Book Review: The Memory of Us by Claire Raye

 The Memory of Us by Claire Raye

contemporary romance

Kindle edition/346 pages

Quote: " Sometimes there is more said through silence than you can ever say with words."~ Nora

From the Cover:

Twelve hours was all they spent together, but to them, it meant everything.

Nora and Elliot's meeting was predetermined. They both believed that wholeheartedly. It was fate. No last names, no identifying information, only an all consuming need to be near each other and the belief in falling hopelessly in love with a stranger. But circumstances beyond their control separated them, and twelve years later, they're still searching.

Apart, they're broken, and they won't give up until they find each other.

But, what if they never do?

My Review:

I'll be honest. I don't read a ton of romance, but when I do get in the mood, it better grab me from the beginning. 

This one definitely did! I immediately got pulled into the young, love at first sight story. 

Nora didn't even want to be there, and Elliot only came to make an appearance, and leave.

But, fate brought them together...for twelve hours.

Nora has to go back home, and neither of them realize how fast things can change.

This book is full of loving and longing. Spending so much time living with unanswered questions. What happened that morning? Where is the other one now? Will they ever find each other, and what will happen if they do?

I enjoyed the back and forth of this story.  I love books where the chapters go from one person to the next with their point of view. Like two sides of the story. It was so well written and constantly had me rooting for them to find each other, and grumbling at their missed chances!

Through twelve years of, well, life, their stories never stray too far from what could've been.

Maybe, we all have a story somewhere in us, like that. Maybe, that's what draws readers in to this book.

Or, maybe I'm just a sucker for a fantastic love story.

I gave this book 5 stars!

Also, Claire Raye has a ton of series, mostly new adult types.

I may be adding more of her books to my list soon.

If you'd like a new physical copy of The Memory of Us, click HERE or a used copy, HERE

I hope you enjoyed this review. Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Moonshiner's Daughter by Donna Everhart

 The Moonshiner's Daughter:

A Southern Coming-of-age Saga of Family and Loyalty

by

Donna Everhart

Southern Historical fiction

Young Adult

Kindle edition/368 pages

Quote: "I ain't likely to take up something I hate, Merritt. No matter how good the money is. I might as well go out and be a prostitute, or something."~ Jessie Sasser

From the Cover:

Set in North Carolina in 1960 and brimming with authenticity and grit, The Moonshiner's Daughter evokes the singular life of sixteen-year-old, Jessie Sasser, a young woman determined to escape her family's past...

Generations of Sasser's have made moonshine in the Brushy Mountains of Wilkes County, North Carolina. Their history is recorded in a leather-bound journal, that belongs to Jessie Sasser's daddy, but Jessie wants no part in it. As far as she's concerned, moonshine caused her mother's death a dozen years ago.

My Review:

The Moonshiner's Daughter

The first time this book popped up on my Goodreads recommendations, I knew I had to read it!

I haven't read any of Donna Everhart's books, but this probably won't be my last.

I'm a sucker for anything Southern set, and the vivid characters Everhart has created makes them ones you won't easily forget.

From the beginning we see Jessie, a teenager struggling with so much already, in her young years.

At age four, she witnessed her mother die in a horrible accident. Now, with only her father and brother close, she struggles with feeling unheard, unappreciated, an eating disorder, trying to find her true friends, and learn who she is. All the while, having to hide what her family truly does.

Jessie has always felt moon shining was bad in every way. She's seen it kill her mother, make her uncle a mean alcoholic, who is also greedy. It has cost her brother his baseball career, her father put in jail, and caused violent tension between them and the neighbors.

Through most of this book, I wanted to cry for her, or scream at her to RUN!

She starts out with such strong convictions. Her reasoning is completely valid, and although she has typical(at not so) teenage problems, she seems to be unwavering on the issue of bootlegging.

By the last few chapters, I was ready to through the book, literally!

The story just seems to make a wide U-turn, and completely throw me off.

