tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59742654940936395652024-03-18T20:01:07.880-07:00Cozy Writer's DenAmanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.comBlogger363125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-19396224845146388852024-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:002024-02-01T13:00:34.652-08:00The Seamstress of Acadie by Laura Frantz<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29lZPaYoULnhLfhDbMNoBXokXt7d8ZmJUnMjPacBkHpgf4KU5y5HfLTQeKRCJyn0xcdHT3Wl3CSTDoy3NNgpP95dH_iWxz0_mcmXboAdc6OAl8QpIUgg4QUUw7_yjHd_mJxFt40lzIDIsqZN0izK-xLijqRLkFGGiphJTELkoQyB5M0teQ8J95GSmLq2r/s425/acadia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="275" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh29lZPaYoULnhLfhDbMNoBXokXt7d8ZmJUnMjPacBkHpgf4KU5y5HfLTQeKRCJyn0xcdHT3Wl3CSTDoy3NNgpP95dH_iWxz0_mcmXboAdc6OAl8QpIUgg4QUUw7_yjHd_mJxFt40lzIDIsqZN0izK-xLijqRLkFGGiphJTELkoQyB5M0teQ8J95GSmLq2r/s320/acadia.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">In a land torn apart by conflict, can love mend the tattered pieces?</span><p></p><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As 1754 is drawing to a close, tensions between the French and the British on Canada's Acadian shore are reaching a fever pitch. Seamstress Sylvie Galant and her family--French-speaking Acadians wishing to remain neutral--are caught in the middle, their land positioned between two forts flying rival flags. Amid preparations for the celebration of Noël, the talk is of unrest, coming war, and William Blackburn, the British Army Ranger raising havoc across North America's borderlands.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As summer takes hold in 1755 and British ships appear on the horizon, Sylvie encounters Blackburn, who warns her of the coming invasion. Rather than participate in the forced removal of the Acadians from their land, he resigns his commission. But that cannot save Sylvie or her kin. Relocated on a ramshackle ship to Virginia, Sylvie struggles to pick up the pieces of her life. When her path crosses once more with William's, they must work through the complex tangle of their shared, shattered past to navigate the present and forge an enduring future.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><b>Review:</b></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> I could literally taste
the research that went into this novel. The setting... goodness... I felt like
I was actually in 1754. The words carried me into the Acadian homes, had me
tasting the apple cider from their orchards, and feeling the cold bite of
winter and the splash of frigid waves. The word choices were suburb, and the
language used was completely on point for that time and era. I really
appreciated the delicate use of French throughout the novel, as it paid a
wonderful homage to the roots of the Acadians. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I picked up this book because it
is about Canada's Acadians, and the brutal history they were forced to be part
of when the French and English destroyed their lives. This story is
heartbreaking, truthful ... but also beautiful. I am so glad Laura Frantz
decided to weave a novel into this difficult setting. Her cast of characters
told the story wonderfully. Blue in all his espionage and war prowess, Pere and
his role in Acadie, Sylvie’s sweet sister… I honestly felt like I was there,
living the story with them. Sylvie, our heroine, is enchanting, and Blackburn
had me nearly swooning from the first mention of him on the page. He is a
worthy hero.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Thank-you to Revell Reads for an
opportunity to review this book.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-19383346586078231152024-01-01T14:38:00.000-08:002024-01-01T14:38:39.828-08:00Double Take by Lynette Eason<p><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I25e6CtSOTbzj8qY4kfUR-Nv8gGqjGqU5G8EGnTHMXaqYOjdFMCWzwdF1Oj1PaqzNFI8vrLtgw9tVDncupKG12oKd31MiiQuRngxl4cwAYKcWncypM8de9ODWiNCwZRDWbe2BmJB3fX80slc-4nz5oKBBho2QELTIjtGF6ANxSevZzg1GwrEhbkpBC23/s1500/double%20dtake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="971" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8I25e6CtSOTbzj8qY4kfUR-Nv8gGqjGqU5G8EGnTHMXaqYOjdFMCWzwdF1Oj1PaqzNFI8vrLtgw9tVDncupKG12oKd31MiiQuRngxl4cwAYKcWncypM8de9ODWiNCwZRDWbe2BmJB3fX80slc-4nz5oKBBho2QELTIjtGF6ANxSevZzg1GwrEhbkpBC23/s320/double%20dtake.jpg" width="207" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Back Cover:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Detective James Cross has been honorably discharged from the Army Criminal Investigation Division due to wounds sustained when an IED blew up near him. Now with the Lake City Police Department, he's rooming with this good buddy and partner, Cole, while he figures out his family dynamics.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Physician Assistant Lainie Jackson is eighteen months out from an attempted murder perpetrated by her ex, which ended when she managed to grab the weapon and shoot him. When he appears to have survived and is back to finish the job he started, Lainie insists it's not possible. But someone keeps trying to kill her, and she keeps seeing his face.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Together, Lainie and James must work together to find out who, exactly, is after her and why he wants her dead. And failure is not an option.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Review:</b> If you are looking for: a fierce protector, a gutsy heroine who refuses to be the victim, a twisted crime, a plot rife with questions and false leads - then Double Take is for you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">If you read my reviews, you know I like my sleep. A lot. For me, the mark of an excellent book is one that hooks me on page one and keeps me up until I read the last page. This one totally did that. To be honest, I'm not sure what I wanted most - Lainie and James to solve the crime or... to finally kiss! I'm happy to report *spoiler* I was not dissapointed on either front.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">This book has a strong faith message (Christianity), and the heros do their best to live in a manner that honours God despite being bombarded with darkness. A great story and I'm looking forward to book #2. Thank-you to Revell Reads for choosing me as one of your reviewers for "Double Take". </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidTnLlAjEwT_35B4uNhdnYGJPx84APz_xi7qpp1_1pkPTeXhFRYOfWWZQa39jLMPbjIjNKWlVrNRimCmLVDdXUIBkqrZ6J_rZ08gLf_U_OiT-FVrkJBBKlIGZR-YSTZEUcS_WUuEDYhgqR1kpjEfU7X2sURrifvV4DlIJq_InCoKbE5QtWU4b-AJ4ntrBI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEidTnLlAjEwT_35B4uNhdnYGJPx84APz_xi7qpp1_1pkPTeXhFRYOfWWZQa39jLMPbjIjNKWlVrNRimCmLVDdXUIBkqrZ6J_rZ08gLf_U_OiT-FVrkJBBKlIGZR-YSTZEUcS_WUuEDYhgqR1kpjEfU7X2sURrifvV4DlIJq_InCoKbE5QtWU4b-AJ4ntrBI=w320-h320" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-57591592100151207942023-12-09T10:21:00.000-08:002023-12-09T10:27:30.571-08:00You Make it Feel Like Christmas by Toni Shiloh<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHlaJsOVUS6xa2y04JG26A1qVY2zv9EsZcY_9UdWtXA9icgMgPEkk0z_IfeNU9rp9B9oVo79Zl3mmYM850fQLiH0zfcN1fGXbwcFQIwKavgP-6SzlO5qBNj5fpRf1yzpreplzA1PP5YjDl2585J2vKyI_8QmmbxbNtAA-nVXKbc9KLjzQjzDwGMazIAMA/s466/christmas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="466" data-original-width="302" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvHlaJsOVUS6xa2y04JG26A1qVY2zv9EsZcY_9UdWtXA9icgMgPEkk0z_IfeNU9rp9B9oVo79Zl3mmYM850fQLiH0zfcN1fGXbwcFQIwKavgP-6SzlO5qBNj5fpRf1yzpreplzA1PP5YjDl2585J2vKyI_8QmmbxbNtAA-nVXKbc9KLjzQjzDwGMazIAMA/s320/christmas.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br />
<b>Back cover: </b>As if going home for the holidays jobless and single
wasn't bad enough, she's dragged into a holiday season full of activities
leading up to her sister's uber-romantic Christmas Eve wedding--to Starr's
ex-boyfriend. But when her brother's best friend, Waylon Emmerson, attends
their family Thanksgiving, she starts to wonder if maybe coming home for
Christmas isn't so bad after all.</span><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">As Starr finds the perfect distraction in
helping Waylon make over his late mother's Christmas shop, the most wonderful
time of the year works its magic and the spark between them grows. But with the
holidays fast approaching, Starr must decide what she wants out of life after
the gifts are unwrapped and the ornaments are put away--to go back to New York
City or to open her heart to a love that will last beyond Christmas Day?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Review: </span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I am in
full holiday swing with a second Christmasy title this week. "You Make it
Feel Like Christmas" is a jingling, romantic, snack-sized Christmas tale -
spiced with tricky family politics and sweetened with an adorable romance. When
Waylon is invited to his best friend's family dinner, he just about falls over
when a beautiful woman opens the door - when did his buddy's little sister grow
up? He agrees to hang out over the holidays and help shield Starr from some
family unpleasantries, but the whole 'friend' deal? Yeah, that lasts all of two
seconds. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">This
was a super cute Christmas story - Starr and Waylon were so sweet. I loved how
Toni Shiloh wove Biblical messages of prayer and seeking God's will into the
story. Well done!</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Thank-you
to Graf Martin for a copy of this book. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlTCxS0gNdysL1ocBrq3HSWEJTT6yG5EKEG5_eiJG4-ZYgfWBKzSaf9PFbDNLdmhA_KajhAEfABINKiE7vocBFReQwJW_qmQITzoL_WxRRUecskFwNdgEcrSfGDSDS34KUv9jSmZ34gn3hf7RCUYc2sAPxRw_7V_tmluXJjGxFnIeJxSIaNomsDRilXrD/s1080/you%20make%20it%20feel%20like%20christmas.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlTCxS0gNdysL1ocBrq3HSWEJTT6yG5EKEG5_eiJG4-ZYgfWBKzSaf9PFbDNLdmhA_KajhAEfABINKiE7vocBFReQwJW_qmQITzoL_WxRRUecskFwNdgEcrSfGDSDS34KUv9jSmZ34gn3hf7RCUYc2sAPxRw_7V_tmluXJjGxFnIeJxSIaNomsDRilXrD/s320/you%20make%20it%20feel%20like%20christmas.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;"></span></span><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-60209280110593950942023-12-07T13:41:00.000-08:002023-12-07T13:41:34.228-08:00All's Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qC3LKXSIXUobbp3F5eEvh7ZVjnDavJ1c9mz6qpBr0IsdfSMjtzRe_xzUps06ouESxaRs9OwDxSiDSSFkQqEyOhO8EteoWVe3ZeByKFmEpXiUR36mUkaf12KtXl0YLM7g1BV6EDPvIviFaTXS8jQiUdu3JfeT22GDCgzwwzWm9QtiwSihbSR2ScET91ac/s400/chrimstas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_qC3LKXSIXUobbp3F5eEvh7ZVjnDavJ1c9mz6qpBr0IsdfSMjtzRe_xzUps06ouESxaRs9OwDxSiDSSFkQqEyOhO8EteoWVe3ZeByKFmEpXiUR36mUkaf12KtXl0YLM7g1BV6EDPvIviFaTXS8jQiUdu3JfeT22GDCgzwwzWm9QtiwSihbSR2ScET91ac/s320/chrimstas.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /> <b>Back Cover:</b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham--Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they'll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she'd be a contender in her company's holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">Jeremy Fletcher's life is meticulously planned out, including how to win this year's promotion at work. Not only will the new position fulfill some of his career goals, but the raise will help him as a single guardian to his twin niece and nephew. Jeremy has barely noticed Mackenzie Graham around the office, but now that she's his rival, he can't stop thinking about her. Her quirkiness intrigues him, and he's afraid that if he can't get his head on straight, the job isn't the only thing he'll end up losing to Mackenzie.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915;">'Tis the season for romance, faith, and humor--all wrapped up in this enchanting holiday rom-com from award-winning author Sarah Monzon.</span></span></p><p><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Review:</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">So, this book....I giggled, I laughed, I commiserated, and I had the
undeniable urge to bake Christmas cookies, decorate my tree, and hang my
Christmas lights. "All's Fair in Love and Christmas" needs to come
with a warning: Do not open until October (when I would totally set up my tree
and lights if hubs would let me) because Christmas spirit is about to go wild.
