Books read March 28

Blossom Street Brides: A Blossom Street Novel   by  Debbie Macomber 
Lauren 's younger sister is pregnant and she is over 30 and feeling every year of her devastation. Todd is just not ready financially for their engagement...
Lauren is secure in her job at the high-end jewelry store and learns of the owners daughter who is also pregnant.
Bethany and Max have a second chance at love and her daughter is pregnant also. Problem is Grant the ex husband is trying to break them up. Max surprises her along with Rooster who hits it off with Lauren who's broken up with Todd.
So love the idea of the knitting baskets around town where you sit and knit and when the scarf is done bring it to the yarn store and they'll drop it off at a shelter.
With a new generation some from the past make an appearance in this book.   Love the travels.
Easy to keep those related bunched together as they all deal with different issues. Was a bit disappointed that the baby blanket pattern was not included as I do knit for charity.
I received this book from Edelweiss by  Random House in exchange for my honest review.

 
The Reading Circle by Ashton Lee
Read the first book in this series and glad to see it continue. Such great ideas for keeping the library open and the community using it for many things.
Although it should help prove to the town council of its usefulness there is the old boy network at play still that thinks the money should go towards a park with their name on it.
Like how Maura Beth interacts with such a group of people with not much in common. Love hearing the latest on the townsfolk that were also in the first book.
So many events taking place and will they outwit Councilman Sparks once and for all...Love the ending and especially all the bonus recipes!
I received this book from Kenssington Books Co.

Books read Mar 21

5 Fun Rhyming Boys Stories: Ultimate Boy's Collection (Fun Rhyming Children's Books) [Kindle Edition]  by Lily Lexington
Illustrated very colorful children's book. First story is about Danny and he's listened to many stories about heroes and he wants to be one also. He finds it hard to get to sleep at night.
He hears a scream, very long and he rushes to save the girl. He finds out she only wanted someone to taste her stew.
Another story is of a dinosaur and he doesn't like vegetables. When he gets tired from a ball game they figure out he needs more energy and if he ate vegetables he'd have more energy.
Cute tales for boys especially that you can turn into a lesson for the day in real life.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Mediterranean Cuisine: 120 Easy and Delicious Recipes for Happy Family Meals (European Cookbook Series)
No pictures or nutritional information but this is for those on a Mediterranean diet. There are many courses starting out with soup, salad and then the main dishes.
Stir fry meals would be my favorite as we seem to accumulate left overs after a few days that fit right into the stir fry category.
Other courses are also available and at the end the author's other works are highlighted.

32 No Bake Pie Recipes - The Ultimate No Bake Pie Collection (Dangerously Delicious Pies - The Best Pie Recipe Cookbook Series)
Love all the pies and the flavor combinations. Only problem is there are no pictures and no nutrtional information.
These would be perfect for a family gathering a few times a year as they could be rich in taste and filling. Love how quick and easy they are to make but not what I was quite looking for.

Cooking in a Cup: Easy recipes for muffin tin meals (Cooking with Kids Series)
What a great way to get kids to help when they can prepare their own food!
Fun way and very well explained that you can experiment. Basic muffin tray breakfast treats can be made within minutes and they are so easy and fun with help from others.
No nutritional information but you should be able to substitute as per your diet needs.
Dessert, lunch and dinner ideas as well. I don't have a favorite I'd want to try them all. Photos of prepared food are also included. Be sure to visit the author's website for more books.

Sandwich Ideas Cookbook. 75 Delicious Sandwich Recipes With Easy To Find Ingredients
Lots of tips and tricks for making sandwiches that can not only be made with bread but other items.
Pictures for the recipes and they are extravagant, whereas I am used to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or tuna fish.
Photos are high quality and there is no nutritional information.  Like the idea of what to use quinoa with, gonna have to give it a try.
Spices and herbs are used along with fresh vegetables.  Also want to try the sloppy joe recipe as I've always just used a package mix and they contain too much salt and cholesterol and fat for our diets.

Afternoon Tea (Breakfast Casseroles, Quiche, Muffins and Scone Recipes)
Most recipes have a picture but there is no nutritional information.  There is quite a selection of foods to choose from that sound very flavor appealing.
Butters, scones with tips on how to achieve success with these, toppings, casseroles, syrups and quiches.  Great resource for one who needs inspiration for breakfast and brunch meals.

