Category: review

October 29, 2015

Fresh and Stylish Home Fragrance with Lampe Berger #LampeBerger

Winter is almost here (and with the cool weather we have been having in Ontario it is not too hard to believe) and it is just about time to freshen up your home decor with a warmer and spicier theme as well as to start thinking about holiday gifts. Home fragrance is a great way to add some spice and comfort in your home in a unique and fashionable way, especially using Lampe Berger‘s diffusing products.

The Scented cube (my personal fave!) is a glass cube with a ring on top of it with eight black sticks that help to diffuse the scent into the air. The sticks can be turned upside down to keep the fresh scent in the air diffusing. It is easy to set up the home fragrance scented cube, it is literally remove the cap, add the sticks in and you have instant fragrance being diffused into the air.

The rose bouquet is a delicate version of the scented cube, where the rose ‘petals’ gently pick up the fragrance through capillary action and gently diffuse the scent throughout your home. If you want to replace the scent you do have to replace the rose top piece as well.

The new Lampe Berger products also has an accompanying line of ten new scents that help awaken feelings of warm, comfort, relaxation all while keeping the bad odours at bay (in our home – our dog and two young boys!). The ten new fragrances include: Orange Cinnamon, Ocean Breeze, Zest of Verbena, Vanilla Gourmet, Paris Chic, Precious Jasmine, Soap Memories, Amber Powder, Virginia Cedarwood and Provence Treats.

One of the best features of these new products are that they are completely flame free and are easy to move from room to room without making a mess. Our scented cube makes a daily trip from the hallway (where our dog likes to sleep) to the living room to the kitchen and finally to the bathroom.

You can find the Scented Cube and Rose Bouquet on the Lampe Berger website and they range in price from $25-45.00 CDN. Thus making them an easy and affordable holiday gift for the special person in your life!

Are you familiar with the Lampe Berger brand? What is your favourite design by them?

Disclosure: I am a Lampe Berger Brand Ambassador and receive perks with this affiliation. All opinions expressed are my own.

October 28, 2015

A Respectable Actress by Dorothy Love

In A Respectable Actress, when India Hartley is accused of murder, she must uncover the deceptions of others to save herself.

About A Respectable Actress

India Hartley, a famous and beautiful actress, is now alone after her father’s death and embarks upon a tour of theaters across the South. Her first stop is Savannah’s Southern Palace. On the eve of the second night’s performance, something goes horribly wrong. Her co-star, Arthur Sterling, is shot dead on stage in front of a packed house, and India is arrested and accused of the crime.

A benefactor hires Philip Sinclair, the best—and handsomest–lawyer in Savannah to defend India. A widower, Philip is struggling to reinvent his worn-out plantation on St. Simons Island. He needs to increase his income from his law practice in order to restore Indigo Point, and hardly anything will bring him more new clients than successfully defending a famous actress on a murder charge.

Because India can’t go anywhere in town without being mobbed, Philip persuades the judge handling her case to let him take her to Indigo Point until her trial date. India is charmed by the beauty of the Georgia low country and is increasingly drawn to Philip. But a locked room that appears to be a shrine to Philip’s dead wife and the unsolved disappearance of a former slave girl raise troubling questions. Piecing together clues in an abandoned boat and a burned-out chapel, India discovers a trail of dark secrets that lead back to Philip, secrets that ultimately may hold the key to her freedom. If only he will believe her.

My Thoughts

A Respectable Actress is set in one of my favourite time periods in the South of America. It follows the story of India, who grew up in the theatre world and has herself become an actress. It is still a profession that is looked down upon, especially for women. We encounter this several times throughout the novel. Dorothy has this fantastic way of putting historical facts into the story without taking over the plot.

The way the story comes together is fascinating and keeps you guessing right to the very last second. The secrets India uncovers not only set her free but also Philip as well.

Well written, interesting and captivating, A Respectable Actress will become a quick favourite to 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

A native of west Tennessee, Dorothy Love makes her home in the Texas hill country with her husband and their golden retriever. An award-winning author of numerous young adult novels, Dorothy made her adult debut with the Hickory Ridge novels. When she isn’t busy writing or researching her next book, Love enjoys hiking, traveling, and hanging out with her husband Ron and their rambunctious golden retriever. The Loves make their home in the Texas hill country.

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

October 28, 2015

Miracle Drug by Richard Mabry

In Miracle Drug, overcoming these odds will take more than a miracle drug – it will take a miracle.

About Miracle Drug

The infection wasn’t supposed to happen, but it did. The treatment was supposed to take care of it, but it didn’t. Then Dr. Josh Pearson discovers why – his patients, including the former President of the United States, have been dosed with a different strain of the original virus, one that is universally fatal. The only chance for survival is treatment with an experimental drug, but the manufacturer might already have discarded its supply.

As if treating the President of the United States isn’t stressful enough, the situation goes from bad to worse when Rachel Moore, a nurse Josh is falling in love with, falls ill. With the nation’s eyes on him, Josh must pull off a miracle to save a man who holds a good deal of power and the woman who holds his heart.

My Thoughts

A thrilling and suspenseful novel from start to finish, Miracle Drug keeps you guessing and never really knowing what to expect right to the very end.

