Month: November 2017

November 28, 2017

A Wedding At Two Love Lane Book Review

In A Wedding At Two Love Lane, never say never to love!

About A Wedding At Two Love Lane

Greer Jones has made a real name for herself at the elegant matchmaking agency Two Love Lane. For a lot of reasons―including a past engagement she broke off―practical tech expert Greer is more interested in the business of love than the experience of it, but she can’t help but covet a gorgeous wedding gown that’s the prize in an upcoming cocktail-party contest. In a moment of brazen inspiration, Greer asks a handsome Brit she’s only just met to accompany her to the party. He agrees―and Greer believes her date is a starving artist. Little does she know the truth.

Ford Smith, as he calls himself, is actually Stanford Elliott Wentworth Smythe, the Eighth Baron of Wickshire. Fresh off a breakup with a money-grubbing siren who deceived him all the way to the altar, Ford has no desire to fall in love―especially with Greer who, like the desired wedding gown, is beautiful but only skin-deep. But soon Ford realizes that there’s more to Greer than meets the eye. Her professionalism is matched only by her passion for life and love. . .and, best of all, she has no idea that he’s to the manor born. Could it be that true love is priceless after all?

My Thoughts

This novel was by far my most favourite in this series. You have Southern drama, a British baron, the most amazing wedding dress and a whole lot of schemes!

You can’t help but love Greer – she is a woman who knows her mind and is not ashamed of it at all. She has been planning the wedding of her dreams her whole life, regardless of the fact that she had no groom. She receives flack for this but she still continues on. In the beginning of the novel, we find that she had refused a marriage proposal from her long time boyfriend, which personally I find amazing. She knew in her heart marriage to him was not right and instead of going along with the flow, she trusted her heart and ended the relationship (this is important to the plot later on!). Greer does not quite fit in with the other Southern belles and I love her character for her uniqueness, her loyalty to her friends and her desire to find true love.

She meets Ford, a handsome artist with a background that he is not quite willing to reveal. He allows everyone to believe that he is a starving artist and a very talented artist. From the moment he meets Greer he is drawn to her. He originally wants to just paint her but realizes (very slowly I might add) that there is something special about her.

Their feelings and beginnings of a relationship play out in the background of a crazy contest to win the wedding dress of Greer’s dreams. The pair come together in a staged engagement in order for Greer to win the dress but instead of winning the dress, they learn many valuable lessons along the way including forgiveness, healing and hope for the future.

This was an amazing novel from start to finish that had me laughing, shaking my head and keeping my fingers crossed for the best!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

USA Today bestselling author Kieran Kramer is a former journalist and English teacher who lives in the Lowcountry of South Carolina with her family. She’s a game show veteran, karaoke enthusiast, and general adventurer.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 28, 2017

Veronica and the Volcano: STEM for Girls Book Giveaway

Girls + Science = WIN! Veronica and the Volcano combines earth science with incredible action!

About Veronica and the Volcano

Veronica and the Volcano by Geoffrey Cook is an exciting adventure story for grades 3 – 5 about a brave, curious young girl named Veronica, who lives on the side of a volcano. Eruptions are a part of life, as she watches from the protective shields of her home or from her family’s well-equipped Lava Car.

When Veronica leaves on a quest to find rare white volcano pearls on the far side of Mount Mystery, she leads her father, her best friend Maddy, and her friend’s dad, the blustering Captain John, into a series of incredible adventures. But when the colossal volcano erupts, fears wins an election, and Veronica must square off against a fear-mongering villain: the Man-in-White.

Cook’s story blends science with science fiction, straddling the world of the believable and fantastical and combining the latest earth science with incredible action. While writing, Cook extensively researched volcanoes, even visiting one. The most important volcanoes in the book are all based on real-world volcanoes like Krakatoa, Crater Lake, Mt. Pelee, and Tambora.

In Veronica and the Volcano kids will root for Veronica every step of the way, and while they are cheering her on, they’ll learn as well. Complementing STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) curriculum, the book is filled with educational elements about volcanoes, geysers, caves, and the wonders of physics. A glossary in the back provides an at-a-glance list of the facts in the book.

Artist Gabrielle Shamsey lavishly illustrated the book with many dozens of wonder-filled and vivid images of volcanoes, caves, eruptions, and more.

My Thoughts

Veronica and the Volcano was an exciting adventure from start to finish.

The novel takes place in a very interesting world built upon volcanoes, where lava eruptions are a normal part of life and so are special homes designed to withstand the heat and special cars that can even drive in lava (for limited amount of time!). It is in this setting that we have our main character Veronica who is off on a quest to find pearls from Mount Mystery. She has a special connection through her Grandmother to pearls and wants to find some for her Mother. Veronica is a very special young woman, she is fully of curiosity, kindness and brave.

