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Oscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane (Oscar and Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Kelli Harper

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

What an informative story. From reading the title we learn this is based on a true story. Very adorable illustrations of the cats and their humans. Learning about emergency kits and evacuations. All very informative and helpful for young kids and for pet owners alike. End of the book even gives you a list of all things that should be kept in an emergency kit.

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Flying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ayla Eddy

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

This is a cute read for young readers. We follow Soara who can fly! At recess she cannot be seen but her friends know where she is at. One day she flies farther than usual to follow the butterflies. We get to join her on her adventure and see if she can make ut back before recess ends. An adorable story that shows with imagination you can do anything. It is complete with beautiful illustrations. An absolutely fun read!

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Flying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shannen Kern

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

Another wonderful story by an incredible author! I make a point to seek out this author’s books because my kids love them so much. I may be (a little) older than the targeted audience, but I’m a child at heart, so I end up having a blast too. Soara loves to fly around high in the clouds and spend time with the butterflies. Can you get lost when you’re flying? Find out with Soara and her friends. We played an imaginative ‘what if’ game after reading this and explored our own flying world at home. We loved the illustrations as they really add more depth to the story and kept both of my kids’ attention. Share this fun adventure with the young ones in your life at home, at school, or at daycare!

Reviewed by @shannlynn

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Second Glance: A Serrulata Saga Romance Novel (The Serrulata Saga) by A.E. Bennett – Review by Francis O’Sullivan

Second Glance (The Serrulata Saga)Second Glance by A.E. Bennett
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Second Glance is a Serrulata Saga Romance Novel. It’s part of The Serrulata Saga but can be read as a standalone, as I did. On its own, it is an enjoyable M/M romance with a disabled main character, and it certainly got me interested in reading more of the series with occasional hints to the events covered in other books.

Patrick and Iseul’s relationship is certainly something they cannot pursue in public, so they have to find ways to meet and communicate in secret. Events beyond their control sometimes bring them together, and sometimes push them apart as they try to make their dream of a life together a reality.

This book is set over a fairly long period of time, with lots of time jumps. At times it felt a bit rushed and lacked flow, but I do like that their relationship had time to develop.

I’d recommend this book to fans of LGBTQ+ fantasy. It gets four stars from me!

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Opposite Day for Dinopotamus (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Shannen Kern

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

My family loves it when I bring home books by this author! We always have such a fun time and great discussions. Opposite Day is exactly what it sounds like. The teacher wants everyone to try to do the opposite of what she says. But she doesn’t make it easy for them. This was a fun read that made both of my kiddos giggle as they acted everything out along with the story. It also prompted us to try and create our own Opposite game with more difficult instructions. Pick this up and share with the little ones in your life at home, at school, or at daycare.

Reviewed by @shannlynn

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The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K. S. Gantt – Review by Shannen Kern

The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short StoriesThe Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K.S. Gantt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I am a huge fan of anything that frightens me, so this was right up my alley. I hadn’t read anything by this author before but as soon as I saw this book, I knew I had to pick it up. I really appreciate that the author includes trigger warnings at the beginning to prepare you for what you will encounter. These stories were the perfect bite-sized length and somehow not sacrificing the quality of them. I was absolutely hooked on each and every story! I couldn’t put this down because there are no slow moments whatsoever. Each phobia that is explored is chilling and had me questioning if I have more phobias than I realized! If you enjoy horror and suspenseful short stories, do yourself a favor and pick this up. You won’t regret it!

Reviewed by @shannlynn

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The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K. S. Gantt – Review by Jamie Truex

The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short StoriesThe Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K.S. Gantt
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book wasn’t exactly what I was expecting. Not necessarily in a bad way though. So there’s eight different stories, each with different characters and different fears. None of those fears bother me, so it wasn’t what I would consider a horror book. They clearly give trigger warnings, so anyone who may be triggered by one of those fears have fair warning to skip it. I found the stories to be very quick reads and almost not enough story to them. I would be interested in reading more if they were to write on more fears. Now, all that being said, I do think they were well written. I just needed more. I will give this author another go when I find something else from her.

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

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

This was such an amazing book relating to The Serrulata Saga! I have enjoyed this series very much and love that it gets even better as it progresses. I was pulled in by the cover and once I saw the dedication page, it gripped my heart and never let go. I dove right in and lost myself in this amazing romantic sci-fi world. This author has a unique way of crafting a story that is subtle at first, making you believe you can read a few pages really quickly. Hours later, I realized that what was meant to be a few minutes of reading turned into devouring the entire book. Patrick is relatable to me as I have a chronic illness with ‘bad days’ so I immediately bonded with him. The chemistry between him and Iseul is delightfully steamy and very well written. If you enjoy MM historical romance with spicy scenes and amazing characters, please give this book a chance! You can definitely read this as a standalone as well.

