Category: book review

December 15, 2017

Speed of Life Book Review

Speed of Life is the heartbreaking yet heartwarming story of a girl who thinks her life is over when really it’s just beginning. It’s a novel about love, family, grief, and growing up.

About Speed of Life

Sofia lost her mother eight months ago, and her friends were 100% there for her. Now it’s a new year and they’re ready for Sofia to move on.

Problem is, Sofia can’t bounce back, can’t recharge like a cellphone. She decides to write Dear Kate, an advice columnist for Fifteen Magazine, and is surprised to receive a fast reply. Soon the two are exchanging emails, and Sofia opens up and spills all, including a few worries that are totally embarrassing. Turns out even advice columnists don’t have all the answers, and one day Sofia learns a secret that flips her world upside down.

My Thoughts

We can be travelling along in life, with not a thought to the future and never really appreciating and living in each moment. In an instant that life we were living can be changed drastically. It could be a car accident, a broken bone, an old secret coming to light and even a death in the family. All of a sudden, the direction we were taking is completely altered and we are expected to somehow move on because no matter what life keeps going regardless of how we feel.

Sofia is a young girl (teenager) who suddenly loses her Mother and unfortunately was the person to find her Mother dead. In that one moment, life as she knew it was over. She was lost, stuck in her grief with no idea on how to get out of it. The little things that used to be so important weren’t so important anymore. Everything reminded her of her Mother which instead of filling her with joy filled her with pain. I think we can all relate to this, it took me almost two years to be able to look at my Grandfather’s room without crying. You constantly expect that person to be there, to make a joke or to jump up and say hello.

We follow Sofia as she struggles through her grief and navigating important milestones in school – including boys. She has no one to go to talk to this anymore – she most definitely could not talk to her Dad. But then to make it worse, her Dad begins to change and has somehow managed to smile again. Sofia turns to her best friend’s columnist for help but ends up getting more than she bargained for again.

Speed of Life is beautifully written, I could not put this book down and finished it in one night. I wanted to reach out and hold Sofia and let her know it does get better. Pain never disappears but it becomes easier to carry. That we need to look for our loved ones in the small moments (maybe a rainbow, a butterfly, their favourite song and so on). It is a story of hope, faith and recovery of a young girl. It is a perfect book for both young adults and adults alike that stands as a reminder that life doesn’t wait for anyone. No matter how broken, hurt and in pain we are – life keeps moving on. It is how we decide to move with it that makes or breaks us.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Carol Weston has been the Dear Carol advice columnist at Girls’ Life since 1994. Her sixteen books include Ava and Pip, which the New York Times called “a love letter to language,” and Girltalk, which came out in a dozen languages. Speed of Life received starred reviews from Kirkus, PW, SLJ, and Booklist. Carol studied literature at Yale, graduating summa cum laude, and has an MA in Spanish from Middlebury. She lives in Manhattan. Visit her at www.carolweston.com.

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

December 15, 2017

Seeds of Hope Book Review

Seeds of Hope is a heartwarming tale of discovering love right in front of you.

About Seeds of Hope

Miriam Troyer has had a secret crush on Mark Byler since she was a teenager, but she knows they can never have a relationship: Mark is a big-city attorney and an Englischer. Her Amish community is too far removed from all he knows–and she loves her quiet way of life.

Mark has always loved his visits to his grandfather’s farm, but he’s convinced the Amish life isn’t for him. There’s so much of the world to see and experience, and the excitement of his successful law practice can’t be matched by the slow pace of life found back home in the country.

But when things go wrong and his firm distances itself from him to try to save themselves, Mark finds himself back at his grandfather’s farm. Could life in this simple world be worth living after all? Especially when the teenager he remembers has grown into a woman who could be his future. Suddenly, these two people whose lives seem so far apart may get a chance to really see each other for the first time.

My Thoughts

In Seeds of Hope, you have two individuals from opposite worlds that are connected through their friends, family but who are too worried about what the outside world would think if they were to ever act upon their friendship and budding feelings.

Miriam is a sweet, kind-hearted soul who dotes on her siblings and those in her community. She never asks for anything in return. She has tried to like the men in her Amish community but her heart has been stolen by Mark, who lives outside the Amish world. She begins to struggle with some of her teachings – how could love be wrong – and test the boundaries her Father has set for her.

Mark’s Father left the Amish community but he still has ties with his Grandfather. His one friend and defender in the community has always been Miriam. When his life is thrown upside down and he is left confused and questioning everything he has ever believed or done he heads back to his roots for guidance and hope.

