Category: book review

June 26, 2015

Love Arrives in Pieces by Betsy St. Amant

In Love Arrives in Pieces, Stella was known for so long for her beauty. Now she must find herself.

About Love Arrives in Pieces

Former pageant queen, Stella, doesn’t trust beauty after her divorce. Her appearance betrayed her and led her into brokenness, so instead of being beautiful, now she tries to make beautiful things but always falls short. She keeps her passion for art to herself and focuses on her interior design work. If she does not get another job soon, she will be stuck living with her parents for a long time.

Contractor Chase Taylor is determined to live a life of no regrets after losing his fiancée. He lives life at full speed, striving to see how much he can accomplish. He knows if he slows down that he will fall apart. He returns home to Bayou Bend to renovate the town’s old theatre and is shocked to discover that the designer is his old flame, Stella.

Forced to work together, Chase and Stella battle their chemistry and past as they struggle to compromise and work together. Their wills clash as they attempt to hide their past and their unresolved feelings for each other, until Chase discovers the hidden parts of Stella while losing her trust in the process.

A near catastrophe, a fire and a small town gossip mill finally force them to realize that they have a choice, to hold on to their past or surrender their fragmented pieces to the One who makes a beautiful masterpiece from brokenness.

My Thoughts

Love Arrives in Pieces is a beautiful extension of another favourite book of my mine, All’s Fair in Love and Cupcakes. In this novel, we get to meet Stella, Kat’s sister. She is a beautiful woman both inside and out but has been broken inside and no longer feels beautiful. She wants to hide her beauty as she feels as though that is all any one sees. No one sees the inside, the part that is less than pretty never less want to stay with her. They toss away the broken pieces because they are seen as ugly and not pretty enough to be kept around.

It was beautiful to watch Stella grow in this novel. She faces her fears sometimes head on and at other times she hides in denial. Stella needs to realize that in order to heal from the inside out, she must accept all the broken pieces of her life (her divorce, her pain, her pageant life) and move forward.

Love Arrives in Pieces is more than just a romance, it is a beautiful portrayal of how you can overcome the worst moments in your life if you can accept the broken pieces that make you who you are.

You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour page. You can purchase a copy here.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Betsy St. Amant lives in Louisiana with her young daughter and has a heart for sharing the amazing news of God’s grace through her novels. A freelance journalist, Betsy is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. When she’s not reading, writing, or singing along to a Disney soundtrack with her daughter, Betsy enjoys inspirational speaking and teaching on the craft of writing.

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

June 23, 2015

Exile Book Three of Guy Erma and The Son of Empire

Exile, Book Three in the Guy Erma and The Son of Empire series has been released and is just as fantastic as the first two in this series geared towards youth.

About Exile: Guy Erma and the Son of Empire

“Someone somewhere has decided that the Sas Darona plague could be used as a weapon”.

“They called them poison pills”.

“These plague pills went beyond deadly. They were planet killers”.

Teodor has managed to escape from his kidnappers but how long will it take before he is home safe? Guy Erma has run away from everything and the only home he has ever known. What could his future hold? Their adventure has forged an unexpected friendship but can they really trust each other? Their paths have now become one when they discover a deadly terror.

My Thoughts

FANTASTIC! I love my sci-fi novels (actually I am no book snob and love pretty much every genre) but this series geared towards young adults is amazing. The series is full of adventure and constantly keeps you guessing from start to finish. There is never a dull moment or will you ever find yourself wanting to put the book down for another day.

The two boys discover a terrible, hidden secret during their escape in this series. This secret has the potential to destroy everything they have ever known. How this secret came to be is just as shocking as the secret itself (while I wish I could spoil it, I just can’t – you have to read the book!). It is this deadly truth that brings the boys together. Sally draws you right into the plot and has you trying to guess whether the two youths can trust each other. While it should be easy for them to trust each other, their differences and their pasts that brought them together is what holds them apart. In order for them to escape they have to trust each other, but this is much easier said than done.

While this is book three in this series, the end does leave you wishing for more and hanging on, so hopefully there will be a part four in this series! Sally definitely leaves enough room for more to be written and I truly hope she picks up where this novel ends.

You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon. You can find my reviews for Book One and Book Two on my website.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Sally was born in Wallasey, England in 1964 and moved to the South of France when she was eleven. She spent her teenage years in Monaco learning the languages and cultures. As an English girl in a French school, she would spend her English classes at the back of the class writing stories thus inspiring her love of writing. Sally now writes marketing communications and manages large international websites. Sally currently lives in Farham with her husband and two children. You can connect with Sally 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.

June 18, 2015

For the Dad Who Loves His BBQ Comes The Meat Cookbook from DK Canada

Both my own Father and my husband love to BBQ. It is almost like they have a countdown to spring so that they can fire up that grill and get outside making new tender recipes of their favourite cuts of meat. The perfect book for them? The Meat Cookbook!

The Meat Cookbook from DK Canada holds an incredible 300+ recipes covering everything from pork to lamb to beef. The Meat Cookbook is loaded with authentic recipes from a variety of cultures.

The cookbook itself is large, about 9.5×11 inches, and is heavy. It has this almost masculine feel to the cookbook and I loved the weight of the book. You can just tell from picking it up it is loaded with deliciousness.

