Fascinating and engaging book reviews and encouragement you'll want to read.
Author:deanne01
I am an avid reader and reviewer. I am open for review requests please contact me at Cnnamongirl at aol dot com. I work with big name publishers and indie publishers alike. I am on launch and street teams and have MANY NetGalley and GoodReads reviews up. I love all animals and I am a vegetarian. Thank you for joining me here.
I’ve recently started eating stir fry more often. I’ll usually cook pasta or brown rice separately then add my stir fry ingredients which are varied each time. These are some of the ingredients I add, being a vegetarian there is no meat added. Broccoli,sugar snap peas, fresh green beans, avocado, tofu this makes its way into all of my stir fries, tomato, mushrooms, colorful bell peppers, no hot pepper for me. After I stir fry the ingredients I’ll mix it with the rice or pasta or top a baked potato with it. Delicious! No meat added and nice and filling!
I really don’t like to complain as I’m so grateful for what I have and am able to do. When I do complain my biggest complaint is about not having enough time to read.
I am still raising kids and though some are still teenagers some are in their twenties and still living at home . It’s hard for adult children to leave home now because of the astronomical cost of housing, utilities groceries and everything else. This makes it unfair on the parents and children alike as you don’t really have the responsibility of adulthood until you’re gone and handling things out on your own.
When ambitious city girl, Darcie Freeman is sent to the Isle of Skye to conduct research for a travel guide, she’s horrified. The prospect of having to travel to a remote island in the Scottish Highlands leaves her wondering what she’ll do.
Step in Logan Burns. Gorgeous and adventurous, he lives and breathes the island, and along with his sister Iona, who owns a rather haphazard PR company, they’re going to show Darcie everything she needs to know about Skye.
As Darcie swaps her designer shoes for her walking boots and her faux fur jacket for her raincoat, will she learn there’s more to life than the picture-perfect presence she shares on social media, or will it be the case that Skye is the limit…
MY THOUGHTS
A true page turner that you’ll be delighted to have read. This relaxation read took me to Skye with its breathtaking descriptions that I now want to visit.
The characters were lighthearted, a true pick me up. On my way to find more charming books by the author.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
Julie Shackman is a former journalist from Scotland, who has always wanted to write feel-good romance.
As well as being an author, Julie also writes verses and captions for greetings card companies. Julie admits to having an obsession with stationery and handbags.
She is married, has two sons and adopted a Romanian rescue puppy, Cooper.
A Scottish Island Summer is Julie’s twelfth novel.
319 pages Barbour fiction Jan 01,2025 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Why Are Baking Contestants Disappearing?
Mysteries have a way of following Fannie Miller, so when she makes it into the finals of the Tuscarawas County Baking Contest and contestants start disappearing, she calls on her old friend Foster Bates, a retired cop and part-time private investigator. Could it be that other finalists are somehow responsible for these disappearances, thinning out the competition? Like the couple on verge of divorce who need the prize money, or the three Beiler sisters, always in a huddle whispering. One thing is for certain—Foster and Fannie will stay on the case until the end, and everyone involved will have learned something important about baking contests, solving mysteries, and life.
New York Times Bestselling Author Wanda E. Brunstetter and Emmy-Nominated Author Martha Bolton have teamed up to deliver a delightful whodunit from Ohio’s Amish country.
MY THOUGHTS
A lighthearted Amish cozy mystery. It involves missing baking contestants that signed up to enter a baking contest with an amazing prize. When they seem to disappear without a trace the gossipers start not realizing just how their words could affect others.
A faith based and fun story. I love Wanda’s books and I’ll be interested in reading more books by the other author as well. An important lesson is learned in this gentle and entertaining story.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHORS
Wanda Brunstetter is an award-winning romance novelist who has led millions of readers to lose their heart in the Amish life. She is the author of over 100 books with more than 12 million copies sold. Many of her books have landed on the top bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, CBA, ECPA, and CBD. Wanda is considered one of the founders of the Amish fiction genre, and her work has been covered by national publications, including Time Magazine and USA Today.
