How I Broke Up With My Colon Book Review

Title: How I Broke Up With My Colon

Author: Nick Seluk

Genre: Nonfiction, Humor, Graphic, Comic Strip, Series.

Plot: The Awkward Yeti is a hilarious comic strip created by talented artist Nick Seluk and this is one of the books in the series featuring artistically retold stories of the funny, fascinating and bizarre medical stories readers shared with Nick.

There are 24 stories in all and each feature humorous internal organs such as Stomach, Gallbladder and two very productive kidneys, to name a few. Readers will love this collection of the medically graphic.

Likes/Dislikes: I follow The Awkward Yeti on Instagram and really enjoy the banter between Heart and Brain (who are not in this book) so getting the chance to read and review this book was a real treat. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My favorite story was the sea shell snail story. There's a lot of blood in a couple of the stories but no one dies and I wouldn't describe it as horrendously graphic but I'll mention it anyways just in case. All in all, an enjoyable book.

Rating: PG-14 and up, because of blood.

Date Reviewed: January 24th, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive opinion and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Search For Rasha Book Review

Title: The Search For Rasha

Author: Paul B. Skousen

Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Sequel, Action/Adventure, Ancient Egypt.

Plot: As is the way with sequels and adventures, things are going well and all seems to be heading toward a lovely happy ending until the unthinkable happens. Rasha is kidnapped and dragged off into the desert by bandits, leaving her lover Bassam determined to save her.

But crossing the great Sahara to rescue his sweetheart will test Bassam in ways he hasn't been tested before and the rescue mission could go horribly wrong.

Likes/Dislikes: This is a sequel, which I didn't know when I picked it up, but it is set in Ancient Egypt and weaves a very exciting story. It just would've meant more to me if I had read the backstory. This isn't about the love blossoming between Bassam and Rasha, it is about their continuing relationship and trying to save and preserve their lives. It was very well written and very well researched.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Reviewed: January 22nd, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion and I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Ice Maid's Tail Book Review

Title: The Ice Maid's Tail

Author: Mandy Morton

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Cats, Series, Fantasy.

Plot: Blizzard after freezing blizzard buries the tiny feline town in feet of cold frozen snow. Food becomes scarce in some households and a deep chill settles into the bones of the furry residents. Hettie Bagshot and Tilly Jenkins eventually emerge from their tiny home to scout out the neighbors and perform several rescue attempts for snowed-in friends. When they are out delivering food with Bruiser and Poppa, they get word from their friend Fluff that kittens have gone missing in the snow,

Knowing the odds of finding the poor frozen kittens alive are slim, Hettie and Tilly get down to business immediately and make the acquiescence of the snowed in residents of the Wither-Fork Woods estate - including the odd couple fostering orphan kittens. Have the kittens simply run away or is something more sinister afoot?

Likes/Dislikes: This book caught my eye because it appeared to be a mystery where everything is normal except for the teeny tiny fact that everyone is a cat and, to my delight, this is true! All of the characters are cats and they act like civilized humanoid cats, complete with wearing clothes, talking and living in big houses. I loved it!! The mystery itself was very interesting and certainly unique. This is the 8th book in the series and I haven't read any of the other books but it stood up very nicely on its own. I look forward to more adventures with Hettie and Tilly!

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for content (hints of witchcraft, ghosts, bloody deaths, etc. but nothing graphic)

Date Reviewed: January 22nd, 2020

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

It's A Love Story Book Review

Title: It's A Love Story


Author: Lincee Ray

Genre: Christian, Nonfiction, Memoir, Humor, Sequel

Plot: If Hollywood is any reliable indicator, we all love a good love story. If there is rain, a tall dark handsome hero and chocolate thrown in, all the better! We could spend our whole lives surrounded by things we love, enjoying the people we love and doing the activities we love.

So why don't we? We enjoy those things for a reason and they make us happier than other things. Why not own up to the factor that we are addicted to Cadbury eggs and can only watch The Bachelor in our fuzzy socks? Those things that we love make us who we are and ultimately, the ability to love these things comes from the One who loved us so much that He gave the ultimate sacrifice. Trying to fill that void inside with cookies and concert tickets is a temporary band-aid for the true love we are all looking for. But until we get that unconditional love, we can at least enjoy those other void-fillers.

