Category: book review

February 26, 2018

Keturah Book Review

In 1772 England, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters find themselves the heiresses of their father’s estates and know they have one option: Go to the West Indies to save what is left of their heritage.

About Keturah

Although it flies against all the conventions, they’re determined to make their own way in the world. But once they arrive in the Caribbean, conventions are the least of their concerns. On the infamous island of Nevis, the sisters discover the legacy of the legendary sugar barons has vastly declined-and that’s just the start of what their eyes are opened to in this harsh and unfamiliar world.

Keturah never intends to put herself at the mercy of a man again, but every man on the island seems to be trying to win her hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. She could desperately use an ally, but even an unexpected reunion with a childhood friend leaves her questioning his motives.

To keep her family together and save the plantation that is her last chance at providing for them, can Keturah ever surrender her stubbornness and guarded heart to God and find the healing and love awaiting her?

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this beautifully written and unique story. In this novel, we have three young privileged women who have been orphaned. Their eldest sister would do anything to ensure her sisters are taken care of and remain in the family home. The only problem? This would see her having to travel to her family investment in the West Indies – their last hope at saving their lands in England.

What she doesn’t expect? Her sisters absolute refusal to let her go alone! So instead all three young women take off on an exciting journey that is far beyond social acceptance and looked down upon by many in their class. I found it to be so brave and determined but their greatest setback is how sheltered they have been. They are grossly unprepared for what to expect, what to bring and the sexism they will face.

This was an incredible story of perseverance, hope, faith, forgiveness with a touch of love growing in there. I couldn’t put this novel down wanting to know more about what would happen to Keturah and her sisters. This novel is a definite must read.

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

Lisa T. Bergren has published more than 40 books with more than 3 million books sold combined. She’s the author of the Christy Award-winning “Waterfall,” RITA®-finalist “Firestorm,” bestselling “God Gave Us You,” and popular historical series like Homeward, Grand Tour, and more. She’s also a recipient of the RT Lifetime Achievement Award. She lives in Colorado Springs with her husband and three teen-and-older children.

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

February 26, 2018

The Clock Flower Book Review

In The Clock Flower, the three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—as they are called, have graduated from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City where Dara learned why her mother abandoned her all those years ago, and they are now attending universities where they can further their special talents.

About The Clock Flower

Dara Roux, abandoned when she was seven years old by her mother. Exceptionally gifted in foreign languages. Orphan. Accepted to Yale University.

Mackenzie Yarborough, no record of her parents or where she was born. Exceptionally gifted in math and problem-solving. Orphan. Accepted to MIT.

Jennifer Torres, both parents killed in an automobile accident when she was sixteen. Exceptionally gifted in music and art. Orphan. Accepted to Julliard.

The three FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—as they are called, have graduated from Wood Rose Orphanage and Academy for Young Women after returning from New York City where Dara learned why her mother abandoned her all those years ago, and they are now attending universities where they can further their special talents. This means they will be separated from each other and from Carolina, their much-loved mentor and teacher who is “one of them,” for the first time in their young lives. They vow to try living apart for one semester, in the so-called real world that doesn’t include the orphanage; but if things don’t work out, they will come up with another plan—a plan where they can be together once again.

Dara is invited through Yale University to take part in an exciting archeological project in China. Jennifer, once again visualizing black and white images and the unusual sounds of another cadence that seem to be connected to Mackenzie, is engrossed in creating her next symphony at Julliard. Mackenzie, because of her genius at problem-solving, is personally chosen by an US Senator to get involved in a mysterious, secret research project involving immortality that is being conducted in a small village in China—not too far from where Dara is involved with the archeological site. Once there, however, she finds herself facing a terrifying death from the blood-dripping teeth of an ancient evil dragon. Her best friends, the FIGs and Carolina, rely on their own unique genius and special talents to save her as she discovers the truth of her birth parents.

My Thoughts

I loved the first two books in this series based on three incredible young women and this part did not disappoint.

