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Finding Love (Clumsy Little Hearts Trilogy Book 2) by Julie Navickas – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Finding Love (Clumsy Little Hearts Trilogy Book 2)Finding Love by Julie Navickas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was book two in the series, following Rachel and Miguel. I read the first book as well but I’ve gotta say I loved this one more. The characters are all relatable. Rachel gets dumped by her latest bf, Ian (who was never good for her anyway) and she takes it a little harder than she planned to. She meets Miguel at pier 92 after she is stood up by someone else, and sparks fly immediately. She is a little hesitant about moving on so quickly, especially when Ian reappears and tries to get her back in a totally a-hole way. But she knows deep down that she is happier and better off with Miguel. Miguel is dealing with some past feelings as well that never became anything big, just a crush on someone he couldn’t have. Can they both overcome their pasts and insecurities and make room for each other’s future?
Miguel is the perfect book boyfriend (bringing her soup when she was sick even when she tries to push him away). And I liked finding out how all the characters in the books are connected in one way or another. Can’t wait to read the third book with Rose’s story.

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Homicidal Innocence by V.J. Lee – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Homicidal InnocenceHomicidal Innocence by V.J. Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Woah, this isn’t what I was expecting in the slightest. It was like watching a train wreck, not because the writing was bad, just that it was so dark and twisted but I couldn’t pull away from it. The beginning had me very unsure but as I kept reading I was hooked and had to know what was going to happen next. It was cool to get different POV throughout this story, even from the killers side. Cole bothered me at first but ended up being a good guy who went through a lot as he grew up. Emma irritated me to no end with how she wouldn’t take no as an answer and kept trying to sabotage things to get to Cole. Maya was staying in a rich community as a nanny where everyone was fake and plastic but her. She had multiple men drawn to her because she was genuine but she quickly grew feelings for Cole. Cole does whatever he can to win her over and protect her from “X” but who will save who in the end? This was a suspenseful and spicy read, and I would love to read more from this author.

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By Your Side (Willowbrook Lake Series) by Ashley Erin – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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

I LOVED this story. Adeline is trying to grieve the loss of her husband at such a young age. She decides to buy and renovate an old farm house in a small town as part of her moving on. When she arrives in this new town she’s greeted by so many kind people, she makes quick friends and finds comfort and support she needed. Among the people she meets is Owen, the local handyman. She ends up having to ask him for help with renovations on the house when she realizes she was in over her head. As Owen and her work together to restore her home, their feelings for each other grow. And Adeline has to decide if she is ready to let someone else in. But as her mom and friends say “love doesn’t have a timeline, it comes when you least expect it, and you shouldn’t ignore it”. This was such a sweet read that I could not put down. Very low spice level. I’m looking forward to reading the second book with Cameron and RaeLynn

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Salt Love by Marika Ray – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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

I’m really loving Marika Ray’s writing, she’s becoming another favorite author of mine. This book was just the summer read I’d been looking for. Love the characters and banter. Dec helps Kenna heal from all the bad luck she’s been through, even in the beginning when she was grumpy and fighting him off. Kennas aunt seems like she was a fun character as well, and was wise to “tie them together” for a year.. As if she knew they’d grow to love each other. I couldn’t put this book down, and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

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Stout of My League (Love on Tap Series) by Sylvie Stewart – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Stout of My League (Love on Tap #4)Stout of My League by Sylvie Stewart
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After months of waiting for this book to come out, I finally got my hands on it and it was just as good as the others. Lynn is the youngest and only girl in her family, but she’s got a good head on her shoulders and a set career path she’s working on. She has four overprotective brothers and she is trying to prove to them that she doesn’t need protecting. She meets a baseball player while interning for the Summer selling hotdogs, and he seems to tick all of her boxes and be perfect for her, despite her not being into sports at all. Yet he messes up a couple times and runs her off, and she tries to keep him at a distance but fate keeps bringing them back together. Even Joey mentions his mom was big on signs and he kept getting them when it came to Lynn. It takes some effort to win Lynn back over, and he has to learn to not be as protective as her brothers, even tho it’s in his nature. Great banter and chemistry in this story and there’s even a conclusion to all the things that have been going wrong throughout all the books, including their family’s missing sentimental sasquatch totem. Love this series and author. Will always pick up a book when I see Sylvie’s name connected.