You will be playing Celine Dion's Christmas CD, breaking out the cinnamon
scented candles, and digging out grandma's shortbread cookie recipe. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">In addition to being far too funny and a thoroughly enjoyable, lighthearted
read... Sarah Monzon wove a beautiful love story that artfully handled a girl
with crippling social anxiety and a mother with early onset dementia. Reading
this story was like unwrapping a beautiful gift - one page at a time.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></o:p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Thank-you to Graf Martin Communications for a copy of this book. </span></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-63417320729583818552023-11-07T00:18:00.000-08:002023-11-07T00:18:11.895-08:00Unleashed by Amber Kirkpatrick<p></p><p><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_i72186Bko7DIfDFcY2qj1D5zn8ruM7vBFQssShuKWKYEmu-vVPP0xoT-YWqCtam8g6FzkqbkJf_MpnBbv4OZWgJVbsgvrlGTaSoDiAg6tUjNUpVSCYuon2h5-OWQHu6BaFR4bsIIGtPRQ0gojcJN7OJGi45EnqRmfJRT0yfTRiwU-ig-Fptt8gaf1yEe/s400/unleashed.jfif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="271" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_i72186Bko7DIfDFcY2qj1D5zn8ruM7vBFQssShuKWKYEmu-vVPP0xoT-YWqCtam8g6FzkqbkJf_MpnBbv4OZWgJVbsgvrlGTaSoDiAg6tUjNUpVSCYuon2h5-OWQHu6BaFR4bsIIGtPRQ0gojcJN7OJGi45EnqRmfJRT0yfTRiwU-ig-Fptt8gaf1yEe/s320/unleashed.jfif" width="217" /></a></div><br /> <b> </b><b>Fenris Trygg is a Changed. </b><o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">A major world event has permanently
altered or 'Changed' the brain chemistry of a percentage of society - allowing
them to access and utilize areas of their brains that humans have never been able
to control. They are gifted.... seers, musical proteges, telepaths,
athletes....they are the epitome of human potential.... and they are unwanted
and feared by the unchanged, or normal, humans.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">A segment of society, Hunters,
have taken it upon themselves to purge the Changed from the world. It doesn't
matter to them if the Changed is an infant, a mother, or an entire
family....the hunters hunt - and they never leave their prey alive. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Fen has seen the absolute worst
that the Hunters can do. He has lived through unspeakable tragedy, but as one
of the most powerfully gifted Changed in his region, he now co-runs an
underground Shadow Guild bent on protecting 'his' people. As a Changed, he has
no human rights, no ability to utilize hospitals or police, and no legal right
to bear arms. He is in a battle of survival - not just for himself - but for
every Changed in existence. With his powers and his fists, Fen his hell bent on
saving as many as he can before his clock runs out.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">However, danger doesn't just
come from the Hunters. A new predator is on the prowl, and Fen teams up with an
unexpected partner who just might break him apart worse than a team of Hunters.
Between her insistence that he give up coffee after 5pm (Gasp) and actually be
nice to people, Fen is either going to end up throttling her... or kissing her.
All bets are off. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"> Amber Kirkpatrick has taken
a chapter out of X-men and crafted her own spine-tingling, nail-biting world
that is rife with blood, suspense, attraction, and a major amount of coffee
addiction. This is a very creative story, and I love joining Fen and Sara
on their crazy adventure. Unleashed is fast paced and taunt with tension - but
at the same time, there are a lot of one-liners that will make you laugh,
snort, or roll your eyes (Fen, I'm sorry, but you are hilarious). I loved the
dialogue and the banter between the characters. Bump this one up on your
TBR pile – It’s a good one!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;">Content warning: There are some violent
scenes that I wouldn’t advise for young teens or those triggered easily by
violence. There is no sex – it is inferred that a married couple have sex and
that a husband is hoping to get some… there is some swoony kissing…. But nothing
beyond that. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-91226915289775091522023-10-09T21:52:00.001-07:002023-10-09T21:52:16.561-07:00The Metropolitan Affair by Jocelyn Green <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMJ2tnn30a0q3yixE57GsaooS3_PeyI4s0DHaNL-oomm5dpJNfancbYwT_CeUDp0rMg3WZTYPkwHWXwRYBhyP12jeYBH5eQzoev4a1MLsC2B1k51Yx5dNeIOaB1XGDIjdHNK8XCOciiJEeFL2OZ5EA7VaMhruhInyM52EUVJJAq-I76NUi0ty7s7GxlMD/s440/Metropolitan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMJ2tnn30a0q3yixE57GsaooS3_PeyI4s0DHaNL-oomm5dpJNfancbYwT_CeUDp0rMg3WZTYPkwHWXwRYBhyP12jeYBH5eQzoev4a1MLsC2B1k51Yx5dNeIOaB1XGDIjdHNK8XCOciiJEeFL2OZ5EA7VaMhruhInyM52EUVJJAq-I76NUi0ty7s7GxlMD/s320/Metropolitan.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Back
Cover: </b></span><b><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Bestselling author Jocelyn Green sweeps you away in
a dazzling novel of secrets, betrayal, and romance within one of New York
City's most esteemed museums.</span></b><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #212121; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">For years her explorer father promised Dr. Lauren Westlake she'd
accompany him on one of his Egyptian expeditions. But as the empty promises
mounted, Lauren determined to earn her own way. Now the assistant curator of
Egyptology for the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Lauren receives two unexpected
invitations.</span><span style="color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">The first is her repentant father's offer to finally
bring her to Egypt as his colleague on a new expedition. The second is a chance
to enter the world of New York's wealthiest patrons who have been victims of
art fraud.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">With Egyptomania sweeping the city after the
discovery of King Tut's tomb, Detective Joe Caravello is on the hunt for a
notorious forger preying on the open wallets of New York's high society. Dr.
Westlake is just the expert he needs to help him track the criminal. Together
they search for the truth, and the closer Lauren and Joe get to discovering the
forger's identity, the more entangled they become in a web of deception and
crime.</span></span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Review:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"> When
I think of Jocelyn Green, a few thoughts come to mind: quality writing, rich
historical detail, and captivating characters. I've read several of Jocelyn's
works over the last couple of years, and I have sincerely enjoyed every one.
However, I think 'Metropolitan Affair' is my favourite story of hers. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I really
loved the (insane) level of detail surrounding ancient Egypt and the artifacts.
I can not wrap my mind around the hours that she must have spent in a library
learning everything she'd need to know to write this story. The novel was so
rich in detail, but not in a way that made it drag or feel heavy. I felt
transported into the Metropolitan and into the story unraveling there. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Lastly, I
can't leave a review without mentioning Detective Joe and Dr Lauren. I really
enjoy stories that take friends and draw them into the realm of romantic love.
