Love Shots by Isobel Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The author has done it again. It’s amazing how she can put so much depth and draw you in so fast and keep you going to the last page. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and swoon over a HEA. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
Conversations with the Tarot: Bewitching Meditations on Reading the Cards by Maria DeBlassie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a very unique take on tarot and magic as a whole. I love the way she had a short poem for each tarot card. It gets you thinking more about yourself and your own interpretation of each card. I love that it was more a go with the flow and free feeling type of explaination of each card. I will definitely be looking into more of her books.
Hero Complex by Isobel Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Ivy and Ace’s story will not disappoint. I love how this author makes all her characters so relatable. Be prepared to laugh, cry, and swoon all in the same book. This book is full of twists and turns. It keeps you on your toes and then makes you swoon.
Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Xenia Navarro and the Magical Ants by Lois Wickstrom & Milagros Darling is available now in eBook and Physical Book
⭐️⭐️⭐⭐ Book Review
Xenia Navarro and the Magical Ants is a chapter book geared towards young readers. Wickstrom and Darling do an amazing job discussing some difficult topics: deportation, living in poverty, family drama and all of the effects these situations have on children. I thoroughly enjoyed the insight to Hispanic culture and how some Spanish terminology was used throughout. Even though this book touched on many tough topics it was also filled with hope and magic allowing the reader to look forward to a positive ending. I would highly recommend this book to children approx. 3rd through 6th grade age level.
Love Tools by Isobel Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Lily is one of those characters you are immediately drawn to. You can relate to her and you are constantly rooting for her. The love story slowly unfolds and ends in a HEA. I can’t wait to read the next one. Love the way this author draws you in from the beginning and keeps you wanting more.
Oscar and Emmy Lose a Friend: A story about pet loss and saying goodbye to a furry friend. Ages 5-11 and kindergarten through grade 5. by Terri Sabol
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was a tough book to read. I read this with my 6yo son. I chose this book because our cat Lilly is 18 years old. Her age has been starting to show for a while. I wanted a book to help explain about animals passing away. It may come to a point where she will need to be euthanized. This was a great book to help show why we may have to put animals to sleep sometimes. It was told in a way that little kids can understand.
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As Though You Were Mine is a novel by J. Marie Rundquist. This story follows Julie Mercer, a woman who has donated her eggs to her brother and sister-in-law so that they may have a family. After the couple dies in a car crash, Julie is named guardian of the 4-year-old twins. This was such a wonderful story. Following Julie, you really get to experience her plight. Julie doesn’t want to be a mother but she tries her best to provide a home for her niece and nephew. I really sympathize with Julie mourning the loss of her brother while trying to raise his children and deal with the trauma of losing their parents. When Grant enters the picture, we see them both do all that they can to give the twins a good home. I loved that Julie finally had someone in her corner. They both could relate to each other. This is such a great and complex story.
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As Though You Were Mine is not the type of novel you pick up to escape reality but it is definitely one to delve into when you want to “feel”. I was invested in the storyline and characters from the very start and loved the growth and progression throughout. The plot was deep and very well written and I adored the female main character and I liked watching the dynamic between she and her mother. That being said, I really enjoyed the intricacies shown within the entire family in this novel and how they navigated real life issues both common and uncommon. I would love to read more from this author again and highly recommend this novel.
Love & Stilettos by Evelyn Lindell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did, I was worried there would be too much drama for me but I’m glad I gave it a chance!
This is an engaging read, following the story of Mia, Mitch and Lacey. There’s secrecy and plot twists which I loved, especially as when I thought I knew what the twist was going to be, there were elements I didn’t expect. The tension was built well as Mia and Mitch race against time to stop Mia’s life from being ruined. While I expected this to be a little more intense, I think it was paced well for a romance novel.
The characters were well-constructed, and described well so I could picture them clearly as the scenes played out. The chemistry between Mia and Mitch was evident throughout and I was rooting for them from the start. I would have liked to have some more insight into Mitch’s perspective on things but the book is well written, I really enjoyed it!
