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Helpful Hudson by Dannielle Pickford – Review by Katie Matthews

Helpful HudsonHelpful Hudson by Dannielle Pickford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was sweet book aimed at children aged between 3 and 7. Hudson was such an adorable little boy who was always there to help other when they needed him but sometimes he forgot how to look after himself. This book shows children how important it is to look after yourself. I think the story had some really important talking points but I’m not 100% sure a 3 year old would be able to comprehend the real meaning behind the story but would absolutely be great for 5 -7 year olds in my opinion.

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A Monster for Meg (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

A Monster for MegA Monster for Meg by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute story about Meg and her sister Sue. Meg is blind and Sue tried very hard to frighten Meg by talking about monsters but with every scary thing she says Meg answers her with something positive and explaining all the sense she uses to build up pictures in her mind. I can imagine many talking pints for children in this story about how Meg uses her other senses to see what is going on around her and whether Sue was being a good big sister or not. A well written story that was easy to read and illustrated beautifully as well.

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Reaper (War Brothers MC Book 1) by Bianca Lee Ward – Review by Katie Matthews

Reaper: A Slow Burn MC Romance NovelReaper: A Slow Burn MC Romance Novel by Bianca Lee Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love it when I find a new authors work to read and I was so impressed by this book! MC stories are one of my favourite to read, I love an alpha male and the MC alpha males always seem to be the best – super protective and loyal! Reaper was no exception to this rule – I knew as soon as I started to read about him I was going to love his character. There was such a great connection between him and Ava and I was completely rooting for them the whole way through. I liked that their romance was a slow burn one I think it suited them. I thought this this was a great start to a new series and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

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Consigliere’s Revenge (Sicilian Gods Book 3) by Via Mari – Review by Katie Matthews

Consigliere's Revenge (Sicilian Gods Book 3)Consigliere’s Revenge by Via Mari
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

OMG I LOVED this book! From beginning to end I was completely hooked by what I was reading. I’ve read so many of this authors book now that I don’t even bother reading the synopsis I just grab and start reading and as per usual I was not disappointed. I honestly don’t know how she does it every time I say that’s my favourite until I read the next one! This book was just fantastic, this book is definitely dark and delicious from the very start. Lorenzo and Izzy’s story was amazing, she was definitely a match for him and I loved that about the two characters.
This book could be read as a standalone but I would 100% recommend reading them in order, you won’t be disappointed!!

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Concert Hall Hit (A Darcy Gaughan Mystery) by J.C. Kenney – Review by Katie Matthews

Concert Hall Hit: A Darcy Gaughan MysteryConcert Hall Hit: A Darcy Gaughan Mystery by J.C. Kenney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is definitely one of those books I am glad I picked up, it was such a great read – I thoroughly enjoyed it. This is the first book that I have read by this author and I loved his writing style, I was gripped the whole way through and couldn’t turn the pages fast enough to see what was going to happen next. I loved that it was different to what I usually read and the storyline was great – cozy mystery with a bit of music thrown in! Darcy was a great character to follow in this story, she was really relatable – she proved herself to be a great detective!
I would definitely recommend this book to others and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

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Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans (Science Folktales)Fee, Fi, Fo, Grow!: The Real Magic of the Beans by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another lovely retelling of Jack and the Beanstalk with a science twist to it. I really enjoy the stories by this author they are written well and so engaging for young children and great introduction to some simple science. Jacqueline was a sweet character in the story and it was fun to follow her along on her adventure. There were a few talking points in the story for children along the way.

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Where Fire Meets Flame (Yours From The Ashes Book 1) by Elena Kincaid – Review by Katie Matthews

Where Fire Meets Flame (Yours From the Ashes, #1)Where Fire Meets Flame by Elena Kincaid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I think it’s safe to say that this story definitely lives up to its title! This might have been a short read but it was jam packed full of action from the very first page. Riley and Tristan had so much chemistry and I loved Riley so much! She was a brilliant female lead. Tristan had the sexy firefighter vibe going on so I was swooning over him from the moment I met him! Both characters had their past issues – some a little crazier than others. I would definitely have loved this book to have been longer, the characters were great and the potential for their story to be longer and a bit more detailed was definitely there. I am really looking forward to reading more from this author in the future!