I won't say too much, but the ending was completely unexpected!

As a whole, the book was beautifully written. At times, I felt I was inside Jessie's world. To me, that makes a great book.

I did only give this one 3 stars. I just felt the end was sort of too unbelievable. Maybe, it just wasn't what I would have chosen, or how I would have ended Jessie's story.

I hope you enjoy this review.

Let me know if you've read this one, or any of Donna Everhart's other books.

Book Review: The Locked Door by Freida McFadden

 The Locked Door

by
Freida McFadden

Psychological thriller

audiobook/ 8 hours

Quote:" Dad always says that If you're going to do something wrong, at least be smart enough not to let anyone see you do it."

From the cover:

Some doors are locked for a reason...

While eleven-year-old Nora Davis was up in her bedroom doing homework, she had no idea her father was killing women in the basement.

Until the day the police arrived at their front door. 

Decades later, Nora's father is spending his life behind bars, and Nora is a successful surgeon with a quiet, solitary existence.

Nobody knows her father was a notorious serial killer. And she intends to keep it that way.

Then Nora discovers one of her young female patients has been murdered. In the same unique and horrific manner that her father used to kill his victims. 

Somebody knows who Nora is. Somebody wants her to take the fall for this unthinkable crime. But she's not a killer like her father. The police can't pin anything on her.

As long as they don't look in her basement...

My Review:

This is my fourth read by Freida McFadden. I so wanted to love this book as much as the first 3 I've read. Sadly, I did not.

The book started out pretty well, and I'll even say had good bones, but somehow it just fell short of my expectations.

I almost felt like this book was made in haste, possibly falling into the quantity over quality trap.

For me, Nora just seemed a tad off. Not in a daughter of a serial killer way, but off as in the writer never really figured out who she was supposed to be.

She seems to have had, at one time, similar traits to her father, but then insists she is nothing like him.

She cannot remember her ex-boyfriend, or why she broke up with him years ago, yet she feels safe enough to hop in the sack after their second meeting.

Furthermore, she makes reference over and over to her father's type, yet never mentions any similarities in the one around her with those features.

I loved the idea this story had going, but there were just too many times I was going, "What? That makes no sense!" 

Right up until the very end.

For the record, I will definitely continue reading McFadden's books! Everyone can have an off project.

It wasn't my favorite, but for the sake of author's name, the idea of the story, and a few well played scenes, I'm giving,The Locked Door a 3-star rating.

Book Review: Brain Damage by Freida McFadden

 Brain Damage

by 
Freida McFadden

psychological thriller/crime

Kindle edition/398 pages

Quote:" And none of that hurt. The truth is, I didn't feel it at all. What hurt is everything that came after."

Brain Damage

From the cover:

After years of hard work, Dr. Charly McKenna finally has it all. Prosperous career as a dermatologist? Check. Spacious apartment overlooking Central Park? Check. Handsome lawyer husband? Double check.

Then one night, a bullet rips through the right side of her skull, and she loses everything.

As Charly struggles to recover from her brain injury, she begins to realize that the events of that fateful night are trapped in the damaged right side of her brain. Now she must put the jigsaw pieces together to discover the identity of the man who tried to kill her...before he finishes the job he started.

My Review:

This one definitely is getting mixed reviews. Maybe, even myself included.

Personally, I think some of the reasons other readers gave it lower ratings, were the reasons I loved it.

As it is tagged a psychological thriller, I can see some being disappointed, or disagreeing with it. If it had been placed as a medical mystery, it may have been rated differently. I feel some readers felt misled from the beginning. This is the fourth book I've read by Freida McFadden, and it honestly is one of my favorites. I know I seem to say that a lot lately; especially about McFadden's books. They really do just keep drawing me in. This one definitely gets bumped up due to the medical aspects. I've always been fascinated with learning about the medical field and human biology. Brain Damage definitely gives you that. While McFadden isn't a brain surgeon, she does actually work with brain injury patients and the recovery process. She actually knows her stuff, and it shows in her writing.

