Book Review: Crazy Over You

by: Carol Thomas

Abby is married to Simon and after so many years together, she just found out he had an affair. I think it's important to mention that it lasted a week while he was in DC. The story takes place in...well...Great Britain. She has rightfully thrown him out and is trying to get herself back from the edge. She starts flirting with Brad from work, the sexy PE teacher. Oh, lest I forget, Simon and her have 2 little girls.

So, once she starts flirting and then Simon is pushing to prove his love and regret, you just know it's going to be messy. I didn't want her to get with Brad because that's just unhealthy after a long marriage. No way does that translate into happily ever after. And I didn't want her to get back with Simon either, as it was a week long!!! It's not like he made this little one time slip, he kept going for a WEEK!!!

I really was hooked, Abby is a mess and you want to see her pull it together. I really couldn't put it down until the last couple chapters, and that ruined it. How do I do this without giving it away? I just felt it was too fast a wrap up to be realistic, and the writing slipped from easy reading to simplistic. I just felt she rushed to finish this book and completely lost her flow.

I don't regret reading it, but that ending needed more TLC.

Book Review: Bella's Christmas Bake Off

by: Sue Watson

**I received a free ebook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**

OMG - I really loved this book. Well, more than I expected to. Bella isn't even the main character. This is Amy's story. Bella and Amy were the best of friends until something big happened when they were 18. They haven't really spoken since. And Amy feels so guilty for it. It was driving me crazy wondering what it was that Amy did.

Amy's parents were working poor, but there was lots of love in that house. Bella's parents were wealthy and addicted to their work, but there was little love in that house. Bella loved being at Amy's, where Amy's mom was always cooking up something great.

In this story, Amy's husband has just announced he is leaving her from little tart in his office. At first she is hurt and furious, but then she is relieved. They had a horrible marriage, right from the beginning. So isn't this better? But what really tips things in Amy's life, when she recognizes the recipes in Bella's new cookbook.

This was the last straw. Bella is going to listen to her no matter what it takes!

Book Review: Wynn in Doubt

By: Emily Hemmer

**I was given a free ebook in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley**

This seems to be a recurring theme just now. Wynn's life has stalled. She had wanted to see the world, but somehow felt everyone needed her. She works at a local bar, she subs, and she is there for her family. But she isn't there for Wynn. Enter Oliver, hot music star and high school crush she never got over. And I'm not talking about she loved his work, he went to school with her. Turns out, he had all those same aspirations for her. He couldn't believe she was still in town and hadn't actually been anywhere or done anything.

Along with that she finds out her great-grandmother hadn't died when her grandmother was a baby. She had run off. But why? For some reason the drive to know what happened is tied to what will happen to Wynn.

I liked the story, but I felt the interactions were a little over the top. Ok, so the great-grandmother ran off. Wynn's mother and sisters were incredibly bitter about a woman they knew nothing about. I mean, the grandmother barely even spoke of the woman, so where the heck did all that anger come from? I also was annoyed at how bossy her family was, then when she expresses the desire to go but feels stuck, they are all "well Jesus, it's about time you grew up!" I mean, really? I get that they love her, but they sure aren't nice about it.

But suspension of disbelief, right? I did get into it, which means the writing is pretty good...the story is pretty good.

Book Review: Too Many Cooks

by: Dana Bate

A debut novel, how fun! I just liked the look of the story, and couldn't wait to give it a go.

I loved it. The main character is quirky and not quite sure what to do with herself. Kelly kind of fell into ghostwriting cookbooks, and has the perfect boyfriend...too perfect. When her mother dies and leaves her a letter about shaking up her life, and she gets a call from a movie star who wants her to ghostwrite a cookbook for her in London, she decides to go for it. How bad can it be, right?

The movie star is insane. And crazy she can handle. Her parents are pretty much out there, but this level of crazy would make anyone wonder what they had been thinking!

The lady has been a star too long and has no sense of reality anymore. She's in a loveless marriage, and Kelly develops a crush on the husband. That was not the romance I was expecting. I couldn't help cringing and hoping she wouldn't go there. But there is another possible match. So I am rooting for Henry, the young man she met through a mutual friend.

It's not surprise that Kelly really wonders what she is doing there. She absolutely loves cooking and she is great at it. Why is she writing cookbooks for other people?

What on earth will she do if she walks away from this.

Poor Kelly feels trapped.

Well written chick lit. Some romance, but this is about Kelly's journey.

Book Review: The Perfect Son

By: Barbara Claypole White

This book blew me away. It deals with serious family and neurological issues. Ella is at the center, with her husband on one side and her son on the other. Harry, the boy, suffers from Tourette syndrome and ADHD. He also has a healthy dose of anxiety. Felix, the husband, is not diagnosed with anything, but he is way too serious. He chooses to work and stay out of Ella's way with Harry.

This works, until Ella suffers a massive heart attack. Now Harry and Felix only have each other, because Felix is not one to ask for help. You can't help rooting for both of them, even though I truly detested Felix in the beginning. It just goes to show how quickly we judge people without knowing the whole story. They really come together over worrying about Ella, whom they both rely on.

You are left wondering, who is the perfect son? Harry and Felix find that they are striving for the same thing, to please their impossible-to-please father.

This book is incredibly well written and has smooth pacing. I received this for free from my Amazon Prime, but volunteered to review it through NetGalley.

Book Review: Who Do You Love

by: Jennifer Weiner

First of all, I'd like to thank my local library for getting this ebook for me!

The book starts out with Rachel in bed, heartbroken. Barely able to move. Then it starts out when she's a little girl. And it jumps to Andy as he grows up as well. They both have issues. Rachel has a heart defect, and Andy is half black and half white, feeling like he doesn't fit in anywhere. He lives alone with his mother, and has all the added responsibilities as such. I can relate to that, but the author really paints what he is going through so well.

The two meet when she is around 8 I think...in the hospital. She is there recovering from heart surgery, she finds him in the ER waiting room favoring a newly broken arm. They meet again as teenagers and start dating, long distance. But things just keep happening, and they can't get in sync.

It's so sad. You keep rooting for them.

I loved this book, and felt it was perfectly paced. I read it quickly though, it was just too good to put down.

Book Review: A Window Opens

by: Elisabeth Egan

I truly related to Alice Pearse, the main character in this book. The story is completely from her perspective, which I felt worked in this case. It was about a mother returning to the work force full-time, juggling all that entails. Her husband quit his job to start his own law practice...which added stress to Alice, she has to find time to be with her father, who is a cancer survivor. The job she gets is in direct competition with her best friend's bookstore, so that adds stress as well.

I liked the bookish perspective, and as a mother trying to return to work I get the stress that causes. The biggest issue is that the company she works for, keeps changing it's goals. First it was about offering First editions that people requested and having a great place to hang out and read. Then it was all about ebooks...and it kept shifting from there. Poor Alice was out of her depth.