Reviewed by @shannlynn

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Oscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane (Oscar and Emmy Series) by Terri Sabol – Review by Lorralei Hoerner

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

5 Stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Oscar and Emmy Weather a Hurricane is a wonderful book and the great nieces and great nephew and I all enjoyed. All of the Oscar and Emmy books are great and learning to prepare in bad weather is vital. This story is educational, meaningful and full of engaging illustrations.

Charlie and Abby are helping their parents prepare of a hurricane…the best solution is emergency kit boxes!! Preparing every item that may be needed during the hurricane also includes Oscar and Emmy, their cats.

This is a great story for any age and learning to be ready if bad weather may come about….also I think it is fantastic to not forget the animals as well they are family too!!

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Secrets, Lies and Betrayals (Protect and Honor Series) by Lynn Wood – Review by Shannon Fowler

Secrets, Lies and Betrayals (Protect and Honor Series #1)Secrets, Lies and Betrayals by Lynn Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This story is one of politics, violence and death, with a little bit of hope and love thrown in. Lea is the victim throughout the story however she doesn’t always play that way. She is trying to get on with her life with her new identity since her real life was stolen when she was 3 years old. For years Lea has been hiding but as she turns 18 and graduates, she discovers she needs to learn how to take care of herself, build a life and as Max tells her: “Gotta live, girl”.

This story takes many turns and when the world starts looking for lost little Michaela, Lea must go back into hiding, but will she ever be able to come out and live a normal life.

This story was a little slow to start as this trope isn’t my go-to. About a third of the way in I was hooked. Looking forward to reading more in this series and about these characters.

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The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K. S. Gantt – Review by Rose McCaskey

The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short StoriesThe Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K.S. Gantt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book of Fears is just that, a book written about fear. Each chapter is a short story about a new phobia. Some of them I didn’t even know were phobias before reading the book. The last phobia is one I know well even if the story wasn’t based on something real, but instead something many people have discussed and wondered on for years. I myself have phobias with my biggest being coulrophobia or the fear of clowns and a fear of needles. Great stories, they would be well for campfire stories.

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Wasabi (Evil Sushi Series) by C.A. King – Review by Jennifer Reimer

Wasabi (Evil Sushi Book 3)Wasabi by C.A. King
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When mother nature wants to stick back better be ready for a wild ride. This was a different original series where the human race is destroying the earth but m9ther nature has her own plans up her sleeves. I will say you should be reading this series from the beginning, or you will be lost in this series. This book really made me think the power of what mother nature can do. This book had me reding none stop from the beginning to the end; I highly recommend if you want to change things up because this was for sure an original that I have read and was gripping till the end.

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The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K. S. Gantt – Review by Michelle Marlow

The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short StoriesThe Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K.S. Gantt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As always with any book, but particularly books that deal with this type of content, check trigger warnings. Your mental well-being is much more important. This is a collection of eight short stories on phobias. It was fun a quick little read. It is under 200 pages and the author does a good job on making you feel uncomfortable and go ick. But ick in a good way. I do not want to ruin anything for another reader but I will say the last story is my favorite.

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Vague Directions: Into the Woods by Debra Parmley – Review by Rose McCaskey

Vague Directions: Into the WoodsVague Directions: Into the Woods by Debra Parmley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Great read, it’s short and flows well. I love that it is based at a Renaissance event. As someone who also loves Ren fairs and cosplay I really liked the descriptions and detail it had. Then adding in a mystical aspect with rat men made it even more intriguing. I just wish it had been longer so I could know what happened with Heather and Rylan and if they defeated the rat men.

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Flying at Recess by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ayla Phipps

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

Beautiful illustrations, unique names and fun story. Soara is special, she walks with her friends all the time but at recess something special happens and she flies. Though she is flying she still plays with her friends Lulu and Zanie making it seem like they have magic. Easy to read and unique story. The only rule is to make sure you’re back at school when recess ends.

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Opposite Day for Dinopotamus (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Ayla Phipps

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

Once again Lois Wickstrom shows her incredible talent not just in writing the story but in her fun illustrations. This series gives kids a confidence boost seeing hand drawn pictures and understanding they can do it too. Opposite day is always a fun day, but this book took it to the max or would it be the minimum? Hmmm. Every little thing was given in the opposite way, and I love how it showed that misunderstandings can happen to anyone, but Dinopotamus always has a friend to cheer him up. Easy to read for my seven-year-old and the inspiration he had on trying to say the opposite of everything he meant for the rest of the night.

