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Book Review: A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette

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A Rivalry of Hearts by Tessonja Odette Fae Flings and Corset Strings #1 Goodreads |  Amazon Two rival writers. One prestigious publishing contract. A bargain of hearts and desire. They say never bargain with the fae. They also say don’t get drunk on fae wine. Yet romance author Edwina Danforth has managed a blunder with both on her first visit to the infamous faelands. Now she's trapped in a magic-fueled bet she barely remembers with a man she’d be happier to forget. The terms? Whoever can bed the most lovers during their month-long dueling book tour wins a coveted publishing contract. The win should be easy for Edwina. She’s known for penning scintillating tales of whirlwind romance. There’s just one problem: her imagination vastly exceeds her bedroom experience. But when failure means plummeting her career back into obscurity, losing isn’t an option. Her handsome fae rival, William Haywood, poses an even greater challenge. Not only are his looks as aggravatingly perfect as his t...

Book Review: The Demon's Queen by Katee Robert

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The Demon's Queen by Katee Robert  A Deal With a Demon #6 Goodreads | Amazon Eve’s life might not be perfect, but it’s hers. She has money, freedom, and a client list that she’s handpicked over the years. If sometimes she gets a little too attached to those clients? Well, that’s her problem. After a stressful day, she’s looking forward to dinner and a long night with Azazel…until he asks her to sign a contract under the guise of roleplay—and then kidnaps her to another realm. Azazel has been in love with Eve for years, but he knows his place. The window to offer her a contract has long since closed, so he takes her in the only way he can—as her client. Until one of his enemies realizes exactly how much Eve means to him…forcing him to lie to her to protect her. Unfortunately for Azazel, Eve isn’t thankful for the protection. She may be stuck in the demon realm with her new captor, but she’s going to make him choke on every moment they spend together. Too bad her heart is more in th...

Book Review: The Demon's Bargain by Katee Robert

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The Demon's Bargain by Katee Robert Peculiar Tastes #2 | A Deal with a Demon #5 Goodreads  | Amazon Lenora made a mistake. She trusted the wrong man, and in a moment of weakness, he stole a family heirloom from her. Her only chance to get it back will be during Samhain, when the Shadow Market opens and magical folk gather for three days to celebrate, and unfortunately she can’t do it alone. She needs a demon. Ramanu’s entire existence is making bargains. They’re a bargainer demon, after all. They’ve had their eye on Lenora for some time now, so they’re pleased when she summons them to help with her little thief problem…especially because it means spending time in close proximity with her. Lenora thought she could get away with a bargain that didn’t require seven years of service, but when Ramanu informs her those are the terms, she decides to go it alone…even though the demon wants to tag along to the market. But as the clock ticks down and all Lenora’s attempts to reclaim her amul...

Book review: The Gargoyle's Captive by Katee Robert

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The Gargoyle's Captive by Katee Robert A Deal With a Demon #3 Goodreads | Amazon Grace is a monster hunter who went into her demon deal with eyes wide open. Years ago, her mother made the same choice and was never seen again, and the answers Grace seeks can only be found in the demon realm. She doesn’t care that she’s auctioned off to a gargoyle. She doesn’t plan to stay with him longer than strictly necessary. Unfortunately, she didn’t read the small print of her contract. Every time she tries to escape, she’s transported back into Bram’s tender care. He never hurts her, never punishes her, just meets her fury with an easy charm she doesn’t know how to fight. She doesn’t mean to give in, to stop fighting. But the moment she does, she starts to forget what brought her to this place and what her goals are. After a life starved of pleasure, she’s all willing to let Bram seduce her again and again… At least until the past comes calling. Author's Note: For all tropes, tags, and CW...

Book Review: The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert

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The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert A Deal With a Demon #1 190 pages, Kindle Edition First published March 29, 2022 Goodreads  | Amazon Briar Rose might have a name out of a storybook, but she learned at a very young age that no prince was coming to save her. She’ll have to save herself. Unfortunately, even that is an impossible task in her current situation—trapped in a terrifying marriage to a dangerous man. Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is how she finds herself making a deal with a demon. Freedom from her husband…in return for seven years of service. She expects the service to be backbreaking and harsh. She doesn’t expect to be put on an auction block in a room full of literal monsters and sold to the highest bidder. To Sol. A dragon. He might seem kinder than his fearsome looks imply, but she knows better than to trust the way he wants to take care of her, or how invested he is in her pleasure. In her experience, if something seems too good to be true, it ce...