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Small Fry by Stephenie Wilson Peterson – Review by Katie Matthews

Small FrySmall Fry by Stephenie Wilson Peterson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a sweet read, even though it’s a children’s book I loved it so much. Silas was such an adorable character and I just loved his attitude towards everything. I can see how passionate the author was about this book when she wrote it, it shines through on every single page and through the characters. I loved the email part to the story between Silas and his Grandfather, for some reason it felt so personal and made everything seem so much more relatable. I love how many talking points this book has for children.
This really was a lovely read and I would highly recommend it.

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Raising Elle (Sweet Valley Series Book 1) by S.E Reichert – Review by Katie Matthews

Raising ElleRaising Elle by S.E. Reichert
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I love a Western Romance read and I’m so glad I stumbled across this one! It was a great read and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The emotions of the characters just poured off the pages and I could really feel what they were feeling at times. Elle was such an inspirational character to read about, I really feel like the author took her time when planning and writing about Elle, she took a very sensitive and triggering issue and really wrote about it well and with respect. Elle wasn’t the only character with past demons that she had to face we also had Blake as well with everything he was dealing with. Both characters had an inner strength and I loved seeing how they supported each other throughout the story.
This really was a wonderful, yet hard to read at times, story however the author did an amazing job with handling everything sensitively and I would absolutely recommend this book to other readers.

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Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Future World Changers by Janice Pratt – Review by Katie Matthews

Brave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-ChangersBrave Kids: Short Stories to Inspire Our Future World-Changers by K.J. Kaschula
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is such a wonderful selection of short stories and I really enjoyed them all. It was great to read a few familiar authors and also find some new ones. Each story in this anthology covers a different topic so there’s definitely something for all types of children in this book. it covers topics such as bullying, phobias. I loved that each story tried to remind us that although we may be sad, suffering or afraid we are all brave.
One of the stories I loved was Tonight it the Night by K J KaSchula I read this with my little boy as we try to get him to go into his own bed by himself. It was a really cute read!
Another story I really enjoyed was Amaleigha Tames a Bully: Kindness Can Change a Hard Heart by Janice Pratt – having read about Amaleigha before I loved that she featured in a story in this anthology. She is such a wise one for such a young age! I love reading and sharing her stories with my little boy.

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Obedience (Ties That Bind Book 1) by Liza Snow – Review by Katie Matthews

ObedienceObedience by Liza Snow
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first read the synopsis for this book I was so intrigued it sounded like nothing I had read before and I am so glad that I decided to give it a go. It was such a great read and so refreshing to read something a little bit different. The authors attention to detail made it feel like I was right there watching these characters, she made it so easy to imagine exactly what was happening in the story. I loved the forbidden side of the story and also the twists with how the characters’ lives were intertwined. The suspense that ran through the story kept me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. I am really excited to see where the author takes this story in book 2!

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Cecily in the City (The Cecily Taylor Series Book 3) by Krysten Lindsay Hager – Review by Katie Matthews

Cecily in the CityCecily in the City by Krysten Lindsay Hager
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the third book in this series, it was a quick easy read and had a good storyline. I still really like the character Cecily and think that she could be quite relatable for the young adult audience that is the target reader group for this book. The characters were really well written and I could really feel some of the anxieties that Cecily in particularly went through. I think having followed Cecily’s story through the first two books I really feel like I’ve been on this journey with her. I am looking forward to seeing what happens next for Cecily in book 4!

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Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Katie Matthews

NonVerbalNonVerbal by Molly Zenk
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t think I even know where to start with this story. For many this will be an interesting read with many thought provoking moments but for me it spoke to me on a whole other level, a real personal one. I have a 3 year old non-verbal child and this story opened my eyes to how he may be feeling. I know he knows so many words but they just don’t want to come out like they should and I feel like I can understand this so much more now by reading this through the eyes Emerson. The way she describes the thoughts and feelings of Emerson’s parents was literally like reading some of my own thoughts. I was honestly glued to this story, it really was a very emotional and powerful read and I think is definitely a read for people who want to understand a little more about someone who is non-verbal.
Thank you Molly Zenk for this book, its actually helped me more than words can say.