The FIGS are three special young women who are gifted in different areas – math, languages and the arts. They are also all orphaned and have been guided by Carolina, a special woman in her own right.

This book focuses on Mackenzie, who has been gifted in math. She does not know who her parents are or even where to start but in this book we learn quite a bit more. The girls head off to university and this is where Mackenzie has her first contact with her birth family, without realizing it. She also becomes tangled in an evil plot that could see her death. This book was very exciting although a tad bit too quick, I would have loved to have learned a little bit more about Mackenzie’s background. I find her to be the quieter one in the series and it was nice to see her come to life, be the center of attention and find her roots.

This was an excellent book from start to finish, with a growing anticipation throughout the novel to find out the ending which keeps you reading throughout the night.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Barbara Casey is the author of several award-winning novels for both adults and young adults, as well as book-length works of nonfiction true crime and numerous articles, poems, and short stories. Her nonfiction true crime book, Kathryn Kelly: The Moll Behind Machine Gun Kelly, has been optioned for a major film and television series. In addition to her own writing, she is an editorial consultant and president of the Barbara Casey Agency. Established in 1995, she represents authors throughout the United States, Great Britain, Canada, and Japan. Barbara is also a partner in Strategic Media Books Publishing, an independent publishing house that specializes in cutting-edge adult nonfiction. Barbara lives on a mountain in Georgia with her husband, and three dogs who adopted her: Benton, a hound-mix; Fitz, a miniature dachshund; and Gert, a Jack Russel terrier of sorts.

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 19, 2018

Waking Isabella Book Review

Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed.

About Waking Isabella

Waking Isabella is a story about uncovering hidden beauty that, over time, has been lost, erased, or suppressed. It also weaves together several love stories as well as a few mysteries. Nora, an assistant researcher, is a catalyst for resolving the puzzle of a painting that has been missing for decades. Set in Arezzo, a small Tuscan town, the plot unfolds against the backdrop of the city’s antique trade and the fanfare and pageantry of its medieval jousting festival. While filming a documentary about Isabella de’ Medici—the Renaissance princess who was murdered by her husband—Nora begins to connect with the lives of two remarkable women from the past. Unraveling the stories of Isabella, the daughter of a fifteenth-century Tuscan duke, and Margherita, a young girl trying to survive the war in Nazi-occupied Italy, Nora begins to question the choices that have shaped her own life up to this point. As she does, hidden beauty is awakened deep inside of her, and she discovers the keys to her creativity and happiness. It is a story of love and deceit, forgeries and masterpieces—all held together by the allure and intrigue of a beautiful Tuscan ghost.

My Thoughts

Waking Isabella is a beautifully written story of discovery, passion, love and hope.

Nora has just left her husband, she realized their marriage was not quite what she had wanted or needed. She had given up so much of her life and passions (her art and jewellery) and she uses this time in her life to regain what she has lost. She had always loved the story of Isabella Medici and applies to do research on the beautiful Princess and her tragic death.

In Italy, she comes upon much more than she expected. She renews her friendship with an old friend who re-introduces her to life in Italy. As she learns more about Isabella, a strange connection between the two seems to develop and it is almost as if Isabella is guiding her to help her solve a great mystery of the missing painting of Isabella. At this same time, Nora meets a young man with unique ties to the art world and the mysterious disappearance of the painting.

The plot is unique and full of mystery and hope. I loved learning about all three women – they all are strong and independent and for two of them, this is what causes their death. I loved the Melissa intertwined their past and future to help solve the disappearance of the Medici painting. In between this, we also have Nora re-discovering herself as an individual and a woman. It is a beautiful story of love, forgiveness, hope and the hurt that lies can cause.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon, Chapters, Barnes & Noble and Kobo.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Melissa Muldoon is the Studentessa Matta—the crazy linguist! In Italian, “matta” means “crazy” or “impassioned.” Melissa has a B.A. in fine arts, art history and European history from Knox College, a liberal arts college in Galesburg, Illinois, as well as a master’s degree in art history from the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. She has also studied painting and art history in Florence.