This book gives you the story of a woman who is recovering from a gunshot wound to the head. It takes you through the mystery of solving the crime, but for me, it was so much more about Charly's journey through recovery. You get a behind the scenes look at the recovery process. All the stress, frustrations, repeating everything, and the struggles through memory loss. It is exhausting, mentally and physically, but Charly finally sees that it is all worth it.

Of course, no book is perfect, and there were a couple of things that I didn't agree with, but I didn't write the characters.

I will say there wasn't much suspense or thrill to the book, but I truly enjoyed the whole book.

I give it 5 stars!

Side note: A few years ago, I read  Left Neglected by Lisa Genova that I also enjoyed. These two books share the same brain injury but completely different stories. I definitely recommend checking them both out!

Book Review: Dear Child by Romy Hausmann

 Dear Child

by
Romy Hausmann

psychological thriller/mystery/crime

audiobook/11 hours

Quote:

"We know how everything works. We have our own rules, you see. It's just that Mama forgets them sometimes. But luckily, she's got us, we remind her of them."~ Hannah

Dear Child

From the cover:

In a windowless shack in the woods, Lena's life and that of her two children follows the rules set by their captor, the father: Meals, bathroom visits, study time are strictly scheduled and meticulously observed. He protects his family from the dangers lurking in the outside world and makes sure his children will always have a mother to look after them. 

One day, Lena manages to flee- but the nightmare continues. It seems as if her tormentor wants to get back what belongs to him. And then there is the question whether she really is the woman called "Lena" who disappeared without a trace 14 years ago. The police and Lena’s family are all desperately trying to piece together a puzzle which doesn't quite seem to fit.

*SPOILER * This review may contain spoilers* SPOILER*

My Review:

I gave this book 3/5 stars. I usually don't start my reviews with the negative side, but when deciding to post a review, these 2 things kept popping up and making me hesitate and rethink the way to write it.

1. I opted for the audiobook, which lately has been hit or miss in my selections.

This one I really struggled to get into. I'm honestly not sure if it was the storyline, the audio speed, the translation, the narrators/characters, or just a combination.

There were at least 3 or 4 times that I went back a chapter or two and re-listened to see where I was in the story or if I'd missed something. It really just never gripped my attention.

I honestly didn't care for any of the characters. 

"Lena"/Jasmin seemed too day dreamy or misfocused. I didn't like her vibe from the beginning.

Hannah was too two-sided for me. One minute she's intelligent from her "study time", yet very unaware or over naive, even with the whole situation.

Lena seemed to have a very callous and selfish attitude about everything going on. The affair, the effects it had on others, etc.

Karin just seemed very disengaged throughout the whole book.

Jonathan, um, where was this kid???

I won't go on into the rest of the characters. You get the idea.

2. I instantly got Room by Emma Donoghue vibes.

I just couldn't get passed that. The alternate book cover is even almost identical. Crayon font and meant to be in a child's handwriting.

Other than how the abduction begins, there were too many similarities in the characters and situation.

Anyone who has read Room would not be able to ignore this. I kept reading to see if things ever changed directions, but almost to the end it was way too similar.

The book wasn't bad, it just wasn't what I expected and had almost zero suspense, mystery, or thrill. There was no real chase to it. Yes, the whodunnit factor was good, not great.

I definitely think I would have enjoyed the physical book better. 

I give Dear Child by Romy Hausmann 3 stars.

Book Review: Octavia Can Do It! by Liliana Tommasini

 

Octavia Can Do It!

by
Liliana Tommesini

Children's book

Kindle edition/ 36 pages

I received a free copy of this book from the author, Liliana Tommasini in exchange for an honest review.

You can purchase your copy here:Octavia Can Do It!

From the cover:

When Mama steps out of the kitchen, Octavia takes over with an" I can do it" attitude. But as flour and cocoa cover the walls, cabinets, and countertop, she starts to question herself. 