Likes/Dislikes: I enjoyed I Hate Green Beans quite a lot more than I expected to so I got very excited to see a second book by Ray. This book doesn't go on about The Bachelor in fine detail; instead, it covers lots of things that Ray loves. Concerts on summer nights, fishing with her niece, watching humanity come together after a horrific hurricane and the simple joy of a classic Disney princess movie. All of these little pieces make up Lincee Ray and prompt us to examine the little pieces that make us up. We might be over the moon for brownies or enjoy walks by the beach with amazing sunsets in the background. We were designed with the ability to love because our God loves us and wants us to be able to love. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to more by Lincee Ray.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level

Date Reviewed: May 7th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Revel Bloggers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions in the above review are my own.

The Warrior Maiden Book Review

Title: The Warrior Maiden

Author: Melanie Dickerson

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Fairy Tale Retelling, Christian, Romance, Action/Adventure, Series

Plot: Mulan is 18 years old and resigned to the fact that she will have to marry someday to take care of her mother. But Mulan has big dreams to see the world and do more with her life than just cooking, cleaning and having babies. She wants a different existence than that of her long-suffering mother. So when the opportunity arises out of unfortunate circumstances, Mulan doesn't miss a beat and takes it. But will her risk be worth it or would it have been better to marry the butcher's son instead?

Wolfgang is the son of a duke but on the battlefield he is just a 20 year old boy trying to prove himself just like all the other soldiers. Like the short archer who nearly bested him in the competition, Wolfgang has his secrets and holds them close. But when he accidentally discover's Mulan's secret, will he be able to add it to his list of secrets or will everything collapse around him?

Likes/Dislikes: This is the 9th book in a series with an established world and characters peppered from previous books. That being said, this book reads like it is a stand-alone so we shouldn't get too lost. Unfortunately, this book was not at all what I was hoping to read. I adore the story of Mulan and really wanted a cool retelling where the character is just as butch, tough and feminine as the original. This version of Mulan is frustrating. She is the stereotypical unusual beauty who doesn't fit in with her little village and is clumsy. She overthinks the littlest things. Furthermore, the story itself was frustrating. They all meet up for some random competitions and then immediately go out to battle followed by another battle and then another one in such rapid succession that there is hardly any breathing room. In that span of that week, Mulan crushes hard on the only handsome dude around and her secret gets discovered by him.

Needless to say, this was not the right book for me to enjoy from all of these minor but annoying plot decisions and I did not finish the story.

Rating: PG-15 and up, mainly for reading level (nothing graphic)

Date Review Written: April 27th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Booklook Bloggers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Daughter Of The House Book Review

Title: Daughter Of The House


Author: Victoria Cornwall

Genre: Fiction, Romance, Historical Fiction, Series,

Plot: Twelve year old Evelyn Pendragon is young, spirited and curious about the world around her but hedged in by society's rules, expectations and opinions of her gender. She adores her gentle governess Miss Brown but longs for her parents' love and attention. Still, she is content with the company of her loving older brother Nicholas.

Right as her life is about to drastically and tragically change, Evelyn makes a new friend. Drake Vennor is a year older than Evelyn with ambitions to become the greatest landscape gardener of the century. To accomplish this, he becomes an apprentice gardener on the Pendragon estate and slowly falls in love with the lonely daughter of the house.

As the years crawl, creep and fly by, society and the expectations of a bygone era will test Evelyn and Drake to the breaking point.

Likes/Dislikes: I'm not entirely sure what I expected from this book and am still not completely sure I liked what I got. The bulk of the story occurs when Evelyn and Drake are teenagers, laying the foundation for the rest of the story but making me wonder when they would grow up and fight back like adults. Once that happened, the sense of timing was weird. They really should have waited a day or two before trying to elope - they probably would've succeeded with more planning in that regard. And the final twist at the end with Mawgan was predictable. I also didn't care for the cliche of one night together leads to a baby but I liked how it tied in with all the other dads and babies running around in the story. All in all, while it is not my favorite story, it wasn't a bad story either.

