Book Review of Faking It in the Kitchen: A bully boss romantic comedy by Emily James

Book Title: Faking It in the Kitchen: a bully boss romantic comedy

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Comedy

Pages: 231

Author: Emily James

Date Published: 21 November 2019

Synopsis:

She’s an accidental chef. He’s her hot-headed A**hole boss. Will they discover the recipe for love or are they heading for disaster?

Unemployed actress, Hannah Brooks, is applying for a waitressing job when her luck changes. Mistaken for a chef, she's offered a position at twice the pay, but there's a slight problem. She can't cook, but she can act.

Tom Hadleigh is determined to make a success of the restaurant he inherited from his father, despite attempted sabotages against it and his reputation. Tom’s a hothead and not looking for love, but when Hannah walks into his restaurant, he can’t help but turn his head. With so many problems in his life, is she the answer?

When their worlds collide, will their passion ignite, or will the heat force them out of the kitchen?

FAKING IT IN THE KITCHEN is a standalone, romantic comedy, suitable for readers aged 18 or over, due to mature content and sexual themes.

Review:

Faking It in the Kitchen: A bully boss romantic comedy by Emily James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Faking It in the Kitchen is a fun romantic comedy. I really enjoyed it.

Hannah Brookes is an unemployed actress looking to make it big on the West End in London, England. I liked this character a lot. She has a sunny personality and is optimistic (maybe too much at times) and desperate for work. When she hears of a potential job as a waitress at Hadleigh's, a prestigious restaurant, she heads to the interview and meets Tom Hadleigh, the boss. What she didn't expect was to be hired as a chef. And have to fake it in the kitchen as she can't cook.

Tom Hadleigh is determined to keep his late father's restaurant running after his death. Unfortunately, someone is determined to close it down. I liked him even at his most a**hole-y, especially when he did things that made me want to smack some sense into him. Tom, still grieving, is understandably upset at both his father's death and the sabotage, but when he accidentally knocks Hannah out, he hires her in the mistaken belief she's a chef. As danger stalks ever closer and his attraction to Hannah grows, Tom will have to decide what is more important.

I started to read this book, told through both Tom's and Hannah's viewpoints in alternate chapters. Faking It is a light read with humourous events mixed up with a suspenseful twist. The characters are lifelike and likeable.

I enjoyed the interaction between Hannah and Tom, which is intense, and the heat level between them sizzle on the pages. I also enjoyed Hannah's camaraderie with the other characters in the kitchen, especially Jack. She needed a friend badly, and he acted as one immediately. Tom's nemesis was a surprise twist. I had another person lined up initially, but as soon as the author introduced the character, I went 'Ah!' even though there was no hint of their involvement immediately.

I did feel the scene near the end where Hannah confronted the perpetrator was a little weak and didn't have the punch it could have. However, it resolved the mystery even if unsatisfactorily (my opinion). I do feel that the scene was a little rushed as if the author wanted to get back to the romance, which was understandable. The story ends satisfactorily, with no cliffhanger as it's a stand-alone.

Emily James is a new author to me. I have never read one of her other books before. I like her fast-paced writing style, and the story flowed well. The author's warmth and humour shone through her writing. Her characters are lifelike and likeable. I would consider reading more of her books in the future.

Due to scenes of an explicit nature, I do not recommend this book to readers under the age of 18. I do, however, recommend this book if you love contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and sassy and sexy main characters. - Lynn Worton

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Purchase Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

About The Author:

(Taken from the back of the book)

Emily James is a British author who lives on the south coast of England. She loves to travel and enjoys nothing more than a great romance story. On the rare occasions that she hasn't got her nose in a book, Emily likes to spend time with her beautiful family and friends.

Author Links:

You can be notified of Emily's future projects via her mailing list:

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Find her on Facebook:
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emilyjames.author@gmail.com

Book Review of Sam The Speedy Sloth: An Inspirational Rhyming Bedtime Story about Being Unique, Acceptance and Confident Kids [Illustrated Early Reader for Toddlers, Pre K, Elementary School Children] by Matthew Ralph

Book Title: Sam the Speedy Sloth

Genre: Children's book

Pages: 40

Author: Matthew Ralph

Date Published: 14 September 2019

Synopsis:

Sam’s Mom hugged him and looked at her son. “There’s no one like you. You’re the only one. Comparing yourself to others, won’t get you far. Learn to love how unique you are.”