Will her cookies turn out as good as Mama's cookies?

Octavia Can Do It! is the hilarious story of a young girl who discovers that even the most independent people need a little help sometimes. 

My Review:

Have you ever been scrolling through Pinterest and see a picture of a recipe that looks soo good? You take a quick screenshot, or save the pin, and think "Oh, I can make that!"  No need to actually read the recipe or cooking instructions, right? Right!

I do this. A LOT!

How does it usually end up? Pretty much just how Octavia's cookies turn out.

That is exactly how I felt after reading this book. It's really a great lesson for us all.

Patience and asking for help are two things we really struggle with. I bounce between

I'm going to do it all myself, right now, and, 

who cares, let it wait until later. Someone else can figure it out.

It's probably not the best way to roll through life, but we have our days.

Octavia definitely wants to be independent and doesn't have time to wait for Mama to finish her phone call. All the ingredients, bowls, and measuring cups, are already there waiting to be made into delicious cookies! What could go wrong?

As Octavia and her brother Ludovic start adding and mixing things together, they may have a few messes and mix-ups, but they do get their cookie dough ready for Mama to help do the baking. How will they turn out?

This book also includes a cookie recipe at the end! I can't wait to see how ours turn out!

Ele:

She really enjoyed the pictures and characters. The names were a little hard for her to pronounce, but she thought they were neat! 

She loves to help bake, so she really got into the story, but she knew the cookies weren't going to be great when Octavia started messing up the recipe. Now, she wants to try the recipe herself to see how they turn out!(I'll be helping!) She also thinks the mom should've checked on the kids in the kitchen. LOL

Great little story.

We give it 4 stars!

Be sure to check out the author's website here:

Liliana Tommasini

Book Review: The Liar by Nora Roberts

 

The Liar

by
Nora Roberts

romantic suspense/thriller

Kindle/512pages

Quote: 

"You paid off a million dollars since January? That must have been one hell of a yard sale." ~Viola

The Liar by Nora Roberts

From the cover:

Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions...

The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn't just dead. He never really existed. 

Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she's yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows- and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning...

My Review:

This book had three parts, The False, the Roots, and The Real. I honestly do not know if it was originally written or intended to be this way. 

I am glad that it was broken down, it was 512 pages total! But, I almost feel like I would have read it faster, and enjoyed it more, if it had just been made into three separate books, a trilogy.

Personally, I had moments where I thought, " Why is she starting another character's story, now? Am I ever going to finish this book?"

While, I did enjoy each of the characters, and they were definitely well-developed; I felt at times, it was just too much. The story started to stray away from the main storyline.

Shelby had way too much going on in such a short timeline to figure out where she was headed. Not to the point that it was unbelievable, but it was heading that way.

There were a few times I felt the words didn't mesh with the character she seemed to be. I understand that mental abuse and trauma can definitely change a person and how they feel about themselves, I just got the vibe that she flip-flopped from naive, blindsided, mouse, into this country raised, tough as nails gal a little too quickly. Again, just my opinion of how she was written.

I enjoyed how all her family came together to support her and help her find her way. It's very clear they have a close bond, that I can attest to being a country raised value. 

As for the mystery/suspense elements, I wasn't shocked at all. The bad guy/s were pretty obvious and the twist was not surprising at all. 

Mystery, romance, contemporary; I get that.

Suspense/thriller, nope. Not at all (for me)

I'm still going to give this one 5 stars. Overall, it was a great story and the characters made me keep reading.

Notes:

To be honest, I've known that Nora Roberts had written tons, and tons of books. I've only read 4 of her books. I feel like, she's one of those authors that I've heard the name and sort of know her genre of choice, I just never seem to grab one of her books to read. I actually went back through my Goodreads shelves and realized I do have a couple on my TBR list. Two that I already own.

She also has written over 63 crime books in the In Death(Eve Dallas) series under the pseudonym J.D. Robb

Totally guestimating, she has over 200 books to choose from! There's bound to be something of hers you'd enjoy!

