Month: January 2018

A Witch’s Path Book One: Witch for Hire Review

In A Witch’s Path Book One Witch for Hire, most witches don’t work for police departments, but Michelle isn’t your average witch.

A Witch's Path Book Two Review

About A Witch’s Path Book One Witch for Hire

Most witches don’t work for police departments, but Michelle isn’t your average witch. She’s clanless, looking for a wizard who isn’t offended by her lack of family connections, and in danger of losing her job if she can’t find the escaped trolls before they start eating the local residents.

Trolls, angry police, and misbehaving spells are the least of her problems. Statues attacking homeowners might be problematic for your average witch, but to Michelle it’s another day at the office. Her real concern is the wizard suddenly interested in dating her and an old elf set on pestering her. When her happy family is rocked by a long kept secret her stable life falls apart faster than she can pick up the pieces.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with Witch for Hire, book one in A Witch’s Path – witches, trolls, elves and more, what isn’t there to love?

Michelle is a different kind of witch. She didn’t grow up knowing her clan and or her entire family. She has a lot of strength and powers, which to be honest growing up I always wanted to have the magical powers of a witch so this was kind of awesome listening to. She is also a special kind of witch who works for the police department! This is definitely not your average type of town right?

In this case, escaped trolls are at the heart of her problem and she needs to find them before they start to eat the locals. Who would have known that trolls like to eat humans?! Tied into this is a mysterious elf that has entered her life (who is fascinated by her but she seems to be at times indifferent) and a wizard who is also interested in dating her. On top of this, she finds out some pretty shocking information about her Father’s identity and whereabouts. Exhausting right?

A Witch’s Path Book One is an excellent introduction to Michelle, her life and her work. We get an excellent work up and history of her and what she does plus the plot builds itself up excellently to lead into book two and three. I could not stop listening to this audiobook, I had to know exactly what happened next in not only her personal life but her case, which takes an awful turn in itself. This audiobook was full of action, excitement and more! A definite must listen to.

You can purchase a copy of this audiobook on Audible. Listen to an excerpt here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

N.E. Conneely lives in northern Georgia with her dog and a mountain of books. They sweat through the summer and freeze through the winter, and life as they know it comes to an end when so much as a single snowflake falls out of the sky. For fun, N.E. plays with her dog, reads, knits, crochets, paints, and does tie-dyeing and origami. She makes a great pizza and is currently negotiating with her husband about raising sea monkeys and growing a vegetable garden.

About the Narrator

Jeff Hays has made a name for himself in the audio book world by creating immersive experiences out of his productions. His versatility and authenticity in voicing characters, expressive low-impact narration, and dedication to offering the highest quality audio possible has earned him a loyal following of listeners. Having been fascinated with sound since he can remember, Jeff takes his background of composing and producing music, and his continual consumption of the avalanche of fictional media we all experience in these modern times, and uses it to inform his style of story telling in the audiobook realm.

And now, having produced more than 80 audio books and perfecting his craft, using the namesake of his live streaming narration show, the Soundbooth Theater shingle has been hung. Soundbooth Theater is dedicated to applying Jeff’s production methods to new audio books with other budding narrator talent, and expanding his scope from audio books, to voicing and producing animation.

The Giveaway!

A Witch’s Path Series Giveaway: 3-Month Audible Membership

Disclosure: I received an audiobook in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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A New Year, A New Binge: Our Top Historical, Action and Family Lists #StreamTeam

netflix

We are already almost a month into the new year, hard to believe right. Where does the time go?

You may have set some new resolutions and some of these you may still be holding strong to but others may have fallen to the waste side. My top two goals (I like the term goal better than resolution personally) for 2018 was to focus a bit more of my time and attention on myself and to set (in stone) bi-weekly family downtime.

So how am I helping myself achieve these two goals for 2018, with Netflix of course!

A New Year, A New Binge #StreamTeam

One of my favourite things to do is to watch historical (romance ones are even better) movies and series. I have found that you can learn so much from a great historical movie or television series and once I start watching I can’t stop! They have this incredible way of sparking your curiosity and imagination. After a good binge, I find myself surfing the internet to learn more about that time period, the event that happened and the people. This is “Mom Time” in our house and while my kids tend to make fun of me for my movie selection, these three to four hours a week really helps me to unwind, refocus and be a better wife and Mother.

Here are my top binge picks for parents who love history and romance:

  1. Morocco Love in Times of War: A Duchess leads a group of privileged ladies from Spanish society to Melilla during the Rif War to open a hospital and nurse the wounded. This series has subtitles which actually makes the show even better if you can imagine!
  2. The Crown: A Young Princess Elizabeth marries Prince Philip. As her Father, the King, health continues to worsen, Winston Churchill is elected Prime Minister for a second term. Follow the story of Princess Elizabeth.
  3. Cable Girls: In 1920s Madrid, four women at the National Telephone Company ring in revolution as they manage romance, friendship and the modern workplace.
  4. The Bletchley Circle: In 1952, four women who worked at the wartime code-breaking center, Bletchley Park, reunite to track down a serial killer.
  5. The Red Tent: The story of the twelve tribes of Israel is told through the eyes of Jacob’s only daughter, Dinah.
  6. Land Girls: Follow the lives, loves, highs and lows of four members of the Women’s Land Army who are working at the Hoxley Estate during WWII.
  7. Rebellion: Rebellion is a five-part serial drama about the birth of modern Ireland. The story is told from the perspectives of a group of fictional characters who live through the political events of the 1916 Easter Rising.

