Author: cvegnad

January 29, 2019

One Tough Cowboy Book Review

First in a brand-new series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh and Veronica Chadwick about one man’s pursuit of justice—and unbridled desire.

About One Tough Cowboy

For as long as Samantha can remember, Hunter—a man as strong as steel, with a heart of gold—has been her hero. It came as no surprise to Samantha when she found out that the ranch- hardened cowboy who always protected her from bullies went on to become the town’s sheriff. What does surprise her is how incredibly hot he still is. And how much she still wants him.

And, lo and behold, Hunter still has feelings for Samantha. The long-smoldering heat of their innocent flirtation has grown into a full-raging fire. But when tragedy strikes, and their small-town community is shattered, Hunter vows to do everything he can to keep his childhood sweetheart safe. But can Samantha trust that Hunter has her best interests at heart…and that, after all these years, his love is true?

My Thoughts

We have two main characters in this story, Samantha and Hunter both of whom have a long history together. Hunter was her protector and someone she looked up to and also had a huge crush on. Hunter would do anything for Samantha, he had strong feelings for her before she moved away and they lasted long after she left.

Samantha returns home after a death in her family and she knew it would be difficult to see Hunter again as she wasn’t sure how strong her feelings would be and how he would feel about her. She had nothing to worry about! Both of our characters had a strong chemistry that poured off the pages.

While we having their romance and intense chemistry brewing at the top of this story, we also have quite the plot developing underneath. There are a serious of deaths that on the surface look normal but Hunter believes there were more to these deaths, especially as they were personal. As Hunter and Samantha begin to investigate (not only do they have their personal history both are members of the law enforcement!) we find a dark plot that has spanned several years and may have international ties.

This story was a good read, it was intense at times and I found myself having to re-read certain parts to ensure I understood the plot development. I loved the way the plot developed – I was not expecting the ending and it was perfect for this story.

The novel did have a lot of sexual content spread throughout the story so fair warning to those who may not enjoy that as much. It would be exciting to see the next chapter in Samantha and Hunter’s relationship and what came of the ending to this story.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Authors

#1 New York Times bestseller Lora Leigh is the author of the Navy SEALS, the Breeds, the Elite Ops, the Callahans, the Bound Hearts, and the Nauti series.

Veronica Chadwick started storytelling when she was a little girl. She was first published in 2004. She lives in Tennessee with three cats, a very spoiled Shih Tzu and two grand dogs. When she’s not writing, she’s hanging out with friends, reading or badly playing video games.

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

January 28, 2019

Making Math Fun with The Incredible Math Games Book

Kid approved games in a book that makes math a win win for parents and kids a like!

About The Incredible Math Games

The interactive The Incredible Math Games Book will capture and hold your child’s attention, making practicing math and play one and the same. With games like Zip to Zero, Shape Stepper, Math Maze, Times Tables Tug-of-War and more, kids will learn key math concepts while having fun. Everybody wins!

You can roll the dice, move the counters, lift-the-flaps, and learn with this fun-filled math game book designed for children ages 6-9.

My Thoughts

Math can be a very touchy topic for parents and students. The way math is taught in schools is quite different now (and the way my eldest learned math in grade two is now different then how my youngest is learning it) and sometimes we all struggle a bit. If you have a child going through a rough patch with math skills, it can be quite difficult at home and at school – they will not want to learn, may yell and even refuse to do the extra work sheets that come home.

I know that my kids usually learn the best when they are engaged, having fun and being hands on (I am the same way too – I am definitely a hands on learner). I had fantastic teachers throughout my elementary and high school years and what I remember the most is that they made the traditionally tougher classes of math and sciences FUN. Whether that was through games, hands on labs – the key was to grab our attention, get us laughing and in turn learning.

The Incredible Math Game Book incorporates important math skills with fun games, thinking questions and hidden answers. We were able to play a version of snakes and ladders, mazes, counted backwards to zero and so much more but it all centered around basic math skills of addition and subtraction. We could open up the flaps to reveal hidden questions or answers to some of the tougher questions. I loved that it got our minds working each time, even when we played the version of snakes and ladders – it was us prompting our son with questions like ‘you rolled a three – seventeen plus three equals?’ and him giving us his answer in order to move his marker. Even though we were having fun and playing games, he was still learning (and it even got my mind working – I am not the greatest at counting backwards!). The Incredible Math Game Book is an excellent teaching tool for you to have in your home that beats traditional work sheets hands down.