Have you read any of her books? Which was your favorite?

Which one should I add to my list?

Book Review: Feeling All My Feelings/Feeling All My Anger by Kim T.S.

 Feeling All My Feelings
and 
Feeling All My Anger

by

Kim T.S.

I was honored to receive free pdf copies of both of these books from the author, 

Kim T.S.

You can also follow her on Goodreads, Click Here!

In these two books, Kim opens up a way to help everyone learn about different feelings. We all have feelings, and they are all valid. How we share them with others, and how we react, can make a huge difference.

Children need to see a healthy way to deal with all their feelings. Together we can set an example, learn, and teach each other.

Author's note from book:

We are firm believers that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to parenting. Learn about different methods, but trust your own instincts. Always be kind to your children, to others, and to yourself. Remember, that we are all just trying our best!

(both books were read aloud with my daughter. All opinions are our own)

Feeling ALL My Feelings

18 pages

Kyle is a little kid with a lot of BIG feelings- just like many kids! It's ok to feel all our feelings, because those feelings are normal and real. 

At the same time, there are things we can do to help us calm down when our feelings get TOO big!

Join Kyle and his friend, Tiny the Mouse, as they find ways to accept and overcome the littlest and biggest emotions.

Review:

This is definitely a little book that makes a big impact!

From the very beginning, Kyle comes to life with amazing illustrations by Chel Labayo

His character takes us through a variety of emotions and some of the ways he reacts to them.

Like when something is funny,... he laughs until his knees buckle.

Kyle learns that his brain is a superpower. He has the power to control his emotions and learns ways of coping when he is scared, sad, or angry.

It seems like such a simple message, yet I think each of us forget that we hold this power at times.

This is a story that can be read and definitely re-read over. A lesson we all need a reminder of.

Hooray! to Kyle!

My daughter absolutely loved the animation in his character. We found ourselves saying, "Hey, you make that face." several times throughout the book.

Feeling All My Anger

18 pages

It's important for everyone to remember that ALL feelings are okay. There's a reason for every feeling, including anger. Instead of hiding it, we should try to understand WHY we feel that way and find healthy ways to release it. Otherwise, our anger might explode!

Join Max the Lion as he tries to find ways to understand, accept, and overcome his anger.

Review:

Have you ever taken away your child's ipad or tablet? How did they react? If your kid is anything like Max the Lion, or my daughter, I bet there was some strong anger shown!

When Max doesn't get his way, he finds himself roaring with anger.

He wants to scream and shout. He wants to kick and run; and make his feelings heard.

Luckily, he has a mommy that sticks it out and is there for him when he's ready to be calm. He also has Tiny the Mouse to help him along the way. To understand his feelings and how they can hurt others if they aren't gotten under control.

Again, this book also helps us understand our emotions, and how we can help others express them in a healthy way.

Tiny the Mouse is a hoot! Make sure to catch all her little text. 

Maybe, she'll get a book about how she's feeling...

I adored both of these books, and so did my daughter. She'll be 9 this week, and these were easy enough for her to read alone if she chooses. We've already discussed them twice. Once, after reading, and again before I started writing this review. We both found we could relate to the characters, and remember a time when we've shown our emotions. We discussed how we dealt with them and if we used our super brain power to control them. If not, what could we have done different. 

Very clear and understandable message.

I think Kim T. S. has a wonderful series started here! I cannot wait for the next book!

5 stars all around!

Book Review: Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden

 Do Not Disturb

by

Freida McFadden

psychological thriller/crime/mystery

Library Audiobook/8 hours

Quote: 

" Then I have to decide if I'll forgive him. I probably will. It gets easier each time, and I have to admit, I don't know what I'd do without him."

From the cover:

Quinn Alexander has committed an unthinkable crime.

To avoid spending her life in prison, Quinn makes a run for it. She leaves behind her home, her job, and her family. She grabs her passport and heads for the northern border before the police can discover what she's done. 