Packed with colorful rain forest and animal illustrations, this rhyming picture book follows Sam the speedy sloth as he goes on a jungle adventure. Challenging the other rain forest animals to a race, Sam learns some important life lessons along the way about being unique, self-confident and not comparing yourself to others. Children will also find a bunch of fun learning activities, including spot the difference, a word search and even fact files for the jungle animals in this book.

Perfect for ages 3-8, children will love listening to Sam’s adventure, which makes Sam the Speedy Sloth ideal for bedtime stories, group reading, or one-on-one with loving parents or grandparents.

Review:

Sam The Speedy Sloth: A children’s book about acceptance and self-confidence by Matthew Ralph
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Sam, the Speedy Sloth, is a super illustrated children's book. I loved it.

Sam is a sloth, but not a typical one. He likes to race around and is the fastest sloth in the forest. In this story, he challenges several different animals to race with him. I love this sloth. He is super cute and determined.

This storybook is an ideal stocking filler for Christmas if you are still looking for presents. The author has cleverly rhymed the words, so the story flows off the tongue as one reads it. It is also beautifully illustrated by Khansadk. The pictures are bright and vibrant and show the story for those who cannot read yet and need a little help from the parents, and it compliments the author's words entirely. Sam is a superb character who learns a valuable lesson as the story progresses. The child/children reading this book also learn that it is not always essential to be the fastest or the best at everything they do. However, I feel they will enjoy Sam's journey as it also encourages children to be self-confident but not arrogant, kind and humble.

At the end of the book, there are a few puzzles and activities for the children to complete. It may work better with the paper versions rather than the ebook, but they can still be lots of fun to do. Not sure I'd recommend doing this section at bedtime, but it depends on the parents, so I'll leave that decision up to you.

I highly recommend this book to children aged 3 to 8, and to adults who are looking for a fun, educational book for their little ones. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews


About The Author:

Picture from Amazon

Matthew Ralph is a children's book author who lives in London, England.

When he is not busy writing his next book, he enjoys drinking tea, eating fish & chips and waving at The Queen.

If you would like to learn more about him, please visit his Author Profile on Amazon, or contact him on mattralphthewriter@gmail.com.

Matthew always enjoys hearing from his lovely readers as well as reading your comments. If you liked this book, please leave a review :)

Author Links:

Amazon

Goodreads

Book Review of Bodgit and Fixit's Space Adventure by Chris Goodyear

Book Title: Bodgit and Fixit's Space Adventure

Genre: Children's book

Pages: 14

Author: Chris Goodyear

Date Published: 13 March 2019

Synopsis:

A brightly illustrated book featuring best friends Bodgit bear and Fixit rabbit.
Created and written by Chris Goodyear, these best friends share their amazing
imaginary adventure to the moon and back in a rocket they build together.
Also featured in this book are Bodgit and Fixit's furry facts and 5 interactive
missions for the reader to complete.

Review:

Bodgit and Fixit's Space Adventure by Chris Goodyear
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Bodgit and Fixit's Space Adventure is a fantastic illustrated children's book. I loved it!

Bodgit and Fixit are the best of friends. Bodgit (5) is a teddy bear, and Fixit (6) is a rabbit. They both have a vivid imagination, and one day during the holidays they decided to ride a rocket to the moon. But first, they need to build it. Their space adventure is exciting, and they have a lot of fun. However, they have to be home in time for tea (dinner), so they return to Earth.

This book is only fourteen pages long, but there is a lot packed between those pages. I don't know if the author is also the illustrator, but if so, the author did a fantastic job. (Edited to say: the illustrator is Sam Jones). The pictures are beautifully drawn and coloured and complement the story perfectly. At the end of the book, there are five fun activities for children to do: a counting puzzle, a Word Search, a Maze puzzle, a Spot the Difference, and Trace the Line puzzle. Plus there are facts interspersed throughout about various subjects. One thing I can see is the potential for Bodgit and Fixit to become real as plush toys. They are so cute! I'd buy them, so children would love them too.

The story is engaging. I feel that children would love to read this book. It is difficult to say what age range this book would attract. The artwork would appeal to children aged 4 upwards, but the font used and the way the writing is presented would confound a new young reader. In my opinion, I feel that depending on reading ability, this book would be suitable for children aged 4 to look at with parents, but for children to read it on their own, I'd say they would have to be at least 6, 7 or 8 and above.

Chris Goodyear is a debut author and judging by this book, is well on the way to be a fantastic children's book writer. Although I am not the intended audience, I love the intricate details (though simple language) the author uses to tell a story. I will be interested to see what the author comes up with in the future.

