Search

Search only in certain items:

Disclaimer: I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Elaine and her mother have a special relationship, the kind every parent and child strive for. They have their ups and downs, but they both know the love and support of the other is there. That comes into play in a slow crawl towards dementia for Elaine's mother, Betty. First, it's the little things, but it slowly gets worse as time goes by, and Elaine has chronicled that journey, both for her mother as well as herself, in this wonderful book.

I used to work for a Neurology clinic where we saw many patients with Dementia, and while I could recognize the signs and symptoms because of that, it's understandable how someone so close to the person could miss them, or push them aside as something else. To see how Elaine and the rest of her family coped with this illness, and for her to share such a personal story in such a public way, is very awe-inspiring, and I wish both her and the rest of her family all the best. I feel as though this book could help open someone's eyes to what a family member or friend might be experiencing, and while it's a very emotional read, I would recommend everyone I know to give it a shot for that very reason.

5 stars
  
<i>This eBook was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

The Case of the Paranoid Panda</i> is a delightful children’s story by Bruce Murphy about a skunk detective who enjoys solving mysteries. Irwin Lalune is a skunk on a mission after he is informed about a panda at the zoo that has been acting strangely. The panda – Ling Ming – has not been eating or sleeping and has become very paranoid; Irwin is determined to find out why.

With the help of Larry the squirrel, Irwin investigates and interviews a variety of animals as he slowly pieces together what it was that scared the panda so much. The more Irwin probes into the case the more dangerous it becomes.

<i>The Case of the Paranoid Panda </i>is an enchanting little story that will amuse both children and adults. It is full of wit and adorable characters that everyone will be able to appreciate. Some of the humour may not be detected by younger readers, therefore readers of ages eight and upwards are the most appropriate target audience for this book.

Christian Paniagua has provided charming illustrations of the characters throughout the book, which will greatly appeal to youngsters. Although this is the only Irwin Lalune mystery so far, there is great potential of developing a series of stories with animal related cases for the skunk to crack.
  
The Brides of the Big Valley
The Brides of the Big Valley
Wanda E. Brunstetter, Jean Brunstetter, Richelle Brunstetter | 2019 | Fiction & Poetry, Romance
10
9.0 (2 Ratings)
Book Rating
Three unique perspectives into Amish life.
   The first story is about a widow and her son with Down Syndrome and how she finds love again with a man she least expects. I loved the perseverance in this story! No matter what obstacles many come your way we can't give up but need to figure out ways to over come those obstacles.
    Second we have a women at a crossroad in her life, she has to trust fully that God will lead her in the right direction even when it seems everyone around her is against what she believes God is telling her to do. I think this one was a great story on listening to God and not giving in to what the world wants you to do.
    Last we have a story about a young women who is very shy who learns to overcome her fears to find love, loss, and a family of her own. This one was probably my favorite. It really is true that you have to stop thinking about what people might think of you and just be yourself or you will never grow into the person you are supposed to be.
    I loved this book and would highly recommend adding it to your TBR pile.
I volunteered to read this book from Barbour Publishing in exchange for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
  
The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl
The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl
Melissa Keil | 2014 | Young Adult (YA)
6
6.7 (3 Ratings)
Book Rating
2.5 stars.

*I received a copy of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

Someone recommended this book to me a few months ago but I was a little wary of reading it, since I wasn't a fan of graphic novels back then--though I have discovered a like of manga since--and then I saw it on Netgalley and decided to just go for it.

Unfortunately, I felt like I was chucked straight into the middle of the story. I didn't have a clue who was who or how they fit into the story at the start, which made it hard for me to get into. I persevered over several days and I got used to the amount of friends in Alba's little group but the whole end of the world thing threw me a little. I didn't quite get that part of the story.

But then we get the hint of a little romance for our main character and I cheered up a bit. I was only going to give it 2 stars up until the 90% mark and then Grady melted my heart a little so I pushed my rating a little higher.

Not really my kinda thing. I prefer my girl's to be receptive to the idea of romance and not as into comics as Alba was--especially when she was naming some I'd never heard of.

I may read other books by the author at some point.
  