She decides to embark on this journey with her best friend but they are not allowed to go without their Fathers (who also happen to have very differing beliefs about their historical past and technology in general). This is when the excitement really begins! They face many obstacles and near death experiences but it is through their wit and amazing technology that they escape.

Near the middle to end of the book, death is mentioned as well as a prophet like figure who demands the sacrifice of all of the first-born daughters of the town. I did not find it frightening and also liked how Veronica thought outside of the box to come up with a solution to oust the lies of the prophet and save the young girls.

Veronica and the Volcano is a well written novel with excellent illustrations included. Young girls and boys alike will love the excitement and unique plot of this novel as it takes you on an amazing adventure unlike one they have ever heard of before.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Geoffrey is a serial entrepreneur and public company CEO. He is the CEO and co-founder of The Meet Group (NASDAQ: MEET) and previously founded EssayEdge and ResumeEdge from a Harvard dorm. He runs 5 mobile apps with 10 million monthly users, so he is always thinking of new ways to use technology to engage a global audience.

Geoffrey started telling Veronica and the Volcano stories to pass the time with his daughter Madeline on the twenty-five-minute drive to school every morning. She enjoyed his stories, and so he wrote them down.

Veronica and the Volcano is available on Amazon and at selected independent bookstores. Find out more at geoffreycook.com and connect with the author on: Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

The Giveaway!

My US and Canadian readers, 18 years of age and older can now enter to win one copy of Veronica and the Volcano via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 27, 2017

21 Days to Happiness

Struggling to find work-life balance? Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed and frustrated or just want to increase your happiness, you can learn how in just 10 minutes a day!

About 21 Days to Happiness

For some of us, feeling busy or stressed has become the new normal. Others feel okay, but just want a boost to productivity, energy and motivation.

Instead of hoping for happiness, what if happiness is something you DO, something you CHOOSE every day? The good news: it is and the solutions are simple.

Psychologist and happiness expert Ingrid Kelada provides a practical, step-by-step guide to help you increase your personal happiness and feel more motivated. You can learn how with simple 10-minute strategies. Each day of the 21-day journey focuses on one key area of your life, including:

• Time: how to break the cycle of chaos and manage your time effectively.
• Body Language: exploring the surprising links between body language and happiness.
• Relationships: how to make the most of the number one predictor of happiness.
• Work: how to use your strengths and talents so that you are engaged and motivated.
• Money: what you should spend your money on to feel most satisfied.

The book is interactive. Each chapter features resources like apps to try, videos to watch for deeper understanding, or tools to help you master these new habits. At the end of three weeks, along with increased happiness, you’ll find you’ve become more:

• productive
• focused
• patient
• energetic
• healthy
• motivated
• positive

Happiness is a choice. A daily decision to choose happy can be easy, fun and rewarding. With this book, in just a few minutes per day, you can practice one new happiness habit, add resources to your arsenal, and jot down your notes in the journal section.

My Thoughts

I think we can all agree, many of us are losing the work-life balance. With technology, work can be in constant contact with us at all times and days. In the last month, I realized it was taking over my life – I was so worried about missing something that I would be checking my different email accounts at 3 in the morning! That is when I realized enough is enough – how could this be worth it? It was affecting my mental health, my relationships and my family.

This is what this book looks at – our happiness and how to achieve it. Chapter by chapter we look at how to put away distraction and how to put focus on our mental and physical well-being (because lets face it if we are not physically well we will not be mentally well). Each chapter discusses a new way in which we should focus on in our life, gives advice and real life examples as well as a worksheet and links to other resources to help us on our journey.

Happiness is not as easy as it sounds. We need to make an effort to choose happiness and push negativity away. For so many of us this is not as easy as it sounds! This book helps to guide you on your happiness journey and to focus more on your mental and physical health well-being. This book came to me at a time when I really needed it and I will continue to need it – going back and reflecting and reminding myself of where I have come and where I am going.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Ms. Ingrid Kelada is an experienced psychologist and happiness expert. She is a speaker and has facilitated over 1000 workshops all over the world. People find her to be pragmatic, inspiring and funny! She has an online personality questionnaire store to help people identify their talents and interests. With over 25 years experience, she offers her expertise to a wide range of clients. She is bilingual and a member of the professional association of Psychologists of Quebec. Visit her online at www.keladacc.ca

Book Trailer

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 27, 2017

Heart of the Highland: The Beast Book Review

In the Heart of the Highland, Keira is caught in the middle of a war that she does not understand, will Keira’s secrets be safe, or will she succumb to the Highland warrior who now threatens to capture her heart?