Blog Tour + Review: Welcome to Pennycress Inn by Sarah Hope

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Welcome to Pennycress Inn The Pennycress Inn Series Book 1 by Sarah Hope Pub Date Jan 11 2025 Goodreads | Amazon The first in a BRAND NEW series from bestselling romance author Sarah Hope Laura wants to shake things up. She’s thirty-eight, and has been living in her parents’ house since her divorce last year. Her siblings seem to have got their lives together: successful careers, happy marriages, beautiful children. Laura’s determined to prove herself. And buying the beautiful Pennycress Inn in the idyllic Cotswolds village of Meadowfield could be just the way to do it. But getting the inn ready for its first guests proves easier said than done! With crumbling walls, dangerous woodwork and loose roof tiles, not to mention unfriendly locals and even errant sheep, Laura soon fears she’s made the wrong choice. Luckily a friendly face is on hand in the form of gorgeous chef, Jackson. But is he too good to be true? And just why are the villagers so against her? Can Laura turn her life arou...

Book Review: Karma Is a Cat: The True Stories of Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button Swift

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Karma Is a Cat: The True Stories of  Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button Swift by Farrin Jacobs Illustrated by Katty Huertas 64 pages, Hardcover Expected publication January 7, 2025 Goodreads  | Amazon The first book featuring the true story of the loves of Taylor Swift’s life: her cats! Meredith Grey, Olivia Benson, and Benjamin Button are much more than footnotes in the story of Taylor Swift’s life. They’re in her music videos and ads, they’re on magazine covers with her and all over her social media, and they even travel with her when she goes on tour. With adorable, full-color art, Karma Is a Cat is the first book to feature their inspawring stories. Discover the facts behind the fur and find all kinds of hidden messages in this purrfect read for Taylor Swift fans and cat lovers of all ages! In these pages, you’ll find: • The story of their adoptions • Fun facts about their breeds and personalities • Adorable illustrations of events in their lives • And so mu...

Review: Candy for Christmas by Joanne Fluke

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Candy for Christmas by Joanne Fluke #1.5 Hannah Swensen Mysteries series In the Novella, Hannah Swenson, owner of The Cookie Jar, discovers that someone has broken into her store. Perhaps this individual is simply sleeping there to stay warm. Whoever this individual is, they clean up before they leave. So Hannah plans, with Norman's help, to catch the intruder in the act (and they do). What unwinds is a tale of innocence and a dysfunctional family who is reunited due to Hannah's understanding and sense of fairness. My review: During this time of year, I’m always on the lookout for books that bring out the Christmas spirit, so I decided to give Candy for Christmas by Joanne Fluke a try. This book, a novella that is part 1.5 of the Hannah Swensen Mysteries series, combines mystery, baking, and a touch of wintery charm. The story follows Hannah, the protagonist of the series, as she solves a light and straightforward case. Since the book is very short, there isn’t much time to dev...

Book Review: Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan

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Midnight at the Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan The Christmas Bookshop #2 Goodreads |  Amazon Your most delightful holiday read: the sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller The Christmas Bookshop, from beloved Scottish author Jenny Colgan. Christmas comes early—far too early—to McCredie’s little Old Town bookshop in Edinburgh. It’s summer, but an American production company has decided that McCredie’s is the perfect location to film a very cheesy Christmas movie. After all, who can resist the charmingly narrow historic street with its Victorian grey stone buildings and warmly lit shop windows? Carmen Hogan, the bookshop’s manager, is amused and a bit horrified by the goings-on, but the money the studio is paying is too good to pass up. She uses the little windfall from filming to create new displays and fend off a buyout offer from an obnoxious millionaire who wants to turn McCredie’s into a souvenir shop selling kilts made in China and plastic Nessies. Still reeling sl...

Book Review: Slaying for Sloan by Melissa McSherry and Dana LeeAnn

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Slaying for Sloan Wrecked series #3  by Melissa McSherry and Dana LeeAnn Goodreads |  Amazon The third installment in the Wrecked series, featuring Sloan. This novella can be read as a standalone. He is my hunter in this twisted game. I am his prize, and he’s hungry to claim me. This Christmas was supposed to be special, but without my best friend by my side, it feels like a cruel joke. I thought spending the holidays with my boyfriend’s family would fill the void, but after a fight that escalated too far, I was ready to pack my shit and leave. Until I woke up on Christmas Eve morning to a surprise─a pretty black box holding the key to his family's church, complete with instructions for a game he’s set up for us to play. The rules are simple: 1: If he catches me once, he gets to eat me. 2: If he catches me twice, I have to suck him. 3: If he catches me a third time, he gets to fuck me. 4: If he catches me all three times AND beats me to the church, nothing is off limits. Prim...