I loved when she told her mother that she hated her job, her mother doesn't even miss a beat. She's known that for ages. lol

Alice's husband certainly starts the mess, but Alice makes it worse. Can she get back in control?

There were many times I felt the story moved too fast, but I really enjoyed the story. And I suffered from book hangover after, so clearly that format worked overall.

Book Review: The Red Sun: Legends of Orkney

by: Alane Adams

A book along the lines of Percy Jackson, but with Norse mythology. Sounds great, right?

I hated it. Now please temper that with the fact that my 9 year old says he loved it and won't let me give away the book. It was torture for me, and I couldn't wait to finish. I felt the main character was unlikable, as he seemed to go out of his way to make the worst possible decision. The other characters weren't developed much and you could take them or leave them. I didn't feel you got to know anyone very much. And some things that didn't make sense seemed to be put there just because other kids books do it. Like Sam's friend telling him that if he can't do it, no one can...or something along those lines. I literally stopped reading and stared at the book, "based on what???" The friend hadn't seen him do anything at that point. Neither fighting or magic, so where is that unwavering confidence coming from??? Just little things like that started wearing on me.

There's one scene that even CW agreed with me, the young lady is home alone waiting for her father to return. She hears a knock on the door and her first thought is that it must be her father. Seriously? That's your first thought? That would be my last thought because parents don't generally knock on their own door.

So as an adult, I was incredibly disappointed. CW did like it, but he even felt it was a stretch more than once. And what's worse, is I really wanted to love it. We were both excited to read this one.

It's around middle school aged, but I would recommend parents check it out themselves first. It's a bit dark fairly often, and Sam is not a perfectly charming character.

Hmmmm, maybe I should be recommending it. While I was annoyed, I was definitely feeling something strongly. lol

Alane Adams isn't a bad author. I think her writing was solid, and I would giver her another chance. But not Sam of Orkney...nope, I'm closing the book on this chapter. I think she needs to explore another genre and find her fit.

Book Review: Royal Entertainment

by: Marni Fechter

This was pure entertainment. It was a quick and light read. I read this in about a day, really fast for me. I liked it, the characters and the storyline. But all in all I found it lacking. The characters were really superficial. Even Melody didn't know her motivations. She was a social worker who loved the kids she worked with. But her boss was embezzling money. But even that didn't quite make sense. After she was fired, and quite frankly she was right to report him. But the board met, and took her information but couldn't get her rehired. If she's a social worker getting kids the education they need and really fighting for them when they don't have the resources to fight for themselves. She would have been a government employee, not some company. She couldn't have just been fired over the phone, and she could have been rehired. Then she applies at other places...what other places? It's the state government at the very least. Other offices are not other companies and she would have had to go through the state. Ok - that just bugged me.

Then she starts working for Charles Ribbon. Great man that he is, like a gay uncle she knew through a friend. He hires her to work for his party planning company. She doesn't seem to understand what she is doing, the lady training her refuses to giver her any information. Charles just yells at her for not knowing what she is doing but then throws expensive clothes at her. But he seems to love her, and thinks he can't do it without her. Why? She doesn't even grasp the business. But she is personable and can talk to anyone. Most importantly, it seems, she is pretty. She also has gigantic boobs...not sure why this is even part of the story. Is anyone naturally a double-G and skinny? Anyone? It's hard to imagine a down to earth social worker with the body of a porn star.

In spite of all of this, I still really enjoyed myself. It's like reading Sex in the City. You hate it, yet you can't stop...next thing you know it's way past your bedtime and you've just binged. It's trashy and oh so fun, even when it bugs you and doesn't make sense.

I'm going to keep my eye on this author. I think this is her first book, in which case it's an amazing first go. I think Marni Fechter has real potential. She needs to watch her storyline, develop her characters and she'll go very far.

Book Review: Love Letters to the Dead

by: Ava Dellaira

I found this one on sale at Amazon, and it really ignited my curiosity. It's about a teenage girl writing letters to dead people, such as Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin, Amelia Earhart and Judy Garland. It started as an assignment for English class, but as it was so personal she couldn't bring herself to turn it in.

Laurel has a lot to deal with. She is in a brand new school, as a freshman. Her parents are divorced, and her mother just ditched for California. Laurel's sister died recently, and she is still reeling from grief.

I loved the letter format, and how it kept the story moving forward. Laurel talked about her past, he grief, her sister, and her current events. Because what happened in her past, has a lot to do with her present.

It's wonderful that she found some great friends who had her back, even though she held back. They knew about her sister, which is what Laurel wanted to avoid. But she misunderstood. Yes they pitied her, but they also gave her the space she needed with it. They left it for Laurel to talk about when she was ready.

There's a lot of sad in this, and probably there should be a trigger warning. She deals with some things that to this day young women have to deal with.

But it is truly well-written and I enjoyed it very much, especially the poetry and trivia about the people she was writing to.

Book Review: The Red-Hot Chili Cook-Off

by: Carolyn Brown

This starts out with Carlene finding absolute proof of her husband having an affair. What's worse? She sold the other woman those panties she found and she knows who it is. The woman had the gall to brag about her "sugar daddy" and her getting away for the weekend. She even came in later to brag about the success. Carlene understandably blows her top.

My favorite part of this whole book is that Carlene doesn't even consider taking that turd back. She runs Bless my Bloomers with her 2 cousins. And the three women are daughters of 3 close sisters. All 6 women and their seamstress decided to enter the Chili Cook-Off just to serve just desserts.

It's full of laughs, ups and downs, even some romance. And most of all, women standing strong. With the arguments and what not, nothing stands between family.

Nothing too deep, but it was a lot of fun. Beach read, anyone?

Book Review: Second Helpings at the Serve You Right Café

by: Tilia Klebenov Jacobs

I loved this so much. The general theme seems to be about redemption and second chances. Eden runs the Serve You Right Café with her assistant Emit First. Eden has given Emet a second chance. Emet served time in prison, and Eden took a chance on him. Emet was lucky...how many people never get that chance. It really made me respect Eden, and Emet was a wonderful young man, totally deserving of that risk.

When Emet meets Mercedes, he gets pulled into her messed up family life and his own freedom is put at risk. Her brother is a pathetic drug addicted narcissist. He thinks that he deserves to sit on his butt and live off his sister and mother, because he is special. He clearly will stop at nothing to get his way, and he isn't good at thinking through consequences.

Will Emet get caught in the wrong place at the wrong time? Will Emet forgive Mercy for this trouble? Will her brother finally grow up?

It was an exciting novel. And the overall message was great. Has anyone ever given you a second chance? Did you pay it forward?

Book Review: Kissing in America

by: Margo Rabb

This book touched a lot of emotional places. Eva is experiencing grief for the loss of her father. He died in a plane crash, so it was a terrible shock to her and her mother. Since then, both women are just going through the motions, until Eva meets Will. But then he moves to California to live with his father.