Joe and Lauren's story is so wonderfully sweet and wholesome. They made me so
happy.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><i><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Thank-you
to the staff at Graf Martin for continually supplying me with wonderful reads,
and to Baker Publishing House for always producing such great books. </span></i><i><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-527329949013530042023-08-25T12:18:00.006-07:002023-08-25T12:18:39.481-07:00Sworn Shift by AJ Skelly<p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCyUVcAxX1Pig-f5sycHEjTN8iEKAhhG_lKOtiXmCdoxlSqkeFXmidkdLjwJe2DH4XER-iNSt2OeVjqo4nByDSxUl3MHh4kGp2b9QIxjVpIElqR5H7zawmBibvM3sc94k5-Ib7k2nU4d185lLklKJtCnTBlLDp6TfvziETbOwAvHm7_MiWs67EQeuP0S-/s1000/sworn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="625" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsCyUVcAxX1Pig-f5sycHEjTN8iEKAhhG_lKOtiXmCdoxlSqkeFXmidkdLjwJe2DH4XER-iNSt2OeVjqo4nByDSxUl3MHh4kGp2b9QIxjVpIElqR5H7zawmBibvM3sc94k5-Ib7k2nU4d185lLklKJtCnTBlLDp6TfvziETbOwAvHm7_MiWs67EQeuP0S-/s320/sworn.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Back Cover</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">When her genetics kick in and tell her that Bowen Oakes is her mate, Raven Rivers rebels. She wants nothing to do with Bowen or his sordid past. Bowen falls hard and fast for Raven, but the mistakes of his past, and his own deadly secret, threaten everything he's worked so hard to achieve. When his past comes calling, Bowen must decide if he's willing to embrace his past to preserve his future. Because Raven hangs in the balance.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: helvetica;">What I thought....</span></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">HANG ON! This book LEAPS from Rogue Shift and straight into Sworn Shift without the space of a blink. The adventure continues.... and I definintely don't want it to end anytime soon. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">As someone close to me said, Sworn Sift 'brings on the vapours'. Umm,yes, that's one way to put it. This book is a pretty epic SWOON. It could have been titled "Swoon Shift".... </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"> What I love about all of AJ's books is they recognize lust, hormones, want, and temptation (essentially, teenage love). HOWEVER, the characters don't crumple under these pressures to compromise what is right. These books praise and glorify the beauty of waiting for your future mate (husband/wife) and how amazingly swoon worthy doing things RIGHT is. There is nothing sexier than holding the morale high ground. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I really loved getting to know both the MCs in this book. Bowen is presented as the badboy playboy, but as the book unfolds, we get to see that what is on the surface isn't anything close to the vulnerable truths Bowen hides deap down. As for Raven, she brings so many topics to the surface. What do you do when you feel like you will be compared to your partner's previous romantic conquests? What about feelings of physical unworthiness? How do you build trust in such a situation? Raven is a thinker, and being thrown into a relationship with Bowen due to the mate bond goes against everything she thought she wanted. Her mate bond with Bowen drags her through the riptides of insecurities, distrust, and jealously, but the resolution is so gratifying. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I really loved this YA read, and am looking forward to book 4! Keep 'em coming, AJ!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></div><br />Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-14253682604253515022023-08-25T11:43:00.001-07:002023-08-25T11:43:41.924-07:00Of Wolves and Wardens by Sylvia Mercedes<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQxcdRTzw_xpM5vtXKD9Xyy2ep462gQb9wiGeqY9herSqW_MSYd2J4DW7GYJdPT7HksNsYB9UdH8i91e5RWziP7Q_DjykDMKl89SLzBlzB85XfzZsdlWRh6Jjzlx0TtY9fHtkiDvsCJOlVEyWP6TRisSA1b3bMXwAfivpimLhRNP9qVasBdnZ1aEHoag_/s2700/wolves.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2700" data-original-width="1800" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmQxcdRTzw_xpM5vtXKD9Xyy2ep462gQb9wiGeqY9herSqW_MSYd2J4DW7GYJdPT7HksNsYB9UdH8i91e5RWziP7Q_DjykDMKl89SLzBlzB85XfzZsdlWRh6Jjzlx0TtY9fHtkiDvsCJOlVEyWP6TRisSA1b3bMXwAfivpimLhRNP9qVasBdnZ1aEHoag_/s320/wolves.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; text-align: start;">She's his enemy. He's her target. But could they be each other's only hope?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: start;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Brielle owes Granny Dorrel seven years of her life. Seven years of slavery, serving as the ward witch’s huntress in the depths of Whispering Wood.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: start;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Dire is a werewolf, a former slave of Granny’s in his own right . . . and Brielle’s newest target.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: start;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: start;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Can these two enemies find a way to work together and undo the curses binding them? Or will the witch's hold on their broken hearts lead them to destroy one another?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: start;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; text-align: start;" /><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;">Of Wolves and Wardens is a complete, stand-alone novel with a "happily ever after" ending. If you're looking for an emotional, character-driven romance with a healthy dose of action and adventure along the way, this is the book for you! While set in the same world as The Moonfire Bride, readers can start with this tale.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><br /></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><b>Review:</b></i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: start;"><b><br /></b></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">This is the first 'adult' book that I've read of
Sylvia Mercede's. I was obsessed with her books under her teen pen-name some
years ago, and I've periodically kept my eye out for her work when she moved
from YA to adult. I was rather excited (okay….full disclosure… I may have
squealed a little…) when I discovered her adult line of books under her new pen
name (VICTORY). <o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">As I said, this is my first read of her 'adult'
line. First impressions? She is such an amazing story tell. Just…wow. Also, I'm
incredibly pleased that this books is not sexually inappropriate (YAY!). I was
a little nervous what 'adult' would look like. Basically, it's a dark tale...
but if you like dark fantasy that will have you reading to 3am, chewing your
nails in angst, and swooning all at the same time, then this is for you!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;">I’m looking forward to buying and hoarding all her
books… I mean…. Collecting…and reading…. All her books. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 13.5pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p><br /></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-7459691776658514262023-08-19T23:56:00.004-07:002023-08-25T11:25:06.378-07:00Of Frost and Flame by AJ Skelly<p><span style="background-color: white;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSEdKEnNc_MMI0O5vFVH5VijCu-6z496BdN2xX_ubEucx5S45VzOEqyel9Y-F_FQ2KXVEXd2hiwRT1GQFQ4jx2KVklyvPYgMEvWodKv69-7aPQAy-iYjXLn9-JjX5XEDKTHDUqhZlAHuQ3jw_r9EnX6NjYUZUwt1JLdk3E8n1-U7C6RJKG1eybMCIqcXc/s293/fff.webp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="184" height="293" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSEdKEnNc_MMI0O5vFVH5VijCu-6z496BdN2xX_ubEucx5S45VzOEqyel9Y-F_FQ2KXVEXd2hiwRT1GQFQ4jx2KVklyvPYgMEvWodKv69-7aPQAy-iYjXLn9-JjX5XEDKTHDUqhZlAHuQ3jw_r9EnX6NjYUZUwt1JLdk3E8n1-U7C6RJKG1eybMCIqcXc/s1600/fff.webp" width="184" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Review:</b> </span><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Cole is the definition of dark and brooding. He
is danger personified. The epic 'bad boy' that has half the girls at Majic Prep
Academy ogling him - from a distance he can’t turn them to ash with a glance or
a touch. Aspen couldn't care less about the new boy at school. She's just
hoping that the rumors surrounding him and his dark smolder (literally) will
pull some of the school's attention off of her. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="font-size: 1.1rem;">Of
course, she isn't that lucky. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="font-size: 1.1rem;">The
rumors tainting her are far too juicy for the vicious gossips at the academy to
release her from their salivating jaws. No one cares if they are true or not...
and with no recourse, Aspen decides to hunker down until her best friend
returns to classes.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="font-size: 1.1rem;">Unfortunately
'fire boy' has the same idea... and when they both turn to the same magic to escape
the school bullies, a portal through time opens up and sends the Frost Fairy
and the Fire Drake-Phoenix hybrid plummeting through time. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span face=""Source Sans Pro", sans-serif" style="font-size: 1.1rem;">If you
love: portal magic, time travel, DRAGONS, magic, steamy (literally steamy)
kisses, opposites-attract, redemption, and a wickedly awesome 'save the world'
plot that ties time-lines together BRILLIANTLY.... then this book is for you.