But when an unexpected snowstorm forces her off the road, Quinn must take refuge at the broken-down, isolated Baxter Motel. The handsome and kindly owner, Nick Baxter, is only too happy to offer her a cheap room for the night.

Unfortunately, the Baxter Motel isn't the quiet, safe haven it seemed to be. The motel has a dark, and disturbing past. And, in the dilapidated house across the way, the silhouette of Nick's ailing wife, is always at the window. Always watching.

In the morning, Quinn must leave the motel. She'll pack up her belongings and get back on the road to freedom.

But first, she must survive the night.

Do Not Disturb is a Hitchcock-style thriller, that will keep you tearing through the pages until you reach the shocking conclusion!

My Review:

After reading, and reviewing The Perfect Son, I knew I would be reading more of Freida McFadden's books.

I'm a sucker for an excellent thriller. McFadden is quickly moving up the ranks on my favorite authors list.

Do Not Disturb grabs you from the very beginning, right in the grips of the action. Sometimes,...usually, I prefer a little backstory, or leading up; this story does not have or need that aspect. You'll get all that later on, just when you need it. Details of the before sprinkled throughout. Again, this is only my second book by Freida Mcfadden , but this seems to be her writing style. Honestly, I've really enjoyed the way she can jump from one character, or time frame, and then to another without losing the reader. The story is easy to keep up with, and full of details.

After reading/listening to this book, I did hop over to Goodreads and read a few reviews on this one. I don't know if this is a habit I should break. I want to give my opinion solely based off my experience of the book, and what I personally took away from it, not tainted by other's opinions. Although there were several people who caught a few things just as I did.

There were some serious inconsistencies in a character that couldn't be ignored. I'm not sure if McFadden had intended readers to see something else, maybe we missed. Either way, it left a lot of us baffled.

I wasn't triggered about the excuse/explanation why the character did what they did, but it seemed to be an issue for other readers.

There were a couple small things, I wish had been explained or concluded a bit more, but nothing to frown on the book about.

Throughout reading this twisted thriller, I had a few ideas on the whodunnits and whys. I got a few right, and a couple wrong. I'd say suspense was a 8/10, shock/plot twist 7/10

My favorite character had to be Rob, or Nick, which doesn't happen often. I usually find one of the female characters that stick with me most.

I think weird Greta or maybe even hot/cold Rosalie were my least favorites. But, you'll have to read Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden for yourself to see why, or if you agree.

I'm giving this one 4 stars!

Have you read this one? I'd love to know what you thought!

Any fans of McFadden's? What should I read next?

Book Review: What Good Is A Dragon by Patrick Carlson

 What Good Is A Dragon?

by 

Patrick Carlson

Children's

Kindle edition/ 32 pages

I received a copy of this book from the author to read and give an honest review.

Thank you, Patrick Carlson(Goodreads author link)

From the cover:

It's the queen's birthday and Alexander must deliver a dragon before the party starts. What does the queen need with a baby dragon? Come with Alexander while he travels across the kingdom to deliver this special gift...and discover what good a dragon is!

My Review:

When receiving this book, my first impression was, Wow! The illustrations are wonderful!

I'm definitely a visual person, as well as a mom. I believe a great children's book must have eye-catching pictures to pull kids into the story. This book definitely hit the mark. Throughout the book, the pictures are vibrant, and seem to pop right off the pages!

The story tells of Alexander's travels through the kingdom and all the creatures he meets along the way. Each of them believe they have an even better gift for the queen than the baby dragon he is sent to deliver. Alexander never questions taking along each gift to be delivered. But, when he arrives to give them all to the queen, which gift will she be most excited about?

I love the message this story gives that even with the best of intentions, others may not know exactly what we need or want at that moment, and not everyone seeks beauty and power. I feel it also shows that just because something isn't important or special to one, doesn't mean that for everyone.

I actually read this book twice. Once alone and then again aloud to my 8-year-old daughter.