This is where it goes off track. Eva is too young to drive, too young to leave home really. She gets her friend to sign up for a scholarship contest so she can get out there to see Will. It's just childish the things this girl does.

But it's realistic, I think. Who makes the best choices when experiencing deep grief? Add to that a neglectful parent who is suffering from her own grief. Eva was just a girl trying to feel better.

I had a hard time putting it down, even when it was bitterly painful. I'd call this a coming of age novel more than romance.

Book Review: The Yellow Rose Beauty Shop

by: Carolyn Brown

Sometimes a book grabs on and won't let go. This is #3 in a series, which I did not know before. I have to go read the others. I enjoyed all the sassy characters and their little Texas town. The Yellow Rose Beauty Shops is owned by Stella. Her mother wants grandchildren and puts her name on the church prayer list to ask God to find Stella a husband.

Heather, the person in charge of the prayer group puts it on the sign in front of the church for all the world to see. Oh lordy, Stella is spittin' mad!

She ends up in a big fight with her mom, Nancy. She also ends up in a bit of a feud with Heather. Heather thinks she is going to start a Marriage Ministry, helping young women find husbands. Not if Stella and Agnes have anything to say about it. Agnes is a feisty old woman, who has been in a lifelong battle with Heather's aunt. No way is this going to disappear quietly.

It was a fun read, very light. Lots of comparisons to Steele Magnolias, but definitely not as heavy. Agnes is often compared to Ouiser, though. And we can all pretty much agree, who wouldn't want to be that tough in her old age? I know I would.

I read this in just over a day. So while I would say it is very light and a perfect travel book, it also demanded my full attention just because it was so colorful.

Book Review: It's You

by: Jane Porter

It's You was given to me by BookSparks in exchange for an honest review.

I'm a fan of Jane Porter's women's fiction. I didn't even realized that one character was from another story. I found that tidbit in a review. This takes place in Napa, along with Jane's Brennan Sister's novels. I loved those stories, it's just been awhile since I read them.

Craig is the bachelor vineyard owner along with his brother Chad. Craig is there with his Great Aunt Edie. Ali and Edie are the main characters of this novel. Ali lives in Arizona, but makes the trip to visit her father after he has a fall. Ali is recovering from the loss of her fiancé and mother, within 6 months of each other. Edie is a crotchety old lady in the retirement community her father lives in.

It is healing for Ali to be in Napa. It gives her something to focus on, and let's her open up to new relationships. Friendships with new people, figuring out her relationship with her father, deciding what she wants. She was on such a straight path with her Andrew. Now that he is gone, she feels adrift, and so very angry.

I felt this was such a realistic look at love and loss. How to recover and move on, reminding us there is no real rule. You just have to keep moving forward, and keep moving forward. Push when you feel like giving up. But this just makes her more angry at Andrew. He gave up, how could he? Ali has to figure out how to forgive him and move on.

Edie gives us a startling look at the reality of war from within Germany. She was there as WWII was beginning. She was American, but gave up her citizenship to marry a German officer. People hear that and immediately judge Edie, never realizing there is so much more to this story. Franz was the love of her life, and a true German citizen.

He was fighting for Germany, his Germany. It is hard, especially as Americans, to understand that not all Germans during WWII were Nazis. Maybe not enough, but there were citizens fighting against what Hitler was doing. People who were rightfully horrified by what was happening in their country. But no one bothered to try and understand this about Edie.

Book Review: A Spool of Blue Thread

by: Anne Tyler

Again, I must say thank you CRDL, my favorite library.

I've never read Anne Tyler. But this book kept popping up. Amazon recommended it, Facebook friends kept it in my newsfreed. I think I must have liked her FB page as well. I don't know. But the point is, I liked the title and the cover. Don't judge a book by it's cover? Yeah, right!

So, when I saw this available digitally through my library, I snatched it up. Amazon, I love digital books. And authors, I know you give so much for your art. But economic circumstances being what they are, I can't afford $10 for a digital book that I may not even like. So, yes, I love my library.

Anyway, my point is I didn't really know much about the book just that it kept popping up. So I grabbed it.

It was amazing! It's about a family, mostly from the mom's perspective. She is thinking, remembering her family and her life. She has four children, and her boy Denny causes nothing but worry. He is forever pulling away from the family, and causing friction within it. He is just aimless, though, and not very responsible. Even when he becomes a father and gets married, he still keeps drifting.

When Abby starts losing moments, her son Stem (really Douglas) moves in with his wife and 3 boys. Abby doesn't appreciate the help. She thinks she is just fine. It does concern her, but not enough to do something about it. She just thinks she has moments when she forgets what she was doing, no big deal. Even though she gets locked out of the house during a storm in her pajamas.

The story jumps around between current events and Abby's memories. Then something big happens and the book makes a huge jump to Abby's past. When she was dating Red's friend. She has known Red since she was a child, having attended school with his sister. But something changes and she falls for him. We get to see it, and it is pretty sweet.

Then we jump again. To Red's father. How he ends up with Red's mother. And that is a look into the family history that no one else ever knew about. His father was quite closed about where he came from and completely out of touch with his family. Red and his sister didn't even know about any of them. So, what brings his father to Baltimore? How does he get the family house that everyone knows he fell in love with.

And then we move back to modern times. This last jump bothered me. It was messy and not much was resolved. But maybe that was on purpose. Life is messy and it never, ever gets resolved like it can in a book.

Over all I enjoyed this story. I truly enjoyed the pacing and Anne's writing style. It passed fast. I swear I was at 27% and next thing I knew it was finished. I didn't even realize it. So yes, if you enjoy Women's Fiction or Modern Literature. It's a story about a family in a world where no family is perfect.

Book Review: New Uses for Old Boyfriends

by: Beth Kendrick

I can't believe I didn't track down a review copy of this one (got this from my library - thank you CRDL!!!). It's the 2nd Black Dog Bay novel, the first being The Cure for the Common Breakup. I did review that one and I did enjoy it. These aren't real heavy, but you do end up caring about the characters. You need to read The Cure for the Common Breakup in order to know the side characters.

In this novel we have Lila who starts out selling her wedding rings. Apparently her life has turned to crap in a big way. She lost her husband, her job and all her money. Without any other options, she moves back home to take time to figure things out. Plus her mother has been asking for help since her father died. Turns out her mother doesn't have any money either.

She kind of falls into starting a vintage clothing business with her mother, she's good at selling and her mother really knows fashion. She tries to start things up with her ex-boyfriend from high school, but find they are better friends. But what about this ex-military guy who is secretly great at sewing? Is there something there worth pursuing?

This right here is a perfect beach read. Not at all difficult and quite entertaining. Black Dog Bay would make an interesting TV show. Has anyone pitched this to Lifetime or Hallmark?