I highly recommend this book to children and adults alike. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

Purchase Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

About the Author:

Unfortunately, as this is a debut author, there doesn't seem to be any information available.

It's been too long part two

So.  We were talking about me.  OK, OK, I was, am talking about me.  And right now the next pic is perfect to tell you guys where I am at in my life

Not because I am stressed.
Not because I am running against the clock
but because I feel as if I am missing out on a lot of joy I used to have and which is not lost or misplaced but kinda hipbutted to the side to make space for other joyful things. 
It is not as if I want to go back to my roots.  I want to make space for all the joy everything gives me.  So.  While every body else is Marie Kondo'ing their homes.  I am doing the same but inside my head.  I am making place for some extra spark of joy. 

Anything you need to hit pause on/

It has been too long.

Yes the pic above says all their is too say about this.

But...

I might have a few things I need to get off of my chest as well.  So for now, I will be telling you what has happened in my life to make me ..... well get a life I guess is the best way to describe it.

When Facebook really hit everything, I joined.  And had NO friends, for months.  I played a game, and at that stage was still rather active on the James Patterson Blog site where, as it happens I met some amazing people.  Denise Jones, Christine Bonner and so many others that still to this day brighten my day and add that little va va voom to my step.  So as the Patterson site started to give problems I convinced more and more of my friends to join Facebook, only to hear that they were (some at least) were on Facebook already. 

Why now, I figured I would have some friends....
And I did. 
Soon I saw these post fly by.  Free....today only..... the first book in XYZ trilogy on Amazon and I recall still replying on those posts asking if it would be alright if I shared those free books... yeah I know.  It luckily did not take me long to figure out that me sharing it etc etc etc was doing the authors a world of good.  But the why behind it all I did not get. 

So there I was.  All these free books, all these reading friends and my game on Facebook.  Could life get any better? Maybe, maybe not.  But for a long time I was as happy as a clam working, signing onto Facebook, going home, watching television, back then the idea of BINGING was not even born since even the DVD rental shops held at most the first two DVD's in a series.... if that.  Then I would go onto Facebook and basically serve for hours with no intent and no discontent.  At that stage of my life that was what I needed.  And thank goodness I had it. 

Then... well, you will have to wait a bit cause this is a rather long story and I will bore you to tears if I dropped it all on you in one go.  And no my friend.  You do not deserve to be bored.  Ever.

Book Review of The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen

Book Title: The Girl Who Chased the Moon

Genre: Literary Fiction

Pages: 272

Author: Sarah Addison Allen

Date Published: 17 February 2011

Synopsis:

Emily Benedict came to Mullaby, North Carolina, hoping to solve at least some of the riddles surrounding her mother's life. But the moment Emily enters the house where her mother grew up and meets the grandfather she never knew, she realises that mysteries aren't solved in Mullaby, they're a way of life. Here are rooms where the wallpaper changes to suit your mood. Unexplained lights skip across the yard at midnight. And a neighbour, Julia Winterson, bakes hope in the form of cakes, offering them to satisfy the town's sweet tooth - but also in the hope of rekindling a love she fears might be lost forever. Can a hummingbird cake really bring back a lost love? Is there really a ghost dancing in Emily's backyard? The answers are never what you expect. But in this town of lovable misfits, the unexpected fits right in.

Review:

The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Girl Who Chased the Moon is a lovely tale. I enjoyed it a lot.

Emily Benedict is an interesting character. I liked her as soon as she was introduced. After her mom passes away, she arrives in Mullaby, North Carolina, to stay with her grandfather as he's now her legal guardian. Her mother never discussed her childhood, so Emily is eager to learn about it. Unfortunately, many of the residents of Mullaby blame Emily's mother for the death of one of them. As Emily delves into the mystery surrounding her mother's past, she meets the mysterious Win Coffey, whose relative died all those years ago.

This story is told through the eyes of several characters, though Emily is one of the main ones. The other characters involved are her grandfather, Vance Shelby, Julia, a young woman who owns and runs a barbecue house and bakery, Sawyer Alexander, a school mate and old fling of Julia's, and Win Coffey, a teenager with a family secret.

When I first read the synopsis in my local library, I thought that this book would be a young adult paranormal fairy tale, so I borrowed it. However, I was completely wrong - in a good way. It is a story about loss - lost love and opportunities - and love and redemption. There is magic in the pages, not just the wallpaper that changes in Emily's bedroom.

