Category: book review

February 2, 2016

Cancelled Vows Book Tour

In Cancelled Vows, one small obstacle stands in the way of the wedding between David and Chelsea.

About Cancelled Vows

Police Chief David O’Callaghan and Chelsea Adams’ wedding day is fast approaching. Unfortunately, at the last minute, David discovers that there is one small problem to be taken care of before he can tie the knot, divorce his first wife!

Lauren Carr takes fans of the Mac Faraday mysteries to the Big Apple in this nail biting adventure. In Cancelled Vows, David, Mac, and Gnarly, too, rush to New York City to dissolve David’s marriage to an old girlfriend and he has five days to get it done. When murder throws up a road block, it is up to David’s best man, Mac Faraday, and Gnarly, K9-in-waiting, to sort through the clues to get David to the church in time.

My Thoughts

I was pleasantly surprised with this novel! I was not expecting the plot to play out the way it did but I was quite happy with the way book played out. It was exciting, shocking and full of twists.

David is a man who lives by his principles and values. He wants to make sure he does right by Chelsea – even if this means putting aside his own feelings and worries. He is worried that he has been tainted by his past and works hard to prove he isn’t the same person.

The shocking turn of events and how they all tie in to David and Mac are shocking! It is this twist of events that help open David’s eyes and see what he may be missing out on. He grows emotionally and spiritually throughout the novel and I love seeing the novel from his eyes.

Well written, thought out and fast paced! I fell in love with the characters and the suspense was killing me! It was hard to put down because I did not want to miss out on the next chapter and adventure!

You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Lauren Carr is the international best-selling author of the Mac Faraday and Lovers in Crime Mysteries and the Thorny Rose Mysteries. Lauren is a popular speaker who has made appearances at schools, youth groups, and on author panels at conventions. She also passes on what she has learned in her years of writing and publishing by conducting workshops and teaching in community education classes. She lives with her husband, son, and four dogs (including the real live Gnarly!) on a mountain in Harpers Ferry, WV.

Connect with Lauren on her website, Facebook and Twitter.

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.

February 2, 2016

The Greatest Prospector in the World

In The Greatest Prospector in the World, the death of her Father transports Laura to Chicago where she uncovers secrets about her Uncle and family.

About The Greatest Prospector in the World

Laura Dunagan, was born in the gold prospecting days of rustic Alaska in the early 1900’s. When Laura was 14 years old, her father was trapped under a mudslide while prospecting in a nearby river and died. Laura was forced to move to Chicago in the care of her rich Uncle Joe. Laura hated Uncle Joe because he forced her to leave the river, but also because he had left the family prospecting business to move to Chicago years before she was born.

Laura discovers that Uncle Joe made his fortune selling insurance and was the owner of the largest insurance company in Illinois. While wandering through the mansion one day, she found Uncle’s Joe personal den. In it, she discovered an entire new life that would lead her to heights that she would never had realized panning for gold in Alaska. Uncle Joe used the 6 gold prospecting rules for safety to prospect new clients for his insurance company and in doing so, discovered the secrets to wealth in selling.

My Thoughts

A very unique book that not only tells a tale but also six keys to success not only in sales but in life.

This book came to me at a very important time in my life. As I made the decision to push myself further in my career these six goals were essential in rediscovering myself and pushing myself out there to attain my goals. Sometimes it can be difficult to read books that are “self help” or work related but with the unique angle this novel took of tying these six rules into a heart warming story that puts the rules into action you will not want to put it down. We are able to witness the direct results of the six rules and how they help Laura in her own goals and dreams (especially during a time when women were not encouraged to own their business’). We are part of Laura’s fears, hopes, dreams and aspirations. I am positive you will find some of your own hidden in there too!

This is a fantastic book not only for those in sales but also for those who want to make a change in their personal and professional lives. You will not be disappointed!

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon or Barnes & Noble.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Ken Dunn is one of the leadership training world’s up and coming great speakers and trainers. An incredible hunger to learn and teach others has led Ken successfully through five different professional careers in the past 25 years.

Ken began a policing career at the age of 18. He was involved in the policing world’s most exhilarating and challenging disciplines, including undercover drug and surveillance work, S.W.A.T. teamwork, aggravated child abuse, frauds, aggravated assaults, illegal weapons smuggling and homicides.