Book Review: The Art of Baking Blind

by: Sarah Vaughan

This story starts with baker, or all around fine cook and author, Kathleen Eaden. We are randomly treated with chapters from her point of view. It's not the happy story that everyone seems to imagine. Thinking she had been wildly successful until leaving the limelight to take care of her daughter and husband full-time.

Modern day, there is a competition to find the new Mrs. Eaden. There are 4 women and one man in this contest. We really only see this from the 4 women's perspective. There is a smattering of the man, but mainly that he is interested in Claire.

Claire is a single mother, working in a grocery store to make ends meet. Oddly enough, it's an Eaden store.

Vicki is a stay at home mom to 3 yr old Alfie, trying to have another baby and trying to figure out how to feel fulfilled in this role. But her husband is fairly supportive and she has her mother to lean on as well. Her biggest problem, and I'm guilty of this too, is not asking her husband to do more childcare. Assuming since he works outside the home, everything else is her job. Some days that is overwhelming.

Jenny is a plus-size woman embarking on middle age. Her husband has decided to completely change his lifestyle with no regard to his wife. To be honest (and clean) he's a jerk. Her daughters think that Jenny is the one pulling away until they witness their father go off on Jenny. She bakes to comfort herself, now that it no longer comforts her family.

Karen is the opposite of Jenny. She is starving herself, never eating what she bakes. She has 2 teenage children who are pulling away from her and a husband who never was that close. She had a very rough time as a teenager, and that she isn't more of a mess actually surprises me.

This story, stories...these women...are all fantastic characters. You really have no idea who to root for. That was the hardest part. Getting to the end of the competition. I didn't want to know the winner, because that would mean one of these other women lost.

But they become good friends and lean on each other when the need is there. It's a beautiful thing.

This is a book from England, so watch out for all the unfamiliar words and phrases.

Book Review: If You're not the One

by: Jemma Forte

I've had this one on my TBR list for awhile. Amazon and my library keep placing it in front of me by way of recommendation. Booksparks obliged by asking me to review it this summer.

My last book dealt with the outcomes of one choice. First one way and then the other. I was pleasantly surprised to see this one had a similar idea. The main character, Jennifer is looking over where she is in her life. Her husband is pulling away and lord knows her reaction isn't helping. She feels trapped and that induces a certain amount of panic. I can understand that. It is scary to attach yourself to someone and trust that they will keep your best interests at heart. Instead he slowly loses respect for her. Jennifer is mostly a stay at home mom, recently working part time while the girls are in school. She finally has a little time to breath and look over her marriage. She really doesn't like what she sees, but is it too late to turn things around?

For some reason, not made clear until much later, she runs out of her house and is hit by a car. While in a coma, her brain takes her to her 3 most important relationships that could easily have ended in marriage. What would have happened? She goes through door #1, #2 and #3. While jumping around those possibilities, we are caught up on what has been going on between her and Max. She had a hot Australian, Aiden. In college she was with a wicked smart but not very demonstrative man named Tim. And immediately before Max, she was seeing Steve.

I expected a lighter story, but this deals with real mistakes and consequences in this woman's life. And we get a clue that Jennifer is truly battling depression. It never comes out with that, but the always present line of dissatisfaction that Jennifer feels is a not-so-subtle hint.

While it does jump around in time and stories, I felt it was pretty easy to follow. No harder than The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger. Yes it goes forward and backward, changing complete storylines. But the story also has an easy flow, it really isn't hard to follow. It is unique and quite exciting to read. I really enjoyed my time with this book and recommend to anyone who enjoys women's fiction.

I am adding Jemma Forte to my favorite author list to see what she comes out with next. Oh happy day! She has other books out already.

Book Review: Maybe in Another Life

by: Taylor Jenkins Reid

This is a neat little book about Hannah, who feels she has fully messed up her life and moves home to Los Angeles. She is staying with her best friend and they go out her second night back. She meets up with her old high school boyfriend. There are two choices presented, stay out with Ethan or go home with Gabby. The rest of the book jumps back and forth on two distinct timelines. One, she goes home with Gabby and Ethan hooks up with one of Gabby's friends. Hannah is hit by a car and must work on recovery. In the other one she goes home with Ethan and they begin an intense love affair until she finds out she is pregnant by the married man she had been dating previously. Will Ethan stay or run? Either way, Hannah is having the baby.

It was interesting the things that stayed the same and the things that changed. Because each chapter jumps back and forth, you really have to pay attention. If there's one thing people might dislike about this book, it's that. Personally, I loved it. It has a predictable flow, and it's easy enough to keep track of.

This book surprised me. I thought I had an idea on what was going to happen, but nope...I was wrong. I was pleasantly surprised on both storylines, and appreciated what Hannah went through in both. Gabby had her own issues, and that was an interesting thing to watch as well. Hannah's one choice leads to other choices, and has effects on everyone around her. Her story changes everyone's story, too.

Book Review: Beautiful Girl

by: Fleur Philips

Melanie is 17 years old, but has already lived a full career in the modeling/acting world of Los Angeles. Her mother has been dragging her to auditions and jobs since she was 4 years old. Her mother had her own aspirations, until she became a single mother. She passed, or forced, those dreams onto her daughter. Melanie doesn't have the guts to stand up to her mother, but she hates it. She hates the fake friends, the teenage life she has given up.

One day, driving home from visiting her only friend (who isn't much of a friend, btw), she gets in an accident. Her face is ruined. Melanie isn't sure how she feels about it. Her mother acts like she can't be seen, which just makes her feel worse. Plastic surgery is scheduled, and in the meantime they hide away in Montana.

And this is really where Melanie's life changes. She meets a boy and falls in love. Things come to a head with her mother. Melanie will never go back to the way things were before.

This book was very fast paced and hard to put down. The romance was so sweet, innocent. The stories within the story.

I was at a wedding reception when I finished this, and I had a bit of a book hangover. lol

Product Review: Aegend™ Adult/Youth Swim Goggles with Case(Blue)

***Aegend sent me these swim goggles in exchange for an honest review.***

I wasn't expecting to be too impressed. I've tried so many swim goggles. I guess I'm cynical because of my kids. I can never get them a set that last...or even work. Seriously, they break almost immediately or they don't keep the water out or both!

The marketing person I worked with said these were for adults. But this is what they look like and the Amazon description says adult and youth. Anyway, they fit my 9 year old son and worked fine. They came in the coolest case I've ever seen. You twist the end and it opens up. I seriously want something like that for my glasses, please and thank you.

The color is a very rich blue. It appealed to me, I'm into blue. The straps are easy to adjust. There's a thing to press on either edge of the goggles to adjust the strap size. And instead of having to maneuver them over your head, there's a snap in the back! Now you might think that's not a big deal, but when you are sharing them with your 9 year old, who keeps changing his mind...the easy adjustment and the snap were a godsend!

