Dancing Butterfly (Butterflies Fly Free Series) by Debra Parmley

 

Dancing Butterfly by Debra Parmley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Suki eyes Frank....Frank eyes Suki. It's an instant attraction and when Frank rescues a favorite earring of Suki's, their fate is sealed. Almost permanently and pretty quickly. Shots are fired and Frank is pushing Suki towards the basement door. Suki injures her foot (not a good thing for anyone but especially a dancer!) and Frank has to carry her.

During her recouperation time, Frank is pretty bossy. He does work for Al Capone after all, and is used to having things go his way. Frank doesn't want Suki going anywhere, talking to anyone, and most definitely not walking on her foot. Suki isn't about to be told what to do by another, especially a man. Will she ever be free of his rules to be the person she is or did she sell her soul to the highest bidder?

This was an enjoyable book and was a pretty fast read for me. I am anxiously awaiting the next book as this storyline has me intrigued!



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Beach Ball Blunder (The Adventures of Cray Series) by G Pa Rhymes

 

Beach Ball Blunder by G Pa Rhymes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Seal Gray is playing with his beach ball when he loses control of it. Several things transpire from that and Gray finds himself in a situation where he's lying about the ball being his. This book focuses on telling the truth and preserving friendships.

The illustrations in this book are very colorful and attractive. Be sure to show anyone you are reading this to the pictures. If a young reader is reading to you, use that as a teachable moment about items in the pictures, as well as the story itself.

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Murder She Meowed (Bookshop Kitties Mysteries, Book 2) by Ruth J. Hartman

 

Murder She Meowed by Ruth J. Hartman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a fun little read that starts off at a wedding with the attendants being cats. What a cute idea! Janie is horrified to see someone in the crowd at the wedding that she was hoping she'd never see again. Apparently a few others felt the same way! Soon we learn that the "mystery man" is found murdered on the floor of Janie's shop.

Not one to shy away from a good mystery, Christy and her cats Milton and Pearl report for duty. They know Janie is innocent as they were all together during the time of the incident. Micah also pitches in to help in between his shifts as an ER doc. Together, they will find a way to solve this mystery, but what other mysteries will pop up in the process?

These cats are SPOILT!!! They are the stars of this book series and have a big role to play. They are also the characters in Christy's book series that she writes and sells in her bookstore. I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. This was my first time reading her work!

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Divinely Dramatic (Divine Vintage Series) by Sandra L. Young

 

Divinely Dramatic by Sandra L. Young
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4.5 stars

Marcy is called in to help out her friend Justine as a costume designer for an upcoming production of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest" when Justine is called away to other duties. Marcy shows up and the director comes across as very brash and condescending after Marcy was told that he was a big teddy bear and very sweet. First impressions matter! As Marcy is attending rehearsals to gather the needed information to fit everyone for costumes, she suddenly finds herself reading lines for the female star of the show. The actress casted for this part has never shown up for any rehearsals and no one knows where she is or if she's ok. Marcy fits in great with the cast and soon finds herself not only as the costume designer but also as a lead actress.

There are some very strange occurrences in the costume loft. Weird flashes of lights, sounds of chains rattling, and bats just to name a few things. Marcy is able to see auras and along with her friend, Tess, they are able to see into the supernatural world. Marcy and Tess "meet" Ellen, the original female lead from 50 years ago who mysteriously died during the production of the show. Can Marcy and Tess figure out this mystery and put Ellen to rest?

This book is very enjoyable, as was the first book in this series. This book can be read as a stand alone but why would you want to miss out on all the fun of vintage dresses and historical sightings? I'm hoping there will be more stories in this series to come!

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The Curse of Jean Lafitte (The Big Easy Collection) by Mary Walsh

 

The Curse of Jean Lafitte by Mary Walsh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a super fun read on a lazy afternoon! I couldn't put it down!

The first thing that I love about this book is all the recommendations that the author gives out for someone visiting New Orleans. I've never been there before and not sure I'll ever go but if I do, I have a good start on places to visit. I also love hearing about the research that she put into this book! I feel as if I was there, on the streets along with Juliette and Jean.

There is humor (a lot of it actually), paranormal activity, swashbuckling action, mystery and more in this story. I found myself laughing at a lot of Jean's actions and I figure if it'd been me, I'd have wanted to hang out with him after getting to know him a little bit better.

I highly recommend this book and look forward to others that may follow!

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The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran

 

The 12 Week Year by Brian P. Moran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's VERY rare that I read a non-fiction book and this is the first audiobook that I've made it through. Two big accomplishments right there and it didn't take me 12 weeks to do it.

This book has some great ideas, but several of them have been presented in other books before. Also, the ideas are repeated a little too often for my liking. I know that repetition is essential but this was a little overkill at times.

The basic premise is to treat 12 weeks as a year so you have more to celebrate and more to work towards. It's a mindset shift based on the idea that having year long goals are often unattainable but making those goals shorter and more specific, you're more likely to be successful in 12 weeks.

There are some aspects that I will definitely implement in life so this book isn't a total loss for me. I wouldn't invest money in any of their online resources or buy a copy of the book to keep on my shelf.

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If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer

 

Coming March 2024!!

If the Boot Fits by Karen Witemeyer 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This beautifully written book is a retelling of the classic Cinderella story with a western twist.

The Three Cedars Ranch is hosting a ball, or rather Eli Dearing is hosting the ball, in the hopes of wrangling a husband for his daughter Samantha. She's not happy about it because she just returned home from her schooling in Boston and she doesn't need or want Daddy's help in finding a man. In her time away, Sam has become rather prim and proper but also has a wild side to her.

Clint Dearing is the younger brother of Samantha and he's just now starting to learn the ins and outs of running a ranch. It's a lot of work but he's learning a lot and super happy to have his sister home.

Asher Ellis is a ranch hand at the Bar 7 Ranch but he comes home to take care of Momma Bess and his younger siblings. When he learns that Eli Dearing has evicted his family from their home, Asher sets out to find out why. He dares to enter the ball to find the study and the paperwork he needs to confront Mr. Dearing about putting his family in dire straits. When Mr. Dearing enters the study and hears something, Asher has no choice but to jump out the window.

A pursuit takes place and Clint finds himself in the pond and he can't swim. Sam is screaming for help and Asher jumps in to save Clint. He leaves behind a clue to his identity but that could come back to haunt him eventually.

This is a clean romance novel that is full of adventure, family secrets, traitors, and lots of good cooking! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and look forward to many more from author!

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