You can learn more about this book on the DK Canada website and purchase a copy on Amazon.

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

January 28, 2019

Chobe River Cruise

Last week I shared our adventure through Chobe National Park in Botswana (if you missed our adventure – check it out here). While staying at the Chobe Marina Lodge, our family surprised us with a river boat cruise.

This was a truly breathtaking way to explore the area around us. It gave us such an appreciation of the environment, the animals and the people that work hard to protect them. While I was nervous at times, as our boat cruise brought us pretty close up to some unpredictable animals, we were definitely in great hands. We also experienced a wide range of weather while on the river – it was sunny at parts, then rain would come down but after the rain came the most beautiful rainbows, shown below, that made getting wet worth every moment.

Enjoy some of our favourite shots from the Chobe River Cruise, run through Chobe Marina Lodge in Botswana.

January 24, 2019

Challenge Yourself to Learn a new Language with DK Canada’s Visual Dictionaries

Ready to start the new year off by learning a new language? Maybe you are planning a trip? DK Canada has you covered with all of your language needs with their line of bilingual visual dictionaries.

About German-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary

Newly revised and updated, the German-English Bilingual Visual Dictionary is a quick and intuitive way to learn and recall everyday words in German.

Introduces a range of useful current vocabulary in thematic order, this dictionary uses full-color photographs and artworks to display and label all the elements of everyday life-from the home and office to sport, music, nature, and the countries of the world-with panel features on key nouns, verbs, and useful phrases.

Key features include:

A complete range of illustrated objects and scenes from everyday life.
Handy size ideal for travel.
Detailed index for instant reference.
Free companion audio app.

My Thoughts

You may have made the decision to learn a new language for a variety of reasons. You may have planned the trip of a lifetime, you may want to challenge yourself or you may be trying to learn more about your own heritage. No matter what the reason, you have made an empowering, exciting decision in your life that should be celebrated.

While exciting, it can be difficult to learn a new language. I remember as a child going to Italian classes and bringing my dictionary with me. The dictionary was old, contained no pictures, contained definitions and verbs that were far over my head. I constantly struggled to learn the language and the only thing I can now do at my age is write out – I am, he is, she is, they are.

The brilliantly designed visual bilingual dictionaries take learning to a new level. The books can fit into the palm of your hand and would easily fit in a large pocket or your purse/backpack. Each page is full of pictures to go along with each word (which I feel would come in handy if you are travelling and mispronouncing a word!).

Unlike your traditional dictionary which is alphabetical, the dictionary is broken down into main categories: people, home, services, shopping, food, work, transportation and so on. Each category is then further broken down into several pages with the most common words in that category. The book also comes with an index that can help you easily find the word and page you are looking for.

I really liked the size and easy to follow style of this book. It encourages the learning process and gives you the support you need to not give up. The introduction contains helpful tools and learning activities that will help guide you through the learning process. The free audio app is a must, as it is one thing to read the words but listening to the tone and pronunciation in the native tongue will further your language skills.

You can learn more about this series on the DK Canada Website and purchase a copy on Amazon.

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

January 23, 2019

Chobe National Park

We were blessed to have visited Chobe National Park located in the Northern region of Botswana. The country of Botswana is an incredible place to visit with it’s laid back lifestyle, focus on the environment and the protection of animals. We spent two weeks enjoying time with family, the culture and the natural beauty of this country.

During our visit, our family took us to stay at Chobe Marina Lodge and surprised us with a safari tour of Chobe National Park. This was an incredible, hard to put into words experience for us. Chobe National Park, which takes its name from the Chobe River, is Botswana’s first national park. Our youngest was so excited – he loves animals and this was a dream come true for him (I can see him returning home to live with family in Botswana!).

Each of us wanted to spot a specific animal on our safari ride – the top ones were elephants, a giraffe and a hippo. We spotted some of these and so much more. While the park is home and famous for its elephant population, we did not see one on our safari ride (although we did see many when we were leaving the Lodge to drive home on the highway!). The giraffe surprised us when we stopped for a bathroom break during the middle of the ride, it was so close! It was completely breathtaking and majestic to see this beautiful animal, can you tell it is my favourite animal?

Enjoy my collection of photos during our safari drive through Chobe National Park. Next week I will share our Chobe river boat ride!