Melissa promotes the study of Italian language and culture through her dual-language blog, Studentessa Matta (studentessamatta.com). Melissa began the Matta blog to improve her command of the language and to connect with other language learners. It has since grown to include a podcast, “Tutti Matti per l’Italiano,” and the Studentessa Matta YouTube channel. Melissa also created Matta Italian Language Immersion Tours, which she co-leads with Italian partners in Italy.

Waking Isabella is Melissa’s second novel and follows Dreaming Sophia, published in 2016. In this new novel about Italy, the reader is taken on another art history adventure, inspired by Melissa’s experiences living and traveling in Italy, specifically Arezzo, as well as her familiarity with the language and art. For more information about Waking Isabella and links to Melissa’s blogs and social media sites, visit www.MelissaMuldoon.com.

As a student, Melissa lived in Florence with an Italian family. She studied art history and painting and took beginner Italian classes. When she returned home, she threw away her Italian dictionary, assuming she’d never need it again, but after launching a successful design career and starting a family, she realized something was missing in her life. That “thing” was the connection she had made with Italy and the friends who live there. Living in Florence was indeed a life-changing event. Wanting to reconnect with Italy, she decided to start learning the language again from scratch. As if indeed possessed by an Italian muse, she bought a new Italian dictionary and began her journey to fluency—a path that has led her back to Italy many times and enriched her life in countless ways. Now, many dictionaries and grammar books later, she dedicates her time to promoting Italian language studies, further travels in Italy, and sharing her stories and insights about Italy with others. When Melissa is not traveling in Italy, she lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Melissa designed and illustrated the cover art for Waking Isabella and Dreaming Sophia. She also curates the Dreaming Sophia blog and Pinterest site: The Art of Loving Italy. Please visit the Pinterest page for pictures of Arezzo, the Giostra del Saracino, and all the places we go in Italy in both books. Visit MelissaMuldoon.com for more information about immersion trips to learn the language with Melissa in Italy, as well as the Studentessa Matta blog for practice and tips to learn the Italian language.

Book Trailer

The Giveaway!

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

February 16, 2018

Beat the Winter Blues with Two New Children’s Books from Raincoast Books!

I am quite ready for winter to be officially over! I am tired of the freezing rain, wind chill that keeps us stuck inside and the mess that the kid’s boots make. I think our kids are almost at the end of their patience as well.

You can beat the winter blues by adding in two new releases from Raincoast Books perfect for your young reader and Mom and Dad to read aloud. Both The Big Bed and The Boy and the Blue Moon were just released this month and will be the perfect new addition to your home library.

The Big Bed

From the creator of the Honest Toddler blog, The Big Bed is a humorous picture book about a girl who doesn’t want to sleep in her little bed. Her solution? She presents her dad with his own bed, a camping cot, in order to move herself into her parents’ big bed in his place. A twist on the classic parental struggle of not letting kids sleep in their bed.

I have to be so honest here, I was literally laughing out loud as I read this book. I feel like this is the struggle and conversation we have every night over who gets to sleep in our bed! This little girl is quite clever and came up with quite the argument and solution for her Dad. Her arguments are priceless – sorry Dads, you have a Mom – you don’t need their Mom too! And really it isn’t fair that Dad gets squished into the far corner OR that he takes it out on her and dare move her to her bed with that inefficient night-light. So Dads, let us present you the cot! We were cracking up as we read this one and I could almost see our little one’s mind start reeling like I wonder if this would work for me? This is a well written and beautifully illustrated children’s book that will infuse story time with laughter.

You can find The Big Bed on Raincoast Books and Amazon.

The Boy and the Blue Moon

On the night of a blue moon, a boy and his cat set out for a walk and find themselves on a magical adventure. Together they travel through fields of flowers, forests of towering trees, and lakes of deep dark blue. Flying through starry blue skies, they reach the blue moon. But the blue planet, Earth, calls the explorers home. Safely back in bed, the boy wonders – was it only a dream?