Seeds of Hope is a beautiful story of hope, faith and pushing past old beliefs. It is about following your heart and allowing God to speak to you freely with you listening to him. While our past will always be there to guide us, it does not have to determine our future as these two learned. We can build and create a new future based on hope and love. This is a well written, sweet novel that I truly enjoyed reading.

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

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Barbara Cameron has a heart for writing about the spiritual values and simple joys of the Amish. She is the best-selling author of more than 40 fiction and nonfiction books and three nationally televised movies, and the winner of the first Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award. Her books have been nominated for Carol Awards and the Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award from RWA’s Faith, Hope, and Love chapter. Barbara resides in Jacksonville, Florida.

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

December 15, 2017

Imperfect Justice Book Review

In Imperfect Justice, Emily and Reid are thrown together in a race to save Kaylene’s surviving daughter, Emily and Reid pursue the constantly evasive truth. If they can hang on to hope together, can they save a young girl—and find a future for themselves in the process?

About Imperfect Justice

To the world it seems obvious: Kaylene Adams killed her daughter and then was shot by police. Attorney Emilie Wesley knows a different story: Kaylene would never hurt anyone and was looking for a way out of a controlling, abusive relationship. Her death shakes Emilie’s belief that she can make a difference for women in violent marriages. Self-doubt plagues her as she struggles to continue her work in the wake of the tragedy.

Reid Billings thought he knew his sister—right up until he learned how she died. He discovers a letter from Kaylene begging him to fight for custody of her daughters if anything should happen to her. No attorney in her right mind would support an uncle instead of the father in a custody case, but Kaylene’s letter claims Emilie Wesley will help him.

Thrown together in a race to save Kaylene’s surviving daughter, Emily and Reid pursue the constantly evasive truth. If they can hang on to hope together, can they save a young girl—and find a future for themselves in the process?

My Thoughts

Imperfect Justice is a thrilling, suspenseful novel that leaves you hopeful and yet angry at the same time.

In this novel, spousal abuse is addressed which is a very sensitive topic. Attorney Emilie works with women to help them escape their abusive husbands or partners. She puts her whole heart into her work and most of the time she is successful. Her one case, Kaylene, ended very badly and this has left her shattered and looking for answers. Kaylene was framed for the murder of her daughter and then suicide. Her other daughter, the one who could provide answers, is left in a coma with her Father watching over her.

Emilie knows in her heart that Kaylene could never do what she is accused of doing but is conflicted on what she should do. Everyone tells her to leave it alone, don’t tie up the business in the murder, that all evidence points to Kaylene. Emilie on the other hand trusts her gut instincts and follows her heart. While she couldn’t save Kaylene, she would preserve her name and save her other daughter.

She teams up with Kaylene’s brother and that is when a lot begins to go wrong. She is being harassed and she begins to question everything she ever knew. It is a race against time for herself and Reid to prove the most difficult thing in the world – the Kaylene’s ex-husband is the murder and abuser.

This novel is full of a lot of raw emotions and may have triggers for some people. It is difficult to read about Kaylene and the other women in this novel stories. You know that this more than likely has happened and will continue to happen. We know the cycle of abuse and the negative effects it can have on children but sometimes feel helpless. Even Emilie herself feels stretched and heartbroken at times.

The novel itself is well written and keeps you on your toes. You want nothing more than for Emilie to put away Kaylene’s ex-husband away for life and for him to get what he deserves. But the plot constantly thickens as she unravels the truth and then there is a second layer of mystery with someone trying to harm Emilie herself. This is an excellent story from start to finish.

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

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Cara Putman is the author of more than 25 legal thrillers, historical romances, and romantic suspense novels. She has won or been a finalist for honors including the ACFW Book of the Year and the Christian Retailing’s BEST Award. Cara graduated high school at 16, college at 20, completed her law degree at 27, and recently received her MBA. She is a practicing attorney, teaches undergraduate and graduate law courses at a Big Ten business school, and is a homeschooling mom of four. She lives with her husband and children in Indiana.

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

December 14, 2017

Always Red Book Review

Always Red is the second and final book in this sexy series.

About Always Red

“Red,” Caleb whispered. “Do you know how I felt when you left me?”

I looked into his eyes. The emotion I saw in them, the intensity, and the tenderness filled up my throat.

“I felt ruined. Because, Red, every time you break me apart, you put me back together. And I always come out better than before.”

“So,” he cupped my face, stroking my cheek with his thumb. “Ruin me.”