Rating: PG-17 and up, mainly for reading level and content (one rather mildly graphic sex scene and lots of implications and suggestions sprinkled throughout)

Date Review Written: April 12th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Choc Lit. Publishers and wasn't required tow rite a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

A Royal Pain Book Review

Title: A Royal Pain


Author: Rhys Bowen

Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Mystery, Series, Romance, Action/Adventure, 1930s, England, Royalty

Plot: Thirty-fourth in line for the throne might hold sway in Harrods department store but not in the areas where it counts. Georgiana is twenty-two and living on her in the family house in London and just barely getting by. She makes a half living by opening people's houses for them when they come to town but the season is ending. Furthermore, her family wants her to marry a prince she doesn't care for and she has fallen madly in love with a very unsuitable Catholic Irish boy.

As if all of that wasn't enough on her plate already, the Queen decides that Georgiana is the perfect person to play host to a young German princess just out of a convent school. The Queen is hoping to pair the princess with her wayward oldest son but needs to do it subtly. Unfortunately, Georgi has no money, no maid and this princess talks American like a real gangster. On top of that, people start dying all around her. So inconsiderate of them.

Likes/Dislikes: I'm not entirely sure why I like this series as it is rather girlish in character and wording. Most of Georgi's problems irritate me since I can see several different ways for her to get out of them. But I like Darcy and I really like Belinda. I wish Belinda was in the stories a lot more than she actually is. She just kind of flits in and out with a new boyfriend every few chapters. There was one spot in this particular story where Georgi is almost raped but it isn't graphic and she gets away. It still should be mentioned for trigger warnings. This is the second book in the series.

Rating: PG-16 and up, mainly for content (talk of sex, attempted rape, murders)

Date Review Written: March 15th, 2019

Herding Cats Book Review

Title: Herding Cats


Author: Sarah Andersen

Genre: Fiction, Comic, Art, Young Adult,

Plot: Sarah Andersen took to the vast internet to display her budding creativity and found a niche that suited her perfectly. She also just so happened to strike a cord with her audience of socially awkward millennials who could relate very strongly to her comics. This quickly propelled her to a position of fame in the internet-fueled artist's world.

But what exactly is fame like for a modern day comic artist? There are hordes of pets, the daily battle of getting up for work vs staying in bed all day is a hard one and every day is the same unless it is fall. Then every day is glorious till the leaves die and Halloween is all done. So to sum up, life is pretty much the same regardless of your level of fame. But we can still enjoy this great collection of life through an artist's eyes.

Likes/Dislikes: I already liked Sarah's comics just from seeing them on social media so coming across this book was a treasure. It turns out that this is her third published collection which means I have some back-reading to do but that is always fun. Sometimes I start series in the middle on purpose just to make sure it will be worth all my time and emotional investment. In this particular edition, we get a peek at what life is like for Sarah now that she is famous (it's not that different) as well as seeing her reactions to cute dogs, what she does based on the seasons (it's indoors all year round except when it's fall), and several other fun panels. There is also an illustrated essay for young artists looking to share their work on the internet and another one on how to deal with cruel internet trolls. All in all, a great one-sitting read that will brighten anyone's day.

Rating: PG-12 and up, mainly for content (it's clean, just might fly over kids' heads. My toddler just likes the dog pictures).

Date Review Written: February 22nd, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley, lost that copy and then looked it up at my local library. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Murder From Scratch Book Review

Title: Murder From Scratch

Author: Leslie Karst

Genre: Murder Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Fiction, Sequel,

Plot: Sally Solari grew up in the restaurant business and is still heavily involved with it. Except instead of working for her dad in the family restaurant, she now runs her very own establishment. Inherited from a great aunt, the Gauguin is a tidy trendy little place filled with irate chefs and plenty of delicious smells. When Sally gets a craving for some family cooking, she drops by her dad's place and gets more than she bargained for. A distant cousin needs a place to live with her dog and Sally has an available couch.

It turns out that cousin Evelyn is super sweet, blind and recently in the news. Her mother was found dead in the house one day. But because of Evelyn's disability, she has plenty of reason to think her mother's death wasn't an accident. Sally, every resourceful and just a tad too nosy for her own good, takes up the case.

