The Beachgoers (The Seaside Saga Book 13) by Joanne DeMaio
Within the first few pages I talked out loud Wow she did it again' my spouse asked what was going on.
had to tell him she taught me something new already in her latest book. That and new words to me make this a keeper already.
Grew up on an island where tides make a huge difference to what you may want to get for dinner and never realized the time of tide, we used a chart on the wall for our specific beach.
Love all the characters and interactions among them. Big gala event will be something to cherish.
So many secrets, surprises, more of the past that I thought I knew all about, I was nowhere even close to knowing anything.
I can as the description is being read can feel myself getting caught up in the ride til it stops. So many emotions reading that and in the hospital.
Things aren't what they appear to be, wait and minute and they'll change....
Story goes back to a time to make present day things clearer.
Love this one the best but they are all excellent.
A KEEPER!
Still Crazy (Be Strong Enough Book 1) by Judy Prescott Marshall
Story starts out with Julie and she's married to Dan. She runs the bakery with help from many others.
She also has rental property that brings in a nice income. They live in a house that has a lot of acreage and they both along with Lady their dog enjoy the outside trails.
Julie fears he's cheating on her again and she suffers from many panic attacks. She goes over all the details and knows it is up to her to do something.
To me it's drastic change but she has all her ducks in a row and heads east to a town they had visited once. She is able to research available properties and is able to buy what she wants.
She finds treasures in the people she hires to not only renovate the old house but change things so she can make a living running the inn. Love the area myself and am familiar with it as I live on the eastern side of the area.
Love the changes she makes to that and her life til she meets a pilot that takes a liking to her.
Did not in my dreams ever see what happens next take place but glad she's happy with it and can't wait to read the next in the series.
New author to me and will put her on my 'keeper' list.
This story is a KEEPER and love the courage she has along with God by her side.
Received this Still Crazy (Be Strong Enough Book 1) by Judy Prescott Marshall
Story starts out with Julie and she's married to Dan. She runs the bakery with help from many others.
She also has rental property that brings in a nice income. They live in a house that has a lot of acreage and they both along with Lady their dog enjoy the outside trails.
Julie fears he's cheating on her again and she suffers from many panic attacks. She goes over all the dtails and knows it is up to her to do something.
To me it's drastic change but she has all her ducks in a row and heads east to a town they had visited once. She is able to research available properties and is able to buy what she wants.
She finds treasures in the people she hires to not only renovate the old house but change things so she can make a living running the inn. Love the area myself and am familiar with it as I live on the eastern side of the area.
Love the changes she makes to that and her life til she meets a pilot that takes a liking to her.
Did not in my dreams ever see what happens next take place but glad she's happy with it and can't wait to read the next in the series. Very descriptive and detailed.
New author to me and will put her on my 'keeper' list.
This story is a KEEPER and love the courage she has along with God by her side.
Received this review copy from the publicist and this is my honest opinion.
Doctor Agnès by Hannah Byron
This story starts out when Drs. Agnès and Kat are on their way to help out with the war in the medical field healing those they can.
Agnès has fears of returning to the castle as it's been turned into a medical hospital. Jacques and Elle are doing their part also for the war.
She had not expected that in the least and her and Kat pitch right in and even rooming together as beds are scarce. Love how they all interact with one another.
bygones will be bygones but some thoughts and memories linger.
Everything runs smoothly til Jacques is in an accident and now they all have to help heal him, not sure if he'd ever walk again...
Enjoyable read mixed in with war scenes.
Chocolate-Box Double Hearts by Josie Riviera
Collection of six books in this collection.
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A CHOCOLATE-BOX CHRISTMAS
The Chocolate Box Christmas by Josie Riviera
This short story is about Maise who's relocated from Alaska to CA and she's taken a job being a food/writer reporter.
On this assignment she must judge the chocolate contest at a nearby shelter. She knows many of the contestants as she's been around town.
She is able to meet Ben and she discovers his secret as to why he is there. He also finds out why she doesn't really want to be a judge, especially with anything to do with chocolate.
Fun Christmas read, enjoyed it.
Book ends with a note from the author, recipes, and about the author, other works by the author in series format but all can be read as stand alone.
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A CHOCOLATE-BOX NEW YEARS
A Chocolate-Box New Years (Chocolate-Box #2) by Josie Riviera
This story starts out with praise for the authors' works.
Story starts with Julie and she not only runs the restaurant but owns it and works nonstop.