We were all set to go swimming at the next town's pool, but storms were rolling through. We ended up at the Comfort Inn in Mt. Pleasant. They were so nice about letting us swim there. $5 per person is hard to beat! It's by our house, so no driving to the next town. It is indoors, so no worry about storms. And on a Monday afternoon, there were no people there either.

I loved the goggles myself. They kept the water out of my eyes, which made swimming easier. I'd forgotten how nice that is. Luckily CW kept going back to the kid goggles they had there. But those were such a pain. I told CW I'd buy him his own pair, and offered one to Ivan. He's not sold, but I think he wants one of those face mask ones. The price is far lower than I was expecting, so yeah, CW's getting his own set!

Now let me tell you about Ivan. He has never been one for going underwater. He's been practicing. He was scared but he let me toss him in the water - which I do to CW all the time. He loved it! And he was so proud of himself. Then he got out and jumped in, another first! Then he tried jumping in 4 feet, then 5 feet. He was amazing!!!

Book Review: Summer Secrets

by: Jane Green

I was sent a hard copy to review from BookSparks PR for the Summer Reading Program.

I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised. I have been eying this book since it was released. I'm not a huge Jane Green fan, in fact I don't think I've ready anything of hers yet...but that has changed.

This book was so unique. The main character is a recovering alcoholic. She deals with her memories, she deals with the outcomes of her behavior. In the present she is trying to make up for not being available to her daughter. She also really misses her ex-husband. But instead of playing all sorts of manipulative games, that you regularly see in romance novels, Cat is honest about the whole thing. She recognizes that she messed up, and that he will either want her or not. She lets go of it, knowing she really can't control it.

Lots of things happen. In her late 20s she finds out the truth about her father. She finds sisters she never knew she had. She gets married, has a baby, loses everything to her drinking.

This book was mesmerizing. And so unique. Cat is my favorite character in a long time. I get the literary need to have those dramatic games that people play, the ones that in reality are messy. I liked that this story was far more realistic in dealing with the mess created by the mistakes that people also make every day.

I liked that Jane looked at how people view teenagers and parties, drinking, experimenting with drugs. There are a great number of people that think it's perfectly normal behavior. But is it? Should we write it off as a right of passage, or should we do more to teach our kids about the dangers associated with that behavior?

Book Review: Worthy

by: Catherine Ryan Hyde

My first BookSparks Summer Reading Challenge book. And I loved it!

It's no secret, I love books about lonely people finding each other. But I have never met a character I can relate to more than Jody. He is a very shy and quiet young man who gets fairly freaked out by people. Virginia is a waitress about to settle for a real jerk. Said jerk dumps her dog off by the lake because he can't handle the competition. Jody saves the dog and changes his name from T.Rex to Worthy. He knew someone was looking for the dog, but he thought it was the bad guy who dumped Worthy.

Jody and Virginia work out the dog situation...as they both love him and there's no clear legal precedent. Jody clearly needs him more than she does...but Jody does the decent thing and brings Worthy back to her, asking only that she let him keep his name.

They get thrown together and spend a lot of one on one time talking and figuring things out. She thought she was going to marry his dad before his dad died. Poor Jody lost his mother when he was a toddler, his father when he was 4, his grandmother some years later and finally his last family member...his grandfather dies early in this story. He has no one, and he's lost everything. Jody is jumpy, afraid of disappointing people, and prefers to be alone. But even so, he feels a crushing loneliness.

Virginia might just help with that, if he'll let her.

P.S. Catherine Ryan Hyde has written many books, including Pay it Forward which the movie was based on.

Book Review: At the Water's Edge

By: Sara Gruen

I was intrigued when I saw this is the same author of Water for Elephants. I just loved that book!

At first I wasn’t sure this story would hook me. It takes place during the early days of World War II. This is Maddie’s story. She is married to Ellis, who is best friends with Hank. Maddie thinks she is happy with all the drinking and parties. She sees nothing wrong with sleeping in separate rooms and the awkward physical side of things.

Then she finds something in Ellis’ room. Is he really in love with someone else? On top of the fact that she is concerned with how many of her pills he is taking, and the booze he is consuming on top of that. But most especially how rude he is to everyone - even her. Maddie finally gets fed up!

But she is stuck in Scotland during a war. She begs her father to help her get home, but she broke all sorts of rules getting there in the first place. There is no way home.

She has made friends with the hotel staff, she is possibly falling in love herself. And finally trying to think of what she wants out of life.

I couldn’t put this down once I got going. Oh the best part - Ellis and Hank were there to find evidence of the Loch Ness Monster!!! They really thought they’d find it.

It was similar to Water for Elephants in that it was dark, sweet, and mysterious. I felt terrible for Maddie...well for everyone, except Ellis...he was a complete a**!

Book Review: The Memory Journal

By: Steena Holmes

This short story is part of a boxed set called Sweet Talk. The authors are donating the profits to Diabetes Research. I’ve only read The Memory Journal. I am a big fan of Steena Holmes.

This story is taken from The Memory Child (and yes, I recommend it highly). It is a short story created to give us a feel for Charlie’s perspective. Diane is the main character of The Memory Child, Charlie is her sister.

Diane has been dealt a terrible blow, losing her husband and unborn child in the same car accident. Charlie went back to Africa where she works as a volunteer nurse, thinking Diane was on the mend.

Things are not going well, so Charlie must leave her fiance and return to Diane’s side. While Diane does need Charlie, Charlie needs to decide if she can or even should let Dr. Marcus out of her life.

I liked this story more for the characters than the flow. It seemed too rushed and parts did confuse me. But I did care about Charlie’s choices. Plus it was interesting to see how severe Diane’s breakdown really was.

Book Reviews: The Last Policeman books 2 & 3

Countdown City

by: Ben Winters

Henry Palace is back! He is no longer officially a policeman, but he hasn't given up his detective ways. His old babysitter's husband is a missing person, in a world full of missing people and little infrastructure to find anyone. Henry knows it isn't likely he'll find the guy, and even if he does, he has no authority to force him to come back.

Everyone thinks Henry has lost it. Why is he even bothering? The end is drawing ever closer and chances are the guy just went "bucket list."

But something just feels off about this. And I think that if Henry doesn't keep busy, he knows he'll slowly go mad. I'm glad he gets to visit with his sister in this one. It really was as well paced and well written as the first book.

World of Trouble

by: Ben Winters

I read this immediately after Countdown City. The end of the world is getting even closer. There is no electricity, the water is now gone as well. People are having a hard time finding food, clean water, and anything else they might need. Henry has left the safety of his old coworkers compound and is traveling to find his sister. This really broke my heart. Henry was driving himself psychically and emotionally to the edge. You wonder if he'll even survive.

I loved the point that Henry makes, that as the end draws closer, people become frustrated with sleep. Death is literally at your doorstep, wouldn't you be frustrated at the wasted time of sleep? This book really deals with the end and how different people deal. Henry and his traveling companion mark the towns they go through. Some are deserted, some have people holed up in their homes fully bearing arms, and some people decide to just work together and enjoy the company.