Likes/Dislikes: I love cozy murder mysteries and foodie stories. This sounds like the perfect combination with the added element of a blind character essential to the plot. Unfortunately, Sally didn't jump off the page at me and the mystery set up wasn't enough to hook me and draw me in to finish the story. The writing style was cozy but also a bit slow and off. It felt like a lot of the descriptions and dialogue taking place were only there to hit the word count and did nothing to paint the scene or propel the story forward. Ah well, there's always a hit and a miss with mysteries.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for content (it's a murder mystery).

Date Review Written: February 14th, 2019

I received a copy of this courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions in the above review are my own.

Murders And Metaphors Book Review

Title: Murders and Metaphors


Author: Amanda Flower

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Bookshop, Sequel, Winter,

Plot: Violet Waverly does not like winter and January in the Niagara Falls region is known for harsh and bitterly cold winters. Since she can't spend the cold season curled up indoors with a book, she helps her grandma Daisy run their magical bookshop while she secretly cares for the magical tree living inside the bookshop. On top of that, she sits in on the local writing group and teaches two days a week at the nearby college while procrastinating on her dissertation.

So it would seem that her hands are pretty full. Throw in a murder and now Violet is busier than ever. Charming Books and the Mortons' vineyard cooperate to host a book signing for local celebrity author Belinda; but when Belinda is found dead, old wounds reopen and Violet must dig deep to prove that her friend is not the killer. And this time, the bookshop's hints are not very helpful at all.

Likes/Dislikes: This is the third book in an enchanting series which I've just discovered. It is obviously a sequel but stands well on its own without confusing the newbie reader or spoiling any previous mysteries. It is also very unique. The bookshop is magic with the books flying around and popping up in odd places, there is a talking crow and an adorable kitty cat. The chief of police is a Native American which is not something we see everyday and the author is a Christian which is rare where murder mysteries and magic are concerned. I loved it! I would've picked someone else as the killer because it felt too obvious to me but the whole mystery kept me intrigued and following along happily. While the idea of the bookshop trying to help and using Little Women to provide clues was neat, I felt that it ultimately distracted from the whole mystery and did nothing to provide any clues at all. A different book would've been a better choice. All in all, a good mystery.

Rating: PG-14 and up,mainly for content (it's a murder mystery)

Date Review Written: February 1st, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Pie Hard Book Review

Title: Pie Hard

Author: Kirsten Weiss

Genre: Murder Mystery, Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Food, TV Reality, Sequel

Plot: Val Harris has her own little cozy pie shop that is doing well. It's not going to make her rich anytime soon but she's not living on the street either and has employees so that's a plus. She lives in a little converted shipping container and her landlady is her friend and employee, Charlene. Together they form Baker Street Bakers and stick their noses into trouble whenever trouble comes around. Detective Grumpy Cop supports her meddling - with the argument that she needs a PI license first.

Val has her hands full when Charlene surprises her with a reality TV crew to film their little pie shop for their show, Pie Hard. Uncertain but lured in with the promise of publicity, Val reluctantly goes along with the scheme. When producer Regina turns up dead, Val decides that TV reality might not be so hot for business after all.

Likes/Dislikes: A pie shop isn't something you hear about every day and a murder mystery with a reality tv crew always sounds intriguing. Unfortunately, this mystery never quite gripped me like previous mysteries. I didn't feel connected to or interested in the characters (I don't really know how old they are or what they look like either). And I really would've had Maureen be the killer because it would've stumped my husband. But I liked the pies and the recipes at the back of the book and I liked Grumpy Cop (whose name eludes me because of reasons), and I thought it was a well-constructed mystery that kept me guessing till the end. It just won't top my favorites list.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for content (it's a murder mystery).

Date Review Written: February 1st, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Restaurant Weeks Are Murder Book Review

Title: Restaurant Weeks Are Murder


Author: Libby Klein

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Cozy Mystery, Murder Mystery, Food Competition, Romance, Sequel,

Plot: Poppy McAllister is busy opening a cozy little Bed and Breakfast on Jersey Shore with her aunt Ginny while baking delicious gluten-free and other Paleo treats with her Italian boyfriend Gia in his little shop. Thus her hands are quite full, but she still agreed to join her ex-fiance Tim and his assistant in an intense cooking competition meant to boost his restaurant's publicity.