Slow Cooker Recipes: 30 Quick, Easy, Satisfying Slow Cooker Recipes That Do The Work For You-Step Through The Door To The Mouthwatering Aroma With Slow ... Easy Slow Cooker Recipes, Crockpot Meals)
No pictures and no nutritional information but it does have quite a selection of recipes. What I liked was that you can scan through Asian,  European, American and oceanian cuisine.
Chocolate mud cake sounds like a good one.
Combinations of the flavors sound interesting enough to experiment with.

The Hope Flower by A.J. Cosmo
Illustrated very colorful children's book about the life of a flower. It grew in a trash covered lot and an angry man would stomp on it.
Despite the rain and sun the flowers continued to grow even though the man would stomp on them. He hated them and they were beautiful.
Love how others came to the rescue and the lot was turned into a park for children to play.
Other books by the author are highlighted at the end.

Mouth Watering Paleo Desserts: Easy, Delicious Recipes For Busy Moms
Healthy nutritious desserts for those on a paleo diet. Love that the recipes sound good but they also include the nutritional information if you are on other diets as well.
If you are new to the Paleo diet you will learn you have to use the ingredients (almond flour and coconut oil) and you can't substitute what you are used to using.  Might take a bit of time to collect all the ingredients from one store
but it'd be well worth it.  Brownie cookies would be my favorite to try.

Children's Book: "It Stinks to be Pink!" (An Illustrated eBook About Self-Esteem and Self-Image) (Adventure Story for All Children ages 3-9) BCB Book Series: EZ as 1-2-3 Access Your Child's Abilities

Illustrated very colorful imaginative children's book about adventure.
Starts out with fuzzipuffs and flora and Hawaii.  So much information about the different flowers!
A fuzzipuff has an exciting day at school and then after.
There are many others who are out playing but Spotty feels left out. He even runs away one day. Many adventures are to come as Spotty finds themselves a friend.
Believe and never give up, dream and wish are good things.  Other books by the author are highlighted at the end.

Bird Bath Soup: A Sweet Little True Story
Illustrated colorful children's book about Annie who spends time with Zia when school is done for the day. One day she is brought soup but it's too hot to eat so it's put on the shelf to cool while Annie tells Zia of her day at school.
A little bird flies in and Zia tells her it must be another girls' pet bird so she makes up signs so others will find them.
The bird is returned to its owner and Zia has a surprise for Annie the next day because of the care she had shown the bird.

 Freezer Meals: Quick and Easy Money-Saving Recipes
Love this book because not only does it give you information on how to safely prepare the food, before during and after cooking but how to reheat it.  And especially the nutritional information about the dish is included.
Features all kinds of meats and poultry dishes along with vegetarian meals.
Chicken pot pie and pizza dough would be my favorites of things to freeze for use at a  later time.

Early Birdy Gets the Worm: A PictureReading Book for Young Children
Illustrated very colorful children's book about a bird and his morning. There is only one page of words. The story is told in the pictures of the book.
Good book for a child to speak what they are seeing on the pages as the story goes along.

Story Book - Kyra's New Zoo [Fun Picture Book for Kids Ages Baby -5] (Kyra and Friends) [Kindle Edition]  by Govind Agarwal  
Illustrated very colorful children's book about Kyra and their new home at the zoo. Kyra has a problem getting used to the new noises at the zoo.
Other animals make different noises and they help Kyra learn all about them.

Lil' Pugs & Ladybugs
Illustrated very colorful fun children's book about pugs and ladybugs. There are 5 different stories in this one collection.
Differences are colors and the things the animals/insects do. Very easy to follow along for a child.
Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.

Children's book: Abigail and the Jungle Adventure (Explore the World kids book collection ages 2-6) 
Illustrated very colorful children's book about Abigail  who is able to sepnd time with her grandparents because her parents are on a business trip. She gets to explore every room in their house. Each room has lots of treasures.
She finds a magic bike and book and reads about the adventures she might want to go on and sits on the bike... Love that this book allows a child to dream and make their wish come true.
She does find a new place and explores it and finds all kinds of new things to learn about. More works of the author are highlighted at the end of the book.

Children's EBook: HOW THE COW JUMPED OVER THE MOON (Happy Children's Series - Book 4 -- Fun, Rhyming Picture Book/Bedtime Story about Trying Something New and Being Adventurous, ages 2-8)
Illustrated very colorful children's book showing how a cow spends his days chewing his cud all day long. Other animals stop by and tell him to come along with them, to try something new but he does not know how to do the things they want him to join them.
Love all the animals that stop by.

