Category: Uncategorized

Review: Let’s Talk About It: Life Taste Better with Poetry by Johnny Benoit

Goodreads Blurb

In order to succeed at all levels of life, we need each other. Some focus on their careers and at times forget the one person who worked with them to achieve all that they have accomplished. Others tend to cast blame when something goes wrong rather than looking at themselves or going back to the past to find the source of the problem.

In Let’s Talk about It, author Johnny Benoit seeks to remind us not to ignore the person we were crazy about and to help us win his or her heart once more. Though some may have given up on relationships due to past experiences, true love does exist. He believes it just takes a bit of guidance to refocus our attention on our spouses, those who helped us become who we are today. These verses take us back to our first love. Before any family becomes a family, two people are strangers to each other, and a spark brings them together. For that moment, everything seems possible?and we can all discover that once more.

This collection of poetry explores the ups and downs of relationships, hoping to rekindle the flame of love for those who may have let it dwindle in the stresses of modern life.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Poetry reflects the longing, love, and desire of one true love. But love sometimes evaporates into thin air, and only memories of those precious moments linger in ones mind. Johnny takes you through moments and memories of a love between two lovers that linger in the present like ashes of a fire. Love is hard to find but harder to forget. Remember when you find true love you live each day like tomorrow will never come. Cheerish each moment, memory, and adventure with love and affection. Wishing happiness, joy, and love to all.

Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Goodreads Blurb

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up — she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan — her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Please let’s have a moment of silence…

I am crushed after reading this book that made my emotions spiral. My heart broke till the very end. Every moment that Lily went through with her parents and then with Riley had me breaking into pieces. I am speechless to see, feel, and hear reality. It’s a very tough situation when the person you truly love hurts you and then says sorry to then hurt you once again. I truly wish that no one had to go through these acts of violence, but people are not perfect. I give a huge applause and thank you to Colleen for writing a book that hits close to home. It was a very hard subject to write and even harder to write it for the world to see. It gives us strength to either remove ourselves from these relationships or help others who need help. Please read this amazing book and share with all your friends, and don’t forget the Kleenex.

Author Biography

International and #1 New York Times bestselling author of romance, YA, thriller, women’s fiction and paranormal romance.

I don’t like to be confined to one genre. If you put me in a box, I’ll claw my way out.

My social media username is @colleenhoover pretty much everywhere except my email, which is colleenhooverbooks@gmail.com

Founder of http://www.thebookwormbox.com charity and Book Bonanza.

Review: The School for Good and Evil: The Ever Never Handbook by Soman Chainani

Goodreads Blurb

Welcome to the School for Good and Evil! The greatest of heroes and villains have come through our classrooms before they ventured into the Endless Woods to find their stories . . . and now you will join their ranks.

Use this handbook as a guide to help you navigate through your years at school. Everything you need is inside: what to bring, what to wear, and most importantly, how to stay out of the Doom Room. Here, you’ll learn about your classes, meet your professors, and get an inside look at our first-year traditions like the Trial by Tale, the Circus of Talents, and the Snow Ball. And should you need advice, you won’t have to look far for role models: our most illustrious alumni are here to help—and from—

Evs and Nevs! Forget this official stuff—I’ll tell you everything you really need to know to survive and all the good stuff the teachers won’t tell you.. Plus, I have the secret scoop on Sophie, Agatha, and Tedros. . . . Meet me inside!—Hester

Experience the School for Good and Evil like never before with this must-have companion to the bestselling series. Glorious illustrations invite you to pore over maps, see characters for the first time, and get an inside  look at what it’s like to be a student at the most enchanted school of all.

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

This was an interesting book. It was created to have the readers engage in what the requirements are for them to apply to the school for good and evil and the rules and regulations. It has letters, documents, pictures, rules, course descriptions, and other fun stuff about each school. It’s a great book for young readers. It almost feels like you’re reading Harry Potter when the students are being chosen for the appropriate school, depending on their talents. So which school are you applying for? Are you good or evil?

Author Biography

Soman Chainani’s debut series, THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, has sold more than 3.5 million copies, been translated into 31 languages across 6 continents, and will be a major motion picture from Netflix in 2022.

Each of the six books in the series — THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD AND EVIL, A WORLD WITHOUT PRINCES, THE LAST EVER AFTER, QUESTS FOR GLORY, A CRYSTAL OF TIME, and ONE TRUE KING — have debuted on the New York Times Bestseller list. Together the books have been on the print and extended lists for 41 weeks.