In a convenient twist of fate, the four celebrity judges and two chatty hosts end up staying in Poppy's little b&b for the intense competition week. This gives her some handy publicity as well as some insider clues as to everyone's personalities. On day one, sparks are flying with ingredient sabotage. This only escalates into fist-fights, equipment sabotage and finally, cold-blooded murder. Who could possibly committed such a cruel crime and is anyone else in danger?

Likes/Dislikes: This is a sequel and throws us into the chaos at the beginning, so several characters aren't clearly introduced but we are expected to just roll with them. It was an easy read that had a big enough pool of suspects to keep me guessing while not overwhelming with all the different characters to keep track of. I loved the use of accents to help differentiate the characters. I don't like love triangles though and the cliffhanger was very frustrating, but it added an extra element to the story which was nice. It was hard to tell how old Poppy is. And I loved her aunt Ginny and her cat; they were a riot! All in all, a very entertaining and humorous story. I'm definitely going to look up the prequels now.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for content (hints of affairs, nothing graphic)

Date Review Written: January 24th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions in the above review are my own.

Cherry Scones And Broken Bones Book Review

Title: Cherry Scones And Broken Bones


Author: Darci Hannah

Genre: Fiction, Cozy Mystery, Food, Bed and Breakfast, Murder Mystery, Romance, Sequel,

Plot: Whitney went from high powered and stressed out advertising executive to cherry baker and running her family bed and breakfast. All it took for this drastic change of pace was a painfully misplaced ad during the Super Bowl and murder. Now she's firmly settled into a nice baking routine and there are now guests in the b&b, thanks to her advertising skills and price slashing techniques.

To further boost their publicity, celebrated portrait artist Silvia Lumiere has booked a room for the whole summer. She comes every year to spend the summer painting and mingling with the locals who all adore her or simply tolerate her, depending on their personality. While Whitney has high hopes, these quickly evaporate under the never-ending stream of complaints and verbal abuse heaped on her by Silvia.

When Silvia turns up dead, no one is really too surprised. But Whitney must work to clear her name and save the reputation of her little bed and breakfast while she still can.

Likes/Dislikes: This is a sequel and reads like one in several places but can fully stand on its own just fine. I was able to meet all the characters, pick up on the backstory and enjoy this mystery without becoming confused or spoiling the first mystery (which is excellent because now I want to go read it!). The formatting was a bit off and several words were only half there so some translating was required but this will be fixed in editing before publishing, I'm sure of it. One minor annoying thing was that Jack's hair was described as ginger in the first half and then cinnamon in the second half; which color is it supposed to be? During another scene, everyone wades in waist deep water. It is only after doing this that a character decides he needs to completely strip before swimming back to the boat. Other than those little things, this was an excellent book and I look forward to more cherry delights!

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for content (lots of talk of sexual harassment from an older female character but nothing graphic)

Date Review Written: January 24th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Six Cats A Slayin Book Review

Title: Six Cats A Slayin


Author: Miranda James

Genre: Fiction, Mystery, Christmas, Cats,

Plot: Charlie Harris has a nice routine down with a cozy schedule. He and his fluffy Maine Coon cat, Diesel, are getting set to rock Christmas and settle in for the holidays. But they weren't expecting a basket full of new arrivals for the holidays. With curious kittens wandering the house in need of a permanent home, Charlie doesn't think he needs anything else on his plate right now.

But when curiosity over the suspicious new neighbor turns deadly, Charlie and his friends find themselves knee-deep in a murder mystery. And all he wanted to do was a nice quiet Christmas and enjoy his new grandbaby.

Likes/Dislikes: I gave this book a really good try but the writing had a disjointed jarring feel to it and the conversations between the characters were all clipped and short. I really enjoyed the references to other books I've read and the adorable little kittens, but I don't think Charlie and I will be solving any mysteries together for awhile.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level.

Date Review Written: January 19th, 2019

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netglley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

God Bless Our Christmas Book Review

Title: God Bless Our Christmas


Author: Hannah C. Hall

Genre: Christian, Children, Christmas, Series, Animals, Board Book

Plot: Christmas comes only once a year. With all the anticipation, sometimes we can get a little too wrapped up in waiting for it and then enjoying to remember what it is supposed to be about. So here is a little book to help with that.