The story takes the reader on an emotional roller coaster ride, and once I began reading it, I didn't put it down until I'd finished it; I am finding it difficult to articulate my feelings about this book. Emily's journey to uncover her mother's possible role in the suicide of Wyn's uncle because of a family secret, and the sweet romance between the two teens, touched me deeply. I also loved the subplot of Julia and Sawyer's past, present and future. The author artfully pulled me into the story, and when it ended, I was left with mixed feelings - happy at the way it ended but sad that it had finished. *Spoiler* Though I would have liked to have seen what happened when Maddie met with Julia and Sawyer. Nevertheless, I was left with a bittersweet feeling.

Sarah Addison Allen has written a heart-rending, as well as a heart-warming tale that held me captive from beginning to end. I love her writing style but found the shift in viewpoints a little unsettling at first, though I enjoyed the pacing. The story flowed well too. I would definitely consider reading more of this author's books in the future.

Although there are no explicit scenes of a sexual nature, there is mention of it. However, I would highly recommend this book to young teens (13 up) and adults who love literary fiction, family sagas or romance novels. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

About the Author:

Author photograph credit: Melissa Markis

Sarah Addison Allen is the New York Times bestselling author of Garden Spells, The Sugar Queen, The Girl Who Chased the Moon and The Peach Keeper. She lives in North Carolina, where her novels are set.

Author Links:

You can discover more at:

www.sarahaddisonallen.com

Find Sarah on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sarahaddisonallen

Or follow her on Twitter @SarahAddisonAll.

Book Review of No Freedom: An A.I. Thriller by Inge-Lise Goss @IngeGoss

Book Title: No Freedom: An A.I. Thriller

Genre: Crime Thriller/Horror/Suspense

Pages: 321

Author: Inge-Lise Goss

Date Published: 18 January 2019

Synopsis:

Will humans survive the android uprising?

Paislee Hobson is born into a world struggling after a war that killed most of the world’s population. Rebuilding has been accomplished through androids developed by and under the control of The Institute. The human population has been divided into strata.

Paislee, a legal clerk, is a member of the upper stratum. Her recent boyfriend dumped her. To avoid another heartache, she purchases a human-looking android companion, Pellegrin. No one suspects Pellegrin is not human. He arouses and satisfies all her desires and is a polished companion and conversationalist in public.

When strange things begin to happen around the courthouse, people start acting mysteriously. Some disappear and others are murdered. Pellegrin’s true identity surfaces as he slowly and methodically takes over all aspects of Paislee’s life. She is in turmoil trying to find a way out. The love of her youth appears and she longs for a life that is denied to her.

Can Paislee regain her freedom or is she doomed to a life under Pellegrin’s control?

Review:

No Freedom: An A.I. Thriller by Inge-Lise Goss
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review 4.5 rounded up to 5*

This book is a fantastic dystopian thriller. I loved it!

Paislee Hobson is a character I struggled to connect with at first, but as I read more of the story, I liked her a little more, though her paranoia began to annoy me, even though it was justified. Paislee is a paralegal living in a future world that has gone through a cataclysmic war that left the humans struggling to cope with the aftermath. Androids were developed by The Institute to help the remaining citizens rebuild the world. When Paislee's boyfriend dumps her, she purchases an android as a companion. But as Pellegrin's hold on her life tightens, an old flame reappears, and strange and deadly events threaten her life.

When I heard that this book had been released, I purchased it without reading the synopsis. The reason for this is that I've read other books by this author and knew I was in for a thrilling adventure. I wasn't wrong!

I started reading this book, told through Paislee's POV, and was immediately hooked. As the story unfolded, I found myself convulsively reading, but dreading it at the same time. Have you ever sat watching a movie with your hands over your face because the suspense is killing you and you can't watch it, but you don't want to miss anything either? This is what I felt while reading this book. The author skillfully builds the suspense so you don't know whether you should be cheering for Paislee or not, or liking Pellegrin or not. This story has the futuristic feel of Minority Report and iRobot but also reminded me slightly of one of the author's other thriller series, Tegans. There are several twists that kept me guessing, and I found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop. Pellegrin is a scary villain. He's a control freak, and his attitude is one of a dangerous psychopath and master manipulator, but this could also be Paislee's paranoia talking. His identity and role at The Institute is a mystery, but I had a feeling when reading this book that it's not what I think it may be. Then again, he could exactly be who I think he may be. I love books like this. I've always been interested in robots/androids as a concept but would be completely scared if AI ever got this powerful. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but it's my fear of the unknown talking, and until I learn otherwise, I'm keeping my worries alive. I guess I'll have to read the next book to find out what happens next, as the book ends on a small cliffhanger, and I can't wait.