A New Year, A New Binge #StreamTeam

My husband didn’t want to be outdone and so he has created his own list for those who want some more action and adventure, so here are his top picks for parents:

  1. Black Lightning: School principal and retired superhero Jefferson Pierce leaps back into action as the legendary Black Lightning after a gang threatens his family.
  2. Taxi Brooklyn: Unable to drive, headstrong detective Cat Sullivan relies on streetwise, French-born Brooklyn cabbie Leon for transportation and help solving cases.
  3. The Punisher: A former Marine out to punish the criminals responsible for his family’s murder finds himself ensnared in a military conspiracy.
  4. Van Helsing: Vanessa Helsing, distant relative of famous vampire hunter Abraham Van Helsing, is resurrected only to find that vampires have taken over the world.
  5. The Ranch: Being a pro athlete didn’t pan out for Colt. Now he’s helping his dad and brother keep the ranch afloat, and figuring out how he fits into the family.

Can you see how our nights sometimes turn into fights over what we choose to watch on Netflix? Our tastes are completely opposite! I used to have to watch my shows in the early mornings when everyone is asleep but now I am giving myself the time I need to enjoy and relax at normal hours.

Family move nights in 2017 were planned and executed on the go but I wanted to ensure we were setting time aside for us to sit back on the couch with a pizza, some popcorn and our favourite Netflix shows a couple of times a month (at least!). We decided that twice a month would be our perfect number and Friday’s worked the best for us because we have no soccer and who really wants to cook on a Friday? Not me that is for sure! Our kids were completely on board with this goal and we started it this month and so far, two thumbs up from the whole family. We have watched a really great movie (Camp Cool Kids) and caught up on Fuller House and started some of the original Full House episodes (which hasn’t yet become as much of a hit with the kids as Fuller House is).

A New Year, A New Binge #StreamTeam

Here are our families top picks to binge on for Family Movie Night 2018:

  1.  Fuller House (our family is officially hooked on this show – oh my Atlanta!): The Tanner family’s adventures continue as DJ Tanner-Fuller shares a home with her sister Stephanie and friend Kimmy who help raise her three boys.
  2. The Adventures of Puss in Boots: The famous cat protects the city of San Lorenzo, a mythical land invisible to the outside world.
  3. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The extraordinary Baudelaire orphans face trials, tribulations and the evil Count Olaf in their fateful quest to unlock long-held family secrets.
  4. One Day at a Time: In a re-imagining of the TV classic, a newly single Latina mother raises her teen daughter and tween son with the “help” of her old-school mom.
  5. Camp Cool Kids: A young boy attends summer camp, where he overcomes his fears, stands up to bullies and learns important lessons about faith and life.

Hands up if you love to binge on Netflix shows!

Tell me: what are the top shows you have been bingeing on in 2018 so far?

Disclosure: I am a Netflix #StreamTeam member and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

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When the Stars Come Out Book Review

When the Stars Come Out Book Review

In When the Stars Come Out, can two people open up enough to give them both a chance at having real and lasting love?

When the Stars Come Out Book Review

About When the Stars Come Out

Cottonbloom. A beautiful, faraway place where a woman can escape her past―and find reason to stay forever.

Willa Brown never planned to stay in Cottonbloom. She was on the way to somewhere else when she landed there and found work at the Abbot brothers’ garage. . .and a sense of comfort and safety that she had never known. The same holds true for Jackson Abbott himself. With one glance in her direction, he can make Willa’s heart melt. But what begins as an unrequited crush turns into something far more powerful than Willa could have ever imagined.

Jackson’s most meaningful relationship has always been with his car―and he’s not afraid to admit it. Still, he can’t help but become emotionally entangled with his new star mechanic Willa, who is definitely hiding some dark secrets of her own beneath the hood. Jackson desperately wants Willa to trust him, and to seek protection in his arms. But even as the two slowly surrender to their shared attraction, the danger lurking in Willa’s past remains a stubborn obstacle. Can she open up enough to give them both a chance at having real and lasting love?

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this beautiful romance between two people who seem like the complete opposite!

Willa is a young woman who has had a troubled past and carries so much blame and pain in her heart. She carries the weight of the actions of others on her shoulders as her own blame and this has affected her life greatly. She has constantly been on the run but had finally settled (somewhat) in Cottonbloom. She has faced poverty, stereotypes and more in her young years and you just want her to have a little bit of happiness, even though she does not feel that she deserves it.