There is nothing NOT to like in this book, and I devoured it with no respect to
the amount of time and effort it took to write. I'm already itching to read it
again....and I want more Majic Acedemy. Soooo much more!</span></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you need further pushing to read this book (honestly, you should have left this review and already started reading it. Just sayin'), then keep in mind that of Frost and Flame was featured in the July 2023 Fae Crate and has been nominated for the 2023 Swoony Kisses Award. Clearly, I'm not the only one who loved this YA fantasy. </p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>Back Cover: </b>Aspen Frost has fallen from grace. Once among the upper echelons of popularity at Magik Prep Academy, a terrifying event at a party leaves a nasty rumor in its wake and thrusts her into social isolation.</span></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">Cole Raiden is an unusual hybrid of phoenix and fire-drake. And out of control. When a disastrous accident leaves him devastated and unable to control his inner flames, Magik Prep Academy is his last hope to regain any chance of a normal life. Ostracized because of his genes and his touch that reduces everything to ash, Cole seeks refuge in his loneliness. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">But when bullies find them both, Aspen and Cole reach for the same piece of magic, then find themselves plummeting through time, landing at the beginnings of Magik Prep Academy. </span></p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: Sahitya, "Source Sans Pro", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-size: 1.1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 2rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-color: white;">War is on the horizon. If Aspen and Cole can’t find a way back home, they’ll be caught in a fight that could decimate their future. Cole and Aspen must learn to trust each other, and trust themselves, if they have any hope of reaching their own time again.</span></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-49356270377934688072023-07-19T06:18:00.001-07:002023-07-19T06:18:17.207-07:00Blood and Blade by Anna Augustine <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vps_x7RfYpJknU7qMAaoGFrQDJZVkvS2xNnXQrQrLjTcjTdySUShV6ROMB8ce2sn-SxwpNEVwMSKYqCxTECi_5wwBkKSOerCccZHndzKiIkXPu6a_6xuySPYT66C90cCcKuRWsDJLj1342-tfRhU-8STdguMk9er11hhKvCOv_mJ0PaXoh-lXKl4z8mR/s1000/blood%20and%20blade.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vps_x7RfYpJknU7qMAaoGFrQDJZVkvS2xNnXQrQrLjTcjTdySUShV6ROMB8ce2sn-SxwpNEVwMSKYqCxTECi_5wwBkKSOerCccZHndzKiIkXPu6a_6xuySPYT66C90cCcKuRWsDJLj1342-tfRhU-8STdguMk9er11hhKvCOv_mJ0PaXoh-lXKl4z8mR/s320/blood%20and%20blade.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"> </span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; line-height: 107%;"><b style="font-family: times;">Review: </b><span style="font-family: times;">“The Wife Market of Taletha was open for business,
and I was up for sale.” Welcome to the first line of “By Blood and Blade.” You
know when you have potatoe chips and they say, “I bet you can’t just have one?”
This book is like that – I bet you can’t just read one chapter….or five….
Forget it. Once you start, you’re in for the whole book. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I honestly couldn’t put it down. I was swept
away into an exotic land of belled shoes, purchased brides, exotic courts, and
desert sands. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; line-height: 107%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: times;">There were topics in this book…. (not explicit) of
parental abuse, debauchery, forced prostitution, spousal abuse…. Topics that turn
your gut and make every cell in your brain scream “NO!”. These are things that
no one wants to read about but in real life, they happen. More often than any
of use would ever like to think about. What happens to the children who are the
product of lives like this? Is healing possible? Can they learn to trust? To
love? To rise above such filth and be better? “By Blood and Blade” took a hard
look at this through the eyes of Dhama and Inara, a prince shackled by a brutal
upbringing and a beautiful but abused girl sold to the wife markets. Their tale
is one of trust, healing, and bravery. So much bravery. I loved this book – my only
complaint is that there were no boring parts that I could put it down and
ACTUALLY get a good night sleep. I’m still guzzling an extra cup a day to make
up for that all-nighter. Thank-you Anna for sharing an ARC copy of your beautiful book with me. Also.... I need a hardcopy just so I can display it on my shelf because - AH! TOO PRETTY!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; line-height: 107%;"><b>Back Cover: </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111;">In the land of Taletha, the Wife Market is the prime place for young lords to find a spouse...but not the place for love. Something Inara knows all too well. After six years of rejection, she has no hope of being chosen for anything but a plaything.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: times;">When the future ruler of Taletha arrives at the Market, Inara is chosen. More shocking still, Dhamar is exactly what he appears to be: kind, gentle, and willing to build a relationship of mutual respect and trust.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 14px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: times;">Yet Dhamar has his own demons to fight. With a tyrannical father pushing for war with the Serians, a scheming council, and the burden to protect those he loves, Dhamar is stretched thin. He wants to be a good husband to his wife, but how?</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; margin: -4px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="font-family: times;">Thrown together by chance, will breaking down their walls reveal something beautiful, or leave only shattered pieces behind?</span></span></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-33836505861461112842023-07-17T07:21:00.002-07:002023-07-17T07:21:37.992-07:00Hearts by Brittany Eden<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdh_UqgPE0sZzhYbLTduEBlOIbQXT7oRrYWfkHHbJig05ZXDjYfHHFFCaq8LQcGnRTwoNvuZ5eHUlPODVZJOAwSqO26ZbLU_g7bVLO46L1aVSa8K1yFZhXa33R1Yxil9P25UTlR1HiDAzBqCGa1hN8b2_6MNN0__8IyBw6rY8IHSIGcc82qs-JT3obaicF/s1000/hearts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="647" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdh_UqgPE0sZzhYbLTduEBlOIbQXT7oRrYWfkHHbJig05ZXDjYfHHFFCaq8LQcGnRTwoNvuZ5eHUlPODVZJOAwSqO26ZbLU_g7bVLO46L1aVSa8K1yFZhXa33R1Yxil9P25UTlR1HiDAzBqCGa1hN8b2_6MNN0__8IyBw6rY8IHSIGcc82qs-JT3obaicF/s320/hearts.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br />Eighteen-year-old pencil artist Elizabeth Rhodes is on the cusp of a breakthrough art commission that could cement her future career: the debut of her drawings at L'étoile dans les Ténèbres, the social calendar's biggest art auction hosted by renowned art collector and gracious philanthropist Madame Penelope Garcon.<p></p><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Concealing her true identity as the mysterious artist Briar Rose-whose name and fame she inherited at the deathbed request of her beloved Aunt-Elizabeth decides to accept the terms her dapper and elderly benefactor Sterling Figgleston negotiates for the debut of Briar Rose's new series, Hearts.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">But when the mental illness she's been hiding threatens to expose her charade to the boy she's loved since childhood, and with her estranged parents slated to make an appearance at L'étoile dans les Ténèbres, will Elizabeth find the courage to break the curse and open her heart, or will she lose her one chance at true love by revealing her heart's darkest secrets? </span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><b>Review: </b>This book is special for several reasons. First, for the first time in my life, I had the privilege of meeting the author in person before reading the book. This was an unique and fascinating experience. As we sipped tea and chatted all things bookish, I quickly realized that I was in the presence of someone who embodied the term 'lovely' both inside and out. It soon become apparent that her book was the same. The second reason I call this book special is the actual writing. Brittany handles words with such deftness... it reminds me of someone delicately swiping a canvas with watercolour paints. The words are flowing, beautiful, and the style heartbreaking lovely. They remind me of the author herself. Third, this story is special. Necessary. Hearts handles the sensitive topic of mental health and panic attacks in a way that sings, "You are beautiful. You are loved. It is okay not to be perfect. You are not broken." What a message. I'll admit it took me a little bit to fully understand and fall into the swing of this beautiful novel (likely the fault of my chaotic brain this week), but once I did I could not stop reading it. When I turned the final page, I honestly felt blessed to have had the privilege to sink into this story. I think "Hearts" is a 'must' for anyone who is struggling with any form of self doubt, trauma, or mental/physical health trials. I'd hand this book willingly to anyone as young as twelve and upwards of a hundred and twelve. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Thank-you Brittany for penning such a worthy and lovely story. </span></div>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-86545924513838355002023-06-22T08:56:00.009-07:002023-06-24T07:44:27.662-07:00Rogue Shift by AJ Skelly<p></p><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32qpCEUQVqUwjAG_Pq4r4mrb8FWxycFtnCgdy6OjhnRgm8WLyNy55oQwNxcrTntVYheCJoAb9kZz0m6jIAUqOvQdkcA16tmSpK0RpL7tL531Krc-K6P9MipBWsmv9JOSzrjJJVS4Yq7nJ_YrmZkpcMd96yKEFHITaYNTILUEFUmpIRB6HOscTWfYFb2Fj/s1080/rogue1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32qpCEUQVqUwjAG_Pq4r4mrb8FWxycFtnCgdy6OjhnRgm8WLyNy55oQwNxcrTntVYheCJoAb9kZz0m6jIAUqOvQdkcA16tmSpK0RpL7tL531Krc-K6P9MipBWsmv9JOSzrjJJVS4Yq7nJ_YrmZkpcMd96yKEFHITaYNTILUEFUmpIRB6HOscTWfYFb2Fj/s320/rogue1.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">An outcast all his life because of his half-human, half-werewolf genes, Kyp is finally getting a chance to belong with the Wolfe pack.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: center;">Though fully human, Rachel never cared about his mixed blood. When a family tragedy strikes, Rachel makes an impulsive decision with deadly consequences. Kyp must come to her rescue. But when saving her turns her into a werewolf, it sets off a chain of events that puts them at odds with the Wolfe pack, and brings them straight into the path of the Wolfe's greatest enemy—Victor Atwood.</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><div style="text-align: center;">War is coming to the packs, and Kyp and Rachel are at the center of it. With their fledgling love and a tenuous mental tie their only weapons, they must overcome the wrath of Atwood. But a toxic secret threatens to devastate them, destroying not only them but the entire Wolfe pack as well.</div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><b>Review:</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Uhoh... I think I may be on a werewolf kick right now. Only reading the first book of AJ Skelly's series would be akin to only taking one bite (no pun intended, haha) of a delicious, decedent piece of a chocolate cheescake. Unthinkable. Unfathonable!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">So, despite the fact that my own book DESPERATELY needs my attention, it was impossible not to steal a few hours to sink my canines into this juicy read. I quite literally devoured it - going so far as to read in the car, which is a big no-no for me. Rogue Shift was worth the potential for car sickness. So go read it. Now. Duh.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Book two of the 'Wolves of Rock Falls' features Megan's larger-than-life best friend with her insatiably zest for, well, everything. Rachel is impossible not to love. She takes the stage in Rogue Shift with style, and I was thrilled to have a book where she was the star. As for Kyp.... who could have guessed that the quite rogue from book one would turn into <i>THIS.</i> I love Rachel, and let me just say that Kyp turns in a guy completely worthy of her by the end of this fast-paced read. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Rogue Shift has everything. Kyp made me laugh out loud as he stepped over the dark line and into the world of frilly lattes.... tear up when his own self doubt brought him to his knees... crow with delight when he kicked some major werewolf tail... and swoon just a little (okay a lot) at all the right points. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">I'm looking forward to reading book three!