The Round Box (Grandma’s Closet) by Lois Wickstrom

 

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

Carrie's Grandma has moved across town but she left four boxes in Carrie's house labeled "KEEP". Anytime Carrie is missing her Grandma, she'll go looking through those boxes. Each box she picked up felt like another but she finally decided upon one. When she opened it, there was a fascinator that resembled a ship. Once she put it on, she was on an adventure!

These books are great and should be in every library! This is a great opportunity to talk with a youngin' about what a fascinator is. Honestly, I hadn't heard that term until I became more interested in "royal life" and started watching shows and reading about them. This is also a sweet story about the love and influence of a grandparent.

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Master of the Abyss (Painted Souls Series Book 3) by Rob Samborn

 

Master of the Abyss by Rob Samborn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm a little sad to see this amazing series come to an end!! I am so glad that I gave this series a chance. As previously mentioned in other reviews, I struggle with dual time line stories. This author made it so easy for me to follow the story and I almost felt like I was in the story myself at times!

It's up to Julia and a few of her close friends to save Nick from this eternal purgatory that he's found himself in. The Order is just not going to let him walk away from the deeds that he's done, or that they think he's done.

This book is just as full of action and adventure as the previous books. It's vital that these be read in order to preserve the storyline and to have it make sense. If you love historical based reads, grab this one. If you like that this is also a bit of a thriller, it will only enhance your reading experience more. I will be adding this author on my list of those to watch out for because his writing is extremely enjoyable to me!!

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Painter of the Damned (Painted Souls Series Book 2) by Rob Samborn

 

Painter of the Damned by Rob Samborn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's very important to read these books in order to understand the context of what's happening.

This book picks up right where Book 1 (The Prisoner of Paradise) left off. Nick and Julia are still trying to get back home when they are sent back to Venice. The Order is not about to let them get away with what they think is important information.

There is a lot of action and adventure in this story as well! There are a few twists and turns that I did not see coming. I really enjoy this author's writing and look forward to reading more great stories of his!

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The Prisoner of Paradise (Painted Souls Series Book 1) by Rob Samborn

 

The Prisoner of Paradise by Rob Samborn
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Nick is an avid hockey player. One wrong move though and he found himself sidelined with a head injury that he is in denial over. When an opportunity for the trip of a lifetime to Venice comes along, Nick and his wife Julia are excited. Julia is concerned that it might be too much for Nick though. Eventually, they make the journey where Julia has an opportunity to write for a prestigious publication but they are going to soak up as much as tourists can while on a working vacation. When they visit an art gallery and see Tintoretto's Paradise, things start to get a little interesting for Nick. He soon finds himself embroiled in a mystery that is over 400 years old with a need to release trapped souls.

This book is one that I wasn't sure I would enjoy but I wanted to give it a chance and I'm so glad that I did. Normally, I struggle with dual time-line stories but this one was written in a way that didn't affect me like others have in the past. I was engrossed in this story from word one page one. I'm super excited about other stories in this series! I love the mystery, intrigue, and the historical aspects of this adventure.

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Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover

 

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Tate is having to move in with her brother. Upon her arrival, her brother is not there but she meets his friend Miles. Boy is he something else! Tate can't even get into the door for his lug of a body! They have a rocky start but it's a very brief "start" before life takes off for both of them. Miles has a lot of baggage to unpack (at least 6 years of it) and Tate does her best to help. I'm not 100% certain that her "help" was in her best interest though. I found her to be a doormat and made women look bad. I wished she'd had more self-respect, but then again, that's what this book is about.

Overall, I enjoyed this book to the point that I had to stay up half the night reading it. I just couldn't put it down after getting about 20% in!

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The Scent of Snow (The Winemakers Series) by Giovanna Siniscalchi

 

The Scent of Snow: A Winemakers Novella by Giovanna Siniscalchi
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The conclusion of this series comes to us in the form of this novella. Pedro and Anne have been married for a couple of years now and it's coming upon the Christmas season. Anne's family is coming to visit and Pedro is just overjoyed at their arrival (insert mass sarcasm here). Things have been going well for Anne and Pedro except for one thing....Pedro is refusing to give Anne the one thing she wants most. As the family starts to arrive, Pedro receives some unexpected news that will cause a shift in his demeanor and have Anne wondering what could possibly be up with him. Can Christmas be saved and the bridge that is gulfing this couple be mended?

It's another great historical read and one that still has me a little leery of Pedro. He's been growing on me since first meeting him in The True Purpose of Vines but I'm still not completely won over by him yet. I'm hoping his and Anne's story is not done yet and that they will make cameo appearances in future books.

This book can be read as a standalone. I would encourage you to read the entire series in order though so you have a good history of Pedro!

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Mission Improbable: Vietnam (A Blanche Murninghan Mystery) by Nancy Nau Sullivan

 

Mission Improbable: Vietnam by Nancy Nau Sullivan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is a journey of finding lost family members and putting some to rest. When Jean approaches Blanche about traveling to Vietnam with her to help her find her mom, Blanche isn't prepared for what she might also find while there. Jean is keeping secrets and once they start to come out, Blanche learns even more about herself. There is mystery, intrigue, and suspense woven throughout this story and is sure to keep any mystery lover engaged.

My favorite part of this story is the re-telling of Cinderella. I really enjoyed that little tidbit. There is some history woven throughout this story too. A very good read that I would recommend.

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