Love that her siblings live nearby and are very supportive. She feels migraines coming on often as she is doing too much, doesn't count on others to do her work.
Story also follow Lorenzo and he's a Italian local weatherman and others jest he hardly gets the forecast right. He wants her to take charge of the wedding anniversary dinner at her place.
She assumes it's for he and his wife but learns otherwise later...He wants his grandmother's recipe and she tries it with his being the taste tester and she just can't get it right-the recipe was very vague.
Her sister-from the chocolate shop tell her it's so he can spend time with her-he compliments her often.
Love hearing of the authentic way to make pasta and that she donates the leftovers.
Like the things they find in common after spending a lot of hours taste testing the recipe-he wants it perfect for the dinner.
With so much in common they can't find ground to stand on where one is off balance and you wonder if they will ever get together.
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A CHOCOLATE-BOX VALENTINE
A Chocolate-Box Valentine (Chocolate-Box #3)
by Josie Riviera
This book starts out with praise for the author and her works.
This short story starts with Sally and her special chocolate won't be arriving for her to prepare it into special Valentine orders.
Her brother Ben and his fiancee will watch Sally's daughter Clarissa so she can head down the road to get the chocolate.
The truck driver had some problems with his truck. After Sally arrives a big tree crosses her route back home so she spends time at the diner.
Oliver has made everyone so welcome and she gets to talk to him and learns of his past as he learns of hers.
She decides she needs advice from others not familiar with her wares...
Like how different folks lives are discussed from all walks of life... so interesting.
Recipe included. Ends with an excerpt from the author's next book.
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A CHOCOLATE-BOX SUMMER BREEZE
A Chocolate-Box Summer Breeze by Josie Riviera
Book starts out with s short introduction about the authors works and sign up for newsletter and free gift.
Story start with Emily and she's sitting at the location where she had met Joe from the storm where they were trapped together along with many others as the roads were shut down.
They exchanged information and stayed in contact with one another with calls. They learned a lot about each other and felt a great companionship when together.
When Joe, a truck driver does arrive they share a nice meal that the diner owner has put together. He's rather a match maker. She had lost her spouse a few years earlier and she feels as if she is intruding on her kids lives.
He has a surprise for her and she is agreeable. They are able to drive to a location where she's never been, a rather run down cottage by the sea. She does find faults with it but it will do. She loves the location and scenery and just doing things they want to do, no pressure.
Most important is she gets her own room, no pressure! Love the things they do while together but when he drops her off it's a good bye as he feels others see him as chasing after her and her money.
It's a wonder if they will ever get back together with one another after the misunderstanding.
Love that the couple is older and is in the same age groups as myself. Love hearing of the music and seashore.
Story ends with a note from the author and a recipe. Acknowledgements and listing of all the author's other works are listed.
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A CHOCOLATE-BOX CHRISTMAS WISH
A Chocolate-Box Christmas Wish: (Chocolate-Box Series Book 5) by Josie Riviera
Book starts out with praise and reviews from others, introduction and newsletter information.
Story starts out with Cora who runs her own daycare for the local children and she's talking to her brother Jack. He's on the plan to lose weight for a good cause this winter and money raised going to charity. Love the ideas she has for the children around the holiday.
She recalls the fight she had with her father and hopes to make amends.
Many other characters in town from other works by the author are mentioned in this book and the story line is easy to follow. Love catching up with others I've read about.
While getting a drink she overhears one with car problems and she pipes up that she can help them. Patrick, he's the new reporter at the station in town and she wants nothing to do with him, dating specifically.
Things said are misconstrued and they end up growing further apart from one another.
He has a habit of mentioning her on the news that others also see and alert her that she must watch the TV.
Like the tech parts about jumping a car, it's a guy thing but author makes it perfect for this female that grew up with understanding things from her father.
Love how it all comes together at the end.
Recipe listed at the end of the book. A note from the author, listing of works by the author, and about the author are included at the end.
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A CHOCOLATE-BOX IRISH WEDDING
A Chocolate-Box Irish Wedding by Josie Riviera
Book starts out with praise and reviews. Info about author's newsletter.
Story starts out with Colum O'Brien and he's on his way to his father's wedding. He will be in the wedding party and he wonders if the girl next door will be there also.
The story also follows Keira (kiki) and she's her mothers choice at the wedding. They are able to reminisce about the days they were dating one another, getting to really know one another.
Love hearing of her sewing abilities and how they each followed their dreams-he to be on stage in plays, her on the runway and even a designer.