Today, Ken regularly speaks to groups in the direct sales, mortgage, insurance and banking industries. He uses humor and his own experiences to inspire audiences around the world. Ken lives in Toronto, Canada, with his wife, Julie, and children Matthew and Laura. Connect with him on his website, Twitter and Facebook.

The Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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

February 1, 2016

Worst Laid Plans Book Review

In Worst Laid Plans, all Maddox wants to do is hide from the storm of life but this is not in her near future as her plans soon go awry.

About Worst Laid Plans

All Maddox Storm wanted was to come home and hide from the world in peaceful solitude for a few short weeks. Oh, and give her soon-to-be ex cheating scumbag husband a fat headache while she’s at it. He hates all small towns, and Silver Firs in particular, with the kind of passion most men reserve for the bedroom.

So call it revenge, or poetic justice, but investing his savings in the town’s founding inn seemed like the perfect plan for all her needs and more.

But everything goes out the window when Maddox finds her arch-nemesis dead in the kitchen downstairs.

Before she knows it, she’s embroiled in a murder investigation and tangling with the smoky-eyed detective on the case. Not that she doesn’t trust him to do his job, but he may not be quite as motivated as she is to bring the guilty party to justice. After all, she’s the one who unwittingly incriminated upstanding townsfolk and worse, she may be living under the same roof as a pair of unlikely murderers.

My Thoughts

Murder, mystery, suspense and an absolutely hilarious main character in Maddox mixed in with an ending that you never see coming! I loved every moment of Worst Laid Plans. From the get go, I knew I was in for a treat with her spunky humour and sense of adventure. She literally made me laugh out loud at times! Especially when it came to her small home town life.

She comes up with the sweetest revenge to get back at her soon to be ex-husband but who would have ever guessed what would happen when she arrived there? While still recovering from the drive to her ‘new’ home, she discovers a murder! This murder throws quite the wrench in her plans as she works to uncover the murderer (much to the displeasure of the police on the case!).

I fell in love with Claire’s easy writing, quick humour and unique plot line. I could not put this novel down – I just had to know what was going to happen to Claire. The ending made me crave even more – I can’t wait for the second book to come out!

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Claire loves to write mystery, romance and adventure, cause sometimes one life really can have it all (between the pages of a book, at least.) When she is not thigh-deep in laundry, shopping, cooking and general crowd control, you’ll find her head-and-heart-deep in the tangled lives of her characters.

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

January 28, 2016

Beyond The Silence Book Review

In Beyond The Silence, the shadows over this olive grove hide more than just the truth.

About Beyond The Silence

Lillian Porter has always wanted to fulfill her mother’s dream of going west, so when she hears about a nanny position in Angels Camp, California, she defies her grandfather and takes a chance on a new future. But she quickly wonders if she made the right choice. Murky rumors swirl around Woodward Colton, her new employer, but the gossip doesn’t match the man Lillian comes to know.

Still, something dark did happen in the family’s past. Lillian’s seven-year-old charge hasn’t spoken in over a year. Gently, Lillian tries to coax him out of his shell, hoping he’ll one day feel safe enough to share what scared him. But the Colton olive farm is no longer a safe place. Lillian encounters suspicious characters on their land and mysterious damage done to the farm. When the housekeeper is brutally attacked, the town once again suspects the worst. Will discovering the truth help Lillian clear the name of the man she has come to love–or will it endanger her even more?

My Thoughts

In this story we have several key characters and stories woven around them. We have Lillian who yearns for independence and freedom – to follow her parents dream. This dream forces her to defy the only family she has known and head out on her own (something not heard of much in those days!). She is forced to learn about herself and simple life skills she never had to deal with being from a wealthy family.
Woodward Colton her new employer has been plagued by vicious rumours and a terrible tragedy. The small town he lives in is awful to him and we witness this through out the story and how he holds his head above it all. The worst tragedy for him is that his son will no longer speak due to the family’s past tragedy.