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I’m rather picky about my MM Romances. I don’t know why, but I am. Josh Lanyon really started me on genre when I got book 4 in his Adrian English series for free one Christmas through All Romance E-Books. As soon as I read it I went and bought book 5 to see how it was all going to work out and I loved it. The only problem with that is the fact that I’ve probably been spoilt for most other MM books now.

That’s not to say it was bad or anything it just didn’t really do it for me, though I’m not entirely sure why. I liked the fact it was based around something different i.e. crime scene clearance, and it was interesting to read about the depth they go to to clean them.

The romance between the two main characters was quite sweet and progressed over time, which I liked much better than some others which just go straight into the hot and heavy. The two were likable in their own ways and when they finally kissed I was cheering them on.

I also really liked Gabe and Dave, they were always just looking out for Jack and trying to help him do the right thing, even if it didn’t always seem like it.

If you’re a fan of MM Romance’s then I’m sure you’ll like this.
  
*Copy received via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review"

I could tell this was going to be a hot read from the first chapter when Frankie was fantasising about Jake–Steamy!–and I wasn’t wrong.

You get to see from both Frankie’s and Jake’s POV, which is an advantage when Jake is described as being a serious, moody guy by Frankie. But then seeing from Jake’s POV just why he’s behaving like that balances it out and it switches between every so often.

The first sex scene between the pair took up a fair bit of the book but it also contains an intriguing plotline. Who was Frankie’s stalker and why were they stalking her? Unfortunately we don’t find out in this one but I hope the author is well on her way to finishing a second book in the series so we can.

I liked it but I also feel slightly cheated since we didn’t find out who was behind the attacks against Frankie. I’m left with more questions than answer but at the same time I’m happy that Jake and Frankie got a happy ending as they are both really likeable characters and deserve some happiness after what they’ve both been through.

Short and sweet. I will certainly read the next in the series when it comes out.
  
WW
When We Fall
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).


I wanted to love When We Fall by Peter Giglio because it sounded so ominous and scary. However, it was only an alright read that wasn't very scary at all. In fact, I didn't think there was enough ghostliness. All in all, this is a book that's not very memorable at all.

I don't feel like the title conveys what the book is about in the slightest. Personally, I like books to at least give a subtle hint in their title.

I do like the cover however. Ben loves making Super 8 films, and it's on the roll of film that he notices a ghostly image.

The world building was fairly believable. The problem that I had with this book is that a popular 17 year old girl would want to hang out with a unpopular 13 year old boy. Yes, I understand that she's his babysitter, but she spends time with him just because as well. Not only that, but she ends up kissing him at one point!

The pacing was alright. When We Fall is a novella so it can be easily read in one sitting. The pacing did hold my attention until the very end which I was happy about.

I felt that the plot was a bit weak. It was as if this book didn't know if it wanted to be a coming of age story or a paranormal story. The coming of age side of the story works rather well, but it was the paranormal side that was a bit weak. For example, we're led to believe that Ben is seeing and hearing his dead best friend in his room. Yet that's the only encounter we ever read about. So was that all in Ben's mind or was Johnny, his best friend, actually a ghost? There's only one more incident where there's possibly a ghost. I really wish this focused more on the horror/paranormal aspect.

Ben felt like a well developed character. It was easy enough to believe what he was feeling especially when it came to his crush on Aubrey. Ben seemed like a "normal" 13 year old boy. I didn't like Audrey. She didn't feel like an average 17 year old girl. As I said before, she's a popular girl hanging out with a 13 year old boy when she could be hanging out with friends her own age. Plus, I felt as if she took advantage of Ben sometimes.

The dialogue seemed to flow rather well. I also loved reading about how Ben was feeling. There were a few swear words throughout the book.

Overall, while When We Fall is an alright book, it lacks a certain something. Perhaps it needed more of a horror element to it especially as the blurb leads us to believe this is going to be a scary horror book. Unfortunately, When We Fall by Peter Giglio is a forgettable book.

I'd recommend this book to those aged 15+ who are looking for a read that will help them pass some time or for those who like books with a light paranormal theme.

</b>I'd give When We Fall by Peter Giglio a 2.5 out of 5.</b>


(I received this ebook for free from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for a fair and honest review).