Inge-Lise Goss has written an intriguing dystopian thriller full of mystery and suspense. I love her writing style, which is fast-paced, and the flow's fantastic. I am curious to see what this author comes up with in the future.

Although there is mention of sex, there are no explicit scenes and tends to fade out. I do not recommend this book to younger readers due to some violence. However, I highly recommend this book if you love science fiction, dystopian, horror, suspense, and thriller genres. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

About The Author:

Inge-Lise Goss loves the journeys where her characters take her, and she hopes her readers do too. She was born in Denmark, raised in Utah and graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Utah. She is a Certified Public Accountant and worked in that field for over twenty years. She now lives in the foothills of Red Rock Canyon with her husband and their dog, Bran, where she spends most of her time in her den writing stories. There, with her muse by her side, imagination has no boundaries and dreams come alive. When she’s not pounding away on the keyboard she can be found reading, rowing, or trying to perfect her golf game, which she fears is a lost cause.

Author Links:

Goodreads

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Twitter

Book Review of Blanket of Snow (After the Storm Book 1) by Dianna Hardy

Book Title: Blanket of Snow
(After the Storm Book 1)

Genre: Dark Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Pages: 60

Author: Dianna Hardy 

Date Published: 7 January 2019

Synopsis:

An Eye of the Storm Novelette

Four months have passed since the night of the fatal storm, and "peace on earth" has never felt so good despite the pack's sorrow at the loss of family and dear friends; sorrow that cut deeply over Christmas, and during last week’s wedding.

Mated to three, and now married into the Gunvald lineage, Lydia has taken comfort and security in her she-wolf, the animal's strength and wisdom taking her deep into the still-uncharted territory of Lawrence's wooded home – now her wooded home.

But storms come in many guises, and as the January snow clouds gather overhead, Lydia's finally forced to confront the secret she's been keeping from everyone, including herself.

Publisher's Notes: After the Storm is a series of novelettes that take place at relevant points in the immediate months and years after Eye of the Storm. They concentrate on the healing our characters need to go through after everything that happened. They all stand on their own and do not need to be read in any order, nor do they need to be read to understand any of the other series set in this world - they are additional reads for fans. And for anyone who doesn't wish to read them, the healing simply takes place off-stage.

Review:

Blanket of Snow by Dianna Hardy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blanket of Snow is a novelette in a new series called After the Storm and is an off-shoot of the Eye of the Storm series.

Lydia and her three mates, Lawrence, Ryan, and Taylor, have weathered the storm that threatened to tear them apart. In this novelette, Lydia is hiding a secret and worried about it being exposed, and what her mates would think about it. She flees into the woods and stumbles onto a mystery - a deserted house with a terrible history. As snow begins to fall, Lydia must find the courage to face the future while dealing with the tragic past.

I've been wanting to read more about the mated four, so when I heard that this novelette was in the works, I was excited. It is hard to write a review to this book without giving out spoilers, so all I will say is that I loved this story. Told through Lydia's POV, it was a pleasure meeting the four wolves once more. I was a little disappointed that this story is only a novelette but glad that the author decided to write it to show a little more closure for the characters, as the two spin-off series continues without them (much). I am looking forward to reading the next novelette in the series - I think it's from Taylor's POV and I can't wait!

Dianna Hardy is one of my favourite romance authors (she writes both paranormal/urban fantasy and contemporary romance), she has a way of expressing so much emotion through her written words - they're incredibly moving. I love her writing style, which is fast paced and exciting. The flow is fantastic too. Reading her books are a joy, and I will continue to read them for as long as she keeps writing them.

Unlike other books by this author, this book doesn't have any romantic scenes of explicit content, though what scenes there are, aren't as detailed as other series written by her. I highly recommend this book (and series) if you love contemporary or paranormal romances, dark fantasy and urban fantasy genres. - Lynn Worton

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Purchase Links:

                 

About The Author:

"Whether paranormal or contemporary, the one thing all my stories have in common is the fight for what you really want from life." (Dianna Hardy)

Dianna Hardy is a UK-based, international bestselling author of The Witching Pen series, and the Eye Of The Storm series. She combines a titillating mix of contemporary and paranormal romance, as well as urban and dark fantasy, into her writing, to bring you stories that are action-packed, fast-paced and not short of heat, with the focus on both character development and the plot. She writes full-length novels and short fiction. She has also written poetry (first published in 1997) and esoteric books and articles. Nowadays, she chooses to concentrate on writing fiction.

