Monday, March 18, 2024

The Glow in Loretta’s Garden (Loretta’s Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

 

The Glow in Loretta's Garden (Loretta's Insects)The Glow in Loretta's Garden by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have never heard the term "armadillo bugs" before reading this book! Even adults can learn more about insects, specifically fireflies, in this informative story. Spend some time with Loretta in her garden and you'll learn about the life cycle of what I've always termed "lightening bugs" or fireflies.

This is another great addition to any personal or school library. There are STEM features of this book, which is a favorite aspect I have of this author. Be sure to check out her other books as well!

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Saturday, March 16, 2024

Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid's Guide to Welcoming a New Dog (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series) by Jennie Chen and Giselle Nevada

 

Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid's Guide to Welcoming a New Dog (Porter and Midge Children’s Book Series)Porter and Midge: Paws and Responsibilities: A Kid's Guide to Welcoming a New Dog by Giselle Nevada
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a very informational and helpful book for a family that is looking to add a furbaby. In this story, Lora and CJ have decided they'd like to each have a dog. Their parents have wisely advised the children that they need to research everything possible about pet care to demonstrate the knowledge necessary to be a great pet parent. CJ and Lora learn all about proper vet care, exercise, food, and more and present their findings to their parents who agree to allow them to have a new pet.

Any family with small children looking to add a new furbaby should be required to read this book! It's a great tool for youngsters to create a goal list from and to demonstrate their learned knowledge before the family commits to such a huge undertaking of adding to their family.

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Friday, March 15, 2024

Mistaken Identity (London Detective Agency Series) by Stephanie R. Caffrey

 

Mistaken Identity (London Detective Agency Book 1)Mistaken Identity by Stephanie R. Caffrey
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Evelyn is looking forward to her studies abroad but a series of unfortunate events leads to her being held "captive" by Private Investigator Patrick. There are ups and downs and lots of conflict and drama throughout this captivating read. I love how the relationship between Evelyn and Patrick evolves. I look forward to more reads by this author in this series!

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Thursday, March 14, 2024

The Complete Echo Series: A Heartfelt Romance Collection (The Echo Series) by C.R. Alam

 

The Complete Echo Series (Echo #1-4)The Complete Echo Series by C.R. Alam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Echoing Hearts 4 Stars
Rae Allen doesn't believe in love or happily ever after. She's seen enough in her family to jade her for life. Thankfully, she has some pretty awesome friends, especially her best friend Brandon, who are there for her when things get rough. Her friendship with Brandon is more of a kindred kind...they are thicker than thieves, almost as if they were brother and sister. Brandon would do anything for Rae, especially after she helped him and his band land an amazing producer!

Dean Rowland is living a life of luxury. He's surrounded by wealth, fame, and women. He's living the life as one might say, proud of all his accomplishments. Except for the one thing he couldn't conquer...getting married. After being jilted at the alter, Dean is happy to swear off women forever.

Rae gets a call for a favor. Her friend needs her to go and check out this house in Georgia for the next issue of the magazine that she publishes. This house is a bit mysterious and Rae doesn't get a lot of background on it. When she arrives at the house, she can't seem to get anyone to come to the door, even though they should be expecting her. The next scene will be on that will change her life forever and have her heart sending echoes out across Lake Lanier.

This was a very enjoyable read for a lazy Saturday afternoon! I read this book in one sitting. It's a typical romance read and one where both main characters should be hog tied for their antics towards each other. This does have a happy ending and I even found myself tearing up in the end!

His Forever Muse-4 stars
I've been anxiously waiting to get my hands on this book after reading the first book in this series! This book, while the second in a series, can be easily read as a stand alone.

Brandon Rossi is the front man for a rock band, Canis Major and his best friends are his band mates. He's restless as the band has just come off a huge international tour and his artwork is slowing down a bit. He's ready to get out and find what it is that he's missing. Rae, one of his dearest friends, encourages him to travel and continue doing some artwork while he's seeing sights. Brandon decides to go to Morocco to visit his friend Chris, and while there, he meets up with an art gallerist.

