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Unicorn, Don’t Do That! by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lucinda Morton-Phillips

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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

Unicorn, Don’t Do That is a cute and colourful fantasy friendship story told in rhyme. As with most of Lios Wickstrom’s stories, there is a moral about friendship and acceptance.
Stega is a unicorn/stegosaurus hybrid who has been invited to her friend’s party. Unfortunately, she isn’t very crafty, so she decides to bring along a bowl full of food from the forest. The food smells so good and tastes even better, which leads to an empty bowl and unfortunate consequences at an inopportune time! How embarrassing!
I think 4-8 year olds would love this story – what kid doesn’t love a poop story?!
I found that some of the sentences were awkward to read as they were made to rhyme, but overall it was an easy read.

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Finding Cheer (Magical Emerald Hollow Series) by Heather Schneider – Review by Lucinda Morton-Phillips

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

Finding Cheer by Heather Scheider is a sweet small-town romance with more than a touch of magic. It is the 2nd book in the series. I hadn’t read the first book, Chasing Cheer, but there are enough hints that you could read this book without having read the first, and it still makes sense. Of course, now I want to read the first book and catch up on the back story!
The story revolves around Sofia, an Emerald Hollow resident and friend to Ash & Holly from the first book. She has been hurt before and is naturally sceptical of Isaiah, a man she finds on a hiking trail with apparent amnesia and no idea of how he came to be there.
Sofia tries to unravel the mystery of Isaiah, while trying to resist their growing attraction for each other. After all, he could be anyone and who knows what kind of past he has?!
This is a delightful story, full of whimsy and fun, with an interesting mystery.

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Stop that Lion (Kingdom of Mir Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lucinda Morton-Phillips

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Stop That Lion: A Tale of Friendship Love and Peace (Kingdom of Mir)Stop That Lion: A Tale of Friendship Love and Peace by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stop That Lion by Lois Wickstrom is a marvellous fable about asking questions, listening and creative solutions.
The main character, Winnie, a young girl, lives in a Kingdom with sheep. The neighbouring Kingdom has a lion, that has a taste for sheep. How can these two kingdoms live peaceably side by side?!
The King proposes a contest whereby the person who comes up with a solution to the issue that works and is fair to both kingdoms would become the King’s royal advisor, but if the solution doesn’t work, the King will take their most prized possession.
Several solutions are proposed that unfortunately fail, but Winnie has an idea. But first, she has to ask questions of the King. Will he pay attention to a child and answer her questions?
This is a very charming story, well told, with a good message that comes across without lecturing. The illustrations are delightful and add to the reading experience.

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The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lucinda Morton-Phillips

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The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta’s Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“The Glow in Loretta’s Garden” by Lois Wickstrom is a charming and informative picture book about the life stages of fireflies, aimed at children 4-8. It is a book to read along with your child and learn interesting facts, whilst enjoying a delightful story of Loretta’s encounter with ‘armadillo bugs’.
The beautiful watercolour illustrations help bring the narrative alive and engage the interest of insect-loving youngsters. I was glad to read it on my tablet to see the lovely colours in the pictures.
I have never seen fireflies where I live in Australia, so it was interesting to me to learn about their lifecycle.

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Charming Chapter (Boomer Babes Book Club Romances) by Lori Haas – Review by Lucinda Morton-Phillips

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Charming Chapter : A Later-in-Life Just Kisses Romance (Boomer Babes Book Club Romances 1)Charming Chapter : A Later-in-Life Just Kisses Romance by Lori Haas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Charming Chapter by Lori Haas certainly lived up to its title – this was a most charming book!
Laura is a widow who has spent her life putting everyone else’s needs first, but now in her 60s and widowed for 5 years, she decides it is her time to do something for herself. With the encouragement of her new friends in the book club to ‘take a chance’, she travels to England to research her ancestry.
One of her book club friends sets her up with a pet-sitting job in London, which leads to an embarrassing encounter due to a misunderstanding with a handsome gentleman named Hugh. As fates would have it, they reencounter each other at the local pub and end up dining together.
When they spend more time together, romance starts to blossom, but Laura is beset with doubts – after all, where can it lead when she lives in the USA and he in England? Is Laura ready to ‘Take a Chance’?
The story is delightfully written sweet romance, with lovely characters. It is the type of book that you curl up with on a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea and a biscuit, and end up feeling satisfied.

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Before I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace – Review by Lucinda Morton-Phillips

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Before I Let You GoBefore I Let You Go by Kellie Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Elsbeth is a young woman in Texas whose life seems to be coming apart at the seams. She finds out that her long-term partner is cheating on her, right before he proposes. Her relationship with her sister Zara and mother is strained and her beloved father is dying. How much more can a woman take?
An opportunity for a new start emerges when she finds out she has been left a house on a remote island in Guernsey by an aunt she barely remembers. So she takes the opportunity to leave the dramas of her life behind. But the new start isn’t as easy as she wishes, and she is plagued with doubts about leaving her ailing father behind and regrets about how she ended her relationship with her cheating boyfriend. The house is a dishevelled mess, but Elsbeth is no stranger to hard work and takes on the challenge and finds part-time work at her lawyer’s office.
Things take a dark turn with a rich developer who hounded her aunt to sell the island and will stop at nothing to get Elsbeth to sell to him. Mysterious happenings at the house lead her to Bishop, who is not as he seems and reveals a mystery that Elsbeth needs to solve before it is too late.
I really enjoyed this fast-paced suspense/paranormal/romance by Kellie Wallace. It was well-written, and showed great character growth.

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