Xenia Navarro and the Magic Ants by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Another good children’s book by Lois Wickstrom. It is longer than the other books I’ve read of hers and I would recommend it more for middle/upper Elementary age kids. Xenia was taught not to cause trouble or bring the spotlight to her family due to her mom being undocumented from Mexico. The author utilized this book to discuss a sensitive topic in an age-appropriate educational manner.
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Julie is happy with her life. She is single, has no kids, and no real wish to change anything. However, life has other plans for Julie, when she unexpectedly becomes the guardian of her twin niece and nephew after her brother and sister-in-law die unexpectedly. What Julie could never have predicted is how much this would change her life. She goes from single with minimal responsibilities to having to take care of two four year olds who are grieving and struggling to understand the changes to their lives. Mikey has stopped talking, something she is told is new, while Lucy has started throwing temper tantrums whenever things aren’t quite the way that she expects them to be or when she just can’t handle her emotions. While learning to navigate grief, family, and suddenly becoming a parent, one more curve ball comes into Julies life in the form of the children’s uncle, Grant.
This story is, at times, heart breaking and yet heartwarming. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves a happily ever after, even if it there are a few wrong turns in the middle.
The Guardsman by Cat Treadgold
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I haven’t read the first book in this series, but still enjoyed The Guardsman and didn’t feel like I was lost. I enjoyed the suspense and family dynamics throughout the book.
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book. It really threw me for a loop that the twins weren’t really biologically Julie’s. This book proves everything happens for a reason. Julie needed those kids and those kids needed her. I highly recommend this book.
Dead Sound by Anise Eden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Sooo, after reading everything available about this book I don’t know what I expected it to be about but it wasn’t that. I’m so glad that I didn’t though because I probably wouldn’t have picked it up and I would have really missed out on a great read! I liked Neve but I think my favorite character was Conman and maybe Erik the Viking. This book did have a few sensitive topics like Neves forced hospitalization, her being forcibly medicated (Con to the rescue), and an assassination attempt but it all added to an expertly thought out, well written plot. I can’t wait to read book 2 to see what they get up to in Ireland.
Royally Complicated by Gwyn McNamee
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am very familiar with Gwyn Mcnamee, who writes truly wonderful, fully fletched out, steamy romance novels, less familiar with the second author, Christy Anderson, here but after reading the premise thought this book sounded interesting. I’m so very glad that I did! I loved Royally Complicated and read it in about 2 days once I got into it. Fyn and Bridget were going through such a hard time in the beginning and continued to push through all the adversities in their way throughout the book, how cruel Abigail and the Queen were at first. They made sure to have lots of steamy encounters throughout as well. About 3/4 of the way through when what happened, happened to not the person I thought it was going to happen to my heart was in my throat, I was on the edge of my seat and truly wondered what was going to happen luckily we got a happily ever after ending. I can’t wait to jump both feet first into book two about Lev, as if Bridget would ever have run away with him, lol, and Daphne, her best friend.
Murder Creek by Jane Suen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was in between a three and a four star rating after reading Murder Creek. This is the authors debut novel which could attribute to some of the issues that I had throughout the book. While I was really enjoying the mystery aspect of the story and getting into a good flow the author would randomly stop, at the end of a chapter, seemingly mid thought, only to drop us back into yet another different place, or different thought. The abrupt changing of chapters, thoughts, and actions really pulled me out of the story. It wasn’t hard for me to fall back into it because as I mentioned it was a really good idea, the story could have been amazing. Maybe with more practice the author might be able to smooth the story out a bit. I will definitely read another book by this author and find out.
Amaleigha Makes a New Friend by Janice Pratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I really liked this story. It was informative but still fun to read. It merged knowledge with empathy. I homeschool my kids and while they’re too old for this book, it did give me ideas for Geography class.
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book questions nature/nurture and the true meaning of family. And how families react to the decisions of the recently deceased. Julie and Grant unexpectedly gain each other as well as 4 year old twins. I enjoyed the kids’ reactions to the trauma they have experienced, because I felt it was realistic. Touching moments occur throughout the book. I personally didn’t care for the ending (but i am really picky about book endings).