About Heart of the Highland: The Beast

For hundreds of years, Scotland has battled the English for their freedom. Now, they face a new enemy. In a divided world between politics and religion, the young King James V faces the threat of his own people rebelling against him. As civil war breaks out among the Highland clans, James recruits a secret group of warriors for protection. He calls them the Protectors of the Crown.

Ian MacKay has one mission; to defend the crown no matter the cost. Along with his men, Ian’s mission is to hunt down one of the most dangerous men in the Highlands. But when the daughter of an enemy enters his life, his heart becomes captured instead.

Keira Sinclair has lived a life of peace and simplicity until now. With her clan on the verge of losing everything, she is forced to wed a Laird from a neighboring clan to ensure that hers survives. During her travels to her new home, her carriage is attacked and Keira is taken hostage by a ruthless man.

My Thoughts

I am sure so many of you already know how much I LOVE historical romances. This is especially true for Scottish historical romances, I love the language, the strength in the characters and of course the romance!

This novel had everything I love about historical romances set in the Highlands and more with an amazing plot that kept you guessing as to what would happen next. In this novel, we have Keira a young woman who has been forced to wed a man that she does not love all because her clan is about to lose everything. This man clearly has no love nor respect for her as he refuses to meet her halfway for the wedding and sends young, untrained boys to help her travel to him in order for them to be wed. This is when she meets Ian – who mistakes her carriage for her husband to be.

Ian is still suffering under the weight of his deceased wife’s death. He holds the blame for her death and has had a hard time moving forward with his life. There is something in Keira that brings out the better in him, making him want to hope, be a better man and to protect her. He takes her under his wing and tries to help her see what a mistake it would be to marry her betrothed.

This is when the plot becomes really juicy! We learn about the deceit her betrothed had done to her and her Father, and how truly evil he really is. We learn about how her Father betrayed his own beliefs and family, and my heart broke for Keira. We also learn more about who Ian is and his connection to the Scottish crown.

This was an amazing novel from start to finish – it was full of excitement, betrayal, hope and romance. I loved how the plot was developed and there was an importance placed on the plot just as much as the romance. A great read for historical romance fans!

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iTunes.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

April is an Award-Winning Author for her Scottish Historical Romances. For more than ten years, she has worked full time in the direct marketing business, but developed a passion of historical romances through her love of reading, history and genealogy.

The Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received a digital copy in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

November 26, 2017

Build, Battle and Learn STEM with HEXBUG!

We all know how important education is – I am personally very fond of the sciences. I did my Bachelors in Kinesiology and many of my electives were in Biology and Chemistry. I want my boys to understand this same love I have for sciences and how much fun the sciences can be (how can you not love mixing chemicals for reactions or building up a car that moves?). When you can combine learning with fun in a toy, this is a definite win win for this parent!

This year, HEXBUG has released a whole new line of products that are perfect for children from three to their teens. These products will find your child building, using their imagination, battling and so much more.

The HEXBUG nano Space Discovery Centre allows your child to take their HEXBUG adventures to space and beyond. The set is very easy to build and put together. My son and I had it ready to go in under ten minutes flat. The set comes with two nanos, space suit, a rover and all the necessary pieces to make their space adventure come to life.

Our son had so much fun creating space battles and even added in extra nanos to race around the space centre. He used his larger HEXBUG as an alien that would attack the Space Discovery Centre and the smaller nanos would have to do everything they could to protect the centre and not allow the alien to take over.

The Space Discovery Centre provided hours of imaginative fun and can be found at many retailers, including Amazon, Chapters and Toys R Us. There is also a nano Space Cosmic Command and nano Space Zip Line in this product line that would go perfectly with this set.

Maybe you have a child that is a budding engineer? Then the VEX Robotics Tombstone by HEXBUG would be a great gift option for them.

This set will have your child putting together pieces to assemble their own VEX BattleBot. This set is definitely for the older child or a younger child with a lot of patience and a parent nearby to help them. The instructions are excellent (some of the best that I have ever seen) and also includes real size image of many of the smaller pieces so that you can compare each piece to the instructions during each stage (which really helps to ensure that you don’t get near the end and realize you used the wrong piece in step two). The BattleBot took us about two hours to put together, although to be fair we took a lot of breaks.

It was really fun to put together and the pieces snap together easily, although they are a bit trickier to pull apart. I found if you used one of the smaller pieces and pushed from the bottom the pieces would unsnap easily. Once the BattleBot was fully assembled, it looked incredible. We were both quite proud of the final product!

The VEX Robotics Tombstone can be purchased at Amazon and Toys R Us. You can also purchase the VEX Robotics Minotaur by HEXBUG to get into full battle mode.

What features do you look for when purchasing educational but fun products for your child?

Make sure to follow HEXBUG on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with all the newest products and more.

Disclosure: I received the above mentioned products in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.