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How to Make a Flying Carpet (Alex, the Inventor) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

How to Make a Flying Carpet (Alex, the Inventor #2)How to Make a Flying Carpet by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really love these stories by this author. Full of wonderful scientific knowledge for young children to learn throughout the story which is always beautifully illustrated. The stories are easy to read and definitely provide many talking points for children about what is happening as they read along. This book was a great introduction to magnets and how they can be used. In Alex’s case, our main character, a flying carpet!
Another wonderful read and highly recommended.

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A Spot of Earl Slay (Tea Time Troubles Book 1) by Aubrey Elle – Review by Katie Matthews

A Spot of Earl SlayA Spot of Earl Slay by Aubrey Elle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

What a wonderful read this book was. Firstly I have to say I loved the title of the story, it certainly grabbed my attention and the cover for the book is so pretty. I don’t usually pay much attention to book covers but this one is lovely. This was a fun cozy mystery read and one that kept my attention from beginning to end. It was really entertaining to read. The main characters Naomi and Ella were great to read about and I loved Ingrid and Barbara too!
I am so excited for this new series and if this first book is anything to go by its going to be a brilliant one! I can’t wait for book 2!

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The Innovator (WaterFyre Rising Book 3) by Nadia Han – Review by Katie Matthews

The Innovator (WaterFyre Rising, #3)The Innovator by Nadia Han
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Another wonderful book by this talented author. I really loved this story and the characters in it. This was Natalie and Grayson’s story! Natalie and Grayson had such chemistry, it was literally pouring off the pages. If there’s one thing this author does right is she gets the connection and passion between the characters she’s writing about spot on. Apart from the simmering connection between the two characters we’ve got the twists and turns that deal with both of their pasts and I think in particular Grayson’s past was really interesting to see him work through. This is the third book in the series but can be read as a standalone, I would recommend reading in order though personally.
I’m definitely looking forward to more from this author!

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Right in Front of You (Morris Valley Gang Book 1) by Brooke May – Review by Katie Matthews

Right in Front of You: Volume One: Brinley & Adrian (Morris Valley Gang Book 1)Right in Front of You: Volume One: Brinley & Adrian by Brooke May
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story so, so much! Every time I read a book by this author I know that I am in for a brilliant read and yet again she didn’t disappoint with this opener to her new series. Adrian …. What can I say about Adrian – he was just one of the best characters I’ve read about this year, I think I fell in love with him the very first moment I started reading about him. I love how he stepped up as soon as he though Brinley was in trouble. He’s definitely the type of person you want to protect you in a scary situation. I liked Brinley too, she was a really down to earth character who really just wanted a quiet life with her friends.
Overall I really loved this story and I’m exciting to read about more of the characters in the next story.

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I’ll Love You Tomorrow (Trading Heartbeats Trilogy Book 3) by Julie Navickas – Review by Katie Matthews

I'll Love You Tomorrow (The Trading Heartbeats Trilogy, Book #3)I’ll Love You Tomorrow by Julie Navickas
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the third and final book in this trilogy and what a book to end it on. I loved the first two books in the series and couldn’t wait to get started on this one and I wasn’t disappointed. This story was about Mitch and Lauren. Both of these characters were clearly struggling in their marriage and their journey in this story wasn’t the easiest but I was rooting for them all along because it was clear that they still loved each other but had just lost their way with the relationship. Yes they both made mistakes but reading about them and waiting to see if they would find their way back to each other kept turning the pages for sure. The authors writing was again flawless in this book and I am definitely going to be eagerly awaiting whatever she may come out with next.

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The Sweet Temptations Trilogy (Sinful Delights) by L.M. Mountford – Review by Katie Matthews

The Sweet Temptations Trilogy (Sinful Delights)The Sweet Temptations Trilogy by L.M. Mountford
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really love this author and his saucy reads so when I saw this trilogy I couldn’t wait to get started. As usual his writing didn’t disappoint. The three stories contained within this trilogy all had different tropes but were short and sexy reads.