Calliope Chen-Bisset is that art gallerist and once she lays eyes on Brandon, a lot of great childhood memories come flooding back to both her and Brandon. Callie is the sister of one of Brandon's bandmates and while they never hooked up while growing up, there has always been some sort of attraction there. Brandon helped Callie get through some difficult points in her life but not the most difficult ones.

Sparks start to fly between Callie and Brandon as soon as they lay eyes on each other but it's been 15 years since they last saw each other. Callie's family hasn't mentioned her in years and, truth be told, there has been a bit of a rift between them too. Callie has experienced things that no woman...no person ever should experience but now that Philippe is a part of her life, she will always be looking over her shoulder. He's the crazy ex-lover who just won't let go.

Can Brandon keep his reputation in tact while learning to love Callie and her scars?

I loved this book and already can't wait for the next one! There are some difficult topics covered and the author does issue a warning at the beginning of this book. I was not personally triggered by any of the scenes as they were handled quite delicately with enough information to let the reader know what happened without being overly graphic. This is a second chance romance of sort, but more importantly, a phoenix rising from the ashes story.

Unexpected Entanglement- 4 stars
Rowan Kelly has inherited an inn and she's super excited to host her cousin's wedding there. Everything has to be perfect and beautiful for the big day. Rowan can handle just about anything that is put in her way but having an extra hand or two never hurts!

Insert Chris Sullens. Chris is a well-known hotelier who is more than happy to dig in and help Rowan make this wedding the best ever. What he didn't expect is the role that he'd be asked to play in order this wedding to go off WITH a hitch!

This is probably my favorite book of this series so far! There is an overlap of some characters from previous books (it was good to catch up on them!) but this book can be read as a standalone easily. I look forward to seeing where this series continues to go!

Dangerous Rhythm-4 stars
I am a total fan of this series!! I love the writing style, the humor (and this one...well, just read it!), the suspense, the drama....it's all in here! I think this is my favorite book of the series so far but they are all really good! The tension that Lina displays, although she's trying to be professional, just lets you know that she's a ticking time bomb of emotions. Curtis is a rockstar that just can't hide his vibe. The Stilletto's? They're as ruthless as they sound.

Another enjoyable book in this great series!

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Tuesday, March 12, 2024

The Missing Red Envelopes by Yobe Qiu

 

The Missing Red EnvelopesThe Missing Red Envelopes by Yobe Qiu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Lorie and Weina are sisters and they are looking for the red envelopes that were in a bag that they were carrying around. The envelopes are a custom during the Lunar New Year and they contain money and chocolate.

What I enjoyed most about this story is learning more about Asian culture. Young readers can have an appreciation of it as well and may want to experience a Lunar New Year celebration.

The illustrations were also very well done throughout this short chapter book.

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Sunday, March 10, 2024

Family Ties Family Lies by Jacqueline Boulden

 

Family Ties Family LiesFamily Ties Family Lies by Jacqueline Boulden
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sometimes you just never know the depths of drama and lies that a family can hold. Even the families that look like they have it all together could be hiding the darkest of secrets. That's where Rose found herself. Her mother falls ill and she's called to come help care for her. While in her childhood home, Rose finds some items that bring about a lot of questions and suspicions in her mind about who her family really is.

There are parts of this story that were hard to read. This will challenge the reader emotionally, so be prepared. However, give this book a chance because it's well worth your investment!

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Thursday, March 7, 2024

Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story (A Better Man, Book 1) by Amy Q. Barker

 

Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story (A Better Man Book 1)Bailey and the CEO: A Corporate Love Story by Amy Q. Barker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

She's a widow raising two teenage girls. He's a divorcee raising two teenage boys. She works in HR and he's the CEO. One day Fox walks by and calls Bailey by her name. She's in shock because they've had so few interactions together. Then they end up on an airplane together and things start to change for them both. However, they are having to keep a secret, but at what costs?

The characters are relatable and "real". They could be the people in any organization in today's world. The story is believable. This author has a great way of weaving together a story that keeps you turning the page.

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