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Knight On Edge (Jorja Knight Mystery Series) by Alice Bienia – Review by Felicia Bates

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

Knight on Edge is the 7th book in the Jorja Knight series. Full disclosure, I have not read all the books in this series and still thoroughly enjoyed Alice Bienia’s writing style. This was a great mystery that kept you on your toes with interesting characters.
While this was a full length novel, I didn’t find myself falling bored or losing interest. I will certainly double back and read more from this series in the near future.

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Gadrella by Tricia Gardella – Review by Felicia Bates

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GadrellaGadrella by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Gadrella is the second book my kids and I have read by this author and my favorite thus far. It was a great book to read with Halloween upon us. The illustrations were as adorable as the characters were likable, especially Gadrella. This book really illustrated how it is okay and encouraged to be yourself as well as if something isn’t working… change it!

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Down By The River by Tricia Gardella – Review by Felicia Bates

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Down By The RiverDown By The River by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Down by the River is a well written children’s book that reads very quickly. The illustrations are gorgeous and the story flows very well. No pun intended. I enjoyed that we learned about the animals and activities that happen by the river while learning positional vocabulary too. Overall, it was a well thought out children’s book!

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Midnight Falls by John Evans – Review by Felicia Bates

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Midnight FallsMidnight Falls by John (ronin) Evans
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Midnight Falls by John Evans is an incredibly detailed page turner. The descriptions and imagery are out of this world without being excessive. This was a perfect book to get your pulse racing and keep you on the edge of your seat, from start to finish, epilogue included.
I really enjoyed the flow and strong writing but my favorite part is the author’s note and the bonus content at the end of the kindle version.
I would certainly read more from this author in the future.

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Decisions Matter (Buddy the Blue Corgi Series) by Suzanna Lynn – Review by Felicia Bates

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Decisions Matter: A picture book about learning right from wrong (Buddy the Blue Corgi 3)Decisions Matter: A picture book about learning right from wrong by Suzanna Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My children are two years apart and while often best friends, they’re still siblings. This was a great book to illustrate the importance of telling the truth and being held accountable for your own actions. The story flowed and was a fast read with good illustrations. My children enjoyed the book and I really liked that it was a lesson that didnt feel like a lecture!

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A Pig and a Poke by Tricia Gardella – Review by Felicia Bates

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A Pig and A PokeA Pig and A Poke by Tricia Gardella
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I recently read A Pig and a Poke with my newly 8 year old daughter. She enjoyed the illustrations and read the book alongside me. It was a fun, short read with several lessons woven in the storyline. While it took a minute to explain what pig wrestling was all about, she really loved this book and even chuckled a few times!

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Corpse Pixie by Sinister Styx – Review by Felicia Bates

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Corpse PixieCorpse Pixie by Sinister Styx
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Corpse Pixie is a bit of a different read than I’ve read by this author in the past. For that reason, I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. I was initially drawn to the book cover and the fact that I’ve read this author in the past. The theme of this book is different than many I’ve read in the past in general so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I like that this book alternates between main characters for multiple perspectives and the descriptive, vividly story telling easily keeps your attention throughout. This book has a little bit of everything without feeling like too much was crammed into a short story.

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The Human Mating Site, Complete Series (The Human Mating Site Series) by B.L. Wilde – Review by Felicia Bates

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The Human Mating Site, Complete Series.: A Steamy, Dating, RomcomThe Human Mating Site, Complete Series.: A Steamy, Dating, Romcom by B.L Wilde
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Human Mating Site, Complete Series by B.L. Wilde is an excellent collection of novellas that chronicle the main character’s dating life post divorce. I loved every single minute of this book. From the very realistic dissolution of Bella’s marriage to the very end we are watching her personal growth in a heartwarming and often humorous way. While the writing in this collection is really good with great characters, my FAVORITE part is Bella’s internal monologue.
She is an incredibly witty, fun character that you truly root for.
The men in this collection range from intriguing to cringy and everything in between. If you are looking for a steamy, humorous and entertaining series, I recommend the full collection all at once!

