Will he learn the gift of joy? This is a story of Christmas spirit and learning the meaning of that. This is a great folklore that any child would enjoy. I highly recommend this book.

Review by @bjwagner
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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Tausha Treadway

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson. I loved this story. Its the retelling of the famous Christmas Story and its so very good. Its a Christian Children’s story but even as an adult I truly enjoyed it. In the form of a poem it tells the story of Jesus’ birth. A daughter of a Wiseman meets a poor shepherd boy that turns into the Nativity Story. Even though its a children’s book it would probably be best enjoyed by older children and young adults. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you need a quick sweet read to get you in the holiday mood this is your read. The illustrations are beautifully done and its a great family read!

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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Heather Lovelace

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This beautiful tale is right on point for the holiday season. I loved the illustrations and loved being able to share the story with my children and watching them engage with the beautiful visuals. This is a timeless story appropriate for any time of year but especially one I will treasure sharing multiple times leading up to Christmas.

Reviewed by @heatherlovelace
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Yule Lads Legend: Iceland’s Jólasveinar by Heidi Herman

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~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~
Yule Lads Legend: Iceland’s Jólasveinar by Heidi Herman
Genre – Childrens; Holiday/Christmas; Folklore/Mythology
Page Count – 36 Pages
Cover Designer – Jessica Krumlauf
A modern retelling of the oldest Icelandic Christmas Story. In a land where Santa doesn’t visit, these 13 trolls wreak havoc during the Christmas Season but one year something changes and they each learn about the Christmas spirit and joy of giving.

~ AMAZON ~ BARNES AND NOBLE ~

You can find this video on our YouTube Channel

Visit us at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttf3qLZIeWgu0ZWDHc-hLg

My passion and a common theme in my writing is my Icelandic heritage. I started with children’s books and folklore, and enjoy adding a little taste of Iceland in my contemporary novels. I spent thirty years in the telecommunications industry, which was rewarding and challenging, and had a thread of writing. When my father passed away in 2015, I reassessed my priorities, opted for early retirement, and indulged my passion for writing. In the past five years, I have written several children’s folklore books, a cookbook, a novel, and a new non-fiction motivational book, all honoring my Icelandic heritage. I am a snowbird, living in South Dakota during the summer and Arizona during the winter, migrating with my husband, our four horses and three dogs. His passion for team roping and my love of rodeo has carried over into my novels, in what I hope is an interesting and unique experience for readers.

Author Interview With Heidi Herman

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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Lianne Probert

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship is a children’s book by Clare Johnson, inspired by the nativity.
The story begins with a friendship between two girls from different upbringing and social classes, the friendship struggles as the differences between their ways of life affect the way they see each other.
The book description explains that the poetic story is based on a ballet, and from the words and lovely illustrations I can see how it made a beautiful production.
I’m think this would be a lovely read for children and their families, and there are many lessons woven into the words.

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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Angela Hayes

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 Stars

The First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson is a Christian children’s story about friendship, love, values, acceptance, lesson teaching, and more. It is told in the form of a poem, which also weaves the story of the birth of Jesus. The story begins when the daughter of a Wiseman meets a poor shepherd girl- before evolving into the Nativity story.
When I saw this book show up on my recommended book feed, and with Christmas approaching, I immediately though that this would be a great story to read to my 4 year old grandson- so I grabbed a copy and sat him down to read it.
While I did think the premise was quite clever and interesting, I felt that the story would probably be best enjoyed by older children, as it lacked the attention grabbing details that most young children need and enjoy having in their stories. My grandson loves story time, but only a page into the book and his attention was wandering, already asking for other books. We persevered, but he really wasn’t that interested in it. I do think that with just a little tweaking this story could be fabulous.
The pictures are quite well done, done in a computer graphics kind of style, but were not as whimsical and ‘child-friendly’ as I had hoped for.
The author explains that the story/poem was originally written as a dance production before becoming a picture book- so I would definitely be interested in seeing the stage production, as maybe the story better translates to dance.

Thank you, Clare Johnson!