In December 2012, Releasing The Wolf hit the Kindle Paranormal Fantasy charts in both the US and the UK, where it stayed for three months, enjoying a highest ranking of #20. The first two books in the Eye of The Storm series have enjoyed success in the top 100 of Fantasy charts on Kindle US and Kindle UK, and all books in the series to date have reached the top 100 of the Fantasy iTunes charts in the Netherlands, Norway, Australia and the UK, with Heart Of The Wolf (book 3) reaching #1 in Denmark.

The Witching Pen series, 'Til Death Do Us Part and A Silver Kiss, have also hit the top 100 of Kindle and iBooks charts (Fantasy, Romance and Horror) in a number of different countries worldwide.

Although quite active online, Dianna prefers the quiet company of nature and animals to the hustle and bustle of people. She loves anything paranormal (she doesn't really consider it "para"), organic food, walking barefoot, the smell of the woods after rain, and summer days.

However, she is also sustained by coffee, chocolate and the occasional vodka.

Having graduated from Richmond Drama School (London) in '98, she spent the next few years in a multitude of jobs (both acting and non-acting), studying anything that fascinated her, searching her soul, and finally found her passion where it had always been: at the end of a pen.

She currently lives in South Hampshire, UK with her partner and their daughter, where she writes full-time.

Official site: diannahardy.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordiannahardy

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thewitchingpen

Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/+DiannaHardy/posts

(Profile photographs courtesy of Alastair Hay)

Book Review of The Letter (The Chateau series Book 1) by Emma Sharp

Book Title: The Letter

Genre: Woman's Literature

Pages: 290

Author: Emma Sharp

Date Published: 27 December 2018

Synopsis:

On yet another wet morning in Yorkshire, Laura, a newly qualified nurse, orphaned at a young age and brought up by her late grandma, is struggling financially and emotionally since the death of her beloved gran. That is, until one morning, when, out of the blue she receives a mysterious letter. With life changing decisions to be made, will Laura take up the challenge of starting a new life in the French sunshine?
Join her on the rollercoaster adventure, as she experiences highs and lows, opens new doors, makes new friends; and enemies along the way. Who can she trust in this unfamiliar country with the secrets that she uncovers? And, how is she going to deal with her belligerent, new neighbour?
So much more than a rags to riches story.

Review:

The Letter by Emma Sharp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Letter is the first in The Chateau series written by a debut author. I really enjoyed it!

Laura Mackley is a character I struggled to connect with at first, but as I read further into the story, she grew on me. By the end of the book, I liked her, even though some of her internal monologues made me want to roll my eyes or slap her silly. She is a nurse in England, who receives a letter that changes her life. Inheriting a chateau in France, she finds herself facing many challenges and decisions. As she delves deeper into the history surrounding her inheritance, Laura uncovers a family history previously unknown to her. Will she find her answers?

I don't usually read a lot of women's fiction. However, as I am trying to broaden my reading horizons, after reading the synopsis, I decided to give this book a try.

This story is told through the eyes of Laura. There are a few interesting characters in this book. Xavier is a French farmer, and neighbour to Laura. He comes across as intense and broody. Alice is his elderly mother, who has had a recent hospital stay and required care. Then there is Gus, Xavier's young son. There are a few more characters that make an appearance, which gives the story a nice realistic feel. There's even a piano playing ghost!

I started reading this story but wasn't instantly sucked in. I found it easy to put this book down, do something else, then pick it back up. This doesn't mean that I wasn't enjoying the story. As I said above, my problem lay in liking (or in this case, disliking) the main character. As I read more of the story, I became intrigued with the history of the chateau and Laura's family connection to it. There is a mystery hidden within the pages of this book, but as this is the first book in a series, some mystery remains towards the end. Xavier and Laura seem to have some chemistry, but I'm unsure if it's love or hate. Laura certainly emotes hate, but Xavier is an unknown quantity. It will be interesting to see how their relationship develops.

The author describes the scenes quite well, and this made it easy for me to picture in my mind's eye. Some dialogue feels a little forced, but for the most part, makes the characters come alive. There are a few twists thrown in, and the one near the end completely surprised me. I definitely didn't see that scene coming! Although the story doesn't end in a climatic cliffhanger, it does end on a small one. The author has added a teaser for the second book to tempt the reader into continuing with the series. I will be doing so in the future.

Emma Sharp is a debut author who has written an intriguing story. Her writing is not particularly fast-paced, but it is enough for me to keep turning pages. The story flows well, which makes it more enjoyable too.

