Category: book review

Waking Amy Book Review

Waking Amy Book Review

Get ready for Waking Amy, the first novel in this three-part series from Julieann Dove.

Waking Amy Book Review

About Waking Amy

Amy Whitfield is blindsided when she comes home and finds a note on the fridge from her husband, Wesley, stating that after four years of marriage, he’s leaving her. Amy was in the midst of trying to spice things up, to bring life back to their boring marriage. It seems now that she was too late.

As Amy sits with her head between her knees, trying to figure out what to do next, a call comes from Mercer General Hospital. The ER nurse is telling Amy’s answering machine that Wesley has been in a car accident.

When Amy arrives at the hospital, she finds her husband in a coma. The doctors say there is no sign of brain damage, and Wesley will eventually wake up. Relieved, Amy sees this as her second chance: the chance to get it right this time. To channel the girl Wesley won’t leave when he regains consciousness, she just needs some help to pull it off.

Amy would never figure on getting that help from Mark Reilly. Wesley’s doctor! He’s a non-committer, too cute for his own good bachelor, and completely the guy Amy begins falling for. It’s a race against time to see who wakes up first, Amy or her husband.

My Thoughts

An extremely interesting and unique book that I cherished from the first chapter. Amy is a quiet, down to earth girl who just wants to be loved. Something we can all relate to! She lost her parents at a young age and always carried this burden. She is the type of girl who follows routine, likes to be home in her pjs (yes please!) and never saw the life changing moment coming. My heart broke for her when she finds the message from her husband wanting to leave her. You can feel her pain, confusion through the pages of the book. When she is called to the hospital, you think how can it get any worse!

My heart ached for her as she turns to Mark for help being the adventurous, fun-loving and daring wife she feels her husband would want. No one should ever have to feel they need to change to be loved and accepted, but somehow we do do this. We allow ourselves to change to suit the person we are with and it is only years later that we see the mistake in this. Amy falls into this trap and has to decide if this is the way she wants to live her life – trying to be someone she isn’t to make someone else happy or to truly accept herself as she is. In the midst of all of this is Mark, someone who sees Amy for who she is and loves her for that. He accepts her faults, her quietness and brings her to life-like her husband never did.

You are kept guessing throughout the novel whether Amy can love herself for who she is or if she will put her own feelings and desires on the back burner for Wesley. I loved every moment of this novel and I can’t wait for the second part of this story as I fell in love with Amy’s character.

You can purchase a copy of this novel on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Julieann lives in Virginia, yet longs to live everywhere else. It doesn’t come as a surprise that along with her gypsy soul, comes an active imagination. That’s why she loves to write and invent worlds and people, so that she can formulate their happily ever after. Hobbies include cooking new recipes, sewing, and spending time with her cute boyfriend/husband and five fabulous children. Vacations happen in Nantucket or the Carolina beaches—anywhere there is inspiration for her next book. One day she hopes to travel to Italy, drive one of those little cars around the countryside, and speak the language fluently!

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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Breaking the Story Book Review

Passion, peril, and a scandal that will rock American politics, you can find it all in Breaking the Story by Ashley Farley.

Breaking the Story Book Review

About Breaking the Story

Scottie Darden’s life is a disaster. Her marriage has become toxic, and her career as a photojournalist has stalled out. To attract the attention of the main players in the news industry, she needs a standout story with a unique perspective. What she finds is a scandal that could turn the 2016 presidential election upside down. But before she can release her damaging images to the media, Scottie must uncover the truth behind the photographs. She turns to handsome mystery man Guy Jordan for help. When they join the campaign trail in search of answers, their investigation quickly becomes deadly.

Hop on board for a wild ride of adventure where desire ignites, lives are threatened, and secrets are revealed.

My Thoughts

Adventure, suspense, romance and everything in between! Breaking the Story has all of this and more.

Our main character, Scottie (from Merry Mary), is a strong female lead who is still healing from the toxicity of her marriage, possible separation and concerns about her career. She is being pulled in many different directions as she struggles to deal with her own personal identity. When she heads to a presidential election party, she never would have thought this was the turning point in her life. She is faced with a huge decision that will impact her morals as a photojournalist and as a person.

She meets a handsome young man, whom she turns to in desperation with the images she has captured. What she never would have thought was that he was holding a huge secret that would compromise her trust in him.

Adventure, romance and healing all tied up in one book. I loved every moment of Breaking the Story. Scottie is a strong female lead that you just can’t help but fall in love with. Her morals and forgiveness are tested throughout this novel but she always comes out stronger in the end. It is a novel that builds up and does not disappoint at the end. You will enjoy each turn of the page.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.

HER SISTER’S SHOES—June 24, 2015—is a women’s novel that proves the healing power of family.

MERRY MARY a heartwarming story of the powerful connection between a caring soul and an innocent child in need released October 15, 2015.

Connect with her on her website, Twitter and Facebook.

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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Hands on This March with Beaded Jewellery from DK Canada

Are you ready to get hands on this March? Perhaps you have always wanted to design and create your own jewellery? Well get ready because Beaded Jewellery from DK Canada is ready to help teach and guide you along this journey.

Beaded Jewellery Book Review

About Beaded Jewellery

Create your own style and make beautiful jewellery with Beaded Jewellery. Common beading techniques are clearly explained, with helpful tips on which colour to choose, what equipment you will need and advice on how to find the best beads.