From the polar bear family to a fluffy little owl, each family gives thanks for their own special Christmas day as well as the greatest gift of all. From gift wrapping with care to snow angels and hot cocoa with friends and baking delicious cookies with grandma, Christmas is a magical time for everyone.

Likes/Dislikes: This is an adorable book and my kids loved it! My only complaints are that on the very first page, a line is written in red ink and then highlighted in white to make it look special but it just makes it hard to read, and the whole story takes place on Christmas day rather than having a couple of pages leading up to it. But all in all, adorable and I highly recommend it to everyone.

Rating: G-all ages

Date Review Written: January 8th, 2019

The Bride of Ivy Green Book Review

Title: The Bride Of Ivy Green


Author: Julie Klassen

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Series, Regency England

Plot: Mercy Groove has closed down her precious little school and anxiously awaits the arrival of her brother and his new wife from their honeymoon. Life soon settles into a new uncomfortable groove for them and Mercy decides to take the only option left open for her. So she moves to Fairmount House with Mr. Drake and his newly discovered little daughter as the governess. This position puts her closer to her handsome carpenter crush. Sadly, he doesn't seem to have much time for her right now and Mr. Drake does.

Meanwhile, Jane is torn between the man she loves and the inn she rebuilt and depends upon. But when a tragic accident occurs, Jane must make her decision before she waits too long and misses her one chance at happiness again.

With so much life crammed into one small village, not many secrets are left to spill. But one newcomer might just change all of that. The conclusion to the many intertwined adventures in Ivy Hill will have readers swooning.

Likes/Dislikes: I loved this book! It was so good to be back in Ivy Hill and I really hope more books set here will be forthcoming. I loved having Mercy as the main character more so than Rachel this time, and so pleased with her happy-ending. Jane was a touch annoying to me; she procrastinates her decision and then changes her mind so fast I'm surprised she didn't give everyone whiplash. Thankfully (as with all clever writings), her story ends beautifully. I liked Victorine but was confused by her arrival in the beginning and didn't care for the circus tie-in. I hate circus stories. All in all, a wonderful story!

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level and content (some veiled discussion of pregnancy, miscarriages and a brutal assault on a minor character several years ago in the story's history but nothing graphic).

Date Review Written: December 22nd, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of NetGalley and I wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Seven Deadly Zins

Title: Seven Deadly Zins

Author: Nancy J. Parra

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Wine,

Plot: Taylor O'Brian lives in Sonoma County with her aunt at her aunt's vineyard and she has her own business where she arranges tours of vineyards and other interesting sights in her local district. She used to be in advertising in San Francisco but this new chapter in her life seems to suit her considerably better.

That is, until a body is discovered at her friend Tim's vineyard while she is conducting a tour there. Convinced that Tim is innocent, Taylor and her friends team up to clear his name but the mystery deepens as they unearth clues and Taylor begins to wonder just what kind of man her friend really is.

Likes/Dislikes: I loved the cover, the promise of recipes and the idea of a wine themed murder mystery to curl up with. But unfortunately for me, the first couple chapters weren't interesting enough to draw me further in. We get plopped in the middle of a wine tasting room with several characters thrown in and interested fairly well, followed immediately by a seance. I don't do seances. I skip them on TV shows and skim read them in books. And the writing style is first person which is always hard for me to read. At least its not first person present tense. Oh well. The author has numerous other mysteries so maybe one of those will be more to my liking.

Rating: PG-13 and up, it's a murder mystery.

Date Review Written: August 27th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley and wasn't required to write a positive review. the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

Past Due For Murder Book Review

Title: Past Due For Murder

Author: Victoria Gilbert

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Fairies, Library, Treasure Hunt, Sequel, Series

Plot: Library director Amy Webber has had a busy year landing herself in trouble with one thing after another. She's hoping that this spring things will finally settle down but unfortunately for her, things aren't going according to plan in that regard. Instead, a student mysteriously vanishes for several days following a bonfire and a folklore storytelling session which sparks a resurgence of interest in the local fairy stories. The missing student was involved in a library research program with passionate Professor Mona Raymond who has a beef with a local talented musician who recently lost his girlfriend in a tragic accident.