Wanda’s fascination with the Amish culture developed when she met her husband, Richard, who grew up in a Mennonite church, and whose family has a Pennsylvania Dutch heritage. Meeting her new Mennonite sister-in-laws caused Wanda to yearn for the simpler life. In their travels, she and her husband have become close friends with many Amish people across America. Wanda’s desire to explore their culture increased when she discovered that her great-great grandparents were part of the Anabaptist faith.
All of Wanda’s novels are based on personal research intended to accurately portray the Amish way of life. Many of her books are well-read and trusted by the Amish, who credit her for giving readers a deeper understanding of the people and their customs.
Wanda’s primary attraction to the Amish is their desire to live a devout Christian life that strives to honor God, work hard, and maintain close family ties. Whenever she visits her Amish friends, Wanda finds herself drawn to their peaceful lifestyle, sincerity, and close family ties, which is in stark contrast to the chaos and busyness that plagues so many modern “Englishers.” Time and time again, Wanda loses her heart in the Amish life, and she hopes her readers will, too. For more information, visit: http://www.WandaBrunstetter.com
Martha Bolton was Bob Hope’s first female staff writer, writing for his television specials, personal appearances, and military shows for approximately fifteen years (in the 1980s and 90s). She is an Emmy nominee, Dove Award nominee, and WGA Award nominee. DEAR BOB… Bob Hope’s Wartime Correspondence with the G.I.s of WWII (University Press of Mississippi, March 2021) was written with Linda Hope, Bob’s daughter and producer, and was named Christian Market Book of the Year and Golden Scrolls Memoir of the Year at the 2021 Christian Product Expo. It also won First Place in the 2022 Selah Awards for Memoir, and First Place in the Chanticleer International Book Awards (CIBAs) for Military & Front-Line Division. An ABC story about Dear Bob… produced by George Pennacchio of ABC won third place in the National Journalism Competition and first place in the Los Angeles Journalist competition. The book was also featured on Sunday Morning with Jane Pauley.
Martha’s latest book just released and is #1 in Amish Romance on Amazon. Written with New York Times Best-Selling author, Wanda Brunstetter, the book has also been turned into a musical which will open in 2025 in Pennsylvania and Indiana.
Beginning with her first “book” at age 9, titled NO FUN BEING YOUNG, about being the youngest in her family, Martha has now written 89 books, including JOSIAH FOR PRESIDENT and THE HOME GAME. Both novels have also become musicals, with scripts penned by Martha.
Martha has also written for such comedians and entertainers as Phyllis Diller, Wayne Newton, Mark Lowry, and Chonda Pierce.
The winner of four Angel Awards, Martha playwrighting credits continues to build, with over a dozen musicals having been produced since 2010. THE HOME GAME, JOSIAH FOR PRESIDENT, DEAR SOLDIER BOY, STOLEN, A SIMPLE SANCTUARY, and THE CONFESSION are a few of the titles. The musicals are produced by Dan Posthuma and Mel Riegsecker of Blue Gate Musicals.
Martha’s novel, THE HOME GAME, received a 2017 Golden Scroll Merit Award for Fiction by the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. Her Christmas offerings are a new favorite, THE CHRISTMAS CANDY CAPER, as well as numerous children’s musicals: A LAMB’S TALE, co-written with Dennis Allen, BETHLEHEM OR BUST, co-written with Andy Cundiff, Darrell Bledsoe, and Ted Wilson, and BETHLEHEM’S BIG NIGHT, co-written with Bill Wolaver.
A trademark of Martha is that she loves to find the humor in life, as evident in her popular book series for middle-agers: DIDN’T MY SKIN USED TO FIT? and COOKING WITH HOT FLASHES, THE WHOLE WORLD IS CHANGING AND I’M TOO HOT TO CARE), just to name a few.