The Baby Sitter – this story may not be everyone’s cup of tea but I did enjoy it and whilst I 100% don’t agree with cheating it is at the end of the day a story. There was a lot of passion and chemistry between the characters and although a short read – it certainly wasn’t short on anything else! This story does led into the next one so don’t worry if you feel it finished a little abruptly!

The Boss’ Daughter – in this story we meet again and see him continue with his forbidden love interests. This time his Boss’ Daughter who we briefly meet in the first book. After Richard receives a visit from Rebecca we see Scarlett let him in on a secret of her own!

Menage A Trois – The third book in the trilogy sees Richard’s secrets exposed – but Alice has a secret of her own for him! This third book definitely had a lot of passion and chemistry going on. The story is well written from the passion side and it is completely believable.

Overall the three stories are good, they are definitely packed with some pretty steamy scenes and they should be read in order!

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The Challenger (The Hustlers Trilogy Book 2) by Rowan Rossler – Review by Katie Matthews

The Challenger: A Sports Romance Saga (The Hustlers Trilogy Book 2)The Challenger: A Sports Romance Saga by Rowan Rossler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first book in this series so I was looking forward to reading The Challenger and it didn’t disappoint at all. I loved Flynn and Chavez’s story! They were great characters and even though I wasn’t 100% sure about Chavez when I first met him I definitely grew to love him. I feel like as the story progressed we began to see that there was so much chemistry between the two of them and a really lovely connection. I really liked the character progression in this story, both of our main characters had their own secrets and pasts to work through and I just felt like they really did progress as over the story. I am really excited for the final book in this series! I highly recommend this book!

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Your Trainer Says Hi! (Vengeful Vixens Book 2) by Indie Sparks – Review by Katie Matthews

Your Trainer Says Hi!Your Trainer Says Hi! by Indie Sparks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first picked up this book I wasn’t quite sure what to expect and the first reviews I came across weren’t that favourable but the synopsis sounded intriguing and I’m so glad I decided to read it and it was really good read and thoroughly enjoyed it!! There were some great laugh out loud moments and the characters were entertaining to read about. I may possibly have fallen in love with Wick. There was so much passion and chemistry between him and Nadine!!
I have read the first book in this series but I definitely want to grab it and find out a bit more about some of the characters!
A great read and one that I would definitely recommend!

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With Fire and Sword (Thunder On The Moor Book 4) by Andrea Matthews – Review by Katie Matthews

With Fire and Sword (Thunder on the Moor, #4)With Fire and Sword by Andrea Matthews
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely love this series! Will and Maggie’s story has been such a great journey to follow. I love the time travel, the historical romance and to be honest just everything. The authors writing is so amazing, there is no a point at all when I am confused about what is happening or which time period I’m in, everything is just so seamlessly written. The whole series has been a joy to read and this new addition was no exception. Just when you think the couple are settled into twentieth century life they find themselves back in time to sort more problems out.
Another fabulous read from this author, I would highly recommend you read this series in order! I can’t wait for more from this author!

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Under My Care (Chase Care Book 3) by R.L. Dunn – Review by Katie Matthews

Under My Care (Chase Care Book 3)Under My Care by R.L. Dunn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have been waiting for the next book in this series to be released and the author did not disappoint with Under My Care! It was everything I hoped for and more. I loved Pete and Rowena’s story, it was jam packed full of action, suspense, danger and so much more. It definitely had me turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next for sure! I loved the dual POV for the telling of this story – for me as a reader it means I can get to understand both of the characters.
I am so excited for more from this author she definitely writes stories that either have you on the edge of your seat or swooning from the romance!

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Just One Time (Beaumont Creek Book 1) by Samantha Baca – Review by Katie Matthews

Just One Time (Beaumont Creek, #1)Just One Time by Samantha Baca
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first read the synopsis for this book I really felt drawn to the story and I have to say it was such a great read. I loved it from the very first page until the last. I fell in love with the characters Abby and Nate straight away although they definitely had me screaming at my kindle at times with their miscommunication! There was definitely a huge amount of chemistry between the main characters and I liked that this was about older characters and this definitely made them more relatable for me as a reader.
There were some good secondary characters and I’m looking forward to reading more from this series!