Although there are no scenes of violence or any of a sexual nature, I do not recommend this book to younger readers, as I feel they may struggle with it. I do, however, recommend this book to readers of women's fiction, literary humour and romance. - Lynn Worton

View all my reviews

About The Author:

Unfortunately, as this author is new, I am unable to locate any information about her nor any links to share.

Book Review of Born in the Bed You Were Made: One Family's Journey from Cesarean to Home Birth by Brooklyn James

Book Title: Born In The Bed You Were Made: One Family's Journey from Cesarean to Home Birth

Genre: Memoir/Woman's Health

Pages: 255

Author: Brooklyn James

Date Published: 13 December 2018

Synopsis:

What the hell happened?

Not exactly the question one might expect from a postpartum nurse, it echoed in my mind incessantly after birth. Induction, intervention, ultimately cesarean were nothing new to me…until I was the one atop an operating room table birthing my firstborn through an incision in my uterus.

Brooklyn James grapples with her medicalized birth as she undergoes several unexpected health issues—fallout from a medically unnecessary cesarean, secondary infertility, miscarriage. While navigating the work and pleasure of new motherhood, there is also much shock, anger, and disenchantment over birth’s betrayal for her to work through. James finally identifies the root of her struggle: she was not prepared for the birth she might have envisioned. So then begins her exploration of all that is and all that can be in birth. The process leads her to a long overdue conversation with her instinct and her body in an attempt to surrender to, trust in, and accept the inherent wisdom within.

Born in the Bed You Were Made is intimate and penetrating, candid and reflective. It reveals a deeper truth about how disconnected many modern women are from birth. Most of all, it is a celebration of self-discovery found in the most obscure yet obvious, most challenging yet gratifying, role as child bearer and mother.

Review:

Born in the Bed You Were Made: One Family's Journey from Cesarean to Home Birth by Brooklyn James
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book is fantastic! I am not one who usually reads non-fiction or even memoirs, but having read previous fictional books written by this author, I knew that this book, being more personal, would be an emotional roller coaster ride. It didn't disappoint.

The author explores her emotions and thoughts over several events that shaped her ultimate decision of having a home birth. As I am not American, I don't know how the medical insurance companies work as such, but I believe that women have the right to decide how and where they would like to birth their babies. Unfortunately, most insurance companies are run by men. I don't mean to be sexist, but its the truth.

I am not a mother myself (and due to my advanced age, I may never have children of my own), but what struck me is how much this author's words touched something inside me that resounded within my inner being. She speaks of the instinctual, primitive brain (the part that handles breathing, and old emotional responses like fear, anger, love and knowing things, perhaps at a genetic level like birthing babies) and how she struggled through going against her instincts for a home birth in her first pregnancy because her insurance company didn't allow it. How this led to her having a Cesaerian that may or may not have been necessary, and later a miscarriage that taught her to trust her body and the genetic knowledge within.

The author also explores the role and history of a midwife. I found this aspect of the book interesting and full of words of wisdom, from the author herself, as well as those used by her midwife and the research books the author has used. I highlighted over 70 passages throughout this book that struck a chord within me. I don't usually highlight that many things in books, so that shows how much this book has affected me. Midwives have an important role for women. They act as a library of knowledge for expectant mothers. They also guide women through the hard work of labour and birthing children. They have a unique insight into the primitive brain through observation, and medical training to handle most problems that may arise. Unfortunately, these women have not had an easy ride throughout history. They were highly respected once, but they have lost their place due to vilification (being called witches, flakes and fakes in the not so distant past) and their knowledge depleted.

Hospitals and modern medicine have grown, time is short in today's society. Large pharmaceutical companies push for the use of drugs, hospitals don't have enough staff to give adequate one-on-one care for every expectant mother, and there are not enough beds for a natural birth. Hospitals have become factories - get them in and send them out as quickly as possible - and induced births, Cesareans (some necessary, but most unnecessary) have become the norm. This saddens not only me but the author too.

It has been an honour and a pleasure going on this author's journey. I wouldn't wish what happened to her happen to anyone else, but her journey is inspirational. I believe that women have the right to a support system like midwives along with obstetrics at a hospital, and the freedom to choose between a more economical home birth or an expensive hospital one. Modern medicine should work in concert with the more traditional methods to ensure a healthy birth experience for both the mother and child.

Brooklyn James has written a story that has touched me deeply. I love her writing style, and the flow was excellent. I am now looking forward to reading more of her other books as soon as I can.