 

Reviewed by @angelahayes

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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Carrie Reed

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 stars!
Wonderful book, with two very beautiful messages. I really love that in this story of Christ’s birth there is also the story of two girls, who are friends at first but then drift away because the wiseman’s daughter thought the shepherd’s daughter was beneath her because she was poor. This book shows that you should love everyone and even if you have friends that are less off than you, that is no reason to treat them differently than a true friend. I liked the style of the illustrations, really well done. Love this book for children, excellent lesson!

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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Sunday Barnaby

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The First Noel A Tale Of Friendship by Clare Johnson
Four Stars

The First Noel A Tale Of Friendship is a great holiday story that both young and old will enjoy. It tells two stories, the birth of Jesus and the Friendship Of two girls from different classes. This book was derived from a ballet and it flows beautifully. The illustrations are beautiful and descriptive. This is a wonderful Christmas book that I will enjoy reading to my grandchildren in the years to come.

Review by @sunbarn
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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Jenni Bishop

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson is a family/children’s story and a nice tale to share with them in the Christmas spirit. It is a whimsical tale of a friendship which starts in a Nativity setting of the birth of baby Jesus. Clare states the narrative was born from a ballet production and is a story to teach the lessons of friendship and love, to stand up for what you believe in even though others may not agree or is not the norm. The story structure is told in poem format which took me a while to settle into. The illustrations are colourful and depict the dancing throughout the story.

 

Reviewed by @jennadb

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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Laura Furuta

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship
By Clare Johnson
5 out of 5 stars

I loved reading the book The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson. It is a story that both young and old will love. It tells the story of the arrival of Jesus as well as the story of two girls that are from different social classes. The story tells of how easy it is to take a path that divides rather than inclusiveness. How will things end up between the two girls? My heart was warmed by the telling of the arrival of Jesus and how he was welcomed. This story is sure to put you in the Christmas spirit. The illustrations are colorful and wonderful to look at. While reading this book I find myself thinking about families coming together and reading about friendship, hope, and acceptance. Heartwarming to read and it is a story that can be introduced into your yearly holiday traditions. Don’t miss out on amazing story. I highly recommend reading it.

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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson – Review by Bobbi Wagner

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The First Noel A Tale of FriendshipThe First Noel A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a Christmas story that I loved. It is a great children’s story that is well illustrated. The pictures tell the story as well as being brightly covered. It tells the story of friendship. It teaches your children about judgement and that it doesn’t matter your place in society, we are all the same. I would highly recommend it for any child at Christmas time. It is a great Christmas story that everyone would love.

Review by @bjwagner
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The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson

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~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ BOOK SPOTLIGHT SHOWCASE ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~ ♦ ~
The First Noel: A Tale of Friendship by Clare Johnson
Genre – Children’s Religious/Christian/Holidays & Celebrations, Stories in verse, Picture Books,
Page Count – 38 Pages
Cover Designer –Sierra Ghironzi
What happens when a friendship develops between the daughter of a rich Wiseman and a common shepherd girl?
This Christmas poem weaves the heartwarming fictional journey of an unlikely friendship into the traditional Biblical account of Jesus’ birth and tells how the arrival of the Savior challenges the heart of one girl to choose love over the acceptable social norm of her day, in a culture marked by rigid distinctions between social classes. Through this story, children will learn to value diversity, acceptance, and love of others regardless of their social status. Based on a ballet production, whimsical drawings will captivate readers and bring a charming twist to a classic Christmas story. Parents and children alike will love the lessons on friendship received through this delightful tale.

~ AMAZON ~

You can find this video on our YouTube Channel

Visit us at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCttf3qLZIeWgu0ZWDHc-hLg

Clare Johnson is a writer, dancer, teacher, and choreographer. Her writings include original dance productions, and songs as well as her blog Hope in the Making. Her dance productions have been performed at woman’s conferences, out reaches, church events, and prisons. Whether creating through writing or dance productions, her desire is to bring a message of hope to others through all her work. She lives in California with her wonderful husband and children and confesses an affinity for cats of all kinds.

Author Interview With Clare Johnson

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Faith Jackson

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1)The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

You become enthralled to the young Hittite charioteer who is set out to solve a mystery. I love the time travel as the world is painted around me in this read, where the mystery will take me but there’s more that will keep you turning pages in this one.

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Heather Harmon

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight, #1)The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a good read, Good character build-up, Easy to read and follow the story. The author does well making you want to keep reading page after page! I look forward to more books from this author.