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Porter and Midge: Paws and Pastries A Kid’s Guide to Homemade Dog Treats (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series) by Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada – Review by Felicia Bates

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Porter and Midge: Paws and Pastries: A Kid's Guide to Homemade Dog Treats (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series)Porter and Midge: Paws and Pastries: A Kid’s Guide to Homemade Dog Treats by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I was really excited to read this installment of Porter and Midge with my kids. Even though we don’t have any dogs, some of the most important people in our lives do, I knew the kids would love the creative, hands on aspect of this book.
I love a good children’s book that rhymes so I really enjoyed the flow of the writing. Overall, this was a great kids book!

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Finding Hope: A Small Town Beach Romance (Half Moon Bay Series) by Erin Brockus – Review by Felicia Bates

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Finding Hope: A Small Town Beach Romance (Half Moon Bay #1)Finding Hope: A Small Town Beach Romance by Erin Brockus
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finding Hope is the first book in the Half Moon Bay series by Erin Brockus. I have never read this author before and felt this was a good introduction to their writing style. The book was written with a lot of vivid description that transported you within the pages (a nice escape with all the rain this week). Like many books, we were able to see both main characters perspective with a lot of emphasis on their inner thoughts which provided great context and character depth. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading more in the series.

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Rock Crush and Roll by Hunter Snow – Review by Felicia Bates

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

Rock Crush and Roll by Hunter Snow was the perfect summer romance. Light and witty yet an absolute page turner. The characters were fun and likeable with good banter. The storytelling was unique, giving both main characters perspectives but not through their personal narration. I found this style of writing a wecomed change. I was attracted to this book originally by it’s bright, attractive cover art but really came to enjoy the author.

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Taste of Honey (Taste of Honey Series) by Julie Castle – Review by Felicia Bates

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Taste of HoneyTaste of Honey by Julie Castle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had been reading psychological thrillers over the past few weeks and was looking for a book with a different level of excitement to pass my time. Enter Taste of Honey by Julie Castle. A change of pace comprised of three SPICY novellas.
Each novella is approximately 10 chapters long and packed with entertainment from the first word. My favorite was the first story (The Gift) where we watch Penny’s character development as she begins to learn a whole new world. While each of the novellas have a damsel in distress type of undertone, the females were never hopeless and always palpable.
Overall, this was a great series paced well with tons of spice and a great variety of spicy tropes in each installment.

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Love Rinkside (The Playmakers Series) by G. K. Brady – Review by Felicia Bates

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

Love Rinkside is the only book I’ve read from the Playmakers series so far. I was expecting a light hearted romance but I wasn’t anticipating the wit and humor this author had to offer. As entertaining as I found this book, it wasn’t all laughs, the main characters were really realistic with true, complex personalities which made this story and the characters really relatable. Even though I hadn’t read any other books in the series, I never felt lost or confused reading this novella. It definitely sparked an interest in other characters and their storylines though!

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Dinopotamus Solves a Mystery (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Felicia Bates

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Dinopotamus Solves a MysteryDinopotamus Solves a Mystery by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dinopotamus Solves a Mystery is another clever children’s book by Lois Wickstrom I’m pleased to have on our shelves. As with the other Dinopotamus books, I enjoyed the illustrations. My seven year old exclaimed the book was “so, so good.” I enjoyed that it was short and flowed well with grammar that she could read herself.

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Orange Forest Rabbit by Lois Wickstrom and Lucrecia Darling – Review by Felicia Bates

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Orange Forest Rabbit MysteriesOrange Forest Rabbit Mysteries by Lois June Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

y children and I (especially my 7 year old) love reading Lois Wickstrom books together and I was really excited to find this chapter book. I liked that it was comprised of three different stories with cute, enjoyable characters. I do wish there was a picture here or there even as a chapter book. I have one young reader and a lover of graphic novels so that would be a fun addition. The kids and I looked forward to reading these little mysteries before bed each evening. Another win from this author!