A graduate of Harvard University and Columbia University’s MFA Film Program, Soman began his career as a screenwriter and director, with his films playing at over 150 film festivals around the world. He has been nominated for the Waterstone Prize for Children’s Literature, been named to the Out100, and also received the $100,000 Shasha Grant and the Sun Valley Writer’s Fellowship, both for debut writers.

Soman’s latest book, BEASTS & BEAUTY, is an instant New York Times Bestseller and will soon be published in 10 languages. It is his seventh New York Times bestseller in a row.

Cover Reveal: For the Night by Cara Dee

BOOK DETAILS:

For the Night
by Cara Dee
Publication date: July 18, 2024
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+, Romance

Synopsis:

Mistress Penelope Darling has spent the past ten years cherishing the Mclean House community she once founded with her closest friends. All of them gay men, most of them l viewing her as a bossy little sister to be reckoned with. She’s also been in a loving relationship with her girlfriend—or so she thought.

After finding out her sub cheated on her, Penelope gets rid of everything. Her home, all the knickknacks, every picture…the girlfriend, of course. Her new plan is to never, ever be in a relationship again. She’s going to be a for-the-night Domme. Good for casual fun and friendship. That’s it.
Enter Nora Lilja. A new member. A ballsy young woman. A primal brat. A breath of fresh air with an angel on one shoulder and an irresistible devil on the other.

Penelope surrounds herself with friends and distractions. It’s a big month, with parties and events to plan. A cute newbie won’t break her resolve. Even when that girl turns out to be very, very persuasive, going so far as to claim she doesn’t want Penelope for the night.

She wants a shot at forever.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214914050-for-the-night

Pre-order:https://www.thestorebycara.com/products/ebook-for-the-night-the-game-series-15

AUTHOR BIO:

I’m often awkwardly silent or, if the topic interests me, a chronic rambler. In other words, I can discuss writing forever and ever. Fiction, in particular. The love story—while a huge draw and constantly present—is secondary for me, because there’s so much more to writing romance fiction than just making two (or more) people fall in love and have hot sex.

There’s a world to build, characters to develop, interests to create, and a topic or two to research thoroughly.

Every book is a challenge for me, an opportunity to learn something new, and a puzzle to piece together. I want my characters to come to life, and the only way I know to do that is to give them substance—passions, history, goals, quirks, and strong opinions—and to let them evolve.

I want my men and women to be relatable. That means allowing room for everyday problems and, for lack of a better word, flaws. My characters will never be perfect.

Wait…this was supposed to be about me, not my writing.

I’m a writey person who loves to write. Always wanderlusting, twitterpating, kinking, cooking, baking, and geeking. There’s time for hockey and family, too. But mostly, I just love to write.

Author links:

https://www.caradeewrites.com/newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/groups/caradeewrites

https://www.facebook.com/caradeewrites/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cara-dee

https://www.caradeewrites.com/

https://www.instagram.com/caradeewrites/

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6936449.Cara_Dee

Review: A Forbidden Temptation by Anne Mather

Goodreads Blurb

An unwanted desire… With the death of his wife still raw, Jack Connolly’s mood is dark and dangerous. He’s not looking for a woman, until he meets buttoned-up but beautiful Grace Spencer, who stirs his senses back to life. Yet Jack cannot act on his feelings, as Grace belongs to another! An impossible affair… Trapped in a fake relationship to safeguard her family, Grace knows crossing the line with Jack would risk everything she holds dear. Beneath the hunger she sees in Jack’s eyes is the promise of something more…but is it enough for her to surrender to a taste of the forbidden?

My Review: Rated 4 out of 5 stars

Great romance book with a twist of some paranormal. Loved the way the story turned out. I was surprised that Jack was able to see his wife after her death. It made the book very interesting. Jack and Grace were meant for each other from the beginning of the novel. The sparks and heated romance were so romantic. I was pissed with the little twist and secret of Jacks wife. Check out the forbidden temptation.

Author Biography

Anne Mather is the pseudonym used by Mildred Grieveson, a popular British author of over 160 romance novels. She also signed novels as Caroline Fleming and Cardine Fleming.
Mildred Grieveson began to write down stories in her childhood years. The first novel that she actually finished, Caroline (1965), was also her first book to be published. Her novel, Leopard in the Snow (1974), was developed into a 1978 film.

Review: Snakes in the Garden by Victoria Roberts and C.A. Roberts

Goodreads Blurb

Following in the footsteps of her late father, Annella Poley is an assassin for the Crown. She’s determined to avenge her father’s death, no matter what the cost. But then a brawny Highland captain crosses her path and helps her uncover secrets of her past that might save her future…unless she kills him first.