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight, #1)The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Star
The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes is wonderfully written Historical Fiction that is fast paced and packed with action. I absolutely love all historical genre’s. This author does an amazing job of keeping your attention from the beginning to the end. The attention to detail she has put into this story is simply amazing. There are some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming. This story takes us on a journey to Hittite Empire. If you’re a historical fan then I highly recommend this book. Even if your not a historical genre fan id still highly recommend reading this book . I can promise its worth the read . I can’t wait to read more from this Author.

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Jennifer Gordon

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight, #1)The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this historical fiction crime story by N.L. Holmes and as it’s book one in a new series, I look forward to future novels. The story centres around a young Hittite charioteer who discovers that what he believed had been a chariot accident that killed his father and also maimed his grandfather was in fact an act of sabotage aimed at the king. Setting out on an adventure to find his fathers killer, the young man learns that good and evil are often not what they seem. The novel is based in the Hittite empire, present day Turkey, in around 1250 BCe, and the author really bought this era and place to life with their detailed descriptions of time and place. The characters are well defined and interesting and I particularly liked the main character and felt invested in his search for his fathers killer. It is this underlying mystery that runs throughout the whole story, which had enough drama and twists and turns in it to keep me hooked and guessing. There were a lot of characters to keep up with and also place names to remember but the glossary at the back was helpful with this as was the map at the start. I could tell whilst reading the novel that the author had obviously done a lot of research as this comes through in her writing and I liked the fact that there was a historical notes section at the end which confirmed this and tells the reader what is fact and fiction.

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Alligators in the Trees by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Faith Jackson

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Alligators in the treesAlligators in the trees by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the vulnerability this book displayed of each character and not even just the main character. It showed depth to their inner emotions, their drive, ambition and what made them who they are. This book takes us deeper into each characters’ lives propelling forward to seek their own inner happiness without falling purely for and through lust. Very captivating read: I very much enjoyed how deep it kept getting because it’s human nature to want to be our best selves. Very beautifully done, Ms. Cynthia Hamilton. Bravo!

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Sheri Schrader

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight, #1)The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes is the first book in the Empire at Twilight series. This is historical fiction with a bit of thriller and mystery thrown in. The author used her experience in archaeology to bring a well-written piece to work. There is a very helpful map at the front and a list of historical notes to refer to as needed. This is about a young Hittite charioteer who learns so much concerning the personalities of man and the pain of loss at a young age. How does he move forward with his life? I will not give more away concerning the plot because I will not be able to stop. There is so much involved and I enjoyed the characters as well as the setting. I look forward to where this series will go in the future and reading more from this author.

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Heather Lovelace

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight, #1)The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This history buff is thrilled to have found Holmes and her treasures. This is my second book by this author and will definitely not be the last I pick up. I thoroughly enjoyed how she entwines drama and adventure into different historical eras and brings them to life. The characters were extremely well written. I felt like I was transported to walk alongside these characters and loved the journey I found. A great piece of historical fiction.

Reviewed by @heatherlovelace
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Lucky at Love (Some guys just never give up) by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Kerry Baker

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Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up...Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up… by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lucky At Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up by Cynthia Hamilton is a unique take on the view people have of love and relationships and what constitutes a success. It was interesting to read a book with this perspective as it isn’t something you see everyday. It was not what I expected from it going in which was a pleasant surprise.
At times I did find the writing a bit slow in pace. There were times when I felt the author could have sped up the story a bit or added a little something extra to it. However the overall story was enjoyable and I found myself wanting to know what was going to happen. This was a good book and certainly worth a read.

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Lucky at Love (Some guys just never give up) by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Betsy Melano

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Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up...Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up… by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book got me hooked right away. It starts out with Allison, the journalist for a magazine, pitching her new story idea about a man who has been married & divorced 7 times. Jake who Allison met at his sisters wedding doesn’t believe he is a failure at marriage. Instead, he feels lucky to have loved so many different women. Jake definitely has an interesting take on marriage and love. I also appreciated that Allison started to really think about her marriage. Books that make you think about your own life are the kind I love the most.

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Lucky at Love (Some guys just never give up) by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Angela Shirley

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Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up...Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up… by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When you meet someone you had prejudged as something else, it makes you take a look into your heart and soul and makes you evaluate what you have.

