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.
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Who are the biggest influences in your life?
My family. My family is always there to encourage me along the way. Just as I encourage them.
282 pages St. Martin’s Paperbacks August 23, 2022 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Lately, Molly has been feeling that she might have fallen into a fairy tale: she’s reinvigorated the family bookshop Thomas Marlowe—Manuscripts and Folios, made friends in her new home of Cambridge, England, and is even developing a bit of a romance with the handsome Kieran—a bike shop owner with a somewhat intimidating family pedigree.
Having recently discovered The Strawberry Girls, a classic children’s tale, Molly is thrilled to learn the author, Iona York, lives nearby. But while visiting the famous author at her lovely cottage in nearby Hazelhurst, an old acquaintance of Iona’s tumbles off her roof to his death.
Then, when one of Iona’s daughters—an inspiration for the original Strawberry Girls—goes missing, Molly begins to worry this story might be more Brothers Grimm than happily-ever-after. Especially after Molly learns about the mysterious long-ago death of Iona’s husband and co-author of The Strawberry Girls…could past and present crimes be linked? Molly must put the clues together before someone turns this sweet tale sour.
MY THOUGHTS
This is the second book in the Cambridge Bookshop series.
Ever since discovering cozy mysteries a few years ago I’ve been on a roll with them and like them more than just regular mysteries.
Set in an English bookshop and you can’t go wrong there.
Molly and her mother come over to England to help her aunt run the bookstore.
Molly enjoys life abroad with a new boyfriend, Kieran owner of a local bike shop.
Excited about running the bookshop Molly invites a local author to speak. While visiting the author’s house to finalize plans a body is discovered and a girl goes missing.
Enjoyed the plan Molly put together to help solve the mystery. Whimsical and nostalgic with an engaging plot.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own
MEET THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Penney is the author of the Apron Shop Series and the Cambridge Bookshop Series, both from St. Martin’s Press. She is also the author of women’s fiction and mysteries for Annie’s Fiction and Guideposts.
Now living in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, she pens novels and tries to grow things. Elements that often appear in her novels include vintage everything, past/present mysteries, historic houses, and the arts. Oh, and usually a very cool cat.
Visit her website at http://www.elizabethpenneyauthor.com to learn more.
375 pages
ABOUT THE BOOK
Phoebe is a volunteer nurse at a Base Hospital in Étaples, France, treating men who’ve served on hte Western Front. Their courage and resilience inspires her, and though she’s meant to keep her distance, Captain Archie Bailey soon captivates her heart.
Her younger sister Celia is a nurse at a POW camp on the island of Jersey. These men fight for the forces that bombed her brother and parents, but long hours spent healing them shows her they aren’t the monsters she expected.
Despite the miles between them, both Celia and Phoebe come to see the commonality in their experiences – the sense of community and friendship, the unexpected moments of love and laughter, and a bond so strong that even war can’t break it…
MY THOUGHTS
I enjoyed this historical fiction book and found it interesting and informative.
Phoebe, volunteer nurse at a Base Hospital in Étaples, France. Matron does her best to keep the nurses minds occupied with just nursing but there’s no counting on where the heart will lead. Phoebe soon finds herself falling in love with patient Captain Archie Bailey. Planning a life together after the war when he’s well enough he gets sent to the frontline then goes missing in action, presumed dead.
Celia is a nurse at a POW camp on the island of Jersey. She knows the men she is nursing back to health are from the same unit that killed her brother and parents. After getting to know these men she realizes they are just regular men with hopes, dreams and fears just like all of us. Falling in love with one of them shouldn’t have happened, but it has.
Phoebe and Celia are sisters with many similarities, they understand what the other is going through and know the fears they face. Heartbreaking……. there are no real winners in war, it just causes some to die earlier than others. Kept my attention as you can only pray for the best. The author writes such realistic work I could vividly imagine the scenes playing out as I read.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Deborah Carr is a USA TODAY bestselling author of historical fiction. She was born and lives on the island of Jersey, in the Channel Islands where she sets most of her books.
Her first book, Broken Faces was runner-up in the Good Housekeeping Novel Writing Competition in 2012 giving her the confidence to keep going. Her WW1 novel, The Poppy Sisters was an Amazon First Reads Editor’s Pick and The Poppy Field and An Island at War were USA TODAY bestsellers.
The Channel Islands was the only place in the British Isles occupied by German forces during WW2. This dark time in the island’s history is the setting for her latest novel, Neighbours at War. An Island at War and part of The Beekeeper’s War was also set during the Jersey Occupation.
She is the author behind the Mrs Boots trilogy inspired by Jersey woman, Florence Boot, the woman behind the Boots empire.
Deborah lives near the beach and begins each day walking by the sea with her three rescue dogs before sitting down to write.
Thank you for stopping in.
TRIGGER WARNING—— BLOOD SPOTS
375 pages Avon publisher September 1, 2022 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
Could a rediscovered map show her the way?
Present day: When thirty-six-year-old Robyn Willoughby discovers an exquisite yet blood-stained Tudor map in her father’s antique map shop, desperate for a distraction from her problems, she decides to investigate. But as Robyn delves into the mystery, she finds herself caught up in a centuries-old secret – one that will change her life forever.