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Toasted (Love Burns Series Book 1) by Isobel Reed – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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

This story had me cracking up from the very first page. Libby is so relatable. She’s curvy and she talks a lot when she gets flustered and it’s hilarious seeing how Zach reacts to it all. Their chemistry is immediate and something Zach learns quickly that he can not walk away from. But will Libby stick around in this small town long enough to realize it as well?
Was a quick and entertaining read. I cant wait to read more from this series.

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Summer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Summer of MudSummer of Mud by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I absolutely ate this story up. Once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. This story was well written and put me through all the feels. It follows a young girl, Scoob, and her brother RC who lost their parents and are homeless in California. Scoob gets a gig with a jazz band playing trumpet but just before she’s due to play her first night, her brother whisks her away to Montana. The entire way, RC is acting really weird and obviously keeping things from her. They end up in Idaho and he drags his feet moving on until finally he comes clean and tells Scoob the truth about why they really ran off. Would absolutely recommend this to anyone. Despite it being geared toward a younger audience I, at 33, loved all of it.

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Ghost Talker (Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries Book 1) by Byrd Nash – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Ghost Talker (Madame Chalamet Ghost Mysteries #1)Ghost Talker by Byrd Nash
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Madame Chalamet is a medium who uses her abilities to help the police. Shes also trying to solve a personal case of who killed her father. She sets out to “prove herself” to a Duke who doesn’t believe in her work. Can she solve who murdered the man pulled from the lake? And what about the mysterious death of the duke’s wife? This was a quick ghost mystery and a good starting novella to the ghost talker series.

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Come Home to Death by Marilyn Levinson – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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

Erica falls for and quickly marries Terry, a man she soon realizes she doesn’t know anything about at all. They’d been married for nine months and he frequently went on weird business trips away from home. While he is away on one of the trips, Erica is confronted by two men asking where he is and telling her the truth about him having a gambling problem and owing lots of money. She decides she has to help him get out of trouble, so she moves back to her hometown with her overbearing aunts she despises living with to try and come up with the money in time. Turns out she is about to receive an inheritance that will solve all their problems. But before she turns 25 and can get her money, she keeps having weird run ins with blue cars and strangers, who seemingly keep trying to scare her or kill her. One even tried running her off the road. Erica is in over her head and finds out she really can’t trust anybody.

This book was recommended to me and I’m so glad I decided to read it. I was hooked from the beginning and it kept me guessing the whole time. Plenty of twists and mysteries throughout

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Kris & The Cowboys (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Kris & The Cowboys: The Adventures of KrisKris & The Cowboys: The Adventures of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This may be my favorite of the Kris stories so far. This time Kris goes to visit her uncle on a ranch. While there she learns how to ride a horse and be a real cowgirl. She is sad that she doesn’t get to go on the cattle drive with her uncle but she immerses herself in her books and learns about horses and even Indians, until her uncle returns. I just love how these stories involve a young (ish) kid that loves reading and uses their imagination. It shows how books can take you all sorts of places at any age. These are great stories for read aloud time or for kids (maybe age 6-10) that are just starting to read chapter books. There’s a few illustrations spread throughout the book which I also love. Definitely recommend these stories

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Under the Bandage by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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

This was a great read for any child, the main storyline was catchy and short for the younger readers to keep interested, and then there’s science facts throughout it explaining what’s happening under a bandage when you get hurt. These were great for a kid like mine (7) who’s really into science stuff right now. Would definitely recommend this book. Great for homeschooling as well.