Like hearing what they do now 30 years later and how things were left when they fell apart.
You wonder if they will get back together. Like Irish theme in this one and have heard the Irish blessing many times. So touching.
Love that this book is about 50er's characters.
Recipes included at the end. Note from the author is included.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Forever There For You By Chioma Nnani
Enjoyed this story about a young girl who is spoiled being the only child in the family. She lives in Nigeria and wants to be a lawyer and go to university in England.
She is an over achiever and makes friends as soon as she arrives at campus. Nadine has many relationships throughout her young life.
Troubling times when she is no longer appreciated and she lets it go to her head. Such abuse is so horrid to read about and hate the way it all turned out.
She had no idea who was really there for her.
Glossary of words used are attached at the end.
Excerpt from the next book is included.
Received this review copy from the book reviewer yellow pages and this is my honest opinion.
This story starts out when the pandemic hits and many travel to the island to ride out the storm.
Linnea takes in a woman who also lost her job at the aquarium. Before you know it she's taking care of Hope because her father is quarantining.
Love how she allows her to pick out what to eat and what to plant in the garden. Others arrive and she takes them in as well.
Things get a bit awkward because the house is so small...Like the different ages of people and how they are each surviving the pandemic in their own way.
Like hearing about all the relationships. Fun things in this story. Love hearing about all the animals and how they live through it all.
Received this review copy from Gallery Books via Netgalley and this is my honest opinion.
COUNTESS BY CHRISTMAS by Cheryl Bolen
also appeared in: 2020 Christmas Anthology Mistletoe & Mayhem
Love this story as it starts out with Mary and she's on her way to the lawyer. She fears more bad news and is quite happy with the news he does share.
She is to get the lodge where she had been a companion to the Lord Paxton when he was alive. She'd read to him and play card games, etc. She also was able to bring her young son with her and he loved it there especially because his breathing problems were more better there.
When they were sent away due to his illness they returned to the city where she had no income and they lived on the edge of poverty.
Story also follows Lord's son David who was the heir. HE's upset because he loved the lodge where the men would assemble and hunt and ride. He didn't make it back last Christmas and he had a letter from his father to attend this year although he's dead.
He travels there, rescues a woman walking towards the lodge and as she sprained her ankle he helps her. He then learns who she is, the one who will take over the estate and his inheritance will pay the bill.
Love the connection they have to the lesser people in town and how they are able to tend to them.
There are some misunderstandings and you wonder if she will up and leave it all behind......or if he will just give in and give it all to her....
Their bond as they spend time together has grown to more than like one another.
Love this story and how it took me away from my problems for just a few hours. What a treasure.
Mistletoe and Mayhem by Cheryl Bolen and Others
Love this story as it starts out with Mary and she's on her way to the lawyer. She fears more bad news and is quite happy with the news he does share.
She is to get the lodge where she had been a companion to the Lord Paxton when he was alive. She'd read to him and play card games, etc. She also was able to bring her young son with her and he loved it there especially because his breathing problems were more better there.
When they were sent away due to his illness they returned to the city where she had no income and they lived on the edge of poverty.
Story also follows Lord's son David who was the heir. HE's upset because he loved the lodge where the men would assemble and hunt and ride. He didn't make it back last Christmas and he had a letter from his father to attend this year although he's dead.
He travels there, rescues a woman walking towards the lodge and as she sprained her ankle he helps her. He then learns who she is, the one who will take over the estate and his inheritance will pay the bill.
Love the connection they have to the lesser people in town and how they are able to tend to them.
There are some misunderstandings and you wonder if she will up and leave it all behind......or if he will just give in and give it all to her....
Their bond as they spend time together has grown to more than like one another.
Love this story and how it took me away from my problems for just a few hours. What a treasure.
The Boy Who Was Left Behind by Gita V. Reddy
Emotional story of a little boy who's being raised by his grandmother. She has friends that help her.
One night he hears the phone ring and her talking and he follows the conversation and learns the death of his father...
She does not tell him and we learn months later the full whole story. She has her reasons and is able to show him the proof that his mother loved him. The boy is so afraid nobody loves him.
When she comes to live with them they help her being whole again but their caring acts.
Love how this one ends, great read.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
The Happy Hollisters and the Ghost Horse Mystery (Happy Hollisters, #29)
This one starts while kids and Indy and his sister are on their way back home from the last adventure.
a pink sea gull, how cool is that and to find out why and they go help the adventure along and hope to find other signs of the ghost on the island.
