Destiny of Light (Quirk of Destiny Book 3) by Catherine Greenall

 

Destiny of Light by Catherine Greenall
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What a way to wrap up this series!! Catherine Greenall created a masterpiece in this trilogy and this last book just tied up all the ends so neatly...or did it??!?!

I do highly recommend reading these books in order. Each book builds on the previous and you'll lose a lot of background if these are read out of order.

This book focuses on genetically modified foods, nuclear bombs, dinosaurs of various kinds, Genies, crazy politicians, and so much more!! Callum and his crew are on the hunt for others like them who are against all these GMOs and misuse of environmental resources. When political foes try to squash them, Callum and his crew have to make some life-altering decisions. Haven't they already endured enough?

It's hard for me to write an adequate review without accidentally throwing in spoilers so I'm just going to leave this at.....YOU NEED TO READ THIS SERIES!!!

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Notebook Mysteries ~ Suspicions (Notebook Mysteries Book 5) by Kimberly Mullins

 

Notebook Mysteries ~ Suspicions by Kimberly Mullins
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I knew this book was going to be a great one when it starts out....

"WHAM! Something hit Emma on he back of the head, and she pivoted toward the assailant. The old woman stopped her by jumping on her back, pulling her hair, and stabbing at her neck frantically with knitting needles."

I do know how to knit but I prefer to crochet. This opening paragraph had me from the start and I just had to know what was up with this lady! It really wasn't too significant in the overall story but still....I loved it!

Emma is at it again with her team of sleuthing family members and friends. This time, there are several children who've been kidnapped and it's up to Emma and company to try to return them to their rightful homes. As they are working this case, other smaller cases come up that they are trying to quell. Many of those smaller cases have ties to the much larger case at hand.

The overall themes this book features are topics such as human trafficking, bigamy, and women empowerment.

This book could be read as a standalone but the reader would miss out on some of the dynamics of the characters. I have really enjoyed this series and this has been my favorite so far. I am looking forward to the next book that should be released later on this year.

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The Romanov Heiress by Jennifer Laam

 

The Romanov Heiress by Jennifer Laam
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you've read my any of my reviews, you know that historical fiction is my absolute most favorite genre to read. This book did not disappoint at all!

Jennifer Laam is a new-to-me author and I thoroughly enjoyed how she weaved together this story of the Grand Duchesses of the Romanov family. Their harrowing escape by a generous benefactor is the beginning of this story and will lead you until these ladies can finally breath somewhat again. This is a time period that I'm not as familiar with but I feel that the story was captured fairly accurately in terms of the history. I can't imagine having to live as Olga and her sisters had to in order to survive. Their story is beautifully tragic and I look forward to reading the next book in their adventures together.

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Falling for You (Buckeye Falls Book 2) by Libby Kay

 

Falling for You by Libby Kay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars!!

CeCe LaRue is familiar with the heat of a kitchen but she's not about to be burned by another man in her life. She's quite content working at Max's Diner in Buckeye Falls. When an opportunity comes up to enter a cooking contest, CeCe is hesitant but interested.

Evan Lawson is that friend that everyone wants to have. Always a smile or hug to share, Evan is a remarkable guy. Is he perfect? No...show me a perfect guy please and I might change my mind. Evan is finding an attraction to CeCe though as they work side by side at the diner everyday. He's actually been crushing on CeCe for quite some time and when the cooking competition comes up he's hoping it's a chance to get even closer to her.

A past flame in CeCe's life could scorch any hopes of this relationship ever going anywhere if things don't change fast!

I loved this second book in this series. I did read the first one as well and equally loved it. This can be read as a stand alone. I really enjoy the style of writing in this series and the stories come to life before you as you read. I found myself tearing up and angry and then the next minute I was fist pumping and hollering for a victory! I'm excited about the next book but was a bit surprised as to the characters in the next one!! I was just sure it would be someone else featured but hopefully their story is coming soon too!

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Chicken Little Investigates (Science Folktales) by Lois Wickstrom

 

Chicken Little investigates by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"The sky is falling!"

Most of us are familiar with this popular saying by Chicken Little. This great little STEM focused book follows up on that saying with a physics lesson that also includes Turkey Lurky, Henny Penny, Ducky Lucky, and Goosey Loosey. Foxy Woxy will also make an appearance but we all know how sly those foxes can be!

The illustrations are great in this book as well. The words appear to be interactive on the page which makes this one even more fun!

Add this to the list to share with a youngster in your life!

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His Forever Muse (The Echo Series Book 2) by C.R. Alam

 

His Forever Muse by C.R. Alam
My rating: 4 of 5 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.

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What Loretta's Katydid Did (Loretta's Insects) by Lois Wickstrom

 

What Loretta's Katydid did by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Loretta's grandma gives her an orange tree that she can grow even though she lives in Colorado. When inspecting the tree, Loretta finds some aphids. Grandma tells her that she should remove them to protect the integrity of the plant. Loretta decides to leave them there and, ultimately, she's glad that she did. Will Loretta's orange tree help her to win the science fair at school?

Again, Lois Wickstrom has written another great children's book! This one is a part of a series on bugs and has a science focus on it. This book would be inspiring to a child about to enter their first science fair!

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Streets of Shadow by Rebecca Bischoff

 

Streets of Shadow by Rebecca Bischoff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kenna is a 15 year old young lady when she finds out that her dear sister, who is more like her mother, has been murdered. When Kenna goes to her Grandfather, the Earl, she is comforted by him, but only briefly. Next thing she knows, she's being put in a carriage and taken to Stewart's Close. It's an alleyway that is in the most extreme poor of communities. She's also being accused of the murder of her sister. If that's not enough, Stewart's Close is under quarantine because of Kenna...she may have brought the plague to them.