Features 18 step-by-step projects to help you make stunning necklaces, earrings and bracelets that you can easily make at home, including beginner, intermediate and advanced projects to suit all abilities. All designs are by Hollywood’s hippest jewellery designer, Maya Brenner, whose pieces are worn by some of the world’s most fashionable people including Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz.

From high fashion to street chic, make jewellery to suit any style with Beaded Jewellery.

My Thoughts

The Beaded Jewellery is the perfect introduction to making your own jewellery at home. The book goes into deep detail about common techniques, necessary tools and equipment and information on different beads. The book is divided into sections based on the type of jewellery you want to make (earrings, necklaces, bracelets) and are further divided into beginner, intermediate and advanced projects.

The instructions (and items to purchase list) were extremely easy to follow and had large pictures to accompany each step in case you become confused. The pictures were bright, clear and focused on the exact step you were at. She also includes helpful tips in case you want to change-up beads, combinations or techniques, as well as references to where in the book certain techniques are mentioned in further detail.

The book comes in a soft, paperback format which was perfect when I headed to our local craft store to pick up supplies. I could easily mark off pages for easy reference, pull it out and compare products. It was light so I never felt weighted down in store.

Here are my designs:

Beaded Jewellery Book Review

The book was fantastic, easy to follow with incredible designs that you will love to wear.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Maya Brenner’s jewellery has been featured in the press, including Glamour, InStyle, and Cosmopolitan, and Maya herself has appeared on the US television show Good Day Live’s “Style File”. Her jewellery is now sold across Europe and on her website, www.mayabrenner.com. Her celebrity clientele include Cameron Diaz, Reese Witherspoon and Madonna.

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

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BookGrabbr Spotlight Tour

iRead Book Tours

​BookGrabbr: A great way for readers to discover new books and an innovative marketing tool for authors. 

BookGrabbr : Download, Share, Repeat

 

For Readers:

BookGrabbr is a social media-marketing tool that allows authors to share both full books and previews of their books with readers. Readers, you can have access to these books by signing in through Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn and using their ability to share as a form of currency. The “Share” is the payment! Share the book, and it will allow you to read it. Just click the “Grabb this book” button next to the book and our system will prompt you to share in exchange for reading!

BookGrabbr contains books of many genres, so visit today, “grabb” a book that catches your eye and start reading!

For Authors and Publishers:

Through their unique marketing tool and platform, BookGrabbr helps authors connect to readers that they wouldn’t generally be able to connect to through their friends and their friend’s friends. The noise in the marketplace is deafening, and at times can be a bit overwhelming for authors trying to promote their books.

BookGrabbr created a way to generate some more buzz by harnessing the power of each individual author’s social media platform.  Once you create your profile on BookGrabbr it allows potential readers to read a preview of your book or the full copy and then directs them to your site of choice to purchase your book in the format that you desire. And since BookGrabbr doesn’t make any money on book sales, you can send them to a retailer, or to your own personal page or wherever you choose! BookGrabbr’s purpose is to help you sell more books, gain momentum and generate exposure.

See how it works:

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​How does iRead Book Tours help?

 

For Readers: 

We help you discover new authors that have put their profile and books on BookGrabbr through our BookGrabbr Promotion Service.

For Authors and Publishers:

Don’t have time to dedicate to yet another marketing campaign? Let us take care of it for you. Through the BookGrabbr Promotion Service we create your profile, help you share your books on your social media and ours too, of course. In addition, we provide you with ideas and the support on how to best use your BookGrabbr profile. This is a cost-effective, efficient way to publicize your books! Contact us to see how we can help you spread the word about your book through BookGrabbr.

Like the idea? Enter the giveaway below to win a BookGrabbr Promotion Service worth $75 and $100 in cash!

Not an author? You can still win the $100 in cash.

Giveaway starts March 14 and ends April 15, 2016.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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And It Was Beautiful Book Review

Litfuse Book Tour

“I was here. I saw beauty. I embraced it.” -Kara Tippetts.

And It Was Beautiful Book Review

About And It Was Beautiful

How do you live out extravagant love in the everyday moments? How do you celebrate grace when your life turns out differently than the one you dreamed?

Kara Tippetts discovered how to find joy in the small moments of life. She learned how to hold tight to hope even while battling intense physical and emotional pain. And she lived out the truth that God can redeem any story.

In her final book, Kara offers gentle reflections on living and dying well. She invites us to cultivate soft hearts even when we face great disappointment. Her ideas for living are hard-won, wrestled with in the crucible of family, illness, and faith. And her constant reminder is that whether we are in the midst of dark days or mundane moments Jesus is always there, life is surprisingly beautiful, and God is forever good.

My Thoughts

Kara Tippetts was an amazing Mother, Wife and individual. Her first novel, The Hardest Peace touched my deeply, I cried, I laughed and I learned so much about my own life. I realized those dark moments could always be darker and that even in those moments we can glimpse moments of light.

And It Was Beautiful is a wonderful compilation of her work and her story. She had this honest and open way of writing that makes you laugh, cry and want to reach out to her. She let you into her life without hiding over the ugly moments, instead she celebrates these moments for what they are. She found the light in each of these moments and shared it with us. I feel blessed to have read both of her books, the lessons of love, family and living with grace are precious. She guides you and teaches you by showing her own struggles.

The world has been blessed to have Kara Tippetts walk among us for such a short time. Her words of wisdom, love and grace will live on in her work.

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 Author

Kara Tippetts was the author of The Hardest Peace and the co-author of Just Show Up. She blogged faithfully at mundanefaithfulness.com. Since her death in March 2015, her husband, Jason, has been parenting their four children and leading the church the couple founded in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

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

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