Martha was named the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association Member of the Year for 2021 and lives by her life statement of: “Life’s tough, God’s good, and laughter is calorie-free.”
We hope you enjoy reading about her extensive body of work.
If I were a lottery winner I would run a cat sanctuary. It would provide loving care (medical and general) for homeless ferals, abused and abandoned cats. They all deserve a chance. ❤️🐾😻
This is my handsome boy Charlie. Charlie was born in June of 2023 and is a rascal deluxe let me tell you. He loves sleeping on my headboard and occasionally falling off while I’m sleeping 😴💤🤯. We have a pretty high headboard and let me tell you it’s not the greatest thing to have a cat this size jump onto your stomach or fall on you while you’re sleeping. He always has such a wide eyed look. I occasionally call him Bozo and he’s earned it. He’s still a youngster and has lots of energy and loves playing with the other cats. Who could resist this face though? 😻❤️🐾
The better question is what do I not want to read ❓❓❓❓❔❔❔
As a life long reader, my mother put books 📚📚📚 in my crib as a baby and I was hooked. From picture books and I remember how sad I was when my books no longer had pictures to worded books I devour books. I am whittling away at my netgalley books . My backlist goes back to 2021 and I joined in 2017. My goal last year was to read all my 2021 books but failed. Those newer books kind of caught my attention instead, sigh. I’ll attempt this year to do it. I read a lot of genres but have no interest in sci fi. I did say that about fantasy as well but did find a few of those I enjoyed. I also have physical books on my library shelf at home. I have a lovely library in my home but have too many netgalley books to properly utilize it. Sadly those books can just sit there but netgalley books, they kind of want you to read them.
I also do blog tours and work with multiple book tour groups. I’ve been cutting back on signing up for those recently as well this year. There’s a lot of pressure reading for blog tours and posting. I want to do more reading of books of my choosing , not having to read a certain book by a certain day and post on a certain dsy. I enjoy most of the blog tour books I read but it can be draining. For blog tours you usually sign up for them several months in advance but at times you don’t get the book right away and more than once I’ve found myself reading the book for it the day /night before I have to post. My resolution this year is more relaxation reading of my choice when I want to read it.
To sum it up, I want to read what I want when I want and I don’t think that’s too much to ask. And I want my cats right there with me while I’m reading.📚😻🐾❤️📚
399 pages Publisher Berkley Publication date January 28, 2025
ABOUT THE BOOK
After a case of mistaken identity and an almost one-night stand, two stranded wedding guests have to find their way to their final destination together, in this riotously fun debut romance.
Ada’s little sister is getting married. Which should be a happy thought, right? But the once close sisters have been in a year long fight, the wedding is all the way in Ireland, and Ada is so broke that she just barely managed to get a ticket on a budget airline. And as if things couldn’t get worse, said airline just cancelled her connection. Which means Ada is stuck in London with no way to make it to the wedding.
Surely she’s hit rock bottom?
So, there’s no reason for her not to spill her heart out about the over-the-top wedding, her sister’s worryingly quick engagement, and the womanizing best man she’s dreading meeting to a handsome also-stranded stranger at the bar. Until she realizes the stranger is headed to the same wedding. Oh, and he’s the infamous best man.
Now, Jack and Ada must put their simmering attraction behind them to make it to Belfast before they miss the nuptials. But between flat tires, missed trains, and suspect hostels, Jack and Ada start to question whether their feelings are worth going the distance, or just a distracting detour along the way.
MY THOUGHTS
A debut author? You’re kidding me, right? The book had me actually laughing out loud. The banter is hilarious between our two main characters with a mistaken identity but when they find out who each other are, ooops! The ooops makes for awkward and embarrassing moments and the conversations are dynamic.
The sparks absolutely fly in this romantic comedy you’re sure to love as much as I did. Between lack of money, misunderstandings, vehicle breakdowns, hotel problems, missed flights and more I couldn’t stop laughing. All this made for an unputdownable debut book that had me rolling. This is an author to keep an eye on.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
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