Books read March 18

Taste Me Deadly by Nikki Duncan
Grey is back in town because she needs to donate her kidney to her sister Ruby. She's been under witness protection but she had to rescue her sister who's in a coma.
When she appears at the hospital she meets her husband-Liam Burgess, they've not been together for years and he takes her under his wing and brings her back to the house where other family members come and go.
There are many to watch over her-it's almost too many to keep track of but the main characters are easy to follow. There is much action and a lot of nightmares as to the tragedy that occurred while she was at the bakery.
Many never even knew she was married to Liam. His twin brother is Aiden and he's around to help protect her.
Somebody wants her dead before she can testify and they are onto her whereabouts ...steamy passionate love scenes.
Love the place he takes not only her body to but her mind... Other works by the author are highlighted at the end along with excerpts.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Maybelle in Stitches Quilts of Love Series by Joyce Magnin
Maybelle and Holden were married before he headed off to the war. She is a welder and works on all kinds of ships for the war effort. She lives in a house with her mother and they have boarders that also work at the factory.
Holden has written to her a few times and she is comforted by the quilt her mother made them for their wedding.
Doris is there to comfort her as she loses her mother and then Maybelle gets word Holden is missing in action. The quilt her mother had started along with Doris' help has brought a calm to Maybelle's life as she pieces the past together in little pieces.
Hope and her trust in God will see them all through....she just needs to find what she is good at and do it. So many disappointments in the past of things she was not able to do. Doris helps her make the big Thanksgiving dinner for everybody.
Very interesting history of events. They also get news of Holden ... An excerpt from another Quilt of Love book is included.
I received this book from Net Galley via Abingdon Press in exchange for my honest review.

Summer Island by Kristin Hannah
Nora runs her own talk show with mostly advice to parents and their relationships with their kids.
Problem is there are now pictures out with her and a man, nude. Her oldest Caroline has come to her rescue and they are not very close at all.
She will help set her injured mother up at the island. She can keep an eye on the two boys she helped riase where one of them has learned he's dying of AIDS.
Her younger daughter Ruby has had jobs, stand up mostly and now has money where she can write all about her mother's real story. She has agreed to spend a week taking care of her mother on the island.
Story also follows Dean and his past love life with Ruby. Also his brother is reuniting with him on the island as he dies.
Love how this book all comes together...
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

If You Could See What I See by Cathy Lamb
The sisters are now running the lingerie shop and they are under financial stress. Lots of talk of the design work, manufacturing and all aspects of this career.
They have their own lives outside the shop and there is much talk of their sex lifes and the workers who've been with them from the start.
Funny and sad at the same time but really draws you into everything that is going on. Like how things are in the present day but they tell you of the past which makes the whole story believable.
Love the fashion story and what a hit it was with the designers creations!
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

 The Reading Circle by Ashton Lee
Read the first book in this series and glad to see it continue. Such great ideas for keeping the library open and the community using it for many things.
Although it should help prove to the town coucil of its usefullness there is the old boy network at play still that thinks the money should go towards a park with their name on it.
Like how Maura Beth interacts with such a group of people with not much in common. Love hearing the latest on the townsfolk that were also in the first book.
So many events taking place and will they outwite Councilman Sparks once and for all...Love the ending and especially all the bonus recipes!
I received this book from Kenssington Books Co.

Book review: Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worrie

Partly Cloudy with Scattered Worries by Kathy Collard Miller
I wanted to read this book because it sounded so resourceful in the description.
It not only shares events and things that happen but how to overcome the worry. Loved the stories and each chapter also comes with a letter from God and discussion questions on the contents of the chapter.
Such current life problems making this truly a resource book but it's also an easy going read.
Interesting how she links everyday weather and how to overcome all of the worries in our lifes.

I received this book from the Book Club Network (www.bookfun.org) in exchange for my honest review.