This is a beautiful story about young boy who makes a big wish under the magic of the blue moon. Even at my age, the mystery of space and the magic of the moon can amaze me. When you hear the words, blue moon, you begin to think of magical things and mystery. In this beautiful written and illustrated book, a young boy learns about the magic of the blue moon but also learns to appreciate his own home too. As he sets out from his home, everything has been washed in shades of blue! When he finds a boat and sets off, he embarks on an extra special journey to the moon. He is the pop of red in the otherwise lonely environment of the moon. He quickly learns that there is nothing quite like home and heads back to the yellow light of his own home. This is a beautiful book to cherish at bed time. We love the journey this young boy and his cat head out on but also the feelings of missing home. Life is definitely a mystery and adventure in this wonderful tale!

You can find The Boy and the Blue Moon on Raincoast Books and Amazon.

Make sure to pick up these two new books on Amazon this month to add some new adventure to your winter reads. What have you added to your home library this month?

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

February 16, 2018

Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year

The first year of your child’s life is full of love, happiness, fear and bag full of emotions! Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year is here to help you through those ups and downs.

About Oh Baby! A Mom’s Self-Care Survival Guide for the First Year

There are plenty of books and resources about how to properly care for your new baby, but what about caring for yourself? Maria Lianos-Carbone, founder of AMotherWorld.com, outlines the proper care and feeding” of mothers during their baby’s first year with humor and honesty. From the physical and emotional changes a new mom will undergo to rekindling intimacy with her partner, Oh Baby! Mom’s Survival Guide for the First Year keeps the focus on moms – because you can’t draw water (or breast milk, for that matter) from an empty well. Maria’s straight-talking, no-nonsense approach will give new moms everything they need to survive as they embark on the journey of motherhood.

My Thoughts

I fell in love with this down to earth and realistic self-care guide. I have had two children and Maria gives you what you need to know (and what I wish I had known) in a way that you need to hear it.

From birth to the first birth date, you will experience so many ups and downs. From your own emotions to the expectations you put on yourself and to the expectations others put on you. The list is endless and at times it feels impossible to be that perfect Mom that we want to so desperately be. You see the perfect image of what a Mom should be every day and you feel that you need to be that person. As Moms and women, we can be our own worst enemy by not being able to admit to faults, failures or even a lack of desire to wanting to be perfect.

Maria acknowledges all of your fears, concerns and more and shines light on them, normalizes them and gives you tips and advice on how to get over them. Want to avoid hurting family members feelings by refusing visits in the first week – she offers you great wording and tips on how to get through this. Struggling with breastfeeding – she offers tips, recipes and more (I never knew about the cabbage and wish I had! Those breasts really hurt in the first two weeks!).

This is a fantastic resource for new and seasoned Mom’s to help them get through the best and worst times of the first year. It gives you advice, tips in a fun and open manner. I laughed (I could see so many of my own first year moments throughout this book!) and teared up throughout this guide. This will make a perfect baby shower gift for Moms (and Dads who want to learn more from a Mom’s perspective).

You can purchase a copy of this book on Raincoast Books and Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Maria Lianos-Carbone is a mom of two, social media strategist, and publisher of amotherworld.com, a leading lifestyle blog for women, and lifeandstyle.ca, a travel blog.

Also a freelance writer, Maria’s work has been published in Huffington Post Canada, CanadianLiving.com, TodaysParent.com, and Parents Canada . Maria has worked on digital campaigns with brands such as Rogers, Air Canada, MasterCard, American Express, TD Canada Trust, Best Buy, H&M, Old Navy, Sobeys, Staples, P&G, and more. She has appeared as a guest on CNN Newsroom, CBC’s Marketplace, The Mom Show, and Rogers Daytime .

The Giveaway!

My Canadian readers can now enter to win their own copy of Oh Baby! Canadians, 18 years of age and older can enter via the rafflecopter form below – good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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