This was my first novel I read by this author, and looking forward to reading All I’m Asking. My go to genre is psychological thriller or mystery, so As Though You Were Mine was a refreshing read of more “normal” humans than my typical.
This is a two book series “The Vaccaro Empire Collection”. I have only read the second book so I definitely need to read the first one. Luca is the son of man whose family was murdered by the Vaccaro family. Luca didn’t know this until he came to Sicily and now he is wanting to reclaim what belongs to him, this possibly includes the oldest Vaccaro daughter, Valenzia who feels like she is an ordinary person. She meets Luca whom she finds charming and seductive but she learns to late why he is really in her life. Do they connect and is it enough to bring peace to both families? You need to read to find out!!!
Deadly Vengeance by Anise Storm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a two book series “The Vaccaro Empire Collection”. I have only read the second book so I definitely need to read the first one. Luca is the son of man whose family was murdered by the Vaccaro family. Luca didn’t know this until he came to Sicily and now he is wanting to reclaim what belongs to him, this possibly includes the oldest Vaccaro daughter, Valenzia who feels like she is an ordinary person. She meets Luca whom she finds charming and seductive but she learns to late why he is really in her life. Do they connect and is it enough to bring peace to both families? You need to read to find out!!!
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
As Though You Were Mine is a heartwarming story that centers around the character of Julie who has just learned that her brother and sister-in-law have both passed away in a car accident. She is surprised to learn that she was named as guardian of their four-year-old twins, Lucy, and Mikey. Julie has vowed to remain single and therefore feels ill equipped and unprepared to raise children. Julie is determined to make the best of the situation and feels a sense of obligation to the children not just because they are her niece and nephew but because she is, in a sense, their mom. When Julie learned that her brother and sister-in-law were unable to have children of their own, she donated her eggs to them. Biologically speaking, she is, in a sense, their mom.
Enter Grant, who is her deceased sister-in-law’s brother and who was the sperm donor. He also feels a sense of obligation towards Lucy and Mikey as their biological father. Julie and Grant enter into a partnership to raise the children as their own. A situation that proves to be complicated for numerous reasons. Lucy and Mikey are suffering from the loss of their parents, and it is affecting their behavior. Mikey has night terrors and has not spoken since the accident. Lucy acts out and has temper tantrums. Julie’s family feels that she is not the best person to raise her niece and nephew and feel that her sister would be a better fit. Her relationship with her family is a bit strained and this risks creating more tension within the family. And then there’s Grant, who Julie feels a connection to and finds herself attracted to. Will Julie’s family stand by her decision to raise her niece and nephew? Is there any chance of a relationship between Julie and Grant?
This book drew me in from the first pages when Julie’s estranged brother and his wife passed away in a car accident. The storyline was heart wrenching, and the characters were lovable and relatable. Julie stayed true to herself and stood by her choices. She was smart, strong, determined, loving, and kind. The emotions that Julie experienced were real, raw, and overwhelming. She loved her brother and always hoped that somehow, they could mend the rift that had come between them and have a close sibling relationship. That chance was ripped away from her when he passed away. The strained relationship she had with her parents and sister became even more strained when they told her that her sister would be the better choice as guardian to her niece and nephew. My heart broke for poor Julie because she really had little to no support from those around her. Nobody felt confident in her ability to raise children. However, she was determined to raise her niece and nephew to the best of her ability and provide them with a loving and supportive home environment. When Grant enters the picture Julie finds someone who loves her, supports her, and is there for her and the children. As Grant and Julie navigate the struggles of sudden parenthood, they find support in each other as well as unexpected romance. This book was an emotional rollercoaster ride full of tragedy, grief, loss, sadness, anger, betrayal, family dynamics, hope, romance, love, and forgiveness. I highly recommend this book!
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Wow this book was such an emotional read. It was so hard reading all the struggles and fights that Julie had to go through but her strength was amazing.
When Julie donated her eggs to allow her brother and sister in law to become parents she only ever imagine she would be an aunty and she was happy with that. She never really wanted her own kids so helping them seemed the perfect idea.