I feel Henry's loneliness. Even though he's traveling with someone, it isn't someone he fully trusts. They are using each other, but to what ends?

Will Henry solve his final mystery before the asteroid hits?

Book Review: Pie Girls

by: Lauren Clark

Searcy in the beginning of this book, seemed like she belonged on an episode of "True Housewives" and I think even she would admit that. Her world comes crashing down when her husband tells her he doesn't want to be married anymore. She has to find a new place to live, and her lavish lifestyle is OVER! When her Mama calls and asks her to come home to help out, she jumps at the chance to escape until she can figure things out.

Once she is home, things really start to fall into place for her. Although her mother isn't well, and the business is failing. Searcy finds a strength she didn't know she had to help the people she loves.

I liked this book. I truly did. It moves super fast and easy. A great beach read with some very sweet romance included. I can't help but feel that it also went too fast. There's no real explanation for Searcy's complete personality change. She was still completely snobbish when she got home. Then, poof, she's all down to earth and can't believe how spoiled she'd acted the previous 10 years or so. There were some big moments and they just never got the attention they deserved. It was rushed. But still, I would say it was worthy entertainment.

Book Review: The Girl on the Train

by: Paula Hawkins

How did I not know this was a mystery/thriller??? I mean seriously...I was expecting a happy story. Then when I started to read and it wasn't happy, I figured, oh chick lit. She'll get her poop together and then we'll all be happy.

I'd classify this as a thriller.

Rachel rides the train into London every day. Not to work, but to hide that she no longer has a job. When she looks out where she used to live...she focuses on a few houses before her old place. In a way to avoid looking at her old life that she just can't seem to get over. She makes up this whole story of the couple that lives there. Then one day, she sees the woman she has named Jess with another man. Rachel is furious, how could Jess do that to her wonderful husband? When Jess ends up missing, Rachel feels it is her duty to come forward with what she knows.

The story also follows Meagan, the missing woman and Anna the new wife of Rachel's ex-husband. But I feel, after reading it all, that really Rachel is the key figure. Maybe I just like her the best - lol. Oh did I mention Rachel drinks way too much and Anna is about ready to get a restraining order on her? And yet, I still like her better...

This book just whipped by keeping me on the edge of my seat until the very end. In the beginning it's not real exciting, more of laying the groundwork for the true ride at the end. Like Gone Girl, this story just grabbed me and kept me guessing until the very end.

Book Review: The Godforsaken Daughter

by: Christina McKenna

I've been toying around with the idea of reading The Misremembered Man by this author, so when I saw this on NetGalley to review, I snapped it up. I'm so glad I did.

Some people don't like books about sad and lonely characters. And Ruby is both sad and lonely. She has a bit of a Cinderella quality to her, as both her mother and twin sisters treat her horribly. She used to help her father on their farm in Ireland, but he has since died and her mother sold off all the animals. Ruby is forced to remain indoors as her mother's caretaker. Her sisters come home on weekends and tease her all the more.

Her life changes when she finds the witchcraft items her grandmother left in the attic. Ruby finds confidence with the goddess Dana. Although I was bothered by the 22 card tarot - that's only the Major Arcana! But beyond that, seems Christina did her homework. This is by no means the majority of the story. It is merely something that helps Ruby find herself and gain strength. Once she meets the good doctor, she begins to heal. She also meats Jamie, another lonely soul. He has good people in his life though, and once they (Rose & Paddy) meet Ruby, the matchmaking begins.

I hate how Ruby is treated by her family, but there is that comfort when she meets people who have her back. She's needed that since her father died. She didn't realize her own worth. But once that confidence kicks in, look out!

There is a side story with the psychiatrist. Dr. Henry Shevlin has come to this small town to escape his own loneliness. His wife left him and he just can't stand the memories anymore. I didn't care for this story as much, as their relationship seemed one-sided and inappropriate. But you do get the feeling that Dr. Henry does truly love this woman, and only wants to know she is safe.

I just discovered this is the 3rd book in a series. #1 is The Misremembered man and #2 is The Disenchanted Widow. That should tell you that this works as a stand along novel. I'm seriously going to have to check out the other 2.

Book Review: Wait for the Rain

by: Maria Murnane

A not so newly divorced woman is going on vacation with her college friends to celebrate turning 40. That she is turning 40, that her teenage daughter doesn't seem to need her anymore, that her ex-husband is getting remarried, all have her feeling lost. She already has felt that way for years. With being a mother, leaving her career behind, failing as a wife...failing to have more children. She isn't sure who she is anymore, or what happened to who she wanted to be.

Daphne is the main character, a friendly lady who gets along with just about anyone she meets. She has been working part-time in a flower shop since the divorce. It gets her out of the house, but I don't think it fulfills her. I'd be curious to see what she gets up to once she is home.

Skylar, her ambitious best friend, is an over-worked software person. I'm not really sure what she does, but she spends most of her waking hours doing it, even on vacation. But it's her boss's home, and the reason they are all there. She does take off, but we are left wondering if she is where she wants to be. Even she wonders, will she one day regret all the time spent working and having no one to come home to?

And finally, there is KC, their hyper 3rd mate. She teaches fitness classes, participates in a soccer league for adults, and is the best step-mother she can be to her husband's grown boys. No kids of her own, but she is fine with that as she didn't even expect marriage.

Daphne is the clear center here, with so much to clear up and move on from. I loved the vacation vibe in this story, and was so pleased with how Daphne handled herself even when she was unsure. I liked the honesty that her and her hook-up treated each other with. She both relaxes and grows on this vacation. Is there going to be more stories with these women? I don't know, but I'll be first in line if there is.

Giveaway Results - Letter From Paris

by: Thérèse

Thanks to everyone who entered.

Ok, only 3 people. But I bet you 3 liked your odds!

I assigned numbers 1, 2, 3 based on your place in the comments. I then found a random number generator online. That took a little bit, Random.org doesn't seem to offer that anymore. Anyway, here we are: Congratulations Amanda S.

Giveaway: Letter from Paris

Thérèse

From Goodreads:

India Butler’s journey to America put her life on a new track. Now a trip to Paris threatens to derail her – or to make things all they are supposed to be. With a new job, a new friend, a potential new lover...and an old lover, India is dealing with nearly as much as she can handle. But that’s only the beginning.

The infectious sequel to India’s Summer, Letter From Paris is witty, glamorous, incisive, and refreshingly real.

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If you'd like to win a copy of this novel, leave a comment telling me where you dream of visiting. A winner will be selected on Friday, March 6, 2015.

And of course if you'd like to pick up a copy of India's Summer or Letter from Paris, see these links.