1569: Forced to flee Holland to escape persecution, twenty-year-old Freida Ortelius uses her mapmaking skills to start anew in London. Soon her rare talent catches the eye of Queen Elizabeth, who demands Freida’s help in fighting the Spanish threat. Freida must now embark on a deadly mission, the consequences of which will echo down the ages…
A sweeping and heartbreaking read, perfect for fans of Lucinda Riley and Kathryn Hughes.
MY THOUGHTS
We have two strong women main characters, one in each time frame.
1500’s: Freida Ortelius a married woman with an infant son who she is afraid to let out of her sight. Her parents were killed while she was locked away in a cupboard as a child. She now fears those she loves will disappear as well including her seafaring husband.
Learning her skill from her father as a child, this cartographer is tasked by Queen Elizabeth to make a map for Sir Francis Drake.
Present Day: Robyn Willoughby lives with her father and is having a hard time in life accepting her husband is presumed dead, lost at sea as the seven-year period is almost here and she must declare him.
In her father’s antique map shop one day she finds a bloodstained Tudor map who neither have any memory of its receipt into the shop. Her story is the embarkment of fascinating historical research into this map and the secrets it carries.
Though both stories were fascinatingly intriguing I did enjoy the historical side more. Finished this in one day as I could barely put it down.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
Growing up in Surrey, Clare always dreamed of being a writer. Instead she followed a career in IT, before moving to Norfolk for a quieter life.
Now writing full time, she lives with her husband and the youngest of her six children. Weekends are spent researching for her historical dual timeline books amongst the local castles and monastic ruins, or visiting the nearby coast.
304 pages Berkley September 3, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
A cat a day keeps the doctor away…
Discover the award-winning, bestselling Japanese novel that has become an international sensation in this utterly charming, vibrant celebration of the healing power of cats.
Tucked away in an old building at the end of a narrow alley in Kyoto, the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul can only be found by people who are struggling in their lives and genuinely need help. The mysterious clinic offers a unique treatment to those who find their way there: it prescribes cats as medication. Patients are often puzzled by this unconventional prescription, but when they “take” their cat for the recommended duration, they witness profound transformations in their lives, guided by the playful, empathetic, occasionally challenging yet endearing cats.
Throughout the pages, the power of the human-animal bond is revealed as a disheartened businessman finds unexpected joy in physical labor, a young girl navigates the complexities of elementary school cliques, a middle-aged man struggles to stay relevant at work and home, a hardened bag designer seeks emotional balance, and a geisha finds herself unable to move on from the memory of her lost cat. As the clinic’s patients navigate their inner turmoil and seek resolution, their feline companions lead them toward healing, self-discovery, and newfound hope.
MY THOUGHTS
This book was originally published in Japanese then translated into seventeen languages. These are vignettes intertwining and strung together.
This is unlike any book I’ve ever read before.
As a cat owner of three, I do believe cats have healing properties, who can refuse a cat snuggling up against you? You’ll instantly start feeling better as your depression lifts and your calmness comes about.
In We’ll Prescribe You a Cat, there is a medical clinic that only those who really need it can find. No matter the ill a cat is prescribed with the rest of the prescription to be picked up at the nurse’s desk.
There is a quite a bit of magical realism present in the book, which I wasn’t aware of when I decided to read it. This isn’t the type of book I normally read but it really worked for me.
Light and easy read we see the healing the cats bring to the people mentally as they leave with a more positive outlook on life. Some of this is nonsensical and whimsical. I think this is an uplifting book most cat lovers would enjoy.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
Born in 1975 in Kyoto, Syou Ishida began writing fiction while working at a telecommunications company. We’ll Prescribe You a Cat has been a runaway bestseller in Japan and is due to be published in seventeen languages.
290 pages Kensington Books September 24, 2024 publication date
ABOUT THE BOOK
The first in a new cozy Christmas series where the 12 annual Competitions of Christmas in the, close-knit town of Noel, North Carolina are underway! This year horse breeder, and newcomer, Jordyn Banks decides to take on the resident Christmas tree decorating champion, who happens to be her handsome next door neighbor.
Barrel racer Jordyn Banks is thrilled to discover affordable land for sale in charming Noel, perfect for breeding her horses. But that’s not all. A nomad with no family—other than her beloved Quarter Horse, Star—she also hopes to find a home within the close-knit Appalachian Mountain community. Yet Jordyn didn’t bargain on inheriting a controversial Fraser Fir—or falling for a handsome single dad whose adorable little girl tempts her to dream of being far more than a property owner . . .
Since losing his wife in childbirth six years ago, Nate Reed has devoted himself to their daughter, Roxanna, and built up their thriving Frosted Firs Ranch. For nine years straight he’s won Noel’s contest for the most perfect Christmas tree for the Town Square. It’s a tradition he began with his late wife. But this year, Jordyn Banks is determined to harvest her Fraser Fir and compete—meaning Nate will finally be challenged—in more ways than one . . .