That is until a accident took them away and left Julie as legal guardian to four year old twins.
From that moment on Julie’s life is turned upside down and inside out. As well as dealing with her own grief she now has to learn how to take care of and help 2 little people who struggle just as much from the loss of their parents.
Julie struggles to manage everything, the kids, the grief, her job with an inflexible boss everything is one struggle after another and more than once Julie wonders if she is good enough and whether her brother and sister made the right choice in selecting her to care for their children.
When the children’ uncle Grant turns up offering to help Julie isn’t as happy as she thought she would be. Does he have another reason for wanting to be around? Does he think he is going to take those kids away from her?
It’s the Julie realises that she has to fight for those babies harder than anything she has ever fought for in her life. Even when everyone including her parents doubt her abilities to raise these kids she is determined to prove them all wrong.
I loved Julie’s growth through this story and as she learns to think like a parent you see her fight appear when it comes to being the best parent she can be for those children no matter what anyone else’s opinion is.
A Rainbow Like You by Andréa Fehsenfeld
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wow what a phenomenal read! I love the way the author writes and honestly I just got lost in the words. Next thing I knew, the book was finished. It brought out so many emotions and I loved every second of it. I LOVE rock n roll books but this one hit different. It’s not like the usual rock n roll books I usually read so I was impressed on that alone. The characters, the story, the dialogue…simply fantastic. It was full of struggles and hardship..even heartbreak. But I really enjoyed this book! I’ll be checking out more of this authors work, because I loved this one.
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Just WOW!! You are immediately drawn into this book right from the very start with a huge life changing event and you are held captive by this amazing authors talented writing and powerful storyline. Be ready to feel a rollercoaster of emotions as you turn each page of this must read book! this book will pull your heartstrings but you don’t want to miss it!
Atonement by Winter Austin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is not my first book by this author but it is one of my favorites. I enjoy this author’s writing skills that make their stories come to life on every page. I found this book to be well written and hard to put down. A story about redemption, the truth behind the suicides that are happening in this small town and a deputy that has their own past and demons lurking. I enjoyed being pulled into the story from the beginning. The characters are relatable, strong characters that made the story easy for me to read. They have great growth as well as add a lot to the story. I found this book to be fast paced, engaging and entertaining to read. You don’t want to miss out on this mystery story. I highly recommend this book.
Review by @bjwagner
Love Shots by Isobel Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Love Shots is a small-town romance and the fourth book in the Bluestone series. The story comes with all the ups and downs of living in a small town with that group of town folk that just can’t seem to mind their own business!
It was a fun read that had me laughing out loud at times, I think Bluestone may just be a place to be. I really enjoyed Isobel’s easy way of telling a story, especially since I’m from a small town and know how it goes sometimes!
This small-town romance has something for everyone, it has the strong headed, beautiful woman, the sexy cowboy who is trying to be laid back.
The banter between the main characters was fun and refreshing at times, and like I said, had me laughing out loud. Then there were times when the conversations between the main characters were truly deep and heartfelt.
Summer finds herself down on her luck and finds her way back to her home…. Bluestone County, but only to find her plans aren’t going to go the way that she hoped they would.
Teddy has also returned to his hometown after a bad tour while serving in the Navy, but now he has to not only deal with his recent purchase but has to duck, dodge and deal with a fiery blonde when she realizes, he has the one thing she wants.
There is so much detail put into this story, and even though it is part of a series, I feel it is a great standalone book! I hope you will enjoy reading about Summer and Teddy and all of the adversity they face as much as I did!
Mary Espinoza. August 2023
Atonement by Winter Austin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I started this book and, quite literally, could not put it down. Nic had grabbed my attention right from the start. By jumping right in with the hostage scene, I was in for the full ride. Nice is a former Marine sniper that is now a Sheriff’s Deputy. She’s trying to keep her PTSD hidden and not doing a great job. Many secrets are hidden in this story and they are coming out. I love the writing. I was nowhere close to figuring out who the culprit was. A definite sign of a good mystery to me. The author throws in twists and turns where you don’t expect them. A little romance between her and Con was lovely. I can’t wait to see where that goes. This is an amazing start to a new series that just blew me away. I can’t wait for the next book.