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span face="Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0f1111;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-21597738327031880122023-06-08T11:05:00.003-07:002023-06-08T11:05:55.364-07:00Word Gets Around by Lisa Wingate<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnzroedUq10fQktPvPd5ZbY3BF3s6w19Vu_wv8tj8Os0usylA-aYj_vuBtdDxaVZOah-Zd2LC7M76fAAELZEvyxuv718lchMVYX-ZS4sr22PPD_6ALTYYTsvNHOvnlxRbGTHEbl8kPAsiFCJaLYSkwjCz-gfoHGpr9XRidCagEvDiJI7Z8CRZS3X_Dw/s500/lisa%20wingate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDnzroedUq10fQktPvPd5ZbY3BF3s6w19Vu_wv8tj8Os0usylA-aYj_vuBtdDxaVZOah-Zd2LC7M76fAAELZEvyxuv718lchMVYX-ZS4sr22PPD_6ALTYYTsvNHOvnlxRbGTHEbl8kPAsiFCJaLYSkwjCz-gfoHGpr9XRidCagEvDiJI7Z8CRZS3X_Dw/s320/lisa%20wingate.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Lauren Eldridge had avoided returning home to Daily, Texas, until her father confesses to being in over his head. Paying back an old favor, he's invested in a horse that's supposed to be the star of a new Hollywood movie. Only the horse won't behave. And Lauren is the best trainer in the state. Convinced to return, she soon finds more than she bargained for when the movie's screenwriter turns out to be leading-man handsome.</span><p></p><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This movie may be Nate Heath's last shot at turning his career around. He didn't have high hopes at first, but the town of Daily may be just what everyone needs to find hope and healing. And maybe even a little romance.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Review</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Lisa Wingate's lyrical prose makes me want to weep from the sheer beauty of it - and also throttle her out of envy (just kidding, not violent....but my word is she good). The way she writes is, in a single world, beautiful. Her work reminds me of the old-time classics but with a fresh, modern twist that brings her stories to life in a modern, relatable format. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Her two characters, Lauren and Nate, end up being forced into close proximity as they both find themselves back in the small town of Daily. Neither of them chose this as their first option, but here they are - and neither of them can deny the sparks that fly. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Also... did I mention that there are horses in this story? Lots of beautiful horses.... so that's an automatic huge plus from me.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Amazon Ember, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 14px;">Thank-you Lisa for another beautiful story and Graf Martin Communications for a copy of this book. </span></span></div>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-54960006041954931762023-06-08T10:57:00.001-07:002023-06-08T10:57:02.655-07:00What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZm6yavS8VUF0YNjfNq-9AO-rLqlrkcmIyfCjDLA1U-_U7nnVP8t1MOvQi6Wp58Kp34B2txSTLYUBMGWI3K4c10nJy8b17udWhZyxVBeQUxiQ3irTsq7mCfDRjkvxVYiYP16nVljQVav28Iuzg7jWVKJIKPSYzBEL9FJ1xWD7f7QXcZpslTkP1FA9mQ/s927/next.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVZm6yavS8VUF0YNjfNq-9AO-rLqlrkcmIyfCjDLA1U-_U7nnVP8t1MOvQi6Wp58Kp34B2txSTLYUBMGWI3K4c10nJy8b17udWhZyxVBeQUxiQ3irTsq7mCfDRjkvxVYiYP16nVljQVav28Iuzg7jWVKJIKPSYzBEL9FJ1xWD7f7QXcZpslTkP1FA9mQ/s320/next.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne made a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on her own. All of that changes when she's asked to spotlight her childhood best friend's missing person case on her podcast.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her older daughter intervenes, she agrees to counseling and to pack up her missing daughter's belongings under one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold case.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As the long-abandoned investigation moves forward, old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women, whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to reconcile the past and the future?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><p></p><p></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Review:</b></div></span><p></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">When you first pick up this book and look at the cover,
questions enter your mind. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Did a child find a fishing hole and scamper off,
leaving this bike on the trail? Are they off on a fun adventure?"</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">or something more sinister? </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">"Did something happen that forced this child's trike to
be left, forgotten and abandoned, on this desolate trail?"</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">The cover reflects the story well. There are so many
questions that beg to be answered through these pages… mysteries and secrets
long held in the darkened silence. This book is a tear-jerker, but hope for
something better keeps you turning the pages. It is a story of loss and redemption,
but overall that grief, no matter how terrible, can be overcome. You will
experience every emotion in this book, so make yourself and bracing cup and tea
and settle in for a read you won't want to stop.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;">Thank-you to Graf Martin for a copy of this book. </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 13.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-36731246749322511422023-06-08T10:45:00.004-07:002023-06-08T10:45:33.457-07:00The Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7FQsVaVnXp_bCUmtVB-UyXZ9e7YOok16BFPArPGsFpY74eE3AtyRcLnNe0Ep1_rWUJpacl8F_v35cswgi65hIV6FI2aZ3nGXWSQ9f8tP6YM1CX4qiryEaz4aKKwSh5Z7rD7pauyojEMGQc4XdGIdVYPH0FoF0lwKWBx3Ms84sQeQ_Notgl8RIkh_kQ/s279/air.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="181" height="279" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU7FQsVaVnXp_bCUmtVB-UyXZ9e7YOok16BFPArPGsFpY74eE3AtyRcLnNe0Ep1_rWUJpacl8F_v35cswgi65hIV6FI2aZ3nGXWSQ9f8tP6YM1CX4qiryEaz4aKKwSh5Z7rD7pauyojEMGQc4XdGIdVYPH0FoF0lwKWBx3Ms84sQeQ_Notgl8RIkh_kQ/s1600/air.jpg" width="181" /></a></div><br /><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In 1911, Mabel MacGinnis is Europe's strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. When he dies unexpectedly, she loses everything she's ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham in hope of finding the mother she thought was dead.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Isabella Moreau, America's most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. Then her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, and she is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">As Mabel and Isabella's lives become entangled beneath the glittering lights and flying trapeze of Madison Square Garden, their resiliency and resolve are tested as they learn the truth of what it means to be strong.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Review:</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">I am so used to reading stories
about willowy beauties or curvaceous darlings.... it is not often that your
main sweetheart is a circus mighty woman. Mabel is known for her incredible
feats of strength - she can literally hold a bridge across her back while the
circus troupe waltzes across her back. She is powerful. Very powerful - at
least on the outside. Inside though, she is a terrified little girl that is
still reeling from the death of her mother when she was just a wee one. The
scars of that have torn into the very fabric of her innermost being and have
affected every relationship since. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">The only thing that holds Mabel
together is her father - her strong-man partner - and her circus family. When
her father dies and Mabel is no longer able to face the crowds without him, she
is tossed from the circus - and the only family she has ever known. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Forced to leave, Mabel together
with Jake, the cowboy who promised her father he'd keep an eye on her, embark
on a new adventure. That adventure is rife with love, heartbreak, betrayal,
wonder, and redemption. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">This was a very different kind
of story. Mabel is not your typical heroine and at times I found her a little
difficult to mentally reconcile all the facets of her, but her sweetness
carries the story. I did find the topic of post partum depression and mental
illness heavy to read, but it was worked well into the story and truly became
the backbone of the entire plot.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Open Sans",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">Thank-you to Graf Martin for a
copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-29065664084674531652023-05-23T23:08:00.005-07:002023-05-23T23:10:07.930-07:00First Shift by AJ Skelly<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_cXL1vIn34ZXqibBIwdeBrl649LB-4MyCoXyk_KHHLQaRzYgUwwBTsGzEHO_T5IJUiqLPEWDP2JFlXWOeLQsGah4mpwj67P86eySNCohQVwZvedXOy9vImxEkOoqsNWPeezxA0dGS-XsfVyjWYKJhSAyjgQVsNlcvpbLcg-vWSslawJo7KsqlF9Oog/s400/shift.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH_cXL1vIn34ZXqibBIwdeBrl649LB-4MyCoXyk_KHHLQaRzYgUwwBTsGzEHO_T5IJUiqLPEWDP2JFlXWOeLQsGah4mpwj67P86eySNCohQVwZvedXOy9vImxEkOoqsNWPeezxA0dGS-XsfVyjWYKJhSAyjgQVsNlcvpbLcg-vWSslawJo7KsqlF9Oog/s320/shift.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times; text-align: left;"><br />Whew! Did someone turn the heat up in here? This book made my kindle sizzle - in an epic, oh-my-gosh-I'm-going-to-swoon kind of way. The slow burn between Samuel and Megan is agonizing....and totally amazing. My word, I was cheering so hard for Sam to get his girl. Like, "MEGAN! AHHHH! What WOULDN'T you want in that package!?!" For those of you that are frowning right now and saying, "My gosh Amanda, what are you reading?" Calm down. Your mother could read this book (though she might swoon too), and the way Sam and Megan's relationship goes is so honouring. It's actually a book I'd want my teenager to read. Sam and Megan burn hot, and still make good choices. If you like a great romance and some swoony werewolf fun - this is totally a book for you. </span></div><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Head over to amazon or whereever you buy your books and snap this one up. Super proud of my friend AJ for creating this fantasy world and these fabulous characters. Loved every minute of it! Heading for book 2 now....</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b><br /></b></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><span><b>Back Cover: </b></span><span face=""Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white;">Sam Wolfe has been in love with Megan Carmichael for years. Too bad she's off limits. She's human. He's not. When an accidental slip of his teeth endangers Megan and his entire werewolf pack, it's up to Sam to find a solution. Unbeknownst to them, Sam's bite has thrust Megan into the crosshairs of a killer. Sam and Megan must work together to find the threat, protect the pack, and maybe fall in love. But they better do it before the next full moon.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-88411922236183130392023-05-23T22:30:00.000-07:002023-05-23T22:30:00.937-07:00Long March Home by Tosca Lee<span style="font-family: times;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3agYMQSWTomFDrFq6pyIwyNzvCuqUyv9Ks3sjaasxLOSzYcnrSkRHu6VQwzWQie-ckt8My7yGoD6AQUVp0nwE7ZAzQjjEfGhU6VxyP_fRB2QVcO4CN2zKevAZQqdPd_OjqS80EcRIpJlVmsoUYIA-sznctAo5WNbljk5fgW6d10SaOToHgVolixXkeA/s438/march.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="290" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3agYMQSWTomFDrFq6pyIwyNzvCuqUyv9Ks3sjaasxLOSzYcnrSkRHu6VQwzWQie-ckt8My7yGoD6AQUVp0nwE7ZAzQjjEfGhU6VxyP_fRB2QVcO4CN2zKevAZQqdPd_OjqS80EcRIpJlVmsoUYIA-sznctAo5WNbljk5fgW6d10SaOToHgVolixXkeA/s320/march.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: black;"><br />
Inspired by true stories, <i>The Long March Home</i> is a gripping
coming-of-age tale of friendship, sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting hope.<br />
<br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: black;">Jimmy Propfield joined the army for two
reasons: to get out of Mobile, Alabama, with his best friends Hank and Billy
and to forget his high school sweetheart, Claire.</span><span style="color: black;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Life in the Philippines seems like
paradise--until the morning of December 8, 1941, when news comes from Manila:
Imperial Japan has bombed Pearl Harbor. Within hours, the teenage friends are
plunged into war as enemy warplanes attack Luzon, beginning a battle for
control of the Pacific theater that will culminate with a last stand on the
Bataan Peninsula and end with the largest surrender of American troops in
history.</span><br />
<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black;">What
follows will become known as one of the worst atrocities in modern warfare: the
Bataan Death March. With no hope of rescue, the three friends vow to make it
back home together. But the ordeal is only the beginning of their nearly
four-year fight to survive.</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Review:</span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;">This book hit all the feels. It
made me <i>cry....</i>really cry. Sad tears and happy tears. At first I
wasn't wild about how the book moved from past to present at regular intervals.