Ele:

She agreed the pictures were her favorite, and the story was well liked. Her takeaway from this was, a bit different from mine, but I love that she formed her own opinion and found something that I missed.

*spoiler*

She thought when the queen received all the gifts, and seemed to only notice the baby dragon, that she should have been happy with all her gifts.

Sometimes we focus so much on that one thing we need or want, we forget about all the other gifts we've received.

Is my 8-year-old wiser than me???

We decided to give this book 4 stars. I do wish the ending had maybe been a little clearer for younger readers. It does give you the reason, in pictures, but then just kind of trails off. 

Ele wanted to see pictures of the queen's birthday party.

Again, thank you, Patrick Carlson for this wonderful opportunity to read and review this book.

 If anyone would like to get a copy of this book, here is the Amazon link(no affiliate):

What Good Is A Dragon?

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Blazing Bedtime Stories(Harlequin)

 Blazing Bedtime Stories

Harlequin Blaze #447

Grown-up fairy tales for Valentine's Day!

by

Kimberly Raye, Leslie Kelly, Rhonda Nelson

Quote from Once Upon a Bite(story #1):

"For every male of our kind, there is a female. It's just a matter of finding her son. The minute you do, you'll know it."

Date started: July 23, 2022

Finished: August 22, 2022

paperback, 216 pages

fantasy/romance/erotica/contemporary

From the Cover:

Once Upon a Bite

Beauty and the Beast-in the bedroom! When wolfishly irresistible Matt Keller lands in Skull Creek, Texas, Shay Briggs sees a hunky beast who needs her taming touch.

My Review:

Nope! You cannot type the words Beauty and the Beast in the description and give me,...this?! I could not get into this one. Short, yet it took me over a week to push through. I seriously struggled to read it more than this author probably did writing it. Too cheesy. (Quote:Shay- "You scared the pants off of me!"- Matt" Your pants, sugar. They're still present and accounted for." his mouth crooked into a grin.) ok, just uhhh, ok?

The storyline is Shay owns a haircare spa, and meets Matt, AKA the werewolf, and they jump in bed after their first meeting. He's uncontrollably drawn to her, and she just needs someone who isn't a one-night stand. Oh! Did I mention they also threw in a vampire?

From the Cover:

My What a Big...You Have!

Scarlett Templeton doesn't believe in fairy tales. That is, until she meets a sexy rogue in the woods, on her way to Grandmother's house...

My Review: This one was actually my least favorite. I'm not sure what was missing, or maybe there was too much going on outside their secluded cabin. It just never felt like the story was coming together. The smexy scenes were much better than in the first short story. The characters were more believable, but, what happened to Grandma? 

From the Cover:

Sexily Ever After

Ugly duckling Juliet only ants to be a femme fatale. Little does she guess that a chance meeting with hottie Gareth will inspire her to reveal her sexy swanlike plumage-and a lot more-before long!

My Review:

This one I actually did enjoy. The storyline was well-thought-out, believable, and came through all the way to the end. This was the most realistic one, for me. That definitely helped me get into it more than the first two. No fantasy, mythological creatures. There's nothing wrong with fantasy genre, just wrong type of fantasy for me. LOL

I think most women could relate to Juliet. She's insecure about her appearance, but confident in her career. One of 3 sisters, she never seemed to be the one "bringing home the boys". This time, the man shows up at her house. I would give this one 4 stars if it was a stand alone. I could see this story growing into a full length book.

Overall, I gave Blazing Bedtime Stories 3 stars.

You can get a used copy by clicking the link above.

Have you read any of the Blaze series books? Which is your favorite?

Book Review: The Best Mistake Ever!(And Other Stories) by Richard Scarry

 The Best Mistake Ever!

And other stories

by

Richard Scarry

Step 2 book (grades 1-3)

48 pages

The Best Mistake Ever!