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a beautiful story. Julie becomes the guardian of her 4-year old niece and nephew after her brother and his wife’s passing. She donated her eggs so they could have children which makes this even more beautiful. First, I loved the writing. This is a hard situation that you could feel in the writing. Death of a loved one, especially an estranged loved one, is hard. You can feel the pain, the loss and all the emotions from the family left behind. Your heartbreaks for the kids. Second, you rejoice as Julie and the kids begin to work out and adjust to their new living situation. This also brings the extended family back together. It’s kind of nice to see this happen. I felt tears well up as Julie called the wife’s family and they didn’t really show interest in seeing the grandchildren any more. Raising one of mine makes me wonder why, other than grief this is. We find out later that their son helped create the children also. Third, watching Julie and Grant develop was an absolute treat. That felt natural. Yes, it takes time. I do have to say it’s so much better than seeing her with the other. It also allows a piece of mama’s family to be there. This is one of the best pieces of family fiction that I have read this year and if I were allowed to give it more than 5 stars I would. Bravo!
Atonement by Winter Austin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
There has not been a book by Winter that I have not really enjoyed. I was excited to get started when I came across this romantic suspense story from her.
Atonement is the first exciting book in The McIntire County Series and follows former marine and McIntire County deputy Nicolette Rivers. Nicolette has had a messy life and suffers from PTSD. When a hostage situation goes wrong Nic’s triggers rear their ugly heads. She is a complex woman, she is strong, but she also has much depth to her. Winter certainly puts this woman through her paces.
Winter has done a great job of showing the war within oneself and PTSD. It is a raw, heart-wrenching and compelling story. Suffering from PTSD myself it made the story that much more real and poignant.
Con is the perfect match for Nic and but to be able to move forward they need to deal with her scarred past.
Winter has cleverly woven several threads together to make this a compelling read and it is one of those books that you just can’t put down because you need to know where it is going and what comes next.
There is suspense, heartache and heartbreak, pain and sorrow, dark secrets, and danger but there is also some laughter.
Atonement almost becomes a dirty word. The Priest most certainly does. With deadly secrets, family, war, tragedy, death and one man’s crazy and another’s love all collide in this tale that you should all get your hands on.
I really liked the characters and found myself caught up in them, the small town and the story. I hope that some of the secondary characters get their own stories.
This is a must read.
Reviewed by @jennadb
As Though You Were Mine by J. Marie Rundquist
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book got me all the way to the end where it made me angry in the surprise twist. Ugh. And I mean that very loud and obnoxiously. No, in seriousness it was a great book, and had all the proper feelings. It’ll make you laugh, it’ll make you cry. I do wish I learned more about Mikey but it wasn’t a necessity for the story. Definitely recommend, keep tissues close by though!
The Hand of God: From Oppenheimer to Hypersonics – A Crash Course on Nuclear Weapons and Humankind’s Most Dangerous Game by Paul McCarthy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
4.5 Stars
It’s something you always know is there but it’s a scary when you actually read and stop to consider the amount of power that the military and world leaders have to access nuclear weapons.
Paul McCarthy gives us a fast-paced but thorough look at this technology that kills and that is in the hands of others and their whims and that one day it could be unleashed upon the world. God help us all if they should go on a power trip and unleash hell on earth.
His detailed writing gives the reader a science lesson in what a nuclear weapon is and its history and the destruction from the past and even scarier something that is easily imagined is what could be.
It makes me wonder what is in the minds of those that create or those that ordered such things to be created that could destroy us all. Do they feel any kind of remorse for what has been and what could be, or do they relish the power they have created? Do they feel compassion?
The Hand of God is one thought provoking book. It makes you feel, humble insignificant and powerless in comparison.
History does have a way of repeating itself and unfortunately, I don’t think that those in power and have not lived in a time where these weapons created so much devastation would think twice.
This thought-provoking book raises more questions.
Reviewed by @jennadb