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Red (Modern-Day Fairy Tale Book 2) by MK Harkins – Review by Felicia Bates

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Red (Modern-Day Fairy Tale Series Book 2)Red by M.K. Harkins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Red is the first book I’ve read by MK Harkins. I was immediately drawn to the cover and its vibrant colors and soon intrigued by the fairytale retelling synopsis. I was not sure what to expect with a book loosely based on riding
hood but I was pleasantly surprised. I feel like authors get “extra points” in my book when they include a playlist so this addition excited me right away. I loved the wit the characters had and found myself smiling at some of their thoughts. The book flowed really well and kept me interested. The imagery and vivid storytelling made me feel like I could pick up the vibrations and auras as well as the characters. I will have to go back and read book one!

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Raccoon Reunion by Terri Sabol – Review by Felicia Bates

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Raccoon ReunionRaccoon Reunion by Terri Sabol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Raccoon Reunion was the bedtime book of choice and I will admit, it did not disappoint. It was the perfect length for bedtime routine. My daughter’s favorite part of the book was when the raccoons enjoyed a game of Marco Polo as she enjoyed reading “Marco, Polo, Polo” she explained to me. I thought the story and illustrations were really cute. I am someone that makes plans or dreads social settings only to realize it was exactly what I needed… I think that Rocky learned this as well. Raccoon Reunion was a really fun children’s book.

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Salt Love by Marika Ray – Review by Felicia Bates

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Salt Love: A Summer Romantic ComedySalt Love: A Summer Romantic Comedy by Marika Ray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love when novels jump right “into it” and Salt Love didn’t miss a beat. This was the first book I’ve read by this author and I was not disappointed. Straight away I was drawn to the cover art! Quickly I was drawn into the storyline and really instantly fell in love with our main female. I liked that we were able to experience Dec’s perspective too with the alternating narration. Overall, this book had a little bit of everything and was the perfect storyline to kick off my lakeside vacation.

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Flying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Felicia Bates

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Flying at RecessFlying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Flying At Recess by Lois Wickstrom was a great children’s book with a magical feel. I will admit this book is different than what I am used to by this author but it is a good addition to my 7 year old’s library. My daughter loves butterflies, especially since my mother passed away so flying with butterflies was special to us. I personally loved the illustrations as well.

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Oscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane (Oscar and Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Felicia Bates

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Oscar and Emmy Weather a HurricaneOscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane by Terri Sabol
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oscar and Emmy are at it again, this time they are teaching us how to weather a storm. My 7 year old daughter really enjoyed Oscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane. She was very interested in what kind of things should be prepared in case of emergent weather. The book was just long enough to be engaging while being educational with wonderful illustrations.

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Opposite Day for Dinopotamus (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Felicia Bates

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Opposite Day for DinopotamusOpposite Day for Dinopotamus by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Opposite Day for Dinopotamus was another fun children’s book by Lois Wickstrom. I always admire this author’s ability to craft a fun story while instilling knowledge. While reading this with my daughter, I remembered the childhood joy of insisting it was Opposite Day and giggling when someone said or did something ridiculous. This was a fun way to teach opposites and enjoy some great illustrations.

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Finding Love (The Oath Series) by Lacey Furr – Review by Felicia Bates

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Finding Love (The Oath Series)Finding Love by Lacey Furr
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’ve never read anything by Lacey Furr before Finding Love and let me tell you, I was hooked from the very first chapter!
Loch and Hailey had undeniable chemistry from the very start and it was great to see how both of their stories unfolded. I was really excited to see there was a playlist at the very beginning of the book, something I often get really excited about when I stumble upon it. I liked that the author alternated chapters between both Loch and Hailey, this really adds depth to the characters in my option. Finding Love was as emotional and well written as it was fun and entertaining. I can’t speak enough about how much I loved the characters. I definitely look forward to looking into the Oath series a bit deeper.

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Productivity is Power II: For Creative, Business, and Other Professionals by Hillary Rettig – Review by Felicia Bates

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Productivity is Power 2: For Creative, Business, and Other ProfessionalsProductivity is Power 2: For Creative, Business, and Other Professionals by Hillary Rettig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Productivity is Power 2 by Hillary Rettig is as validating as it is educational. I really enjoyed this book and felt better and less “lazy” about procrastination when I learned more about the act itself. I think what really makes this book so valuable is that the author not only explains things in a clear and concise manner but also let’s you grow your mindset with exercises and engagement throughout the text. This is a great asset to any self help library!