Marcus Grant would rather be anywhere other than the English court. When his laird orders him to follow a mysterious woman who can fight as well as any man, he’s trapped in the last place he wants to be. Marcus knows Annella is not to be trusted, and he plans to expose what she’s been hiding—but that’s before he risks everything by falling in love.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Victoria Roberts partnered with her daughter to write an amazing book that has girl power written all over it. I love to have a heroine who fights like a man and isn’t intimidated. It was great to have the English and Scottish being not just protective but a family. This book had some tragic moments of loss, which scars Annella at an early age and is guided with revenge for what occurred. This is another great book by Victoria. Don’t miss out.

Author Biography

Award-winning author Victoria Roberts writes Scottish historical romances about kilted heroes and warriors from the past. She was the recipient of the 2013 RT Book Reviews Reviewers’ Choice award for Best Medieval Historical Romance for X MARKS THE SCOT, as well as the 2014 BTS Book Reviews Red Carpet award for Best Historical and Best Book of the Year for MY HIGHLAND SPY.

Represented by Jill Marsal of the Marsal Lyon Literary Agency, Victoria is a member of Romance Writers of America, Celtic Hearts Romance Writers, several local chapters, in addition to being a contributing author to the online magazine CELTIC GUIDE.

Victoria resides in western Pennsylvania with her husband of twenty two years and their two beautiful children–not to mention one spoiled dog. When she’s not plotting her next Scottish adventure, she’s dragging her clan to every Scottish festival under the sun. Please visit Victoria at VictoriaRobertsAuthor.com.

Current Read: A Wedding in Lake Como by Jennifer Probst

Goodreads Blurb

A destination wedding in Italy’s Lake Como brings three best friends back together to face the secrets of the past in this romantic novel from New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Probst.

Best friends Ava, Madison, and Chelsea made a pact to reunite for each other’s weddings when their careers sent them in different directions. But after one of them makes a choice that tears the group apart, an upcoming wedding might be their last chance to heal old wounds.

Ava is about to marry the man she loves in a lavish ceremony on the shores of Lake Como, but she’s haunted by the mistakes she’s made.

Madison’s made a name for herself as an influencer in the fashion world but is threatened by a scandal impacting everything she holds dear.

And Chelsea has the perfect family she always craved, but her professional dreams have fallen by the wayside.

As they return to Italy’s gorgeous coast, the three women revisit their life-changing first trip to Lake Como during college. When Madison comes face-to-face with the college sweetheart who was at the heart of one of the most pivotal times of her life, can they forge a new way forward?

Author Biography

Jennifer Probst wrote her first book at twelve years old. She bound it in a folder, read it to her classmates, and hasn’t stopped writing since. She holds a masters in English Literature and lives in the beautiful Hudson Valley in upstate New York. Her family keeps her active, stressed, joyous, and sad her house will never be truly clean. Her passions include horse racing, Scrabble, rescue dogs, Italian food, and wine—not necessarily in that order.

She is the NYT, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of sexy and erotic contemporary romance. She was thrilled her book, The Marriage Bargain, spent 26 weeks on the NY Times. Her work has been translated in over a dozen countries, sold over a million copies, and was dubbed a “romance phenom” by Kirkus Reviews. She loves hearing from readers. Visit her website for updates on new releases at http://www.jenniferprobst.com. Sign up of her newsletter at http://www.jenniferprobst.com/newsletter for a free book.

Review: Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice by Curtis Sittenfeld

Goodreads Blurb

This version of the Bennet family and Mr. Darcy is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend, neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy, reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . . And yet, first impressions can be deceiving.

My Review: Rated 5 out of 5 stars

It is truly a remarkable book. When reality hits close to the heart. Loved that the author has brought topics and issues that we all currently encounter in our society today. It made the story feel like anyone one of us is part of Bennett’s family. I was so happy to be able to read another story that reminded me so much of Pride and Prejudice, but each character had a flaw, unlike the original. Was in love with the original, but this book made life so much more real, colorful, powerful, and enlightening. I’m hoping to see this stort turned into a movie.

Author Biography

Curtis Sittenfeld is the New York Times bestselling author of six novels, including Rodham, Eligible, Prep, American Wife, and Sisterland, as well as the collection You Think It, I’ll Say It. Her books have been translated into thirty languages. In addition, her short stories have appeared in The New Yorker, The Washington Post Magazine, Esquire, and The Best American Short Stories, for which she has also been the guest editor. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Time, and Vanity Fair, and on public radio’s This American Life.