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In the Midst of Omens (The Legacy of Gilgamesh Series) by Nicole Bailey – Review by Kristin Boutelle

In the Midst of Omens (The Legacy of Gilgamesh Book 1)In the Midst of Omens by Nicole Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not what I expected at all. It is quite interesting and unique. The characters are well meshed with each other. There is a lot of action going on in certain parts of the story. What stands out the most is that Enkidu challenges Gilgamesh to balance him out.

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By Your Side (Willowbrook Lake Series) by Ashley Erin – Review by Rosanna Ingram

By Your Side (Willowbrook Lake, #1)By Your Side by Ashley Erin
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a touching story about Adeline and Owen. Adeline is grieving the loss of her husband and believes that moving to Willowbrook Lake and taking on a fixer-upper house will help her in that process. Turns out that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Owen is the local (grumpy) handyman who is hired by Adeline to help her with the renovations. He understands the loss she has endured, and wants to be a good neighbor and help her out. As the two spend more time together, a friendship grows. Over time, feelings get stronger. But, can you have more than one true love in your lifetime? Is Adeline willing to put her heart out there and find out?

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was a story of love and loss…. and grieving and healing. I loved watching Adeline and Owen navigate through their feelings as the book progressed. The secondary characters in the story were quite enjoyable…and I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

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Bad Enough (The Deadman’s Tribe Series Book) by Nicole Craig- Reviewed by Shelby Wilson

Bad Enough (The Deadman's Tribe, #2)Bad Enough by Nicole Craig
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked that I didn’t have to read the first book to understand this. I do plan to go read the rest of series now! Such a good story! If you like an alpha male then this is the book for you. Nicole Craig is a versatile author and has done a phenomenal job!

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By Your Side (Willowbrook Lake Series) by Ashley Erin – Review by Kerry Baker

By Your Side (Willowbrook Lake, #1)By Your Side by Ashley Erin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is the first book in a new series and it a well written an emotional, second chance romance story. The connection between the two main characters develops nicely as the book does. Even though there was history to get past, they were clearly well suited and good for each other.
The story is great to read. It well developed and has a nice pace to it. I found myself been taken long with the story and I really became invested in what was happening. This is a great start to a new series and I am looking forward to book 2!

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In the Midst of Omens (The Legacy of Gilgamesh Series) by Nicole Bailey – Review by Kerry Baker

In the Midst of Omens (The Legacy of Gilgamesh Book 1)In the Midst of Omens by Nicole Bailey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a historical fantasy story that is a retelling of Gilgamesh. This is a well written and interesting take on the story and the author has done a great job of making it her own. The characters are interesting and really bring the story to life. There were so many layers to them, I enjoyed learning more about them all.
I thought the overall story was good. It flowed well and had a great narrative to it. I was engaged with the story and loved watching how it all unfolded. The author has taken an already known story and really put a fresh take on it. This is a great book and I am looking forward to the next installment.

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Opposite Day for Dinopotamus (Dinopotamus Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dawn Mitchell

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

This is a great book to teach kids what opposites are. The illustrations show kids opposites and keep their attention. Its a quick easy read for most likely first graders.

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The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K. S. Gantt – Review by Kerry Carr

The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short StoriesThe Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K.S. Gantt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a collection of short stories that will send a chill down your spine. It deals with different things such as abuse and violence which may be triggering for some people.

1)Let’s go home Wolfie.
This is a story of one man’s fear of abandonment and the lengths he is prepared to go to to keep the women he loves. Even if that is against her will.

2)Not In My House
This is a story about a fear called Katsaridaphobia, the fear of cockroaches. This is one man’s story about how growing up in a dirty home lead him to a fear of cockroaches and the impact it has on his adult life. How will he reach when he sees cockroaches in his perfectly clean home? How will he respond? And what will he the consequences?

3) I’ll Float Away
This is a story around one woman’s fear of butterflies but so much more than that. When she escapes her abusive relationship the last thing she wanted was to ever see him again. When she realises her ex has found her she puts plans in place to leave but will it be to late? Will she have to come face to face with the two things that scare her most in this world?

4) Friday the 13th
This is the story about a man who has a fear of Friday the 13th. How far will he go to protect himself from the danger he feels that date will bring?