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Dinopotamus Goes to School (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Felicia Bates

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Dinopotamus Goes to SchoolDinopotamus Goes to School by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Dinopotamus Goes To School is the first Lois Wickstrom book I “wasn’t sure of”. My daughter will be 8 in a couple months and I thought the story might be a little “young” for her but being a big fan of the author, we gave it a try. She loved the story and had a lot of fun reading it to me. The illustrations were adorable and as always, there was a subtle lesson while having fun reading along. Another great children’s book!

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

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Toasted (Love Burns #1)Toasted by Isobel Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Toasted by Isobel Reed was an absolute blast from the very first page. Libby is such a fun loving character that had me smiling or even chuckling through most of the storyline. The chemistry between her and Zach was wonderful and I really liked the banter and humor within the pages. Toasted was an easy read that flew by, the perfect break from reality. I really look forward to more from the Love Burns series, and this author in general.

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Come Home to Death by Marilyn Levinson – Review by Felicia Bates

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Come Home to DeathCome Home to Death by Marilyn Levinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Come Home to Death is my first introduction fo Marilyn Levinson and I would definitely read another novel by this author again. I enjoyed Erica as the main character and found myself surprised a couple times throughout the storyline. I think the story was really well written with enough twists to keep the reader entertained and engaged without being over the top.

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Under Jackson Bridge by Susan Specht Oram – Review by Felicia Bates

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Under Jackson Bridge: A thriller (Beyond the Bridge Book 1)Under Jackson Bridge: A thriller by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was excited to come across Under Jackson Bridge in the kindle store because I’ve read books by Susan Specht Oram in the best and really enjoyed them. I really enjoyed this book overall, though there were some things toward the beginning of the storyline that made me a little judgy. Things so insignificant now that I’ve finished the book, I couldn’t list them… except for Jack and his shoes! While there were times that I felt the storyline was a little slow to pick up, I loved that by the time I got to the end of a chapter, I was left in suspense and needed to read “just one more”. Each of the main characters made me suspicious and I never quite warmed up to them but the writing and twists of the storyline make it absolutely worth the ride. I am honestly excited that the author is releasing this as a series and look forward to seeing what book number two is like!

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Under the Bandage by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Felicia Bates

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Under the BandageUnder the Bandage by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

My 7 year old daughter has been learning about the human body at school and just yesterday was telling me about the body’s blood cells. I felt that Under the Bandage by Lois Wickstrom would be a great addition to her library. It was cute to see her brain connect things she’s learning while reading a children’s story and it welcomed a conversation about what she’s learned which is always cool. As a pediatric nurse and a mother, I really enjoyed this book.

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

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Healing Hearts (Echo #0.5)Healing Hearts by C.R. Alam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am new to this author and the Echo series in general. Having no prior knowledge of this series did not hinder my enjoyment or understanding of Healing Hearts since it reads well as a stand alone. Right away I liked Gene and felt he was a realistic, warm and compassionate character (consistent with a doctor) and I came to believe Amanda’s character was well written as well. This book was longer than I anticipated but
it read well without any lulls or difficulty following the storyline. I enjoyed this author’s writing style, varying from the alternating narration so many novels feature. Overall,I enjoyed this backstory and look forward to reading more in this series.

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Finding Cheer (Magical Emerald Hollow Series) by Heather Schneider – Review by Felicia Bates

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Finding Cheer (Magical Emerald Hollow #2)Finding Cheer by Heather Schneider
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second book in the Magical Emerald Hollow series, Finding Cheer was a welcomed addition following the first book. While I would not consider this a “fast paced” read, the storyline was smooth with an attention grabbing opening chapter. Reading Chasing Cheer prior, I was set up to really enjoy the familiar characters within this book. Our main female character is likable and someone you truly want to see happy. I think this series is really sweet and fun to explore. Overall, I enjoyed this book a lot.

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