Posts

Brutal Days (Hidden Valley Elite Book 3) by Isla Vaughn – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

Brutal Days (Hidden Valley Elite #3)Brutal Days by Isla Vaughn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brutal Days was a fantastic story. I was hooked from the very first page until the last. The authors writing was really engaging and the characters were well thought out and brilliant to read about. Sky was a fantastic character – I really liked her and Damon well he’s one of those characters you should really hate but you have to love! The chemistry between the two of them was HOT!! I loved that Sky wasn’t intimidated by Damon at all, she was perfectly capable of holding her own!
That cliff-hanger though …… I was so pleased I had the next book to dive straight in to – I’m not sure I could have waited!!
An amazing book and well worthy of the 5 stars I give it! Highly recommended to other readers!

@katiem
View all my reviews

Holding Up the Sky (Giants and Monsters) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

Holding Up the SkyHolding Up the Sky by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Yet again anther really cute read form this author. I loved the illustrations in this book to they were nice and colourful and engaging. The story had a lovely rhyme to it which is great for children as well as the hidden message behind the story. It would be great talking point for children about how we treat people who are different and we should get to know everybody regardless of what they look like.

@katiem
View all my reviews

A Way Out (Rock Star Book 2) by Tami Lund – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

A Way Out (Rock Star Book 2)A Way Out by Tami Lund
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I first read the synopsis of this book I wasn’t sure I would like, I love rockstar romance reads but it didn’t grab my attention straight away but I am SO glad I did read it – this was an amazing read and definitely one of my favourite books this year. I didn’t feel like I would like Maria but I was so wrong, she was great female lead, she had a strength that I don’t even think she believed that she had and the chemistry between her and Oz was great. I really liked Oz as well, he wasn’t what I expected at all.
Overall this was a great read, I absolutely loved it and I am definitely looking forward to reading more from this author again in the future.

@katiem
View all my reviews

A Toast for Laurent (Vine Valley Book 1) by Theresa Paolo – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

A Toast for Laurent (Vine Valley, #1): A Small Town Fake Relationship RomanceA Toast for Laurent (Vine Valley, #1): A Small Town Fake Relationship Romance by Theresa Paolo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story so much. It was a really great read. I had a thing for Laurent from the very beginning, he was such an honest and refreshing character. Phoebe was great too, I’ll admit I wasn’t too sure at first but she really did grow on me and I loved the chemistry that there was between them, it was so genuine and real. I do love a small town romance read too so this was definitely going to be a winner for me. I am so excited to read the rest of this series! Great story, wonderful characters and fantastic writing! I highly recommend this read!

@katiem
View all my reviews

Huff… Puff… Grind! (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

Huff... Puff... Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get SmartHuff… Puff… Grind! The 3 Little Pigs Get Smart by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another wonderful retelling of a traditional tale with a STEM twist from this author. I think this would definitely lead into conversations with children about the strength of different materials and getting them build their own houses and see which material is the strongest. The story was great and a lot of children would be engaged because they already know of the traditional tale it’s based on. The only one thing that does let this book down slightly is the illustrations, I kind of expected them to be like the newly updates front cover, but overall still a great story that children ill enjoy over and over again.

@katiem
View all my reviews

Editor Kill Fee (The Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries Book 3) by GG Collins – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

Editor Kill Fee (Taylor Browning Cozy Mysteries #3)Editor Kill Fee by G.G. Collins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book that I have read by this author and I really enjoyed it. The cover grabbed my attention straight away especially as I’m a huge cat lover! Cozy Mystery isn’t my usual genre but I really felt drawn to this book and wanted to give it a go and I’m so glad di did. I shall definitely be reading the first two books in the series now. Taylor was a really entertaining character, I felt drawn to her straight away I loved seeing how she solved what was going on and at times I felt like I was right there with her.
This was a really fun read and one I would highly recommend!

@katiem
View all my reviews

Earl of Griffith (Once Upon a Widow Book 6) by Aubrey Wynne – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

Earl of Griffith (Once Upon a Widow Book 6)Earl of Griffith by Aubrey Wynne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this story so much. I love historical romance read and this author knows how to write them well! She creates wonderful characters who you cannot help but fall in love with and her attention to detail means that I can easily imagine exactly what is going on in the story as I’m reading. Lady Helen was such a lovely character and I really felt for her and everything she had been through. I think it was obvious once Conway met her he could see the type of person she was. I could really feel how Lady Helen struggled to let Conway in after everything that had happened in her past but I thought they made a lovely couple.
Another great addition to this series and one that I would highly recommend.

@katiem
View all my reviews

Breathless Love (The Bennetts of Langston Falls Book 3) by KG Fletcher – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

Breathless Love (The Bennetts of Langston Falls, #3)Breathless Love by K.G. Fletcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely adore this authors work, her books are just a pleasure to read. I am always hooked from beginning to end and Breathless Love was no exception. I loved the characters Hank and Ella Mae, Hank was just the sweetest, I love his old fashioned ways – such a gentleman! Ella Mae was such a strong character I really liked her. Together these two had so much chemistry and I loved reading their story.
I would highly recommend this new book from KG Fletcher, she is an amazingly talented author and I cannot wait to read her next book!

@katiem
View all my reviews

Punk (Popov Boys Book 6) by Leslie Georgeson – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

Punk (Popov Boys #6)Punk by Leslie Georgeson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Punk was a brilliant read! From beginning to end I was completely hooked on what I was reading. Miranda is such a strong character, I really liked reading about her. There was such a great connection between her and Efrem, you could really feel it coming off the pages. I really like the authors writing, she keeps your interest throughout the story and I found myself struggling to put the book down at times as I couldn’t wait to see what happened next. I’ve dipped in and out of this series but I absolutely must make sure that I read them all. A fantastic read and one that I highly recommend.

@katiem
View all my reviews

Hero Complex (Bluestone Series Book 3) by Isobel Reed – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

Hero Complex (Bluestone Series, #3)Hero Complex by Isobel Reed
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Hero Complex was a lovely romantic read and one that I thoroughly enjoyed. The authors writing was really engaging and she created some great characters that I fell in love with straight away. Ace is one of those characters who you can’t help but fall in love with, his story was so raw and heart-breaking at times. Ivy was a wonderful character to read about too, she had endured so much loss in her life I just really felt for her. I loved the two of them together, they had such a genuine connection and they did help each other.
A really beautiful story and one I would highly recommend!

@katiem
View all my reviews

Helpful Hudson by Dannielle Pickford – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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!!

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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!

@katiem
View all my reviews

Small Fry by Stephenie Wilson Peterson – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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!

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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!

@katiem
View all my reviews

Non-Verbal by Molly Zenk – Review by Katie Matthews

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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!

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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!

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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.

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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!

@katiem
View all my reviews

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

/0 Comments/in /by

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!

@katiem
View all my reviews