Jackson is that typical workaholic. He loves his family business and his cars. He is not very good at showing emotions or even realizing love when it comes knocking! When he realizes his feelings for Willa, he tries hard to show her but he can be awkward at times in his affection. I felt so bad for him at times!

These are two people who deserve love and happiness but both are so unaccustomed to it that they have a difficult time trusting and accepting this love and affection. They leave you shaking your head at times, laughing at others but at all times hoping for a bright future for them. When the Stars Come Out is a beautiful romance about hope, faith and forgiveness. I loved every moment.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

An award-winning author, Laura Trentham was born and raised in a small town in Tennessee. Although, she loved English and reading in high school, she was convinced an English degree equated to starvation. She chose the next most logical major―Chemical Engineering―and worked in a hard hat and steel toed boots for several years.

She writes sexy, small town contemporaries and smoking hot Regency historicals. The first two books of her Falcon Football series were named Top Picks by RT Book Reviews magazine. Then He Kissed Me, a Cottonbloom novel, was named as one of Amazon’s best romances of 2016. When not lost in a cozy Southern town or Regency England, she’s shuttling kids to soccer, helping with homework, and avoiding the Mt. Everest-sized pile of laundry that is almost as big as the to-be-read pile of books on her nightstand.

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

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Should’ve Been You Book Review

Should've Been You Book Review

Childhood neighbors get a chance at love in Should’ve Been You, an achingly romantic novella in Nicole McLaughlin’s Man Enough series!

Should've Been You Book Review

About Should’ve Been You

National Guardsman Jase Beckford wants to live a quiet life raising cattle and taking care of his mother. His childhood friend and neighbor Hannah is still his best friend, but when he walks into the Walters house one morning and sees her twin sister Becca for the first time in five years, he wonders if he missed out on something special.

Becca Walters has nursed a secret crush on Jase since childhood, but he always preferred Hannah, so she buried her feelings assuming her sister and Jase would one day turn their flirtation into a real relationship. And this Christmas, she is anticipating a proposal of her own, so Jase’s reappearance in her life doesn’t mean anything. Much. Okay, maybe more than Becca would like to admit.

However, when Becca’s sister gets engaged to someone who’s not Jase, Becca and Jase find themselves spending more together. And when secrets are revealed, suddenly those dormant feelings come back to life; but is the possibility of something between them worth risking the happiness of everyone they love?

My Thoughts

Should’ve Been You is a sweet, fun and sexy romance between two people who would never have thought they would have a relationship.

Becca and Jase have known each other their whole lives but never really knew the other well enough despite Jase being so close to Becca’s sister Hannah. We find out the reason for this being that Hannah had jealously told them both lies in order to prevent the two from ever becoming too close. While you want to be mad at her, you almost can’t blame her for wanting to keep Jase close! He is everything you could want in a man – kind, thoughtful, sexy and more. He had a difficult past that has forever changed the way he views relationships and sometimes even himself.

When the two are re-united again without the pressure of Hannah possibly being in the picture, sparks fly and boy do they fly! You can see how perfect these two would be for each other if they would just get over their shyness and lack of trust. They also have Hannah looming over their relationship – she controls Jase and can sometimes possibly without meaning to manipulate his feelings.

This was a sweet, fun, romantic read that I enjoyed from start to finish. It was well written and the characters were developed nicely. It had a great story of putting yourself out there and trusting in yourself and someone else, regardless of what has happened in your past.

You can purchase a copy of Should’ve Been You on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Nicole loves to read, bake, make lists, and binge watch an entire television show season in one day. She lives with her husband and three boys in a small town outside of Kansas City. You can find out more at www.nicolemclaughlinbooks.com.

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

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Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day! Spotlight

iRead Book Tours

Welcome to the wonderful world of Matt and Mattie, where every day is a learning adventure in Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day!

Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day! Spotlight

About Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Matt and Mattie, where every day is a learning adventure! Just as our ten toes help our bodies balance, Matt and Mattie’s ten daily habits help toddlers learn balanced behaviors that will guide them in leading happy, healthy childhoods.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Toddler Tootsies Take on the Day! Spotlight

About the Author

Marsha K. Nowakowski is a loving wife, dedicated mother to three children, and a “grammie” to her grandchildren.

This is Marsha’s debut book for toddlers. She has spent forty years in the healthcare industry, primarily as a cardiac nurse. Her inspiration for writing Matt and Mattie’s Adventures developed from her own observations that patients who recovered more quickly exhibited healthy habits and good attitudes toward life. As a mother and grammie, Marsha recognized the need for books teaching healthy habits to help young ones develop into successful people who always do their best.

Matt and Mattie’s Adventures makes everyday habits fun, balanced, and adventuresome for toddlers. Marsha’s own adventures include travel, horseback riding, and reading. She also enjoys golf, baseball games, and sailing with her husband. According to Marsha, every day is an adventure!

You can connect with her on her website and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This is a spotlight tour, I received no compensation for this post. All opinions expressed are my own.

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