My Thoughts

Always Red is the continuation of Chasing Red and picks up exactly where it left off – with both Caleb and Veronica devastated and separated. Veronica felt that she would be better off without the heart ache and pain that loving Caleb comes with. It is hard to truly allow ourselves to love another person – it is scary as we open ourselves up for hurt, to having to trust someone else, to insecurities and more. When you have had a difficult past and feel as though you don’t deserve love (and in Veronica’s case where she was told this), it can be so difficult to allow herself to accept and give love. This is where she finds herself at the beginning of this novel. Scared to let herself love Caleb because he has caused her pain and she doesn’t know if she can handle a future of this. She is forced to decide is a future without Caleb worth it?

Caleb is in so much pain at the thought of losing Red – in such a short time she has become his everything. He finds no joy in all of the things he had loved before without Red in his life. Caleb is the love that so many women are looking for. He has a joy of life, full of love and wants to make Red’s life better not to mention being her protector!

When the couple tries to make it work again they are faced not only with their own insecurities and past but so many others trying to ensure that they will not have a future. This is where it gets very interesting as a young woman who was Caleb’s childhood friend enters their life and does everything she can to manipulate, hurt and tear the two apart.

Always Red was a well written, intense novel. I love the way Isabelle writes as you feel as though you are a part of the story. You invest so much of your heart into Caleb and Red, wanting to see them happy and together. You laugh and cry along with them, you get mad on their behalf and you just want the best for them. I really hope that there is a third book in this series! I would love to see how the next chapter evolves.

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Isabelle Ronin is the author of Wattpad reader phenomenon CHASING RED. With over 150 million reads, Chasing Red was Wattpad’s top-read story of 2016. The story continues to attract one million reads per week. When she’s not writing, Isabelle can be found hanging out in bookstores, cafes, and whenever possible, the beach. Isabelle lives in Manitoba, Canada. Her stories can be found on Wattpad, www.wattpad.com/isabelleronin.

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

December 12, 2017

Cook Healthy and Quick #DKCanada

What is one of the greatest barriers people state when it comes to eating healthy? Time! Let Cook Healthy and Quick guide you to making healthy and fast meals for the whole family.

About Cook Healthy and Quick

Want to eat healthy – fast? Cook Healthy & Quick makes it simple. This cookbook includes 300 easy-to-follow recipes that tap into the latest health trends, from gluten-free eating to intermittent fasting. Bursting with ideas for clean and green salads, plant-based main courses, protein-paired breakfasts, and grab-and-go snacks that can all be prepared in 30 minutes or less, Cook Healthy & Quick doesn’t require combing through a health food store for the ingredients; they can all be found at your local supermarket.

Get inspired by the food photography throughout the book. Keep track of your calorie, fat, and sugar intake with the detailed nutritional information highlighted for each recipe, from Muffin Frittatas to No-Cook Mozzarella Salad to Marinated Lamb Chops, Cajun-Spiced Salmon, Crispy Seasoned Vegetable Chips, Chocolate-Covered Kiwi Pops, and more.

My Thoughts

Life is busy whether you have one partner staying at home or with both parents working. Many families (and individuals as well) are constantly on the go – from work, to doctor and dentist appointments, to extra curricular activities and to the holidays. The last thing so many of us want to do is to have to come home, cook an elaborate meal while trying to make sure it hits all the nutritional guidelines. Many of us have good intentions and will check the internet for recipes, print them out, get the ingredients but then when the day comes we are too tired and resort to the old and faithful recipes. I am one of those!

This recipe book breaks daily meals down not only by the type of meal (breakfast, soups, mains, sides, etc..) but also by time. Only have fifteen minutes to whip together something before soccer practice? Check the list in the beginning of the book and head straight to those pages to pick out a recipe. All of the recipes (and there are over 300) can be prepared in under thirty minutes. Most of the ingredients you will find at home in your pantry but some of the items are a bit more specific (for example not all of us stock veal or liver in our freezer). There are enough recipes that you could easily prepare two weeks of meals that are different each day and gives you plenty of variety while satisfying the whole families personal preferences.

The recipes each take up about one page and include a colour photo as well as easy to follow instructions that are straight and to the point leaving no guess-work. Each recipe also includes a colour coded nutritional guide that highlights whether the recipe is dairy free, low in saturated fat, high fiber, gluten free and so on. Which is very helpful for those that have dietary restrictions due to health or personal reasons.

This recipe book would make an excellent gift for the cook in your life, the individual that loves healthy food but just doesn’t have the time to prepare meals and even a young adult moving out on their own who needs to learn how to prepare healthy meals for themselves.

You can purchase a copy of this book on DK Canada and Amazon.

Rating: 4.5/5

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