When the missing student is finally found beside the dead body of Mona Raymond, things get interesting and Amy finds herself involved in yet another murder mystery in her tiny quiet little town, along with boyfriend concerns and someone snooping through her meticulous archives looking for something. What else could possibly land on her plate before the week is out?

Likes/Dislikes: While the first two chapters were completely confusing and introduced a jumble of main characters in a very slap-dash way, the rest of the book was very intriguing. The pace flowed evenly and fairly quickly, the plot was expertly interwoven with town history, Amy's friends and personal life, and the two murder mysteries along with hints of other interesting happenings. While I would've definitely had more description in the first two chapters of all the important main characters and introduced them better than just flinging them at the reader and hoping we sort them out later, all in all I rather enjoyed this book and will definitely look up the prequels as all the hints of the previous mysteries sounded interesting.

Rating: PG-14 and up, mainly for reading level and content (annoying hints of pro-gay and bi characters, murders, some hints at romance but nothing beyond kisses shown).

Date Review Written: August 24th, 2018

I received a copy of this book courtesy of Netgalley for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

The Ladies of Ivy Cottage Book Review

Title: The Ladies of Ivy Cottage

Author: Julie Klassen

Genre: Christian, Historical Fiction, Romance, Sequel

Plot: Since the scandal of losing all the family money and then her father's sudden death, Rachel Ashford has felt adrift in her social circle, unsure of where her place is meant to be now that so many things have changed. She's currently living with her friend Mercy Grove and Mercy's aunt, helping out with the girls' school as best she can but it's not enough to support herself. So she takes the advice of the local businesswomen and opens a subscription library with her father's vast collection of books and several donations. With the flood of attention at Ivy Cottage, Mercy finds herself the center of attention from two different men and must make a painful choice that will destroy her future as she knows it.

Meanwhile, James Drake learns some secrets of his own that cause a bit of an uproar in several local lives and Jane Bell finally has her coaching inn under control. She's made peace with her broken heart and thinks she's ready for love again but she suffered more than just the loss of her husband. Will the other losses keep her heart broken and cause her to reject the promise and hope of new love?

Likes/Dislikes: It took  me awhile to get started on this book, partly because my kids kept taking the iPad away and partly because it was a sequel and I couldn't remember who all everyone was. Once I got them straight in my head and the story started picking up pace, it was an easy read. I didn't like Rachel though; in the first book she had a lot of mystery about her but in this one she just came across as very whiny and pity me, I'm poor Rachel. It was annoying after awhile. I kinda want Jane to stay single and in control cause if she marries either James or Gabriel they'll just disrupt her life now that she's found her groove. And I'm rooting for a happy ending for Mercy cause the poor thing really needs it. I related to her the most. All in all, an excellent book. I'm just bummed I can't get the next one already.

Rating: PG-12 and up, mainly for content {romance, past miscarriages, etc. nothing graphic}

Date Review Written: December 30th, 2017

I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publishers for my honest opinion. I wasn't required to write a positive review and the opinions expressed in the above review are my own.

God Bless My Family Book Review

Title: God Bless My Family

Author: Hannah C. Hall

Genre: Children's, Christian, Family, Animals, Board Book

Plot: From mom and dad to brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins and grandparents, family shapes us, surrounds us and fills our lives. Together we cuddle by warm fires, climb trees, play dress-up, go on walks and adventures, listen to stories and have memorable get-togethers. We learn, laugh, cry and love our families, prompting many of us to say, "God bless my family."

With adorable dog families prancing across each page, children will laugh and point our their favorite relatives in dog form as they read this book together.

Likes/Dislikes: My three year old and seventeen month old both love this series and the newest installment is a new favorite with them, particularly the three year old since she loves dogs. Her favorite page is baking with auntie because she loves to bake and loves her auntie. The baby just liked all the pretty colors. All in all, a hit and highly recommended.

Rating: G-all ages.

Date Review Written: December 2nd, 2017

I received a copy of this book courtesy of BookLook Bloggers and wasn't required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed in the above review are my own.