Book Review: The Secret Life of Wishful Thinking

by: Lindy DeKoven

Not bad...not great, either. It's a fine story that would probably be classified as Women's Fiction. There is some romance here, but mostly we are dealing with Kenzie's healing from an humiliating experience early on in her career and her mother's death. Her best friend Gemma is trying to reconnect with her birth father. And there is a small story line with Kenzie's employee, Sarita and the biggest customer of the Track, Brynne.

Sarita is into the Goth scene and wants to sing, also she doesn't want to get married. Her father is not down with any of this. Brynne is very old fashioned. She went to a southern college, married well and never looked back. But did she make the right choices?

We follow these women, and it is interesting. I will say I had a hard time putting it down. It was a good story, fairly well written with decent flow.

I guess my only downside is that it was pretty vanilla. Nothing that happened was a surprise and it all wrapped up as expected. I would say it's a good beach read. Not too demanding of the reader. The one thing that really, really bugged me was the number of times the author took a short cut on her sentences. Skipping the "I" or "I'm" that generally makes a complete sentence and starting right with the verb. "Happy you showed up." "Excited to start this project." Not exact quotes but after a few hundred pages, this was driving me insane. Not enough to stop reading, but come on girl! Complete sentences in a book! People might text like that, but we haven't started talking like that, have we?

Product Review: ORROUS & CO Legacy Collection Earrings

A representative from ORROUS & CO Legacy Collection contacted me and asked if I would review some earrings. I was sent 3 pair that I picked out, but they were given to me in exchange for an honest review. As far as I know, they only sell on Amazon.

This company is pretty well on the ball. They are good with communicating and they shipped these to me pretty fast. I've had them for a few weeks now. I have a pretty serious allergy with earrings, and honestly it gave me pause when they first contacted me. I hate getting earrings that I love and then I can't wear them. Call me surprised, but this was not the case. I really am surprised because they aren't very expensive. Good job guys! (The company said they are indeed nickel free)

They come in a velvet jewelry box protected by a card-stock sleeve. I was really impressed, they take their jewelry seriously. Even thought it is affordable costume jewelry, they took that much care with packaging. This might be a point where it is obvious I don't buy much jewelry - lol.

I will say this, if you are looking to add to your collection or need an affordable gift idea, these are pretty great.

18k Gold Plated White Shell Pearl with Cubic Zirconia Snowflake Drop Earrings

I'll be blunt, I asked for white gold on all of them. I'm not sure if they were out, but these are yellow gold. They are still really pretty, and they aren't too heavy. I do really like them.

Good communication, though. I told them the issue and they immediately sent out the pair I'd asked for. I love, love, love these in white gold. So, great product and great communication.

18k Gold Plated Cubic Zirconia Cushion Shape Halo Stud Earrings

From what I received these are my favorite, even though the post one one of them was bent! They are classy and light. I wear these during my teaching days, but they are great for dress up, too. I'm wearing them right now! No pain and I feel pretty. I contacted the company about the bent post and they apologized and immediately sent out a new pair. Great communication.

18k Gold Plated White Shell Pearl with Cubic Zirconia Clover Drop Earrings

These are my next favorite. I have worn them around, and they aren't too dangly. They sit well without a lot of movement. I think they are beautiful, and again no pain from extended wear. These would be great for a formal evening.

I had to contact them about other earrings. They are great with communicating and taking care of problems. I give the company an A+ as well.

Book Review: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches

by: Lauren Magaziner

I won this book on Goodreads. They ask that you review it, but it's not required. I was so impressed when it arrived. First of all I didn't know I had won - thanks for letting me know, Goodreads! Second, she autographed it. It said something about bunnies and friends. That became clear as we read the book.

At first I wasn't that impressed. It was so out there with silly names and the kids vs. adults theme. Rupert is in the 5th grade and he has the worst teacher ever! The kids aren't allowed to be friends, they aren't allowed to talk to each other either in school or out of school. She keeps kids late, and even days at a time as punishment. Poor Rupert, his mother doesn't even believe him. She is a very busy woman, working 3 jobs to support them as a single mother. I guess it's not a big deal to kids, but it really tickled my curiosity. What's the story there? What happened between his father and mother? But a father never is mentioned.

One day, immediately after his mother forbid him to have anything to do with the witches in town, he finds an ad for a witch's apprentice. He meets Witchling two. They don't have names until they pass their BAR exam. And Witchling Two needs all the help she can get. This is when the story takes off for me. She is so goofy that we are all laughing. Again, my husband was sucked in and at the end he was just as upset that we had to stop. That really puts this up to 5 stars for me. It was slow for me, but only for me. CW loved it from the first moment. It even prompted him to ask his teacher why she never reads about witches.

Back to the story; it happens to be against the rules for a Witchling to hang around a human boy. Or maybe it was the sharing of spells. I don't really know, but they ran into a bunch of trouble just for being friends. But I loved it because she needed a friend more than an apprentice. She neeeded someone who cared about her, listened to her problems, and didn't care if she was a talented witch or not. He needed a friend, because his teacher had virtually left him all alone. Witchling Two gives him the confidence to stand up for himself, regardless of the consequences. If you've ever felt lonely, you will relate to these two wholeheartedly.

Oh, and did I mention, Witchling Two is terrified of bunnies? The girl has a serious phobia. She had us laughing a lot. An entertaining read for adults and children alike.

Book Review: Eight Hundred Grapes

by: Laura Dave

This book kept me guessing. There was a romance aspect, but who? Georgia's story begins with her engaged to an English man. He hurt her in the beginning and you really want to hate him. But you can't, she can't. Are they getting married or not? She ran to her father's vineyard to get away from him. There she meets Jacob. He is buying her father's vineyard, much to her dismay.

So, even though there is tension there, you know she is going to end up with one of them. But who? I liked that it wasn't terribly predictable. I don't know, maybe it was knowing who she ends up with. But the ride there was interesting.

It's a story about family and faith. About taking the safe path, or putting yourself out there to chase your dreams. I really felt the passion that Georgia and her father had for the vineyard. And I also enjoyed the family dynamics. Everyone is incredibly close, but at the same time there is so much tension about things unsaid.

I felt this story had some slow spots, but overall the story did grab me. It's a little bit romance and a lot of bits women's literature.

Book Review - The Knockoff

by: Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza

I absolutely fell for Imogen Tate. I'm not a person who is into fashion, but the feeling of being overwhelmed, of being left behind can be universal...especially with women. She had a beloved assistant, Eve, who left to go to Harvard Business School. When Imogen returns from fighting breast cancer, she finds Eve has returned and that absolutely everything about her beloved magazine has changed. Everything is online, there is no longer going to be a print version, and Eve undermines every single decision that Imogen tries to make.

Here's what I love about Imogen: she's a career woman who prioritizes her family. Yes, she has a nanny, but that nanny is also one of her best friends. She treats everyone kindly, and gives the benefit of the doubt, at least until she can't. She doesn't give up. Glossy is her baby, she loves her job and she loves that magazine. She is willing to fight for it. I am amazed at how she puts aside her feelings of being overwhelmed by technology and embraces it with the help of all her friends.