Kenna has suddenly gone from a Lady to a beggar. She's sleeping in the filthiest of places and stealing for food. It's a battle of survival for her! No one wants anything to do with the "Poisoner" until Donny and his wife decide to take her in...but at a price.

Will Kenna be able to avenge her sister's death? Will she ever regain her rightful place as a Lady in society? Will she even be able to survive?

This book grabbed me from the get-go! It's full of adventure and history. There are plot twists at every corner as well! This is my first read by this author but I'll be looking for more of her work!

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The Empty Box (Invisible Magic Wand Series) by Lois Wickstrom

 

The Empty Box by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It's Caspian's Un-Birthday and Grandpa has gifted him with a box. Only problem is, it's an empty box! Grandpa tells Caspian that there's a wand inside and that he needs to name it in order for it to work. Once Caspian gives the wand a name, his world becomes so much more interesting!

I love the adventures that Caspian and his Grandpa have! I wish I'd have had a Grandpa like him! Lois Wickstrom writes engaging stories for youngsters and I have loved all her books so far! The illustrations are also very vivid and appealing.

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A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small

 

A Dress To Remember: A Fairy Tale by K.L. Small
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Princess Zarina is a very selfish princess. She's the 13th child of the King and Queen and is definitely very spoiled as well. Her Royal Advancement is coming up in the next couple of weeks and she is need of a new dress. However, her parents call a family meeting and announce that things will be a bit different for this ceremony.

Princess Zarina decides to take matters in her own hands when it comes to her dress. Afterall, the royal dressmaker will be busy with the Queen and other Princesses' dresses. Zarina's dress MUST be special. Auntie tells her about a dressmaker so one day, Zarina pays her a visit and puts in her order.

The whole world changes when Princess Zarina picks up her dress. It's not at all what she wanted and things just start to fall apart for Princess Zarina and her kingdom. Can they ward off those who've come to destroy their dynasty?

This book reminded me a little bit of the Wizard of Oz. It seems like that kind of fairy tale. I've seen others who've compared this book to Brave and Cinderella. All are fitting. Young readers will love the story and will hopefully learn from Princess Zarina and her mistakes. Watching her grow throughout this story should inspire people who are reading.

This was my first read by this author but I'll be looking for her other works.

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A Stranger in Disguise (A Commissario Scala Mystery in Rome) by P.J. Mann

 

A Stranger in Disguise: An Italian Murder Mystery by P. J. Mann
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fans of Macbeth and crime/suspense stories will find this novel set in Rome, Italy to be intriguing.

A theatre troupe has been commissioned to perform the dreadful play Macbeth in a failing theatre. Anyone familiar with the story knows that bad things tend to happen to anyone involved in the production. A double murder does take place and it's up to Detective Scala and his team to solve it.

Long hours, stakeouts, interviews, etc. all take place to come to the bottom of whodunit in this fourth book in the Detective Scala series. I was unaware that this was a series and read this book as a standalone without feeling like I had missed any previous information. I did find this book slightly slow in reading. Maybe it's because I've been glued to the tv watching a high profile murder case that just wrapped up today.

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The Thieves (The Millersville series) by Susan Specht Oram

 

The Thieves by Susan Specht Oram
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Jasmine (Jas) loves her dad. She'd do anything for him and when he tells her that he has a devastating lung disease that doesn't have the best hopes for recovery, Jas steps in and does what any daughter might do. Or would they? Jas works for a man who's pretty shady and is laundering money. She takes a risk and steals the money needed to get her dad into a treatment center. Next thing you know, sirens and badges are involved and she finds herself stranded on the side of the road.

Soon, Jas learns who her friends are and even makes new friends along the way and she is on a "vacation of a lifetime" trying to get her dad to treatment. This book has all kinds of ups and downs. There are periods of extreme intensity and others where there are smiles or laughter. I became a fan of Robbie but it took me a minute to warm up to her.

This book is a pretty fast read and will keep you on the edge of your seat. You just never know who's going to to show up or what's about to happen until it does. I picked up this book after reading Shore Lodge: A high-stakes psychological thriller and was not at all disappointed. I look forward to more books in this series!!

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Saving the Gingerbread House by Lois Wickstrom

 

saving the gingerbread house by Lois Wickstrom
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fun little take on the Hansel and Gretel story. Along with their dad, Hansel and Gretel take a walk into the woods. Dad has taught the kids well to leave a bread crumb trail to find their way back. Dad is telling the kids to be careful of the witch in the woods. They hear a bird and take off looking for it and in the meantime, come across a beautiful gingerbread house. The animals are eating it so the kids decide to try some for themselves. Then the homeowner comes out and puts the kids to work. She's wanting to win the "most beautiful house" award but it's becoming impossible with the bricks disappearing.

I'm a huge fan of Lois Wickstrom and her books just don't disappoint! The illustrations are very vivid and the stories are engaging. Most, if not all, of her books also have some learning component to them as well. These books need to be in every home, daycare, school, library, etc!

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How To Write A Historical Novel And Love It by TL Clark

 

How To Write A Historical Novel And Love It by T.L. Clark
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

There has been a lot of time and energy, as well as research, put into the writing of this book. In this practical guide, T.L. Clark shares tips that she's learned from her many years of writing. She does so with a bit of humor sprinkled throughout too!!

One of the most helpful tips that I gained from this book was the research that needs to go into the "when" aspect of a historical novel. There is an outline of different time periods that are typically written about, which includes the British set versus the timeline of the United States. I actually felt like I was reading a history novel in and of itself, which I found very enjoyable.

While I do not have aspirations to be a writer, it was nice getting a glimpse inside the brain of a writer and learning some of the groundwork that goes into the novels that I enjoy reading so much! There are so many things I had never considered that goes into the research and reading this book gave me a much better appreciation of the finished products that are published.

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