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Chicken Little Investigates (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

Chicken Little Investigates: a science folktale (Science Folktales)Chicken Little Investigates: a science folktale by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoy these children’s story with a science twist – I think they are a great way to introduce young children to simple science investigations. I think this one is definitely my favourite – it was a wonderful introduction to gravity! There are so many talking points in this book from things falling, what gravity it to the sounds that things make when they fall. Again this story is beautifully illustrated and is absolutely bound to capture the attention of young children. The story is easy to follow and not too long that children will lose interest.

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The Summer I Went Crazy by Laura Koerber – Review by Katie Matthews

The Summer I Went CrazyThe Summer I Went Crazy by Laura Koerber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is honestly not something I would normally read but every so often I like to try something different and the synopsis piqued my interest so I thought I would give it a go. It was a good read and I liked that it was different. The author wrote about the trigger subject really well and I found I have a connection with the character as we followed the story. The author did write the story really well and it certainly had some thought provoking moments, although I’ve not been in the situation like Ben its interesting how you can imagine how he feels and the guilt that he has carried for the past forty years. It was interesting to follow his story of self-discovery whilst dealing with what he witnessed all those years ago.

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His Forever Muse (The Echo Series Book 2) by C.R. Alam – Review by Katie Matthews

His Forever Muse (Book 2 of The Echo Series)His Forever Muse by C.R. Alam
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a wonderful story. I fell in love with the characters pretty much straight away. The way the author write from in both the past and present made me feel like a really did know that characters and the journey of their relationship. I think it was pretty clear from the moment that they reunited that there was this amazing chemistry and connection. The author did really with the handling of some of the sensitive topics in he story. She wrote them well and there is a trigger warning from her.
Brandon was a really lovely character and I loved how protective he was of Callie.
Callie is one of those characters who you just instantly take to, she has overcome so much in her past, she had such strength and resilience and I could tell how much she wanted Brandon but was really struggling to let go and move on with her life.
I highly recommend this book and I am certainly looking forward to reading more from this author.

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Braving Lily (True Platinum Series Book 7) by Morgana Bevan – Review by Katie Matthews

Braving Lily (True Platinum, #5)Braving Lily by Morgana Bevan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this story! It was so refreshing to read a rockstar romance where the rock star is female – that it what made it such a fantastic read! I loved the characters Lily and Rhys! Lily had just about the right amount of sassiness to make her likeable and not a big headed rockstar – yes she used to getting what she wants but I think we definitely see a different side to her character as the story develops. Rhys has been hurt in the past and his idea of a new relationship with a rockstar was not on his agenda. I really enjoyed seeing these two develop as characters and also to see their relationship develop also.
I really like this author and her writing style! I would definitely recommend this book and I am definitely looking forward to more to come from her in the future.

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

saving the gingerbread housesaving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a lovely take on the traditional tale Hansel and Gretel. Again as with other books by this author the story was well written, a nice pace and beautifully illustrated. This would be a great addition to read alongside the original tale and see how the two stories differ and how the characters were different in each one.
This was a fun and engaging read and a great story for young children to enjoy!

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The Forlorn Cowboy (The Studs of Clear Creek County) by Stacy-Deanne – Review by Katie Matthews

The Forlorn Cowboy by Stacy-Deanne (The Studs of Clear Creek County)The Forlorn Cowboy by Stacy-Deanne by Stacy-Deanne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoy this authors writing. She creates such likeable characters and I find the time period in which she sets her stories as well as the places really interesting to read about. I loved the characters Christopher and Greta, I was really rooting for them the whole way through, they had such passion and chemistry between them. The books in this series are only short novellas but they certainly don’t lack anything. With easy to follow storylines and fast flowing writing they really are a pleasure to read although I admit I would happily read a full length novel about The Studs of Clear Creek County!!
Another fabulous read from this author and I am definitely looking forward to more from her in the future!

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