The first part of the Meat Cookbook is devoted to advice and tips. This also includes a section on why good meat matters, which also entails where and how the animal is raised. A happy animal produces better meat and one of the reasons why I make sure to always purchased Canadian raised meat with a label on it (even better when it is local). This has always been the strongest purchasing factor for me when it comes to buying meat.

The Meat Cookbook also includes advice on how to properly cook meat (because let’s be honest, how many times have you destroyed a steak – myself countless times!), expert advice from butchers and tips on flavour pairings.

You can find The Meat Cookbook at the Father’s Day Boutique on DK Canada, as well as an assortment of other great titles.

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

June 18, 2015

Summer’s List by Anita Higman

In Summer’s List, a dying wish alters the course of a young woman’s life.

About Summer’s List

Life has not always been easy for Summer Snow. Through acts of selflessness, caring for her ailing parents and running her Grandmother’s bookstore, she had forfeited her youth and dreams for others. The only tries she had at love did not work out. She had the bookstore, her Granny but she was missing something or someone.

Opportunity strikes when her Grandmother sends her on an unexpected adventure with Martin Langtree, a kind but gangly young man from her past. A childhood friendship is restored, a romance is kindled and a mystery is solved. Will Summer strike out in love or will this be her chance?

My Thoughts

Summer has definitely not had an easy life, losing those that she held dear to her. These losses, which could have changed her outlook on life, only encouraged her to be a kinder, loving and caring person. She loves her Grandmother with all her heart and held on to her dream of running her book store. This was no ordinary book store but a gift from God to the children who came in. This was where they could go to read, to learn and for guidance.

Throughout the novel, Granny provides us with important life lessons (some that are directed towards Summer but can be directly applied to your own life!). These were important reminders for me especially at this time in my life. The friendship that is rekindled between Summer and Martin is wonderful. Both of them need each other more than they would ever know and cling to each other for support throughout the novel.

A touching novel from start to finish, that will make a perfect read throughout the summer months! You can find more reviews on the Litfuse blog tour page. You can purchase a copy of the book here.

Rating: 4.5/5

About the Author

Anita Higman has over thirty books published for adults and children. She has been a Barnes & Noble Author of the Month. She has a BA degree, combining speech communication, psychology and art. Anita loves good movies, exotic teas and brunch with her friends.

Disclosure: I received a digital copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.

June 15, 2015

Nature’s Confession by J.L. Morin

Nature’s Confession is a cli-fi quest full of romance, honour and adventure as well as being a LitPick 5 Star Review Award Winner.

About Nature’s Confession

When a smart-mouthed, mixed race teen wonders why the work that needs to be done pays nothing compared to the busywork glorified on holovision news, the search for answers takes him on the wildest adventure of his life. Their planet is choked with pollution. They can’t do anything about it or can they? With the girl of his dreams, he inadvertently invents living computers. Just as the human race allows corporations to pollute Earth into desolation, institute martial law, and enslave humanity, two teens set out to save civilization. Can they thwart the polluters of Earth and other fertile planets. Along the way, they enlist the help of a female droid, Any Gynoid, who uncovers cutting edge scientific mysteries. Will youth lead the way to co-exist with Nature?

My Thoughts

Wow. Nature’s Confession is a powerful and thought-provoking novel from start to finish. This was my first time reading a cli-fi novel and it was incredible. The Earth as it is described is one that can be vividly imagined if we keep on the same path even a hundred years from now. The pollution, corruption and turning a blind eye to these events can be seen now and in the novel.

A novel targeted to youth, Nature’s Confession truly goes the extra mile to remind our youth that they are a powerful force. They can force change and all it takes is one person to start these changes. This is an important reminder for our youth – that they are the change that they want to see.

The novel is well written and developed at a good pace that allows you to absorb and understand the technology and ideas presented (busywork, the rules, etc). The start is slower to build as she explains more but this is something you will need to fully appreciate the book. The middle to end capture and demand every bit of your attention. The characters were brave and adventurous, a small amount of romance is included in this book but definitely does not take away from the themes of this book. As an interesting fact that was shared with me by J.L. Morin, did you know that one round trip from New York to London pollutes as much as one house in a year? Pretty crazy right?!.

This is a definite must read book for all youth and for those who want to step outside their book comfort zone. You can purchase a copy of the book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

Make sure you check out this trailer of Nature’s Confession:

Awards:

LitPick 5 Star Review Award Winner, #1 Top Marinovich Fiction Read of the Year, Best of a New Genre, Eco-Fiction Honourable Mention. Nature’s Confession was also included the 12 Works of Climate Fiction Everyone Should Read. New Awards include: Readers’ Favourite Award Winner, Book Excellence Award Finalist, Top 10 Best Science Fiction, Best Climate and Environment Fiction Book.

About the Author

Novelist and rooftop farmer, J.L. Morin grew up in inner city Detroit and wrote her Japan novel, Sazzae as her thesis for Harvard. It was a Gold Medalist in the eLit Book Award and a Living Now Book Award. She took to the road, travelling, worked as a newscaster, and wrote three more novels. Adjunct faculty at Boston University, she was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2011. She is the author of Travelling Light and Trading Dreams. She also writes for the Huffington Post, Library Journal, Sustainable Cities Collective. You can connect with her online, Twitter and Facebook.

J.L. Morin has offered one of you the chance to win her book, Nature’s Confession! You can now enter via the Rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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