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Murder on West Main (A South Shore Mystery) by I.M. Foster – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Murder on West Main: A South Shore MysteryMurder on West Main: A South Shore Mystery by I.M. Foster
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I went into this not knowing it was part of a series, but it still was a good stand alone story. Colin shows up to work early one morning only to discover his boss has been murdered, and Colin immediately becomes number one suspect. Luckily his sister Kathleen, and Daniel the coroner, believe he is innocent and they set out to find the real culprit. Of course this story happened before a DNA database or anything was made to help them, so it was tricky and provided many twists in the story. I’m not usually drawn to historic fiction like this was, but I do love a good mystery, and was pleasantly surprised by this one. It was a great cozy mystery that had me hooked from the very beginning and I’ll definitely be picking up the first book as well as anything else put out by this author.

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Mood Swings and Hockey Flings (Hot Flash Hookups Series) by Sylvie Stewart and Marika Ray – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Mood Swings and Hockey Flings (Hot Flash Hookups #2)Mood Swings and Hockey Flings by Marika Ray
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was my first hockey romance and I’m glad I jumped on the band wagon. This was a steamy, enemies to lovers, slow burn. With a meet cute in the beginning.

Kaitlyn assigns herself as Banks’ new agent to try and save his career, which is plummeting due to his age and other agents dropping him. They agree to work together to get back at his old agent, who Kaitlyn also has a connection to. Over ten years, there’s a lot of tension and built up grumpiness from both sides, but once Banks shows who he really is under his tough exterior and they stop trying to push each other away, they both end up falling. Great characters, great banter.

I was already a fan of Sylvie Stewart, so when I saw this come out I knew I had to grab a copy. She and Marika Ray did a fantastic job. Will definitely be reading the others in this series.

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Meal Time at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Mealtime at the Zoo: PB&J CaféMealtime at the Zoo: PB&J Café by James Williamson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun story about peanut butter sandwiches and how they can be made in all sorts of ways for each character at the zoo. Great illustrations and rhyming lines to keep a young child engaged.

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The Better Man (A Silver Buckle Romance Series) by Laurie Lewis – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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The Better Man (Silver Buckle Brides, #2)The Better Man by Laurie L.C. Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Laramee heads for the home she ran away from years ago when she finds out her parents are both not doing very well and are considering selling their ranch. Laramee doesn’t want to give up the ranch because it holds so many memories for her, but some of those memories are also not good. She ran from the ranch due to a tragedy in the family and holds onto a lot of guilt from things, and also has a strained relationship with her father. When she arrives back home she finds Jamie who has been hired by her father to sort out how much the property is worth. At first she wants him gone but when she gets to know him they become friends and gain an understanding of each other’s pasts. To add to her stress, her ex fiance finds out she’s back home and is trying to get her back. Jamie helps to fix up the land but ultimately determines there’s only one way to save it, and it’s the one thing Laramee didn’t want to give up. Laramee must decide if she wants to keep holding onto the ranch or let it go, while also battling her growing feelings for Jamie. This was a good clean western romance.

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Finding Cheer (Magical Emerald Hollow Series) by Heather Schneider – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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

I read this book not realizing it was the second in a series. While it was still good as a stand alone, I will definitely be going back to read the first one just to get Holly’s story and see things from the elf’s side.
Sophie discovers Isaiah unconscious one day while she is out for a hike. It is quickly determined that he has lost all memories of who he is or where he came from. The two set off to try and recover his memories but as time goes on they come up with nothing. Eventually Holly is the one who figures it out and helps him regain his memories, but will he stick around in Emerald Hollow once he knows the truth? There were so many connections throughout this book that really kept me reading. I also loved the banter between the characters. This was a no spice, sweet romance/mystery that will have you really believing in magic. There was even a sweet surprise toward the end, and a little bit of a cliffhanger in the epilogue pointing to a hope of a third book. I hope to see more books in this series.