Graphic Novel Review: The Tea Dragon Society Series by Katie O'Neill

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The Tea Dragon Society Series by Katie O'Neill Goodreads| Amazon The Tea Dragon Society After discovering a lost tea dragon in the marketplace, Greta learns about the dying art form of tea dragon caretaking from the kind tea shop owners, Hesekiel and Erik. As she befriends them and their shy ward, Minette, Greta sees how the craft enriches their lives—and eventually her own. The Tea Dragon Festival Rinn has grown up with the Tea Dragons that inhabit their village, but stumbling across a real dragon turns out to be a different matter entirely! Aedhan is a young dragon who was appointed to protect the village, but fell asleep in the forest eighty years ago. With the aid of Rinn’s adventuring uncle Erik and his partner Hesekiel, they investigate the mystery of his enchanted sleep. . . . But Rinn’s real challenge is to help Aedhan come to terms with feeling that he cannot get back the time he has lost. The Tea Dragon Tapestry Join Greta and Minette once more for the heartwarming conclu...

Book Review: The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan

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The Christmas Book Hunt By Jenny Colgan Publication date: December 1, 2024 Goodreads | Amazon A heartwarming meet-cute short story from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Christmas Bookshop. A Christmas mission… Mirren’s beloved great-aunt Violet is seriously ill. Her one Christmas wish is to be reunited with a long-lost hand-illustrated book from her childhood, a challenge Mirren gladly accepts to give Violet some much-needed festive cheer. An enchanting journey… With no sign of the cherished volume online, Mirren falls into the fascinating world of rare books. From London to snowy Hay-on-Wye and Edinburgh’s cobbled streets, she chases leads from bookshop to bookshop—and bumps into mysterious, charming Theo, who, unbeknownst to her, is searching for the same book for reasons of his own… The start of a new chapter? As the two join forces to track the book down before time runs out for Violet, will Mirren find her Christmas miracle—and maybe even a kiss under the mistletoe… ? Fo...

Book Review: A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary

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A Cat Café Christmas by Codi Gary Meow and Furever Cat Café #1 375 pages, Paperback First published October 4, 2022 Goodreads | Amazon A laugh-out-loud, opposites attract romance about three of the world’s most beloved C’s: Christmas, Coffee, and Cats. Veterinarian and animal lover Kara Ingalls needs a Christmas miracle. Opening the Meow and Furrever Cat Café to find loving homes for adorable, adoptable cats was a dream come true—but with more cats than customers, it’s quickly turning into a nightmare. If Kara can’t figure out some way to get the café out of the red, it won’t last past the holidays. Marketing guru Ben Reese may be annoyingly smart and frustratingly bossy, but when he hatches a plan to put the café in the “green” by Christmas, Kara realizes that she’d be a fool to turn down his help. And so what if he turns out to be an excellent problem solver and nerdy-hot—he can’t even handle fostering one little kitten. She needs to keep their relationship professional and focus on...

Book Review: Dragon Prince by Kelly N. Jane & Ashley McLeo

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Dragon Prince Royal Quest #1 by Kelly N. Jane, Ashley McLeo Goodreads |  Amazon Action-packed, thrilling adventures await when authors Kelly N. Jane and Ashley McLeo take you into a supernatural world that exists right under your nose. Coffee house waitress wasn’t on my list of life-long goals, but it paid the bills. The only thing that really mattered was keeping a low profile. Dead-end jobs where no one paid attention made it easier to avoid awkward questions like, “what do you mean you hear voices inside your head?” No, I didn’t need to end up like Mom. I’d pay our bills no matter what to keep from living on the streets. Everything was going as well as it could, until a hulking man carrying a giant red murse showed up at work. Strange, but hot as hell, he was far too intense for my liking. But just my luck, his was the next weirdo voice that invaded my mind. I tried to ignore him, but when a different creepy guy mentally issued threats against the muscled man, I had to warn him...