Allison is successful within her career, at the top of her game but when she has an idea to write an article regarding a man who has been married seven times, she does not predict what a life changer it will become.

Jake is a hopeless romantic, he has been married seven times trying to find the right one but he is not jaded he just jumps back in and looks for the next one.

I loved this story the characters of Allison and Jake were rich and just complimented each other perfect. I loved the way that Cynthia delved into the reality of Allison and that she was starting to re-evaluate everything she thought was safe in her life. You feel like you are with her working through all the decisions and relationships she has to get to a place where she loves herself more than anything and that she become at peace with that.

I loved the character of Jake he was warm and definitely jumped the list of book boyfriends. The story was well written and gentle weaved through both their stories. I would definitely recommend this story and can’t wait to read more by this author.

Reviewed by Angela Shirley

Lucky at Love (Some guys just never give up) by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Susan Mowdy

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Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up...Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up… by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. You can’t help but swoon over Jake. Even though Jake has had a rough past when it came to marriages but despite that he was almost the perfect man. I loved how he and Allison were completely relatable characters. Their past situations are completely realistic and you can’t help but completely relate to themselves and how they feel. The author did a great job on the depth of her characters and they were completely engaging. I fell in love with this book and the authors writing. I cannot wait for more stories!

Review by @listersda
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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Jonell Collins

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight, #1)The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes, is one of my favorite kinds of stories. I love a mystery. But her mysteries aren’t just any mystery. Her mysteries are set in history. Ancient history. More precisely the Hittite period. Not only does she write great stories, the language is beautiful, the world is very descriptive, the imagery is evocative, and her characters are so alive. N. L. Holmes is an author I will not tire of recommending.

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Lucky at Love (Some guys just never give up) by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Sheri Schrader

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Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up...Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up… by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lucky at Love: Some guys just never give up… by Cynthia Hamilton is an interesting, between genres read. It is labeled as a romance, but it covers more than a typical romance. There is romance at different levels. I was not sold on the concept at the beginning and thought I had it all sorted out. Luckily, Ms. Hamilton proved me wrong and gave me a story I didn’t expect. What happens when a journalist is after a story? Do their own perceptions change as they get to know a subject? I think it was interesting and an introspective look at love, relationships, and marriage. I enjoyed how there were challenges put to Allison by Jake concerning her own life. This is a good read. I look forward to reading more from Cynthia Hamilton in the future.

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes – Review by Mirela Ruiz

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The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight, #1)The Lightning Horse by N.L. Holmes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Lightning Horse (Empire at Twilight Book 1) by N.L. Holmes was an intriguing historical read. While not my usual cup of tea, I found the book pulled me in on a journey. I enjoyed the attention to detail and descriptions. It really solidified the world for me as I was reading. I cannot wait to read more!

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Lucky at Love (Some guys just never give up) by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Piper Foster

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Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up...Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up… by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

aodre Cynthia writing style. I absolutely adore Jake characters an older man. Cynthia goes into great detail and has extremely descriptive writing style. Allison finds herself at the top of her career. The banter between Allison and Jake is classic.

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Lucky at Love (Some guys just never give up) by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Faith Jackson

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Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up...Lucky at Love: Some Guys Just Never Give Up… by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve become such a fan of Cynthia Hamilton’s the more I read her work. This book was no exception. It hits on the fact different people have different opinions on the thing we call “love.” The scenic picturesque environments the characters find themselves in set the mood for romance and steamy scenes between the two. Jake has experience in love. The scenery is beautifully described, the characters are easy to love and their stories are inspirational to capture your interest. I enjoyed this book very much.

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Alligators in the Trees by Cynthia Hamilton – Review by Faith Jackson

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Alligators in the treesAlligators in the trees by Cynthia Hamilton
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the vulnerability this book displayed of each character and not even just the main character. It showed depth to their inner emotions, their drive, ambition and what made them who they are. This book takes us deeper into each characters’ lives propelling forward to seek their own inner happiness without falling purely for and through lust. Very captivating read: I very much enjoyed how deep it kept getting because it’s human nature to want to be our best selves. Very beautifully done, Ms. Cynthia Hamilton. Bravo!

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