It kept me from really engaging with the story for a few chapters. HOWEVER, by
about a quarter the way through I was hooked so thoroughly I spent the entire
night reading. Have it noted, I <i>really</i> like my sleep, so
staying up all night is a deal. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;">Long March Home is a war story.
It's raw. It's brutal. It hurts to read at a lot of points. It feels way too
real. As I said before, it made me cry a few times. At the same time, I grew so
attached to the three best friends in this story - the 'brothers'. Their bond,
their commitment to each other... it is beautiful. This story draws you in and
makes sure that you are utterly and completely invested. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;">I wouldn't recommend this book
to a sensitive or young reader. It's a <i>war</i> story....like, see
Saving Private Ryan. The images painted on your mind from the words within this
book are probably there to stay. That being said, I really appreciated this
book and I was grateful to read it. Thank-you to Revell for the opportunity to
be part of the initial review team. </span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div></span></span>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-49435317189406604022023-05-22T14:58:00.006-07:002023-05-22T15:14:31.556-07:00The Divine and Cursed by J.E. Reed<p class="font_8 wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_2)); font-size: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: "palatino linotype", serif; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysH4Mks5NERe8aFPyN3IFZusCif-AgluU_Vf0IxpI5I5eAEYbfhZURLeg0RPBkcQH75FKCDSyQbtKwgY8VkAVUJlR7ih0IvYzqNIYYdvI8ZGYxvmSs-iHO3eKcNAXlZaKH-Q9BPz-TqBAsjrxnRkl0cQWmYvW6-2b1b9Di-EkzY4i7PUooYOYujVMRg/s600/divine%20and%20cursed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysH4Mks5NERe8aFPyN3IFZusCif-AgluU_Vf0IxpI5I5eAEYbfhZURLeg0RPBkcQH75FKCDSyQbtKwgY8VkAVUJlR7ih0IvYzqNIYYdvI8ZGYxvmSs-iHO3eKcNAXlZaKH-Q9BPz-TqBAsjrxnRkl0cQWmYvW6-2b1b9Di-EkzY4i7PUooYOYujVMRg/s320/divine%20and%20cursed.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: times;"><br />A queen in hiding. Two countries at war.</span><p></p><p class="font_8 wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_2)); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></p><p class="font_8 wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_2)); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: times; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When eighteen-year-old Arianna is stolen from her family and sold into slavery, she spends months disguised as a half-breed Fae, struggling against the devastations of a decade-long war. But she never expected to find herself at the mercy of her country’s greatest enemy.</span></span></p><p class="font_8 wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_2)); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></p><p class="font_8 wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_2)); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: times; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">General Rion is ruthless and commanding. He relishes in his reputation as The Demon–a vile creature incapable of love or compassion. With a secret no one can know, Arianna strives to placate him while plotting her escape, but sometimes fate has other plans and rumors can’t always be trusted.</span></span></p><p class="font_8 wixui-rich-text__text" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: rgb(var(--color_2)); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; pointer-events: auto; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></p><p><span color="rgb(var(--color_2))" style="font-family: times;">She’ll have to make a choice. Kill the most feared male on the continent or stay and let a forbidden bond take root. But what will happen when he discovers her secret?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"><b><span>Review:</span></b><span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">Swoony? Check.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;"> Enemies to
Lovers? Check. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: times;">I'd set the world
on fire before I'd let them harm one hair on your head? Check. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p><span style="color: black; font-family: times;">General Rion is an epic
character. His reputation is downright evil, but when Arianna lands up in his
clutches the questions of whether or not he deserves such a harsh reputation
begin to ignite. Don't get me wrong - the guy is a total bad ass - but there is
something more beneath that harsh surface. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times;">Arianna is a full blooded royal
fae, but the shackles that bind her rend her powerless. When she is thrown at
General Rion's feet, her only goal is to survive, no matter what he does to
her. That goal rapidly changes as Arianna begins to see that the general is not
at all what she thought him to be... and she realizes she'd rather burn the
world down than face it without him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black; font-family: times;">Reading "The Divine and
Cursed" was like eating a decadent chocolate bar - try and only taste a
little. I guarantee you wont be able to put it down. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: times;"> </span></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-34057650482280769722023-04-21T07:24:00.001-07:002023-04-21T07:24:04.458-07:00A Healer's Promise By Misty M Beller<p></p><p><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhQdHpB9UZBJ68OHLVOX4kmPkF0lX7GN2MWTYt7DyNf9mRNwMbFgO1coBEmznVBuQB5nMhoJZhtLAR3SyG__aACkTfZApeuz-uqvBPGHI7MOMMzMkOeMW5yN8rhy7kio-cx9wp_Q7Xw4BqcaSNP-rYXJRlCLCwKiUeYYW7BFsv_uRj0MQazOv_7Sfiw/s400/healer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAhQdHpB9UZBJ68OHLVOX4kmPkF0lX7GN2MWTYt7DyNf9mRNwMbFgO1coBEmznVBuQB5nMhoJZhtLAR3SyG__aACkTfZApeuz-uqvBPGHI7MOMMzMkOeMW5yN8rhy7kio-cx9wp_Q7Xw4BqcaSNP-rYXJRlCLCwKiUeYYW7BFsv_uRj0MQazOv_7Sfiw/s320/healer.jpg" width="207" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br />This is the second book in
a trilogy based on a hidden sanctuary of settlers that have isolated themselves
off from the world in a stony village called Laurent. They travelled from
Eurpose to escape the religious persecution they suffered there and built a
life for themselves where they could educate their children, live their lives,
and practice their faith in God. <o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">For a hundred years they remained
hidden.... but when a scout for the American Civil War finds their secret home
things begin to change. They learn that the French and English are no longer at
war over the New World, and they learn of the formation of this thing called
America. In the first book, the leader of their warriors, a woman, falls in
love with the scout. When he returns home, a spy catches wind of his discovery
and traces back his footsteps to also find the hidden sanctuary. Enter book
two. Levi is also a man that also loves and trusts God, but he has a job to do
and a war to help win.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Unfortunately, he is captured,
and being a spy doesn't lend well to the villagers of Laurent trusting him.
With his life at stake, the young healer Audrey panics and helps Levi escape.
His flight goes very wrong, and Audrey and Levi find themselves thrust together
in a battle for survival, trust, and forgiveness. I love the premise of the
Brides of Laurent series... and I really love the strong female characters that
grace their pages. I think Audrey may be my favourite. She is so sweet and
caring, and yet <i>brave. </i>Love her.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">If you haven't already,
certainly pick up a copy of this book. I really enjoyed it and I'm sure you
will too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b><span style="color: black;">Back Cover: </span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: black;"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></span></p>
<p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121;">She was
called to be a healer, but her skills--and heart--have never been so challenged.</span></b><span style="color: #212121;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<b style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span style="background: white;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
</span></b><span style="background: white;">Levi Masters's time as a British spy
hasn't ended, though his country's war with America has. After overhearing a
scout reveal a discovery that could give America the upper hand in future
conflicts, Levi is sent on one last mission. While trekking through the
Canadian Rockies in pursuit of his former enemy, he is taken captive by
warriors from a hidden mountain village.</span><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />
<span style="background: white;">Village healer Audrey Moreau is more curious
than afraid of the outsider, and she's drawn to his commitment to honesty even
at his own expense. Despite her arguments for his release, the council remains
at an impasse. Compelled to help him escape, she sneaks him out of the village.