Never heard of short sheeting, so funny! Love the techniques they learn and all about the horses. Am familiar with them but more mysteries arise.
The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Golden Witch (Happy Hollisters, #30)
This book finds the children helping a neighbor at his farm. It's Halloween time and they will take the use of his barn for a party. They also discover a few other mysteries to solve.
Everybody gets into the act of helping. Love learning about the molds we had seen old ones ourselves of china dish patterns in Ohio one year. So cool.
Sketches are great along the way. Kids get away with doing a lot of things others their age in a different time will never get to experience.
Old Tin is a riot and love the history of the vane.
The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Mexican Idol (Happy Hollisters, #31)
Kids get to go on a trip with Uncle Ross and his family to Mexico. His friend discovered a Mayan treasure and he's got the map.
Lots of danger and being lost in this tale. Kids are wrapped up into all kinds of trouble.
Love reading about the Mayans as I've watched many shows on TV about them, so cool that the kids go there.
The Happy Hollisters and the Monster Mystery: (Volume 32)
This story starts out with a mystery right in their own town. A monster and the kids are able to get footprint cast from the state park...
Others have seen the monster and there are other mysteries as the story goes on.
Love the toys the kids are collecting for a library so kids less fortunate will borrow toys like a book library.
Wicked cool idea when you outgrow them.
The Happy Hollisters and the Mystery of the Midnight Trolls (Happy Hollisters, #33)
Sad for me that this is the last of the books in the series. Loved it so much I went and bought Kindle unlimited to be sure I could read them all.
Took about 2 months and have learned so much about others jobs and careers.
In this one there is braille and I am blind so this I was happy to learn about. love the alphabet at the beginning and how it's used in a code note when the kids really need it.
They get to even travel to Iceland with a blind friend that their grandmother is helping. Such cool things they are able to do.
The Happy Hollisters and the Whistle-Pig Mystery (Happy Hollisters, #28)
Like how this one starts out because I live near Foxboro where the main mysteries are located and the children and the clerk at their father's store will bring the kids and his sister to help find the wooden Indian statue.
Also a train had a robbery in the area that they hope to help solve also.
We also have ground hogs or woodchucks in our yard so interested how that end of things go...
Love description of the museum area as it also offers watching others do their jobs: blacksmiths, quilters etc. Love the signature square quilt my mother and myself have made them for ourselves.
Kids also find clues about the train robbers, not sure how they do it all the time but they do. Love the sketches.
My Big Feelings: (Kids Books About Emotions & Feelings, Children’s Book Ages 2 4, Preschool, Kindergarten) by Sarah Read
Colorful children's rhyming story about Matthew and his feelings. He is old enough now to voice to others when his feelings have been hurt.
He is fine as he accomplishes riding his bike and not falling. Later he loses it when he wants the toy his sister is playing with. His parents step in to help with the solution.
Later he has bad nightmares and goes to his parents to tell them about his feelings.
Great story for kids to learn how to explain to others about what's going on.
Coloring pages are included at the end along with offer of free ebook.
A MODERN GUIDE TO TEXTURED CROCHET by Lee Sartori.
Book starts out with samples of finished swatches using different stitch sequences.
Table of contents is enclosed showing patterns but they are not displayed in this preview of the book.
About the author is included along with her photo all about how she wrote this book during the pandemic.
Getting started crocheting gives you information about everything you would need to start: yarns, thicknesses, textures, gauge and blocking, swatching, and tools of the trade.
Disappointed they did not have a sample of one of the patterns but the photographs are too high content for computers to be able to translate in a timely manner.
Amazon page of the book shows pictures of the projects made with the special stitches: totes, hats, and patterns for all four seasons.
Received this review copy from Penguin Random House Interweave via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
Book starts out with samples of finished swatches using different stitch sequences.
Table of contents is enclosed showing patterns but they are not displayed in this preview of the book.
About the author is included along with her photo all about how she wrote this book during the pandemic.
Getting started crocheting gives you information about everything you would need to start: yarns, thicknesses, textures, gauge and blocking, swatching, and tools of the trade.
Disappointed they did not have a sample of one of the patterns but the photographs are too high content for computers to be able to translate in a timely manner.
Amazon page of the book shows pictures of the projects made with the special stitches: totes, hats, and patterns for all four seasons.
Received this review copy from Penguin Random House Interweave via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#AModernGuidetoTexturedCrochet #NetGalley