Here's what I love about Eve: nothing, that woman is horrible. I can't give away too many details, but clearly she is trying to force Imogen out. She is the worst kind of entitled crap, and she is impossibly rude because of it. I hate her, and that's really all I can say. I would go on and on, but no, I have to stop before I ruin everything.

It's a far richer story than I initially gave it credit for. It isn't another shallow fashion diva story. It's like tiramisu when you were just expecting white cake. Surprise!

Book Review - Fluff Dragon

by: Platte F. Clark

This is book 2 of a 3 book series. The first book is Bad Unicorn - and yes, I encourage you to read it. It was a fun book and it gives the back-story. I don't think this would do well as a stand alone story. So seriously, stop reading this and go read Bad Unicorn if you haven't already, I'll wait.

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Welcome back! Now in Fluff Dragon we are introduced to some new creatures. Fluff Dragons, of course, which are dragons that accidentally "put their clothes on inside out." We know dragons can take on human form, sometimes when turning back it goes wonky and their scales are facing in, and when that happens the Escutcheon's Scale keeps reflecting the magic back in and they get really small and they are really stuck.

Fire Kittens, Loki and Moki to be exact. Moki is hilarious! He's overly excited by everything, seriously everything. Even prison excites him. Lesson to be learned here, about living in the moment. Moki is the happiest character, by far.

Max is in trouble, now that they have traveled back to their own time, the Codex is no longer working. It randomly sparks at Max and he can't read anything. It has killed his magic. But he uses the downtime when they are trying to fix it to memorize the names of spells, he's a really bright kid. Now if they can only get the Codex working again and defeat Rezormoor Dreadbringer, in order to save the dragons.

It's another fantasy novel for kids but filled with so much zany adventure that adults are sure to love it, too. I'm not just saying that, my husband groaned just as much as my 9 year old did when story time was over. lol

Book Review - Saint Odd

by: Dean Koontz

Uggg - that last Odd Thomas book! I was both excited by and dreading this book. I've loved all the Odd Thomas stories. Odd is a superhero, I don't care what he thinks. If nothing else, his unwavering ethics earn him that title. He must do the right thing, no matter the danger. He sees dead people, and occasionally helps them cross over, but that is not even the main thing he does.

Mainly, he fights evil. Serious, child sacrifice and mass murder kind of evil. He uses his gifts in this war. He finds allies as well. For all he's seen, he believes that people are generally good and must be protected from the growing evil in the world.

For his final battle, Odd returns to his home in Pico Mundo, New Mexico. He wants to see the people he cares about, but he also knows that something big and bad is going to happen and he has to try to stop it. It's a mystery. He doesn't know the what, the when, or the how. He barely understands the why. (Because evil, that's why!)

I enjoyed this as much as any of the others. You don't have to read them all, but you might not understand some of the people he is talking about that are from previous novels.

Book Review - The Coincidence of Coconut Cake

by: Amy E. Reichert

**Publication Date: July 21, 2015**

This is exactly the kind of romance novel I adore. It has a truly rich story without the tired romance formula of boy and girl do not get along. There is tension here, but it's unique.

We've got a fine chef named Lou, trying to build a successful restaurant. Then there is Al, who is a food critic. He reviews Lou's restaurant on the night she breaks up with her fiancè. Being that he uses an alias and she goes by Lou instead of Elizabeth, they fall in love before either realizes who the other is. BTW - his review was not good and Lou has begun to lose her restaurant because of it.

I never thought that was such a bad thing, her heart really wasn't in it. It wasn't HER food. She was following a menu her fiancè told her to feature.

You just know eventually one of them is going to figure it out, but you also know it will be really painful. You can't help but love Al and Lou, and just adore them together. They make each other better. She literally gets him to fall in love with Milwaukee, a city he loathed in the beginning. He's an English man, who either wants a larger city or somewhere home. He gives her real love. Even though they are taking it slow, he truly listens to her and encourages her. He isn't trying to make her into what he wants, like her ex did.

Lou is strong, Al is sweet. It makes for one hell of a nice novel. Plus you get a recipe for Coconut Cake!

Book Review: Llewellyn's Complete Dictionary of Dreams

Dr. Michael Lennox

**Release date: May 8, 2015**

What a fun book! I think it's a bit much to say it's a complete dictionary, but no one asked me to come up with the title. It has many little bits in alphabetical order. A little bit of everything.

I've been looking up my dreams in this for a few weeks now. I think it is too simplistic. For example, and here I am sharing my dream. I dreamed my children turned were zombies. I was afraid to be near them but I couldn't be without them either. Then they changed into wolf pups. I felt immense relief. I looked up zombies, and it said I "may be lacking passion or life force...where the process of living is devoid of any joy or vibrant energy." I can see that, I struggle with depression. But there is no any deeper interpretation given being that they were my closest family members. Seems to me that just a random zombie vs. my children would be very different meanings.

Wolf - "When the wolf appears in a dream, you are being guided by very strong forces who know their way around the darker recesses of the psyche." Now that confuses me. I really don't know what to make of that. Does that mean that even though I'm feeling troubled, I have help? Or maybe that I need to relax and know I'll get through whatever is troubling me?

It's an interesting book, but I don't think it's really that clear on dream interpretation. Not when there is so much more going on in dreams than one symbol at a time. Things happen, and this is full of objects, people, places and animals. But don't hold that too much against this book. Most dream interpretation books have this downfall. They give you the symbols and meanings and leave you to put it all together. All in all, I would recommend this if you are looking for a starting point in interpreting your dreams. I would say get this and start keeping a dream journal. Together, it may work beautifully.

Book Review: First Frost

by: Sarah Addison Allen

The Waverlys are back! Sarah's first published novel was Garden Spells, which featured the Waverly sisters. So if you haven't read that - DO NOT read this review!!!

Claire is making candy. She has since stopped her catering business because this candy business has exploded. But she is doubting herself. After a certain point, she had to stop using ingredients from her garden. Does she really have Waverly magic? Enter dubious traveling salesman character...

Bay is having her own troubles. Since her magic is knowing where things belong - or don't belong - she is an outcast in high school. There is a boy, Josh I want to say...anyway, he is the son of Hunter John, her mother's high school sweetheart. Because of that history, Sydney does not trust him. She is afraid he will break Bay's heart the same way Hunter John broke hers. But I don't know how much say she will get, as Bay knows they belong together.

I couldn't have been happier to review this book. Yup, I received a review copy in exchange for an honest review. And this is honest, Sarah Addison Allen is my all time favorite author and she still is oozing her talent all over her books. There's a little magic, a little romance, and a lot of sweet story here.

Blurb from Website:

Autumn has finally arrived in the small town of Bascom, North Carolina, heralded by a strange old man appearing with a beat-up suitcase. He has stories to tell, stories that could change the lives of the Waverley women forever.