Throughout the event, Nate can’t help noticing that Roxanna is dazzled by Jordyn’s strength, beauty, and quirky sense of humor. Soon enough, Nate is falling for her, too. But can a feisty wanderer ever really settle down? Is Nate ready to open his heart to someone new? And is it possible that sometimes love does grow on (Christmas) trees? . . .
MY THOUGHTS
Jordyn buys sight unseen a home for herself and her horse, she’s a former barrel racer, now retired. She has a beautiful white horse, and she just wants Noel to be the first place she can relax and call home. Growing up going through the system she has never had that.
I loved the Nana’s, four women, the grandma type who run the Noel Christmas festival and contest every year. They swoop in and give her loving advice on how to win as the same person has won many years in a row.
Nate is a widower of six years and still desperately grieving his wife’s death. His six-year-old daughter is smart as a whip and precocious.
The Nana’s are trying to matchmake between Jordyn and Nate but he’s not ready to move on.
There was an insta attraction between our two main characters, but I thought Nate was too slow and stubborn to move on. The book would have been enriched so much more if our MC’S had had a sweet Christmas romance right from the start.
I liked a lot about the book, the descriptions of decorations, the relationship Jordyn has with Roxie, Nate’s daughter, she’s so sweet and kind to her, the small-town vibes, the Christmas contest.
There were also some things I wasn’t crazy about, I didn’t particularly like Jordyn, she was too sugar sweet and didn’t seem to have a backbone and the book despite being in full gear with so much going on with the Christmas contests It dragged for me a good bit and I had trouble keeping my attention on it.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
About the Author
Janet Dailey was born and raised in the small farming town of Storm Lake, Iowa and attended secretarial school in Omaha, Nebraska before meeting her husband and settling in southern Missouri. After publishing her first novel in 1976, she went on to become one of the top-selling female authors in the world, with more than 325 million copies of her books sold in nineteen languages in ninety-eight countries. Dubbed “America’s First Lady of Romance” because her groundbreaking novels celebrate the triumphs and struggles of working class women with American values and themes, she is known for her strong, decisive characters, her extraordinary ability to re-create a time and a place, and her unerring courage to confront important, controversial issues in her stories. To learn more about Janet Dailey and her novels, please visit JanetDailey.com or find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/JanetDaileyAuthor.
400 pages G.P. Putnam’s Sons publisher September 24, 2024 publish date
ABOUT THE BOOK
White Christmas meets Nora Ephron in Jenny Bayliss’ latest wholehearted, ensemble-cast holiday extravaganza.
Christmas can officially get stuffed because Harriet Smith is not feeling bright and merry this year. She hasn’t for a while. So when her college-aged daughter opts for Manhattan’s winter wonderland instead of Christmas at home, Harriet finds herself seeking solace in a wine-soaked one-night stand.
But how Harriet will spend the holidays is swiftly decided for her after she takes the fall for some students who break into the town’s old Winter Theater. To get the students off the hook, the theater’s elderly owner requests that Harriet direct the washed-out stage’s final Christmas performance. And Harriet will do anything to help the kids . . . even work with the owner’s lawyer who, as it turns out, is her less than impressed one-night stand.
Directing the play with him won’t exactly change her life. But it might just reignite the Christmas spirit and remind her what makes life merry and bright again.
MY THOUGHTS
Harriet Smith is always on, on for her students when she takes the fall for them during a trespassing charge, on for her daughter who is spending her first Christmas away from home, on for the new man in her life and always on for her friends. If you need a shoulder or a friendly chat Harriet will always be there, until she’s not.
Harriet doesn’t want her daughter to know how much she misses her this Christmas because she doesn’t want to ruin her fun. Problem is Harriet has put all her eggs in one basket, everything she’s done for her whole daughter’s life has been for her; to say she dotes on her is putting it mildly. Without her around she doesn’t see the purpose of decorating this Christmas or cooking for just one.
When some of her students, five misfits who have each other but the others at school think of them as weird and not fitting in are caught breaking into the town’s theater she takes the fall for them saying it was her idea. They’d been there plenty of other times, not causing trouble just reading and practicing for a play.
As a punishment they are requested to clean the theater which turns into an exciting theater remodel. I loved seeing the confidence these kids got having a theater to practice in for a very special show they were about to put on.
She has to work with James, the owner’s lawyer which she had met previously and whom she made a fool of herself in front of.
Of course, during the holiday season foolishness’s are forgotten as things heat up for this pair.
My favorite part of this book was seeing these kids not from the best backgrounds coming around and having such pride in having a place to practice and knowing their cleaning up the theater made a big difference in not only their confidence but for the betterment of the town as well.
I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.
MEET THE AUTHOR
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What cities do you want to visit?
Several years ago I really wanted to go to Boston and we did passing, through New York as we did. Boston is a large city and we walked and walked. It’s so beautiful there.
My newest destination I want to visit is NYC. I live in a rural area and don’t see a lot of big city life very often and I’m just fine with that but sometimes I like to experience the busier side of things.
We live 3 hours from DC.
An overseas trip I’d love to go on would be Galway, Ireland, from where my great grandmother traveled to America as a sixteen year old for the start of a new life.
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