Book Review: How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr Seuss

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  How the Grinch Stole Christmas! By Dr Seuss 64 pages, Hardcover First published October 12, 1957 Goodreads | Amazon   Get in on the Christmas cheer with Dr. Seuss’s iconic holiday classic starring the Grinch and Cindy-Lou Who—guaranteed to grow your heart three sizes! Every Who down in Who-ville liked Christmas a lot...but the Grinch, who lived just north of Who-ville, did NOT! Not since “’Twas the night before Christmas” has the beginning of a Christmas tale been so instantly recognizable. From the Grinch and his dog, Max, to Cindy-Lou and all the residents of Who-ville, this heartwarming story about the effects of the Christmas spirit will warm even the coldest and smallest of hearts. Like mistletoe, candy canes, and caroling, the Grinch is a mainstay of the holidays, and his story is perfect for readers young and old. My review: What a delightful surprise to read this Christmas classic for the first time! Although I knew the story from the movies (who doesn’t?), I had ne...

Book Review: The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

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The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore Dream Harbor #3 Published October 10, 2024 Goodreads | Amazon From the author of the viral TikTok sensation, The Pumpkin Spice Café, comes the only spicy grumpy x sunshine Christmas romcom you need this year! Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good. Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor taking a break from his life in California. And most importantly, taking a break from his latest run of disastrous dates. After a run in with Kira in her fields, Ben has no intention of offering to help the grumpy owner set up her tree farm, despite the fact she’s clearly got no idea what she’s doing. Kira knows she should stop being so stubborn, but her farm is not all cute and cozy like people always show on social media, it’s borderline dangerous with no heating, and she’d rather no one saw it. But somehow fate finds Ben at Kira’s farm once more, and as Kir...

Book Review: Little Cloud's Big Dream by Ixtzel Arreola

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Little Cloud's Big Dream Author: Ixtzel Arreola Illustrator: Martina Liebig Pub Date Mar 11 2025 Goodreads | Amazon The little cloud Re has a BIG dream! But when she grows so large she becomes a thunderstorm, will her new friend Flower still recognize her? A little cloud named Re wishes to grow as big as the clouds floating over the sea. She learns from a passing cloud how to collect dew and water and soon she has grown BIG! As she travels, she even soaks up some droplets from the petals of a beautiful flower and the two become fast friends. But then something happens that Re never expected–she starts to storm! After storming across land and sea, Re grows small again and returns to Flower. At first the cloud is afraid her new friend won’t recognize her, but Flower assures her “from dew to rain to thunder, you are still you.” An imaginative look into the water cycle through a little cloud and the feelings she experiences as she grows and changes. My review: Some stories captivate c...

Book Review + Giveaway: A Little Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan

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A Little Christmas Spirit by Susan Buchanan Standalone Third book in The Christmas Spirit series Genre: Contemporary Romance Tour Dates: 18th - 27th November 2024 Publication Date: 12th November 2024 Goodreads  |  Amazon  | Books2Read Can a sprinkle of magic heal broken hearts this Christmas? With Jacob now at the helm at the cosy Sugar and Spice café, it’s the perfect opportunity for Christmas Spirit Lara to weave her magic. Fraser is floundering in his new role as headteacher as he grapples with guilt over having to place his beloved mother in a care home, leaving him feeling lost and alone during what should be a joyful time. Meanwhile, school janitor Paul is torn between his desire to feel needed and the pressure from his wife to retire, dimming the season’s sparkle. Valerie, overwhelmed by the demands of newborn twins, feels she’s not giving her other daughter enough attention. She needs a bit of me time and for her husband to realise the responsibility for the kids ...

Book Review: Grumble Boats by Susannah McFarlane

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Grumble Boats Author: Susannah McFarlane Illustrator: Tamsin Ainslie Pub Date Apr 15 2025 Goodreads | Amazon What happens when you’re feeling upset? Grandma shows Emma how to say goodbye to being grumpy in this sweet and sensitive social emotional picture book. A must-read for preschoolers and kindergarteners who are often caught up in their feels. Emma is spending the afternoon with her grandmother, but she’s very grumbly. That’s because she didn’t get to go to the pirate party with her brother and now she feels left out. Grandma shows Emma how to draw your grumbles. Then how to take your grumble drawing and fold it into a boat. They take their boats out to the water and say goodbye to their grumbles forever. Once they let go of their grumbly feelings, a different type of grumble makes them realize something: it's time for lunch! A gentle and loving social-emotional learning story for little ones learning to navigate their feelings. My review:  I'm always searching for books ...