A Visit to Mr. Fixit

Best Friends

From the cover

In these three stories about Lowly and Huckle, there are all kinds of silly mistakes-mistakes about food, mistakes about friendship, and even a mistake about a cuckoo clock!

This is my first review on a children's book!

My daughter will be 9 in September, and she is homeschooled. Which means we do A LOT of reading, and we have the freedom to choose which books we read. I want to continue sharing our reviews with you, and have a great way of teaching and understanding from start to finish.

1. choosing a book

2. reading it

3. going over what we've read/possible further research on either topic, or author

4. giving a review and report of book

I think this will be a great way for us to keep Ele accountable with her reading and also share our books with everyone. 

Here's to our first review!

Review

My POV:

This book was easily split into three stories, all with the same lesson. Mistakes can be silly. We don't need to assume every mistake means something horrible.

Labeled grades 1-3, I found it a great fit for Ele. She is going into "3rd" grade, but does struggle with reading. This book was easy enough for her to have confidence in her reading, yet include challenging words for her to work on.  The illustrations were spaced well to break up the reading parts into "chunks" that were manageable, and easy to stop, when placing a bookmark. These cute little characters definitely gave me a laugh. Lowly was my favorite.

Ele:

A Visit to Mr. Fixit was my favorite. I loved when the bicycle bell went cuckoo! Mother Cat was my favorite, and I liked her "angry eyes". It was easy for me to read and tell my dad about it. I would give it 5 stars for the whole book.

You can get your copy here:

The Best Mistake Ever!(And Other Stories)

Book Review: The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden

 The Perfect Son

by

Freida McFadden

Quote: "But, I never believed him. Even when he was sobbing in my office, it seemed incredibly fake. I don't think he was sorry at all. Not even a little bit. The only thing I think he was sorry about was that we found her."

Date started: Aug 4, 2022

Finished: August 5, 2022

Kindle/e-book edition, 237 pages

mystery/psychological thriller

From the cover:

"Mrs. Cass, we were hoping your son could answer a few questions about the girl who disappeared last night..."

Erika Cass has a perfect family and a perfect life. Until the evening, two detectives show up at her front door. A high school girl has vanished from Erika's quiet suburban neighborhood. The police suspect the worst--murder. And Erika's teenage son, Liam, was the last person to see the girl alive.

Erika has always sensed something dark and disturbed in her seemingly perfect older child. She wants to believe he's innocent, but as the evidence mounts, she can't deny the truth- Liam may have done the unthinkable.

Now she must ask herself:

How far will she go to protect her son?

My review:

The book begins with the transcript of Erika's interview with the police.

It then goes on to be told from Erika's point of view, and remains that way throughout the book.

The first chapter starts off as a mundane, typical suburban daily routines. Breakfast, chats about their days, school, plans. But, in Erika's mind, there is a lot going on that is not your typical stay-at-home-mom's thoughts.

I do like that this particular story stayed with one narrator, although she wasn't my favorite. 

The story is pretty fast-paced, and flows. There were a few parts that threw me off. They just didn't seem to have good reason to be placed in the story. I kept waiting to see why, but even then, it didn't seem relevant. Maybe too many "fillers" for the book.

The relationship between the Cass family and the school, teachers, friends, neighbors seemed a tad unrealistic due to the nature of their situation. Also, within the household, it seemed they all had separate lives, and secrets.

Do we really even know the people we live with?

Hannah(sister) and Jason(dad) didn't play a huge role in the book until later into the story.

A few times while reading, I would think, "Oh, this is it!" "This is where we figure it out." and then...nope! Wrong!

The Perfect Son definitely holds up to the plot twist factor. I'd say the last 3 chapters, I couldn't read fast enough. After all my failed attempts to figure it out, I just had to keep going.

The ending? *Mind Blown*

I gave this one 4 stars

I'd definitely recommend for anyone looking for a good psychological twist mystery.

This is the first book by Freida McFadden that I've read. I really enjoyed her style and the story. I'll be looking into more of her books

Find your copy here:

The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden