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Taylor’s Law by Jennifer Raines – Review by Tanya Wall

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Taylor's LawTaylor’s Law by Jennifer Raines
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

“Love is a gift, not a burden.” “Power isn’t always used to harm.”
Tessa has a loving aunt to care for her after her mother dies. Ella knows her sister would have wanted her to raise Tessa, but she finds out that her sister has started something that may take Tessa away from her.
Still reeling from her death, Ella must move into a custody battle where she finds herself attracted to the opposing lawyer, Jake. He also happens to be a lawyer with the company w caused her family a lot of heartache in the past. Jake finds himself in love with Ella, but he has to show his loyalty to his family. How can he do that when what he wants is to show his loyalty to Ella and Tessa? This is a story of secrets, betrayals but most of all, what lengths we go to for the ones we love.

Ballet School Rumours (Amberwood Hall Ballet School Adventure Book 3) by Eleanor Dixon – Review by Tanya Wall July 2022

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Ballet School RumoursBallet School Rumours by Eleanor Dixon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ballet School Rumors takes you to Amberwood Hall where you will find a vast array of characters living and going to school. Lauren and Katie are best friends who meet at ballet school. Within their group you find a group of students who treat each other with kindness and acceptance. A new student arrives this year and Lauren is assigned to care for her – and while Lauren is a bit irritated, she soon learns that Nyree is a good friend to have in her corner.

Grace and Rodney, resident ghosts take good care to not be seen or found out. Lauren is the only student who knows they are there. That is until one of the boys wants to uncover ghosts in the school. Add in the new wall on the school news site where someone is spreading rumors and you get a real middle school feel for what rumors and shenanigans can do to interrupt friendships and focus!

Distant Memories (Nurse Morgan Series Book 2) by Kate MacInnis – Review by Tanya Wall July 2022

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Distant Memories: A Nurse Morgan Series: Book TwoDistant Memories: A Nurse Morgan Series: Book Two by Kate MacInnis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Again, this book did not disappoint. Nurse Morgan is a lovable character as are her ghostly live in roommates. This 2nd book to the series began where the first book left off. Nurse Morgan continues to get more used to her new psychic abilities. She meets some new ghostly figures at the hospital and encounters a mean Esmeralda! Esmeralda proves to be a foe who wants Dr. Caleb – who Nurse Morgan is starting to enjoy time with. Even the Wilkersons do not like Esmeralda’s presence.
I loved reading book two to find out how Nurse Morgan’s character grew and how her friendships with both the living and the otherworldly progressed. I enjoyed the historical spin on the nurses in the hospital and finding out about how there can be a time warp where the ghosts can just live in an endless loop.

One Unexpected Gift (Band of Sisters) by Marianne Rice – Review by Tanya Wall July 2022

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One Unexpected Gift (Band of Sisters)One Unexpected Gift by Marianne Rice
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Skylar is an active duty military nurse and a new single mom. The baby is a result of a “two night stand.” She finds that she needs her sisters and heads to see them for the last few weeks of her maternity leave. She hasn’t shared with anyone who the father of her sweet baby girl is.

Nick finds himself in a medical emergency and the only person he can think to call is Skylar. She takes him to the hospital and this is where he meets his daughter for the first time. Unsure if she wants to let Nick in, she realizes that he does want to be part of their lives. Skylar is going to have to decide if she can let him in.

With lots of decisions to make, Skylar heads back to active duty and Nick begins traveling back and forth. But is this what they both want?

Love is Worth Fighting for (The Meraki Series Book 3) by Effie Kammenou – Review by Tanya Wall, July 2022

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Love is Worth Fighting forLove is Worth Fighting for by Effie Kammenou
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was my first read in the series and by this author. It definitely can be a standalone. This book is a “falling in love with my friend/enemy” story told from different points of views. We meet Krystina, who wants to travel, expand her blog and be “insta” famous. She works hard at planning her outfits, photoshoots and uploads. When Krystina and her family take a trip to find their long lost grandfather… she finds that what she thought she knew isn’t what is real. Longtime family friend Loukas tags along and goes through some tough situations with Krystina. This trip makes her think differently about and love and learn that love is worth fighting for.
I loved the characters and the way the story goes back and forth between past and present.

The Happily Ever After Bookstore by Bernadette Marie – Review by Tanya Wall, July 2022

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The Happily Ever After BookstoreThe Happily Ever After Bookstore by Bernadette Marie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Truth be told – I liked this more than was expected. Serendipity? Fate? Worlds coming together at the least expected time? Love? Books? Yep, this story has it all. Ellen and Charlie – a love story told over and over, ending up in a book. Sadie and Young Charlie – it was kismet when they met in the bookstore. With a little help from Leona, they fall for each other hard and fast. Then came Fiona… divorcee, author, cynic. Finding Price after so many years apart. And Leona? Bookstore owner. Fixing the pipes in her building, she meets Jon – who brings with him a secret. Yes, this story is full of happily ever afters. A sweet story to read on a nice summer day or at the beach.

Isabella Bride of Ohio: American Mail Order Bride by Debra Parmley – Review by Tanya Wall July, 2022

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Isabella, Bride of Ohio (American Mail-Order Brides Series)Isabella, Bride of Ohio by Debra Parmley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Isabella knows that bad things happen in threes. First her parents die, leaving her alone in America. Then a fire takes the factory she worked in. What could happen next? It wasn’t uncommon for bachelors, in the 1800’s, to search for a bride through advertisements. Isabella answered such an ad in hopes of finding someone to love and who would love her back. Mr. Donald Jenks sweeps her off her feet and gets her to agree to head to Ohio to meet him. Her travels to Ohio didn’t come easy, her wedding day to Donald came quickly. So, did she find true love? Yes, but not where you thought she would.
This a a sweet historical fiction love story. It is a quick and easy read with very likeable characters (well, the nice ones anyway!). If you are looking for an adventure, Isabella will give you that!

Mermaid and the Water Magnifying Glass (Mermaid Science Series) by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tanya Wall

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The Mermaid and the Water Magnifying Glass (Mermaid Science, #3)The Mermaid and the Water Magnifying Glass by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Maia and Fig are looking for stones to build a tower. Their friend Trezzie, who is a mermaid, gave them a special stone – a stone with a design on it. Trezzie, Maia and Fig build a magnifying glass using water droplets to see what the design is. They find that it is a creature – a trilobite fossil, a creature from long ago. It is amazing what we can find in nature, and how we can use nature to study the world around us.
This a great book addition to any children’s or classroom library.

Murder Creek (Audio Book) by Jane Suen – Review by Tanya Wall

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Murder Creek (Eve Sawyer Mystery, #1)Murder Creek by Jane Suen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A fun quick read/listen. Eve is a college student with a heightened sense of intuition who finds herself investigating a small town cold case for a journalism paper. She goes on a journey to try to solve the mystery of a missing girl. Once in Murder Creek, she finds the townspeople to be receptive to her questions. The time she spends there, she learns of a second mystery that occurred 200 years ago – and the facts of both cases helps her solve the case. Eve is a likeable character who you will want success for.
This is an easy-to-read mystery best suited for teens and young adults as well as general audiences who like clean, quick read mysteries on the light side.

Caring for Kingsley, Believing in a Better Way When Canine Cancer Comes Crashing Into Your World by Alli Eldridge – Review by Tanya Wall

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Caring for Kingsley, Believing in a Better Way When Canine Cancer Comes Crashing Into Your WorldCaring for Kingsley, Believing in a Better Way When Canine Cancer Comes Crashing Into Your World by Alli Eldridge
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Caring for Kinglsey is the touching account of losing Kinglsey to a cancer diagnosis. This is a tearjerker, especially for those of us who have lost our canine friends to a cancer diagnosis.
Kingsley came into Alli’s life at a time that was unplanned. He became her little pal, wanting to be with her whenever she was home. Too early, Kingsley was diagnosed with cancer and despite Alli’s research and best care, the time came to make the decision to let Kinglsey go. The hardest thing in life is to make that decision for our pups – if you’ve had to do it you understand.
This is a great read for dog owners who have gone through similar circumstances.

The Lie that Binds by Amy Argent – Reviewed by Tanya Wall

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The Lie That BindsThe Lie That Binds by Amy Argent
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Think back to your high school days, when you wanted to be part of the popular crowd or at least keep out of their way so they didn’t target you. The Lie that Binds takes you back there. The cool crowd is cool. Nobody wants others to know they are different. The cliques are real.

When Holly moves to town, she just wants to fit in, but finds that the group she wants to fit in with are unkind and downright mean. She sees Nathan and instantly wants to connect with him, but he is in that group that she is actively trying to stay away from. Little does Nathan know, she is going to change his life – she is going to understand him a level nobody in the high school understands him. He has a secret and does everything he can to keep it from getting out.

This story has love, romance, steam and friendship. If you want to take a ride back in time to relive your high school days, the excitement of first love, and drama, give it a read!

No Pistol Tastes the Same (PTSD Disaster Book 1) by Jacob Paul Patchen – Review by reviewed by Tanya Wall

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No Pistol Tastes the SameNo Pistol Tastes the Same by Jacob Paul Patchen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This a book of what happens to people after war. PTSD is a real illness that our soldiers come back with. The main character of the book is JP Grimes. He is fighting to regain his hold on himself after, in the middle of a firefight, fails to shoot the child wearing a suicide vest. He can’t pull the trigger because he sees his son in the child resulting in his entire squad dying. He returns to his family tortured by his moment’s inaction. After returning home, he struggles with connecting with his son. He can’t control his emotions and flashbacks. He refuses help, and things go from bad to worse with the death of his grandparents who raised him. This story is deeply emotional and gives good insight to what living with PTSD is and how to heal.

Finding Starlight: A Small Town, Romantic Suspense (The Quimby Grove Series Book 1) by Shannon Nikole – Review by Tanya Wall

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Finding Starlight (Quimby Grove #1)Finding Starlight by Shannon Nikole
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

What a sweet story! It got me hooked when the setting included a bookstore – Starlight Books! The characters are likeable. Ellawyn, Beckett, Max and Benji are the kind of people I’d like to hang out with. A love story with some twists and turns set in a small town where community looks after one another.
While Ella and Beck are the main characters, I was drawn most to Benji. His personality, desire for Ella and Beck to hit it off and the way he faced his illness made me want to go be by his side throughout the story.
I do wish that the story went a little slower – things heated up way too fast for the real world. But all in all, this is a great summer read with a little romance, lots of emotions, and great friendships.

Distant Heart Sounds (Nurse Morgan #1) reviewed by Tanya Wall

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Distant Heart Sounds (Nurse Morgan #1)Distant Heart Sounds by Kate MacInnis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not a typical book that I would pick up to read, but I am glad I did! Nurse Morgan undergoes a brain surgery and acquires a gift that allows her to see what the normal eye cannot – spirits, auras and the afterlife. She meets new friends that live with her (Jonathan and Elisabeth) who host parties, cook great meals, have exceptional gardening skills in addition to helping Morgan with her new gift – but she is one of the only people that can see them! Nurse Morgan has great friends (real life) in Savvy and Tiffany, who look past her odd behaviors to understand what is truly going on… and of course – what about the new hunky doctor? Yes! All in all, this a light hearted read – one that will make you laugh and enjoy the time you are with the story. The characters are very likeable and relatable. I will definitely read #2!

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Jake the Growling Dog Shares His Trails by Samantha Shannon – reviewed by Tanya Wall

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Jake the Growling Dog Shares His TrailJake the Growling Dog Shares His Trail by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A sweet children’s book addressing the idea of being different. As an educator, building up the social emotional awareness and skills is so important! Children may get confused, or fearful of those who seem different. Jake shows them that we are all different and that’s okay! By celebrating what we share in similarities and appreciating our differences we learn that the world isn’t scary! In this story, Jake finds a different set of paw prints on his trail. This makes him scared. It becomes an adventure to find out where the prints came from, and if they need to be worried. The book also hosts a variety of activities to do with your preschooler or little. Highly recommend!

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Jake the Growling Dog by Samantha Shannon – reviewed by Tanya Wall

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Jake the Growling DogJake the Growling Dog by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jake is a dog with a fluffy tail! He growls when he sleeps, when he eats, when he plays… but that doesn’t mean he is unkind! When you find a friend who might do something different, like Jake, just ask him why! Then you will find out, like Jake, they are happy and that is how they show it! Be kind to yourself, your friends and others – then you and they will be happy! And the world around us will be a better place! I can’t wait to learn more about Jake and his friends in this cute series!

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Jake the Growling Dog goes to Doggy Daycare reviewed by Tanya Wall

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Jake the Growling Dog Goes to Doggy DaycareJake the Growling Dog Goes to Doggy Daycare by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jake is worried about going to doggy daycare, and his fears are the typical fears! Will he have fun? Will he have friends? His friend Neet hatches a plan to help Jake feel less worried. Friends give us comfort and remind of us home- they help build our confidence and help us feel safe. Daycare wasn’t as scary as Jake thought – he had fun and enjoyed his stay! What I love about this book… the colorful illustrations, the story that we can all connect with, and the activities at the end – something every parent can use when they are introducing something new to their littles!

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