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Texas Winds by Dana Wayne – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Texas WindsTexas Winds by Dana Wayne
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Oh, I devoured this book. So sweet and wholesome, and even had some twists/suspense that really kept me engaged and not wanting to put it down. I loved Katie, Jake’s daughter, and the way she stole Lexie’s heart from the beginning. Jake and Lexie had some rocky pasts, and hesitations about moving on, but they could deny the pull/connection between them. Minimal spice, great characters and writing. Would recommend this book, and will definitely be reading more from this author.

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Unicorn, Don’t Do That! by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Unicorn, Don't Do That!: It's okay if a Unicorn poops on your doorstepUnicorn, Don’t Do That!: It’s okay if a Unicorn poops on your doorstep by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a nice short kids book about a unicorn who went to her friends party and along the way attempted to gather different foods as a gift, but kept accidentally eating them all. Then she ended up pooping a rainbow outside of her friend’s house. Colorful illustrations, rhyming words for engagement. Any kiddo thats into unicorns or poop will enjoy this story.

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Finders Keepers, Cowboy (Match Made in Montana Series) by Rachelle Paige Campbell – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Finders Keepers, Cowboy (Match Made in Montana #1)Finders Keepers, Cowboy by Rachelle Paige Campbell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Meg grew up with Ryan and she always annoyed him. She came back home to work at her struggling antiques shop, and lives next door to Ryan and his Grandpa. She thinks of his grandpa Hank as her own grandpa and takes on a side project clearing out the shed on the ranch to help get it ready for people to stay there. Ryan is of course against this at first because she gets in the way and distracts him. But he soon realizes that he was just avoiding his true feelings toward Meg by convincing himself she’s a nuisance. Hank also seems to know the two should be together. Meg has some insecurities due to everyone saying she talks too much, but she is bubbly and sunny and compliments Ryan’s grumpiness well, he just needs to stop pushing her away and realize that. Overall it was a cozy and clean grumpy/sunshine small town romance. Looking forward to others from this author.

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Loris Opens Up His Heart (Courage Tales Series) by Dagmara Sitek – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Loris Opens Up His HeartLoris Opens Up His Heart by Dagmara Sitek
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was such a great story about how some kids in foster care struggle with their trauma and are afraid to open up. Loris is hesitant to open his heart and tell his story. He doesn’t want to get comfortable in another temporary place. But his new siblings do not give up on him and show him that he is brave and amazing.

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Amese of Animalis (The Borosa Legacy Book 1) by MJ Murray – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Amese of Animalis (Borosa Legacy, #1)Amese of Animalis by M.J. Murray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Amese Of Animals is about a girl who’s trying to figure out her destiny. She feels like the path her parents are trying to put her on isn’t the right path for her. Amese goes through her training and has to learn lessons from each animal she shifts into, thus learning things about herself as well. There’s a good twist and cliffhanger at the end of the book as well, which gets you wanting to read more. Looking forward to the second book in the series.

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Kris & The Pirates (The Adventures of Kris) by Art Blegen – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Kris & The Pirates: The Adventures of KrisKris & The Pirates: The Adventures of Kris by Art Blegen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This would be perfect to read to your kids as the chapters are decently short, or would be a great read for kids just getting into chapter books. Kris likes to get lost in a good book, and this time she goes on a grand adventure with a pirate crew, but when everyone gets captured by bad pirates, she has to swiftly figure out how to save everyone. She meets many different animals along the way, and even learns some things about each one. This story really shows how we can go on so many adventures just by reading.

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Fay’s Kindness Parade (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Fay's Kindness Parade (The Adventures of Cray)Fay’s Kindness Parade by G Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This might just be my favorite book so far by this author. Great illustrations, great rhyming storyline,and as always a great lesson within. This time, about kindness. There’s also questions at the end that help your child openly chat about the story/lesson. The characters go around helping their friends with various things and learning how fulfilling it is to help others

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Code Dog by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Code DogCode Dog by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great little mystery book for kids. Keeps you reading and wanting to know what happens the entire time. And a dog that speaks in code? Really cool. The writing was great, suspense and ending were great. Would definitely recommend it to kids getting into reading chapter books. Definitely will be on the look out for more from this author.