It is this history that is brought to the forefront of the story as the novel progresses. We learn more about the past and how it is woven into the future. We watch our characters grow in emotional and spiritual strength as they cling together in order to make it through the most difficult times that they have ever faced. Beyond The Silence was a fantastic story from start to finish, that I just could not (and did not want to!) put down.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 5/5

About The Authors

Kimberley Woodhouse is a multipublished author of fiction and nonfiction. A popular speaker/teacher, she’s shared her theme of Joy Through Trials with over 150,000 people at more than a thousand venues across the country. She lives, writes, and homeschools with her husband of twenty-plus years and their two awesome teens live in Colorado.

Tracie Peterson is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 100 novels. Tracie also teaches writing workshops at a variety of conferences on subjects such as inspirational romance and historical research. She and her family live in Montana.

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

January 22, 2016

Rodale Celebrates a New Year, New You Review and Giveaway

The new year is a great time to sit down and focus on what you want and need to accomplish during the year. Whether it is to focus on clean eating, getting active or leading a more natural lifestyle.

Books are a great resource for gathering ideas, recipes and encouragement to accomplish these goals. I was recently invited to review two new books from Rodale, The Year of Cozy and The Detox Prescription. Keep reading for my thoughts and enter to win your own copies of these two books!

About The Year of Cozy

From the author of the popular blog, A Cozy Kitchen, comes a beautifully photographed one-stop-shop book with all the recipes and projects you’ll need for some cozy inspiration this holiday season and all year-long. You’ll love Adrianna Adarme’s easy-to-follow instructions and will enjoy getting lost in her warm and comforting photographs. Organized by the months of the year and by categories as “Live,” “Do,” and “Make, ” this book offers ideas for activities, recipes, and DIY projects that make the little moments in life just as exciting as the big. Adarme gives us special (but totally doable) things we can do for others and ourselves. From quick recipes to easy crafts, she focuses on simple, inexpensive undertakings that have a big reward: happiness. The Year of Cozy will surely inspire you to march into your kitchen and craft closet to make something you can truly be proud of.

My Thoughts

Adrianna has excellent writing skills and truly reaches out to her audience in a unique way to speak to them in a manner that we can relate to. The book contains 125 recipes, crafts and other homemade items that are divided by season.

The imagery is incredible, the recipes make you want to drool while the other images are breath-taking. All of the recipes and crafts are simple to follow and with items that you most likely have at home (so no going out having to stock a pantry!). Adrianna also includes easy notes and suggestions to help you with her recipes and crafts.

The Year of Cozy will be a great addition to your craft and recipe books in your home library.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About The Detox Prescription

The human body has an extraordinary ability to detoxify itself. However, we live in a world that is increasingly polluted, exposing our bodies to thousands of harmful chemicals that lead to obesity, diabetes, arthritis, allergies, and heart disease. The good news is you can optimize your body’s natural cleansing system for weight loss, greater energy, and better health.

In The Detox Prescription, Mary Beth Augustine, MS, RDN, and Woodson Merrell, MD, offer more than 100 delicious and nutrient-rich recipes incorporating juices and whole foods, broken into 3-, 7-, and 21-day cleanses. Dr. Merrell’s holistic system of light yoga, meditation, and other stress-reducing practices will help reset your body, mind, and spirit–and allow for control of genetic destiny.

My Thoughts

I tend to be hesitant with any book that proclaims or uses words like detox, mainly as many times the detox is based on starving the body. What I loved most about the Detox Prescription is that this was one of the first topics it addressed, a detox should not be about starving the body! Instead it should focus on eliminating toxins from your environment and nourishing with healthy, nutrient rich foods. This is far more in line with my own beliefs that we need to feed our body nutrient rich items and to cherish our body.

The book spends several chapters going over toxins in the environment, how to eliminate them and what to look for before diving into the ‘prescription’. The prescription comes in three forms: three, seven and twenty-one day cleanses. Each one of these cleanses prescribed in the book comes with recipes, suggestions and meal preparation guides. This made it easy to follow and understand. Meditation, cherishing and even yoga are prescribed as well!

The Detox Prescription is a great resource to start you off on the path to eating clean and nourishing your body with the food that it needs.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

The Giveaway!

My Canadian readers can now enter to win these two books from Rodale! You can enter via the Rafflecopter form below – GOOD LUCK!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: I received the two books listed above in order to facilitate this review. All opinions expressed are my own.