I highly recommend this book, whether you are planning on having children, already have children and are considering having more, or have had children and they are starting their own families. The author references a few books that she used while pregnant, and these may help other expectant mothers too. - Lynn Worton

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About The Author:

This picture was taken from her Amazon Author Page

Brooklyn James is an author/singer-songwriter inspired by life in the Live Music Capital of Austin, Texas. Her first novel, The Boots My Mother Gave Me, has an original music soundtrack and was chosen as a Quarter Finalist in the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. The book provided a platform where it was her honor to serve as a guest speaker with a focus on awareness and prevention of domestic violence and suicide.

When she is not writing books, she can be found playing live music around Austin as part of an acoustic duo. Moonlighting occasionally in voice-over and film, she played a Paramedic in a Weezer video, met Harry Connick Jr. as an extra on the set of When Angels Sing, appeared in Richard Linklater's Boyhood for all of a nanosecond, and was a stand-in and stunt double for Mira Sorvino on Jerry Bruckheimer's Trooper pilot for TNT. Although reading, dancing, working out, and a good glass of kombucha get her pretty excited, she finds most thrilling the privilege of being a mother to two illuminating little souls and a wife to the one big soul from whom they get their light.

Brooklyn holds an M.A. in Communication, and a B.S. in both Nursing and Animal Science. Her nursing career has seen specialities in the areas of Intensive Care and Postpartum. With the publication of her birth memoir, she is available for speaking engagements, readings, signings, and writing workshops on how to put pen to paper composing one's own birth story.

Author Links:

Website ; Amazon Author Page ; Goodreads ; Facebook ; Twitter

Book Review of Little Astronomer: Once Upon a Sun (Kid Lit Science Book 2) by Julia Stilchen

Book Title: Little Astronomer: Once Upon a Sun

Genre: Children's Reference

Pages: 32

Author: Julia Stilchen

Date Published: 7 January 2019

Synopsis:

Little Astronomer books aim to encourage children to learn about Astronomy and our place in the Solar System and the Universe.

From the Kid Lit Science Book series comes Once upon a Sun (book 2). The Sun, illustrated as an anthropomorphous character, shares his side of the story about his origins and his journey emerging from a Stellar Nebula to becoming the star he is today. Illustrations include kid-friendly concepts of how our Sun makes energy and takes care of our Solar System.

Kids are sure to enjoy learning about our Sun through fun facts delivered with humor throughout the colorful pages. Included is a full cast of the rocky planets, gas giants, dwarf planets and Comet from the previous book.

Celestial objects included are the rocky planets, gas giants, dwarf planets and a comet.

Kid Lit Science books approach early learning by combining kawaii (cute) versions of the celestial objects with comic-style graphics, and humor to present educational facts in a fun way. It makes a great addition to learning in the classroom and at home.

Review:

Little Astronomer: Once Upon a Sun by Julia Stilchen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Fantastic children’s solar system reference book!

This book is an excellent way to teach a child about the solar system. The illustrations are well thought out and clearly show the sun and planets for those children who are not able to read yet, but also has words which explain in a fun way how the sun’s energy is produced. The author has given each sun and planet a personality, and I love DJ-ing Saturn - he knows how to p-a-r-t-y! I’m now looking forward to reading the next book in the series, even though I’m not the intended audience. This book is aimed at children aged from 0 to 9, but older children and adults will love it too.

Julia Stilchen has written and illustrated a fantastic reference book for children. I love that she has used simple words to explain how the solar system works. The illustrations are cute and fun. I have read other works by this author, and I love the way she writes.

I highly recommend this book to children of all ages, and adults looking for a fun, educational book showing how the solar system works. - Lynn Worton

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About The Author:

Prior to the winter solstice, in the year of the fire dragon, (minutes before the stroke of midnight), Julia was born within the human realm, in a far away kingdom surrounded by the cactus-laden desert of Arizona.

She learned to harness her daydreaming skills, practicing the craft of writing to transmute imaginary worlds into prose. She is a member of magical guilds like SCBWI, CBI Clubhouse, and YARWA.

She passionately embarks storytelling quests with an enchanted wand pen at hand. Along her journey, she enjoys befriending like-minded beings. (Some of which are mermaids, pirates, and aliens! Hee-hee) She loves spending time with her family, exploring nature, and traveling.

Her favorite genres are: fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal. She loves writing and illustrating children’s books: picture books, chapter books, middle grade, and YA fiction categories.

Author Links:

Amazon Author Page ; Goodreads ; Website ; Blog