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Mistaken Identity (London Detective Agency Series) by Stephanie R. Caffrey – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Mistaken Identity (London Detective Agency Book 1)Mistaken Identity by Stephanie R. Caffrey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Okay, I devoured this book in a day. And I am normally a slow reader. I was hooked the entire time. Love all of the suspense and twists in the story as well as the romance. No spice, good banter between the characters, forced proximity trope.
Evie gets mistaken for another woman who a gang is after, but a British P.I saves her from a couple of the goons that try to grab her at the airport. They have to go through a lot to get the targets off their backs so Evie can go home. But they end up slowly falling for each other and saving each other many times, and Evie ends up not wanting to go home, and becomes very involved in the case. It was a great read and I can’t wait to read more from this author

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The Missing Red Envelopes by Yobe Qiu – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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The Missing Red EnvelopesThe Missing Red Envelopes by Yobe Qiu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a cute read for kids wanting to learn more about other cultures. It had a good storyline and sprinkled in many facts about the lunar new year. It also had a great lesson in kindness, with the older sister learning to give grace to the younger sister, and the fact that they were saving up their own money to buy something for another family member. Loved the story

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Fearless Love (The Bennetts of Langston Falls, Book 5) by KG Fletcher – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Fearless Love (The Bennetts of Langston Falls, #5)Fearless Love by K.G. Fletcher
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I enjoyed this story. It was a quick read for me, which is a great pulling point for me because I’m usually a slow reader. It took me about a day and a half, in between life and kid stuff. It was a little bit cheesy but also cute. Loved the characters, easy to fall in love with them. Good banter. Spice wasn’t too much either, about 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 and only a couple scenes. Loved how James was so quickly and easily attracted to Sara and her son, and took them under his wing immediately. Going out of his way to make both of them happy. Love the found family trope as well. Will definitely be reading some of the others in this series to get all the siblings stories as well

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The Other Side of Together by Emily Cox and Nicole Allen – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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The Other Side of TogetherThe Other Side of Together by Emily Cox
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was such a cute YA read. I really enjoyed the characters and how they came together, passing notes and sneaking more time to see each other whenever possible. I loved Mama Guo sort of pushing them in the right direction to make the moves they were afraid to. Marcus is focused on trying to graduate school, earn a motorcycle from his dad, and keep away from girls. But Mei pulls him in and he can’t resist. Mei feels like she owes another man (Nick) whatever he wants from her because he helped her stay in the country and is helping her career, but everyone can see that he’s up to no good and he is gross and abusive toward her. Praying on her before she was even of legal age. There are a few scenes in the story that might be triggering so just be aware or read through it before giving it to your teen but in the end it was such a great read and I really enjoyed it. Would definitely read more from this author, and I do hope there’s a part two to this story in particular.

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House Valdis Origins: Xenobia (House Valdis Series) by Naomi Valkyrie – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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House Valdis Origins: Xenobia (House Valdis, #0.5)House Valdis Origins: Xenobia by Naomi Valkyrie
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a very short and easy read. It gave a great preview into the series following Xenobia discovering her powers and struggling to help others escape from slavery. It will pull you in and get you wanting to read more. Great writing by this author.

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Delayed Redemption (The DAG Team Series) by Kel O’Connor – Review by Krista Moulthrop

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Delayed Redemption: DAG Team Series: Book 3 of 4 Special Ops Romantic SuspenseDelayed Redemption: DAG Team Series: Book 3 of 4 Special Ops Romantic Suspense by Kel O’Connor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This one was out of my normal storyline choice (gangs/mafia type), but I ended up enjoying it and I am glad I branched out. Great found family, forced proximity, second chance tropes. Janey is shy and wary, overthinks everything she says and does due to her past trauma. Mateo helps show her her hidden strengths, and protects/saves her many times along the way. He’s also battling his past and overcomes his doubts that Janey could love him for who he is. It was a great fast read with twists and turns, especially toward the end.

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