But when Levi faces a life-threatening injury and the fierce mountain winter
closes in, Levi and Audrey are forced to discover just how far they'll go to
ensure the safety of the other and the love growing between them.</span></span><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"> </span></o:p></p><br /><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-60727476086001116102023-04-21T06:59:00.002-07:002023-04-21T06:59:49.024-07:00The Sun Still Rises<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgYydSglo1iRDmmeNDhY2GyOGsuJ_GoL0aqJId9P0QKQeeEdSbI6yB4vfCbqDmDukDIF0ehES1irxVSjvmzDj9zo76i-6lRDNnt9LOzJvRABEA4QjiCCtMKN-cTHrRXQk7YwDheOgC8X48ONoyxaUupEYpznfACv08bauGdJe2F7vrXXBbFc6mmZD4g/s474/the%20sn%20still%20rises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKgYydSglo1iRDmmeNDhY2GyOGsuJ_GoL0aqJId9P0QKQeeEdSbI6yB4vfCbqDmDukDIF0ehES1irxVSjvmzDj9zo76i-6lRDNnt9LOzJvRABEA4QjiCCtMKN-cTHrRXQk7YwDheOgC8X48ONoyxaUupEYpznfACv08bauGdJe2F7vrXXBbFc6mmZD4g/s320/the%20sn%20still%20rises.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">This is a love project.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">And I'm in love with it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lani Forbes was a young mom and author who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer after the birth of her son. Cancer stole her from her family rapidly. As a young mom myself, this makes me want to cry.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Our of the dark comes light, however, and an amazing group of incredibly talented authors have banded together to make up an anthology of fantasy short stories in her memory. I'm part way through reading them, and every single story has me asking for MORE. This is such an amazing passion project. I'd highly encourage you to purchase a copy. First, it's a great read. Second, all the procedes go to Lani's family. So pay up and enjoy. This is a chance to do something good and also receive something amazing in return. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Additional info from amazon.ca: <span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Light shines brightest in dark places…</span></div><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">A selfish empress slowly turns to gold. A highschooler's hallucinations reveal a dangerous new world of Faerie. An outcast battles shadow demons to save her people from the plague.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">This charity collection of YA fantasy stories celebrates the light found in dark places, just as Lani Forbes once embodied having hope in difficult times. Her spirit shines on through these beautiful, bittersweet tales full of fallen stars and fae princes, werewolves and magic wielders, samurai and smoky skies.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">Featuring stories from Ronie Kendig, Jill Williamson, Julie Hall, Carrie Anne Noble, S.D. Grimm, and more!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-83196002374725209592023-03-05T08:11:00.002-08:002023-03-05T08:11:33.075-08:00Everything is Just Beginning by Erin Bartels<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7fSrMQQUlcdl_WYPuS7oSXb6q-4jqWP-Xvs2UCS57-avH8RsPa6PQPv7uUUu_c9W-EG-5H4mSCCyHQp9Bm1psSPRo7X8hlXGwvAOHb7_4dP5f9fhgRb5J4q1gtNN14V3GOLGMZRFW1RC8FXT6B_8MZlJ4NnyDfPIBpH7RP1cDiHWxG9dTtTQ3X7Nlw/s400/bartels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="259" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7fSrMQQUlcdl_WYPuS7oSXb6q-4jqWP-Xvs2UCS57-avH8RsPa6PQPv7uUUu_c9W-EG-5H4mSCCyHQp9Bm1psSPRo7X8hlXGwvAOHb7_4dP5f9fhgRb5J4q1gtNN14V3GOLGMZRFW1RC8FXT6B_8MZlJ4NnyDfPIBpH7RP1cDiHWxG9dTtTQ3X7Nlw/s320/bartels.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Michael Sullivan is a talented lyricist and a decent guitarist, but since he was kicked out of his band (and his apartment), he's not sure he'll ever get a record deal. Living with his loser uncle in a beat-up trailer and working a dead-end job, Michael has little reason to hope for a better future. Until the invitation for a swanky New Year's Eve party shows up in the mailbox. It's for his uncle, with whom he shares his name, but his uncle is going out of town . . .</span><p></p><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">On the effervescent night of December 31, 1989--as the Berlin Wall is coming down, the Soviet Union is inching toward democracy, and anything seems possible--Michael will cross paths with the accomplished and enigmatic young heir to a fading musical dynasty, forever altering both of their futures.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Award-winning novelist Erin Bartels enchants with this story of two lonely souls who have exactly what the other one needs--if they could simply turn their focus from what is ending to what is just beginning</span><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">.</i><div><i style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Proxima Nova", Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></i></div><div><span style="color: #1e1915; font-family: Proxima Nova, Montserrat, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Review: </b></span></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Can
I just fangirl over how many power-author's have released books in early 2023?
We've had Laura Frantz, Erin Bartels, Roseanna M White... just to name a few.
Baker Publishing House is outdoing itself! Regarding Erin Bartels, she is a
newer author to my bookshelves but one that I plan on following for as long as
she keeps writing. Her way with words is simply exquisite and her skill with
plot and prose is enviable. I always find her work deep and thought provoking,
and feel carried away on the wings of her stories. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Everything
Is Just Beginning is the story of just that, new beginnings. Michael has lost
his band mates and finds himself living with his deadend uncle working a job he
never saw himself doing. Life is not turning out the way he wanted. When an
invitation come to a high profile event, Michael seizes the opportunity to
attend even though the invitation is marked for his uncle and not him. Posing
as someone he is not, Michael gains entrance to a world and a girl he'd never
have met otherwise. Though the story starts with duplicity, Michael begins his
journey of learning what love, forgiveness, and authenticity really
mean. The ongoing theme of this story was certainly forgiveness and the
discovery of self worth and purpose. I enjoyed following Michael and Natalie
along as they navigated their budding relationship, the building of mutual
trust, and the budding of Michael's musical talents. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Lastly, the cover! Oh....my goodness. I love it. It is so beautiful. Even if I didn't know Erin Bartels I would have requested this book just because it is SO pretty!</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #1e1915; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thank-you
to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing House for a copy of this
book. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-38448208947367740392023-03-05T07:48:00.002-08:002023-03-05T07:48:31.366-08:00Yesterday's Tides by Roseanna M. White<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Djhzcvd-oX_HKRIiqegwq94tYyHCBlFfLjZCBGl4KqgvFkqS9dfK1rELq_hM6pWgcfDVOSCnB8OtTjR43msZ8AYboNIRgXrNGNbqa_RvHywaF-R8mvzmd8T6H2Y0gyV2TZ1yw-btqQ86D40lrySj18FpQl2StEB5oomfbLOSw0oYgYuHZOionae1ig/s500/tides.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="323" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Djhzcvd-oX_HKRIiqegwq94tYyHCBlFfLjZCBGl4KqgvFkqS9dfK1rELq_hM6pWgcfDVOSCnB8OtTjR43msZ8AYboNIRgXrNGNbqa_RvHywaF-R8mvzmd8T6H2Y0gyV2TZ1yw-btqQ86D40lrySj18FpQl2StEB5oomfbLOSw0oYgYuHZOionae1ig/s320/tides.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 700;">In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations</span><p></p><span class="a-text-bold a-text-italic" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic !important; font-weight: 700 !important;"><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /></span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same--until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie's inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling's injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he's tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper's daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.<br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" />As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling's lives in World War II, it seems yesterday's tides may sweep them all into danger again today.</span><div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Amazon Ember", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><b>Review: </b></span></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Roseanna
M. White is another author whose work I will pick up to read without
hesitation. I don't need to read the back cover or have any synopsis. I just
know that if she wrote it, it is well researched and beautifully written. Have
I mentioned how much I enjoy her writing?</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">As
seems to be popular right now, this novel is written from two different time
periods/perspectives. Honestly, I've never been a big fan of this, but White
does a good job of pulling it off. The stories of both Evie (1942) and Louisa
(1914) will keep you turning the pages and cheering for the characters
entangled in the Great Wars. The only thing that I struggled with was
how <i>fast</i> the story went and accelerated their stories were. I
feel like this is a drawback of dual time lines and trying to fit <i>so
much story </i>into one book. Honestly, both stories could have used their
own book and simply more page time to develop their relationships.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">That
being said... It's Roseanna White and she does an amazing job of writing
stories that refuse to leave your mind for days or weeks after.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thank-you
to Graf Martin Communications and Baker Publishing for a copy of this
book. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-40815554755269029792023-03-05T07:33:00.001-08:002023-03-05T07:33:15.778-08:00What Happens Next by Christina Suzann Nelson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7pQoWztmtMBULix2lqR8-45AtYmmfdtC5EqZWMokPC7Hy43mmL9jmhaahJMFJxLLY3Luyo_ZkXEINndjkekvxw_SRAw_nQLjHOLjpNYlQgZaMz-vWvYHfL0-HZkFDtwdgb7HK5srZZ1U-xMGmw_vW9v8VYTNoHpPEtp6BHqdrLfTpgUwUtXY0gIJvQ/s499/next.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="324" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib7pQoWztmtMBULix2lqR8-45AtYmmfdtC5EqZWMokPC7Hy43mmL9jmhaahJMFJxLLY3Luyo_ZkXEINndjkekvxw_SRAw_nQLjHOLjpNYlQgZaMz-vWvYHfL0-HZkFDtwdgb7HK5srZZ1U-xMGmw_vW9v8VYTNoHpPEtp6BHqdrLfTpgUwUtXY0gIJvQ/s320/next.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Popular podcaster and ex-reporter Faith Byrne made