I want to call this a medical thriller as it was full of medical suspense; an infection that is hidden behind another infection that needs a treatment that can not be found! Talk about intense! While a medical suspense novel, it is perfect to read for any individual without a medical background. The terminology was not overwhelming but instead exciting and kept your mind reeling.

The plot line was intense throughout the whole novel, building up to a fantastic but never quite guaranteed ending. The novel is well written and thought out with nothing left out that would make it hard to follow. A definite gem from start to finish!

You can purchase a copy of the book here. You can find more reviews on the Litfuse Blog Tour Page.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Dr. Richard Mabry is a retired physician who writes “medical suspense with heart.” His novels have won multiple awards: a semifinalist for International Thriller Writers’ debut novel; finalists for the Carol Award, Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award, and Romantic Times’ Reader’s Choice Award; and both finalist and winner of the Selah Award. “Miracle Drug” is his ninth published novel. He and his wife live in Frisco, Texas.

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

October 21, 2015

Turning to Stone by Gabriel Valjan

Book four in the Roma Series, Turning to Stone finds our favourite team fighting against the most powerful and ruthless mafia gang, the Camorra.

About Turning to Stone

Alabaster Black aka Bianca Nerini returns as an investigation into a public official’s assassination pits Bianca and her friends against a backdrop of financial speculation, female assassins on motorcycles, and the Camorra, the most ruthless of Italian organized crime gangs.

En route to a secret meeting, Aldo Giurlani, the regional commissioner of Lombardy in northern Italy and a specialist on organized crime, is assassinated in the middle of a public square.

More mysterious is the package sent to Giurlani’s hand-picked team of five top investigators within the Guardia di Finanza (GdF), the Italian law enforcement agency that investigates illegal financial transactions, from money laundering to drug trafficking. Within the package are five copies of a book entitled Man of Smoke written by Aldo Palazzeschi.

Then there is Bianca’s tenuous online contact with a mysterious online contact known as Loki, who delivers a cryptic message to her, takes on a new twist with the appearance of a brilliant young obsessive-compulsive man who joins her team.

Complicating matters even further, old enemies and, more problematically, Alabaster’s former employer Rendition, a murky covert U.S. government agency that does more than just investigate financial crimes still have grudges to bear against her.

As new mysteries unfold, Bianca’s group quickly discovers that Naples might just be the most dangerous city in Italy.

My Thoughts

Wow, wow, wow! Just when you think a series can’t get any better! I fell in love with book four in the Roma Series as the past collides with the present in a unique and suspenseful unfolding. You never quite know what to expect in this novel.

This was by far the best novel in this series as Gabriel slowly reveals and pulls back the story layer after layer. The other three novels make small appearances and patterns left slightly undone come together. While you don’t have to read the other three novels to understand this particular one, you really should to get the full effect and impact this novel makes. Bianca is at her finest in this novel. Her character has really developed from book one and we are able to glimpse the more human side of her. The side of her that loves and cares, not just the girl who can tear down corruption in companies.

Book Four, Turning to Stone, is a novel you do not want to miss out on. It has something for everyone in it that will have you reading long into the night.

You can purchase a copy of Turning to Stone on Amazon.

Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Gabriel Valjan lives in New England, but has traveled extensively, receiving his undergraduate education in California and completing graduate school in England. Ronan Bennett short-listed him for the 2010 Fish Short Story Prize for his Boston noir, Back in the Day. His short stories and poetry have appeared in literary journals and online magazines.

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.

October 21, 2015

Evitable Destiny by Izabela Monick

Revenge, trust, love and murder collide in Evitable Destiny by Izabela Monick.

About Evitable Destiny

After Chris’s mother dies, he vows to seek revenge on his mother’s ex-lover Kevin whom he blames for her death. He also vows to never make his mother’s mistakes and fall in love.

When Kevin’s company begins to falter, Chris sees his chance and kidnaps Kevin’s step-daughter, Julia. His ransom? Kevin must cancel his business saving deal in order to have Julia returned alive. What Chris doesn’t count on is his feelings for Julia, who pushes his buttons and whose own feelings for her kidnapper become confusing.

As the romance between Chris and Julia heats up, other factors slowly come into play. Chris is not the only one who wants Julia, and others will stop at nothing to capture her. Will Chris fight for his future with Julia or will he let destiny play out on its own?

My Thoughts

Evitable Destiny follows the story of Chris and his plot to take revenge on Kevin for his Mother’s demise. Julia is the key to his revenge. When he kidnaps her, he feels nothing about it. But slowly a relationship builds between them. Julia develops a Stockholm syndrome for Chris but is angry with him for not trusting her. The middle to end of the novel was full of twisting shocks and surprises, many of which I did not see coming at all!.

The plot is a really great idea but it almost feels like something may be missing, almost as if it needs to be developed a bit more in the beginning. After the slowly built beginning, the story becomes fast paced and exciting to follow. By the middle of the novel you do not want to put it down, as the story becomes fast paced with lots of curve balls thrown your way. Some of which completely shocked me (in a good way!).

You can purchase a copy of this book on Amazon.

Rating: 4/5

About the Author

Izabela lives in New York with her husband and two children. She works as an accountant during the day and writer at night. Izabela delights in shocking her readers with unexpected turns and twists.

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