Book review: True Blend by Joanne DeMaio

True Blend by Joanne DeMaio
Without even knowing what this book was about when I was approached to read/review/blog tour I jumped at the chance. I have loved the author's other works and knew this would be a good one also.
I was not disappointed. Starts out with Amy who is a widow of just one year and she has a 2 yo daughter, Grace. They lead a routine schedule but one morning Grace is taken by armed robbers who also take an armored truck.
She obeys their final words and not contact the police for over an hour. She is returned and Amy finds it hard even with her mother there to trust people again. She works at the bridal gown shop out of her house.
The story also follows George Carbone and him being the hero for returning Amy to her mother. Problem is he has issues of his own and never wanted to be part of the armed robbery, never mind taking a child away from her mother. He's also finding it hard to not only trust people but carry on under the guise of being a hero when in his mind, he is not.
Love the locale, hearing of the bridal gown accessories/design work and learning about other career choices described. Learned new things: gun therapy and process of the whole thing, meat market and all it entails from the food, inventory to cleaning and operating of the tools needed to do the trade.

Therapy helps Amy and what to expect from her flashbacks and Amy's that might help the police... What amazes me is we as kids growing up also put cards held with clothespins on our bike spokes.
Love how the whole story comes together with pieces from the past days and months that all fit in. Such detailed descriptions of the dates and day trips, priceless!
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

ALSO BY JOANNE DEMAIO
Snowflakes and Coffee Cakes
Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans
Whole Latte Life

Books read March 11

The Valentine's Day Disaster: A Twilight, Texas Novella BY Lori Wilde
The tradition in he Twilight TX Valentine's Day celebration now include Hunks-In-The-Hood bachelor auction.
Jana Gerard and her boss Sesty were in charge of the auction but one man had dropped out due to an injury. Their miracle walked into the rehearsal hall Josh Langree.
Josh is  a Nascar driver and injured, back in town to recuperate and to serve his 40 hours of community service.
Josh and Sesty were an item in high school but he moved onto the race car circuit.  She wasn't interested in anything that was as drastic as the daredevils stunts he did.
Now they have eyes for one another again, but for how long...and they both on the rebound from ex's that cheated on them...
She has one shot to get the auction right all the details so a lot of big money will be raised to go towards healthcare for those in need.
Loved revisiting the town, and the legend of tossing a coin into the fountain and you will reunite with your love plays a part in this book also.... there are other disasters that occur and you wonder if the auction will even take place.
Hot steamy romance and sex scenes. More excerpts from the author and other authors from Avon Books are included.
I received this book from the author in exchange for my honest review.

Bookends by Liz Curtis Higgins
Dr. Emily Goetz and she is back home after 18 years of research. She has now a job there to find out the truth of the land for the Meridian congregation in a small German town in Lititz PA. We traveled there one year and was able to take a pretzel tour where they make and sell them.
Jonus Fielding is a land developer and he wants the land for a golf course. He is so opposite of her-athletic, she a book study person.
She gets roped into going with him at 430am to count birds at the preserve.
With problems from his brother the gambler and drunk he is sidetracked on his venture...Jonus contemplates ditching it.
Emily has also had some setbacks and has contemplated ditching her efforts. Problem is neither wants to give in so the other would see them as weak and a failure..
Bonus-recipes included.
I received this book from National Library Service for my BARD (Braille Audio Reading Device).

Ladies Night  by Mary Kay Andrews
Have loved the authors other books and am looking forward to this one.
Grace Standton is a photographer and blogger and a house decorator that others look up to. She finds her assistant in the car with her husband...
Judges order counseling and they have to prove they are on board or their reports don't get signed weekly. She now lives with her mother and her husband and her ex assistant are now running her blog making her money.
She has no way to even get her clothes, never mind get into her house...
Story also follows Wyatt who's also there for group therapy....along with a few other females. They find out things about the therapist and the judge that just don't make sense...
Just a handful of main characters that at times I had fun laughing at what was going on and at other times really getting into the book really emotional. Love how they learned of what was really going on with the judge...
I received this book via Amazon from one selling the book.

TASTE ME DEADLY Cover Reveal Blog Hop Giveaway

It's Cover Reveal Time - With Prizes! TASTE ME DEADLY is the 5th book in Nikki Duncan's Sensory Ops series, and it releases digitally next Tuesday!

 To celebrate, we're having a cover reveal blog hop, and Nikki is giving away prizes. Don't miss the Rafflecopter below.

I describe this cover as: Troubled

Visit these blogs, make note of the word used to describe the cover, and then enter the RaffleCopter contest. ~ Reading Room Blog ~ Saph's Book Blog ~ Book Liaison Blog ~ Book Sniffers Anonymous Blog ~ Julie's Blog ~ The Revolving Bookcase Blog ~ Live Laugh Romance Blog Here's the contest! a Rafflecopter giveaway