5)Deep Thoughts
This is a story about a woman who’s fear is being buried alive. Alyssa is fascinated by serial killers. She knows everything about them. In her mind she even knows how to survive and escape a killer. So what happens when she needs to put that knowledge into action? And when she is faced with the possibility of being buried alive can she keep it together enough to survive or will she have to accept her fate?

6)It’s All Fun and Games
This is a story who saw death. Every time she saw him something happened and people around her died. Every time this happened her fear of him grew. But why was his killing people around her and letting her live? Is this all some sort of sick game?

7) Happy Anniversary
This is a story around the fear of snakes. A married couple go away to the Florida Keys for their Anniversary. When they start to hear scratching noises they wonder what could it be?
Will the a Anniversary they will never forget?

8)Have You Seen My Wallet
This is the final story. When a man drives into a desert and has a strange encounter he is left with a fear of needles and no memory of what happened. With his job at a hospital how will he cope with this new fear and what happens if the truth behind his lost memories comes to light?

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Ten Little Sandpipers (A Counting Collection) by Kim Ann – Review by Terri Jo McAllister

Ten Little SandpipersTen Little Sandpipers by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A cute counting book! Young readers will love the rhyming verse of the story about baby sandpipers on the beach. This book will certainly encourage those beginning readers.

Reviewed by Terri Jo McAllister

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Salt Love by Marika Ray – Review by Lisa Helmick

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

Such a Fun Story! I enjoyed this as it is filled with wonderful quirky characters. It has crazy times, sexy times along with secrets and family drama. I loved that everyone was brought together by a deceased loved one. The two MC started with a hate relationship and went through stages to reach the love. While Kenna, at times, seemed like a hot mess Dec came off as kind and considerate more than once. His secret was a surprise to me and I could see both sides of his story. Overall I liked these two together and the secondary characters add a lot to the story.

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Ten Little Sandpipers (A Counting Collection) by Kim Ann – Review by Kerry Baker

Ten Little SandpipersTen Little Sandpipers by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

We had barely finished the last book by this author when we picked up this one straight away. As we have already come to expect, this book was fun, educational and such a pleasure to read. My kids had never heard of Sandpipers before so it was a great way for them to not only learn about them, but to reinforce the learning of numbers.
Every time we read one of these books, my son in particular will spend days counting everything we come across. It is great to see him take so much away with these books and we will definitely be reading more!

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Ten Little Sea Turtles (A Counting Collection) by Kim Ann – Review by Kerry Baker

Ten Little Sea Turtles: Ocean and Marine Life Books for Children (Marine Life Counting Collection)Ten Little Sea Turtles: Ocean and Marine Life Books for Children by Kim Ann
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Having read another book in this series, my son was desperate to read another book by this author. Ten Little Sea Turtles is the next one we happened to pick up and I can easily say he enjoyed it just as much as the other one.
These books, although educational, are so much fun to read. The illustrations are vivid and engaging and we definitely got as much joy in them as the actual story. This book has been read multiple times already and I am sure will be read many more.

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Salt Love by Marika Ray – Review by Kerry Baker

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

I had read a few reviews before picking up this book so I expected it to be entertaining. However, this book was so much more amusing and fun than I had anticipated. It is a brilliant romcom story and the characters are right at the heart of this. They are engaging, lively and a joy to read about. I loved watching them explore their feelings for each other and their connection which I definitely became invested with.
The story was just as good as the characters on the page. I loved how the author tied everything together and I found myself being completely swept away with everything going on. This is a brilliant story that I would highly recommend.

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The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K. S. Gantt – Review by Angela Renee Diaz

The Book of Fears: A Collection of Short StoriesThe Book of Fears: A Collection of Short Stories by K.S. Gantt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I liked this book because it has multiple stories. Also like the stories are short stories. It has one of my fears in it so it made it intense for me. It was such an easy and fast paced book. I recommend taking a chance on it

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Discovering Desire (Shattered Embrace Series) by Alyndra Quinn – Review by Deb Robinson

Discovering Desire (Shattered Embrace #3)Discovering Desire by Alyndra Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow, this is not your frilly romance novel. This book was filled with the teaching of BDSM, mafia undercurrent, friendship, and so much tension. I absolutely loved this book and it took me on a ride from beginning to end. This is the first book I have read from this author and was totally enraptured. I will be finding and reading more books by her,

Although the book is based on the BDSM Nightshade club, I really appreciated that the author was responsible with her depiction of the learning process for new and seasoned individuals within the lifestyle. Everyday is a learning experience.
So much happens in this story and lives are at risk. Does everyone make it out safe? Will Lucian win or lose? Brother against step-brother to the very end.

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