a name for herself telling stories of greatness after tragedy--but her real
life does not mirror the stories she tells. While her daughters spend the
summer in Hawaii with her ex-husband and his new wife, she must manage life on
her own. All of that changes when she's asked to spotlight her childhood best
friend's missing person case on her podcast.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Dora Crane has never accepted that her younger
daughter could be dead, keeping her home looking the same as when her daughter
disappeared. But when her husband leaves her and her older daughter intervenes,
she agrees to counseling and to pack up her missing daughter's belongings under
one condition: Faith Byrne comes to Deep Valley and sheds light on the cold
case.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">As the long-abandoned investigation moves
forward, old wounds and long-buried secrets are exposed. Will these two women,
whose lives have never been the same, finally get the answers they need to
reconcile the past and the future?</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Review:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> If
you are looking for a story that will wring your heart out and leave it mended
but never the same, this is your book. How is it that readers love stories that
wreck them? That make them stay up way too late and bawl their eyes out? I'll
leave that question for later.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">What
Happens Next was a moving story, that really highlighted how our lives are inexplicitly
interconnected. Even when whole lives are lived apart, the shadows and lights
from the past will always tint the future... This heart-rending story takes
place from the point of view of Heather, the young girl who ultimately goes
missing, and Dora (her mother) and Faith (a reporter). The points of view are seamlessly
done and work together to bring together the full story.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #0f1111; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thank-you
to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing House for a copy of this
book. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-6100485664226603632023-03-05T07:02:00.002-08:002023-03-05T07:02:23.888-08:00The Rose and the Thistle by Laura Frantz<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Jydh_HvgJ5fJMyW-06SqUAgqZzG5T7EpS8FnXCXnbVig_g8Zj8Q52pZrNmS1p3cOMwM6cO1ALeFi4HH5uvIIWGfbBL2EGpX_J9WE6aM3B428LKZH9X8pfrfflq71AvHXqS-oTY931-e62ybJejx7qp5KY-FzQRAu7FX4UkNJPUKUYPn_6LYBObmdYQ/s440/thistle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8Jydh_HvgJ5fJMyW-06SqUAgqZzG5T7EpS8FnXCXnbVig_g8Zj8Q52pZrNmS1p3cOMwM6cO1ALeFi4HH5uvIIWGfbBL2EGpX_J9WE6aM3B428LKZH9X8pfrfflq71AvHXqS-oTY931-e62ybJejx7qp5KY-FzQRAu7FX4UkNJPUKUYPn_6LYBObmdYQ/s320/thistle.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">In
1715, Lady Blythe Hedley's father is declared an enemy of the British crown
because of his Jacobite sympathies, forcing her to flee her home in northern
England. Secreted to the tower of Wedderburn Castle in Scotland, Blythe quietly
awaits the crowning of a new king. But in a house with seven sons and numerous
servants, her presence soon becomes known.</span><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">No sooner has Everard Hume lost his father, Lord
Wedderburn, than Lady Hedley arrives with her maid in tow. He has his own
problems--a volatile brother with dangerous political leanings, an estate to
manage, and a very young brother in need of comfort and direction. It would be
best for everyone if he could send this misfit heiress on her way as soon as
possible.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">In this whirlwind of intrigue, ambitions, and
shifting alliances, Blythe yearns for someone she can trust. But the same
forces that draw her and Everard together also threaten to tear them apart.</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Review:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> I
could not put this book down. I told myself before I started it that I was
going to read it <i>slowly</i> and enjoy it. That I would study
Frantz’s amazing and enviable writing style and savour each word of this story.
However, I devoured this book like I drink my favourite lattes - with no sense
of self control at all. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">"The
Rose and Thistle" kept my up waaay past my bedtime, as putting it down in leu
of sleep was out of the question. The descriptions in this book made me <i>feel</i> like
I was in France, England, and finally Scotland. The imagery painted within the
pages transported me across the sea and gave me an amazing glimpse into what
the world would have looked like for someone like Lady Blythe. The detail in
this exquisite story was breathtaking. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">As
for Lady Blythe, she was a delight to follow through the pages. She is
dignified, brave, brilliant, and unafraid to know her own mind. She is devout,
loyal, and passionate - a worthy heroine. And Everard? Well... swoon worthy. He
is a braw Scotsman noble with the height, Scottish burr, and heart to make
anyone swoon, and I very much admired Lady Blythe for staying on her
feet. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The
love story between these two is so romantic, but just incase you thought you
could get comfortable reading a simple love story .... nope. Throw in the
Jacobite Revolution and you have a hot mess of a story. Lady Blythe's position
as the daughter of a powerful Jacobite puts her right in the cross hairs of a
vengeful ruler, and Everard's status as a warrior forces him to draw arms for
the opposing side. If you know your history, you know what a devastating time
this was for many people, and the same goes for Lady Blythe and Evaerard in
this story.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">The
only cautions I have in this story are centered around Lady Blythe's Catholicism.
She is a staunch Jacobite, and yet, she seems to throw away her faith (in name
only) in order to marry Everard and neither of them seem to have a problem with
that... going so far as to say that there are many roads that lead to
salvation. Not in my Bible. There is one road that leads to heaven, and that is
through salvation in Jesus Christ alone. Period. So, from a faith
perspective, I disagreed with this book.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Otherwise,
a wonderfully written (of course) and beautiful story. Thank-you to Graf Martin
Communications and to Baker Publishing for a copy of this book. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br />Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5974265494093639565.post-30392137204757666382023-03-05T06:36:00.000-08:002023-03-05T06:36:00.513-08:00To Win A Prince by Toni Shiloh<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gKohrtgiQ2D00SF3OE7wm7Le6CsUcQombbsv75LS57xp6XV4qdfaZkhRtBVQPJNsGikRbjSLKSlIAJvbQICzGdicqQJfqI3IgaMO1H61OB31qknPRCmnOZbJdT4uM07-NtnlBBOXdPUg8XukkutzHwt9m3e495fye8DDOoBs-280n2aC0hQT7jvJ-g/s440/win.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="285" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8gKohrtgiQ2D00SF3OE7wm7Le6CsUcQombbsv75LS57xp6XV4qdfaZkhRtBVQPJNsGikRbjSLKSlIAJvbQICzGdicqQJfqI3IgaMO1H61OB31qknPRCmnOZbJdT4uM07-NtnlBBOXdPUg8XukkutzHwt9m3e495fye8DDOoBs-280n2aC0hQT7jvJ-g/s320/win.jpg" width="207" /></a></div><br /><p align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: center;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br />
</span><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">As a fashion aficionado and best friend of the
queen of the African island country Ọlọrọ Ilé, Iris Blakely dreams of using her
talent to start a sustainable clothing line to help citizens in impoverished
areas and honor the country's resources. But when she discovers that Ekon
Diallo--the man who betrayed her best friend--will be her business consultant,
the battle between her desires and reality begins.</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">Ekon Diallo has lost everything: his princely
title, his material possessions, his friends, and the respect of his fellow
Ọlọrans. To pay for his actions against Ọlọrọ Ilé, he's forced to assist the
charismatic Iris Blakely--but he can't allow his heart to distract him from
regaining his status.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">Though they come from vastly different worlds,
Iris and Ekon are both determined to reach their goals, and the only way to do
that is to work together--if they can just keep their hearts from getting in
the way . . .</span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Review:</span></b><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"> I
was so glad to receive the sequel to "In Search of a Prince" by Toni
Shiloh. Last year, I had the pleasure of reading Toni's first book, which
centered on Brielle. Do you remember the movie from the 90's, "The
Princess Diaries"? Well, "In Search of a Prince" was an
adorable, faith-based, and wonderful spin-off of that fun movie where Brielle,
an American girl, finds out that she is actually heir to the throne of an
African country called Ọlọrọ Ilé.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Brielle's
best friend, Iris Blakely, is Brielle's stalwart supporter and she definitely
deserved her own book. Iris is a budding fashion designer, and as Brielle takes
over ruling Ọlọrọ Ilé, Iris' dream to bring the textile industry to her
friend's country blossoms. However, Iris is a fashion designer - not a business
woman - and both skills will be needed to run a successful non-for-profit
organization. Enter, Ekon Diallo, a prince who has lost his position, wealth,
and status due to his part in the unscrupulous plots of his sister and her
slimy attempts to overthrow Brielle. Ekon has lost pretty much everything. Not
only has the pampered prince been literally dropped into the squalling ocean of
'real life' (where he must cook for himself, rent a taxi, and dress himself!)
but he is also tasked with community service hours as punishment. His task?
Help Iris get her business off the ground. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">From
the start, sparks fly between Ekon and Irish. This story is a wonderful one,
but one of my favourite aspects is not Iris and Ekon (though they are sooo
cute), but Ekon's search and eventual discovery of his faith in Jesus Christ.
His journey through this story is beautiful, and I really enjoyed reading it.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="background: white; color: #212121; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;">Thankyou
to Graf Martin Communications and to Baker Publishing for a copy of this sweet
read. </span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-CA;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><br /></div><p></p>Amanda Wrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12880866743059541076noreply@blogger.com0